Vicky Cristina Barcelona

Barcelona is the capital of joy! It has so many interesting attractions and at the same time it is a paradise for food lovers. As I was there for only three days, I took a ticket for the hop-on hop-off bus. Sounds touristic but it is really handy. This bus takes you to the most renowned places. The most important ones are included such as La Sagrada Familia, Camp Nou, Park Guell and many more. Taxis are not expensive to use but why not go on this bus while heading to your destination and at the same time have a city tour?

Being there, do not miss the hundreds of tapas and pinchos bars located in the streets, next to each other. They are packed the whole time. Difficult to find a place to sit, but be patient-the food will pay you off.

As soon as we arrived, we were starving and we were looking for one specific pincho bar we hae been informed it’s really good. Its name is “Canete“. Really worth visiting. Good full body wine from Rioja, tasty bites. Do not miss it

Apart from the hundreds of pinchos bars, Barcelona is famous for its Michelin starred restaurants. I had tthe chance to try two of the best Michelin restaurants!

Allow me to start with the best of the best; D I S F R U T A R. Yes, this is the one. It is the best restaurant I ate in Barcelona. Cosy atmosphere, not too fancy, not too ‘grande’, friendly and pleasant decoration.

Raspberry drops on rose petals
Cheese Milfeulle
Ceviche
Pigeon and pigeon’s foie gras
Lemon pie sorbet

The other Michelin Restaurant we visited was Roca Moo. It’s really worth the stars it has as for the decoration of the plates. As for the taste, not really exceptional. See for yourself below.

My boyfriend and I interfere with the hotel industry, so visiting “Princessa Sophia Hotel” was a surprise for us. This hotel is magnificent. All of the areas, the main bar, the restaurant, the lobby, the rooms-there was nothing not impressive in this hotel! Take a sneak peek below.

While inspecting…had some cravings

For sure, Barelona is really worth visiting, easy to explore even in a short time and a lot to offer to the most ‘difficult’ and demanding travellers. I’m going back one day. There is much more to see (and eat)!

April Fools’ Day

Firstly, I’d like to wish you all a happy month!

Nowadays, being sincere is very rare.

Such a day as it is, instead of lying to others in order to fool them, try to be authentic. Try to express your feelings and thoughts. April Fools’ Day should be turned into of a day of honesty and kindness. Be true, be kind, be honest. Remember…we lie to everyone almost everyday. Even by answering ‘fine, thank you’ when asked ‘how are you?’ though we have 100 reasons not to be, we lie. Make this day exceptional. Not in the way it is supposed to be, but in the unique, sincere way.

Happy April everyone! xoxo

The Great Beijing

One of the places I have always wanted to visit was Beijing. China in general gives me the chills because of the culture and the traditions people there still have. As I am Greek; and I live in one of the most beautiful islands of Greece, which is Rhodes; a dream like that coming true was kinda impossible, as you can understand. I feel lucky to tell you that I made a friend here in Rhodes who became my ‘link’ to China! I am sooo thankful for having this girl as a friend of mine (describing the whole situation will frustrate you *but if you ask, I will give you all the answers). The thing is that she visited Rhodes in 2016 with me having no idea of who she was. 2 years later, an e-mail was sent to her. It was me! Telling her about my dream. Guess what? In December 2018 I made my dream come true. My best friend and I decided to visit China all by ourselves for the very first time! My Chinese friend was there, waiting for us to arrive.

We stayed in a hotel near the Forbbiden City which was not bad – except of the fact that there was NO bathroom door! Imagine two ladies at around 30s, living in a room without a bathroom door. In any case, not a worth-to-mention hotel. The location, though, was great. Very central and close to many attractions.

On the first night, we had a very tasty dinner. I really don’t remember the name of the restaurant but it is really famous among Chinese people. It operates 24/7 and the food is delicious! From traditional soup (I found out that Chinese people drink only the broth of the ingredients they put in the pot; pieces of chicken, mushrooms etc. are not eaten at all) to dumplings, rice, oat, sweet burger bun and more! You may see them all below. Not sure if I could be eating this food on daily basis.

Almost forgot to mention. My beloved Chinese friend works in a luxurious and beautiful hotel in Beijing! It is ‘The Peninsula Beijing’. We had the chance to join the Christmas Lightning Ceremony on the 29th of November when we arrived. The costumes of this hotel are adorable! Love the beautiful hats!

More about my trip to China is coming up in future articles.

Have you ever been to Beijing? How was your visit there? Did Beijing meet your expectations?

Road to Ribera Del Duero

Two weeks ago, my partner and I decided to pay a visit to Spain. As wine lovers, we were really interested in visiting Ribera Del Duero and admire in person all the vineyards and wineries located there.

Arriving at Barajas airport in Madrid, we rented a car and started to head north towards Peñafiel. It takes about two hours to get there. The avenue is really easy to drive and there was not even a second we felt lost or frustrated.

We stayed in “Castilla Thermal” which is an exceptional hotel. It is actually a restored monastery, picturesque, but with this touch of modernism that makes you feel as if you live in another age but with the comforts of today. The the beautifully illustrated walls, the modern but minimal designed rooms, the relaxing but imposing lobby, the libraries and the mirrors on the wall…each and every detail well placed around the hotel. Couldn’t forget the spa…oh that spa! There is a huge pool where you can treat yourself on the vibrating water-beds and jacuzzi. But this is not all. There is a “secret path” that leads to an outdoor pool from where you can see the stars! Literally!

Being there, we managed to visit the best hotel around Spain and Portugal. This is the one and only Abadia Ruerta. This is a restored monastery as well. We had a wine tasting and tour around the vineyards. Couldn’t resist but buying 4 bottles of wine just from this winery (though we usually try to buy 1 or 2 from each winery we visit). We managed to have an inspection in the interior of the hotel. We also had the chance to visit 900 years of History through the XII century Abbey and see the room which once used to be the area where the monks used to pray, turned into a michelin-starred restaurant. Words cannot describe the impressions I have for this hotel. Even though there was no availability in order to stay there, even a visit satisfied me very much. It really met my expectations.

Near these hotels on the way to Valladolid, there is a small village called Peñafiel. On the hill, there is a castle. The castle of Peñafiel dates back in 1013. At the same time, except of being a castle, it is a winery as well. Anyone visiting it has the chance to have a tour around the winery and to purchase a bottle of wine…or two!

Cepa21 now. Where to start from? The wine, the restaurant, the vineyards…everything about this winery is exceptional. I would definitely recommend it ti anyone interested in mouthwatering wine and high-expectations meal. The restaurant has a great view overlooking the vineyards. The food is so different! Having tried a lot of michelin starred restaurants or michelin recommended ones, I consider this restaurant a worth-visiting one. All of its dishes are served in an unexpected way. See it for yourself! I had the wine pairing as well. Very good pairing. The taste of the food combined with the wine was so full and tasty. For dessert, that liquid thing in the pipes is FRAPE! I am Greek! I DO know Frape and I was really excited to see it being served in such a restaurant!