Travel tips, news and luxury accommodation-Barcelona and Madrid, Spain

Monthly Archives: December 2012

Tapas Touring in Madrid

Posted by Craig on December 30, 2012 None comments

A really great way to get an insight into Madrid culture and of course have a wonderful time is to take a tapas tour through the beautiful city. There are several tours available to join that will take you through the old streets of the city and give you plenty of opportunity to sample the local delicacies.

Tapas Touring in Madrid

Tapas Touring in Madrid

With a native as your tour guide you will truly get to experience authentic tapas from this beautiful part of the world. You will discover hidden tapas bars that would previously have been unknown to you and experience Madrid culture away from the well worn tourist trail. As well as all the wonderful culinary delights you will also get to learn a great deal about the history of the food and indeed the city itself. If you have questions about the city this is a great opportunity to ask a local!

Your tour guide will make recommendations about where to go and what to do while visiting Madrid and offer you plenty of local information. A tapas tour is truly a great way to get your Madrid holiday off to a flying start!

There are specialist companies that will take you on a guided tour, or google “tapas tour madrid”.

Winter 2013 in Barcelona

Posted by Craig on December 23, 2012 None comments

Winter is a fantastic time to visit this beautiful Spanish city. While you may not be able to lie out on the beach everyday or want to take quick dips in the Mediterranean to cool off, there are still plenty of things to experience and enjoy.

Winter 2013 in Barcelona

Winter 2013 in Barcelona

As an additional bonus there are shorter queues for the attractions, no cramped metro trains and the whole city is calmer and certainly quieter. If you are going to be visiting Barcelona in winter then take the opportunity to see as many attractions as possible while you are there. They will be far quieter and easier to visit than during the packed summer months. Make sure you also take a stroll through La Rambla too which is particularly perfect on crisp winter days under bright blue skies. Over winter the Placa de Catulunya is home to an ice-skating rink which is a wonderful winter activity for young and old and the incredible markets all around the city continue to flourish during the colder months. In February the day of Santa Eulàlia takes place, a five day festival celebrating the city’s patron saint. You will get to enjoy free concerts and performances all over town as well as processions, fire-running and even free entry into many of the city’s buildings and museums.

Shopping in Madrid

Posted by Craig on December 18, 2012 None comments

Madrid is a fantastic city for shopping. You will find everything you could want from mainstream highstreet shops to high-end boutiques and designer stores.

Shopping in Madrid

Shopping in Madrid

Between Puerta del Sol and  Gran Vía you will find a pedestrianised area full of high street clothes and shoe shops. You will find plenty of brands and names you recognise here. This also happens to be the home of the original El Corte Inglés (a huge Spanish department store).

If you are keen to shop in local shops where you will find hand-crafted items and clothes then Austrias is the area to head for. This is situated behind Plaza Mayor. You will find glass painting, woodworking and ironmongery among other local crafts here. Regardless of whether you choose to buy anything, it’s a lovely part of the city to stroll around – don’t forget your camera.

For designer clothing stores and boutiques head straight to the Salamanca district. Chanel, Gucci, D&G, Prada….it’s all to be found here. If you enjoy browsing for vintage clothes and one off-pieces then Calle Fuencarral is the best place to head for.

The Spanish capital no doubt one of the best cities in Europe for shopping so if you are soon to be visiting, enjoy!