It’s hard to believe it’s down to my last month of this Europe trip. This month I’ll be based in Toulouse in southwestern France. It’s the first major stop on this trip that isn’t on the coast, not that this is a major consideration for me. I was in Toulouse for part of two days…
Editor’s note: Andalusia is my favorite part of Spain, probably because Seville is easily my favorite city in this amazing country. When (not if) I go back, I intend to fill in the seaside portion of that region, anchored by the city of Malaga. Lucky for me, TRT writer Sam Spector has done a lot…
Editor’s note: this is the second part of Jackie’s trip to Spain and Portugal. You can click here to read about her experience in Madrid. As for these cities, Seville is my personal favorite in Spain, and one of my favorites in Europe. Granada is stunning due to the Alhambra, and Cordoba is at the…
Editor’s note: it has been a lot of years now since I visited Madrid in the early days of The Royal Tour. (Click here to read my guide from back then.) I loved it, and my visit to Toledo while there. Funny enough, I tried to also see El Escorial, but did a poor job…
Editor’s note: I visited Barcelona in March 2019. However, just a week in - with two weeks remaining in the city - COVID 19 captured the world, and I fled back to California. Sadly, Montserrat was one of the things left unfinished for me. So it is both wonderful and a little sad to read…
Tapas has become one of the hottest cuisines in the United States. However, what we think of as tapas has little to do with the foundational cuisine in Spain. So what is tapas, where does the concept originate, and how has it evolved? Today we will take a deep look at one of my favorite…
Spain is an incredible country, perhaps my favorite in Europe. It is a place you should definitely visit. But what do you need to know before going? What tidbits will help you get a feel for the culture, and for differences from life back home? I have prepared just a short list of things you…
Barcelona is the most popular destination in Spain for American tourists, and one of the most popular in all of Europe. After only a day or two there, it will be easy to see why. The city offers great weather, incredible food, access to beaches and mountains, fascinating architecture and cultural gems, and some of…
The contrast between the streets of Barcelona and those of most other major Spanish cities is stark, and not just for the architecture. The flag of Spain, commonly hung from balconies all over the country, is not visible here anywhere near to that extent, except on federal buildings. Rather, the red and yellow stripes of…
Editor's note: no, we are not calling our readers dummies. We are just trying to borrow some of the brilliance of the popular books. I am so excited for this post, as it's nice to get two different views on Barcelona - mine and this one from Madeleine. Full disclosure, while I may have accomplished…