where is everyone from?

[no-backpacker]

Curt. Have you decided any hotel in Barcelona yet? We stayed at H10 Universidad. A nice hotel and in the midle of everything. I can highly recommend it.

I will try to have a look at the map of Barcelona and see if I can remember where the tapas-bar was. However it's 2 years ago and it might not be there now...

I can also highly recommend to take the tourist bus, it'll take you to all the major tourist attractions and you can hop on/off whenever you want to.

C.

[curtiejoe]

obrienkf



The Hassler Hotel seems to be way beyond our travel budger, so when my wife and I visit Rome in May 2008 I believe the most we can do is walk in and take a look around the lobby. That way, we'll get a taste of La Dolce Vita without going deeply into hock. As it is, our up-coming cruise of the Western Mediterranean, with stops in Malta, Capri/Sorrento, Civitavecchia/Rome, Livorno/Florence, and Villefranche/Nice on the way back to Barcelona, will put a huge dent in our pocketbooks. But, it'll be fun to see the Trevi Fountain, walk over to the Spanish Steps,and then stroll into the luxurious Hassler as if we own the place!





Curt

[curtiejoe]

Hi C



Haven't decided on a hotel in Barcelona yet. Thanks for your recommendation re. the H10 Universidad. I'll look into it on the Web. We will be boarding the "Hop On Hop Off" tourist bus to get a good idea of the key high-lights of Barcelona. I've used these buses in London and Paris on my visits there and found them just great, as you can hop off to see a specific sight/attraction and then hop on another one of their buses when you're ready to move on. Fabulous idea! Yes, the tapas restaurant. Hope you remember its name and that it's still in operation. Though, I suspect that in a place like Barcelona there are likely a lot of good tapas places ty try out. maybe others here on the LL Community know of some?



Curt

[no-backpacker]

Curt, I have been searching the internet to try to remember the tapas bar, but I can't fint it. The only thing I remember is that it is located very close to Universitat and I think it was in Carrer dels Tallers....

About Rome. I have seen some fantastic offers at Hotel de Russie here at LL. I wouldn't hesitate to bid IF I was going to Rome. I never actually went into the hotel, but it looked very nice outside and it's very central. I have heard good things about both the hotel and the food at "Jardin de Russie" (the restaurant).



C.

[kyshel]

curt--I'll be looking forward to your trip report for Barcelona. I'm still hoping to get there this year.
I second the hop on and off buses--I love getting one midday and since they're good for 24 hrs, you can take them to a restaurant in the evening and use them again the next day to catch anything unseen. I loved the one in Paris: when sit front/upper deck and do the rotary--motorcycles look like they're sliding under the bus!!

[curtiejoe]

Hi Shelley



What a great coincidence it'd be if we were in Barcelona at the same time! Our dates are June 1-3, 2008. When do you plan to go? Just think, we could hop on and off those great double-decker buses together while touring the many fabulous sights of the Catalonian capital.!



Happy New Year to you and yours!



Curt

[lhbrown]

Hi obrienkf,
When we were in Rome this pas March, we did have dinner at the wine academy as you had suggested. It was fabulous and well off the beaten path.
Thanks for the tip.

[obrienkf]

LL - Travelfan



I am very happy that it lived up to expectations, given I had fully endorsed it. If it was a disastro, I would have felt terrible. It is not/not heavily advertised on purpose, not 'easy to find' if you don't know where to look, but it's a special find in that part of the Spanish steps. Primarily membership based, unless you know about it. Just another secret find in Rome, of which there are many.When you realize how outrageously priced some of the restaurants are in that area, and frankly, somehit and miss service,to find a quiet and elegant refuge on a chaotic day in busy Rome is one of the reasons some of us go there when we can.



If anyone else wants to find it, go to wineacademy.rome Make a reservation. There are wine tastings as well, that may be open to the public if the membership has not already taken all the seats. If anyone has stayed there, in the very elegant rooms, would be grateful to know if they are as described, and if the service is as I would expect it to be...



kind regards

[lhbrown]

Hi obrienkf,

Rest assured, the wine accademy in Rome was everything you said it was, and we are thinking of going back to it if we decide to take a long weekend in Rome this February.