by Amber H. | Oct 16, 2018 | Accommodations, Spain
The fall is my favorite time of year in the Costa Brava. The busy summer period is over and beach crowds disperse. This year we celebrated the arrival of the fall with a little staycation, just up the road from Girona, in the Bay of Roses Spain. We spent four nights at the lovely Hotel Terraza Roses Costa Brava and just fell in love. We are already planning our return to one of the best hotels in Roses Spain for next September. This is why. The Bay of Roses Spain With all of our travel around the Costa Brava over the years, we never really explored Roses. It just seemed to be the Miami Beach of the Costa Brava. When we drove by to visit nearby Cadaques, or when exploring the local wineries, I just assumed it was built up with big hotels. Once we spent a few nights in Roses, though, we completely changed our tune. The beach at the Bay of Roses is one of the best in the Costa Brava. The Costa Brava, or brave or wild coast, is often just that. Many of the beach areas are rocky outcrops, with stone or pebble beaches. These Costa Brava beaches are simply lovely. But, I’ve been known as the Goldilocks of the beaches. I like soft sand, with little rock or coral, and water I can easily swim in. The Roses Spain beaches are soft sand, wide, clean, everything I want from a Spanish beach experience. Even better, the water in the fall was surprisingly warm, and even more surprisingly, crystal clear with a sandy bottom. When Eric stood... 
by Amber | Oct 5, 2018 | Drinks, Europe, Spain, Wine
For someone who loves sparkling wine, just hearing about a bar called La Champagneria sent tingles down my spine. I am not one of those fancy people who only drink “Champagne.” I love all sparkling wine and am always looking for a good cava bar in Barcelona that doesn’t break the bank. That is exactly what La Champagneria Barcelona, or La Xampanyeria Barcelona, is. It might not be a Champagne Bar Barcelona in the traditional sense. But it’s a great bar for cava, and still fits the bill for one of the cheap bars in Barcelona, Spain. We’ve been visiting the Barcelona Champagneria for three or four years now. Although this is one Barcelona cava bar that has changed a bit over the last several years, La Champagneria Barcelona Barceloneta is still a great place to visit. This post will explain all of our tips on how to visit and get the most out of La ChampagneriaBarcelona Spain. La Champagneria Barceloneta, or in Catalan La Xampanyeria, or by their other name Can Paixano, is an institution of sorts. When you research La Champagneria online, there seems to be a split personality of sorts. Is it a wine shop? Is it a cava bar? Is it old school and traditional, or a tourist stop? The answer is yes. It is all of the above. Learn more about what to eat in Spain in our Spain Food Guide, which includes Barcelona restaurant recommendations What is Cava in Barcelona? Cava is a Catalan version of champagne, made in the traditional method, meaning the second fermentation takes place inside the bottle. That’s the technical stuff. I’ve been told that cava was... 
by Amber H. | Oct 1, 2018 | Europe, Luxury, Spain
The meal that requires more than one blog post. I wrote about our surreal dining experience at El Celler De Can Roca. But, I wanted to dive more into the menu items, for the true food lovers out there. Here is a recap of the over 30 different courses and bites we had during our 4 hour El Celler de Can Roca menu, in Girona Spain. We also include an update at the bottom about the El Celler de Can Roca Menu 2018. We chose the Feast Menu, with about 15 named courses. The other alternative is a tasting of their classic menu. The tasting menu is about 7 courses, where you have a choice for two of the courses. Of course, we went all in. The Can Roca Feast Menu with wine pairing. And, I did the best I could with photos considering the lighting, and I did not want to disturb the diners nearby. Bear with me. Want to learn more about Catalan cuisine? Check out this traditional Catalan Cooking Class in Girona or our Ultimate Guide to Girona Restaurants The Can Roca Menu: Snacks We started with The World, a paper lantern, ceremoniously untied at the table, and opened to reveal 5 bites reminiscent of flavors from all over the globe. In this case, our world included: From Thailand, Thai chicken, with coriander, coconut, curry, and lime From Japan, miso cream with nyinyonyaki, the Can Roca version of a fried, breaded snack From Turkey, focaccia with lamb, yogurt, cucumber, onions, and mint From Peru, a Causa limeña, or a potato-based bite with avocado From Korea,... 
by Amber H. | Aug 15, 2018 | Europe, Food, Spain
It’s been over a year since we moved to Girona, Spain, – I can’t believe it. In that time we’ve scoured the city for the best restaurants in Girona. The Catalan and contemporary cuisine is a reason to visit Girona alone. In fact, much of Girona tourism focuses not just on the history of Girona Old Town, but on the Girona food scene. It’s no wonder we live here. There are just so many wonderful Girona Restaurants. Where to Eat – Girona This is the ultimate guide to the Girona Spain restaurants, from a local who lives here. Sure, I am consistently learning about Catalan food, and there are still more Girona restaurants that are on our to-do list. But this is a great start for travelers who visit Girona. This list includes the top restaurants in Girona Old Town, as well some in the city center. Let us be your Girona guide! Check out the Best Restaurants Girona – TripAdvisor Girona Reviews 2018 Best Restaurants Girona – Michelin Star Restaurants Girona Any discussion of the top restaurants in the Costa Brava has to include a discussion of Michelin Star Restaurants. These are also two of the Girona restaurants I would consider “plan ahead options.” In the case of one restaurant in Girona, very very ahead. We’ve been fortunate enough to dine at each, and each was incredible! If the budget allows, I would recommend you place both of these restaurants at the top of the list of where to eat in Girona. El Celler de Can Roca Girona On the top of the list of Girona Michelin Star... 
by Amber | Jul 17, 2018 | Europe, Food, Spain
On prior visits to Barcelona, Spain, we found ourselves staying in hotels near the tourist center of town, Las Ramblas. It also meant that we frequently found ourselves in one of the most beautiful markets we have ever seen – La Boqueria, probably the most popular food market in Barcelona, but that does not mean it is the best Barcelona food market. There are others. The Mercat Santa Caterina is easily the best Barcelona food market. Here’s why, and how to visit Santa Caterina. Searching for the Best Barcelona Food Market When we first traveled to Barcelona, we knew La Boqueria was touristy, but we did not care. With fruit, vegetables, meats, and cheeses displayed stunningly, and a few bars and eateries tucked in the back, we thought we had found heaven on earth. Since our first visit, we have told anyone we know who was heading to Barcelona, to stop at La Boqueria. Until we discovered a little gem not far down the road – Mercado Santa Caterina, or Mercat Santa Caterina in Catalan. We met Carlos on our Devour Barcelona food tour. Spanish born, Australian raised, he is a tour guide who brings groups through Spain. He luckily told us about his favorite food market in Barcelona, which was only a five-minute walk from our apartment rental. Once we stepped inside we started to really feel like Catalan locals living in Barcelona. We also quickly learned where locals find the best food in Barcelona. Book a Barcelona tapas tour with Devour Barcelona Food Tour Or, check out our review of the Devour Barcelona Food Tour Why Santa Caterina is the Best Food Market... 
by Amber | May 31, 2018 | Europe, Food, Spain
When we first traveled to Barcelona, in 2006, I felt entirely intimidated by just entering into a tapas bar. I knew some of the basics about what to order at a tapas restaurant in the US. But a tapas restaurant in Barcelona – well, I didn’t know where to begin. I didn’t know the types of tapas in Barcelona, or how to order tapas in Barcelona. Since that time, we’ve traveled to Barcelona a ton of times. And, we live just up the road in Girona. Now, I feel pretty confident that we can tell any new traveler, or even experienced traveler, to Barcelona, what are the best tapas in Barcelona in our Barcelona Spain tapas guide. Barcelona Tapas Guide Spain, and in particular Barcelona (which is actually in Catalonia, a region of Spain), is one of my favorite places to eat. This is due in large part to the availability of Spanish tapas. I just love the concept of these small plates of Spanish food, which allow me not only to snack throughout the day but also to try many different dishes in one sitting. We ate a lot to come up with our list of the top 10 tapas in Barcelona. But what are tapas in Barcelona? Learn more about Spanish tapas: 500 Tapas: The Only Tapas Compendium You’ll Ever Need 500 Tapas: The Only Tapas Compendium You'll Ever Need (500 Series Cookbooks) (500 Cooking (Sellers)) (500...cookbooks/Recipes) List Price: $17.95 Price: $13.54 You Save: $4.41 Price Disclaimer So, what are tapas? The concept of tapas has evolved over the years. It once was the case that a... 
