Last month my partner quit his job at a city bank to pursue his long-time dream of opening a micro-brewery with a childhood buddy. With a couple of weeks downtime before launch date, we figured we should treat ourselves to a little vacation. As time passes and the business develops, soon we will have little time to spontaneously jet off on vacations, so we decided to take the opportunity and cease it.

Before college, I took a year out to live in Spain and absolutely fell in love with the place. The sights, the smells, the people and the culture were truly inspiring. As my husband had never ventured further afield than London (on business) I felt it was the perfect opportunity to let him experience the place I fell in love with all those years ago.

Back then, I had arrived in Barcelona, stayed there for a short time and then travelled around the country stopping off at a few of the better known towns and cities. However, this time around we unfortunately didn’t have the time I had back in my college days, so we had to come up with a schedule and cram everything into 10 days!

My partner and I love cars. Through a recommendation from an old Spanish friend, we decided that we should treat ourselves to something a bit special. Before leaving, we booked a Range Rover Sport SUV through a company called Luxury Car Rental Club. I have to say, this was a fantastic decision and made our trip all the more pleasant.

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We arrived into El Prat, Barcelona’s main airport, and spent a few days discovering the city. For our first leg of the trip we had taken a small central hotel off La Rambla Boulevard – the main pedestrian precinct of the city, where all the action happens.

The quaintly named Hotel 1898, a small boutique hotel built 125 years ago, was the perfect introduction to the city. Centrally located, it was possible for us to travel to all the best sights, experiencing Barcelona´s exotic charm and flamboyant style.

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Whilst in the city we went to visit the truly astounding La Sagrada Familia Catholic church. This remarkable piece of architecture was initiated in 1882 by Catalan architect Gaudi and was never completed. It stands today unfinished at well over 500 feet and is a prominent part of the city skyline.

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We drove down the eastern Mediterranean coast in our Range Rover toward our departure city Malaga.

Along the way we visited Valencia which was fantastic city. With a slower pace of life, we were able to immerse ourselves in the “maña” culture for a few days – a relaxed approach to daily life were the Spanish tend to brush off stresses or mundane routines for another day. Relaxing by the beach in the gentle spring sun and enjoying coffee culture at its finest are two of the simple things in life which drew me back to this astonishing country.

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Once in Malaga we visited the majestic city with its Moorish charm.  Malaga is on the route of all the major Mediterranean cruise liners, so we felt it was little to ‘touristy’ for our tastes at times.

I would recommend Spain to anyone planning their summer vacation. For me, Europe is a relaxing rewarding experience no matter which country or city I visit. I guess one day when all is said and done I will hopefully get the chance to grow old there, sipping coffee in the hazy spring sunshine.

 

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About the Author. Tina Scott

Tina is an accomplished graphic designer originally from Boston but now in South Florida. She enjoys exotic cars, exotic foods and has a passion for Europe.

 

Written by dixie_071989