Ended up in Barcelona, Spain for the third time around, not knowing what else was there for me to see? Fortunately, one night we got invited to a French lamb leg dinner at some crazy Americans, who also turned out to be enamored with all Romanian things. We started our dinner with an American southern style prayer, got interrupted by Spanish neighbors (for noise obviously), and ended up with Romanian history tales. Therefore, we shared some good wine, some common sense, memories, ideas, and jokes, and thus became friends. This is what you get by living a Globalized life!
This is also how I met my new travel date to Barcelona – P. of R. – an American HBS grad student, taking advantage of a summer vacation through Europe before the MBA chores were about to start in fall. Being two decently traveled tourists eager to experience a different BCN, we decided to ditch the public transportation and the double decker in favor of a small, bright yellow, convertible, three wheels scooter/moped like, loud GPS accompanied vehicle, which promised to bring us the fun we were missing in Barcelona...
Meet the GoCar – our small “Lamborghini” for the day:
The fabulous GoCar
It normally holds no more than two people, has an incorporated tour guide voice with the GPS, which happened to have a British accent that day, and was able to take us around the city’s turistic routes and on one off the map extreme excursion. We started in Plaça Catalunya, went down Via Laietana to Rambla del Mar and the harbor area. Due to the “petit” dimensions of our means of transportation we were fortunate enough to find free parking, take a walk in the sun, visit the aquarium, and have lunch. We circled the Colon three times, until the copilot finally figured the roundabout and why Columbus is not pointing towards the Americas*; then took the way up to Montjuïc.
On hill Montjuïc we took advantage of the free parking for the “Beast” and emerged into the Hispanic art and culture at Joan Miró Foundation, at the 1992 Olympic facilities, at the impressive MNAC (National Museum of Catalonian Art) which grandiosely overlooks Plaça d’España and a good side of the city. Here is where we crossed paths with our new friends – the supporters of Atlético de Madrid soccer team.
Atlético de Madrid was meeting Seville’s team in the final of the King’s Cup soccer championship that day. Therefore, in the old Spanish tradition, the supporters were out on the streets of Barcelona since noon, sporting their favorite team’s jerseys and cheering on tourists. From the stairs of MNAC to the esplanade, to the Magic Fountains and all the way down to Plaça España there were only white and red striped people singing in the sun.
Esplanade of MNAC
Well, it happens that our next objective, set off our touristic map, in the hills of IESE business school, was en route to Camp Nou – the war theater for that nights’ confrontation. So, our trip was filled with supporters than made us feel like superstars, taking pictures of/with us, cheering, singing, smiling and yelling at us. The 45 minutes ride from Plaça España to Camp Nou was filled with laughter, photo shots, amiable conversations and that feeling of belonging to something bigger.
Unfortunately, our friends lost…
*Christopher Columbus’ statue (Colón) rises 60m above the Southern most end of Las Ramblas depicting the explorer pointing towards the [Mediterranean] Sea/east and not towards the New World, because he is actually pointing towards Italy, where the finances for the expedition came from.
At 9am on a November Sunday, when the city was not awake yet, my cab stopped in front of the airport. Sunglasses on top of my head and a smile on my lips, I started walking with light and fast steps, wheeling a small, pink suitcase behind me… full with skimpy little summer clothes and bathing suits. Yeah! I see you smiling… I stopped in front of the AeroMéxico desk greeting in Spanish my dear Christian, at duty much earlier than me. Chris is the roommate of the ex-boyfriend of the girl that my sister shared an apartment with during her study abroad year in Barcelona, Spain, and whom we’ve found in San Diego, CA a few years latter. Now, he was the one that took care of the details for my trip, way south of the border, to his home country.
An hour later I was already in seat 1A, Business Class this time, with a glass of jugo de naranja in my hand, browsing through a presentation magazine for Mexico and curiously waiting to meet my travel companion. Unluckily, I’ve got the most annoying, impolite and blunt traveler equipped with a combo of Dorobanţi Blvd. pair of shoes and the breath of a very long night in Gaslamp District. Thanks Heavens, he felt a sleep as soon as the plane took off! So, I could admire in silence the identical image I saw on maps, now in front of my eyes, of the city/port of San Diego while the plane left Lindbergh Field … and two hours later, when we landed in Los Cabos, the one of the pick of Baja California dipping in the perfect turquoise of the Pacific.
Cabos turned out to be a short stop, good enough to get into the atmosphere and to get the Mexican stamp on the passport. Everybody that works in the airport is extremely kind. Amazingly, the laziness and the Latino calm didn’t seam to annoy behind the genuine smiles. There was no track of disgust like in Tijauna, in this oasis at the end of the desert, but only elegance and good will.
The second part of the trip to Mexico City brought me a Belcalian-type* of trip companion. A chatty guy, between ages, who pretended to be a lawyer, owner of the Cruz Azul football team, linked to a few high end hotels and involved in concrete businesses in Mexico. What can I say?! too much information for a two hours flight. Anyways, before we landed in the capital I already had enough details about the city as well as the phone number of my companion, along with the invitation to fly with his helicopter to the concrete plant and hotels at the Pacific coast… whereas I was headed to the opposite direction.
... I was heading to a city full of history, culture, people with different features and pasts, dust, cars... life. The exploration started in a car full of noisy and happy girls reunited after four years. One was driving, another was playing the guide, and I was snapping pictures of a city always moving. Switched from English to Spanish, which I surprisingly manage very well! In the sound of our intertwined voices we left the Benito Juárez airport, passed the outskirts of the city and headed to Paseo de la Reforma – the bulevard that divides the capital Ciudad de México.
Before arriving here, all I had in mind were the independence angel statue and the other huge flag similar to the one in Tijuana. But, driving through Plaza de las Tres Culturas I learned that in México (the local name for the city), actually three cultures are traditionally melting: the pre-Columbian, the Spanish and the Mexican one, resulted from the first two. One can find here Tenochtitlan temples, ruines of Spanish conquistadors, and political parties’ modern buildings. No wonder this is the city with most muzeeums in the world, and largest quantity of culture per capita.
We circled the downtown framed by Paseo de la Reforma, AlemadaPark and the central square. It is incredible how many cultural elements can be found at every step. The entire square is surrounded by Spanish architecture buildings which serve as ministers’ offices nowadays. Others are just breathing art. Casa de los Azulejos or the “house of tiles” is a restaurant of an almost European beauty, rich in culture and history, older than the Mexican revolution. Palacio de Bellas Artes built in art nouveau style is ‘la piece de resistance’ of the historical downtown. I had never seen it before in any of my friends’ pictures. I didn’t know anything about it and therefore it became the first reason to return to México City. The building deserves to be discovered entirely – as a lyric theatre, as a permanent art collection, as a host of Rivera’s work, and as the Museum of National Architecture of Mexico. In the center of the square, raises the proud twin of the flag I saw in Tijuana – one of the largest and tallest examples of national pride. Having in mind the dimensions of the other one and the impact it provokes when saw even from the US land, compared to the immensity of the central square that seams to mirror the immensity of Mexico itself, the grandeur sadly disappeared… However, the place still has that vibe of a meeting place for youngsters like Piccadilly Circus in London, St Michel in Paris, Plaça Catalunya in Barcelona or University Square home...
Following the traffic on Paseo de la Reforma we finally saw the towering column of the independence angel, the symbol of the capital. Rolling down to the park/forest Bosque de Chapultepec, the prime water resource of the Aztecs in the past and the main fresh air resource of Mexicans today – the Center park-like green oasis offers the chance to change the stereotype against Mexico as a third world country to a modern one with a envied civilization. The park hosts castles, gardens, monuments, artesian fountains, museums, royal hunting areas, a zoo, a lake, restaurants, and recreation spots.
As night felt, we left the busy downtown for the outskirts of San Ángel si Cayoacán. The artist Diego Rivera and his wife, Frida Kahlo lived in San Ángel, and because of their impact the town became historical monument of Mexico. In Cayoacán I was to spend the evening and night before my Mayan experience. Here is where the artist transformed in popular feminine hero, Frida Kahlo was born and died. Here is where we walked through typical Mexican bazaars with sugary fruits, traditional delights, souvenirs, parks and terraces filled with people even in the late hours of night. Still, what surprised me the most was the fact that the mass at Iglesia de San Juan Bautista – the main cathedral – was still on, that Sunday night, even after 7pm…
I ended the night in my friends’ living room, learning how to drink tequila Mexican style, as a medical remedy and without morning repercussions.
* Gigi Becali is a controversial Romanian EU Parliament member, an “urban character”, who owns the Steaua Bucuresti soccer team and some real estate business. However, as his base profession he is a shepherd.
Mãrţişoris the traditional Romanian celebration of first day of spring (March 1). This is the moment when we all wake up to life from the long winter – and for me, is the moment when good things start happening in my existence. It is like this every year!
Maybe the blood of my ancestors – Romans and Thracians – is still flowing in my veins. They also celebrated the Gods of agriculture, vegetation and land on this day. Since then, women or men (but I prefer women) wear this red and white string for the first week of March, to bring them good luck, power and health for the year to come.
This is a beautiful tradition, which I proudly pursued every year, wherever I found myself...
When back home, I would receive little funny talismans from class mates. Later on, growing up, dad would give us a jewel and the first Snowdrops of spring. Year by year, I would wear this every day until March 8 – Mother/Women’s Day… when other jewels were about to come...
When Bucharest, I would start wearing the red and white Mãrţişor string around my neck – as a sign of independence… - that's how I met Dodo.
When Paris, I would receive a string from home, in a little package, picked up from Galliéni bus station in the middle of the night…
When Barcelona, I would email a picture of Snowdrops, to enrich the spring feeling…
When Honolulu, spring was nothing like what I used to know… it was summer! We went to the beach on March 1. Mãrţişor was there, but nobody knew it. It was impossible to find any Snowdrops or any other spring flowers… at best I couldn’t dream of Hyacinths leis, but there were none …
When San Diego, it became more unconventional... In a place where people still didn’t know about this tradition, the colors of the string became more personal and special, but still there was a difference in mood from how people feel back home.
Snowdrops and the miracle of new life is all I want…
I felt in love with Bellagio, in Las Vegas, NV the first time I gazed over its gracious singing and dancing fountains… and ever since I longed to explore more of it and desired to enjoy its amenities. My wish came true for the first time in Nov 2009, which also coincided with my big thank you trip to the SinCity for my parents.
After spending an unpleasant weekend at a different hotel I decided to move my family for our last night in this gorgeous location. Bellagio became my favorite attraction on my first visit to Vegas and since dreamed of being able to stay in its lush rooms. Surprisingly, Heaven has rates for regular people, too.
On the official website I found that Sundays have extremely low rates (almost half off) and that by calling the reservation office and by prepaying the reservation you can secure even a LOWER rate. Of course, the offer comes with restrictions – the reservation is unchangeable or impossible to cancel without losing your money, but hey!, who would cancel on such a beautiful place?!?!?...
We moved from the previous hotel at 11am, so the Bell Desk at Bellagio was kind enough to hold our luggage until check-in. Knowing the interminable lines at leading hotels front desks in LV, I attempted to avoid the hassle by delaying the moment of getting our keys, by continuing exploring the Strip. We toured of the property, first.
After watching amazing representations of the fountain’s show over the day and dusk, while listening to various artists – from the New York Philharmonic to Elton John, Madonna, Faith Hill, and Elvis Presley – we toured the impressive ground floor. Stepping through the main doors it’s impossible to miss the extreme attention to details. The legendary “B” is encrusted everywhere: in ashtrays’ sand, on door knobs, windows, elevator doors, souvenirs, coffee cups, candies. The refurbished lobby has beautiful flower arrangements mirroring Dale Chihuly’s ceiling sculpture of 2,000 dynamic hand-blown glass flowers. The casino who recently received a face lift offers a new color integrated palette, coordinated with the entire concept of the resort. Next, the Conservatory and Botanical Gardens amaze through the passionate display of nature and the work of 140 horticulturists in every season. Fall’s best treasured decorations were on display during our visit – a scarecrow, giant pumpkins, talking trees, immense glass leaves, rainy forest, and unexpected flower arrangements. Across this magical land, raises the one of Jean Philippe patisserie. This one has $6 European style deserts, along with fresh made on the spot crapes, and a breath taking chocolate fountain display awarded with the Guinness World Records. Continuing the exploration, a spa, a bar and convention rooms follow the long lobby that circles the pool area. Coffee tables with arm chairs and inviting sofas are displayed along the lobby, in front of the tall windows with heavy curtains, overlooking the a series of pools, cabanas and long chairs through the enclosed sunny area. With every step admiration grew for this place and the masterminds behind all creation. It felt like I was in my own little wonderland. No wonder it was hard to leave for the inquest of other attractions of the city.
We returned long after dark, rather late in the evening, maybe around 9pm, after a long day in the city to register at the Front Desk. However, my plan of avoiding unnecessary waste of minutes after millions of tourists to gain access to my room didn’t work and I still ended up in line for 20 minutes. Nothing was rushing me and I actually enjoyed being in that wonderful lobby. Then the amazing agent, despite my incredible low rate, and without even asking, checked us in a room at the 21st floor, with a fountain view!! I was happy, surprised and excited all together when he started explaining how to navigate through the resort in order to reach my room. I guess the policy is: if occupancy is low anyway, at least let’s make our guests happy. And it worked!!!! We were delighted to discover impeccable service everywhere around the hotel, as well as our enormous room with an almost similar size bathroom, exquisite amenities, and wonderful view over the fountains. With floating steps we reached the smashing silver doors elevators where a hotel attended asked us politely to show our room key for up stairs access.
Up on the floor I noticed that the music from the fountains resonates inside the hotel hallways as a perfectly integrated system. Inside the room, on the same note as the entire resort, everything was Spartan – the bathroom, his/her sinks, the shower, the beds, the windows... Oh! and on channel 21 on TV you can also hear the music of the fountain shows.
What really surprised me was to discover that Bellagio still has turn down service – something I did not see in a very long time in hotels. Therefore there was chocolate on the pillows… and fluffy they all were.
As we had an early flight, I was extremely happy to take advantage of the express check out box and not deal with the hassle of waiting again at the Front Desk.
Attention: This is a spoiler of the wonders of Las Vegas, NV.
Over three years ago I had to change planes in the Las Vegasairport. Back then I thought that if I'd ever visit LV I will be horrified by the falseness of the resorts that imitate among others impressive cities of the world – New York, Venice, Paris, etc. And... as life went on..., it came a time when I didn't get to visit the city once, but two times – in October and November 2009. First time I flew to Vegas, second time I drove, and both times I was fascinated by the unexpected appearance. I found myself more and more fascinated, while arriving, with the luminous image that laid in front of my eyes, at sunset – when LV actually wakes up –, and it continued to make me smile as I took my steps out of the plane into the terminal where I was welcomed by slot machines!!!..., on to the streets, shops, hotels, and casinos… This admiration was about to grow with every step, until the moment the plane took off again. So much, that it made me wanna return.
My trip to Vegas couldn't be anything, but some sort of field trip to admire hotels, shops, and the human genius that made this real – tfter all, the greatest pleasures of my life (giving the fact that you cannot speak about culture here…). Therefore, as soon as I arrived at the hotel and checked-in, my friends took me on a convertible Mustang and drove to the Strip (a.k.a. the Las Vegas Blvd.). We stroll down the street while I was fighting with one hand with the inevitable wind [that was blowing my hair away], and with the other with the camera, bubbling with excitement and snapping pictures of those famous hotels I read in books and websites about for so many years... Aaaah, this is the way any arrival in Vegas: drive, especially at night, from one end to the other of the Strip - it is a Show on its own!
All I wanted to see first was the Bellagio fountains' show. So, that's where we stopped. And there, looking over the fountains and over the Las Vegas Blvd. to Paris resort I remained astonished at what human force and especially financial power can do out of nothing. The Paris Las Vegas represents a Eiffel Tower of 20 stories (so, not a perfect replica) built over a building that looks like the Latin Quarter's buildings, next to Palais Elyssée and the Arc de Triumph.
Yes! everything at a replica level, but a very good one! This is what impressed me the most, my aha! moment – the amount of work used for some replicas of some truly amazing masterpieces built in a relatively small space(!) through inside everything seams built at gigantic scales and even more grandiose in the night's lights. Not really the falseness I was expecting, when I was wondering why these people would choose to come here rather than seeing the real Paris.
NOTE: Las Vegas has mainly hotels with a specific theme where everything gravitates around that theme. Plus, all hotels include shopping gallerias and casinos. The later being the local economy engine, while all the other facilities become amenities. The crowd is mixed and anybody, indifferent of the provenience is treated at the highest rank of hospitality. Another amazing thing is the pampering the guests receive here – free parking, free monorail from one resort to another, local bus that runs 24 hours, casinos open 24 hours, malls that are designed to keep you inside forever...
The Las Vegas Blvd. starts with Mandalay Bay. Mandalay in reality is a beautiful place which use to be the last royal capital of Burma. Therefore, all statues in the Mandalay hotel in LV look like Asian dragon-dogs, all entrances seam to be temples, and you can see even waterfalls with luxuriant vegetation in the gardens... This is also the home of a giant shark reef aquarium ($16.95) and to Disney's Lion King Broadway show. I toured the lobby, passed through the casino, and the shops which form a passage that leads to the next hotel.
Luxor ...was built in an Egyptian style, black shaped pyramid that covers the tallest atrium lobby in the world. In other words, when stepping out of a room guests have the entire lobby at their feet no matter what floor they are staying at. Inside, of course, stand Egyptians columns, tombs keeper dogs, and stone walls that resemble the real pyramids. Details go as far as the door knobs shaped as pyramids. The exit takes you through the Sphinx paws to the suspended monorail stop, which rides to the next hotel.
Excalibur ... was obviously built as a MedievalCastle and has a knights and ladies type of theme. However, the finished product, with splashy colors and reduced dimensions makes it look more like a Lego job than a trip to the dark ages. I avoided it, as I found it tacky, tasteless and annoying, unfitted for this place. Therefore, I crossed another suspended pedestrian bridge, that helps avoiding traffic on the boulevard, and stopped at the next attraction.
New York, New York ...inspires bad taste at first sight and the strongest feeling that Vegas is fake, raising questions about the people that chose to come here instead of stretching the finance a little bit and visit the real NY or the real Paris or the real Venice... Still the details impressed me – here also, details of NYC go all the way to the door knobs, or souvenirs, or typical food, ethnic influences, just like in the city... Another must of this resort is the newest Cirque du Solei show, Zumanity or the newest club in town, Rok. We kicked it at the Irish pub, which really felt like somewhere else!
From here I crossed the next pedestrian bridge and found myself in front of a long lost love – MGM Grant. This hotel still holds the yardstick in the industry. It is the hotel we learned about in college books, the one I first saw from the skies before I landed in Vegas, and the one that probably was well outperformed by other resorts in Dubai or Macao. The property has over 5000 rooms, is the home of Cirque du Solei shows, the new Studio 54 which copies the one in NY, and even of a lions habitat. It is huge and the services reach impressive levels, as there is even a limos only parking!!
Out on the street, shops and markets are aligned; where by far the most attractive is the M&M's World store who manages to open the door to fantasy. Next hotel worth visiting is Planet Hollywood, mainly because here lays the first decent prices mall – Miracle Mile – spread over a mile of shops, attractive deals, plus a ceiling painting like the sky, and completed with lights and sounds that imitate the out doors (thunder, rain or dusk).
In front of it, just across the Strip there's Bellagio (which is the name of small town in the north of Italy by LakeComo). Bellagio is amazing, and the fountain show is impressive day or night! Inside, the lobby exceeded all expectations and surprised because of the unique ceiling sculpture in the shape of suspended glass flowers by Dale Chihuly. Another attraction of the lobby is the Conservatory, decorated for fall holidays with huge pumpkins, talking trees and unusual flower arrangements (chrysanthemums, wild mint and chilies)...
Turning around I noticed this is where people stopped exploring and taking picture..., but not me! I continued walking by Jean Philippe the chocolate shop, where melted chocolate is displayed on a real life fountain based on communicating vessels principles, awarded in the past with the Guinness World Records. I kept walking the hallway that circles an interior courtyard with pools, cabanas, gazebos, statues, and fountains all influenced by the Italian style, and all built with raw materials from this same name small town. Along the tall windows with long heavy curtains I found coffee tables and armchairs just ready to have guests sipping warm drinks in winter or refreshing ones in the summer gazing to the grandiose garden.
Walking through the sparkling shopping galleria one crosses into Caesars Palace – a Rome themed hotel. Allot of buildings, a Forum, showrooms, restaurants, casino, shops, long hallways resembling the ones in the greatest world's museums, with pictures of Roman gods like in the Louver, and painted ceilings like in the Vatican take guests into a different mood. At a crossroad there is even a real life replica of the Michelangelo’s statue of David from Florence. But what makes your breath stop is the pool... immensely large, with a massive fountain in the middle of it!! and statues that raise from the water like the fountains of Versailles. Stunning were the lavishing flat sun bathing beds of a queen size dimension lying around the pools. Forget about cabanas!...
The Venetian... lies across the Strip, and as the name announces it depicts an almost ridiculous Venice, Italy theme resort. It is an opulent copy of the main attractions of the lagoon city – piazza San Marco, the gondolas, the channel, the RialtoBridge and the dodges' palace all together. Stepping in you're amazed by the painted ceilings typical to Italian museum, the columns, or by the Grand Canale Galleria which has a sparkling clean water and a sky-like painted ceiling where you can stroll in a gondola through the indoor channel, along the top designers boutiques.
The hotel lobby is the fair copy of the dodges' palace, transpiring a Louver or Vatican feeling – ceilings' paintings, golden columns, marble on the floors, massive chandeliers, murals... Even the valet parking canopy has Renascence ceiling paintings!
Next is Treasure Island – a “Pirates of the Caribbean” theme resort. Amazingly kitschy, the resort is the home of Mystère Cirque du Solei show, as well as the less attractive children inappropriate Sirens of TI – a waste of the front water pool and two massive sailors and pirates' battleships. The only remarkable reuse of the pirates’ ship comes to Christian Audigier's club (designer Ed Hardy's real name) where the club's terrace opens on the ship's deck.
Walking away fromti leads to the Fashion Show Mall, one of the great attractions in LV. This is the better sister of Ala Moana, just because it has something rare in US – a mix of American and European brands under the same roof.
Where I stop was the Wynn Hotel is an easy one. There is nothing too complicated on this resort. There is a general flow, a freshness, a breath of clean air everywhere. The exterior has a nice oval shape. The white ceiling and floor are completed with gold flowers, and the lobby with fresh flower bowls.
I finished my walk on the Strip at this end. The alternative to a tour bus or a long walk of the Las Vegas Blvd. was recommended by a witty concierge lady as the Deuce - the covered double decker city bus that links the Stratosphere to the outlet malls at the southern end of the city. This bus rides non stop, mainly along the Strip, for a 24hrs pass of $7 and offers a reliable, cheap and comfortable transportation.
Impressions on LV are still fuzzy. I tried to avoid the kitsch and appreciate only the impressionability force and imagination of humans who built a new word out of nothing. Still! the thing that impressed me the most was the level of hospitality of this industry. I heard repeatedly that LV is the place to toughen your skin as a tourism professional, because this place demands everything to the impossible. Thus, absolutely anybody that comes here is treated with the kindness and the respect of a five diamonds resort*.
* There is no hotels and resorts global standard classification, but in North America AAA offers diamonds to luxury properties, not stars.
This is also how I met my new travel date to Barcelona – P. of R. – an American HBS grad student, taking advantage of a summer vacation through Europe before the MBA chores were about to start in fall. Being two decently traveled tourists eager to experience a different BCN, we decided to ditch the public transportation and the double decker in favor of a small, bright yellow, convertible, three wheels scooter/moped like, loud GPS accompanied vehicle, which promised to bring us the fun we were missing in Barcelona... 
Well, it happens that our next objective, set off our touristic map, in the hills of IESE business school, was en route to Camp Nou – the war theater for that nights’ confrontation. So, our trip was filled with supporters than made us feel like superstars, taking pictures of/with us, cheering, singing, smiling and yelling at us. The 45 minutes ride from Plaça España to Camp Nou was filled with laughter, photo shots, amiable conversations and that feeling of belonging to something bigger.
