How do you make 8 day+ trip report not to long! Hard. This was my 3rd RS tour and my DH 2nd RS tour. We enjoyed the tour but was a little hot for me. I was in Europe for 3 weeks on two different tours. Will post them separately (Rhone river cruise, work related and RS tour.) Since my river cruise was already planned, I choose this RS tour because it was the most cost savings one in price and time since my tour ended up in Barcelona. The logistics worked out smoothly. I arrived in Barcelona on the 8th of June after my river cruise. My husband arrived on the 9th.
June 9 - met him at the bus stop in Plaza catalunya, then dropped off his suitcase as the RS hotel NH Barcelona Centro (liked the hotel, very convenient location). We felt very comfortable and got around easily. Went to the Maritime Museum and just walked around to get familiar with B. Ate a delicious dinner of pasta and truffle cream sauce and the best sangria at Luzia off of the Rambla
June 10 - had a Viator tour booked for a in Figueres and Cadaques for S. Dalli museum and house. Quite interesting place. (all day). Great guide
June 11 - had a Viator tour booked for Montserrat. Great guide. Gorgeous place. This was Sunday and yes we knew it would be crowded but did not know of any other time we could go. Got there right before Mass, it was amazing.
Met our group at 5 in the hotel. We had 23 tour mates (was suppose to be 24, but one cancelled out). we had 4 couples (including us),2 ladies - who travel together; 4 ladies who travel together; family of 4 (parents and two daughters, about 14 and 11?) and family of 5 (college age daughter and another daughter and son-in-law). I want to praise that family of 4, those two youngsters were so well behaved, kept up, asked questions and engaged in learning about the history of Spain, etc. Kudos to the parents for raising such delightful girls. Ages ranged from 11 to 70ish. Families, retired folks, college students, and some still in the work force.
Our tour guide, Federico, was amazing. He became our local guide while we were in Madrid. All the local guides were terrific as usual. Full of information on history of Spain, churches, sites, etc.
In Barcelona Sunday June 11 thru Wednesday am June 14) we saw Gaudi sites (Le Pedrera, apartment building; Sagrada Família - which was amazing, colored stain glass windows with the lights shinning thru, the architecture) and Park Guell. Picasso museum, cathedrals. We never starved! Food - tapas, tapas, and more tapas. Wine, wine and sangria
June 14 afternoon - AVE train to Madrid - Hotel in Madrid was Hotel Dos Castilias
June 14 thru 18 - Royal Palace, Prado museum, a day in Toledo . As mentioned before, Federico became our local guide while we were in Madrid. He was great as a story teller and bringing things to life. Such a gifted guide with so much knowledge and songs to tell a story. At one of our dinners, we got to visit with the 14 days best of Spain group sitting next to us. One free night, some of us went to a jazz concert at a bar.
Pretty much did what is on the itinerary listed for this tour.
Flights home were so smooth. It was hard to believe we breezed thru Dulles customs and had time to go to the United Club. Then to Chicago and the home to Tulsa.
Hope I did not forget anything!!!