Le Cafe Metropol @ The Gran Hotel Domine, Bilbao, Spain

During our stay at the luxurious Gran Hotel Domine in Bilbao, Spain, we went to dinner at their restaurant Le Café Metropol in August 2016. This restaurant in the meantime since our visit has been now renamed Le Café, but seems to offer still the same high quality locally inspired menu as before when we visited.

 

The feel of Le Café Metropol felt glamorous and modern at the same time while looking through large glass windows towards the Guggenheim Museum.

 

We decided to live a little bit like the locals enjoy and shared our dishes too from the memorable offerings. Beside us, there was another visiting couple and a local couple nearby seated by the windows at this beautiful space in an equally beautiful and design-led hotel in the heart of Bilbao.

 

We ordered a large bottle of still water and a peach juice. The tapas/pinxtos we shared were Ham Iberico de Bellota with bread and grated tomato, Biscay Bay salted anchovies with roasted peppers and bread with olive oil, marinated salmon Carpaccio with beetroot tartar and salad, oxtail snacks with slightly hot hummus and green asparagus fried in Wasabi tempura, tonkatsu and soya.

 

We loved all of the dishes. Some were “classics” like the ham, bread and tomatoes, while others were new to us, for example the oxtail snacks. We liked that some of our platters were traditional Spanish and others fusions of different continents.

 

The quality was high and all our individual dishes tasted beautifully and authentic IMHO.

 

One type of bread was unusual. It was more like the German Zwieback (rusk).

 

The saltiness of the anchovies worked well with the sweetness of the peppers.

 

The salmon came alive with the beetroot tartar and the oxtail was moreish and well balanced with humus.

 

Our desserts were Greek Yogurt and fruit salad with mint syrup and citric slush.

 

The yogurt was creamy and came with pistachios and berry compote.

 

The fruit salad remembered us about Thailand, especially how fine the fruits were cut. The slush added an interesting acidic flavor/texture balance and was refreshing.

 

Staff was attentive, efficient and warm.

 

The bill was 82 Euro (ca. 91.05 USD).

 

Due to good service, quality and interesting food and overall architectural design of the Le Café Metropol we would want to enjoy lunch/dinner again at this venue.

©2017

Gran Hotel Domine Bilbao, Spain

We knew about the Gran Hotel Domine in Bilbao since it opened in 2002 and joined the Leading Hotels of the World and managed by Silken Hotels of Spain - now it is a member of Preferred Hotels and Resorts Lifestyle and independently managed. 

Somehow Bilbao always went below our radar at first and we managed only to go there for the first time in May 2016. At the time we stayed at the Barcelo Nervion in one of their beautifully designed suites (Please see review). We loved the city so much we returned in August 2016 for a weekend (1 night) and finally stayed at the Gran Hotel Domine.

The Gran Hotel Domine is very special, it's a beautiful design-driven luxury hotel. The hotel was the complete responsibility of Javier Mariscal, an artist, beside the bathtub design by Philippe Starck. The building material, furniture and artwork were all made in Spain. This was the first time ever a hotel in Spain was called "100% Made in Spain". All food served in the restaurants and bars are also sourced in Spain.

We took a taxi from the airport, which took approx. 15 minutes and cost 25 Euro (ca. 27.80 USD). We were surprised that the main entrance is at the back of the building. We always believed it was opposite the entrance of the Guggenheim Museum, but that is the side entrance.

There were displays of items for sale, for example Basque soaps, and the numerous awards the hotel has won.

When entering the atrium we encountered Javier Mariscale's "Fossil Cypress", stones in a metal enmeshed net. It was something we were looking forward to see and was impressive. It stretched the whole six floors and was 26 m high. We were surprised some guests had left their signatures on the stones they could reach.

Reception was at the other side, facing the Guggenheim Museum together with the Le Cafe Metropole at the time - the Metropole has been dropped and is now known as Le Cafe - and the Splash and Crash Cocktail Lounge. 

There was also a stylish seating arrangement with interesting lightning features and a small garden with waterfall, where the bubble lifts were hidden.

Check in was a breeze and within two minutes we were on the way to our room on the second floor.

Overall the hotel felt artistic, warm, supported by the use of earthy tones, and our medium sized Executive Room felt chic and residential.

We liked the wood panelling, the views over the Guggenheim Museum, the little table set up for the tea/coffee making facility (Baque Tea), the unusual painting, the Nakamichi stereo system and the accompanying Jazz, Blues and Swing CDs. We listened to one, which was excellent.

There was a wardrobe and a comfortable large bed with gorgeous embossed GHDB logos.

The wardrobe opened unusual, like an accordion and had limited storage space, but suited our needs for a short stay.

Beside this were a fully stocked mini bar, a chair and a metal and wood covered writing desk.

Mini bar prices ranged from 3 Euro / ca. 3.35 USD for water, a small Toblerone and Olives to 37 Euro / ca. 41.10 USD for a half bottle of Mum Champagne.

The flat screen TV offered 58 TV and radio channels incl. local channels and news channesls from around the world.

Magazines and books completed the detailed room picture and included The Dapper Magazine, the Preferred Hotels and Resort Lifestyle catalogue among others.

The bathroom was large with a bath tub and shower combination, double sinks and a separate room for the toilet and bidet.

The amenities were by the White Company London, which we like and we thought the choice fits with the style of this beautiful hotel.

Breakfast was included in our rate and served on the top floor of the hotel. The venue had indoor and outdoor seating and felt very special with the romantic ambience and beautiful views over the city, the Guggenheim musuem and beyond. The sunshine and warmth helped too.

The breakfast was luxurious and included a wide selection of items, including Cava, different types of fish, cold cuts, cheese, bread, pastries, yogurt, fruits and much more.

The staff was excellent and reminded us in regards of friendliness and attentiveness of the one at the Palais Coburg's Clementine im Glashaus in Vienna, where we stayed a month before our 2nd visit to Bilbao.

We loved our designer environment of the hotel and we would want to stay again at this hospitality gem when visiting hopefully Bilbao again in our future.

©2017

Salt Museum Fuerteventura, Canary Islands, Spain

During our holiday in January/February 2016 in Fuerteventura we took part in the Flavors of Fuerteventura Tour. This included a visit to the Salt Museum just outside Caleta de Fuste.

The space is contemporary designed and directly by the sea. There are some real salt fields and visitors can even see how they are harvested, when visiting at the right time.

In the beautifully designed museum building you can learn about where salt is available, how it is produced, what role it played/plays in different eras and much more.

The location is romantic by the sea and the walk along the salt fields memorable.

It’s worth a visit and if coming independently visitors might want to spend a bit longer there. We had around 30 minutes, which was acceptable, but a bit longer would have been better for us, because we had to rush through the displays, to keep up with our group to still be able to enjoy the salt fields.

©2016

Elba Palace Golf & Vital, Caleta de Fuste, Fuerteventura, Canary Islands, Spain

We spent a long time trying to figure out how we would split up our holiday between maybe two hotels in January/February 2016 and after thinking about it we decided to book the Elba Palace Golf & Vital, an adults only resort, for eight nights. Since we had already paid the first four nights at the Palace we simply booked another set of four nights. They included full board.

We took a taxi from the sister property, the Elba Sara Beach & Golf Resort, where we had spent five nights. Please also see our review. The taxi ride took around 5 to 10 minutes and cost 2.70 Euro (ca. 3.10 USD).

Checking in early wasn't a problem. As a welcome drink we received a glass of rose Champagne and could have had a second, if we were so inclined.

The formalities over we were shown the property by David. The building is designed in traditional Canarian architecture and is a 5 Star GL hotel. We've stayed in other GL "Gran Lujo" designated properties before and love the details, character and particular high standards at these hotels/resorts.

The lobby had an atrium with a large glass stained window and a magnificent chandelier. There were palms, huge vases, seating areas, the golf shop and a stair case to the right.

In one corner was a vitrine containing Sardinian ceramics.

The elevator to the higher floors and an entrance to the courtyard were to the left.

All important features were housed there, like the Piano Bar, St. Andrews Restaurant, the library, the Cafeteria Hoyo 19, the Aloe Vera Wellness Center Spa, the gym, the wine cellar and access to the golf club house.

We were brought to the elevator and handed our key cards. David promised to bring our luggage shortly afterwards to our room. 

At first we couldn't find our room, because we overlooked a small hallway leading off the landing, which had a seating area, views into the atrium and artwork. Eventually we found our Deluxe room and it got easier as time went by.

As promised a few minutes after our arrival on the room David delivered our luggage.

We had booked a queen bed deluxe room, which we also received. It was unusual located, directly above the entrance and was the only one with a very private balcony on this floor. The other rooms shared a balcony with a neighbor. Dividers separated them.

The balcony was fully furnished.

The room was very detailed with dark wooden floors and furniture.

The tapestry was intricate with plant and heart shaped prints. 

The artwork was a combination of classic and modern. It depicted a landscape, but it was like a memory game, where only one square was revealed. The frames of it and the mirrors were beautifully decorated with flowers and plants.

The sofa was comfortable and the writing desk and bed had the same design. The bed consisted of two mattresses pushed together, which we didn't mind.

We also had a smaller than expected TV, because of the larger than exepected size of our room and a credenza, containing the minibar.

The Spanish TV channels didn't had a signal/reception. All English channels were news and business related and no entertainment available. Of course there were other international channels too.

The minibar was reasonably priced with all non-alcoholic beverages costing 2.25 Euro or ca. 2.60 USD. Only the Coca Cola was more expensive with 2.60 Euro (ca. 3 USD). Beer was 2.80 Euro (ca. 3.25 USD).

We also received as a welcome refreshment in our room a free large bottle of water. It was beautifully presented on a tray together with glasses.

In the hallway was a large wardrobe with the safe, tea/coffee making facilities and a storage unit especially for golf equipment. The safe was a bit awkward placed. The door opened up towards the guest, so I had to climb into the wardrobe to be able to retrieve items. The safe was large, though, and could easily store a laptop or two.

Beside the air-conditioning there was also a fan, which added ambience and a touch of romance.

Turn down was provided every night and chocolates were left on the bed.

There was also 24 hours in room dining available.

We used the wake up calls regularly and they were always punctual.

The 24 hours laundry service was reasonably priced. We paid ca. 54 Euro (ca. 62.10 USD) for around 10 items. The clothing returned neatly folded in a basket. Express service is also available.

The bathroom was large with a separate bath tub and shower, double sink, mirrors, soap for two and own branded Hoteles Elba amenities. As mentioned before I like them, but think they smell slightly too chemical.

The toilet and bidet were in their own room within the bathroom.

When exploring the hotel we found out that the courtyard contained also a fountain and in the corner between the cafeteria and the spa a cage with four budgies (A couple and their offspring.). The birds reminded us about the Lapa Palace and Pestana Palace in Lisbon, where we have stayed before. There was another pet, Elba, the cat, named after the hotel chain. To our surprise it was a him. He was tempted to eat the birds and sometimes jumped onto the cage to the dismay of the inhabitants. Thank goodness the cage was very solid, so nothing did happen. Elba is spoiled by everyone.

The grounds, gardens, outdoor pool, tennis courts and the golf course were kept immaculate. The golf course is by the way one of the best on the island and in high demand. The Spanish Open took part here too.

The library was very large with different seating areas and equipped with two internet PCs, a large book selection in different languages, magazines, newspapers and a billiard, bridge and chess tables are also available here.

The free internet was generally fast and reliable. Only on one day it didn't work as it should be.

I used the spa twice to have a head massage. The therapist was excellent and helped make a cold much lighter and pass quicker. We chatted a bit and I learned from her about the cat, the budgies, where she had lived, her dog and her Thai teacher.

Spa treatments can't be charged to the room and have to be paid either in cash or by credit card. A fifty minute massage cost 50 Euro, ca. 57.70 USD.

The Cafeteria Hoyo 19 overlooks the golf course and serves international and regional cuisine. It has open for breakfast, lunch and afternoon snacks. The interior is traditional Canarian with Terra Cotta tiles, a terrace and photographs of the local golf players.

The buffet breakfast was smaller, but high quality and included sparkling wine and Champagne in the morning besides four types of juice, water, cold cuts, smoked salmon, jams, bread, cakes, pastries, an egg station and much more.

The orange juice was one of the best we ever experienced so far in a hotel. How to get the juice was interesting in itself. There was a machine. It was filled at the top with oranges. They dropped down, when the tap was used, and then were getting squeezed while being transported through the press.

Coffee was brought to the table, while tea and hot chocolate was self-service with a Samovar. My fiancé slightly burned himself once or twice, because the hot water dispenser had rested on the Samovar and had heated up.

Lunch was easy going with two main courses of the day or anything from the menu. We just had to pay for the drinks. The sangria was very good and we enjoyed the sandwiches, Gazpacho, salads and pasta dishes.

Desserts were of course the highlight. There weren't a lot, but what was on offer was again high quality. If you are a bit adventures take the cake of the day. I had two or three different ones and they were all surprising and creative. One of my favorite was the chocolate cake. It was really delicious. Other favorites were the Crema Catalana and the rice pudding.
The fruit plate is generously proportioned, tasty and nicely presented.

St. Andrews is the international fine dining restaurant and dinners are served table d' hote. The wine list is very good.

He had a dessert wine from Lanzarote, which he enjoyed.

Again guests on full board could choose a main course from the menu without restrictions. We tried the spa cuisine, which was pretty good, the fish and the specials of the day. We liked the filled pasta and Gazpacho especially. Starters
and desserts were served buffet style. There was an ice cream stand too, where guests could decide and take themselves what they liked. Some had generous helpings of cream on "top of their ice cream".

The gym offers also golf stretching sessions, walks or Pilates.

The reception organized tours for us. They had to be paid in cash. One was a day trip (Volcano Express) to Lanzarote and another a mini bus gourmet tour of Fuerteventura. They come highly recommended.

The location is a bit isolated, but taxis are inexpensive and if you don't need/want to go right away, there's always the free hourly shuttle to other hotels within the vicinity and the local shopping mall in Caleta de Fuste.

What made this stay so great beside the amenities was the staff.  We liked that you could see the staff members different characters. Their interactions were never cookie cutter style or felt staged. They were attentive and concerned about our wellbeing. For example when they realized we tried to pick up a bit of Spanish, they taught us a few words.

David and Aneta from reception asked how we liked the tours and the stay.

The maid, who brought back our laundry, was a bit concerned, we would be displeased with the service, because they didn't manage to get out a spot of blood on one of the items. We hadn't expected it, so all was good.

Unfortunately checkout approached too fast after our 8 nights / 9 days here and we were somewhat sad to leave.

We would happily return to Fuerteventura and the Elba Golf & Vital Hotel, located at the Fuerteventura Golf Club and Resort.

©2016

Elba Sara Beach & Golf Resort Caleta de Fuste, Fuerteventura, Canary Islands, Span

We planned our winter sun holiday and wanted to go for the first time to Fuerteventura, the Canary Islands. Our target was to have suitable flight times and using the whole 16 days we had available in January/February 2016, so we booked single flights from Dublin to Fuerteventura, Fuerteventura to London Gatwick and London Heathrow to Dublin.

We prepared meticulous for the holiday and tried to make sure we were going to have the right hotels. After months of debating we settled for five nights at the Elba Sara Beach & Golf Resort, eight nights at the Elba Palace Golf & Vital Hotel and two nights at the Jumeirah Lowndes Hotel in London. Reviews of the two latter will follow.

The Elba Sara Beach & Golf Resort is located in Caleta de Fuste and is a short distance (ca. 12 km) from the airport. The hotel belongs to the local chain Elba - Hoteles Unicos -, which owns/manages ten hotels, mostly on Fuerteventura, other Canary Islands and some on the main land of Spain.

We chose the hotel, because we liked the design and location at the beach and just a very short stroll from the Atlantico Shopping Center. Tripadvisor reviews were overall positive as well.

We booked a Junior Suite including Half Board and free WIFI.

After our flight with Aer Lingus we took a taxi to the Elba Sara. It took ca. 15 minutes and cost 13 Euro (ca. 14.80 USD).

It was a Mercedes Estate and we had a lady driver.

At the hotel we were warmly welcomed and received as welcome drinks Cava. During check in all features were explained.

The lobby was large with a waterfall and stairs leading down to the restaurant Albatroz, the Wellness Zone Spa and Broadway Bar. Between the bar and restaurant was an exit to the pool with a pool bar, gardens and other activities like beach volley ball, tennis, gym, archery and mini golf.

On the lobby level were shops, flower arrangements and the lobby lounge.

Our junior suite was located on the 6th floor above the lobby with pool and sea views. We had our own fully furnished balcony.

The suite was large with traditional design. We had a kangaroo sized/ large king-size bed, a seating area, a flat screen TV, writing desk, mini fridge (unstocked) and tea/coffee making facilities with complimentary chocolates.

The TV was slightly too small for the distance to the seating area, but watching the national and international TV channels (Fashion One, BBC World, Bloomberg and CNBC, beside local Spanish, German, French, Chinese and other channels) was comfortable from the bed and writing desk.

We liked the flower framed blue and ochre tiles and floor to ceiling windows.

The bath room was very large and divided into two sections. The first contained a wardrobe and double sinks with own branded toiletries, which I liked, but weren't my favorite. The smell was slightly too chemical. This part of our junior suite didn't have a door and felt exposed.

The second part was enclosed in milk glass and housed the toilet, bidet and bathtub/shower combination. The water pressure and temperature were consistent and high/strong.

The safe could be used, but was chargeable at 4 Euro, ca. 4.60 USD a night.

When not being busy or exploring the hotel we enjoyed spending time on the balcony. Sometimes we had a visitor - a curious pigeon, who hoped to get some bread crumbs, but didn't like gummi bears or local rice pudding we also enjoyed.

The maids were very thorough, but sometimes a bit too quick to enter the room. It happened once or twice they knocked and were already letting themselves in before we had time to say anything or open the door.

The staff took their job very seriously and called or asked when we met them in person, if we liked our stay or if they could do something for us.

We arranged a tour of the island with the reception. It was perfectly organized.

The spa offered a small selection of massages, body treatments and facials. Massages and facials started at 25 Euro (ca. 28.50 USD), while body treatments were from 30 Euro or ca. 34.15 USD.

There were day activities for adults and children, for example T-shirt painting or sangria making and stretching.

We liked the pool- and gardenscape. There was the main pool and the kids pool with enough sun loungers available for all guests. The garden is based on the flora of Fuerteventura with cacti and aloe vera amongst many other flowers and plants.

Cats were living on the grounds as well. Some were shy, others enjoyed the company of humans, liked to be petted and occupied loungers.

We didn't use the bar, since there was every evening some kind of entertainment going on, i.e. discos, magicians, 80ies music and much more.

The Albatroz Buffet Restaurant could get very busy, depending on the time. The selection was generally large and good quality.

Breakfast offered everything one could imagine from egg dishes to jelly, rice pudding with cinnamon, pancakes, bacon, cold cuts, cheese, baked beans, bread, fruits, yogurt and much more. I loved the Tortilla Espanola, also called Tortilla de Patata.

Fish was rarely served and if, it was mackerel. One guest wasn't happy about it and missed smoked salmon.

The only critisism on our side would be the concentrated juice. The orange juice tasted more like it was made with Vitamin C soluble tablets than real oranges. The pineapple juice was very sweet.

The smoothies on the other hand were very good.

Coffee and tea was self-service.

In the evenings we had to show our key card holder at the entrance of the restaurant, which indicated on which board basis we were staying. We received a list of beverages and could then choose our own table. Since the restaurant was very large it was never a problem to find a suitable space.

Drinks could be ordered from the waiters, who filled out the list.  At the end of the meal we had to bring it back to the reception desk, where the bill was created and had to be signed to the room. On some evenings we didn't have to pay for the drinks, which was a nice and suprising touch.

Dinners were themed, i.e. Mexican, Italian, Canarian or Asian.

The rice, fish and meat dishes were all very good. His favorite were the Canarian potatoes with red Mojo sauce and pizza, mine was the Chinese rice, the sushi and exotic pizza with ham and plantain. It worked astoundingly well.

Our stay passed way too fast. It was soon time to check out and move on to the sister property Elba Palace Golf & Vital.

We loved the island, the hotel and the location, so we would consider stay here at this resort again in our future, but we would also want to try other hotels/resorts on the island of Fuerteventura.

©2016

Sotto Voce Barcelona, Spain

We had one night at the Hotel Porta Fira, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, not far from the El Prat Airport and we looked up their restaurant menu online we knew it wasn't for us, so we looked for an alternative at the nearby shopping mall Gran Via 2. 

We liked Sottovoce, an Italian restaurant.

It is located on the ground level of the food court and has outdoor seating.

The interior was understated in black and white.

We could choose to sit anywhere we wanted to and decided to use the terrace. The staff was efficient and friendly.

We ordered a large bottle of still water, two glasses of the red house wine, ravioli with romanseco sauce and shrimps, Pizza Sottovoce, Pana Cotta and Crème Catalan. The pasta was good, but having tried his pizza, I know what is better, so next time around I'm also going to have a pizza.

The Pana Cotta and Crème Catalan looked similar, the taste and consistency was different, though. It was delicious and the highlight for me.

When we arrived the restaurant was nearly empty, by the time we left it was full.

We paid a bit under 50 Euro (ca. 67.50 USD).

We enjoyed the atmosphere and the food, so we are going to return hopefully soon for another dinner.

©2013

Smöoy Frozen Yogurt, Santiago de Compostela, Spain

After our dinner at Newroz Kurdish Doener Kebab (see also review) we went to Smöoy for frozen yogurt as dessert. It's just a few steps away and interesting, because it has a white, contemporary interior livened up with a few color splashes in red, yellow, green and pink. There is also a nice seating area.

The counter assistant was very busy with a few people waiting in front of me. There were three choices: a small, medium or large cup with one topping, two toppings and three toppings respectively. The choice was huge from berries to chocolate to gummi bears.

We chose natural frozen yogurt, Dulce de Leche and fresh strawberries in a medium cup. We shared it, because the portion was fairly large. It cost around 3 Euro (ca. 4.10 USD). We must say it was delicious and loved the combination.

So there is no doubt we will have to go back, when we're in Santiago de Compostela.

©2013

Newroz Kurdish Doener Kebab, Santiago de Compostela, Spain

On one of our evenings we went to Newroz Kurdish Doener Kebab at Rua Nova de Abaixo, 20 (Pza. Fuenterrabia, 5) in Santiago de Compostela.

The restaurant is just about 100 m from the cathedral and in the Old Town.

The restaurant is clean and simple furnished.

We liked the dark furniture, colorful lampshades and the industrial kitchen.

When ordering we went to the counter. We had a set meal with a soft drink and a chicken doener kebab included for 5 Euro each, ca. 6.80 USD. Our choice was water.

We were then asked to sit down and our order was delivered as soon as it was ready.

The doener was different than what we were used to from Germany or Poland.

It was lighter, less spicy, had more salad leaves, which makes the doener healthier, and was easy to eat, aka "no mess here".

We liked the succulent meat, textures and flavors.

The staff was friendly and spoke good English.

Payment was taken at the counter.

When we are back in Santiago we definitely are going to stop at Newroz again.

It's an affordable option in the heart of this fascinating city.

©2013

Galician Contemporary Arts Center - Centro Gallego de Arte Contemporaneo, Santiago de Compostela Spain

The direct neighbor to the Museum of the Galician People is the Galician Contemporary Arts Center.

Entrance is free, and the building is modern - as expected - inside and out. The design is beautiful, understated and free flowing. I felt it let me breathe.

The entrance is small compared to the size of the building and leads either directly to the exhibition to the left or the restaurant/bar and gift shop to the right.

We were thirsty and a bit peckish, so we went to the restaurant. The space had white walls (like the rest of the museum) and contemporary furniture. Unfortunately our experience wasn't that good. A lot got lost in translation.

I went to the bar to order, only to find out there was a waiter service available, and I had to rush back to our table. It seemed we could only choose from a three course menu the waiter wrote up for us in English on a small note. Since we didn't have that much hunger, we decided to forgo it and take the brownies displayed at the bar. We also had a bottle of ice tea each. When I paid the bill, I thought the price paid was a bit high, costing over 10 Euro (ca. 13.20 USD). The brownie was good, though.
Feeling more refreshed and relaxed we went to the gift shop next. It has art books mostly in Spanish, but also a few in English. Room to move is a bit restrained.

We moved on finally to the exhibition. There are currently three different artists exhibiting. The shows run until October.

Victor Grippo was born in Junin and died in Buenos Aires. Ricardo Basbaum is Brazilian and Graham Gussin British.

All three were different approaches including video installations, prints, artwork with potatoes and marbles.

We liked it and thought it was inspiring.

We recommend the Contemporary Arts Center, but wouldn't go there to eat due to limited choices.

©2013

Museum of the Galician People - Museo del Pueblo Gallego, Santiago de Compostela, Spain

Since we wanted to learn about the region we were making holiday at, we planned to visit the Museo del Pueblo Gallego or Museum of the Galician People.

It is housed in a building ca. 700 years old and just a short stroll from the cathedral.

On Sundays the museum has open from 11.00 hours to 14.00 hours.  We expected to pay 3 Euro (ca. 4 USD) entrance per person.
To our surprise we were told the entrance was free, because it was Sunday.

It might also had to do with us arriving around 40 minutes before closing, so we couldn't see the whole exhibition.

Our backpack was stored in a locker.

Photography without flash is allowed.

We enjoyed the courtyard, the gallery with it's arches and stone reliefs depicting saints and the former church, now housing a memorial to famous Galician persons. The church was very simple, airy and a clean cut space.

Another highlight was the staircase. It was winding and looked very elegant. It was impressive and alone for that the entrance would be worth paying for.

Since we had a few minutes to spare we went into one of the many exhibition rooms. This one was dedicated to the history of the maritime life in Galicia.

We had visited a similar museum before, so we could understand what it was showing, like fishing boats, mussel picking and other things. Unfortunately there is no English signage, only Spanish and Galician, so it could be boring some or difficult to follow.

Overall we would highly recommend the museum for a longer visit next time.

 

©2013

A Quinta da Auga, Relais & Chateaux

We had a total of 5 nights in Santiago de Compostela. Thinking we would be quite busy while staying at the AC Palacio del Carmen (see review) we decided to spend the last two relaxing a bit outside of the city at the A Quinta da Auga, Relais & Chateaux. This was our second Relais & Chateaux property. Based on only good experiences with Le St. Paul at St. Paul de Vence, France, we thought it was time to check out another one, this time in Spain.

The A Quinta da Auga dates back to 1792. Originally it was built by Jacobo Perez Villamarin as a paper factory, but it was also used to produce wool clothing, ice and beer. It fell into disrepair until Lorenzo Garcia and his family bought the estate. The architect carrying out the restoration and renovation project was Luisa Garcia Gil.

We took a taxi from the AC to the A Quinta da Auga and paid around 8 Euro (ca. 10.70 USD). The journey took maybe 10 minutes.

It was around 12.30 hours when we arrived. Unfortunately we weren't able to check in early and were advised to come back at 15.00 hours, when the official check in time was and our room would be ready.

We explored the area and checked out where the bus stop for the Number 8 bus into town was. It wasn't easy to spot, because it was at the end of the road and only a no parking sign indicated it. We later saw a bus stopping there.

Having done that we decided to go back to the hotel and have lunch.

We had Ice tea, hot chocolate, cappuccino, ham and cheese sandwiches and watermelon gazpacho.

When we had settled the bill (ca. 25 Euro or ca. 33.40 USD) our room was ready. We were offered an upgrade for 90 Euro (ca. 120 USD) per night to a suite. We didn't take it up, because we were quite happy with our room. It was 10 square meters larger than the standard room at the AC Palacio del Carmen. We received a room at the top floor (5th). It was a mansard room with a window built into the roof and views over the garden and neighborhood. The room was sparsely furnished with a traditional writing desk, two chairs and comfortable twin beds. It was large, but didn't look too empty. We felt immediately at home.

There were wooden floors; the mini bar was free with local water, two bottles of Coca Cola, one orange Fanta and one lemon Fanta. It was restocked daily.

The flat screen TV was small, but moving the chairs from under the window nearer to the TV solved the problem. The only English speaking channel was BBC World.

Storage space in the wardrobe was good. There was also a safe unlike at the AC.

The air condition was centrally operated and sometimes made the room slightly too hot. It didn't bother us too much or we simply opened the window.

The tapestry was interesting. It depicted what life was like in earlier days.

The bathroom was large with a bathtub/shower combination, Relais & Chateaux Ylang Ylang amenities, a bidet, toilet and sink. The bath tub was comfortable and the water pressure was good.

The hotel has a restaurant called Filigrana, a social lounge and the Q Cafe. There is also a new wing with fitness center, hydrothermal facilities including swimming pool, hydrotherapy pool, sauna, ice fountain and steam bath. There is also a spa, offering facials, massages, body treatments, manicure, pedicure, hair care and yoga lessons. Massage treatments start from 30 minutes and cost 40 Euro (ca. 53.40 USD) to 90 minutes for 115 Euro (ca. 153.35 USD).

There are also packages available ranging from 110 minutes to 5 days.

Use of the Flotarium costs 22 Euro for 20 minutes (ca. 29.40 USD); yoga lessons start at 90 Euro (ca. 120 USD) for 90 minutes.

We enjoyed spending time on our room, going to the Q Cafe or walking in the grounds.

The gardens were very beautiful. There were different flowers, fountains tinkling and a waterfall. The hotel recommends also walks ranging from twenty to forty five minutes.

The hotel was detailed. The social lounge had old photographs of what the hotel looked like before the renovation, which famous guests had visited and other artwork. Each seating area was different with plush sofas, comfortable armchairs and an open fire.

Another detail were flowers and plants in the bedroom and bathroom or that the flowers and the outdoor chairs were in matching colors - an intense red.

There were nooks and crannies to explore on every floor and art work everywhere.

Even the elevators look not functional. They have prints depicting the paper making process.

Since we had time I choose a 30 minutes deep tissue massage.

The spa was airy and light. The original building and the new wing are connected indoors, so there is no reason to go outside. The staff was very friendly and concerned if the treatment had been to my liking. The changing room was empty and I had my own locker, containing a bath robe, panty and slippers. There were also showers and toilets.

The treatment was relaxing and eased my tensions. This massage didn't make me as sore as previous ones. It was as good, though.

At the Q Cafe we tried different smoothies and juices, local wine and coffee liquor, pasta salad, peppers filled with cod, frozen yogurt and raspberries, Santiago Cake and much more.

Breakfast was served buffet style every day at the Filigrana Restaurant. It was small, but had everything one could need from cold cuts and smoked salmon to cheese to yogurt, fruit salad, scrambled eggs - other egg dishes could be made a la carte -, pastries and much more. The space was a bit small and when it was busy, it could get tight. Restocking wasn't an issue. There was only one juice - orange. The flavor was outstanding and everyone had at least two glasses. The salmon was the softest I've ever had.

We had a funny incident with Housekeeping. It was afternoon. We had returned from our walk and saw that the maids were on our floor making up rooms. They hadn't arrived at our room, so we were prepared for their visit. The maid knocked, shouted something in Spanish and opened the door immediately. If we had been in an indiscriminating situation it could have gotten embarrassing, so the young lady was a bit surprised somebody was on the room. She asked a colleague to help her. The room was cleaned and the bed was made very quickly.

All the staff encountered was friendly, efficient and warm.

Way too soon we had to leave for our next destination Barcelona.

Check out was done quickly, a taxi was ordered for us and the "bible" - the 2013 Relais & Chateaux catalogue in English was given to us as a good bye present. On the room we only had the actual version in Spanish, so this was a nice touch.
Donations to UNICEF are also encouraged.

We can recommend the A Quinta da Auga to couples and families with older children, who are looking for a quirky property that is romantic and off the beaten track with personalized services and attentive staff.

We are missing the property already and are definitely going to return, when we are in the area.

©2013

AC Palacio Del Carmen, Autograph Collection

Sorry for so long nothing publishing. My better half and I have just returned from holiday. A few more reviews are going to follow. Hope you enjoy our hotel adventures as much as we did. Happy Travels!

We planned a small travel itiniery in Spain and Italy. Our first stop was Santiago de Compostela, the capital of Galicia in the Northwest of Spain. We arrived from Dublin by Aer Lingus. We tried the new pre-order meal option. There is a choice of Irish breakfast, chicken or beef salad. We both had the chicken salad. The process worked flawless and the salad was delicious. The cost was 7.50 Euro (ca. 10 USD) per person and included a hot drink, like coffee or tea. The flight was pleasant and eventless.

We had informed ourselves about public transport and decided to take the bus operated by Empresa Freire to Praza da Galicia. The journey took about 45 minutes. A single ticket costs 3 Euro (ca. 4 USD), a return ticket 5.10 Euro (ca. 6.80 USD) per person.
We had a map with us and thought the AC Palacio del Carmen, an Autograph Collection property, was easy to locate. It proofed a bit more difficult than thought. We asked locals for directions. They were helpful, but unfortunately spoke only Spanish. Mine is non existent. We finally found someone, who spoke English. She directed us correctly and within five minutes we arrived at the Palacio del Carmen.
It nestles in a residential area on the outskirts of Santiago's city center.

The hotel is located in a former 15th century convent. In the two original buildings are the reception and small lobby with an internet corner, the bar, fine dining restaurant and meeting rooms located. There is also a new wing with additional rooms. Besides meeting facilities there is also a beautiful fairly large garden, indoor swimming pool, spa and a very small fitness center.

The check in was pleasant and conducted in German. The receptionist Karel is from Prague and spoke fluent German. My better half and I have forgotten most of it, since we have been very rarely back to our home country and speak mostly English with each other since we live in Ireland for nearly fourteen years. We were promised a big bed and were very happy about our comfortable king.
The room was located in one of the original buildings.
Each floor is glassed in, airconditioned and a bridge leads to each room.
The entrance category room was simple, but elegant and comfortable.
There were wooden floors and beams, the large bed, a luggage rack, medium sized TV, a large wardrobe and a writing desk. The colors were different shades of brown, beige and ocre. Our view was over the peaceful garden.
One night there was a wedding party and for a moment we feared we would be disturbed by the noise, but the soundproofing was good, so we heard nothing. The room's location guaranteed a restful sleep. It was really quiet.
The bath room was medium sized with a sink, Palacio del Carmen own branded amenities, a comfortable bath tub and shower combination, a bidet and toilet.
The bath tub was wide and not very high, making it easy to get in and out.
The mini bar contained orange and pineapple juice, Mondariz water, Nordic Mist, Coca Cola and Coca Cola Light and San Miguel beer (with and without alcohol). Prices were reasonable. The water cost 1.50 Euro, ca. 2 USD, the rest 2.50 Euro, ca. 3.35 USD.
TV channels were dominantely local. There was BBC World, RT and CNBC.
The air condition was easy to use. It kept up with the heat and worked fast and efficient.
The lightning was mellow, but added to the atmosphere.
24 hour room service was also available.

We planned a small travel itenary in Spain and Italy. Our first stop was Santiago de Compostela, the capital of Galicia in the Northwest of Spain. We arrived from Dublin by Aer Lingus. We tried the new pre-order meal option. There is a choice of Irish breakfast, chicken or beef salad. We both had the chicken salad. The process worked flawless and the salad was delicious. The cost was 7.50 Euro (ca. 10 USD) per person and included a hot drink, like coffee or tea. The flight was pleasant and eventless.

We had informed ourselves about public transport and decided to take the bus operated by Empresa Freire to Praza da Galicia. The journey took about 45 minutes. A single ticket costs 3 Euro (ca. 4 USD), a return ticket 5.10 Euro (ca. 6.80 USD) per person.
We had a map with us and thought the AC Palacio del Carmen, an Autograph Collection property, was easy to locate. It proofed a bit more difficult than thought. We asked locals for directions. They were helpful, but unfortunately spoke only Spanish. Mine is non existent. We finally found someone, who spoke English. She directed us correctly and within five minutes we arrived at the Palacio del Carmen.
It nestles in a residential area on the outskirts of Santiago's city center.

The hotel is located in a former 15th century convent. In the two original buildings are the reception and small lobby with an internet corner, the bar, fine dining restaurant and meeting rooms located. There is also a new wing with additional rooms. Besides meeting facilities there is also a beautiful fairly large garden, indoor swimming pool, spa and a very small fitness center.

The check in was pleasant and conducted in German. The receptionist Karel is from Prague and spoke fluent German. My better half and I have forgotten most of it, since we have been very rarely back to our home country and speak mostly English with each other since we live in Ireland for nearly fourteen years. We were promised a big bed and were very happy about our comfortable king.
The room was located in one of the original buildings.
Each floor is glassed in, air conditioned and a bridge leads to each room.
The entrance category room was simple, but elegant and comfortable.
There were wooden floors and beams, the large bed, a luggage rack, medium sized TV, a large wardrobe and a writing desk. The colors were different shades of brown, beige and ochre. Our view was over the peaceful garden.
One night there was a wedding party and for a moment we feared we would be disturbed by the noise, but the soundproofing was good, so we heard nothing. The room's location guaranteed a restful sleep. It was really quiet.
The bath room was medium sized with a sink, Palacio del Carmen own branded amenities, a comfortable bath tub and shower combination, a bidet and toilet.
The bath tub was wide and not very high, making it easy to get in and out.
The mini bar contained orange and pineapple juice, Mondariz water, Nordic Mist, Coca Cola and Coca Cola Light and San Miguel beer (with and without alcohol). Prices were reasonable. The water cost 1.50 Euro, ca. 2 USD, the rest 2.50 Euro, ca. 3.35 USD.
TV channels were dominantly local. There was BBC World, RT and CNBC.
The air condition was easy to use. It kept up with the heat and worked fast and efficient.
The lightning was mellow, but added to the atmosphere.
24 hour room service was also available.

We went twice to the bar. There are nineteen dishes to choose from. A small selection is available during general opening hours, a larger between 13.30 hours and 15.30 hours and 21.00 hours to 23.00 hours.
We had refreshing sangria, chicken salad with cherry tomatoes and sherry vinaigrette, fresh tomato and tuna salad, Iberian ham in a bread roll with parmesan cheese and dried tomatoes and a seasonal fruit plate with green and watermelon, red grapes, kiwi and pineapple.
All was tasty, fresh and healthy.
Prices were reasonable again. We paid 29.60 Euro (ca. 39.30 USD) and 35.20 Euro (46.70 USD) respectively.

Breakfast was included in our rate. It was every day in the former chapel. It can be also used a meeting room.
The room is beautiful with a large mosaic depicting the Archangel Gabriel visiting Mary to tell her she is going to give birth to Jesus.
The windows are high up, letting in the light in an unusual way. The plays between shadow and light are beautiful.
Tea, coffee, hot chocolate and juice are self service based. There are a Nespresso Coffee machine and three differently colored capsules (red, green and black) available. The colors indicate the strength of the coffee. Red is de-caffeinated, green normal and black strong.  I had the last two and enjoyed them. They are smooth and have intense flavors as it is expected from Nespresso.
The buffet contains the continental breakfast, while egg dishes can be ordered a la carte and don't incur an additional charge. We tried the scrambled and baked eggs and French omelet.
Juices on offer were orange, pineapple, peach and raspberry.
The buffet is small, but has everything one could want beside fish. There are cold cuts, cheese, pastries, bread, Tortilla Espanola including condiments, jam, different types of cereal and much more.

All staff was warm, helpful and efficient.

The memories we took home are about a very different place. It's romantic, peaceful and tranquil. It can be as near to the action as you like, though. When you know your way around, you can reach the Cathedral and Old Town within ten minutes walk.

It's definitely on our return list.

©2013