Bordeaux, France

Nearing the end of our roadtrip and what a fitting finish for us take a deep breath, sip a glass of fine Bordeaux red and reflect on our wonderful time in Europe and to look forward to our next stage of the journey.

Bordeaux was brilliant, we needed to spend a lot more time in the area to do it justice. Great food, great weather, great wine and timelessness.

European Roadtrip - Bilbao - Puppy, Jeff Koons

We have always had a goal of visiting the big Yuki! The big westie is located outside the Guggenheim in Bilbao and is composed of various types of flowers to give it the colour and vibrancy. If only our Yuki was there to see it as well.

European Roadtrip - Barcelona, Spain

This was our second trip to Barcelona and this time we took the time to enjoy and see it. The hustle and bustle of La Rambla, the never ending stalls of deliciousness at the Boqueira Markets, chilling out at night with Sangria and tapas, flamenco, and finally paella on the beach. Barcelona is one of the few cities that you will never get sick of visiting, much like Paris. This city is a must visit and we will undoubtedly be back again... Ole!

Mugaritz, San Sebastian, Spain

Mugaritz is 2 star michelin and number 5 in San Pellegrino's Top restaurants. I would describe Mugaritz as El Bulli-esque but toned down 2 or 3 notches. It is located 20 minutes from San Sebastian in the rural country side on a unnamed road. Only recently reopened after a fire, it was out to impress once more and it sure did. Set in a wooden barn like building, the scene was set by the waiter subtly walking by with the a bucket emanating fragrance to allow the diners to first eat with the nose. After the visit to the kitchen and a chat to head chef Rafael Costa e Silva, he scrapped the menu's given to us and allowed him free reign to build a menu to wow us. Each menu was executed beautifully, and the biggest struggle was to stay awake as we were 3/4 of the way through the menu when it was nearing midnight. Undoubtedly worthy of the top 5 and recommended.

El Celler de Can Roca, Girona, Spain

El Celler is a 3 star michelin and number 4 on San Pellegrino's worlds best restaurants. On our way from Carcassonne to Barcelona, we enjoyed a wonderful stopover lunch at El Celler in Girona. What seemed like the 'burbs of Girona, we entered a narrow lane way to discover the oasis. Sat down, we were wheeled over the wine list with each book (one for the red and one for the whites) comparative to the Britannica encyclopedia. Overwhelmed we went for the recommended wine pairings with the tasting menu. Each course was well done, but nothing really stretched the imagination or senses like some other restaurants. Thoroughly enjoyed the meal and the experience, especially the cellar. Within the cellar there is a homage to each of the various types of wine that was interesting but may be over the top?