I have a little secret…I’m headed to Barcelona & Lloret de Mar for #TBEX

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I have been a very quiet little mouse these days.  Well about as quiet as I can be.  That is a bit of a stretch for this girl. I had my heart on spending a week in Lloret de Mar, Spain.

I have been very quiet and very busy working towards my goal.  I set a goal for myself last fall and I wanted so much to make it happen that I made some sacrifices and I worked hard to make it a reality for me.  Have you missed me?  I have certainly missed you.  I know that I have missed writing a lot but it seems there are never enough hours in a day to do it all.  So like any good parent, partner or woman seeking sanity, I choose my battles and I focused on my family on my days off.

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I have been busy for the last 7 weeks working in an accounting office, 8:30 – 5:30. Working, working, working.  I’ve loved every minute of it… honest to God.

I had a goal in mind and I was focused on my prize.

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I love to travel.  There is no doubt that I inherited that particular gene from my mother.  It’s not that my father didn’t like to travel he just didn’t seem as passionate about it as my mother.  My in-laws are great travelers too.  Whenever my father-in-law had a conference in a faraway land, my mother-in-law would tag along.  Who doesn’t like to travel and see the world?  Who doesn’t like the idea of taking some time to discover other cultures and other lands?

So I made a promise to myself and I told only a very few people that I was planning to spend some time in the country of my forebearers.  The land that gave birth to my great-great-great grandparents. I decided that Barcelona was a place that I needed to see.  I am headed to Spain for the first time in my life and I couldn’t be any happier.  I plan on taking videos, writing, and posting about the amazing things that I will see.  I want to share it with you, my reader.

Lloret de Mar Spain – TBEX Costa Brava

I have to say, it is one thing to go to a conference in Canada and the US but it is quite another to go to Europe or Asia.  So I look forward to the challenge of traveling and meeting new people and possibly meeting new brands to work with. I am attending TBEX* Europe (a travel blogger conference).  I hope to learn more about how to develop my travel experiences and how to write better blog posts.

I’ve been doing some research (because I’ve never been to Barcelona OR Spain before, did I mention that already?) and I just love lists. I’ve made a list of things that I want to see, eat and take a picture of.  I  know, that has Pinterest and Instagram written all over it, right?

I found out that DK has a series of books called Eyewitness Travel Top 10.  Each of these handy guides (there are nearly 100 different destinations in the series) includes a fold-out map.  Eyewitness Travel Top 10 titles are a great way to get a lot of information quickly and easily.  You can find the top ten lists that are practical:

• Tips on Getting to Barcelona
• Tips on Getting around Barcelona
• Tours and Trips
• Communication Tips
• Security and Health Tips
• Budget Tips
• Accommodations and Places to Stay tips
• Things to Avoid

I love that each of these guides has a city map included that you can carry around and the best thing is they are laminated so you don’t have to worry about tearing.  They are compact and can be discreet so you don’t scream ‘CRAZY TOURSIT’ every time you pull one out.  There is a lot to be said for being discreet and drawing attention to yourself. 

Whenever I write restaurant, hotel or travel reviews, I always try to add helpful tips that will make your stay better, safer or more fun so I particularly appreciate the “Things to Avoid” section in the guide.  Letting me know that I need to be very cautious of pickpockets, overpriced meals,un-reputable vendors, and days that the museums are closed (plus when to visit said attractions).  This compact travel guide provides great small nuggets of advice that will help me on my journey.  I thought I would share some of their Top Ten List for Barcelona:

From Top 10 Barcelona an Eyewitness Travel book:

Museums:

1. Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya

2. Fundacio Joa Miro

3. Museu Picasso

4. Museu d’Art Contemporani & Centre de Cultura Contemporania

5. FundacioTapies

6. Museu d’Historia de Barcelona

7. Museu del FC Barcelona

8. Museu Maritim

9. Museu Frederic Mares

10 CosmoCaixa Museu de la Ciencia

Barcelona is full of rich history, art, and culture and you know that is what I love and thrive on.  I am looking forward to seeing a few of these museums but I know I will have to come back for more.   I also realized that I need to do a bit more research on Catalunya (or Catalonia).  Although I speak and can read Spanish, I do not speak Catalan so some of these places may be challenging for me.  But you know I am up for the challenge.

Will you follow me on this great adventure?

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Disclosure:  Thanks to DK Publishing (Canada) which has supplied the tour guides for this trip to Barcelona and Paris.  * TBEX is the world’s largest gathering of travel bloggers, writers, new media content creators, and social media-savvy travel industry professionals.

 🥾 Explore: Tours & Experiences
🏡 Where to Stay: Top Accommodations
🚙 Hit the Road: Car Rental Deals
🛫 Get Away: Find Flight Deals
🎒 Shop: Travel Essentials