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Archive for the ‘Traveler Destinations’ Category

NEW ZEALAND: WHEN HOBBITS INVITE YOU TO VISIT MIDDLE-EARTH

Lord of the Rings - Middle Earth

Middle Earth of Lord of the Rings, made in New Zealand

An unexpected briefing

An elegant elf explains the safety instructions to passengers on a plane. Among those helping to get her message across we recognize Gollum, Gandalf, dwarves and other fantastical characters directly from Tolkien’s universe… Welcome to Air New Zealand!

Indeed, on the occasion of the international release of Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit: an unexpected journey, the airline company has been broadcasting a 5-minute parody of the movie before each flight, in which these characters explain, with charm and wit, the safety instructions for the flight.

Yes, Air New Zealand, led by the country’s National Organization of Tourism, is taking part in the huge promotional campaign for the film. As the movies have been riding a wave of success all over the world, New Zealand – where the films are located – has decided to take advantage, ready to embrace the fans of Peter Jackson’s franchise.

Peter Jackson, a Kiwi by birth, effectively used the lush green lands as the set for three-episode saga Lord of the Rings. He felt it was perfect to match the landscapes and topography of the magical universe described in Tolkien’s books.

Hobbiton tours

“We want to show to the potential tourists that the magic of Middle-Earth is actually really here,” says Kevin Bowler, CEO of Tourism New Zealand. The national tourism marketing body conducted extensive offshore research into how to best capitalize on the latest films starring the New Zealand landscape as Middle Earth.

Since the first episode of Lords of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring was released eleven years ago, the country immediately understood that Jackson’s movies could be a major boost to tourism, one of the principle industries on the island. What could be a better tourist attraction for New Zealand than hosting the on-site locations for one of the most successful on-screen trilogies ever produced?

New Zealand has also supported the production of the trilogy with financial backing, in exchange for using some characters and scenes in order to promote its national image across the world.

Many tour-operating companies have started to incorporate the film into their businesses. From Wellington or Auckland, Hobbiton Tours, Red Carpet Tours and many others -recreate the fantasy to enable fans to discover the magic places where the episodes of the saga were shot. Tour groups venture to the forests of Lorien and Fangorn, Helm’s Deep, the Mountain of the Mordor where the famous ring was forged…

Emerald blue lakes, round and green mountains, waterfalls breaking along high walls of black granite…

About one million of tourists come each year to Lake Wakatipu to enjoy the fairy settings featured by Peter Jackson (see picture).

Lake Wakatipu is located in New Zealand. Tourism has increased since the Lord of the Rings

New Zealand’s Lake Wakatipu featured in Lord of the Rings

“In 2004 our surveys showed 6% of international arrivals to New Zealand mentioned the Lord of the Rings trilogy of films as part of the reason they had come to the country,” Mr Bowler said. Tourism New Zealand also managed to narrow down the percentage of international die-hard Lord of the Rings fans who came here specifically because of the films in 2004, which was 1% of overall arrivals. A few years later, the same survey showed that a whopping 57% of tourists are familiar with the world of Tolkien and Peter Jackson.

Using fiction to draw tourists

Another legendary hero has also been noticed by the tourism industry: Harry Potter. Warner Bros Entertainment has contributed to this franchise. In the UK, a Harry Potter tour takes the fans around the British countryside, following the tracks of the young wizard’s adventures. Last February, Warner Bros opened to the public their studios in Leavesden, a suburb of London, where the movies were shot. Many families gather around the mythic places of J.K. Rowling’s magic imaginary world. They play quidditch, try to concoct a magic potion, walk in Diagon Alley, and so on.

In Tunisia, you can meet some Star Wars aficionados near Matmata, in the desert, where the shooting of episodes 1 & 2 took place. Here again, tour-operators transport you to the world of your heroes.

Do you have any other stories of films, books, or or pop-culture icons bringing traffic to a destination? Share your stories below.

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New Zealand, Traveler Destinations

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A travelers guide to Barcelona

Barcelona’s skyline, dotted by beautiful Gaudi architecture. (Photo by MorBCN)

WHAT TO EXPECT:

This is a young people friendly city. It’s energetic and busy, a bit like a North Italian city. It’s walkable; the Paseo runs much of the length of the center of town. It has two amazingly good museums, cheap (for Europe) shopping, is home to the masterpieces of one of the most famous architects in history and a very active nightlife.

Barcelona is a laid back London. The street near our hotel was filled with piercing/tatoo studios and smoke shops, it almost reminded me of Haight Street in San Francisco—except cooler because it was in Spain.

Stella knows cool when she sees it.

WHERE YOU SHOULD GO:

The art pours out into the streetsMUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART

A spectacular venue to see modern art! The building, designed by Richard Meier brings light from the south through a solid wall of windows into three floors of packed with art you never get to see in the States. Outside, on two sides of the museum are large empty squares which slowly fill up as the day moves on. By afternoon they are buzzing with music and people spilling out from the cafés. Also a good place to start looking for some of the spectacular street art that covers the city.

THE PICASSO MUSEUM

Picasso a go go. This is Picasso as a teenager, as an art student, as a copy cat, as Toulouse-Lautrec, as a Matisse, as warmed over Corot, and finally as a frustrated old man. It’s everything you don’t see at the Picasso Museum in Paris which features some of his most popular work. A must see to fill out your understanding of this most influential 20th Century artist.

I was really surprised when I saw some of Picasso’s earlier work. It wasn’t like his later work at all. Not crazy, just sort of normal.

Aki Laflin

TAPIES CENTER

A big surprise, a beautiful space, a great homage to a modern Spanish artist and on top of all that it has a garden on the roof where you can swing in the hammocks and draw and paint at your leisure. The building is small and uncrowded and beautifully arranged; perfect for a relaxing and edifying trip after, say, lunch.

WHERE YOU SHOULD EAT:

Most is tourist fare. View it as a chance to get good at finding the places where all the local young hip sophisticates eat. Take a walk down LAS RAMBLAS. The best places will probably be off the main drag. And remember: you’re in Spain. People aren’t having dinner here until 9:30 at night (ahem. 21:30).

MAMA CAFÉ (Carrer Doctor Dou 10, ph 93.301.29.40)

Down a little side street near the Museum of Modern Art. Microwaves and processed foods are strictly prohibited and it has all the style you need for lunch or dinner. You’ll be happy you went.

ES (Carrer Doctor Dou 14, ph: 93.301.00.68)

Mama Café spawned an upscale daughter next door. The quality of french cuisine with a Spanish focus and (best of all) Barcelona prices.

There’s also a great little square past the Picasso Museum. Keep following the street the Picasso is on, and don’t give up—you’ll find a square with trees, a great little cafe, and lots of locals. You might get lost, sure… but that’s how we found it in the first place.

WHERE YOU WANT TO GO:

A magical journey through Gaudi ParkLA SAGRADA FAMILIA

Ever see a cathedral being built? No!? Here’s you’re chance. There’s lots of oooing and aaaaing at Gaudi’s masterpiece—even though it isn’t yet finished. It is certainly the most unusual of all public monuments.Walk up one of the spires for a terrific view of the city. Try pictures at sunset.

PARK GÜELL

Read The Lord of the Rings? Think “The Shire” but designed by Antoni Gaudi and made with cement, stones and tiles.

EL PASEO

Just wander, walk, move about, and join the throngs. Well, maybe not join them. But the spectacle of it all can be very nice.

THE BEACH

Need we explain?

Barcelona seems to have this free spirit that manifests itself perfectly in the Gaudi architecture spread through out the city. His stuff is crazy. It looks like it could be straight out of a Disney movie on LSD.

Stella has never used LSD. We swear.

WHERE YOU WANT TO STAY:

For the adventurous and seafaring, you can’t go wrong with this boat…it’s the perfect base to go to Barcelona’s famous beach and to explore the city.

This story was brought up to us by the San Francisco Art and Film for teenagers

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Traveler Destinations

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Sonoma’s Premiere Vacation Destination in California Wine Country

The Valley of the Moon

California is home to Wine Country USA, where carefully cultivated grapes distilled into fine wine garner awards year after year, including the vineyard of film director Francis Ford Coppola.

Greystone Estate, tucked among the flora and fauna in Kenwood

One of the most gorgeous vacation rental destinations in wine country is none other than Greystone Estate, a luxurious retreat nestled between vineyards, lush greenery and vegetation. The estate features a pool, tennis court, and plenty of space to hold an event such as private on-site tastings, wine pairing classes with our Sommelier, or winemaker’s dinners. Whatever it is, Greystone is the perfect base from which to explore the nature, music, and cultural events that “The Valley of the Moon”, as Sonoma is affectionately known, has to offer.

Clive vineyards of Sonoma

Greystone estate is just a short drive to California’s famous redwood forests and beaches along the pacific coast, and is only an hour from the rolling hills and colors of San Francisco.

The stretch of valley and hills between the Mayacamas Range to the east and the Sonoma Mountains to the west encompasses Wine Country in its idyllic splendor. Riding with the top-down or cruising by bike, one can wind their way through the gentle curving roads into the historic hamlet of Kenwood, where Greystone Estate is located.

Sonoma is famous for its one-of-a-kind wine tastings

Founded in 1895, Kenwood’s charming homes and landmarks, such as the old train depot, ring around Plaza Park, where locals come together. Known as the “Heart of Sonoma Valley,” Kenwood is desired by couples looking for romance, and people wishing to visit rustic, family-run wineries like VJB Vineyards and Cellars. At preeminent wine estates such as Chateau St. Jean, one can stroll along the sprawling lawns, visit the heirloom gardens, and rest on the stone patios as they snack on a delicacy from the vineyards’ own charcuterie.

Walk along the gardens

You can sample the best of Sonoma-style cuisine in Kenwood, too. Local chefs use the freshest seasonal produce, line-caught fish, and meat from organic free-range farms and ranches. It is here where California’s cuisine gained international attention, and is now studied in culinary institutes the world over. Notable chefs and restaurateurs include Thomas Keller, John Ash, and Sondra Bernstein. The region boasts extensive culinary choices known for being healthy.

Tour Sonoma by hot air balloon

For fine Italian dining try Cafe Citti; or dine alfresco at the Kenwood Restaurant (sit by a roaring fireplace in the winter); melt with delight at the tastes at Dolce Luna; or stop by the Vineyard Inn for Spanish tapas.

Just a few minutes south of Kenwood is Sonoma’s center, with its own beautiful plaza, encircled by boutiques, wineries, restaurants, and landmarks. The region offers a glimpse of the old with a taste of the new.

A pleasant ride to the city of Santa Rosa takes you to a more urban setting, with upscale shops, restaurants and attractions like the Charles Schulz “Peanuts” museum and Safari West Wildlife Preserve.In addition to wine-tasting, visitors to Wine Country enjoy hiking, bicycling, and hot air ballooning. Hot springs and petrified forests are also popular.

WHERE YOU WANT TO STAY:

Greystone Estate is the perfect place to stay for a group to enjoy Wine Country.

Aerial view of Greystone Estate

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Traveler Destinations, vacation rentals

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How I long to go to Bob and Bab’s Waterfall House

Bob & Bab’s living room window looks out to the creek

I, like everything else in New York City, am a transplant. I arrived in March of 2011, from Mexico via California where I was born and raised. I have called Brooklyn my home for over a year and a half now. It still feels exciting being here, still vibrant. In many ways I feel more at home here than anywhere in the world.

The waterfall in Autumn

But living in the Big Apple, it’s apparent that many people want to leave. I tell a local I’m from California and a gleam of light flashes across their eyes, followed by the question, “Why New York?” The more fortunate city-folk enjoy regular getaways where they escape the bright lights, go somewhere they can spot a star or two in the night sky, where the air is less tinged by exhaust. It is not enough that I listen to music while zigzagging through city traffic on my bicycle or wear earplugs when sleeping at night. The city noise will cut through.

That’s why when I want to get away, somewhere more exotic, I’ll look at travel photos, paintings, motion pictures, or allow myself to be transported through literature. While I enjoy looking at all kinds of images, I especially like looking at calm scenes of nature. To borrow the words of New York Times columnist David Brooks, I enjoy “lush open grasses, with thickets of trees and bushes, a water source, diversity of vegetation including flowering and fruiting plants and an unimpeded view of the horizon in at least one direction.” I guess we all do.

Waterfall house in Autumn

Working at Rentini, I view photos of vacation properties and their environments on a daily basis. I am often filled with awe at what I imagine life is like where these homes reside. That was how I felt when I saw Bob and Bab’s Waterfall House.

Located in the Catskill Mountains, tucked next to Woodstock in the town of Palentine NY, the Waterfall House is beautiful on the inside while surrounded by majestic nature on the outside. There is a waterfall, of course, but also a swimming hole and lush greenery and flowers at every turn. The environs have been the source of poetry, paintings, and pilgrimages by well-to-do seeking out it’s beauty.

Bob & Babs together outside their Woodstock home.

The owners of Waterfall House, Bob Malkan and Barbara (“Babs”) Kostas, have decorated their home in the charming style of a Dutch cottage – with fine art, antiques, and cool light painted walls. For them, as important as aesthetic earthiness and charm is comfort. Since they spend time there on occasion, they have cultivated a home that –if their guest book is any indication– has been the context of so many beautiful memories not only for each other, but for families, couples, and groups of friends.

Bob entered the vacation rental space to justify purchasing a charming second home on a whim. As a businessman, he wanted it not just because he liked it, but because it would be a good investment, for the pocket book but also for the life of the home.

Regular household items – jumbo sized!

Before entering into vacation rentals, Bob co-founded Think Big! stores, which specialized in “whimsical giant objects taken from everyday life”. Think BIG crayons, BIG toothbrushes, BIG pacifiers…BIG everything. To the surprise of many, Bob’s quirky vision was a success. One of his products was even featured in the blockbuster film Forrest Gump, starring Tom Hanks.

Bob and Bab’s penned a poem one day, inspired by their comfort of their waterfall home:

“Perched on the Edge of Time.

The Beauty and Serenity of a

Legendary Waterfall.

Breathe Deeply, Freely.

Immerse Yourself in the Cool

Waters of Swimming Holes Etched

in Ancient Rock.

 Relax, Refresh and Renew in this

Sunny and Bright, Charming

Victorian Home at the End of a

Quiet Country Road.”

What better way to get away than to visit Waterfall House?

Waterfall house, behind a picket fence.

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Destinations, getaways, holidays, Traveler Destinations, vacation rentals

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The Cost-Friendly Caribbean – Costa Rica’s Caribbean Coast

This article comes to us from Tom Keller & Zoe Courtier, Geckoes Lodge, Cocles, Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica

The Caribbean coast beaches are world renowned

Mention the Caribbean and mental images abound of breathtaking beaches, turquoise seas, tropical cocktails and dinner on a balmy veranda with a hibiscus tucked behind one ear.

It’s a glamorous destination that most of us have dreamed of on a rainy Monday behind the computer. But many of us also assume an accompanying big price tag and just dream on.

However, there are Caribbean gems which have it all without the hefty price tag. Now is the time to discover the east coast of Costa Rica, or, as Columbus called it, the ‘rich coast’.

It’s your affordable Caribbean.

Warm water, awesome surf

Puerto Viejo village lies on the south of The Caribbean coast of Costa Rica and is the gateway to 16 kilometres of spectacular beaches and verdant rainforest. Untouched by the larger developers, small scale development on this coast is a bonus if you value originality and personal service. While the tourist majority head to the all inclusive resorts on the west coast the east coast reward is more rainforest and beach to yourself.

And ah, this rainforest… it’s the Caribbean experience in overdrive. Not for nothing do many refer to this area as a ‘Garden of Eden’ and film-makers choose it as their Robinson Crusoe and Tarzan backdrops. Forget manicured lawns and regimental flower beds. This is a a botanists and bird watchers paradise with flowers a metre long, trees that drip Tarzan vines and all running parallel to the coast. At many points this wonderful verdant jungle even drips into the ocean.

These colorful birds, known as Toucans, are just one of the many attractions in Costa Rica.

It would be a stunning backdrop to any beach even without adding the inhabitants. But you also have the howler monkeys swinging through the trees, ‘smiling’ sloths hanging around and the magnificent electric Blue Morpho butterfly fluttering by your beach towel. And then add the birds… Toucans sitting in palm trees, green parrots raucously heralding dusk and the magnificent pelicans fishing a few metres from you as you float on your back in a crystal clear sea.
Costa Rica’s east coast has everything to offer and more that you would expect from the ‘usual’ Caribbean experience: palm or rainforest-fringed sandy beaches to snorkel, dive or just relax on, an impressive array of restaurants, live local music and residents of 34 nationalities mirrored in the eclectic characters and colours of this vibrant and laid back coast.

Horseback riding

If you need a break from such hedonism, there are activities and trips in abundance … go horseback riding along the beach or through the rainforest, zip line through the canopy, go dolphin watching and catch some Snapper for supper, raft the Rio Pacuare for the ultimate adrenaline rush, learn to surf with experts who guarantee you’ll stand within the hour, or perhaps finally get that PADI certification and dive the coral reefs.

If you’re feeling ‘tranquilo’ try a Chocolate tour (with tasting of course), take a nature walk with certified guides and spot iguanas, Spider monkeys and the Poison Dart frogs, be dazzled with tropical flowers at the Botanical garden, or lie back and just be completely pampered at ‘Indulgence’ or ‘Pure Jungle’ spa.

But of course there’s still the option of lying in your hammock eyeing toucans over the top of your book.

Whatever day of the year and whatever you choose to do, you can be sure that you won’t be one of the masses. Crowds, tour buses and large groups don’t exist on this coast. Costa Rica’s Caribbean coast is still relatively undiscovered and appeals to individual travelers: that could be the best news of all.

Most guidebooks and websites concentrate exclusively on the other coast so few people know that the Caribbean coast has its own micro climate. Here, there is no distinct dry or wet season and it’s hurricane-free, with an average balmy temperature of 27 degrees centigrade. Oh yes, and not unimportantly, the sun shines most days of the year!

The tropical climate of Puerto Viejo is certain to help you relax

Puerto Viejo and the settlements of Cocles, Playa Chiquita, Punta Uva and Manzanillo are strung like a necklace along this coast and offer plenty of accommodation options. So whether you’re looking for a hammock at Rocking J’s, a thatched cabana at Costa de Papito, a wood house at Finca Chica, a beach suite at Tree House or a luxurious house with your own private plunge pool at Geckoes Lodge, you’ll find more than enough choices to suit your style and budget.
So don’t just Dream Costa Rica Caribbean, Do it!

Tom Keller & Zoe Courtier own, manage and live at Geckoes Lodge in Cocles, Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica.
http://www.rentini.com/en/rental-properties/rainforest-barefoot-luxury-with-private-pool

In 2009, we opened Geckoes Lodge,  which is all about Barefoot Luxury. With just two luxury holiday houses, each with a private plunge pool, set in 2 hectares of beautiful rainforest, Geckoes is a place to ‘get away from it all’ but have spectacular beaches and all amenities close by.

Keeping our business small allows us to offer privacy and personal service in stunning surroundings. The houses are designed around the landscape rather than vice versa, minimizing the environmental impact and as a consequence, there’s more bird and animal life for our visitors to enjoy.

Feel Free: Holiday in Barefoot Luxury at Geckoes Lodge.

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travel, Traveler Destinations, vacation rentals

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A traveler’s guide to Cordoba, Spain

View of the famous Mosque and surroundings in Cordoba

WHAT TO EXPECT:

You can get there by train from Madrid in three hours. Astonishing. Cordoba is way different from Madrid: it’s smaller, it’s hotter and it’s filled with Moorish architecture. Don’t expect to see too many Moors these days—the Catholics threw them out in 1492. It’s a great wandering town because it is tiny compared to the other cities mentioned on this site. Head straight for the historical part of town, that’s what you’re really there to see. Get plenty of sleep the night before, take the train down in the morning and take in the whole place in one day. You should be able to make it back to Madrid for dinner. (Remember, dinner in Madrid begins at 10pm. You’ve got plenty of time.)

WHAT YOU SHOULD SEE:

LA MEZQUITA

The arches of La Mesquita in Córdoba

The arches of La Mesquita in Córdoba

The Mosque. The big one. Hell, the only one that really matters in Spain. It’s one of the great wonders of architecture. Red and white striped arches as far as the eye can see. This Muslim center, built on the site of a pagan temple was converted to a church, but the Catholics had the good sense to leave the arches and geometric details were left intact. Three layers of spirituality in one site. A tremendous experience not to be missed.

WHERE YOU SHOULD EAT:

Be our guest… pick anything that looks quaint, pleasant, and local. Though it was very good, we can’t remember the name of the place we ate. It was across the street from the Hotel

Restaurant Patio de la Judería

Lola. Where is the Hotel Lola? Ask a local.

We found one place that served quite well—namely because it was 109 degrees outside and the restaurant was

air-conditioned. Patio de la Judería is the name, and it’s located on the corner of Conde and Luque.

WHAT YOU WANT TO SEE:

The TRAIN STATION in time to get the train back to Madrid. All you’ll see if you miss it are some tourists from Omaha (we warned you). You don’t want to get stuck in Cordoba over night. Nothing bad will happen, but more to the point, nothing will happen. There just isn’t a whole lot to do as a tourist in that city. Of course, you might find something we didn’t. We were shocked to find a jazz festival taking place the same day as our trip.

Cordoba Mezquita

If you do get stuck, there are some ruines of MOORISH PALACES just outside town. We don’t know how to get there but you have to go by taxi anyways and all the taxi drivers know. It’s a very nice place to walk though, but go only if you’ve seen the mosque, had lunch, wandered around town, stopped for coffee, then desert and you’ve still got plenty of time (at least a few hours) before the train is scheduled to leave.

Dome/Ceiling of the Catedral de la Asunción de Nuestra Señora

This story was brought up to us by the San Francisco Art and Film for teenagers

Photo Credits, Flickr Creative Commons, from top:

La Mezquita @ Cordoba
Kevin Poh

Córdoba
Bert Kaufmann

Cordoba Mezquita
Luca Volpi

Andalucía / Andalusië: Córdoba
Bert Kaufmann

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Traveler Destinations

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A traveler’s guide to Madrid

WHAT TO EXPECT:

There is a lot to love about Madrid. It is home to two of the greatest art museums in the world—the Prado and the Reina Sophia. It has beautiful sprawling gardens—try the botanical garden and the palace grounds to start. Like Barcelona, more terrific food and clothes for reasonable prices. More inexpensive hotels and pulsing nightlife. It’s cheap and accessible and well worth a stop on your trip.

WHERE YOU SHOULD GO:

Grupo de San Ildefonso carved in white Carrara marble around the year 10 BC. It is located in the Museo del Prado. The work is an outstanding example of neo-Attic eclecticism.

THE PRADO
Now here’s a treat, one of the greatest museums in the world, with rooms that are unforgettable. Don’t miss the Hieronymus Bosch rooms with their freaky animals and demented saints—better than any evening on ecstasy you’ve ever had. And the Velasquez dwarfs. And the whole wing of Goya’s, but do save some time for his last, black paintings: a giant eating a man, and witches preparing for a sabbath, and a dog’s head looking accusingly into spiritual light. You might even want to go back, because three or four hours doesn’t make it.

The Goya room captivated me. Something about it was so modern for his time, The use of abstract forms and simple colors made it the kind of art I want to buy someday, put it up in my house.
~Stella wants to rescue that poor little dog.

Velasquez. Yes. No wonder the Parisians started copying the Spanish style.
~Isaiah

Guernica by Pablo Picasso was painted in 1937 using oil on canvas

THE RIENA SOFIA
This converted hospital is one of the grandest spaces for modern art (note the terrific glass elevators). It also features a great courtyard filled with trees where, on hot days, you can have lemon ice on the patio. You’ll see all sorts of great work that you probably won’t recognize, but something you will is Picasso’s Guernica—one of the most famous paintings of the 20th century—and many other very strong Picassos’ (in contrast to the Picasso museum in Barcelona). There are usually one or two traveling exhibitions as well.

This was by far my favorite city for art. Seeing the Guernica live and in all its glory was chilling. I had always head about the impact of this painting, but never really understood it. Now that I have the image of it burned into my mind, I feel like I understand it even more every day.
~Stella

No wonder it’s so hard to find a good Miró gallery. They’re all at the Reina Sofia.
~Isaiah

THYSSEN BORNEMISZA MUSEUM
Across the street from the Prado, this private collection is one of the jewels in the museum crown, and a mind boggler all its own. Its laid out chronologically, and much more accessible than many museums, and you’ll go from the Middle Ages through the 20th century.

Jardines del Moro, Madrid

THE PALACE GARDENS:
Beautiful sculptures and loads of couples making out—seems to be the place for exhibitionist who don’t have bedrooms of their own.

IF DADDY’S PAYING:
You might want to do a little tour of the PARADORS: state owned hotels, usually in historic buildings, with great accomodations and restaurants. Try the one in TOLEDO—you know, where the bulls run—or any of the towns you plan to visit. They’re too expensive for most students but if Daddy’s paying at least let him do it in style (especially if you’re dragging him along).

WHERE TO EAT:

Madrid has some terrific restaurants and they’re less expensive than anywhere else. Take advantage.

LA FINCA DE SUSANA (C/Arlabán, 4) is really classy, but also informal and low key. Show up 30 minutes early and you’ll usually always get a table (but expect a line).

MONTANA (C/Lagasca, 5 ) looks fancier, but it’s owned by the same folks. This one is all black and white with fake bookshelves that advertise their fakes. Dress up (black) and fit right into the ambience. (Oh, and the food’s terrific too.)

GIJON (on the Paseo) is one of the oldest cafés around, and if you’re there on a Sunday you’ll have all the local ladies in their finery. You don’t want to miss is their fish soup, it’s some of the best.

Templo de Debod

This story was brought up to us by the San Francisco Art and Film for teenagers

Photo Credits, Flickr Creative Commons, from top:

Fuente de Cibeles
by Jose Luis Cernadas Iglesias

Grupo de San Ildefonso
by Zaqarbal

Guernica
by Pablo Picasso

Cielo de mayo
by Pablo Sanchez

Templo de Debod
by Harshil Shah

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Destinations, Madrid, Spain, Traveler Destinations, Traveler Tips

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