April has been a whirlwind of travel and it’s finishing off with quite a bang!
I started off the month at home in Belize, spending my birthday and Easter weekend on the mainland along the Placencia peninsula, where I took a bit of a digital detox to prepare for three months of pretty hectic travels. I left Belize, stopping in Los Angeles just long enough to pick up my Mom and then headed off to Hong Kong and Tokyo for the Easter and Spring events at both Disney Resorts. I flew back to LA with mom and promptly headed out on a flight to Amsterdam, which gave me a whole two days at home to do laundry and get ready for now — a pretty exciting three week culinary-themed road trip and speaking engagement at TBEX Costa Brava (Travel Bloggers’ Exchange Conference).
The team of Our Tasty Travels is excited (and, I’m extremely nervous) to present at the biggest travel bloggers’ conference in the world. I spoke last fall at TBEX North America in Cancun, but I was a moderator and and had three other panelists for support while we shared our expertise about the perks and challenges of “Blogging in Latin America.”
TBEX Europe is being held in the beautiful Costa Brava region of Catalunya. Brett and I are hosting a session in the content track discussing how to add beer and wine content to your travel blog. We are thrilled to be back in the region, an area we fell in love with two years ago when TBEX was held in Girona, Spain. I’ll also be doing some live blogging for Travel Blog Success, a TBEX sponsor and incredible membership-based resource group for travel bloggers.
Rather than fly in and out, we opted to plan a road trip to give us a chance to explore more of the neighboring areas. It’s hard to believe that we only departed the Netherlands yesterday, and this morning I’m writing from the hotel here in one of France’s most cherished wine regions — Burgundy. We drove a portion of the Route des Grands Crus yesterday, wherein we stopped at one of the most famous vineyards in the world. Domaine Romaneé Conti, or DRC, as the wines are commonly referred to. While I don’t foresee my blogging income affording me the opportunity to purchase a bottle anytime soon (some of these can fetch 15K at auction), at least I can say I visited the vineyards that produce what many consider the best wine in the world.
Last night, we managed to get into a one Michelin starred restaurant here in Beaune, the capital of the Burgundy region. Due to awful weather today, we’re altering our plans which originally included spending the night in the tiny country of Andorra. With no snow chains or tires, we’re heading straight to Lloret de Mar, where TBEX is being held.
What is potentially the most exciting aspect of our week in Lloret will happen on Wednesday night. Sadly, we have to miss the official speakers’ dinner and a travel networking event afterwards, but we are thrilled to announce we managed to secure one of the hardest dinner reservations in the world — El Celler de Can Roca! After its rise to #1 restaurant in the world last year (it has since “dropped” to #2), the already highly sought after spot was pretty much impossible to get in. Thanks to our dear friend and miracle worker from the tourism board, we are set to enjoy what will be one of the best gastronomic experiences on the planet.
We both had the opportunity to sample the Roca brothers’ incredible creations two years ago at TBEX in Girona. Our opening party for the conference was held in a private castle and catered by El Celler de Can Roca. We’re in for quite a treat here with them as we get to try approximately 14 courses, served over six hours or so.
After the conference ends we are checking out a local beer festival and then starting a press trip to La Selva, where we will learn about the culture and gastronomic culture of the area. We have a couple other Michelin starred restaurants we hope to try and then we’re off to more of Spain, Portugal, and France. Our gastronomic-themed itinerary tentatively includes stops in:
Andorra
- Day trip tomorrow if the snow holds off
Spain
- Lloret de Mar
- Girona
- Platja d’Aro
- Madrid
- San Sebastian
Portugal
- Porto
France
- Bordeaux
- Normandy
- Loire Valley (Samur or Chinon)
- Paris
We’ll arrive back in the Netherlands around May 17, wherein I have a few weeks at home before the next big trip. I can’t wait to share more on that adventure, which will take me back to a very special place that has become one of my favorite places in Europe. A hint: It’s a region I’ve been to six times in the last 2.5 years!
You can follow our social media updates from the trip on Facebook and Instagram.
Affiliate Disclosure: The link for Travel Blog Success is an affiliate link, but it’s a resource the team of Our Tasty Travels personally supports.
