FABULOUS TWO WEEKS IN SPAIN
Spain
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May 1 - May 14, 2024
WHAT A WONDERFUL TRIP WE HAD TO SPAIN! MARINA PUT TOGETHER A FABULOUS ITINERARY FULL OF TOURS AND CULTURAL EXPERIENCES. WE STARTED IN MADRID AND ENJOYED A WALKING TOUR WITH JAVIER AND ENDED WITH A FOOD AND DRINK TOUR AND LEARNED A LOT ABOUT SPANISH FARE. WE TOOK THE TRAIN TO TOLEDO AND HAD A DELIGHTFUL TOUR WITH MANUEL AND ENDED WITH A YUMMY LUNCH IN A CAVE. WE TOOK THE TRAIN TO GRANADA WHICH WAS A LIVELY TOWN WITH A VERY FESTIVE ATMOSPHERE. WE ENJOYED LOTS OF REMARKABLE TAPAS IN THE LOCAL BARS INCLUDING A HIGHLIGHT AT BAR POE. WE HAD A GROUP TOUR OF THE ALHAMBRA- AN ABSOLUTELY STUNNING CASTLE FULL OF HISTORY AND AMAZING ARCHITECTURE. WE ALSO ENJOYED A SMALL, INTIMATE FLAMENCO DANCE PERFORMED IN A CAVE. FROM GRANADA, WE DROVE TO SEVILLE BY WAY OF SEVERAL SMALL TOWNS INCLUDING RONDA, SENTINEL AND ZAHARA, ALL WITH THEIR OWN UNIQUE LANDSCAPES AND INTERESTING SIGHTS. AFTER THREE WONDERFUL DAYS IN SEVILLE TOURING THE CITY, AND ALCAZAR WTIH HELENA, TOURING AND TASTING AT AN OLIVE OIL ESTATE, AND A PAELLA MAKING CLASS WHICH WAS A HIGHLIGHT, WE WERE ABLE TO GET LAST MINUTE TICKETS TO THE CATHEDRAL AND TOURED IT ON OUR OWN. THEN, WE FLEW TO BARCELONA. WE HAD ARRANGED A TOUR OF THE GAUDI MASTERPIECES INCLUDING CASA BATLLO, PARK GUELL, AND THE ULTIMATE, LA FAMILIA SEGRADA- ALL ARE NOT TO MISS WHEN IN BARCELONA! OUR FINAL VENTURE WAS A DRIVE TO THE COAST OF BEGUR. OUR STAY AT THE PARADOR DE AIGLUABAVA WAS AMAZING. WE WERE UPGRADED TO SUITES AND ENJOYED GLORIOUS VIEWS OF THE MEDERERREAN SEA! WE DID A CATAMARAN TOUR ALONG THE COAST AND SAW CASTLES AND BEACHES ALONG THE WAY. OUR BEAUTIFUL ADVENTURE ENDED WITH A DRIVE BACK TO BARCELONA AND A VISIT TO MONTSERRAT! WE PACKED IN A LOT IN TWO WEEKS AND MADE MEMORIES FOR A LIFETIME!
Hotel Reviews
THIS WAS OUR ONLY DISAPPOINTMENT OF OUR STAY. TOTALLY ON A DIFFERENT LEVEL THAN ANYWHERE ELSE WE STAYED. MUCH LOWER CLASS. THE STAFF WAS NOT TERRIBLY FRIENDLY AND SOME DIDN'T SPEAK GOOD ENGLISH. THE HOTEL IS DARK AND DREARY. IT IS ESPECIALLY DIFFICULT TO GET READY IN THE BATHROOMS AND APPLY MAKE UP AS THE LIGHTING IS TERRIBLE. THE LIGHTING IS TERRIBLE THROUGHOUT THE HOTEL. THE ELEVATORS SEEMED TO BE IN POOR CONDITION. THE BREAKFAST WAS LIMITED WITH STALE PASTRIES AND FEW CHOICES. THE AREA THE HOTEL WAS LOCATED WAS NOT THE SAFEST FEELING. I"M GLAD WE ONLY HAD 2 NIGHTS THERE, BUT REGRET THAT WE WERE BOOKED HERE AT ALL. IT WAS A REAL DISAPPOINTMENT AND I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND KIMKIM PLACE THEIR CLIENTS IN THIS HOTEL IN THE FUTURE. MUCH LOWER CLASS THAN THE H10'S OR PARADORE DE AIGLUBAVA.
I HAD LOW EXPECTATIONS BECAUSE I HAD TOLD MARINA WE COULD SAVE $$ ON THE AIRPORT HOTEL NIGHT, BUT THIS HOTEL EXCEEDED MY EXPECTATIONS. IT WAS LOVELY. LIGHT AND BRIGHT WITH A VERY HELPFUL, FRIENDLY STAFF. BREAKFAST WAS FRESH AND DELICIOUS. ROOMS WERE BRIGHT, CLEAN, AND COMFORTABLE. WOULD RECOMMEND. THE LOCATION WAS A BIT SKETCHY BUT WE DIDN'T LEAVE THE HOTEL ONCE WE CHECKED IN AND FELT SAFE AND FINE THERE.
Activity Reviews
JAVIER WAS GREAT. ENJOYED HIS TOUR. MAYBE WE COULD HAVE SEEN EVEN MORE IF WE HAD GOTTEN ON THE METRO AND VISITED MORE AREAS THAN JUST WHAT WAS WALKABLE
THIS WAS A HIGHLIGHT. FULL OF FUN, LAUGHTER, GREAT FOOD AND BEVERAGES! HIGHLY RECOMMEND. BUT.....BE SURE TO TELL YOUR CLIENTS THE PROPER START TIME! WE WERE TOLD 6PM AND WERE THERE PROMPTLY AT 6 AND NO ONE WAS THERE. TURNS OUT, IT DOESN'T START UNTIL 6:30.
GREAT EXPERIENCE
ANOTHER HIGHLIGHT OF THE TRIP. SARA WAS GREAT! ESTATE WAS BEAUTIFUL. REALLY ENJOYED THE TOUR AND TASTING
ALHAMBRA WAS VERY CROWDED AND HARD TO GET A LOT OUT OF A GROUP TOUR. ANTONIO WAS THE GUIDE AND WAS VERY INFORMATIVE, BUT IT WAS HARD TO KEEP UP WITH HIM AND ALL HIS KNOWLEDGE IN THE GROUP SETTING. WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER TO HAVE HAD A PRIVATE TOUR.
GREAT SHOW. HOWEVER, THERE WAS NO INTRODUCTION AS TO WHAT WE WERE ABOUT TO SEE. AND NO EXPLANATION. WE ENJOYED IT BUT WOULD HAVE LIKED SOME EXPLANATION. WE ALSO THOUGHT IT WAS GOING TO BE A LARGE, STAGE PRODUCTION. HAD NO IDEA IT WAS A VERY SMALL INTIMATE AFFAIR WITH 3 DANCERS AND TWO SINGERS.
HELENA WAS VERY KNOWLEDGEABLE AND HAD LOTS OF INFORMATION TO SHARE. SHE DIDN'T PICK UP ON OUR QUEUS THAT WE WERE TIRED AND NEEDED A BREAK, OR TO EVEN CUT THE TOUR A BIT SHORT. `
ANOTHER HIGHLIGHT OF THE TRIP!! WOULDN'T CHANGE A THING! LOVED IT!!
THIS WAS FINE BUT NOT GREAT. THE AREA WHERE YOU START THE TOUR WAS A BIT DINGY AND CROWDED. THE STAFF ON THE BOAT DID A GREAT JOB. IT'S NOT A HIGH CLASS EXPERIENCE. THERE WERE LOTS OF YOUNG KIDS ON BOARD. THE FOOD SERVED WAS FINE. NOTHING GREAT.
WE ARRANGED THIS FOR OURSELVES AND THOROUGHLY ENJOYED THE DAY
Hi Marianna, thank you so much for taking the time to write your trip review. I am glad to hear you enjoyed your trip and had a great time discovering so many places around Spain and its culinary scene. I will share with all the team your kind words🤩 I am sorry to hear about your experience in your hotel in Barcelona, we have worked for several years with this hotel and had good reviews, I will pass on your comments, thank you for letting me know. Hope you created wonderful memories during your journey. I wish you all the best and hopefully, we keep in touch for your next adventure🥰 Marina