Hotel Amigo Brussels

Trivia: Back in the 16th century, someone mistook the word ‘vrient’ — Flemish for prison — as ‘vriend,’ which eventually led to the name of Hotel Amigo.  Over 500 years later, the hotel bares no trace of its prison-past but its outstanding accommodations will make any visitor actually not want to leave.

We cannot have picked a better hotel for our weekend stay in Brussels to visit the Christmas markets. A five-star hotel under the Rocco Forte flag, Hotel Amigo has all the bells and whistles of a luxury hotel:

• Elegant interiors boasting a mix of traditional Flemish décor and Rocco Forte’s signature clean Italian design
• Luxurious touches that include embroidered silk curtains, Pierre Marcolini chocolates to welcome guests, and Marcel Broodthaers & René Magritte prints on the walls of the 173 rooms and suites
• Pleasant demeanour and outstanding service by all hotel staff including going out of their way to walk newly-arrived guests to their suites complete with a quick history of the hotel and tips on attractions close by

But what I love most about the hotel is its location:

• So close to the station:  Hotel Amigo is 400 metres away from the Gare de Bruxelles-Centrale (Central Train Station).  For us, this meant that upon arriving to a cold, wintery Brussels, in less than five minutes, we were in the warmth of Hotel Amigo’s festive lobby.
• Steps from Grand-Place: Located just behind the iconic Hôtel de Ville de Bruxelles, Hotel Amigo is literally steps away—about 56 steps when I counted—from the Grand-Place which is known to be the most popular attraction in all of Brussels.  For us, this meant that we were a few seconds away from the magical Christmas lights show which we were able to watch several times.
• Surrounded by Christmas markets: Just by walking around the hotel, we were able to visit multiple Christmas markets, charming shops selling seasonal goods, and even holiday-themed fairs complete with glittery carousels.  For my husband and I, this meant that a quick stroll around the block was a full-on food fest: the best waffles in town by the hotel’s front door, raclette baguette around the corner, grilled sausages across from there, and even more food stalls as we circled back to the hotel.
• Balcony with a show:  The best feature of the hotel’s location, and our room in particular, was getting a private view of the Christmas lights show from the comfort of our own balcony (video below).  Our room faced east and was right behind Hôtel de Ville.  At night, this meant getting a glimpse of the lights show in the comfort and warmth of our room.  During the day, we had a magnificent view of the tower, cobbled streets, and the old town’s spires.

Hotel Amigo’s front doors are but a five-minute walk from the main station

Hotel Amigo’s festive lobby

Our east-facing room directly opposite the Hôtel de Ville

Sitting area with a view of the spires of Hôtel de Ville

Flemish décor and Rocco Forte’s signature clean Italian design

The snow-capped roofscape view from the balcony during daytime

The short walk to the Grand-Place from the hotel

Lit-up tower of Hôtel de Ville seen from inside the room at night

The view during the day, and at nighttime

Barcelona’s best in a day

Sunny Spain.  This was the vision that led us to Barcelona in January when the weather in most of Central Europe is a toss between rain and, well… more rain.  Our hope is to fly in to Barcelona on Friday night, soak up some Vitamin D the entire weekend then head back to Amsterdam sun-kissed and recharged.

So when I stepped out of our apartment on Saturday morning with the sun shining oh-so-bright, I almost felt like skipping my way down Rambla Catalunya.  But instead I froze.  Literally.

BRRR-CELONA

It was actually 2ºC that morning—35°F to dearest friends in the US.  Apparently, it was the coldest weekend that Barcelona has seen in years—a real anomaly that none of the locals could explain.  The average temperature of Barcelona in January should be 15°C and there I was, in my flimsy khaki (non)jacket, planning to spend an entire day outside.

Wearing our bravest smiles, we headed out to meet our tour guide at Plaça Catalunya—a square that all visitors to Barcelona should know about.  It’s at the very tip of La Rambla, Barcelona’s most famous pedestrian avenue, the hub of all Hop-on Hop-off buses should you want to get on one, and has Metro station that can take you to various spots in the city.

DAY 1: FULL DAY TOUR

The plan was to dedicate Day 1 to the highlights of Barcelona by taking part of a full-day guided tour.  (Day 2 was for a more immersive experience on Catalan cooking.)  Signing up for guided tours is something that I usually opt for when 1) I do not have much time, and 2) if I really want to learn about the place from a local guide.  In the case of Barcelona, both were true.

We met up with our guide, Nicolas, at 9AM for the small group tour, supposedly limited to 8 people at the most.  You can imagine how excited we got when we found out that only KD and I signed up for the tour that day, turning the small group tour to our very own private tour!  Another good thing about traveling to Barcelona in January is that it’s well within the off peak season and the amount of tourists in the city goes down to but a small fraction of the sweaty, summer mobs.

AMAZING VIEWS FROM MONTJUïC

Our first stop was Montjuïc, one of the highest points of Barcelona which gives you a breathtaking and commanding view of the city.  Nicolas felt it was a good way to start the tour to 1) give us an overview of the city, 2) point out certain areas that standout, and 3) plot out the route that we’re taking that day.

(Clockwise from top): Breathtaking views of Barcelona from Montjuic; Ntional Art Museum of Catalonia; KD freezing but intently listening to Nicolas; the palm tree-lined route going up to Montjuic

LA SAGRADA FAMÍLIA

We drove down from Montjuïc for about 20 minutes with Nicolas calling other significant Barcelona landmarks along the way.  I started to take notice of the route that he’s taking.  Having spent 6 full days in Barcelona in 2009, I was a bit familiar with the city and I knew that he was leading us to La Sagrada Família.

I panicked.

I thought Nicolas was going to leave the church for last given that it is, after all, the crowning glory of Barcelona.  I had hoped to chat with Nicolas first on making the “reveal” somewhat dramatic for KD as I knew he was going to absolutely love it.

But we were one right turn away to the church and one right turn away to an ordinary, run-of-the-mill “reveal.”

But Nicolas turned left, drove further ahead, and further, made another left, parked the car, and asked us to walk with him instead.  I figured I was wrong and we were headed somewhere else.  We were in a residential area with very narrow streets and he was telling us about the history of the neighbourhood.  We followed him to a right turn and suddenly, unexpectedly, unbelievably, there it stood in front of us: Gaudi’s masterpiece, La Sagrada Família.

I did not only get the dramatic “reveal” for KD, but even I was surprised.  Like I guessed, KD was absolutely in awe.  Juxtaposed with the residential buildings, the Sagrada Familia’s facade is really a sight to behold.  And once inside the church, KD stood transfixed, amazed by the genius of Gaudi.  After the aurora borealis, he and I agree that La Sagrada Família is the most beautiful site to see in Europe:

Left: The Nativity facade; Right: The Passion facade built much later by Subirach

The breathtaking interior of La Sagrada Familia

The magnificent ceiling imitating a forrest canopy

Stained windows everywhere

No other church has more beautiful colour

TAPAS Y CAVA

It was close to noon when we arrived at Cuines Santa Caterina, a restaurant in Mercat de Santa Caterina (Santa Caterina Market) which is another must-visit for all architecture fiends.  There, the three of us took a break for some cava—world-famous Spanish sparkling wine produced in Catalonia, and some tapas:

Clockwise from left: Spanish cava; assorted tapas in one plate; restaurant interior of Cuines Santa Caterina

BARRI GÒTIC WITH A SOUNDTRACK

After snacking and wining, we headed off to Barcelona’s gothic quarters to view the oldest part of the city.  There are a lot of sites tucked away in the many winding cobbled streets of this pocket of Barcelona but I will recommend that you don’t miss:

• The Barcelona Cathedral also known as Catedral de la Santa Creu i Santa Eulàlia with its grand doorway of angels and its magnificent gothic architecture.  Inside, don’t miss the 13 resident geese.  They’re adorable.
• Plaça Sant Felip Neri which is a small, quaint square away from the crowds.  You can sit under the shade of a tree and watch local kids play football or tourists stroll by and feel utter peace.  But you can also take a closer look around you and see some ghosts from the past like bomb marks from the Spanish Civil War all over the walls on one side of the plaza, and a building marked with a boot emblem claimed to be a secret meeting place for the Knights Templar.
• If you hear a Spanish guitar in the background as you stroll around Barri Gotìc, follow it.  If the music is coming from Adrian Roman, plant yourself there and make a mental note to buy a lottery ticket because it is your lucky day.  Plant yourself there and listen to the best street performers in all of Barcelona.

Left: Barri Gotic’s Barcelona Cathedral; Middle: Barcelona Cathedral’s doorway of angels; Top-right: Nicolas & KD walking the old, narrow streets; Bottom-right: Adrian Roman performing

Left & top-right: Barri Gotic’s Knights Templar building marked by a boot emblem; Bottom-right: Bomb marks from the Spanish civil war

GAUDI’S PARK GÜELL

After a sumptuous lunch of paella negra, we headed to Park Güell.  The timing couldn’t be more perfect and is one that I’ll recommend to anyone planning to go to Park Güell.  With over 17 hectares of park and gardens—all adorned by Gaudí’s dreamy and whimsical architecture—you can choose to either burn your heavy lunch by walking around the park, OR find a quiet, shaded area away from the tourists, and have a well-deserved siesta.  Since KD and I ate a paella pan each, we decided to walk around and burn some calories whilst we admired every masterfully sculpted element of the park: houses that look like they’re made of gingerbread, rock colonnades, a tiled dragon that spits out lucky water, an never-ending bench… the list is practically endless!

Clockwise from left: One of the two houses flanking the entrance to the park; the doric columns supporting the top terrace; the second house by the park entrance; tiled “bench” that goes around the border of the terrace; the rock colonnade

MERIENDA

Although this was not part our private tour, this is a stop that I will recommend to all who will follow this itinerary.  Touring Park Güell can take 2 to 3 hours.  There will be a lot of climbing and walking on rough terrain so it’s easy to feel exhausted after.  If you’re not taking a car or a taxi, you’ll find the trek to/from the nearest bus stop is long and steep and quite tiring.  So by the time you reach your next tour stop, you’ll be drained.  So why not recharge with some merienda?

Merienda, a light meal eaten between lunch and dinner, is a concept that’s common in Spain and other areas in the world with heavy Spanish influece such as Latin America and the Philippines.  Growing up in Manila, my day is not complete without having it.  This meal is not common in countries where dinner is served at 6pm.  But with the Spanish schedule of lunch at 1pm, siesta at 3pm and dinner at 10pm, a 5pm snack works just fine.

And the perfect merienda in Barcelona?  There’s nothing better than some freshly cooked churros with a cup of thick, dark chocolate.

The perfect Spanish merienda: Churros con chocolate

LA PEDRERA & CASA BATLLÓ

After Park Güell, we headed to Passeig de Gràcia for our last stop for the day.  Along this road are two Antoni Gaudi sites 500m away from each other: La Pedrera (also known as Casa Milà) and Casa Batlló.  We said goodbye to Nicolas after going over a brief history of the two Modernista Gaudi masterpieces and left us to explore on our own.

Standing right in front of La Pedrera and looking up, one can really appreciate how unique and one-of-a-kind Gaudi is with the wave-like facade and balconies.  Tourists would typically stop there but what they do not realize is that Gaudi’s brilliance continues inside and is visible in every single element of the apartment building—from individually-designed knobs to the sentinel/soldier chimneys in the rooftop:

Left: One of La Pedrera’s chimneys; Top-right: The wave- and water-inspired facade; Bottom-right: Soldier-inspired ventilation ducts

The sun has set by the time we got to Casa Batlló.  The timing is perfect, once again, as the apartment is one of the best-lit buildings in all of Barcelona.  Too tired to cue and go in, we sat on one of the wooden benches in front, looked up and took everything in.  Our eyes feasted on the many, many colours and shapes, as our minds tried to comprehend why Gaudi would think of juxtaposing shapes of skulls and bones with splashes of bright greens, blues and yellows.  What was he thinking?  What was his intention?  We cannot begin to guess, so there we sat and admired:

Casa Batllo at night

It was a long day but it was not yet over.  The plan is to cap a day of touring with a treat: dinner at Chef Paco Perez’s Enoteca at the Ritz Carlton’s Hotel Arts Barcelona.  After dinner, we called it a day—a pretty darn brilliant day.

Enoteca: Paco Pérez’s obra maestra

In the past decade, the Spaniards were able to achieve a level of distinction and authority in the culinary world that no other can rival.  Every year since 2002, a Spanish restaurant has placed as one of the Top 3 restaurants in the world.  In fact, Chef Ferran Adria’s El Bulli ranked No. 1 for 5 of the past 10 years.  Today, although the top spot is comfortably claimed by Noma of Denmark, the 2nd and 3rd seats are taken by restaurants from Spain.
To expect good food from the Spaniards, therefore, is simply inescapable.
We decided to sample Barcelona’s finest fare at Enoteca—one of Barcelona’s Top 10 restaurants and led by Costa Brava’s pride, Chef Paco Pérez.  Rated with two Michelin stars, we knew we were in a for an amazing evening of good food and—given that the name of the restaurant literally translates to “wine repository”—several glasses of amazing vino.
Located at Hotel Arts, guests of Enoteca will be greeted by no less than luminous modern elegance and classy detail:

We opted for the tasting menu with wine pairing which had us feasting over 17 dishes and 5 different kinds of wine.  They served a full vegetarian ensemble for my other half whilst I opted for the regular offering.
Each dish that was put in front of us was absolutely delicious.  True to Chef Paco Pérez’s style, ingredients are very simple allowing the taste to shine.  But what I love the most is that each plate was nothing short of beautiful.  The prelude of Catalan-inspired amuse-bouche were dainty, elegant and at times even delicate.  The rice dishes were plated so precisely that you can almost measure where each scallion ring sat, or where every sunflower sprout fell.  And consistent with the rest of the works of art in the city, Enoteca did not hold back on the infusion of colour–electric green, bright orange, or even both at the same time.
My favourite plates are the caprese salad with its ensemble of spheres, the very elegant rice and prawn plate, and the very colourful dessert plate aptly called “green, forever green.”

Three hours after the first gazpacho was served to us, we headed home fed, full and without doubt, full-fledged fans.  If you ever visit Barcelona, I definitely recommend a meal at Enoteca.  Click the images below to see the full-size photos from the evening, followed by the spectacular wine list:

From the cellar:

Blanca Cuisine 2008 D.O. Cava
Pinot Noir, Chardonnay
Valldolina Xarel·lo 2010 D.O. Penedès
Xarel·lo
Londoño Blanco 201 D.O. Ca Rioja
Viura, Malvasia, Garnatxa Blanca
Algueira 2007 D.O. Ribera Sacra
Mencia
Jorge Ordoñez Seleccion Especial 2008 D.O. Malaga
Muscat de Alexandria

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