Barcelo Nervion Bilbao, Spain

Having not stayed before at a Barcelo hotel, but having very good experiences during a visit of the Barcelo complex in Caleta de Fuste in Fuerteventura we decided to book the Barcelo Nervion Bilbao during a one night weekend break in May 2016.

Checking the hotel out online we liked the modern design, colorful lobby and fascinating artwork.

After an eventless flight with Aer Lingus we took a taxi from Bilbao Airport to the hotel. It cost 26.50 Euro / ca. 29 USD and travel time was ca. 20 minutes.

The Barcelo Nervion was very well integrated with the surroundings.
 
The entrance was to the left, while to the right was the hotel's parking garage. The hotel's logo included the Nervion Estuary.

The open plan lobby was bright and had lots of seating space, a colorful wooden art piece on one wall, a beautifully decorated cow, which had been part of "Cow Parade", and a small gym to the right.

There was also a modern fire place and a post box.

The reception was straight ahead and when turning left there was the bar and cafe, the restaurant Ibaizabal and the vinoteca.

We had our dinner and breakfast - the latter was included in our overnight rate - at Ibaizabal. Review will follow.

Check in was done quick and friendly. We were given a map of Bilbao and the receptionist explained where all the important sights and shopping areas were located.

Our one-bedroom suite with a view overlooked the Nervion and main street.

The room concept was interesting. When entering there was the living room with two tables pushed together, a dark upholstered sofa for two, a credenza with mini bar, coffee/tea making facilities and a flat screen TV.

The art work was depicting a forest with trees painted in rainbow colors. There were also some coffee table books "Cow Parade", where the cow in the lobby could be also found, and one about Mallorca.

The mini bar contained sparkling wine, beer, still and sparkling water, Coca Cola and Toblerone.

The bath room was in the middle and could be closed off with sliding doors on either side leading to the bed room or living room.

In the middle was the sink, while the Japanese set up bath tub and shower were to the left and the toilet to the right in a separate room.

The wardrobe was located also in the bath room and there were Pure Herbs Amenities with Rosemary, Melissa and Thyme, including body scrub and bath salts.

Other materials used were porcelain tiles and light wooden furniture.

We liked the Pure Herbs amenities and thought it was interesting that there were a few more products than the usual line-up available.

The bedroom was large with a wooden floor, a big, comfortable bed, a seating area with a green carpet, a flat screen TV and a writing desk with wooden chair, which wasn't that comfortable. I can't imagine working there for hours on end. There were also stylish lightning features.

The TV channels included as expected a lot of Spanish channels, some German, Italian and French and CCTV, Bloomberg, BBC World and CNBC.

Room service was available from 11.00 hours to 24 hours. There was also a pillow menu.

The free WIFI internet was very fast.

We spent most time in the light filled bed room with floor to ceiling windows, but used the living room too.

Artwork was similar to the one in the lobby, only on a smaller scale, and a print of the Zubizuri Bridge was over the bed.

We liked the location, which was just around ten minutes from Santiago Calatrava's Zubizuri Bridge and around twenty minutes to the Guggenheim Museum by foot.

A supermarket, called Eroski, is also nearby (just across the Zubizuri Bridge).

We enjoyed our short stay, the location, friendliness of the staff, the design and the comfort. For those reasons we would return again.

 

©2016

 

Ability

David Beasley was nervous. He was mussing his hair and swearing. David combed his hair for the second time in as many minutes. David had heard of course about Fin Noose and he felt privileged to maybe get the chance to work together with the best in his field, but he was worried. Fin's mercurial temper was legendary. David had heard Fin was a perfectionist and always dressed to the nines. David normally preferred more casual dress. Being unsure what to wear, he thought it was best to put on a suit and tie.

It was time to go. David didn't want to come too late. A good impression was important and David didn't want to set off Fin's temper at the beginning. David had liked learning from Ruth. She never shouted and led by example. He feared Fin would be the total opposite. He had also heard rumors that Fin was violent and had punched a team mate, because he had failed in his task. Reassurances from Adam, his middle man, Fin was a good guy, hadn't helped.

Having arrived at Fin's room, he took a deep breath and knocked. A minute or so later - what felt like ages - the door opened. David had expected Fin was formal dressed. To his surprise it was a mix between black dress pants, a black t-shirt and a suit jacket in the same color. Fin's age was a surprise too. David had always believed Fin was in his forties, based on how much he had done.  Fin looked barely older than him, was tall, blond and had blue grey eyes. David's host smiled at him. Fin noticed David, who had red-brown hair and blue eyes, was nervous. Fin tried to ease David's tension. "Come on in." Originally David had expected Fin was staying in a suite. He found out both had the same room type only different views and a slightly different layout. David liked that Fin didn't put on airs. Fin had watched a Spanish news channel while waiting for David. "Do you speak Spanish, Mr. Noose?" "Yes and please call me Fin." "David." Fin smiled at his colleague and shook his hand. Fin offered David a seat. "If you want to get rid of your tie to be more comfortable, I have no issues with that." David was glad Fin made the suggestion. While removing his tie, David checked out the room further and noticed it was tidy. This was fitting with being a perfectionist. "Would you like something to drink or eat?" Fin offered. "Coke, please." Fin went to the minibar to retrieve the soft drink for David and a bottle of Vichy Catalan for himself. When settling down again, Fin said: "Tell me more about yourself." "Well, I guess I should start with my parents. Don't get me wrong, I really love them very much, but I believe they were simply crazy..." Fin's eyebrow rose, but didn't reply to the statement. "They had it all - a great job at the United Nations Headquarters for my mother and my father was an investment banker, both pretty successful. According to them their lives were too stressful and they decided to quit it all, when they had enough money together. They moved to rural Wyoming and bought a cattle farm. On the side they grow organic vegetables and have a few free roaming chicken. While my older brother loved it, I was bored as hell. I was up to a lot of mischief. A dare caused me to find my true calling. My friends bet that I wouldn't dare break into the ramshackle house of an old, deranged lady. Of course I was tempted, so I did my homework and broke successfully in. Even so my friends were waiting outside, I brought a token that I really was inside. Naturally I was the hero. I liked the thrill, but also the organization behind a heist. Some maybe find it tedious, but I thrive... At home I was also famous to be a fixer. If somebody needed something I knew where to get it from. When it was time for me to go to college I had heard through the grapevine that Ruth Frankham was open for tutoring. I approached her and after meeting up a few times she agreed to take me on. I told my parents I was going to L.A. and studying subjects involving security. They don't know what I do. To cut a long story short I learned everything I could from Ruth and I'd like now to start out by myself." "Ruth is specialized in museums burglaries, isn't she?" "Yes." David told Fin about the break ins Ruth and he had done together. "You can show me what you have learned. I want you to break into the Alto Museum and get me this figurine." Fin showed David a photograph of the item he was looking for. David was a bit taken aback. Fin had requested it friendly, but it was clear it was an order. He had hoped Fin would trust him enough to employ him immediately. It felt like a slap in the face. Grudgingly David accepted the challenge. He left soon afterwards, grumbling to himself. Of course the job was simple enough and he managed to figure out the low security quickly. Within a week he brought the figurine to Fin, who smiled warmly and said: "Well done. I'd like to discuss the job with you and to have your advice, but before we'll start can you return the figurine?" David was speechless. All the work for nothing? "It wasn't senseless. I needed to check you can fulfil the tasks at hand, since I don't know you. You have proven you can do the job and I didn't expect anything else, when you come highly recommended by Adam. You don't have to break in again to return the artwork. I'm sure you will find a creative way to return it." It seemed Fin was able to read David's mind. The explanation made sense and David felt flattered by the compliment Fin had paid him and their middle man. "Alright. After the figurine is back, I'll be in touch with you." "Of course." David didn’t need long to develop a plan. He cleaned the figurine to make sure none of his finger prints were on it. He packaged it and approached a homeless man. David offered the homeless 100 Euro if he would deliver the box. Of course the man agreed to do the job. The homeless left it one morning on the door steps of the museum. The staff was glad to have the figurine undamaged back.

Fin invited David a few days later for a tapas lunch. They talked about private things, likes, dislikes and family. David was at the moment single. In his own opinion he was too busy to take care of a girlfriend. Fin could understand David. If he hadn't met Frieda, who could live with his absences and philandering, he would have had no relationship at all. "Have you ever been caught as a teenager for breaking and entering?" "No. I was lucky, I guess. And you?" "My parents caught me stealing. All hell broke loose afterwards." "I can imagine. Once my friend and I had the brilliant idea to throw stones into some windows of our neighbor's home. My mother was very displeased, when the local sheriff brought me home. He let my mother deal with me and there weren't any official repercussions." "That's good. My parents didn't go to the police." "Well, I guess that's what loving parents would do..." Fin cleared his throat. His eye color changed to blue. "It hadn't anything to do with caring for me. My parents were concerned about their own image. It would have embarrassed them no end to have to admit their son was a criminal." David sensed he was on shaky ground now and changed the subject. The dinner was enjoyable and the two seemed to click. Both believed they could work together. David and Fin made an appointment to discuss the heist in privacy. David was surprised it was in Bangladesh. He had never been to Asia before, so it was going to be a culture shock. He looked forward to the challenge and working together with another genius, Charles Harold Fox, within in the burglar community.

Fin proved to be pleasant, took David’s finding serious and was open to his suggestions. The same couldn’t be said about Charles. He was the oldest and most experienced, no doubts about it. He looked harmless with his slight built, light brown hair and green grey eyes. David was impressed how arrogant and dismissive Charles was. David wasn’t looking exactly forward to meetings, where all three discussed security issues and what needed to be done. Fin was civil to Charles, but David noticed he struggled to keep his temper in check. David admired Fin’s self-control and diplomacy. He somehow managed to keep them on track and achieve their goals without coming to blows or having big arguments, especially when Charles put down David. The youngest member of the team at age 24 tried hard to shrug Charles’s behaviour off. It wasn’t easy and sometimes he was still seething after the meeting was over.

Fin and David didn’t have to spend time together, when they weren’t planning the heist, but they enjoyed each other’s company and shared regularly meals or went exploring Dhaka. Charles didn’t mingle with them. David thought Charles believed himself to be above Fin and him. David wasn’t happy Charles had a big ego. He was glad, though, Charles didn’t want to hang out with them. The atmosphere would have been tense and it would have been only a question of time until either Fin or he would have been thoroughly fed up with Charles. David didn’t need to spend time with someone, who so clearly didn’t like him.

Soon the planning had reached its end stage and Fin had to make up his mind, who was stealing the first stamp set issued after the independence of Bangladesh and who was taking an antiquity. The team was going to split up. Two were going to steal the Buddha relief and one the stamps. David hoped he didn’t have to work together with Charles. His biggest wish was that he was going to be allowed to steal the stamps. Fin let Charles and him know he had come to a decision and would tell them in his room. David was nervous and excited at the same time. It was a struggle for him not to mess up his hair again. Charles was already there, sipping a glass of Mum water. Fin was looking out of the window, enjoying the magnificent views over the city. It seemed the two hadn’t talked while waiting for David. “Take a seat, David.” Fin said. He was pacing the room now, before he settled down on the bed. “David, you will break into the Museum of Independence and get the stamps. Charles and I will take care of the Buddha Relief.” David wanted to hug Charles and Fin, but contained himself and said simply: “Thank you. I really appreciate you give me the chance to proof myself. I won’t let you down.” “No problem. We’ll do the jobs tonight.” Fin smiled. Charles congratulated David. He seemed genuinely happy for David. Was something wrong with Charles? David didn’t bother to find out the reason for Charles’s unusual behaviour. He focused completely on the break in. All three had staked out the security of the two museums they intended to burgle, discussed the best way to enter and where their meeting point was going to be afterwards.

David didn’t have issues with disarming the alarm system. What was a bit tricky was opening the entrance door. Finally David had unlocked it. Having come well prepared he knew where the stamps were located. No one disturb him, so he picked the lock of the show case and took the stamps out without leaving any trace, stowing them in his shoulder bag. He left the same way he arrived and didn’t encounter anyone.

Fin and Charles had been successful too.

The team disbanded soon after handing over the hot items to a middle man.

Having proven David could work alone as well as part of a team he was soon on the way to a stellar career as master burglar. 

©2016

Mesa @ The Grand Hyatt Berlin, Germany

While staying at the Grand Hyatt Berlin (Please see also review) for one night in
April 2016 we went to Mesa for dinner.

We liked the sharing concept and the design of the venue by Tony Chi. It had very high
ceilings and floor to ceiling windows. Shelves provided some privacy. The dark
furniture was elegant and understated.

Staff was friendly and attentive. We received a breadbasket to start with and
ordered a bottle of still Seltzer water and two orange juice.

Studying the menu we decided to have an apple-celery soup with smoked salmon,
one Brandenburg mozzarella with cos salad, two curry sausages with fries, potato
wedges and two desserts, the lemon foam with rhubarb and strawberry and milk,
apple and chervil.

We enjoyed the modern interpretation of the dishes. Everything was of high quality, good value, light and delicious.

The bill was 51 Euro, ca. 55.75 USD.

When back in Berlin and the Grand Hyatt we would eat here again.

©2016

Gendarmentmark Berlin, Germany

When we visted Berlin in April 2016 we spent some time at the famous Gendarmenmarkt, a square not too far from the Brandenburg Gate.

It is a romantic place with the Franzoesische Dom and Deutscher Dom to each side. In the middle is the concert hall.

Sometimes there are buskers playing classical music.

The square dates back to the 17th century and was remodelled in 1773 by Georg Christian Unger.

The Franzoesische Friedrichstadtkirche is still active and integrated within the French Dome. The visit is well worth it and if you want take photographs of the interior it's 0.50 Euro / ca. 0.60 USD. Otherwise it's free.

It's only a small church and simple in decor.

There are some Free Mason elements visible as well. Check if you can find them, when you are next time there.

A nice touch, and something I haven't seen anywhere else so far, were copies in German of sermons from the previous weeks. It was interesting for me to read them from an outsider perspective, since I'm not Protestant, and from a philosophical angle.

When in Berlin we will return to the Gendarmenmarkt and the church again.

©2016

Grand Hyatt Berlin, Germany

Having enough points left to stay at the Grand Hyatt Berlin, we decided to use them, booked a Grand King Room and added a night in Berlin in April 2016.

When we arrived at the hotel there was no one else at check in, so there was no waiting involved at all.

The gentleman was friendly and efficient, as expected from a Hyatt property.

We weren’t upgraded, but had nice views over the city, the entrance, the modern Opera and beyond which we enjoyed.

Our beautiful room was located on the 4th floor and directly opposite the elevator to the Club Olympus Spa.

It was medium sized and held in muted tones in black, brown and beige and wood was used a lot to accent the modern beauty of the room.

There was no writing desk, but a large glass table, comfortable chairs, a Bang & Olufsen TV with international and regional channels, a mini bar and safe.

The mini bar and tea/coffee making facilities were cleverly hidden. The mini bar was fully stocked with the usual beverages and Granini Juices. Some more unusual items were the different Austrian chocolate bars.

The lamps and night stands were design driven and the switches well integrated.

Of course there were also magazines, (Monopole, Berliner for art and culture, H.O.M.E. and 128 is the magazine of the Berlin Philharmonic), a map of Berlin, a shopping and cultural guide and to our surprise books. They included “Like a rolling stone”, “Royal Palaces”, a German business dictionary and a novel in German called “Kains Toechter”.

The large bathroom was accessible via the hallway or bed room by sliding doors. It had a Japanese set up including separate bath tub and shower, a sink and Pharmacopia amenities from California. He liked them. I was less fond of them due to the smell.

There was also a toilet room.

Artwork was about Berlin.

There were automatic blinds and Japanese curtains in the bed room.

Most of the items within the room could be bought, which we found interesting.

We received two apples as a welcome gift.

There was 24 hours in room dining available.

We used room service once for our breakfast, since our flight to Dublin left in the early morning and the restaurant hadn’t open yet.

We chose the Hyatt Breakfast, which included hot chocolate, cold cuts, cheese, different types of bread, pastries, Staud’s Jam, an omelet with tomato and cheese and Andechser Natur Bio Yogurt with raspberries. In addition we ordered a gugglhupf. Usually there would have been an extra charge, but for some reason it wasn’t on the bill, which we found fortunate.

The presentation was beautiful, like an afternoon tea, and the quality was very high.

We enjoyed spending time on our room. It felt cocooning, luxurious and comfortable.

The entire hotel was designed by Tony Chi. The most interesting part was probably the inverted diamond shape in the atrium of the hotel.

We saw some art pieces we had already encountered at the Park Hyatt Zurich and know that the same very large farmer’s tables are on the rooms of the Intercontinental Geneva, which had been also the responsibility of Tony Chi.

We had a look at the meeting room facilities and liked the colorful artwork and that every room was named after a famous architect.

Of course the Grand Hyatt had dining outlets as well. Chef Benjamin Haselbeck is responsible for Vox Restaurant, which serves regional cuisine with an international influence and sushi. The Tizian Lounge offers international and local dishes, while Mesa Restaurant serves innovative German cuisine to share, where we had dinner once. Review to follow.

Other places to while away time were the Vox Terrace and Bar. The bar has one of the largest whisky collections in Berlin and maybe even Germany with over 300 on offer.

Check out was done in a quick, efficient and friendly manner.

We enjoyed our stay very much. It was too short, of course, and next time when staying there again, we would prefer at least two nights.

©2016

Franzoesische Friedrichstadtkirche Berlin, Germany

The Franzoesische Friedrichstadtkirche is still active and integrated within the French Dome. The visit is well worth it and if you want take photographs of the interior it's 0.50 Euro / ca. 0.60 USD. Otherwise it's free, when we visited in April 2016.

Since wanted to take photos we paid the obligatory 0.50 Euro cents, it's well worth it and goes towards the upkeep of this splendid church located on the Gendarmenmarkt.

It's a small, but beautiful church and simple in decor with memorable large windows and an airy interior.

There are some Free Mason elements visible as well. Check if you can find them, when you are next time there.

A nice touch, and something I haven't seen anywhere else so far, were copies in German of sermons from the previous weeks. It was interesting for me to read them from an outsider perspective, since I'm not Protestant, and from a philosophical angle.

When in Berlin we will return to the Gendarmenmarkt and the church again.

 

©2016

 

VAU Berlin, Germany

During my fiancé’s birthday travel in April 2016 we decided to have lunch at VAU. It has one Michelin star and is just off the Gendarmenmarkt, where the Franzoesiche Dom and Deutscher Dom are located, on Jaegerstrasse in the heart of Berlin, Germany.

It is in a quiet area and VAU has as a direct neighbor the Greek Embassy. The classic building has a vibrant color and a Mediterranean feel.

The interior was designed by Meinhard von Gerkan. He was also responsible for Le Canard Nouveau in Hamburg, where we had lunch only a few days earlier. Please see our review.

There are some things both restaurants have in common: The chairs and the use of wood. Otherwise Le Canard Nouveau is understated and Japanese/Asian, while VAU is inspired by the sunnier climates of Southern Europe.

VAU is divided into two spaces. One at the back, which contains the most of the tables, and another, bright space where ca. 10 people can sit. The window is very large, and reminds us more of a show window of a shop which lets in lots of natural daylight.

Another reason was the personality of the chef Kolja Kleeberg. He is very creative - not only in the kitchen. He is a musician and actor as well.

The first thing, when entering, we encountered was the bar, which looked stylish and right out of the 1930s.

We were warmly welcomed and brought to our table near the window.

There was an elderly couple already enjoying their lunch. Later a group and a single business man arrived. The atmosphere was good and the staff made us immediately feel welcome and at home.

The table was covered with a white linen cloth and had a flower in a vase as decoration.

We were offered Seltzer water, which was included in the price of the lunch, and asked if we would like to have an aperitif. We checked if they had alcohol-free cocktails. The bartender came to us and asked if we wanted a classic or modern one. We decided for the latter. It was made with Matcha green tea, lime, grape juice and soda and was served in a Martini glass. We both loved it. The combination was just right, not too sweet and not too dry.

Next bread and salted butter were brought to our table which we enjoyed, a good start.

We chose from the lunch menu and decided on three courses. Our starters were roasted cod, onion tarte fine, rocket salad and anchovies and asparagus ceviche, elderberry, pomelo and watercress.

It was followed by crisp pike perch, spinach, brown butter, almonds and pink grapefruit and pink fried duck breast with wild broccoli and radicchio trevisano.

Desserts were Piedmont hazelnut cake with cream praline and sea buck thorn and Tarte Tartine with rum raisins and walnut.

My fiancé wanted to try the other non-alcoholic drink with orange juice and Sun-bitters. It came in a long ball glass and was decorated with skewered orange pieces. The "classic" was equally memorable as was the "modern" non-alcoholic cocktail we enjoyed earlier.

With the choice of our coffee, Cappuccino, which was also included in the meal, we received Canele, the same pastry as we had at the FG Restaurant in Rotterdam, The Netherlands earlier during our travels. Please see also our review for more.

The menu was well prepared, the flavors balanced and fitting to the ambience of the restaurant.

The invoice came in at 115 Euro / ca. 130 USD.

The service was attentive, warm and very well aware of our allergies and dislikes.

The lunch was delicious, of high standards and beautifully presented, beside this we enjoyed the location and service, plus the overall setting of the Restaurant VAU.

When in Berlin, we would eat here lunch or dinner again in our future.

©2016