Europe Travel: Madrid, Amsterdam, Florence & Lisbon

One thing I've noticed about Chile is that the locals here are crazy about traveling to Europe. There is a certain amount of prestige involved, because Europe for many Chileans is the Old Country where their ancestors came from. Apart from Spain, there are many people of German, British and Italian descent

Also, Europe is just a fantastic place to travel in general.

So it makes sense that many of the more well-to-do Chileans would have traveled to Europe, and anyone traveling to Chile might do well to have traveled in Europe also, because then you can talk about Europe to the locals you meet.

For the Chileans who read this blog to practice their English, I've put together some travel recommendations for Europe. First, Spain. More specifically, Madrid. The capital is the biggest city in the country, and therefore is a pinnacle of culture and history. From El Prado to Reina Sofia, Madrid has the country's finest art museums, and the nightlife in Madrid is second-to-none. Where to hang your head? Hotels Madrid Norte. After Spain, a quick trip north will take you to one of Europe's wildest cities, Amsterdam. You can book Amsterdam hotels pretty cheaply at that site I found, and be free of the hassle of finding accommodations, so you can enjoy the fruits of the city. Of course, for a more traditional destination, you'll enjoy several Romantic hotels in Florence, which are easy to find and even easier to book. A veritable epicenter of the renaissance, Florence is chock full of culture and delight. Off the beaten track but well worth the trip is Lisbon, Portugal, a seafaring capital whose splendid architecture and quirky, yet charming local customs will give you a palatable taste of the exotic. Lisbon hotels are incredibly easy to find, and I really like that site's booking engine, it makes life sooo easy.

I hope these European hotel booking resources are helpful! Now you too can experience the European travel destinations that Chileans love.

Rare Blooming Wildflowers in the Atacama Desert

Spring is here and it's been hard to stay indoors. I've been overwhelmed by what seem to be the constant miracles that Chile unveils to me. But, this also means that despite my promise to write more about travel in Chile, I've been doing more traveling than writing :-)

I will try to redeem myself. So I would like to share with you my sense of the beauty of Chile in the following essay that I wrote by hand on the bus back to Santiago from the Atacama Desert. I'll upload it soon.