No comments about Seeing Europe With Famous Authors: Italy, Sicily, and Greece.

1 comments about Inside Monaco.

1. This book provided me with essential information about hotels, sites, dining, and culture during my stay in Monaco. I would have been lost without it. If you are considering a trip to Monaco you must buy this guidebook.

No comments about The Wine Atlas of Spain.

2 comments about The Rough Guide to Mallorca 1 (Rough Guide Travel Guides).

1. This is the first and last Rough Guide that I will purchase. One might think that a 272 page book about a fairly small place would be quite thorough. On the contrary, this guide lacked references to some of the best experiences we had on the island. Additionally, the indexing was atrocious (e.g. no entries for boat rental, markets, groceries...I could go on).

   I don't know what the other guide books are like but even the worst of them are probably better than this one.




2. Its not customary for me to address another's review, but I actually find this book very helpful in the times that I have traveled to Mallorca. It is complete with many phone numbers (for ferries, flights, etc) and provides great sections on restaurants and festivals. My only issue with the book is the lack of a historical foundation for the island itself and some more indepth history of the featured monuments.

No comments about Costa Del Sol 2003 (Michelin Zoom Maps).

1 comments about The Face of Spain (Ecco Travels Series).

1. Spain, 1949. War in Europe is over. The brutal, confusing, almost incomprehensible Spanish Civil War is history, but not distant history. Franco's Falangist Party still rules Spain.
   
   Gerald Brenan knew Spain well. He lived in the Andalusia region in his youth. Years later he and his wife returned and bought a home in Southern Spain. But in 1936 they fled as Civil War erupted.
   
   In the spring of 1949 they returned as visitors. The Face of Spain is an extraordinary account of their travels through central and southern Spain. Gerald Brenan's fascinating examination of a country and people that he admired and loved should be read by all students of European history, and by all who love to travel.

   I was saddened by much of Brenan's account. But I was also enthralled by his observations, by his sense of history, and by his sensitivity to the Spanish character. I felt a sense of loss when I read the final chapter and realized my journey had ended.
   
   The journey begins in Madrid and then wanders leisurely through Cordova, the hill towns of Andalusia, Malaga, Churriana, Granada, La Mancha, Badajoz, Merida, Talavera, Toledo, Aranjuez, and ends once again in Madrid.
   
   Brenan gives the reader a sympathetic, but objective look at Spain. We become a part of Spain's colorful sunsets, its baked landscape (Spain was witnessing an extreme drought), and its complex heritage shaped by Romans, Visigoths, and Arabs. I was especially intrigued by Brenan's personal encounters with the indomitable Spanish people, and their individual stories of life in postwar Spain.
   
   The Face of Spain is sometimes somber, sometimes sympathetic, sometimes critical, and sometimes exuberant. I will undoubtedly return to Brenan's Spain again. It is exceptional travel literature and fascinating history.

3 comments about Frommer's Barcelona, Madrid & Seville, 2nd Edition.

1. While traveling through Europe, my husband and I decided to visit Barcelona. Since it was the only country we had not researched before we left, we decided we better pick up Frommer's guide. To our dismay, most of the information in it was inaccurate or misinforming. For example, the street the laundry was listed on was misspelled. When we finally found it (in the pouring rain) it was a laundry service, not self-serve. So there was 2 hours of "dead time" not to mention paying 3 times as much money for getting our clothes cleaned.

   The silver lining I guess was that the laundry lady was one of the 3 nice Spanish people we met during our 6 day visit. I wish that Frommer's would have given us some forewarning on Spanish culture and rudeness. Even the service people in our 4 star hotel were grumpy. Everyone seems to need either a fiesta or a siesta.

   On our final night in Barcelona, we counted our change and had just enough money to catch the metro and attend a Spanish dance. Upon our arrival (late because the directions were fuzzy) we found that both the time and the amount listed were incorrect. We then found out that the metro closes down earlier than the book states, so we got to spend our last pasettas on a cab ride back to our hotel. When I got back I was so aggravated that I could have started a bonfire with it.

   There were several other ommissions and inaccuracies that we ran across but all in all my final straw was when I contacted Frommers online for a refund and read that they do not offer refunds--I needed to contact the point of purchase. No wonder it was the only English guide book left in Germany-nobody wanted it!

   I learned a lot of things from our European excursion. One of the best I can tell you is use Lonely Planet guides! And visit the information station at the airport-they may not be friendly but at least their brochures are helpful!




2. Not wanting to lug around a tome covering all of Spain, and not wanting to purchase separate city guides for each of the places I intended to visit, I found this book to be a great compromise (since it covered three of the places I intended to visit). The book gives detailed critical reviews of hotels and restaurants, and points you to the most important sites in each area (with one walking tour of each and detailed information about various sites). This is a great book if you're planning to spend 1-3 days in one or more of these areas. It even gives travel information for places to visit surrounding each area (for example, offering a guide to Toledo, near Madrid). Overall, I was very pleased, especially considering the reasonable price. One warning, however, is that some of the maps (and the placement of items on those maps) are inaccurate.



3. Frommer's is an excellent guidebook (though I personally like Lonely Planet and DK, Frommer's is a solid 3). Some of the reviews I read have been negative, and it seems to be somewhat misplaced towards the guidebook.

   I can understand that not finding a laundry is frustrating. But if that is your only gripe with it, why not leave it at that? It seems to me that any problems you may have with rude hosts is more of a personailty clash than anything a guidebook could help with.

   Honestly, although not perfect, we found this book a more than adequate starting point for our Spanish adventure. My advice: Rate the book on it's own merits, and your vacation on your planning. The two should stay seperate.

   All in all, I believe that this book, along with DK's line of books, are a good pick for info on a trip to these beautiful cities.

1 comments about Hotels and Country Inns of Character and Charm in Spain.

1. "This series has long been respected as one of the best of its kind. Each book contains detailed color maps and a listing of accommodations by area. They include color photographs, the address and phone number, a star rating, amenities, price, and a brief paragraph describing the property. Newly revised and updated, these excellent guides to accommodations in Europe are highly recommended for all libraries." Library Journal

No comments about A Stranger in Spain.

No comments about Barcelona Access.