Spain Directory of Tips, Stories, and Advice

A Sincere Apology to La Sagrada Familia from a Skeptic

On our recent visit to Barcelona, there was one attraction I had no interest in seeing. In fact, you could say that I was dreading going but knew that as a thorough travel writer I would have to eventually.

That attraction was Gaudi's La Sagrada Familia cathedral, and I am happy to report that everything I had ever thought about the still-being-built church was dead wrong.

That horribly ugly looking building is actually quite a beautiful sight indeed and is probably the best of what there is to see in Barcelona!

We were spoiled when we went on a vacation in Spain for our honeymoon.

There is no easier way to say it than that.

From the world-class cuisine, amazing Spanish tapas bars, free-flowing wine, all the way to the famous ham that we ate with every single meal, Spain satisfied our appetites with every bite.

After returning home we tried to find a great restaurant that embodied all of the wonderful meals we had while in Spain. In particular, was our quest to find a great tapas bar with the small plates of food that we had just about every day in the country.

But as it turns out, tapas bars in the style we fell in love with are hard to come by, and our search has gone on unfulfilled for the last year.

Without a doubt, Seville was my favorite city we stayed in during our honeymoon in Spain. Angie and I bicker about this one quite a bit because her heart was left in Granada (read our Granada restaurant review to find out why), but something about Seville keeps dragging me back.

It is hard to say what exactly about the city has the allure to me, other than its amazing architecture and tasty, cheap Spanish food.

Whether or not we settle this argument is one thing but one major piece of information is true, we both agree that our stay in Seville was one of the hottest during our time in Spain.

Even though I have significant disdain for being excessively hot while traveling, as I found out while spending three weeks traveling the Middle East in August, something about this hot weather in Spain is inviting. It could be that it is a dry heat and not humid like we have at home, but there is something far more important at play that makes this weather bearable: the siesta.

One of the things we were most looking forward to about our recent trip to Spain was devouring churros con chocolate.

Fried to crisp perfection and served alongside rich dark chocolate, these are not your soggy elementary school cafeteria churros bathed in achingly sweet cinnamon sugar.

No, these are grown-up churros.

Everyone has their opinion on who makes the best churros and who makes the best chocolate, so we were eager to set the record straight on this matter while we were in Spain.

The title of best churros con chocolate would be decided in a battle, a battle where only the best, crispiest churros and deepest, darkest chocolate sauces come out alive. This is Churros con Chocolate Death Battle Royale!

Madrid seemed to be the epicenter of the churros con chocolate phenomena, so we decided the battle would take place there. The contenders? Restaurante Hegar, Chocolateria San Gines, and Valor.

Three go in, but only one can come out the victor of this death battle.

A Sincere Apology to La Sagrada Familia from a Skeptic

When Can We Get a Real Spanish Tapas Bar in the USA?

Missing Siesta Time in Seville

The Quest for the Best Churros con Chocolate in Madrid