Throw back Thursday

Australia Day at the Wild Rover Hostel, La Paz

~By:  Amanda

If you ever have the opportunity to experience Australia Day with Australians, do it, you will not regret it. Planning to meet a friend in La Paz, we booked bunks at the same hostel, The Wild Rover. These dates just happened to fall over Australia Day on January 26 and Wild Rover plans one hell of a party. We arrived smack in the middle of the pre-party on the evening before Aussie Day. We quickly changed and jetted to the bar, ordering several rounds of Bolivia’s finest pilsner.

IMG_1354

The Wild Rover hostel is located in central La Paz and is easily accessible from both the main bus terminal and the international airport. This party hostel is gigantic, with a plenitude of 26 rooms, a bar and three courtyard sections. The hostel offers the typical free breakfast of bread and coffee/tea, WiFi and laundry by the kilo. However, the main focal point is the bar, which offers several happy hour specials. It has an amazing atmosphere and several themed nights to keep everyone entertained. The hostel also offers a full service restaurant until 9pm, with amazing food; seriously, I did not have a bad meal over the 4 days I spent here. The chicken quesadillas are by far our favorite and if you prefer something lighter, go for the chicken soup.

IMG_1369

The staff is more than accommodating, our first night here our friend went missing. Due back from his Death Road Tour at 7:30 pm, he was still MIA after 9. After later finally receiving a phone call that tour group was stuck behind a landslide, the wonderful staff sprung into action calling other hostels to inform them their guests would be delayed. Even when I misplaced my laptop changer (total catastrophe for a blogger), the staff worked together and were able to locate it; hence how I am writing right now. My only complaint would be the lack of power outlets inside the rooms. Wild Rover does offer locked power stations inside the reception, however many of those plugs were stripped. I guess everyone has one tragic flaw.

Now back to Aussie Day, because this was by far one of the most entertaining days of our South America trip. The night before at the pre-party, there was a bomb shot ceremony at midnight where they staged up 118 shots in green and yellow. My primary question is how do they have this many cups? This required 236 glasses to make this happen. I guess they went to IKEA.

Fast forward to the next day, everyone started early, ordering breakfast beers at 11 am. The sun shown bright and at 1 pm the hostel started playing the Australia’s Triple J Hottest 100 list, which apparently is a very big deal. Beer pong lists began to pass around and we entered the tournament knowing we were doomed against this group. Outside on the patio we ate grilled meat ‘on the barbie’ and drank draft beers. Somehow later we were convinced to sign up for some game which involved drinking from a shoe.

As the day bled into night the party moved back into the bar. We finally made it to the number one song, ‘Never Be Like You’ by Flume featuring Kia. The DJ spun into full gear and everyone started dancing. Ended up on the bar, but sometimes that happens. I blame the bourbon shots, but when you learn one of the bartenders is also from Kentucky, this is bound to happen. According to my friends I was doing some crazy dance, which can only be correlated to one of those blow up air signs used for marketing. I blame it on the Aussie surfer boy I was dancing with but I really don’t remember.

My favorite part of this day was being around the Australians. So many quickly welcomed us to our group and treated us as Aussies for the day. Everyone turning their chairs, creating more room, making new friends at every turn. This culture has it down– they accept everyone; nobody is a stranger!

IMG_9691

 

Check out our other Blogs about Bolivia:

Way too Wanderlust Recommends:

www.wildroverhostels.com

Throwback Thursday: Hvar, Croatia

Croatia never sat of on the top of my must travel list. What I knew about Croatia was mostly from news casts about the war when I was a child. I was too little to understand. Fast forward many years later, my current roommate Aida, a Bosnian, shed light on that part of the world. After hearing her powerful story, I became curious; after she showed me pictures I was ready to get on an airplane. Croatia was where her family had vacationed before the war. All three roommates decided to go together with Aida as our local guide. I fell in love.

With our heart set on traveling to Hvar, we found accommodation at a guesthouse which checked off all of our must-haves in our price range on booking.com. After climbing what seemed like 100,000 stairs with a backpack, we were greeted by the sweetest old lady. Her English was limited, but Croatian and Bosnian are essentially the same language. She was over the moon when Aida greeted her in familiar words and immediately asked us to join her for coffee and cookies. Our stay was wonderful and we promised to come back….. And we did; a year and a half later, we booked the same apartment and that wonderful lady immediately remembered us.

On the morning of our second day, we decided to have a group run to the fort on the hill overlooking Hvar town. It was an uphill battle, but we conquered. As we were leaving the apartment, the owners’ son waved hello. He ran a car and moped rental business attached to the guesthouse. We noticed a cooler lined with beer for sale: our planned reward for after the workout. Upon our return we ran over to quench our thirst on crisp cold Ozujsko. The group had grown with men from the neighborhood settling down for their afternoon gossip. We sat down with our beers and joined the group’s conversation. We tried the best we could to understand everyone using half English, mixed with some Croatian, some German, some Italian, some French. Essentially everyone shared a common second language and well, laughter and smiles are the same no matter what you speak.

Soon enough rain clouds closed in and we all huddled together, opening more beers, each person taking their turn buying another round. We spent three hours making new friends and laughing at each others half understood jokes. The family dog Dzeko (Jako), a silly black lab, was running back and forth to each new friend hoping for a treat. My favorite was this little old man; he and I both spoke some German, so I learned about his life. He had seen it all– WWII, the Russians coming into former Yugoslavia, and then the Yugoslav War itself. His demeanor was so light and pleasant. Every once and a while he would sneak off only to return 20 minutes later in a new outfit complete with fun hat. Eventually a bottle of Greek liquor was produced and sticking with proper European etiquette, we were all expected to take a shot. It tasted like paint thinner, but how could we say no!

This is why I travel. These memories are the ones that will stick with me until I’m that sweet old lady, sipping bourbon in the afternoon with Anna and Julie, of course. Hopefully then too, I can sit with a group of young tourists and laugh for an afternoon. Tell them my stories and adventures, tell them personal accounts of what they learned in history class. While seeing the castle, going to the popular museum or hiking that trail can highlight a trip, it’s when you get to know the people and truly see the culture, that you have graduated from vacationer to traveler.

3443

 

~By:  Amanda

Way too Wanderlust Recommends

Apartments Bodlovic: SimeTome Buzolica 9, Hvar Croatia 21450 booked via http://www.booking.com

Throwback Thursday: The Land of Smiles, Thailand

2673

My mother hates some of the places I go. Every time the destinations get more remote, further from home, more off the beaten path. When I told my mother I was going to Thailand she wasn’t thrilled; it was my first time in Southeast Asia. I had wanted to go to Thailand since I was ten, something on television intrigued my little brain. “Don’t worry Mom, I will be fine”….my standard dialogue before every trip. Little did I know, on this trip would occur my most terrifying experience to date.

For our inaugural trip to Thailand, Anna and I wanted a few nights in Bangkok and then beach time. Ultimately we settled on Ao Nang beach in Krabi, as the price was right and we could take a day trip to Phi Phi island. We took the backpacker overnight bus from Bangkok down to Krabi, which included a 2 hour wait at a random hostel in Bangkok. Here, we met Steffen, who became our new friend over card games, while we killed time.

We finally arrived in Krabi after one of the most memorable bus rides of my life, which included the company of  three British girl, two Aussie boys and a lot of beer. The next day we met up with Steffen again and attempted to take the ferry to Phi Phi Island. However, after a night of buckets, we overslept and missed the boat. Looking at alternatives we decided on Riley Bay, a neighboring beach area, easily reached by long-tail boat.

After a fun day of sun, we decided it was time to head home, planning for dinner and more definitely more buckets. As our long-tail boat started back toward Ao Nang Beach a loud siren pierced through the air. The driver immediately turned the boat in the opposite direction, yelling “Safe safe safe.” A local girl on board explained that was the tsunami siren. Apparently it was the first alarm siren since it had been installed after the tragic 2005 tsunami.

We docked up at a random pier, the three of us were unsure where we were or what to do next. Off the dock I luckily found someone who spoke enough English to explain the situation. There had been earthquake off the coast of Indonesia, a wave was coming and we could find shelter at the school up the hill. A little ways from the water, we decided we were safe enough to stop at a 7-11. If we were gonna die we needed a beer and chips, please don’t judge. With our backpacks loaded with provisions we continued up to the safe zone.

At the school we found several local and tourists, everyone huddled together praying and hoping for more information. Here we found Kung, a wonderful Thai girl, who had a heart of gold and the most beautiful head of jet black hair. After a few minutes we had made friends and she invited us to wait out the warning at her friends place near by. Maybe it was her amazing smile, but the three of us immediately trusted her and found ourselves welcomed into a Thai home.

2657

We found other tourists here two from Germany, two from Switzerland and another American plus Kung and her friends Peta and Gurth. Together we waited out the night, with chicken sandwiches and good conversation. We bonded together sharing our stories and praying for good news. About this point I realized my mother, if she had caught wind of the tsunami she would lose her mind. There was no signal, it was jammed, the tsunami warning had killed the signal.

Finally hours later, the all clear was given, it was time to consider; where are we, how do we find our hotel? Kung’s friend,a local bartender, graciously piled all of us into the pick up truck and drove us back to Ao Nang beach, otherwise we would have been lost. Later, I got 5 frantic voicemails from my mother, she woke up and turned on the news…”Tsunami in Thailand’! I am pretty sure she lost years of her life in worry that morning. I assured her when the signal returned, I was actually alive, we were safe.

IMG_0250.JPG

Fast forward two days later, checking into our flight back to Bangkok at Krabi airport; we find Kung, Gurth and Peta, sitting waiting for their flights. Hugs exchanged, we added each other to Facebook, promising to keep in touch. Years later we have now been to Thailand five (me) and seven (Anna) times more, every single time we have seen Kung. We once correlated business trips in Germany and met for dinner. This memory is why I feel in love with Thailand. This country is called the land of smiles for a reason, we have found the brightest of all the smiles in a friend named Kung. Many people ask, why we continued to return to this country so often. First impressions are everything, my first impression of Thailand was this….

 

Way too Wanderlust Recommends

THAILAND. GO!

Throwback Thursday: The Bols Experience, Amsterdam

Do something new every time you go there, even if you have been a million times. I lost count how many times I have been to Amsterdam, maybe 100, but I will never be sick of that city. With the basics ticked off, the Heineken Experience and the vast majority of museums; Anna found the House of Bols website with a discounted combo package, the Bols Experience and a canal tour. The description was perfect, for us at least, a museum about Dutch liquor; yes I would like to learn about that. Also, canal tours never get old. I think I have done five, but nothing beats a boat in the summer, especially when you have a couple of beers tucked inside your purse.

The Bols experience is a tour of the journey from the beginning roots starting in 1575 of this Dutch Genever liqueur, which is considered the oldest distilled spirit brand. For the self guided tour you are provided with an audio component, which dispenses information in several languages, by scanning bar-codes along the way. Dutch Genever or Holland gin was originally created from distilling mulled wine and was traditionally juniper flavored. Today genever liqueur is found in a variety of flavors, including ginger, blueberry and mango to name a few. The Bols experience takes you through the history of the Bols brand, how the liqueur is distilled and is designed to heighten all your senses. The tour includes a drink voucher for a free cocktail at the end of the tour in the museums “Mirror Bar”. There are several cocktails to choose from, the Dark and Stormy was a group favorite; however everything we sampled was delicious. We were a group of 5 best friends, so you know we all tried each other’s drinks. For 5 euro, you can purchase additional cocktails, so don’t feel pressured to choose only one option. I may have had three, I really can’t remember. The bartenders are hysterical and gave us a complimentary shot of one of their special concoctions. The Bols experience also offers cocktail workshops and Genever tastings, if tours bore you. This tour was a fun way to get me into a museum.

God forbid we do two touristy things in one day, so we choose the following day to cash in the Canal tour part of our package. After stocking up on some provisions, aka beer and champagne we headed for the dock. The canal tour included in our package was Blue Boat, which utilizes covered boats, nice for Amsterdam because you never know when a rain cloud might sneak up. Audio sets in a variety of languages are available and gave just the right amount of information; but seriously I already knew what those hooks on top of the houses were used for. With the sun shining, it was the perfect afternoon floating through the canals.

For once we pre-planned and seriously saved some money. With this tour bundle, we essentially paid five euro for the canal tour, which typically cost 15-20 euro per person. Just when you think you have done it all, there is always something new to experience, especially such an amazing city as Amsterdam.

~By:  Amanda

Way too Wanderlust Recommends

House of Bols: Paulus Potterstraat 12, 1071 CZ Amsterdam, Netherlands +31205708575 www.bols.com/experince

Throwback Thursday: Cliffs of Moher, Ireland

img_2221

Where Europe ends and the vast expansion of the Atlantic Ocean begins, the Cliffs of Moher plummet down the coastline of West Ireland. Standing over the edge almost feels like you are standing at the end of the world, as the wind blows though your hair and the salt sprays up from the ocean. A quick stop between work trips, our group decided to rent a van and be tourists for the day. With 8 people, it was enough to spread the cost to hire a private coach. We arranged through a tourist transportation company and for $40 it included hotel pick up and drop off, the $6 entrance fee into the cliffs, and a stop over at an traditional Irish pub for a late Lunch and a pint. 

With beer and snacks stashed in our day totes, we set out on the windy Irish day. Our first stop was in the town of Lehinch, here we watched the waves crash into the beach from the promenade. The intense waves looked like a surfer’s dream and there were several zipping up their wetsuits against the icy water of the North Atlantic. Back on the bus, we climbed the road to the cliffs. Our friendly driver let us off at the parking lot across the street and we made the easy stair-clad climb to the edge.

It is easy to understand once you have seen these magestic cliffs why so many myths and legends surround the area. Green fields let into the rocky cliffs before they plunge into the deep blue water. Our 1.5 hour visit didn’t leave us enough time to explore the entire 5 mile (8km) stretch. Luckily the sun was shining and we had the opportunity to relax on the edge and watch the sea churn below.  Entrance also included access to the visitor’s center, however our timeline didn’t leave more than a moment to poke our heads in and use the restroom. The Visitor’s Center  has several informative exhibits about the natural geography, history and geology of the area. If you have time, we regret not doing an educational guided Ranger tour of the Cliffs. 

Back on the road headed towards Limerick, we stopped at Gus O’Connor’s pub. As always I ordered Guinness stew to go with my Heineken……I’m super basic when it comes to beer. Our drive home was filled with a couple more beers and giggles sharing pictures of our happy day. Western Ireland is by far one of the most beautiful places I have ventured, I definitely recommend taking the time to explore this amazing countryside.

img_8562

Throwback Thursday: Fasching, Mainz Germany

Come to a festival? Ok then, I will get on an airplane! When considering pre-lenten celebrations, most people think of either Mardi Gras in New Orleans or Carnival in Rio; no one considers Germany. However, two cities in Germany hold rather large and entertaining pre-lenten festivals called Karneval (Cologne) and Fastnacht (Mainz). Throw in an inviation from two crazy German friends to attend the Mainz celebration, and Anna and I are on a flight bound for Frankfurt.

Faschnacht (or Fasching) is the gigantic party leading up to what is Ash Wednesday, which occurs 46 days before Easter. This festival has roots dating back to the 14th and 15th century and started in Mainz in 1838. Now I know that Germany in February is freezing cold, but after a couple beers you won’t care. The most important thing you should be considering is your costume. Just like Halloween, every night of this 5 day/night festival people dress up in costumes. Animal costumes typically are the favorite as dressing up like a giant furry bear keeps one pretty warm. Plus it’s hilarious when your friends have tails, they are fun to pull!!


Come prepared, because Germans can DRINK. Like a lot, all day! The five day schedule is pretty intense, starting on Thursday, called Altweiber, typically known as Ladies Night. Most people in Mainz gather at Eisgrub (the brewery) for this event, where they transform this restaurant into a club. Friday night is the most calm night of the week, but if you have your heart set on partying all five nights, a pub crawl works. For Saturday the party moves out to Gonsenheim, an outer suburb of Mainz. Alternatively, if you prefer to stay in the city center the Prinzengardenball is a secondary option. For both these events it’s best to have advance tickets, as they are quite popular, so make friends with a local.

I promised parades, because who doesn’t love candy being thrown at them from a moving vehicle? On Sunday everyone takes the short tram ride out to Finthen where the parade and a large outdoor celebration is held in the afternoon. Save your warm costumes for Sunday night, as the party moves outside again into the Schillerplatz. A giant stage is erected for the bands and everyone parties in one of the town squares. Ladies, pay the three euro entrance fee to the Extrablatt Cafe adjacent to the Platz, this way you can make unlimited trips to their clean and warm bathroom facilities.

The Sunday after-party destination splits between the Extrablatt Cafe, right off the Schillerplatz, or Ballplatz. For the parades and other outdoor events, it’s best to come prepared and bring alcohol. However for the poor planners out there, convenience stores called kiosks do sell select beer and spirits, just don’t plan on being picky at this point. Someone nearly always brings a bag of beer babies though!

img_8381

Rosen Montag or Rose Monday, is the final day of the festival. A giant parade with roughly a million spectators moves through the city and you will catch enough Haribo gummies to last you a month. The parade lasts three hours– I kept thinking, how do these people have that many floats?! One of the guys in our group had a bottle of Jäger and we did a round of jäger shots roughly every twenty minutes during the parade and by the time it was over, the bottle was empty. This is the only time I have ever witnessed Germans littering– empty champagne bottles, candy wrappers and beer cans strewn about. Miraculously, the entire street is clean and clear about three hours after the parade due to the military precision of the street sweepers. At this point everyone breaks off to various parties, bars and celebrations, or they just go home, because they have been drinking with Germans for five days straight!

Never have I been more welcomed with open arms into a culture as I was by the people of Mainz at this festival. They were always courteous to translate what everyone was shouting, or include us in the games and events of the festival. The first weekend we attended Fasching sparked so many friendships with people we have cherished over the last five years! Always man up and take that shot of Jäger, because in Germany that’s how you make a new friend!

~By: Amanda

Throwback Thursday: Paris

Sitting on a train bound for Bratislava, I reflect on how I got to this moment. My travel companion, who is a new traveler, has conjured up thoughts on how I made it to here, about to cross the border into my 57th country. I remember my very first trip with Anna and Julie to Paris five years ago. Before this trip I was the typical American girl choosing vacation destinations closer to home such as Mexico and cruises to the Caribbean. My job has taken me to Europe, Asia, and South America; however, work trips allow less time to truly explore a culture. This Throwback Thursday is special, because this was the trip that started it all, bonding us as travel companions for life: our first trip to Paris!

 

Paris was an easy choice as it was a new destination for all of us. The movie Midnight in Paris had just released and this provided all the inspiration we needed. Using AirBnB for the first time, Anna and I found a beautiful apartment with a garden in Montmartre. Exhausted from travel, but never too exhausted for breakfast beers, after checking in we parked ourselves at a café to plan out our next 5 days. After a quick nap we headed toward Sacre Coeur to explore the area of artists and Bohemia. We never managed to leave Montmartre that first night. Finding ourselves at a little café above the Moulin Rouge, we drank beer mixed with Fanta, (which tastes better than it sounds) and made a dinner of pomme frites and creme brulée before heading down the hill. The last thing I remember before heading back to the apartment  is shots being set on fire at the bar and techno music bumping. Back at the apartment, listening to the Backstreet Boys, Anna and I laughingly fought over a stuffed tiger we found in the apartment we named Le Tigre before drifting off to sleep.

The next few days are a blur now, of exploring the city, shopping on the Champs de Elysees, and bar hopping in St Germain and the Latin Quarter. Our boat tour along the Seine was an amazing trip, as we were cleverly armed with water bottles filled with wine. It’s the best way to cover all the must-see sites of Paris in an efficient amount of time. Our nightly dinners were amazing, including fondue, steak frites and more creme brulée. I couldn’t even tell you the name of that fondue place, but the fond memory of bonding over wine and cheese is there forever. Later finding three cute French boys on the street walking past us in Odéon, we ended our night drinking wine with them under the Eiffel Tower. Being one of the greatest museums in the world, Anna wanted to spend at least one day exploring the Louvre; but she dragged along the two least museum people in the world, so after 5 full hours of beautiful art, it was definitely time for happy hour cocktails!


The details of this trip have faded away; I couldn’t tell you a single name of a restaurant or which boat company we used. (It’s Anna who always remembers those things.) What IS important is that this particular trip started something– it was not long before we were planning another adventure together and then another. I recently went back to Paris on a business trip, visited that same area of Montmartre, and found that little bar on the hill and sent pictures back to the girls. They both knew without missing a beat exactly what bar it was. This trip bonded us together as best friends, and as travel buddies for life– this is what started our way too wanderlust. Sitting on a train bound for Bratislava, I reflect on how I got to this moment. My travel companion, who is a new traveler, has conjured up thoughts on how I made it to here, about to cross the border into my 57th country. I remember my very first trip with Anna and Julie to Paris five years ago. Before this trip I was the typical American girl choosing vacation destinations closer to home such as Mexico and cruises to the Caribbean. My job has taken me to Europe, Asia, and South America; however, work trips allow less time to truly explore a culture. This Throwback Thursday is special, because this was the trip that started it all, bonding us as travel companions for life: our first trip to Paris!

~By: Amanda

img_8039

Vana Nava Hua Hin Water Jungle 

Honestly, the enticement is in the name alone, but that alone would make for a boring blog. Here’s our top favorite things about Vana Nava and few things you should know. Put eleven best friends in a water jungle with pre paid bracelets for food and alcohol and you’ve got a full day of great success. I must confess that somewhere over the last decade I lost my love for roller coasters and thrill rides, however give me a lazy river with a pool bar with my favorite people and I’m in. Vana Nava has a rope course, wave runner, splash park and wave pool; there is absolutely something for everyone. Here is what you need to know:

1. Don’t think for one second that i wasn’t tricked into going down one of the scariest tube rides of my life.

2. Absolutely invest in the locker. It costs extra, but you have free continuous access and you not only want to be hands free for the rides, but you have to be.

3. Which brings me to number 3. They are actually pretty strict about being hands free so hide your sunglasses, go pros and just about anything else loose. I was absolutely jealous of boys with cargo boy shorts. (We need pockets in our bikinis!)

4. Drinks always cost more at any theme park, but I believe the prices weren’t unreasonable considering the location.

5.  If you’re a drinker… know there are hours where you can’t drink. If you’ve been to Thailand then you already know that time falls in the middle of the day. Properly prepare yourself and remember in #2 where I mentioned unlimited in and out locker privileges. Do what you want with that information.

6. There are frequent customer cards and group rates which of course gets you a cheaper rate. But as travelers we just had a one time entry fee of 28 USD plus towel and locker fees. Absolutely worth the day.

Click see our day at the water park!

We had a lovely day of celebrating our friends birthday. The lines where short, the rides were exhilarating, even the food court was tasty. We not only recommend it but we would all go back in a heart beat!

~By: Julie

DCIM101GOPROG0694291.DCIM101GOPROG0704294.

Throw back Thursday: Canal Tour, London


Looking for something different in London and optimizing on our love for boats, Anna and I found The London Waterbus Co, operating a canal tour of London. With pick up points in Little Venice, the London Zoo and Camden Town, the 50 minute long tour provided a unique prospective on the history of London for 8£ one-way or 12.50£ return. Tickets are purchased on-board and require no reservation. Times of operation change seasonally and can be found on the company’s website.

We always need “provisions,” so we filled a couple of water bottles with sparkling wine for our own trip enhancement. The covered boats are historical narrow boats, which are designed for the shallow depth of the canals. Commentary discussing the history of the canals and locks of London was provided by our very witty tour guide.

We selected to start from Little Venice and disembark in Camden Town for an opportunity to explore the quirky northwest London borough.
Way too Wanderlust Recommends

The London Waterbus Co: 32 Camden Lock Place, London NW1 8AL +44 020 7482 2550 http://www.londonwaterbus.com

~By:  Amanda

 

Throw back Thursday: Electric Bike Tour, Barcelona 


Art museum visits typically end with me in some sort of trouble. Therefore, when choosing a cultural activity, it’s best to steer toward one without breakable objects. Having traveled to Barcelona several times, we wanted to see the city from a different perspective. After consulting my best friend Google, we found the Barcelona Electronic Bike Tour with Tapas and Drinks. Yes! They officially stole my heart with ‘tapas and drinks.’ With a very reasonable 4 pm start time, this was definitely the tour for us! We booked the 3 hour tour, which included the bike, the helmet, a guide, bottled water and insurance for about $50 a person via www.viator.com.

img_1660
The meeting point was Avendia de la Cathedral, which has a noteworthy religious sculpture, and our tour began in front of the Cathedral of Barcelona. Luckily our group that day was very small and included only a nice Scottish couple, which allowed for more time to become better acquainted with the bike operation. Before the tour commenced the guide gave us a small briefing and instructions, as it was our first experience on electric bikes. Electronic bikes operate similar to normal bikes, except that the small motor gives you an additional push as you pedal, increasing your speed. Our smaller group also allowed for a more interpersonal experience with our wonderful guide, who spoke English, Spanish and Italian! Guides fluent in German are also available.
img_1672-1
The tour continues through the Gothic Quarter (El Gotica) and El Born, stopping next at the Parc de la Ciutadella. Later we headed down towards the Mediterranean sea to Port Olypmic, and then La Barceloneta before finishing off at the W Hotel. The extra push from the E Bike allowed us to cover much of the city in just a couple hours, before heading back for tapas and wine.
img_1666-1
The tour included three glasses of wine– a white, a red, and my favorite: sparkling  Spanish Cava! The pours were quite generous and the tapas were delicious and filling. It was enough to for two small girls to call dinner. The local restaurant, Els 4 gats was finished in typical beautiful Catalan decor and operated in Barcelona since 1897.
For an interesting and active way to see the city of Barcelona, this tour is an amazing addition to your vacation.
img_1665-1
Way too Wanderlust 

~By: Amanda