Baqueira-Beret, Spain (FSC) ~ March 4-18, 2026

The trip began with a lovely 3 night stay at the El Avenida Palace Hotel in Barcelona. It was a perfect location, superior breakfast buffet, nicely appointed rooms, and walkable to most sights in Barcelona. While in Barcelona we had a half day tour of the city. Although it was supposed to be a combination of bus and on foot, it was raining quite hard so the tour guide and bus driver pivoted nicely and made it a bus tour. We all appreciated staying dry. Fortunately the rains subsided and later that day we were blessed with a fantastic guide for our private tour of Sagrada Familia. It was a very special tour with a very knowledgeable guide. That evening we had a fabulous group dinner at Tapas 2254 and had the opportunity to try many different Spanish dishes including octopus! The next day was a “free day” and people went to a variety of places- Montserrat, Park Guell, Picasso Museum, or just enjoyed wandering and exploring the city of Barcelona. A few travelers even took in mass at the Barcelona Cathedral.

We then left for 5 nights for the Baqueira-Beret ski resort, and The Montarto Hotel was our home base. The location was excellent: restaurants, pharmacy and grocery store were all within a 3 minute walk from the hotel, and a daily breakfast and dinner buffet were included. There was also a piano bar and a drinkery available in the hotel, and we enjoyed a group happy hour at the piano bar. Although the rooms were not large, as is typical in Europe, they were very clean and comfortable. The shuttle to the gondola ran every few minutes and it was about a 1 minute ride. The ski rental shop was on site at the hotel, which was very convenient. We had blue skies every day and typical spring snow, with the exception of the last day; it was the best ski day as there was overnight snow. The optional tours were enjoyed by all but I think the favorite was the wine tasting and lunch! Many people also enjoyed the thermal spa in Luchon, France. We had the BEST farewell gala at Cinco Jotas (5 Jacks) at the top of the gondola, and it was the very first time they had opened that venue in the evening. The resort ran the gondola just for the FSC party and it was a blast! The servers were so much fun and joined in dancing and partying with the travelers. It was the most fun and best FSC event I have ever attended and the food and wine were delicious!

After leaving Baqueira-Beret we headed back to the Barcelona airport, took the short flight to Malaga, and hopped on a bus for a quick ride to the beautiful coastal town of Torremolinos, in Costa del Sol. The Melia Costa Del Sol hotel was AMAZING - we all had ocean view upper floor rooms and enjoyed the lovely roof top bar, along with a great breakfast buffet and nightly free entertainment. (Yes, Elvis was in the house!) While in Torremolinos we took 2 private guided day tours; the first to Cordoba to see the Mezquita and the second to Grenada to tour the Ahlambra Palace. Both sites were spectacular and we all very much enjoyed Robert, our Ahlambra tour guide. The last day in Torremolinos was another free day for the travelers. Some people went to Gibraltar, others went to the caves of Nerja and many simply wandered and enjoyed the beautiful beach area, sunshine, seafood and Old Town of Torremolinos. The weather was sunny and warm and it was very hard to leave!

Due to flight issues we did have a long bus ride to Madrid but it was broken up by lunch at a very non-descript (and surprising) lovely restaurant, the Flor de la Mancha. Lunch was enjoyed by all and we were quite full! Upon arrival in Madrid we checked into the airport Hilton which was once again a lovely hotel. That evening we all enjoyed a lovely group farewell dinner together.

This group was truly a very special group of travelers and I completely enjoyed my time with them. We all bonded, made new friendships and I have never seen a group look out for one another like these travelers did. There was never a time anyone felt left out or at loose ends and having the WhatsApp chat group was a great benefit. Someone would send a message saying “I’m here at XYZ Bar having happy hour” and people would just join right in. It was probably the most inclusive group I have every traveled with and the kindness they demonstrated to one another was very special.

Our flights were all on time and no issues at all with delays or lost/late luggage. All of the busses were excellent and Holidaze did a great job on this tour.

After spending this time in Spain, it definitely makes me want to return and see more of this beautiful country!

Ellen Parda

Trip Leader