Spain

At a glance

My experience in Spain

Madrid and Barcelona are Spain’s popular cities, and both have different rhythms. In Madrid, there is vibrancy, culture, and classic art. In Barcelona, there is a Mediterranean and regional mood, interactive museums, and Modernism.

Our start in Spain was a challenging one. Each year my husband and I celebrate our anniversary during the holiday season. In 2023, when we visited Spain, we dropped into Madrid, explored Barcelona and stayed in Sitges. Language was the main barrier. Spain did not have multilingual speakers like you see in most European countries. The airports in Madrid and Barcelona did not have bilingual signs, the lines through customs were disastrous, and airport workers only spoke their native Spanish, as one should expect. If you are not a Spanish speaker, plan your trip to Spain with translation apps and tools and plan enough time between flight transfers.

Once we arrived in Sitges, there was beauty and tranquility. Sitges is a coastal town with art lined along its beaches, whitewashed houses with Catalan architecture, and cobbled streets. It is the perfect place for a reading oasis.

We stayed at the Sabàtic, Sitges, Autograph Collection, where their mantra is “every day is Saturday.” It is a chic, quiet and elegant hotel, with nice views of the pools and surrounding areas. There was a breakfast lounge in the mornings, with diverse and flavorful Spanish breakfast foods. Sitges is a coastal town

Get familiar with Spanish breakfast foods. Admittedly, I didn’t prepare for this. If you’re used to a hot, traditional American breakfast, the Mediterraneo Breakfast may confuse you. It is a popular breakfast in Spain that includes cold cuts. You’re presented with what looks like a charcuterie spread: cold cuts, cheeses, olives, tomatoes, and more. The idea is to add things from the Mediterranean diet to make your breakfast spread. For someone who likes the simplicity of eggs and coffee for breakfast, I found this overwhelming. The breakfast spread also includes toasted bread topped with ripe tomatoes and pastries like churros con chocolate. My favorite item on the Spanish Breakfast menu is café con leche, coffee with milk.

Book an experience. Barcelona is a car ride from Sitges, so we booked a two -hour, five-course dinner, “Paella Experience” through Viator and joined a group of visitors from around the world at The Paella Club. We learned to cook Paella. The music was a vibe, the conversation was great, the bottomless wines were exquisite, and the food was spectacular.

Browse a bookstore. After walking on cobblestone streets and squeezing onto sidewalks filled with tourists, we came across a gem of a bookstore called La Central. There are Spanish and English titles, so of course I walked out with a bag.

Sample unique teas. Barcelona tolerates lingering and experiencing, which is another reason it is great for reading. We visited Čaj Chai, a small tea shop 140 varieties of gourmet tea, in Barcelona’s Gothic Quarter. This tea shop prepares “tea according to tradition using accessories from the country of origin,” which is thrilling if you’re also pairing a book with the tea from its country of origination.

Taste wines. One of my favorite things to do is visit wine countries and taste the culture through wine. Wine is similar to books in that each wine-making region of the world has a unique style, a unique flavor that parallels its culture, weather, and terrain. Spanish wines did not disappoint. I tried Cava, Spain’s delicious sparkling wine, for the first time and I tasted some of the best red wine I’ve ever had at Pere Ventura, a family-based winery in Sant Sadurní d’Anoia, a city in Spain’s popular wine-producing region—Penedès.