From Barcelona to Paris: Bob and Shannon's European Adventure

Some trips change you a little. You come home with more than souvenirs — you come home with stories that make people lean in, tips that get passed around, and a quiet confidence that says: we did that, and we could do it again.

That was Bob and Shannon's European adventure. And I am so glad I got to be part of making it happen.

Their month in Europe was sandwiched by 2 two-week Carnival transatlantic cruises, one getting there and one heading back to the US, bringing their total travel time to just about two months!

Barcelona: Where It All Began

They arrived in Barcelona and hit the ground walking. By the end of their first few days, they were logging five to eight miles a day without even trying. Bob lost weight on the trip. "Now we know why Europeans aren't obese," he said, laughing. "They walk all the time."

They stayed at Hotel Arc La Rambla, right on Las Ramblas — walkable, safe, and perfectly positioned once they got comfortable on the Metro. Shannon was a little hesitant about it at first, having heard the stories about Barcelona and pickpockets. But once they figured out the system, the city opened right up and they never looked back.

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  Barcelona trip

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  Barcelona trip

Barcelona rewarded their curiosity at every turn. Shannon put it simply: "I think we enjoyed every single one of our tours that we did. We did the complete Gaudí tour — we loved that. The paella cooking class was amazing. We both had a really good time." The Dalí Museum earned extra stars in her personal notes. "His house was like it was stopped in time," she said, "exactly how he lived in it." They also discovered TKO, a taco chain making genuinely great tacos in the middle of Spain — one of those fun, unexpected finds that makes a long trip feel full of surprises.

When Bob came down with a chest cold mid-trip, a quick telemedicine call and a pharmacy stop had him back on his feet within an hour — a good reminder that the right travel insurance makes all the difference when something unexpected happens far from home.

The MSC Mediterranean Cruise: A Different Kind of Experience

Bob and Shannon had never sailed MSC before, and the biggest surprise was how different a European cruise line feels when you're an English speaker. The entertainment and activities were geared toward an international crowd, and some of their usual favorites just didn't translate. They joked that compared to Carnival's "Fun Ship" energy, MSC was the anti-fun ship — but they said it with a laugh and meant it with affection. Because here is the thing — they still had a wonderful time. "It was fun to walk around and see the different areas of the ship, because that was very beautiful. We toured the spa, which was very nice," Shannon said. The dining was excellent across the board, and the suite with the private hot tub balcony became their favorite place on the entire ship. "That was the grace of that cruise," Shannon said, "having that hot tub."

Cruise port stops were scattered throughout their trip, filling their days with color and memory. Flamenco dancing in Málaga. Cheese making and vermouth tasting in Alicante. Cinque Terre by tender boat, with great pizza at every village stop. The Vatican Museum, where Shannon photographed everything until she reached the Sistine Chapel and realized she was genuinely photographed out. In Palma de Mallorca, the cathedral stopped them both. "I did not know until we got there that Gaudí had gotten some of his early experience renovating that cathedral before he did La Sagrada Família," Shannon said. A detail that made the whole visit feel like an unexpected gift.

In Genoa, a hardware store search led them to a shop tucked inside a centuries-old cathedral.m"On the way back, we ran across this Japanese ramen shop, and it was the best ramen that we've ever had," Bob said. That is Europe — surprises around every corner, if you stay curious enough to wander.

Madrid: Art, History, and a Hidden Rabbit Hole

"I loved that bullet train," Bob said. "Hauling at 200 miles an hour through the country, looking at all the trees." It was one of his favorite moments of the whole trip, and the perfect way to arrive in Madrid.

Madrid delivered on every front. The Prado Museum tour. A full day in Toledo, Ávila, and Segovia that Shannon calls one of her favorite stops of the entire journey — each city remarkable on its own, all three together almost too much beauty to absorb in a single day. "That was back in Segovia," Shannon said, "and it was the palace that Cinderella's castle in Disneyland is based on." A lovely detail that made the whole day feel a little more magical. They stayed at Petite Palace Preciados, charming and ideally located, and got comfortable on Madrid's metro quickly, the way you do when a city starts to feel a little like yours.

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  Segovia church

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  Segovia church

Their first evening brought the trip's most memorable comedy. The tuk-tuk tour meeting point required descending an unmarked staircase into a subterranean plaza beneath the Royal Palace — something the signage did not make entirely clear. Shannon described it like something out of Alice in Wonderland. "I had to find the rabbit hole and throw myself down it." They were 30 minutes late, hungry, and slightly frantic by the time they found it. The guide was gracious, gave them the full experience anyway, and the tour was wonderful. Getting there was the adventure.

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  Madrid

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  Madrid

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  Madrid

Granada: Uphill Both Ways, and Worth Every Step

Granada is hilly. Relentlessly, charmingly, unavoidably hilly. The Alhambra was a long-awaited dream for Shannon, and it delivered — the palace complex, the Generalife Gardens, Carlos V's palace, all of it. At the very end, she discovered the Patio of the Lions requires a separate ticket. She decided immediately that this was a good reason to go back.

The day trip to the Costa Tropical and Nerja Caves was one of the most beautiful excursions they experienced on the entire journey. Mountains meeting the sea. Whitewashed houses. Water so blue it looked staged. "That was the prettiest beach we saw," Bob said. "It didn't even hold a candle to anything else."

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  Granada

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  Granada

Somewhere in Granada, Bob rolled the wheels completely off his suitcase. He bought a new one on the spot. "I can say I got it in Granada," Shannon noted. "That makes it special." And it does.

Paris: Art, Wine, and Every Wonderful Thing in Between

Paris was the final chapter, and it was everything.

They stayed at Hôtel La Trente — modest, safe, two blocks from the Metro, and surrounded by bakeries, restaurants, a florist, a pharmacy, and a Saturday street market that Shannon could not walk past without stopping. "It felt very much like you're in the neighborhood," she said. "Just in the neighborhood." That is exactly what it was, and exactly what makes Paris feel like Paris when you let it.

They did it all — the Seine boat cruise, Versailles, the Louvre, Sacré-Cœur, Saint-Chapelle, and the Moulin Rouge. "Moulin Rouge probably was a big highlight," Shannon said. "We loved that." And the Eiffel Tower delivered in its own quiet way too. "Obviously, the Eiffel Tower was beautiful," Bob said. "...for lunch one day, we did get a bottle of wine and sandwiches and just sat on the edge of the river [under the Eiffel Tower] and drank the bottle of wine." Some afternoons in Paris need no itinerary at all.

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  At the top of the Eiffel Tower, Paris

Near Versailles, Shannon discovered the croque monsieur — a classic, hot baked ham and cheese sandwich that is a staple in Parisian cafe culture — warm, golden, impossibly good. She ordered another one two days later at the Louvre café. Some discoveries deserve a repeat. And at the Louvre, Bob's cane worked its magic one more time. A museum employee approached him in the middle of a huge crowd of people all vying for a glimpse of the Mona Lisa and offered to bring them closer. "She opens up the little barrier, and we walked right up in front of all those 200, 300 people," Bob said. "And we were about 10 feet away from the Mona Lisa, so I'd knelt down." Shannon believes they were even closer than that. Either way, it was a moment neither of them will forget.

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  Versailles

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  Versailles

Paris also offered a good reminder that being a prepared traveler makes all the difference. Shannon noticed a man on the metro behaving oddly — and a moment later realized her crossbody bag had been unzipped. He was a distraction for pickpockets! Fortunately, she had done her homework before the trip, keeping her passport and large bills tucked in a small waterproof pouch inside her clothing rather than in her bag. He got nothing.

As a travel advisor, I always encourages clients to store valuables close to the body, stay aware in crowded transit spaces, and never keep anything you can't afford to lose in an easily accessible pocket or bag. A little preparation goes a long way. "The carabiner in the bra is the way to go," Shannon said simply — and I've been sharing that tip with clients ever since.

The Cane: A Golden Ticket

Bob travels with a cane. And across this European journey, that cane turned out to be one of the most powerful things he packed. At Notre Dame, he bypassed the long queue by walking to the private entrance and showing his cane. Then there was the Mona Lisa experience at the Louvre. At sites throughout the trip, doors opened — sometimes literally. "I can use it as a self-defense weapon as well," Bob added with a laugh.

A hooked cane is classified as a medical device internationally, and venues cannot ask why you have it. For travelers with any mobility considerations, this is a quiet game-changer.

Tips From the Road: What Bob and Shannon Want You to Know

Use public transit. Every city had reliable, affordable metro systems. A week pass in Paris gave them the freedom to explore without a second thought.

Store your luggage. Their Barcelona hotel stored their large suitcase for just two euros a day while they traveled onward — saving them from hauling unnecessary bags across two more countries.

Get travel insurance. A telemedicine call and pharmacy visit cost Bob about $25 out of pocket. He submitted receipts to his travel insurance for reimbursement. The right coverage turns a sick day into a minor inconvenience.

AirTag your travel companions. After losing each other for two hours in the Louvre, Bob tucked a spare AirTag into Shannon's bag. Problem solved.

Keep valuables on your body. Bra money works. Shannon's passport and cards were safe when a pickpocket struck on the Paris Metro.

Bring a cane if you need one. A hooked cane is a medical device internationally. Bob got front-row access to the Mona Lisa and bypassed queues throughout the trip because of it.

Be flexible. Things will not always go as planned. Bob and Shannon rolled with every curveball. "You got to be ready for anything," Bob said. "That's the nature of travel." He is absolutely right.

What They Said

"Christie, the itinerary you put together was excellent," Bob said. "Having access to all the tickets, the directions, the links — that was great."

Shannon said it simply: "We definitely would recommend you in a heartbeat. You took what ideas I had and made them happen and added to them and made them better. You went above and beyond in every way."

That is everything a travel advisor hopes to hear.

A Trip Worth Every Step

A hardware store inside a cathedral. The best ramen in Genoa. The Mona Lisa from ten feet away. A croque monsieur near Versailles. Bra money. A cane that opened every door.

This is what a European adventure looks like when you go in with flexibility, curiosity, and the right person helping you plan it.

Bob and Shannon, it was an honor. Can't wait to see where you go next.

Ready to write your own European story? Whether you're dreaming of Spain, France, Italy, or somewhere in between, I would love to help you plan a trip that is perfectly yours — every hotel, every excursion, every detail taken care of so all you have to do is show up and enjoy it.

Let's start planning.

From Barcelona to Paris

From Barcelona to Paris