On May 24, 2024, we departed for another adventure on the Iberian peninsula!  After visiting Portugal the year before, we decided to cross Spain off our bucket list.  I also booked us on a special tour which included a stop in Andorra, a small principality in the Pyrennes Mountains between Spain and France!  Since there was no direct flight from SFO to Barcelona (BCN) on a major airline with a proper premium cabin, we booked Air Canada which had us connect through Montreal (YUL) Trudeau Airport.  Joy and I drove out to South San Francisco the night before and stayed at a Hilton property out there which had a good park and stay package so we did not have leave super early on Friday for our 8:15 AM flight.

    After arriving at SFO's Terminal 2, we were able to use Air Canada's Priority check in counters which allowed us to bypass a pretty long line.  Having TSA Pre-check, sped us through security, and then we were able to have breakfast at Lark Creek compliments of my Priority Pass membership.  The major airline lounges I had access to where not in our terminal so Lark Creek was the only Priority Pass option for us to get breakfast.  Our first light was about five hous to Montreal.  Air Canada operates a smaller Airbus A220 aircraft on many of these North American routes.  After we arrived in Montreal, we got lunch at L'Auberge San Gabriel, which I guess has a popular restaurant in the old town of Montreal.  I had gone to Montreal when I was a little kid with my parents and remember the olympic center's large pool.  Afterwards, we went to the National Bank Lounge which I had access to via Priority Pass.  I was a little upset since both the lounges we had access too were on a waiting list, but when we got up to the National Bank Lounge, it was pretty empty.  I wonder if Canada is still doing their bull shit COVID protocols and restricting the number of people inside.  The loser Prime Minister of Canada was a dictator during COVID from what I had heard.  The lounge did had decent food and a nice bar.  I tried some Canadian whiskey that I had not had before too.

    Our next flight departed pretty late into the evening.  The premium cabin for Air Canada was decent on the Boeing 777.  We got a bottle of water and amenity kit at our seat along with a blanket and pillow.  After take off, the premium bar cart was brought around so we could be served soda, beer, wine, and spirits in the signature Air Canada glass with the "Maple Leaf."  Once we had the beverage service, dinner service began.  Joy and I were able to preorder our meal a while back.  We got saffron chicken with basmati rice.  I was pretty impressed with the food.  Our flight time to BCN was about seven hours, and I tried to catch a little sleep since we were determined to stay up all day once we arrived in the morning over there.

    We arrived in BCN around 9:40 AM.  After getting our luggage, the car service we booked contacted us that our driver was on his way.  We got a snack at a cafe in the arrivals area before our driver took us to the Hilton Diagonal Mar on the waterfront in Barcelona.  Since it was still early and the hotel was packed, our room was not ready yet.  We did not have to wait in the long check in line however since I am a Diamond member.  One of the lobby managers got us keys to go to the Executive Lounge to relax while our room was being ready.  The lounge was had a great rooftop deck with amazing views of the city.  We could see the famous water company egg shaped tower as well as the Sagrada Familia.  We also went next door to the Diagonal Mar mall to do some shopping.  Joy and I were surprised at cheap the prices were.  Overall, Spain looked like it was cheaper than other parts of Europe just like Portugal.

    Once we checked in, we had enough time to get cleaned up for our early dinner reservation at the Michelin star, Xerta, in central Barcelona.  The nice thing about Europe is how many Michelin star establishments they have!  We took a taxi over there from our hotel, and we soon learned that Barcelona traffic sucks!  There was lots of eye candy, but also there was plenty of graffiti like Portugal too.  The restaurant was inside a five star hotel.  We were seated immediately after arriving.  I loved the total expereince we got at Xerta!  The staff was very attentive, and the food was delicious!  I felt like we were in that movie, 100 Foot Journey, since the executive chef was so stressed out when he inspected each item before it was sent out to the table.  Earning a Michelin star is not easy!  I started off the culinary experience with some mezcal.  Afterwards, we ordered some fresh oysters.  The waiter brought over four different amuses for us to try also.  One of them was raw fish on a marshmellow.  Surprisingly, it was amazing!  We also got a blue crab cannoli which was also very good!  Even the bread service was very formal and personalized to the diner.  I got a MaCallan 12 for my next drink.  For my entree, I got the lamb chops.  Joy got sea bass.  Both were superb!  For dessert, the server even grated some fresh truffle onto the ice cream!  The chef even sent over some additional sweet treats as we finished dessert.  I was surprised at how cheap it was relative to say Napa.  The bill was $213 USD.  After dinner, we headed back to the hotel and got some froyo at a local chain called Llaollao.  We also chcked out the evening reception in the Executive Lounge at the Hilton.  They had a limited selection of complimetnary alcoholic drinks.  Then, we walked over to the beach area near the hotel.  The daylight is long in Spain in the summer so we had plenty of time to explore!

    We got breakfast the Hilton after we woke up the next day.  Breakfast was free for us since I am a Diamond member.  I loved the make your own mimosa and bellini cart they had.  The cooked to order omlettes were delicious too!  Afterwards, we went to the Picaso Museum in the Gothic part of Barcelona.  The museum had his earlier sketches as well as paintings from the "blue period" and beyond.  I liked the cool dogs he painted in the later works.  Afterwards, we walked around the narrow alleys of the Gothic area and got souvenirs before heading back to the hotel via taxi.  We do not believe in public transportation!  LOL.  For lunch, we went to a sushi place inside the Diagonal Mar mall.  Joy was in love with European clothes so she got more stuff at the mall.

    That afternoon, we had a tour to Monserrat Monastery which is about an hour from Barcelona.  Our guide picked us up at the hotel, and then we were off to the mountains to the stunning monastery.  Along the way, we saw some cool architecture of Catalonia.  Barcelona is in Catalonia, which is a semi autonomous part of Spain.  They speak Catalan there, but most people speak Spanish too.  English was widely spoken as well.  Our guide said the originally monastery was destroyed by Napoleon's brother when he invaded Northern Spain.  It was rebuilt however.  We loved the views from the monastery which is built onto the mountainside.  There was even a funicular from the monastery to the top of the mountain called the Funicular Sant Joan.  We went inside the cathedral to see the famous "Black Madonna," which is a statue of Mary and Baby Jesus.  The statue was black however so there are many theories around why that is the case.  One possibility is that the paint used for the statue was lead which turns black over time.  After touring the cathedral, we took the funicular up to the top of the mountain before we had to head back to Barcelona.  After getting back to the hotel, we enjoyed a Spanish tapas style dinner with paella at a restaurant at the Diagonal Mar mall called Canas y Tapas.

    We had a full day tour of Barcelona on Monday.  The guide picked us up at the hotel too so it was very easy for us.  We met a solo female traveller from New Jersey on our tour who was super cool.  She was a Trump supporter too which was nice.  We talked about how the left had ruined our nation!  Our tour started out by seeing the famous Gaudi houses in Barcelona including Casa Batllo and Casa Mila.  Both of them had a very Gothic look and were way ahead of the architect's time I think.  Afterwards, we headed to Montjuic to see some amazing views of the city from the mountain.  Montjuic was the old Jewish quarter, and most of the Olympic venues from 1992 were here too.  We had a short walking tour in the Gothic area too of Barcelona and even saw the famous "pooper statues."  Since human waste can be fertiziler for crops, it was viewed as good luck.  LOL.  For lunch, we went to another tapas place near the La Sagrada Familia cathedral.  We got some delicious noodle paella this time as well as baby octopus.

    The La Sagrada Familia was the highlight of the tour!  This massive cathedral which depicts the life of Christ on the outside started in the late 1800s, and it is still being constructed (as of our visit).  The design is considered neo-Gothic.  The first architect was Gaudi too.  Inside, the tall beams holding up the structure looked like tree trunks.  We loved the stainglass windows, and the lighting inside because of those windows is so beautiful!  Our tour guide got us tickets ahead of time so we did not have to wait in the long line to get in.

    Afterwards, we went to Park Guell which is another major attraction in Barcelona.  This park was originally supposed to be an upscale masterplanned neighborhood for the wealthy.  Gaudi and Guell designed it, but it was a flop due to the location so the city purchased most of the land and made it into a city park.  There are two private homes still on the property.  This massive courtyard with mosaic tiled walls overlook these two "gingerbread style" homes and the sea.  Underneath the courtyard was an open area for what the developers thought would be a farmer's market.  The mosaic tile in the ceiling was pretty amazing too.  Our tour concluded after that, and we headed over to the second hotel for this stay in Barcelona.  I booked the Hampton Inn Gran Via for the last two nights since it was closer to the airport.  There was another large mall near this hotel too.  So, we checked it out after checking in.  I ended up getting a cool shirt at Pepe Jeans London.  When I was in Middle School in Texas, Pepe Jeans were really popular.

    The next morning, we took a taxi to the central part of Barcelona where we had to meet for our three countries tour.  Near the office for this tour group, there was a cool concert hall too.  We had sometime to explore the area before we had to depart for our full day tour.  The first stop on our tour was a Spanish village from the Middle Ages called Baga.  Our guide picked up some sweet bread for us all at a local bakery there, and we had a short walking tour of the historic village.  We had some freetime also to get coffee and explore on our own.  

    Afterwards, we departed for Southern France.  There was no border controls between France and Spain, and we headed to Ax d'Thermes, a village known for hot springs in the Pyrennes.  Our guide took us for a short walking tour there too where we explored the three thermal pools in the city.  One of the fountains was scalding hot and smelled of sulfur!  There was a farmers market too in the town square so we bought some dried fruits and other treats for my parents and us.  We checked out a bakery too, and I was testing out my French from my college and high school days even though I had been learning Spanish for this trip.  Afterwards, we had lunch at a local restaurant.  This place served French favorites.  We started off with foie gras which was made fresh on site.  Then, we had a great duck dish too.  The food was super heavy, but it was really good!  Afterwards, we walked over to the local church and checked out a cool statue of Joan of Arc.  French love to buy only French cars, and it was cool seeing the French brands that we do not have in the US.

    Our next stop was the tiny nation of Andorra, a principality between Spain and France.  Andorra is not a part of the EU, and they have tax free shopping.  Although there is a border check point between France and Andorra, they did not check our passports.  The tour guide did say we could get an optional Andorra stamp in our passport if we wanted so Joy and I did that.  After getting into Andorra, the first thing one comes across is a large shopping center since it is a shopper's paradise.  Then, as we made our way up to the mountain, it looked so scenic.  On the peaks of the mountains, there was still a little snow too.  The scenery reminded me of Switzerland from different movies.  We drove through the tiny country to the capital Andorra La Vella.  We had free time to explore the modern capital city of the country and shop if we wanted.  Andorra has a very high GDP, and it takes about twenty years of residency to qualify for citizenship unless one marries a citizen.  The banking system like Switzerland is private too so many people hide money there.  The two princes of Andorra are the head of state of France (current President) and the Bishop of Urgel in Spain.  This power sharing agreement has in effect for hundreds of years.  I noticed the locals dressed very well, and they seemed well off too with nice cars.  Joy and I checked out the Hard Rock Cafe and a Starbucks to buy souvenirs.  We went to shoe stores after.  I wanted to get another pair of luxury European sneakers on this trip.  Joy wanted some also.  I found a pair of Hogan's at one boutique, and I had to look them up.  Apparently, Hogan was the company that pioneered the luxury sneaker in the 1980s.  Celebrities like Bella Hadid love Hogan.  The pair I wanted was not available there so I decided to look in Madrid.  First world problems?  LOL.  I know.  Having money is great!  After Andorra, we crossed back into Spain via the border crossing where it was more formal.  The tour guide said sometimes the guards will ask to see passports or question passengers.  We went through with no issues.

    After arriving back into Barcelona, we checked out their Arc d'Triomphe and the world's fair city park before getting a taxi back to our hotel.  The jet lag was hitting pretty badly that night and the day before so were not too hungry for dinner.  I ended up getting froyo at Llaollao again like the night before.

    On Wednesday, we flew to Madrid from Barcelona on Iberia.  Iberia is the Spanish airline, and they operate almost an hourly shuttle service between the two cities similiar to what we took in Portugal on TAP between Lisbon and Porto.  I booked the more expensive fare which gave us a checked bag each, priority boarding, and also being able to select our XL seat ahead of time.  We had access to the Sala VIP in Barcelona right outside the gates that Iberia uses for the domestic flights.  The lounge was not that crowded, and they had a good selection of food and alcoholic drinks too.  I was ready to pass out due to the jet lag however!  LOL.

    After the short hour flight, we got into Madrid, and we took a taxi to the Doubletree Madrid El Prado.  The taxi service from the airport is a flat rate too.  Our hotel was very close to the Prado museum.  Also, the Spanish Congress was nearby too.  The hotel was in a historic building, but it was very modern inside.  Also, there was a Michelin recommended restaurant too.  So, we had the hotel make us a dinner reservation there that night.  Kyoshi was a Japanese themed restaurant, and the chef had a Michelin star at his other restaurant in Madrid.  The hotel upgraded us to a larger room, but one can tell that hotel rooms in Europe are much smaller than in the US.  Our room was very nice, and we had a marble bathroom too which is typical of nice hotels in Europe.

    We walked over to the El Cortes Ingles department store so we could get shoes after checking in.  Our walk was about a mile anf a half, but it was nice since we got to check out cool buildings.  It was not too hot also.  Madrid was dry like California.  At El Cortes Ingles, I found the Hogan store in their second building which has the independent retailers.  They did not have the pair I saw in Andorra.  So, when I went upstairs, I asked a guy if El Cortes Inglais had their own shoe department like they did in Lisbon.  So, the guy introduced us to a salesman from the shoe department who was there for some reason.  He took us next door to the shoe department where I found my Hogans!  They had the pair I wanted in my size.  European sizes are larger than US sizes so I needed to get one size smaller than I usually wear.  I am sure he was excited since not too many Spainards can afford these shoes!  I will not say how much they were, but Hogans are very pricey!  LOL.  Joy got a pair of Vega shoes.  The nice thing about El Cortes Inglais is they give foreign tourists a card that returns 10% of the purchase price onto a gift card for a future purchase for five days.  Also, they refund the VAT automatically on site.  So, I did save a good amount on my shoes.  After we got our shoes, we took an Uber back to the hotel.  Uber was easier to use in Madrid than Barcelona since there was no mandatory fifteen minute wait.  I wonder if that was due to help taxi drivers since Barcelona probably has more leftists there.  LOL.

    That night, the hotel made reservations for us to go to a flamenco show at the oldest tablao in the world.  It was a short walk from the hotel.  We got one drink included with our admission.  I decided on sangria since I was in Spain after all.  Joy and I both loved the atmosphere in Madrid since people were just chilling and having dinner at the nice outdoor cafes or just walking around.  It was super safe!  We also saw no homeless like in most California cities!  Joy and I saw flamenco dancers in Tampa before, but these dancers were different.  The girls did not have fans.  We loved the show!  Afterwards, we loved our dinner at Kyoshi!  Joy and I thought that the sushi was the best we ever had! The chef learned under some master Japanese chef.  The hotel did a great turndown service also and left chocolate on our bed for us.

    We had breakfast at the Doubletree the next morning, and of course it was included for me as a Diamond guest.  Afterwards, we took a taxi to the meeting point for our all day tour of Segovia, Avila, and Toledo.  Our tour guide, Marta, met us outside the tourist office.  Afterwards, we had a short walk to the bus which took us out of Madrid.  It took about two hours or so to get to Segovia so we had a chance to sleep on the bus.  Once we got to Segovia, our guide gave us these radio headsets so she could communicate with us all over a fairly wide area.  The first thing we saw was a super old aquaduct from the Roman times.  It was so high too!  This is so crazy how the Romans were able to build these structures back then!  We had a short time to get a snack before we went on our walking tour.  I got some churros and gelato.  Churros are actually Spanish and not Mexican in origin.  On our walking tour, she showed us the symbol to signify where the Jewish quarters are in Spanish towns.  Back in the day, Jewish people were segregated in Christian Spain.  In Portugal too, we saw the Jewish quarter in Porto.  Also, she showed us a symbol for the aquaduct since some of it was underground.  The cathedral of Segovia was amazing!  It reminded me of something from Game of Thrones.  Then, we got to the main attraction, the Alcazar de Segovia, which is the large castle where Queen Isabella met Christopher Columbus prior to his journey to the New World.  The castle was amazing!  Our tour guide showed us around the public areas of the castle including the armory where the money that Queen Isabella gave to Columbus was stashed away.  Afterwards, we walked by the old Roman city walls back to the bus.

    The next town we visited was Avila.  Avila is a preserved Middle Ages town with city walls which look like a large castle.  We had lunch in Avila at a local restaurant where we got some grilled octopus and calamari.  After that, we had a long drive to Toledo.  As the day went on, it got hotter and hotter.

    Toledo was super cool!  It was high atop a hill so they had escalators that take people up now.  The day we visited was the festival of Corpus Christi so the town was decorated with lots of hanging flowers and garlands.  The place smelled amazing!  We went inside the Cathedral of Toledo which was huge!  It reminded me of Montmarte in Paris.  Toledo is also known for a special type of gold plating on steel that was brought over from Damascus, Syria.  I bought some of the 24 kt gold plated cufflinks there.  Our guide told us to watch out for pickpockets in Toledo like we were warned too in Barcelona, but fortunately, we had no issues.  Toledo is also known for sword making.

    After returning to Madrid, I saw that bull fighting was on TV.  We did not have time to go to a live fight so I watched some of it on TV.  It is crazy how they kill the bull.  Speaking of bulls, we decided on Argentine food that night so we walked over to the square near the tablao we went to on the first night.  I got some Argentine steak as well as some Venezuelan rum called Santa Theresa.  Joy and I really loved the atmosphere since Sacramento is so messed up and unsafe that people do not really venture out in downtown.  We loved the casual vibe in Spain!

    The next day, we had the same tour guide for the Royal Palace and Prado tours.  The Palacio Real of Madrid is the largest Royal Palace in Spain.  The Royal family does not live there, but it is their official residence for hosting foreign leaders and other important state events.  Our guide showed us all the major rooms we had access to.  Then, Joy and I broke off from the group to get lunch since we did not want to walk to the Prado from there.  I think we ended up taking an Uber to the Prado after lunch and met up with our guide again.  The Prado was amazing!  We saw a lot of cool paintings from Spanish artists.  That night, we went out to another El Cortez Ingles so we shop more!  Afterwards, we had dinner at a Peruvian restaurant and walked around the busy streets of Madrid.  Since it was a Friday, people were out and enjoying themselves!  Once again, I really liked seeing that!  We need to be more like that in the US.

    We departed Spain on Saturday on Air Canada from Madrid.  After chilling in the VIP lounge, we got on the Dreamliner to Montreal.  The premium cabin seats were nicer on the Dreamliner.  Our cabin crew was great, and my only complaint is they need more options for whiskey other than Canadian Club.  LOL.  Adios Espana!