Recommend November 2011 - (Page 48)

BArCELONA will leave you beaming “Barcelona strives to offer something for everyone— it has an edge few cities can replicate. Barcelona is a constantly evolving city.” Neomie Menahem, Managing Director, Escapade Vacations troy lynn wells The Dali Theatre Museum in Figueres is a must-visit. go explore Escapade Vacations offers a couple of Barcelona itineraries, including the 3-night Barcelona city package that includes a half-day privately guided tour of the iconic sites in Barcelona, and adds Menahem, “Our destination specialists will then offer the client tours either by private car or by bus to a variety of excursions, e.g. Montserrat, Figueres, cooking classes, excursions to the wineries of the region, flamenco classes. The beauty of the city package is that you can customize it to the requirements of the individual taste.” There’s also the 9-day escorted Best of Spain tour that starts in Madrid, continues to Andalucia and ends in Barcelona. Many clients, says Menahem, extend their stay in Barcelona. take a moment to savor Families or groups of friends can really enjoy the experience of cooking Catalan food if you book them a cooking class with Cook & Taste. Clients will have the opportunity to shop with the chef at one of the city’s famous food markets such as La Boqueria and then prepare the meal together. Clients will delight in the delicious feast of traditional Catalalan cuisine complemented by wines. It’s an enjoyable experience, but be sure to book well in advance (bookings are agent commissionable). Dining out in Barcelona is a varied and special experience, whether in the afternoon for a lunch feast by the sea enjoying the delicacies of seafood croquettes, grilled razor clams, fisherman-style mussels and noodle paella with clams and baby cuttle fish at La Gavina, or a late-night romantic dining experience at the 44-year-old Via Veneto, the Michelin-star rated restaurant that was favored by Salvador Dali. Its service is top of the line, with owners Jose and Pedro Monje surveying the room making sure everything is just right. getting to barcelona Iberia Airlines offers your clients nonstop flights to Barcelona from both New York and Miami. Additionally, from Los Angeles, Chicago and Boston, the airline offers service to Barcelona via Madrid. Have clients enjoy the New Business Plus, with horizontal seat-beds and plenty of personal space to enjoy the in-flight entertainment and communications system with the latest film releases and video games. There’s also a satellite telephone laptop connection port. The cultural experience on board takes center stage with a Mediterranean menu that changes seasonally. That’s topped off with a wine list featuring 5,000 Spanish varieties, and every three months clients can experience the “sommelier’s choice,” three handpicked red wines, two white, one sparkling (cava) and one dessert wine. Clients will enjoy the preflight experience, as well, with new VIP lounges featuring a full bar and tasty snacks and soups. You’ll be glad to know Iberia recently merged with British Airways and last year made an alliance with American Airlines, making booking with them more seamless. n This article was written by Laurel Herman and Paloma Villaverde de Rico. Archived related articles (available on recommend.com): Portugal & Spain Serve Up a Banquet of Great Golf (May 2011) contact information Cook & Taste: cookandtaste.net Escapade Vacations: (800) 223-7460; isram.com Hotel Claris: (800) 525-4800; slh.com Iberia Airlines: iberia.com ME Barcelona Hotel: (877) 9 LIVE-ME; me-barcelona.com Tourist Office of Spain: spain.info 48 november 2011 recommend.com http://www.recommend.com http://www.cookandtaste.net http://www.isram.com http://www.slh.com http://www.iberia.com http://www.me-barcelona.com http://www.spain.info http://www.recommend.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recommend November 2011

Editor's Notes/Agent Speak
Hotel Desk: RockResorts
Tour Talk: International Expeditions
River Cruise Product Expands Even More for 2012
Hot (or Cool) Toronto is Staid No More
Timeless Boston
South Africa Always Steals the Limelight
BVI: Beauty on the Water
Private Islands Sizzle
Barcelona Will Leave You Beaming
Unspoiled Myanmar is Open for Business
The Lowdown on South America's Capital Highs
Riviera Nayarit in the Pink
The Three Faces of Baja Sur

Recommend November 2011