Flight delays are part of travel

Now, I’ve been traveling long enough to survive some pretty nasty flight delays. They’re sometimes unavoidable, either because of weather or because of mechanical issues. But an ugly delay can really ruin a trip: you’ll spend more time in transit and are more likely to be exhausted when you reach your destination, at which point you’ll spend the whole trip cranky and trying to get caught up on sleep. Or on the return, it’ll put a damper on that post-trip enthusiasm and have you stressed out and frustrated even before you’ve really returned to your everyday life!

Here are my top four ways to survive flight delaysso that you can minimize your frustration:

Don’t Wander Off

Unfortunately, the best place to learn about further updates to the delayed flight is right near the gate. Even if airline staff have told you it’ll be another two-hours until take-off,  they may make further updates following that announcement. For example, they may cancel the flight and offer hotel vouchers to those waiting at the gate. Of course, there’s no harm in going off to get some food or to use the restrooms, but I wouldn’t disappear for hours at a time! If you’re traveling with someone else, you could take shifts at the gate and relay information back and forth; otherwise, set up a camp and try to get comfortable.

Take a Nap

Honestly, I can kind of sleep anywhere. At airports, I generally consult the Sleeping in Airports guide to figure out where the most comfortable place is going to be, then I spread out and crash for as long as I have (just make sure to set a really loud alarm so that you don’t miss your flight!). Even if you’re not blessed with the ability to sleep anywhere, there are plenty of ways to make yourself more comfortable.

First, bundle up a little. Airports are generally cool, drafty places teeming with germs, and the last thing you want is to get sick. I’m a pretty minimalist packer, but I carry this tiny fold-up blanket that my brother gave me for Christmas one year; it’s a godsend. Second, take your shoes off. Don’t worry, you won’t look homeless; we’ve all been there. Third, if you’re trying to sleep, throw on an eye mask and some earplugs—you’d be surprised at how much they can help.

Get on the Internet

Increasingly more airports are beginning to offer WiFi access (and if you’re lucky, you may even find it for free). So you can do the same things at the airport that you would back home: catch up on emails, let your bank know you’re going to be traveling abroad, fine-tune your itinerary, plan the next adventure or whatever else catches your fancy. I’ve generally found WiFi that’s strong enough that you can even stream movies or your favorite television shows from Netflix—just make sure you have a Virtual Private Network installed prior to your departure so you don’t have to deal with the site’s geo-restrictions as you travel abroad; otherwise, you’ll receive an error message the moment you try to stream. Again, the key is to get comfortable (as much as possible).

One thing I would not recommend is taking to Twitter, Facebook or other social media outlets to badmouth the airline. I know the experience is pretty frustrating, but unfortunately, there’s nothing the airline can do about most flight delays—and based on their terms and conditions, they’re really not required to help you out in most cases. As unfortunate as the situation is, ranting about it won’t help anything, and it’s more likely to just make the whole thing more arduous and make you and everyone around you more unhappy.

Grab a Bite to Eat

I find that one of the keys to minimizing the stress of traveling (and for me personally to deal with jetlag) is to snack lightly every couple hours. I never like to fly on a full stomach, but snacks like peanut butter sandwiches, apple wedges and really anything that you might feed to a kid keep me going without overfilling me. I find that there often aren’t many healthy options available in airports, and what food there is available is often ridiculously overpriced. But as long as you’re not packing gelatinous or liquid substances (unfortunately, this includes yogurt), you can generally carry your own food through security.

I prepare for unexpected flight delays prior to my trip (especially during the winter, when the likelihood for problems with air travel is pretty high). If you’ve still got food left when you arrive, you can always snack on it that first day while you’re still finding your way around the new destination. I also carry an empty water bottle and refill it when I get through security, which saves me from paying that exorbitant $5 per bottle at the duty free!

Unexpected delays can be incredibly frustrating, but they’re the price we pay for the privilege of jetting around the world. Still, there’s no reason why they have to be pure torture either. What’s the worst/best flight delay you’ve ever had? Share your stories below!

About the author: Jess Signet is an avid traveler and enjoys writing about her adventures. Knowing there’s more to the world than the bubble she lives in makes her want to travel even further. She is no stranger to travel delays and really hopes these tips make any delays a little bit more pleasant for you on your travels. Read more at her blog, Tripelio.com.

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Forget London and New York, Barcelona is every fashionista’s fantasy. From Gucci to hand-made and locally designed clothes and accessories, Barcelona’s got designs and looks for every credit card limitl. So grab your wallet and choose your poison from the list  of Barcelona shopping locales below.

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Barcelona Food: 5 Easy Tips for making the most of local eats

1.     Stay in a fully-equipped holiday apartment. Think GowithOh, AirBnb, Housetrip, or Flipkey. If you’ve got access to a kitchen, you can buy locally sourced raw ingredients and prepare your own gourmet meals. Even if you’re not much on cooking, a nice bottle of wine paired with freshly baked bread, cheese and charcuterie makes for a lovely spread. It’s also much cheaper to prep eats in your holiday rental than order them at a bar. Save splurges on Barcelona food for complicated traditional or fusion cuisine that you don’t want to mess with preparing on vacation.

Spring Onions, clams in tomato sauce, and a bakery window

2.     Shop at open markets and neighborhood shops for the best possible groceries.  Open markets like La Boqueria, Santa Caterina, and El Ninot are the place to buy the city’s best edible offerings. Markets are a one-stop shop for fresh seafood, high quality fruits and vegetables from Spain and abroad, as well as artisanal cheeses and charcuterie. Small neighborhood shops like bakeries, fruit stands and butcher-shops are also a great option.

3.     Have a drink and a snack at one of Barcelona’s bars de sempre. Bars de sempre are hole-in-the-wall restaurants. The general consensus among locals is they’ve been around forever. The thick coat of dust on the liquor bottles doesn’t usually lie. While they’re not the prettiest places, they’re a truly local experience. They’re a cheap choice for strong drinks and deep-fried tapas, too.

Cured pigs head, Catalan cheese plate with roasted vegetable plate, and green salad with hearts of palm, artichokes and roasted red peppers.

4.     Enjoy traditional dishes in historic restaurants. Where better to try seasonal favorites like snails, botifarra sausage, or spring onions with romesco sauce than at Barcelona’s oldest restaurants? Fill up on the hearty but inexpensive lunch menu at Can Culleretes, Barcelona’s oldest eatery. Up for spending more?  Savor pricier a la carte dishes at Los Caracoles or 7 Portes.

Seafood stew with white beans, lamb and potatoes, and seafood paella

5.    Try something new and different. Elsewhere this could be difficult, but in Barcelona, exciting proposals by up-and-coming, as well as world-famous chefs abound. Whether you prefer unique tapas by the Adrià Brothers at Tickets Bar (reservation required) or creative Catalan cuisine at Michelin-star-rated restaurants like Cinc Sentits and Moments, Barcelona’s “new” cuisine is sure to surprise.

This post by Chris Ciolli originally appeared in SweetLemonMag.

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From the beautiful architecture that is scattered throughout the city, to grubby side streets and alleys, Barcelona is a city of stark contrasts, a place where cultures from all over the world convene, but where less-than-P.C. locals commonly refer to Asians as “Chinos,” Muslims as “moros” and confuse women dressed up for a night out on the town with sex workers. So it’s no surprise that, visitors, expats, and natives alike often have a bipolar relationship with the Catalan capital. We love the sun, but hate the heat and humidity. We adore traditional neighborhood shops, but bemoan the impossibility of Sunday shopping.

Of course, loving a city is a lot like loving a person. You’ve got to accept it how it is, not how you want it to be. Barcelona is no exception. Here are our best tips to help newcomers survive and enjoy this city by the sea:

6 Important Rules for Surviving Barcelona:

The sunset over the Besós River, a Barcelona skyline graffiti, and a palm tree in Barcelona’s Marina neighborhood.

1.     Keep Your Friends Close, and Your Valuables Closer. This sounds far easier in theory than it actually is. Carry a purse that zips or closes tightly shut with a buckle or tie that you can wear securely across your body. Wallets and valuables in front pockets only, please. Never leave phones out on tables, or bags and jackets with valuables inside hung on the back of chairs. If you put your bag on the floor, hook it around a leg. Don’t leave anything you want to keep unattended or out of your line of sight, period.

If despite your best efforts, you have something stolen, go back to the scene of the crime. Thieves often discard everything but cash and electronics steps away from where they nabbed your bag. Also, be sure to go to the police if you want to be able to make a claim with your travel insurance.

Anchovies with roasted red pepper and goat cheese on pa amb tomaquet, fried squid feet, and creamy crema catalana

2.     Search out authentic eats. Skip the eateries near Las Ramblas, Plaça Catalunya, the area directly surrounding Barcelona’s big museums (MNAC, Picasso, MACBA), Plaça Espanya, Parc Guell, and Sagrada Familia Temple. Venture further afield or you’ll get ripped off, both in terms of the price, and the quality of the food. Don’t bother with restaurants that have menus in more than three languages (in Barcelona Catalan, Spanish and English are fairly common), all-day open kitchens, and “international” cuisine, either.

Instead, eat like a local on a local schedule, at places that cater to locals. That means breakfast 8-10am, lunch 2-4, and dinner 8-10pm. It may require some adjustment, but it’s worth it, ‘cause you’ll get fresher, better quality food, even if you have to whip out your trusty Spanish-English dictionary.

 3.     Skip cheesy souvenir shops. Official Museum shops are okay, but the little storefronts around Barcelona attractions like the Picasso Museum,  La Rambla, and the Gothic Quarter are just selling you Barcelona-themed junk made in China. If you really must have an “I heart Barcelona” tee, find one of the Chinese Bazaars away from Plaza Catalunya in traditional neighborhoods like Marina, Gracia, Eixample, and Sants for a better deal and a taste of local living.

4.     Walk and use public transport. Forget about renting a car or a motorcycle. Parking and traffic are a pain, and the few places you can’t get to on foot or in the subway, you can get to on bus routes. After hours, you can always get a taxi and no driving means you can enjoy plenty of cocktails and cava.

5.      Take your time. The pace of life in Barcelona is notably faster than in some Spanish cities, but is likely to be slower than you’re used to. Instead of trying to fit in as many activities as possible around rushed meals and coffee breaks, relax and take your time. Service at restaurants and stores is notoriously slow, as in, you have to chase down your waiter to get you the bill. So embrace a little down time between Barcelona adventures.

6.     Dress for the occasion. Barcelona may be hailed as a casual city on most travel sites–the city isn’t overflowing with men and women in business suits–but there are some limits. Flashy tennis shoes and athletic gear are for tourists, teenagers, and locals who are actually exercising. Shorts are becoming more common, but unless they’re fashionable and well styled, forget about wearing them anywhere but on the beach.  If you happen to be female and  plan to go out and dance, try to wear a jacket or something that’s more covered up until you get there to avoid uncomfortable situations with creepy old misogynists who may mistakenly assume you’re up for purchase.

Need some tips on what to do in Barcelona? Here some favorites from a long-time local:

Top 5 Things to do in Barcelona:

·      Vintage Buys – Shopping for vintage treasures at Els Encants flea market (Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays) and Holala Vintage, anytime, any of the four locations around town.

·      Views from Above – Get in sweeping views of the city skyline from the rooftop of Las Arenas shopping mall. Or put on your hiking shoes and climb up Montjuic. Be sure to stop off at the Miró Museum.

·      Architecture Walk – Stroll along Passeig de Gracia and pose for pictures with striking Modernista buildings and wrought iron and mosaic streetlights.

·      Authentic Tapas – Have a drink and authentic tapas at El Vaso de Oro or La Bodega Peninsular en Barcelona’s Barceloneta neighborhood.

·      Picnic in the Park – Shop for edibles at one of Barcelona’s food markets and have a gourmet picnic in one of Barcelona’s many green spaces. Particularly beautiful if somewhat off the beaten path, are Barcelona’s Garden Labyrinth  (featured in the movie Perfume: The Story of a Murderer) and the Rose Garden at Cervantes Park.

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Brightly painted 16th and 17th century buildings loom over narrow cobblestone streets in the second-oldest European-established capital city in the Americas.  If in Europe all roads lead to Rome, in Viejo San Juan, Puerto Rico, all streets seem to end in the massive walls of old forts like El Morro, San Cristóbal, and  La Fortaleza.

San Cristobal Fortress, Views from San Cristobal, Kite-flying in front of El Morro, and the patio of San Juan’s Art Museum.

But there’s more to the Puerto Rican capital’s old town than palm trees, Spanish fortresses and dangerously aggressive sunshine; you just have to keep your eyes open to find it. Wedged between the shops selling made-in-china souvenirs and assorted tourist traps, there are authentic restaurants serving traditional fare, unique accommodations and boutiques specializing in arts, crafts and accessories made on the island.

San Juan’s Authentic Puerto Rican Eats 

For the most part, food out is reasonably priced. But not all restaurants are created equal. The Old Town is crowded with tourist traps offering mediocre fare at inflated prices, but there are still plenty of good places to eat without leaving the area. One of my favorites, Café Puerto Rico offers authentic local cuisine, generous portions and well-priced lunch specials, but there’s always a wait at normal feeding times (12-2 and 6pm onwards). Be sure to try island specialties like shrimp soup (asopao de camarones, mofongo, and tostones. If you can plan ahead, you’re better off making a reservation. The conch salad at Mojitos is also quite good, even if the restaurant itself is dingy and poorly lit. For amazing fried chicken and fish, and tasty Caribbean classics in a hole-in-the-wall setting (plastic chairs, no AC, cash-only), try Fatty’s.

Unique Accommodations in Old San Juan

Rooms in La Terraza San Juan

At the end of the day, your hotel is home for the duration of your trip. Keep your downtime interesting by staying somewhere with more personality than your average Marriott or Sheraton. Beyond well-appointed rooms and fully equipped kitchens available for foodies and families, La Terraza Hotel San Juan has something I look for everywhere: a feeling of home. Staff are friendly and helpful, and the common spaces are clean and welcoming, with lots of charming details like mosaiced floors and hand-painted walls.

Charming Local Boutiques

Boutiques and shops in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico

Skip souvenir shops crowded with t-shirts and trinkets made in the P.R.C. You don’t really need an “I heart San Juan” t-shirt, not even for the gym, do you? Instead, search out boutiques specializing in arts, crafts and designs made in Puerto Rico. At Everything but Match, shop brightly colored original art, as well as clothing, toys and accessories from 26 Puerto Rican designers. Find hand-painted souvenirs at Mi Pequeño San Juan. For more jewelry and paintings made in San Juan and elsewhere on the island, another good choice, despite its rather uninspiring name, is Puerto Rican Arts & Crafts.

Bonus: San Juan, Puerto Rico Tips for first-timers

Beyond seeking out the hidden gems described above, here’s some expert advice for your time in the Puerto Rican capital.

1. Wear sunscreen. It doesn’t matter if you’re swarthier than a pirate, and never burn. The sun here is intense, and you don’t want permanent sun damage, or worse, a week of vacation photos featuring you and two of your best friends as reverse raccoons, slather up.

2. Buy a coconut from a street vendor. It’s an easy meal replacement. Drink the refreshing coconut water, then revisit your friendly vendor, and ask him pretty-please to slice it open for you so you can eat the coconut inside.

3. Fly a kite in the field in front of El Morro Fortress. It may be a super-touristy thing to do, but locals love it too, and there’s a reason why—it’s fun, and the views are hard to beat.

Street art around San Juan

4. Embrace carbs for the duration of your time in Puerto Rico. Give yourself cart blanche to enjoy plantains in all their variations, boiled cassava, rum cocktails and plenty of rice—you’ll be much happier.

5. Spend some time wandering—it’s free and you’ll find surprises around every corner. Art students lounge in San Juan’s plazas, drawing statues, fountains and each other. Locals leave out water and kibble in aluminum pie tins for stray cats near Ponce De Leon’s Casa Blanca. Saints pray and angels sing above street numbers on brightly colored colonial buildings. In front of El Morro, yellow school buses blare salsa and reggaeton as children in pale blue uniforms elbow their way on board. Murals and street art pay homage to Puerto Rican culture and local heroes like Ricardo Alegría.

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Mourning and Spanish custom

A block of niches in Barcelona’s Montjuic Cemetery

Death and the illusion of escape

When home isn’t a place

Some tips on coping with loss from far away

1. Write it out.  Sometimes just getting your feelings of anger, loss, and grief down on paper helps.
2. Speak to a friend. When you’re ready to share, call up/skype a friend, and talk out your feelings, or make plans to meet up and speak in person.
3. Distract yourself. If you’re not ready to face your grief, or you find it creeping in too often, give yourself a break. Watch a funny movie, read a book, get some exercise, create some art, or do something fun that will keep your mind occupied.

What do you do to cope with grief at home or on the road? 

The post Expat Grief: When You Can’t Get Home in Time appeared first on Midwesterner Abroad.

Maybe I’m the only one, but I’m not much on spas or massages. I’m sure it partially has to do with the fact that I’m not as comfortable with my body as I should be. I’m particularly uncomfortable in a bathing suit, less so with being touched by strangers, even if they’re trained professionals, and absolutely mortified at the thought of being touched by strangers outfitted in a paper thong.

So it comes as no surprise that there are gaping holes in my blog content, as well as my Barcelona Guide for Afar.com when it comes to health and beauty. This year, Calla, a childhood friend who came to stay with us in Barcelona brought it to my attention when she asked me about my recommendations for spas and self-care in the city.

You’d think after 10 years here, I’d have a clue, a tip of some sort . You’d be wrong.

I could make excuses all day: I don’t love my body in a bathing suit; my first massage in the Szechenyi baths in Budapest was traumatic—all I remember is peeling down the top of my one piece and a middle-aged woman muttering at me in Hungarian under fluorescent lights while she beat at knots in my back, but the reality of the situation is I’m scared and embarrassed. Scared of being that chubby girl that grosses out the other spa-goers, and embarrassed about how I look, and feel about my body.

I could talk a big game about facing my fears, living life to the fullest and Health at Every Size, but what really pushed me into working on this project was helping a good friend find a spa.

Once I’d committed to the daunting task of finding some spas to recommend in the Catalan capital, I couldn’t just back out .

Aire de Barcelona

I visited the first spa, Aire de Barcelona, with Calla. Read more about her experience, here. Having her there made the experience more comfortable than it would have been. It didn’t hurt that the massage and body scrub were very thorough head-to-toe affairs, and very relaxing once I got past the idea that I was topless in a semi-private space. After the treatments and the salt bath, my skin felt like silk. I also loved the steam room, the water circuit and the unlimited grapefruit water and mint tea. With the exception of the ice-water pool, there wasn’t much I didn’t like about Aire de Barcelona. It was beautiful, clean, and comfortable and had me thinking I might like spas after all.

Spaciomm

The second spa, at Hotel Omm was a compact but elegant spa circuit that I visited with a local friend. I was pretty comfortable there too, but since we were the only two guests on a Sunday morning, it’s not surprising. The steam room and luke-warm pool with loungers were calming and there was a strange little hallway of different temperature jets of water above stone-pavers that made me think of an obstacle course. I don’t care how good it is for me, or how hot it is outside. I don’t like cold water.

At Spaciomm, I skipped the massage. My friend scheduled one and seemed to enjoy it , though. She seemed a little surprised when the attendant handed her paper thong to change into, and announced she would have a male masseuse. While she was getting her massage, had hot tea and water in the reception area and read fashion magazines in Spanish. After  her massage, we were both shown to a room with what looked like dentist chairs that flopped back and forth like boats in the water. The cup of tea in reception was definitely more my speed, but what do I know. All in all, I wasn’t wowed but I wasn’t unhappy, either.

Rituels d’Orient                 

 The third spa, Rituels d’Orient was by far the biggest challenge to my courage. Why? Because I had to go alone. Hidden in plain sight beyond an unassuming storefront just off of Barcelona’s main thoroughfare of Avinguda Diagonal, these are the city’s most “authentic” Turkish baths.

On the way down the stairs, past the dressing room and a Middle-Eastern lounge, I can already hear water splashing on pavement. A young woman in a black bathing suit with a white Turkish towel slung around her hips throws copper bowlfuls of water onto heated benches. She smiles at me as I clutch my own Turkish towel tighter. I take a seat on the bench and a sip from my tiny bottle of water.

A sixty-something guy lingers on the bench a few feet away, and there’s a group of three Germans—two girls and a guy, alternating between the soaking up the heat in hot room, and the plunge pool. Every time they open the door to the hot room, the hinge protests. Finally two attendants come in, one escorts the older gentleman upstairs for his massage, and the other beckons the two girls through an arched doorway for their scrub. To use the spa facilities here, you have to sign up for a treatment. It’s certainly a graceful way to keep crowds under control in an atmosphere meant to be calming.

The wrought iron scrollwork barring the windows is perfectly reflected in the puddles on the floor and I spend a few minutes staring and wondering if my iPhone would capture it—no matter I’ve left it in my locker. The hot room is gorgeous behind its squeaky glass door. Mottled brown-black walls and benches beaded with silver drops of water make me think of stars on a hot summer night.

And it doesn’t matter how unlikely gawkers are, I’m the kind of girl that has always worn shorts, or a sarong, or a t-shirt over my bathing suit and forget about bikinis, much less going topless. Ten years into living in the Mediterranean I haven’t changed that much.

After a lackluster scrub—that made me itchy all over, but skipped over priorities like elbows and feet, I was led upstairs for my massage and given the dreaded paper thong . Once I got past my ruminations on how one size doesn’t fit everyone the same, the room and music were relaxing. The area beneath the face window on the masseuse table was even staged with a small floral arrangement. The masseuse was soft-spoken and after I picked out the essential oil, I didn’t hear anything at all until she was telling me I could get dressed.

Back in my white terrycloth robe, I was led into the lounge for Moroccan mint tea and a honey and pistachio pastry. I sat there for a few minutes, sipping tea, and wishing massages burned calories.

When I first set out on this mission, I’d planned to visit at least 5 Barcelona spas, but Calla is long gone, and I think I’ve had enough of paper thongs and public relaxation for the time being.

*Aire de Barcelona and Rituels d’Orient invited me to try out their facilities free of charge, but all opinions are my own.

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Living the past six years in Minneapolis, Minnesota has taught me how to get through winter. One of my favorite ways to beat the cold is the spa. In Minneapolis, I had access to a public sauna, hot tub, and steam room. Soaking in the warmth as it unknotted my muscles, increased my circulation, and hydrated my skin was essential to keeping sane through five long dark months of cold.

I arrived in Barcelona at the beginning of January: my host, friend-since-childhood, Christy, had warned me that the apartment did not have central heating and that it might get down to 50 or even 40ºF in the house.

I wasn’t worried. A few months previous, I’d slept in a camper without heat at 7 degrees Fahrenheit, but that’s another story.

I do know from (bitter) experience that sitting in 40-60ºF temperatures is the hardest on my hands and feet—my circulation isn’t great, and I’m not getting any younger. I can, however, suck it up long-term if I know there is a warm reprieve available, so I asked Christy if there were any good spas in Barcelona.

She didn’t know, so we decided to do some research on self-care experiences for visitors to Barcelona. One that stood out to us was Aire de Barcelona.

Some Background

Aire de Barcelona is an upscale spa and Hammam experience housed in a reconditioned warehouse in the Born neighborhood.

For those unfamiliar (as I was), hammams are places of ritual bathing that are often connected to Mosques in the Mediterranean and Middle East. First coming to existence in ancient times, they were inspired by the ancient Roman baths, which were a very common type of public space where people went for health, business, and socializing. Hammams and various other types of public baths are precursors to modern “spas.” People have been soaking, cleansing, getting massages, etc. for thousands of years for a variety of reasons.

Located on the edges of the ancient quarter, Aire de Barcelona has an ambiance and patina of history. The feeling of being in an ancient space combines seamlessly with clean, luxurious modern updates. The baths themselves are marble infinity pools. What are referred to as “treatments” in many spas are called “rituals” at Spa Aire.

Our Aire de Barcelona Experience

We arrived on foot to Aire de Barcelona on a winter day in the 40s(F), passing many a bundled pedestrian. As we went through the grand entrance doors, the temperature was immediately warmer. The low-lit reception area smelled of Moroccan cinnamon, warm and inviting. For me, rather than just a reprieve from a chilly day, it represented shedding the stresses of the past year, and stepping into the next stage in my life’s journey.

First Impressions

The attendant at the front desk slipped yellow and green bands on our wrists and ushered us to the women’s dressing rooms where we were allotted a private space with its own lockers and (handicap accessible) toilet and shower. Plush white bathrobes were provided for us to wear over our suits on the way down to the baths.

A flight of stairs led us down into a candlelit underground space, where attendants stood at the ready in black uniforms. A young woman with a sleek brown ponytail led us on a brief tour. Our guide gave us an overview of the space: Tepidarium, Frigidarium, Caldarium, salt bath, jet pool, steam room, and showers. Central to the Hammam were heated marble benches where guests could rest between treatments or immersions and drink Moroccan mint tea or grapefruit infused water, softly illuminated with light filtered through Arabic screens and flickering candles.

Treatments 

After our tour, we were led to a series of heated marble beds. Another young woman explained the Al-Andalus ritual, which consisted of an exfoliation treatment, followed by a hydrating full body massage with aromatic oils.

The hot stone surface, covered by a gauzy paper, melted my weariness away and started to relax all the tight muscles I’d acquired travelling with two heavy carry-ons. Warm oil, lightly scented with essential oils, was massaged over my skin in combination with exfoliating granules. I literally shed my old skin, exposing the new.

Already loosened up by the exfoliation, we were next treated to 45-minute full-body massages. My massage was calming and thorough. The experienced masseuse got into the knots and helped unwind all the tension I normally carry in my shoulders that had been worsened by overseas travel. Christy and I were under the same translucent pagoda for our massages, listening to the water and sounds of the bathers. After the massage, the concierge brought a flute of cava (Catalonian sparkling wine) for Christy and a glass of fresh pear and apple juice for me as well as kebabs of fruit for both of us.

The Spa Circuit

For the next hour and a half, we did the circuit of pools and steam room. My favorite station, the steam room, was made better by aromatherapeutic sweet mint. At the end of our visit, we left with luminous skin, and relaxed muscles, warmed to the core.

A visit to this spa is something I would consider as an occasional treat. In my opinion, it is a great option for a romantic outing, an afternoon with a best friend, or a relaxing break before a big event. The public using the baths ranged from families (with children over age 16) to libidinous couples in teeny bathing suits.

Silence is encouraged, but the water, background music, and the low lighting seemed to have the opposite effect on us as well as the other visitors. The “ritual” treatments are divine, though Americans should take note that we were in a public, co-ed space while we were in states of undress for the duration of our massages and exfoliations.

The dressing rooms are sleek and spotless—the lighting is warm, flattering, and the space is well equipped with hair dryers and everything you need to look your best. Overall, we departed from Aire de Barcelona Spa feeling warm, happy, relaxed and radiant.

My rating: 4/5

Recommended For: Couples, Friends in groups of 2-3

How to get there: 22 Passeig Picasso, across from Parc Ciutadella is in Born, an area that is lovely to walk through, and is also close to metro stops Urquinaona, Jaume 1, and Ciutadella.

Cost Range: A bit pricey, but worth it. $$

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Which is strange, if you think about it, because Europe is scattered with gorgeous, historic casinos that even non-gamblers can’t resist, most notably in Venice and Paris.  But perhaps it has more to do with proximity that preference. While in Spain, where I live, gambling is a widespread and popular past-time, and casinos aren’t uncommon, locals in Barcelona seem to prefer slot machines in dingy bars, 24-hour BINGO, and lottery tickets. Locals that don’t dig BINGO or the local bar scene stick with online and cell phone options–here there are even lotteries via text message publicized on television.

But I digress. Even though I’ve travelled (on more than one occasion) to Paris, and Venice, I didn’t visit their historic casinos. This, despite the fact that In Venice, visitors can try their luck in the world’s oldest operating Casino, founded in 1638.  And in Paris, the Barrière d’Enghien-les-Bains Casino is touted as a striking combination of historic and modern architecture with stunning views of the surrounding countryside. There’s just too much to see to spend time in a Casino, if you ask me.

So who would’ve thought that Baden-Baden, a tiny German spa town on the edge of the Black Forest would finally tempt me to lift my casino ban. In this charming community once frequented by glitterrati like Roman Emperor Hadrian, Queen Victory, Dostoevsky and composer Johannes Brahms, the wealthy, royal, and famous came to treat their ails in the hot springs, and risk piles of cash at the roulette table in what is easily the most beautiful casino I’ve ever seen—I definitely agree with Marlene Dietrich on this one.

Inside the imposing white building, golden chandeliers drip sparkling crystals above elaborate frescos and deep red plush carpeting and I find myself thinking of Versailles palace and wondering if Louis XIV would have approved of this apparent tribute to all things French.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the casino at Baden-Baden has a dress code—as well as an entry fee—to ensure that it remains an elegant, upscale atmosphere for guests—the polar opposite of shorts and flip-flop wearing crowds in Vegas, and the greasy slot machine at the corner bar in Madrid.  Unlike a lot of travellers, I adore dress codes, or pretty much any excuse to get all dressed up (weddings, fancy restaurants, Mardi Gras…). Another thing I adore about this casino is how calm and low-key it is.  No one shouts or shrieks when they win or lose, and discerning who’s bluffing, or even happy or sad, is best reserved for the most experienced people-watchers.

The only negative? No pictures allowed while the casino is open and in operation—not even for the high-rollers or travel-writers like yours truly. We did get special permission, for the Spanish-language travel video we were producing to film during the off-hours. Check it out below.

Or head to LaVanguardia.com to check it out, here.

More posts about Germany

Dachau Concentration Camp

Neuschwanstein Castle

Munich

Berlin

The post Baden-Baden and Germany’s Oldest, Biggest & Most Beautiful Casino appeared first on Midwesterner Abroad.

Kimchi is similarly pricey, and the standard cabbage variety I can easily find is *gasp* made in China, and I can’t read the ingredient list (in Chinese), so I’ve come to the conclusion that my best bet is to make my own, and I make it in vats with kimchi base I buy at my neighborhood import store, and sometimes add hot pepper or even sriracha for an extra kick of spice.

But sometimes I’ve just run out of kimchi, and a new batch takes too long (a week without kimchi can stretch on forever) to ferment. On those occasions, I’ve taken to making a sort of “overnight” kimchi out of whatever softer fresh veggies I have in my kitchen–cucumbers or zucchini, chives or green onions, and canned sprouts or bamboo to get my fix.

Throw in cooked shrimp or squid and have it as a stand-alone salad, or in my husband’s favorite version, use it to top chicken or fish patties.

Easy instructions for overnight Kimchi:

1. Toss chunked zucchini or cucumber, diced chives or green onions and canned sprouts or bambu in kimchi base.

2. Cover and let rest for 4 hours or overnight.

3. Eat it by its lonesome, or put it on top of something else you’re eating. I’ve even been known to eat it on top of cheese pizza (admittedly not for everyone).

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