Can Massa, recommended Rural Farmhouse in the Costa Brava

Today I’m staying at a lovely farmhouse located in the heart of the Costa Brava, Can Massa. Josep, his owner, meets me when I arrive and shows me all the house and my room. Everything has an authentic old atmosphere that transports you to the time when catalan people living here worked hard at their lands to collect what they needed to eat, and the time where animals where essential to achieve it. I’ve been in many farmhouses, specially in Catalonia, where they are very popular, and I can say this one is one of the most authentic houses. I encourage everybody to see the video below I made during my visit. I was able to talk with Josep and also shared details of the house and places around.

I started with a visit to Pubol, the village next to La Pera where the house is located. Pubol is famous for it’s Dali Castle (Castell de Gala Dali). Dali’s wife, Gala, lived there and it’s known that Dali had the access denied, although he liked to see what was happening inside through a little hole. In the actual castle we find a museum with pretty important art pieces from Dali.

After a little walk inside Pubol I went to Can Massa to rest a little bit and relax at the porch in the garden. They have a little pool, very cute and necessary at this time of the year. It’s summer and it’s hot and sunny, but at 19h sun starts hidding and you can enjoy a very relaxing time at the porch or sitting on the grass.

READ MORE: http://www.totaltravel24.com/can-massa-rural-farmhouse-in-la-pera-costa-brava-spain/

Restaurant d' en Bahí in La Pera, Costa Brava

I’ve been enjoying my trip to the Costa Brava a lot. People are nice and offers you advice and suggestions about good places in the area. We do the same in Internet, recommend to other travelers the really good places and share the experience.

Next to one of the main roads going from Girona to most of the important towns and beaces in the Costa Brava I found this familiar restaurant. In Spain is very common to find “menú” in labor days (monday to friday), a cheaper menu consisting in first and second dish, dessert and drink. For 11 Euros I had a fantastic meal.

Service is really quick and effective. I like when I don’t have to wait at all for eating, so I can decide for myself the rithm of my meal. Inside they have 3 different dinning rooms, all of them very nice, stoned walls and wood furniture. The outdoor terrace is also great for dinner at summer. I went for lunch and stayed inside. I got a fresh melon soup with crunchy iberic ham, pretty simple but amazing taste, very refreshing in the hot august. Second dish was a steak with roquefort sauce, also great. They told me from memory en extense dessert carte. I chose a natural banana juice with cream.

They have a big dinning room for special celebrations and where they serve amazing breakfasts every morning from 8 in the morning.

A tea at the terrace for a perfect finish. Highly recommended specially if you’re in the area and planning a visit to Girona or any of the Baix Emporda villages and beaches.

http://www.totaltravel24.com/restaurant-d-en-bahi-in-la-pera-costa-brava/

L'Escola Restaurant and Social Club in the Costa Brava

While staying at Can Massa rural farmhouse in La Pera, I took Josep’s recommendation and went to this bar restaurant located at the historic center of La Pera. Next to the church, with a nice terrace in the same square, they offer variety of salads, tapas, sandwiches, meat, fish and homemade desserts. The place was the village school for many years in the past.

This is one of the places I love to recommend. The place is nothing fancy, a good place in a nice town, but once you take a seat you feel the difference. Service is fast and very correct. What did I eat? A tomato and mozzarella salad with pesto. Tomatoes from their neighboor’s orchard… delicious! I followed with one of the most amazing hamburgers I’ve ever tried. Trust me when I say I’ve tried more than 200, and I can say this was one of the best 10: tasty veal meat from the area, perfectly cooked, caramelized onion, goat cheese and homemade ketchup. They used a great bread too, not the typical but from some local bakery. Just incredible.

I finished with a yummy carrot pie with hot chocolate. A glass of red wine and some water accompanied me. I paid 20 Euros for everything.

The owner is really nice. She told me they organize concerts all year. In summer you can enjoy them at the beautiful outside, the rest of the year you can enjoy them inside, with a special acoustic sound.

I’ll want to come back my whole life just to taste all I told you again and be more lucky next time and be able to enjoy a concert while eating. Recommended and obligatory in my humble opinion.

http://www.totaltravel24.com/lescola-bar-restaurant-and-social-club-in-la-pera-costa-brava/

Tapas & Drinks Les Escoles Restaurant in Costa Brava

This is my favorite place in Costa Brava for many reasons. Santi, the owner, is always trying to make you feel like in heaven. Tapas and dishes are deeply studied and cooked with the heart. All products are fresh and cooked at the moment. Anything you ask for, or anything you let them recommend to you is going to be first quality food.

I want to highlight the low price they have for the quality they have. The value of the food is very very high, specially considering the money you pay for it. It seems impossible to find any place in the area, even in Barcelona, giving this quality at that price.

Santi is very generous, always making you feel like at home, giving you the conversation you want, recommending dishes and daily fresh special products, carefully selected, mixed and cooked for a perfect culinary experience. They work with best stuff in the area, l’Emporda, one of the most beautiful areas in Catalonia.

They have a pretty extense wine selection, with a 50% based in Emporda, also with great spanish white, rose and red selection. Sometime they make special culinary journeys. Last time they made a cheese tasting menu incuding more than 20 different cheese, every one with a special wine and delicious accompaniment.

I went alone this time, spending time with Santi and listening to his explanantions about where and how he get those special and natural products, always spending more money than competence with the convincement that the final product and customer experience is the best you can achieve. They bring best rabbits from Emporda, they buy fish, octopus, foie and veal from best productors so we can get better food and flavor. I tried fresh grilled foie (delicious), chicken wings, octopus Galicia style, foie raviolli with local mushrooms and mussels with salt and pepper (an incredible tasty dish, simple and great). Coulant for dessert was the perfect final for this meal.

Don’t miss their outdoor terrace. A nice an extense area, very quite and with great atmosphere. Ideal for kids, as they can play and run and let you eat and spend nice conversations without thinking a lot about them for a while…

At night, the outdoor terrace is an amazing experience. You can eat, sure, but pay special atention to gin tonics and mojitos. Santi and Jesus, the cuban guy that works there, make incredible Gin Tonics and Mojitos that you can enjoy every night, with chill music and a relaxed ambience. Any drink you ask for is going to be prepared with full care and love, then you’ll enjoy a great drink. If you expect ready for drink mojitos or gin tonics, go anywhere else, here you will just find best quality.

Beach is very close, and important medieval villages are around, less than 5 minutes by car, like Peratallada (I recommend Geltas Artesans de Peratallada in the main street, with one of the best ice cream in europe made by Angelo Corvitti), Palau-Sator, Pals or Torroella de Montgri.

Experience best tapas and mojitos in Emporda and Costa Brava at an affordable price.

More info and photos at: http://www.totaltravel24.com/tapas-drinks-les-escoles-in-sant-feliu-de-boada/

Favorite Restaurants in Costa Brava

Tapas & Copas Les Escoles

This is my favorite place in Costa Brava for many reasons. Santi, the owner, is always trying to make you feel like in heaven. Tapas and dishes are deeply studied and cooked with the heart. All products are fresh and cooked at the moment. Anything you ask for, or anything you let them recommend to you is going to be first quality food.

I went alone this time, spending time with Santi and listening to his explanantions about where and how he get those special and natural products, always spending more money than competence with the convincement that the final product and customer experience is the best you can achieve. They bring best rabbits from Emporda, they buy fish, octopus, foie and veal from best productors so we can get better food and flavor. I tried fresh grilled foie (delicious), chicken wings, octopus Galicia style, foie raviolli with local mushrooms and mussels with salt and pepper (an incredible tasty dish, simple and great). Coulant for dessert was the perfect final for this meal.

Don’t miss their outdoor terrace. A nice an extense area, very quite and with great atmosphere. Ideal for kids, as they can play and run and let you eat and spend nice conversations without thinking a lot about them for a while…

Many more at: http://www.totaltravel24.com/travelers-favorite-restaurants-in-costa-brava/

Travelers Favorite Hotels and Rural Houses in Costa Brava

Can Massa Rural Farmhouse

In La Pera we found peace and deep relax mixed with cultural and sports activities. Everything is close from there, and the owners are the kindest people I’ve known in the area. They are very helpful giving you advice on what to do, when, where and how for the best experience. An authentic catalan farmhouse offering the best service year after year.

Can Massa is an old peasant farmer´s house formed by the main house and several stables and granaries that surround the inner courtyard. There is a porch where table-tennis, badminton and volleyball can be practised. The house has six rooms, two drawing-rooms for guests, one of which has a fireplace, music, television set and parlour games. It keeps some old tools which are part of the decoration.The house is situated between the regions of Baix Emporda and Girones, at the foot of the massif of the Gavarres and near to the beach.

All rooms have an ensuite bathroom, air conditioned, central heating, free wifi and antique refurbished furniture.

One of main attractions in Costa Brava is Dali and all his story. The house is in La Pera, 1 minute away from Pubol, where we find “Castell de Gala – Dalí”. Most of best beaches in Costa Brava are 20 minutes away. Located at the heart of Costa Brava, this house is pretty close to most interesting cities, places and restaurants. Girona is 20 minutes away by car.

And many more at: http://www.totaltravel24.com/travelers-favorite-hotels-and-rural-house-in-costa-brava/

Lagoon Amusement Park in Farmington

A great family experience with rides for everyone. We also found a cute little hotel in nearby Clearfied called the Charin Inn that we loved. The family will hit lagoon again when we return to Utah.

http://www.totaltravel24.com/lagoon-amusement-park-in-farmington-utah/

Travelers favorite hotels in Madrid

NH Palacio de Tepa

This hotel is a NH chain hotel, and I’ve been in lots of them. They always offer great confort and service without exception. NH Palacio de Tepa is specially beautiful and confortable. Our stay in Madrid was much better thanks to the rest we took at the hotel. Madrid is a huge city, lots of things and places to see, lots of activities you can do and enjoy, the less you can do is sleep at a nice hotel like this. They have a nice restaurant, most rooms with balconies and best location. Plaza Mayor is a minute walking… Enjoy it!

And many more at: http://www.totaltravel24.com/travelers-favorite-hotels-in-madrid/

Visiting NYC

If you're never been here, someday you'll come. If you already came, you're going to come back. 

Every single spot of the Big Apple is inspiring and interesting. Architecture, people, shops, art, museums, parks, music, movies,  bars, restaurants, great hotels, etc. New York City is my favorite city. I've been thinking a lot about moving there from Europe, but, maybe that feeling would change... I don't know. I like to visit the city every year if I can, it's been 8 times this year, and I must say I always find new interesting spots and hidden places to recommend. 

http://www.totaltravel24.com/travelers-favorite-places-new-york-city/

Favorite restaurants in San Francisco

Kokkari Estiatorio

I love mediterranean cuisine and all it’s benefits. It’s hard to find good olive oil as it’s hard to find good mediterranean restaurants in USA. San Francisco has one of them, bringing the flavor directly from Europe (Greece to be more concrete) and giving customers an unforgettable gastronomic experience. Using fresh seasonal products and ingredients, you’ll be amazed by food and atmosphere. Don’t miss the lamb if you have the chance!

And many more recommended restaurants in SF here: http://www.totaltravel24.com/travelers-favorite-restaurants-in-san-francisco-california/