Barcelona, the cosmopolitan capital of Spain’s Catalonia region, on the coast of northeastern Spain. Known for its art and architecture.
This was a short work trip added with a bit of pleasure with great company @angela_isar & @najat_dekkak
Limited with time we managed to see the following:
Basilica Sagrada Familia
Cathedral of Barcelona
Barceloneta Beach
Las Ramblas
Placa de Catalunya
Irrespective of the weather, Porto Sani’s range of complimentary activities meant that the resort is good value, even off season.
Between us, we enjoyed:
The luxurious spa
The well equipped gym
The Bear Grylls Survival Academy
The BMX Pump Track
The Treetop Adventures
Cycling
Table Tennis
Archery
Kids Club
A sunset cruise
With a British Airways Companion Voucher to redeem, we wanted to find a destination that stood out. However, the rules and restrictions that control how the voucher is redeemed meant that for our family of four, we had to select a destination in Europe.
So, having heard many positive stories we picked Berlin, a city which has a lot of history and many interesting sights to see.
Day 1 was wet but we managed to see a lot:
The next day, we first visited The Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, also known as the Holocaust Memorial. We then took the S-Bahn from Berlin to go and visit Potsdam, which was around 40 minutes away. Our plan was to hire a bike but the cycle shop was closed, so off we went on another marathon walk (18kms) starting in the Old Market Square.
There was plenty to see here including St. Nicholas Church, Nauener Tor, the Old Town Hall, and Sansaouci Park. The park is peppered with grand monuments and buildings: Friedenskirche, Chinesisches Haus, Neues Palais, Orangerieschloss, Gross Fontane, Schloss Sansaouci, and Obelisk. It is a very colourful and pretty town.
Back to Berlin we spent the evening playing games with a few drinks and then watching Clash Of The Titans in preparation for Greece! Before catching our flight home, we visited the German Spy Museum, which had a number of fun interactive exhibits, and was a lot of fun for us and our children
A three night weekend away in Lisbon with a girl friend was all about fun, culture, food and drink.
Having arrived late on the first day, we went for a walk and dinner. As the bars and clubs don’t open until 10pm, we managed to squeeze in a nap before making our first (of several) visits to Malt Bar on Pink Street (Lisbon’s former Red Light District). The staff were lovely, and the vast array of shots on offer, meant we never had the same drink twice in all the time we spent there.
But partying aside, this was a really fulfilling break. Exploring a new city is one of my most favourite things to do.
Over the two full days I had in the city, I saw and experienced all that I wanted to:
There were the the smells and sounds of the Time Out Market Hall, where cuisines from around the world are served until midnight. There was the unique taste of traditional codfish cake at Pastel de Baculhau, which comes with a view of the Santa Justa Lift. There was window shopping along the Rua Garrett strip, located in the Baixa Chiado shopping district.
Then, there was the impressive sightseeing. Worth seeing if you have the time are: Pacos do Concelho (the City Hall), Comercio Square, (a waterfront point and former royal palace), Arco da Rua Augusta, Ponte 25 de Abril (bridge), Santuario de Cristo Rei, Torre de Belém Tower, Padrao dos Descobrimentos, The UNESCO World Heritage Jeronimos Monastery, and finally Pastel de Belém – where you can try the city’s most famous custard tart.
This truly was a wonderful city break. However, with any journey, whom you travel with is often more important than the destination.
