Author: Keith Klein

Another post from Spain – and another Guest Blogger.  This time it’s Shawn Klein!  Usually I’m the editor and photo selector – but this time the writer as well!

After leaving San Sebastián – sunburned and full of pintxos – we hopped aboard the train for three quick days in Madrid before continuing our beach vacation in Portugal.  Madrid is elegant and beautiful – like the Paris of Spain.  We stayed at a great, clean and well air conditioned apartment in the Cortes region [https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/18150744?euid=e6fd923a-3d63-04ab-89c2-027d8f8bfa14]. Thank god for the air conditioning because Western Europe was in the middle of a heat wave and it was over 100 degrees every day.

Despite the heat, we were able to walk around our quaint Madrid neighborhood and enjoy fantastic tapas in Santa Ana Plaza at a restaurant called Lateral [http://www.lateral.com/en/restaurants/santa-ana/].  Large shade umbrellas and cool misters also made a big difference.  For dinner our first night we walked through the cobblestone streets till an Argentinian steak restaurant caught our hungry eyes. Restaurant Cabana Argentina was delicious and is definitely one we would recommend [http://lacabanaargentina.es].

The following day, we took the advice of Linda Rosen and toured the nearby city of Toledo with a private guide booked through visitoledo.es.  It was good we booked a private tour because the train we’d hoped to take was full and had to wait over an hour to catch the next one.  Based on that, we recommend buying your Madrid to Toledo train tickets in advance.

Toledo is a fantastic UNESCO world heritage site which was settled in pre-Roman times.  It sits perched on a hill and is filled with winding cobblestone streets and historic buildings.  The city is most known for housing three cultures – Jews, Muslims and Christians – who co-existed peacefully for long periods of time.  It’s definitely worth a visit and we recommend visitoledo.es as they are authorized to take their customers to underground parts of the city which are normally locked up.

On our final Madrid morning we raced through town to a restaurant called Ojala [https://grupolamusa.com/en/restaurante-ojala/] for brunch.  We were running late and were told that they would only hold the reservation for 15 minutes. Natalie had been told that this place was really good and really wanted to go so we ran through the cobble stones street in the extreme heat and arrived very hot to some refreshing Mojitos for breakfast!

The restaurant was actually a really funky place with extremely low couches in an below ground room with a beachy vibe that included a sand floor.  Definitely a millenial place (because old people can get uncomfortable sitting on low floor cushions) but the food was really very good.

After indulging, we decided to visit the famous Prado museum – which we can attest is well worth the visit.  Even though we decided to go on the day the museum happened to have free admission, we were surprised to find that it wasn’t too crowded and was easy to enjoy.  Totally recommend the Prado.

All in all, we loved Madrid and would go back in a heart beat – but maybe in a cooler month.

Guest blog time! Hello everyone! For those of you who may not know me, I am Natalie, Keith and Shawn’s eldest daughter. I’m in the middle of a ten-month stint teaching English at a university in Santiago, Chile. It’s currently winter here and because I am a teacher, I get to enjoy two weeks of “winter vacation”. So, after wrapping up grading finals and taking a few snowboarding day trips to the nearby mountains, I hopped on a thirteen hour flight headed for San Sebastian, Spain to meet up with the fam.  

I’d been to San Sebastian once before with a group of friends a few years ago. We came in November (we actually flew out of LAX on Election Day – not a bad day to flee the country I’d say), so it was cold, rainy and essentially free of tourists. Pretty much the opposite of this trip. It felt as if all of Europe decided to vacation in San Sebastian in July. Although the summer crowds meant you had to vy for attention in the city’s popular pintxo (Basque tapas) bars, the tradeoff was the beach. Last time, it was much too cold to enjoy the beaches, but this time, we spent the majority of our days basking in the sun and swimming. The two main beaches in San Sebastian, La Concha and Zurriola, are pretty, clean, and big enough to absorb the tens of thousands of tourists that descend on the city in summer. 

While San Sebastian is obviously very European, it has a bit of that familiar California surf town vibe. Surf stores line the main “malecon”, people on skateboards and cruisers weave their way through the throngs of tourists, and half of the beach is a ‘surf-only’ zone. One day, I rented a board from a shop just below our Airbnb – which BTW, was very cool –  [https://www.rentalscollection.com/en/apartment-rent-details/zurriola-beach/donostia-san-sebastian/204/the-scala-apartment-in-san-sebastian.php] and enjoyed a few hours out in the waves at Zurriola. Dad tried to get some photos of me surfing, (aka: He was THAT guy with the buzzy drone over the lineup) but either due to his drone skill or my surfing skills, he ended up with just some photos of me paddling. Cool photos nonetheless. 

San Sebastian is an undisputed gastronomic capital of the world and one evening, we went on a self-led pintxo tour throughout Parte Vieja (“The Old Part”) of the city. At the classic pintxo bar, Bar Sport [https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g187457-d1153179-Reviews-Bar_Sport-San_Sebastian_Donostia_Province_of_Guipuzcoa_Basque_Country.html], we ate txuleta sliders and foie gras, which I’d been dreaming about since the last time I was there. Next door, at Borda Berri [https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g187457-d1519796-Reviews-Borda_Berri-San_Sebastian_Donostia_Province_of_Guipuzcoa_Basque_Country.html], we sampled some excellent sea bream and pork belly. Nikki ordered some form of croquette everywhere we went. 

If you’d prefer a sit-down meal instead of taking the pintxo route, I recommend Bodega Alejandro [http://www.bodegonalejandro.com/en/home/]. We had dinner there during our trip and it proved to be a great choice! Classy and tasty, but not over the top expensive. 

And speaking of over the top expensive….. One night to celebrate my birthday, we dined at Arzak, a renowned three-star Michelin restaurant [https://www.arzak.es]. We opted for the tasting menu which included creations like “Symbolic Pigeon”, a dish served on a tablet (that’s an IPad for you Apple users) displaying fireplace graphics. One of the chocolate desserts was served on half of a skateboard deck with chocolates shaped like wheels and trucks. The dessert of my dreams when I was eleven years old. A tad over the top? Yes. But that’s what you get at a three star Michelin establishment, I guess. And the taste lived up to the presentation. The attention to details was above and beyond. The head chef even came out to introduce herself, wish me a happy birthday, and inform us of the Jazz Festival that was happening in San Sebastian that weekend. 

Now, we already knew about the ‘Jazzaldia’ Jazz Festival because it was impossible to miss the massive stage that was set up on Zurriola Beach. There were various other venues across the city with performances that required buying tickets in advance, but the beach shows were free and open to the public. One night after dinner, the four of us went and enjoyed dancing on the beach to a Latin, poppy jazz band that I can’t remember the name of — (maybe Ruben Blades?).  The crowd was big but there was ample space for everyone, especially since the tide was incredibly low that night, making the massive beach appear to double in size. The next night, it rained a bit, causing the crowd to thin out. Dad and I took advantage of this and got front row to watch Gary Clark, Jr.  Nice to groove to some American rock-a-billy with a bunch of Europeans. 

After five or so great days there, we took the train to Madrid. We all thoroughly enjoyed our time eating, beaching, and chilling in San Sebastian. It was a magical city that combines a special food culture, pretty European architecture, and a hip, lively beach town vibe. If you get the chance to visit, do it! Like me, you may leave with a slightly sunburned face and a few extra pounds around the edges thanks to the pintxos, but I can assure you, it will be worth it. 

I’d never really been to the 10th Arrondismont before.  But Nikki swore that this was the place to be – so that’s where we booked our Airbnb.  It’s a bit out of the main tourist areas, but after spending a few days here I’d like to think that if I was young and living in Paris – this is where I would be.  The 10th seems to be where the millenial Parisian’s hang out and it looks fun.  The streets – and canal – are pretty lively, covered with colorful murals and lined with an assortment of great, non-touristy restaurants and shops.  

Our Airbnb is a funky two bedroom, one bath flat [https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/19598488?bev_ref=&eal_exp=1531475408&eal_sig=18843bd1ed5d9e993f075ee6bd29c2a10bddb0d6767c5467a63f7bab56362e7c&eal_uid=119799281&euid=1e38d90e-2db0-8ae0-4311-527e7ec5752e&photo=&s=&user_id=].  Was a bit of a weird floor plan, requiring a trip through the bathroom to get to the second bedroom, but the cool neighborhood made up for the shortcomings of the lodging.

Shawn and I were both pretty sick which dampened a bit of the Paris fun, but we did manage a cool bike trip to Versailles – a place we’d never been in our prior trips.  We signed up with Fat Tire Tours, a great recommendation from Linda Rosen [https://www.fattiretours.com/paris/tours/Versailles-Bike-Tour].  Rather than spend the majority of the day with the immense plodding crowds or tourists at the Versailles Palace, the Fat Tire trip is spent mainly in the 2000 acres of Versailles open space.  It’s a beautiful and surprisingly uncrowded day.

After taking the 30 minute train from Paris to Versailles, we pick up bikes and head to the local markets to purchase food for a picnic lunch.  Then we’re back on the bikes for a trip to the grand canals behind the Palace to eat.  Afterwards, we ride to another great part of Versailles called the Petit Trianon – which actually looks like a movie set.  We’re told that Marie Antoinette had this place created to be like a local French hamlet so she could get some sense of “normalcy” – away from the pomp and circumstance of Versailles.  In any case, it’s beautiful, interesting and also surprisingly uncrowded.  After that, we headed to the Palace which was totally mobbed, and in my opinion, while spectacular, not nearly as cool as the other less visited parts of Versailles.

In France, the government sets two certain times of year when stores can put their merchandise on sale (Soldes).  If a shop wants to put their products on sale any other time, it would require way more paperwork that anyone would consider reasonable.  So they just don’t do it. Instead, pretty much all stores slash their prices during the two “approved” sale periods – July and January.  Since we happened to be in Paris in July – there was a bit of shopping.  Our shopping excursions started in the opulent Galleries Lafayette and then to the boutiques that fill La Marais.  Notwithstanding, some of the best shopping was found in the little boutiques right near our flat in the 10th.

We’ve been trying to have more “cultural experiences” as we travel.  So Shawn signed up for for a jewelry making class.  We had no idea what to expect.  But it was really cool.  We met at the jewelry designer’s home, near the Eiffel Tower (16th arrondisment).  We spent the first hour with Mona, getting to know each other over a wonderful lunch that she’d prepared.  Afterward, we looked at her jewelry collections [https://www.justart.paris] and began to collaborate on our designs.  My design was a bit more involved, so Mona sent me to the courtyard to whittle a model out of a small piece of wood. Sounds worse that it was – it was actually quite nice.  Shawn and Nikki spent most of their time designing and putting together some necklaces.  We ran out of time so Mona is going to finish our creations – likely with a bit more expertise.  I’m sure this is a good thing since she seems really talented and professional!  In any case, we had a really nice time getting to know Mona – who is super interesting and involved in all kinds of cool non-profit activities – and spending a day in a real Parisian home.

We also had some great meals in Paris.  They just know food here.  Clamato is perhaps the very best restaurant that we’ve been to on our entire trip [http://clamato-charonne.fr/en/].   They create a fantastic mix of the freshest vegetables and fish – mostly sashimi – with a bit of an Asian flair.  In any case, if you are in Paris, you absolutely must make the effort to get there.  Additionally, we also found a fantastic vegan restaurant ( in the 10th – Sol Semilla [https://www.sol-semilla.fr/content/7-decouvrez-notre-restaurant] – which was right around the corner from our apartment.  So tasty.

I think we all felt like we should have done a bit more while we were here in Paris, but we were sick – and we definitely will be back!

Como to Zurich takes about two hours and forty-five minutes by train.  It’s a spectacular ride filled with shining lakes and the snow covered Swiss Alps.  The trip goes by in a flash and makes for a great travel day.

Zurich is a very pretty city.  A bit boring in my opinion but extremely nice and one of Shawn’s favorites.  Very clean and orderly – as you would expect from the Swiss.  Unfortunately, Shawn was pretty sick, so we didn’t see too many of the Zurich sites.

Our AirBnb had a good location – right in the middle of the old town, but it did lack in a couple of ways.  First, it was just above one of the main streets in the old town – the Munstergasse – so it was very noisy. [http://www.booking.com/Share-2al6HB]  You could clearly hear street musicians out the second story window.  Making matters worse, it had a portable A/C unit that required us to leave the windows open about 6 inches to accommodate the exhaust hose.  On the good side, above average wi-fi and an oversized television.  Not sure I can recommend this one, but if you’re just two people, this one-bedroom unit is OK – if not visiting in mid-summer.

We did have some great meals.  First was at Luimiere, a wonderful restaurant with some great vegetarian options right in the heart of Zurich’s lovely old town [www.restaurant-lumiere.ch].  And a few nights later at Bianchi [https://www.bindella.ch/de/bianchi.html]. This is one of the best seafood restaurants anywhere.  I know that seems strange in a land-locked country, but Bianchi deserves a visit – bring a load of cash cuz it’s on the pricey side.

Although we didn’t see much of Zurich, we did go on some great excursions booked via Viator.  We’ve had really good luck booking with them.  The first was an ATV trip in the Swiss countryside. [https://m.viator.com/tours/Zurich/Afternoon-Tour/d577-28317P2]  We took the Swiss train – always on time – to the village of Pfäffikon, about 30 minutes out of the city.  It’s very rural out there and beautiful.

We mounted our four wheel ATV’s with a few other people that had signed up for this trip and took a 60 minute ride through the amazing Swiss countryside.  It felt like being in the Sound of Music – but not in Austria.  Super green.  Lots of beautiful farm animals.  Giant brown cows and goats and sheep.  Really fun trip.  

Our next excursion was a canyoning trip to Interlaken.  We did this one with a company called Outdoor Interlaken.  [https://www.outdoor-interlaken.ch/en/summer/water/canyoning] This one was a bit more involved.  It’s a two hour bus ride from Zurich, but the incredible scenery makes it so, so worth it.  Again, the lakes, mountains and waterfalls are magnificent.  This is another place that you have to visit to believe.

Honestly, we didn’t even know what canyoning was.  We arrived with a group of about 15.  Mostly young people in their 20’s – which was good for them because it’s pretty physical.  First we suited up in very thick two-piece wet suits! Then booties, helmets, life jackets and rock climbing harnesses.  Got into a bus for a 10 minute drive up to a river that was flowing really fast down a rocky hillside.  

Canyoning involves trekking through waterfalls, gorges, rock pools and rivers using a variety of techniques like rappelling, climbing, jumping, swimming …..and yes scrambling!  Again, we had no idea.  The adrenaline was pumping when our very experienced guides had us jump off the top of a 20 foot waterfall and land in a narrow pool of rushing water at the bottom.  And then rappel down another cliff surrounded by rushing water.  And then climb underneath and behind a pounding waterfall.  Anyway, after about 90 minutes we were exhausted and cold but feeling great. A super fun summer adventure.  Never felt better to take a hot shower and get a cold beer.  

After the canyoning, we had a great meal at the VeloCafe [https://www.velo-cafe.ch].  This is a really good vegetarian restaurant.  Super option if you are looking to get away from the normal Swiss fare of schnitzels and sausage.  And they also sell some really cool bikes!

Now – off to Paris!

We’ve been in big cities for the last two weeks.  Budapest, Vienna and Prague are each great in their own way, but it is so sweet to get to Lake Como.  If you’ve not been here before it should be on your short list.  We’ve been to a lot of awesome places in the past 6 months and this is definitely one of the best. It is beautiful, magnificent, serene and cosmopolitan all at the same time

Bellagio is a place that must be visited.  Not the Las Vegas resort, but the real Italian hamlet.  It’s a wonderful village on a peninsula in the middle of the lake.  As you’d expect, there are cobblestone streets and steps – lots and lots of steps – great bars, shopping and people watching.  On a hot day, go to La Punta – “the point”.  There’s a little park with plenty of shade where you can escape the ample crowds.  Quick tip –  there is a restaurant at the point called La Punta (of course) which BTW is really good. But if you just want to sit in the park and perhaps go for a swim, walk into the restaurant for a beer “to go” and drink it in the park.  Super cool.

Our VRBO apartment has a great view of the lake [VRBO property reference – 8170915].  Very clean with two bedrooms and a nice bathroom.  Adequate kitchen, decent television and a washing machine – that’s always a huge bonus when you’re traveling a long time. It’s also about 300 yards from George Clooney’s villa.  We haven’t yet seen him. Believe me, Shawn has been looking 😊.  

Cool cultural experiences are the best.  I think that’s the best reason for traveling.  Anyway, for the first three nights we were at Lake Como – normally a very quiet place – there was an extremely loud outdoor party with live music about 100 yards away from our bedroom window that rocked till past midnight.  The Rolling Stones in Prague had an earlier curfew than this party band.  

The first night we thought it was a private party.  The second night we just hoped it would end.  On the third night, we realized that it was open to the public so we decided to join in the fun. 

It was great to mix with the local families at what was apparently a local village party.  Great Italian band starring a rock and roll accordion player that probably works all the local weddings.  So nice to be in Italy.  They really do know how to live.  So much joy and lots of family. 

We’ve said the best way to view a city is via a bike tour.  But the best way to see a lake is by boat.  Today we rented a boat at AC Boat Rentals in Menaggio, about 15 minutes by car from Laglio [http://acboatrentals.com/?page_id=2695].  They will rent a boat to anyone over 25, even without any type of license.  Perfect for us and tons of fun!

The lake is so incredible and peaceful in the morning.  We first motored across the lake to the village of Lezzeno and had lunch at Albergo Aurora – a three star hotel with a five star terrace directly on the lake [http://www.hotelauroralezzeno.com/en].  Wonderful place for lunch and wine.  Afterwards we cruised the lake for about three hours.  So great to just float up to wonderful villas and jump in for a swim!

The Madonna del Ghisallo is a big hill close to shores of Lake Como.  It’s been part of major bike races like the Giro Di Lombardia and the Giro di Italia.  Due to its beautiful location the mountain top chapel became a natural stopping point for cyclists.  Anyway, a local priest proposed that La Madonna del Ghisallo be declared the patroness of cyclists.  This patronage was actually confirmed by Pope Pius XII.  At the top of the hill there is also a cycling museum – the Museo del Ciclismo – full of historic cycling stuff.  The church itself is also full of bikes and jerseys of famous professional racers along with an eternal flame for cyclists who have died.  Very interesting stuff – especially if you are a cycling geek.  

I rented a bike – a sweet Colnago – and made the ride from Laglio.  First I had to ride to Cadenabbia to take the ferry over to Bellagio.  Then followed the signs, as well as lots of other cyclists, up the really big hill.  Plenty of suffering, but a great day at Lake Como. 

We’ve talked about shopping many times on TravelBreezers.  But it’s usually artisan goods made in the particular territory.  FoxTown is a different thing [http://www.foxtown.com].  It’s located in Mendrisio, Switzerland – just across the border with Italy – about 20 minutes from Como by car.  This is essentially an outlet mall, but with every high end designer.  Think Gucci, Prada, Dolce & Gabanna with prices about 50-70% off retail.  So, still expensive, but you could get something really cool at a great price.  We were on our way to Ascona, but saw the signs for FoxTown.  Went in with an agreement amongst ourselves that we’d only spend two hours in the mall. Well, four and half hours later, we left with a lot of bags from Prada, Sandro, Tod’s, Zadig & Voltaire and Gucci.  Very fun day, topped off with a dinner in very nearby Lugano – just 5 minutes away.

Lugano itself is a place worthy of an entire day.  It’s a beautiful town, located on the banks of Lake Lugano – another spectacular lake – with a wonderful lakefront promenade full of stores, restaurants and bars.  It’s so close to Italy that everybody seems to speak Italian.  So its kind of like Italy, but with a Swiss sensibility – more organized, clean and expensive!  Extremely nice place.  Seems to be dripping with money.  

In the early 1930’s Dr. Carl Jung was instrumental in creating an annual meeting of international scholars focused on development of ideas related to consciousness and the human psyche.  This conference was called Eranos as was held in the village of Ascona.  This is a lovely village on the shore of Lake Maggiore, which straddles Italy and Switzerland and is about an hour’s drive from Como.  Another town with a lovely lakefront promenade- but much smaller than Lugano.  Today it seems like a place that very wealthy Europeans come to retire.  It’s very nice and extremely expensive!  Very quaint, perfect for a day trip.

Unfortunately our time in Lake Como went way too fast.  I really think we could have happily spent another week here.  

Off to Zurich!