Why Lebua, Bangkok?

Travelling in Bangkok is easy and economical - you can either take a Taxi or a Tuk Tuk (Beware of the Tuk Tuk drivers for over pricing or taking longer routes!)

We were in Bangkok for just 2 days before heading to Hua Hin and honestly, Bangkok is a busy busy city - lots happening, quite crowded, has an '"interesting" night life and there is lot's to see.

Starting with the hotel, we stayed at the Lebua at State Tower and absolutely loved it (not because it reminded us of Hangover), but the service is exceptional for Bangkok standards, rooms are spacious, value for money and the breakfast has a wide variety from different cuisines. However, the 2 days we were there, there was a queue for the breakfast as the hotel was full at the time and I'm guessing that's the way it is all year round. (I guess it also tells you how delicious their spread was)

The best part is Sky Bar right at the top floor with amazing views of the entire city and you will surely find the most elite crowd, so do dress up a bit and don't end up in your shorts (Bangkok Style)!

Lastly, the hotel has great dining out venues to chose from although, remember, this is not your regular hotel, it's a luxury 5 star hotel and hence, look presentable!

Website - www.lebua.com and Enjoy!

Sky Bar at the Lebua at State Tower Hotel

Things to do in Barcelona

To sum up my previous posts, there's lots to do in vibrant Barcelona and following are some of the to dos for a short trip:

• Visit the Sagrada Familia - purchase tickets much in advance
• Take a wine tour - this is anywhere in Spain, surely try the Spanish wine/ cava
• Have a meal and take a stroll down Las Ramblas
• Pick on bruschetta or pintxos 
• Visit Museu Picasso - know everything about the brilliant artist and his growing up days in this little city.
• Around Museu Picasso is a small chocolate factory, not a lot of people know about it but it surely is a must visit to purchase raw chocolate and see it in various artistic forms.
• Take a stroll down the Gothic Quarter and have a meal at the little Spanish cafes in the gothic - like lanes
• Don't forget Mango, Zara and some other high street brands originate from Spain - need I say more?
• Take a walk down the Eixample area, or must I say Gaixample (that's the nickname and you know why).
• Walk down Port Olimpic and SURELY have a meal at one of the restaurants or lounges, great music, street parties, superb buzz in the area.
• Visit the Montserrat - we never got the time but everyone kept saying how beautiful it is. (Again, plan a trip in advance from one of the city tour buses, we couldn't make it because not only were we short on time, but all the trips were fully booked)/
• Lastly, with all this walking, don't forget to take a Spanish siesta in the afternoons!

Museo Picasso

Chocolate art - there's a reason why one must visit the chocolate factory!

All in White Chocolate - YUM!

Chocolate Factory, Barcelona

It's not just white & brown! 

CHOCOLAT!

Port Olimpic, Barcelona

looking for Chocolate Factory...

Jean Leon, Torres & Freixenet Vineyards

Torres - it's at the top of a hill and one can view the valley, other small wineries and the little town of Penedes.

The have their own little train to take you for a tour.

Their own wine grapes

The train takes you inside a dark room, which has thousands of barrels stored, before the bottling process.

The bottling process & storage

Inside the tasting & training room

& the tasting begins - which cheese goes with which wine???

 FREIXENET - Freixenet is the world's top producer of Spanish sparkling wine or cava. Having expanded tremendously within years (make around 90 million bottles a year!) with hardly any space left to develop their estate, Freixenet has expanded vertically in literal terms - it goes levels underground!

Let's go for a ride:)

The barrels

The old old bottles!

Old is gold:) Who likes mature wine?

Way underground! 

The little left of the ceiling - the temperature is controlled/ chilly because of the wines.

 JEAN LEON - one of the most fascinating 'hollywood like' stories, inspiring and surely makes you want to know more about his wines - vineyard managed and run by Torres.

On the way to Jean Leon

We were welcomed by the bottles!

Wine Grapes - Green used for White Wine

Black grapes for Red wine

Who likes Sauvignon Blanc - We actually tried the grapes!

The classiest barrels ever!

The barrel process - crushing of the grapes is now done by machines.

The barrels

The tasting & training by one of the Jean Leon representatives

Forgot to add this one earlier - Chardonnay Grapes!

Why Should one take a wine tour in Barcelona?

Whilst there's a lot to do in beautiful Barcelona, there's also lots to see if you travel a bit outside the city. A two hour drive from the main city of Barcelona is the Spanish wine region of Penedes - this is home to famous wine brands such as Jean Leon and Torres and Caves Freixenet Winery (there are small wineries around although that's more family oriented and not for commercial use/ visits).

We were in Barcelona for just 3 days and had decided to dedicate half a day to a wine tour and the city tour buses in Barcelona offer day trips, which makes it convenient to be back by mid day and still do a lot for the rest of your day.

Other than being adventurous and beautiful, the wine tours in Barcelona are extremely informative and you will surely go back with a wealth of knowledge on how strong you like your wine, how acidic it is, how long it has been kept in the barrel, how young or old it is  and so on. It surely is an enriching experience for wine drinkers/lovers and should not be missed! Also, you get to buy the bottles, directly from the wineries - however old you like it.

Surely try taking the Jean Leon, Torres & Cava Freixenet day tour as you learn about both, wine and champagne and the stories of each are quite enchanting!

How to plan a Wine tour in Barcelona: try one of the city tour buses and their kiosks in Barcelona, the pick up is from Las Ramblas and it's usually quite early, at around 7am. Day trips are the best.
Duration of tour: Around 7 to 8 hours
Tips: Travel light, I would suggest pack a sandwich or something light because all you get, all day, is wine and cheese and surely you will crave for much more, especially after all the tasting and buzzing!
Wineries to visit: Jean Leon (Fascinating story), Torres & Freixenet
And please plan in advance, atleast book your wine trip a week to 10 days in advance as we struggled a night before - yes, we are that last minute!

Try http://www.barcelonacitytours.com for half/ full day tours!

(Cava in Catalonia is 'champagne' and I will surely be posting lots of pictures in my next post from our little wine tour)