Barcelona – With Children

From sports stadiums, amusement parks, chocolate making classes and bike rides, just a few options from an extensive list for traveling with children. Learn and play, bespoke Journeys for all ages.

The Güell Park may be the most extraordinary of the many works which Eusebi Güell entrusted to Gaudí. In 1984, UNESCO declared it a World Heritage Site. The Güell Park was created with the idea of being a residential town. Located in the upper part of Barcelona and, among other important innovations, represents the beginning of the use of ‘trencadís’ or multicolored pieces of tiles as covering. It is a great place for kids to run around while learning about art.

Visit Casa Mila, built between 1906 and 1910, for the Milà family. The façade is an impressive wave-like mass of rough-shipped stone. The windows and doors seem to be dug out of this stone mass and are trimmed in exquisitely crafted wrought iron work with vegetal forms on the balconies and astonishing grilles on the two street-doors. On the stepped terrace, coming as an elegant surprise, are the huge stair exits of sculptured spirals covered with broken ceramic and marble. The chimneys bring to mind knights wearing visors. All of this makes up a fantastic and futurist space. Casa Milà was classified as World Heritage Site in the1984 UNESCO Catalogue.

Finish the tour at Gaudi’s Sagrada Familia. The expiatory church of La Sagrada Família is a work on a grand scale which was begun in 1882 from a project by architect Francisco de Paula del Villar. At the end of 1883, Gaudí was commissioned to carry on the works, a task which he did not abandon until his death in 1926. Since then, different architects have continued the work after his original idea. The building is in the centre of Barcelona, and over the years has become one of the most universal signs of identity of the city and the country. It is visited by millions of people every year and many more study its architectural and religious content.

Would would turn down a visit to the Chocolate Museum?  A dynamic facility promoted by the Barcelona Provincial Confectionery Guild and located in the former Sant Agustí monastery. It provides a journey through the origins of chocolate, its arrival in Europe and its spread as an element between myth and reality, its medicinal properties and nutritional value, relating tradition with the future and forming part of our collective imagination. The Chocolate Museum is located in a historic building that has enjoyed a relationship with chocolate since the 18th century.

Finish up with a private Lollipop Workshop, where the children make lollipops of white chocolate, milk chocolate and dark chocolate using a very common confectionery tool:the forcing bag. Decorate with spices, fruit and nuts, creating original and fun lollipops.

Barcelona by bike Tour –  This is a fun and active tour to discover by bike the diversity of Barcelona’s seaside neighborhoods. You will stop at the key places to learn about the most interesting features of the waterfront. Some of the sites: Old Port: In 1995, the old port of Barcelona was reconverted into a recreational area in the heart of the city, including Maremagnum and several sailing clubs among other things.

Olympic Port Stop: Flanked by two of the highest buildings in the city, the Arts Hotel and the Mapfre Tower, the port is a good example of modern architecture. Here you can see the copper sculpture Fish by Frank Gehry.

Olympic Village: This whole area was reconverted from old factories to new apartments and housed the 13,000 athletes and 2,000 assistants who came to the 1992 Olympic Games.

Barceloneta: This neighborhood dates from the second half of the 18th century and was where the fishermen and sailors lived right on the waterfront. The area exudes charm.

Ciutadella Park: When the military garrison was demolished the grounds provided an excellent place to hold the 1888 Universal Exhibition. Arc de Triomf: The monumental gate marked the entrance to the exhibition.

Columbus Monument: At the foot of the Rambla by the sea and next to the Drassanes, the medieval shipyards that now house the Maritime Museum; this column was erected in memory of Columbus who was received in Barcelona by the kings of Spain, Isabel and Ferran, on his return from America.

End of day return to hotel, all enjoy a siesta before parents head out for tapas and flamenco!

 

New York New York!

Bursting with blossoms, spring in New York is popping. A long family weekend recently included these activities with our superb New York ground team. Teenagers in tow, we love the Crosby Street Hotel in Soho, something for everyone; kids can explore on their own for trendy and hip shops.

Many of our clients provide a destination city with no instructions or requests, they trust us to seek out the unusual, add the traditional museums and theater and off they go! Our local team expertly manages every minute and is available for any last minute requests.

With rain showers on the horizon, we began first day with a car tour highlighting Central Park, pointing out areas to be enjoyed later in the sunshine. Mosey toward Harlem to view the iconic Apollo Theatre, President Clinton’s office, Strivers Row; ending the sightseeing at the classic temple of comfort food, Red Rooster. Showcasing the culinary neighborhood traditions and Chef Marcus Samuelsson’s rich background. And yes, we can achieve reservations despite the sold out status!

The afternoon is devoted to museums and shopping. Evening theater – so much to choose from right now!

Next morning tour the Manhattan Harbor in a private iconic Water Taxi with a traditional New York lunch on board. View the Statue of Liberty from the unique perspective of the waterfront and learn more about New York’s historic skyline – with private guide. It’s not fancy, but great fun, the boat looks like an old-time Checker cab and is all yours to privately enjoy all morning.Up close viewing of the Statue of Liberty, and the Brooklyn Bridge completed in 1883. The iconic Brooklyn Bridge is one of the oldest suspension bridges in the United States, and the view from underneath is unlike anything you’ve ever seen.

The World Trade Center Site, see history in the making as the construction cranes rise from the World Trade Center site where, once completed, One World Trade Center will be 1,776 feet tall.

Once on land visit the Empire State Building, built during the American Great Depression in 1930, this astounding building has 102 floors and 6,500 windows, and is considered one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World by the American Society of Civil Engineers. We have VIP tickets allowing a view from the 102nd floor. Most visitors stop at the 86nd floor.

Finish up with the Greenwich Village tour in the adjacent Meatpacking District for a walk on the Highline, the elevated railroad that is now a wonderful park with amazing views of the river and some great avant-garde architecture.

Driver drops you off to graze at Eataly, a great collection of gourmet food purveyors. The marketplace is the city’s ultimate destination for food lovers to shop and taste and savor – an extravaganza includes a premier retail center for Italian delicacies and wine, a culinary educational center, and a diverse slate of boutique eateries.

Evening theater, again. We have best seats at any and every play.

The city that never sleeps is a playground for families. A much longer list of private exclusives can be added to a Journey.