Day 26: Final Notes about our trip…

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When researching about Spain and Barcelona in particular I was a little worried about the amount of pickpocketing that occurs in the city. I heard stories from people that I know getting pickpocketed while on business and vacation in Barcelona. However, I did not feel unsafe during my whole time in the city. As long as you keep your personal belonging in front of you, you won’t have any problems.



My favourite part of the trip was the part where my sister and I planned together. It was not that I did not enjoy the Contiki trip. But by traveling on our own we saw a lot more of the cities and were closer to the city center.



So here are the top 5 things that I enjoyed about Contiki

1. Meeting fellow travellers

2. The great night life

3. Our awesome tour leaders and drivers

4. Cool cultural experiences like the Hamman, Medina in Fez, Flamenco Show and Moroccan Dancing

5. Not having to plan anything



Top 5 things that could have made the trip a wow experience

1. Some of the accommodations closer to the city center or transit to the center. We had to take taxis everywhere

2. More time in the city center. It felt like our free time was just enough to grab lunch and then hop on the bus back to hotel

3. The clubs we went to. A lot of them were charging 20 euro or more for entrance. And they were charging tourist more for drinks than locals which was not fair

4. Rushing though tours like the Alhambra in Granada. It did not feel as enjoyable to absorb the magnificence of the place

5. Optional dinners could have been better for the amount of money we paid.





All in all, I enjoyed the trip. I felt like I could have traveled around Spain and Portugal on my own, but in Morocco, I was glad that we were on the tour. I had a great time in Fez and Marrakesh and was glad that I did not have to plan it.



The highlights of my trip were:



1. Barcelona! I love this city! The architecture, the people, the food,

2. Fez - unique and magical

3. Ronda - quiet but peaceful and beautiful,

4. Seville - So much to see there. You definitely need more than a day there

5. Lisbon- I need to go back. What a hidden gem, the crowds were less, the food was amazing and cheaper and the night life was incredible.





I would definitely have to travel to Morocco and Portugal again in the future. Both countries surprised me and I would love to explore them a bit more.

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