November 29, 2016 2:57 pm Considering a Trip? Introducing Friend of a Friend Consulting
Written by Marianne Riess
Who wouldn’t love a carefree, hassle-free, worry free trip abroad? Just jump on a magic carpet with all arrangements made and go… Not as impossible as it sounds. The magic carpet is named Friend of a Friend Consulting, run by travel expert Meg Nolan of Old Greenwich.
Montserrat, outside of Barcelona
Recently my husband and I decided on a ten-day trip to Spain. We had used Meg two years ago to arrange a trip to Paris and Normandy, and loved our whole experience. Calling her again was a no-brainer. We told her our preferences: Barcelona and then the Moorish area around Granada and Seville. Meg had a few suggestions, one of which was to include stops in small beautiful mountain towns between Granada and Seville; the other was to fly home from Madrid. She sent us day-by-day options and we chose. That was pretty much all we had to do except pack our suitcases and grab our passports.
Sagrada Familia, Barcelona
Meg arranged our first class flights to Barcelona and from Madrid, using our AMEX points, and recommended we fly from Barcelona to Granada, rather than make an 11-hour drive. She gave multiple suggestions for hotels in each city and when we chose, she made the reservations, including pick up from airports. We loved our hotels, which were central to everything we wanted to see. She reserved the car we drove from Granada, through the small towns, to Seville, and included a GPS so we didn’t get lost.
Hotel Casa 1800, Seville
But that was only the nitty-gritty. Over the ten days, Meg gave suggestions for what to see and do, and scheduled us for several private tours. They included Gaudi’s Sagrada Familia and Park Guell in Barcelona, a visit to the monastery at Montserrat outside of Barcelona, tour of an organic vineyard (with tasting), a private tour of the Alhambra in Granada, dinner and a flamenco show in Albacin, and a private walking tour of the Cathedral, Real Alcazar and Old Quarter in Seville. All the guides were teachers: very knowledgeable, fluent in English, fun to talk to. We learned a lot about historical and modern Spain from them.
Meg made lunch and dinner recommendations for each day, which we could take or not depending on what we felt like eating and how tired we were. Her places were always spot on with delicious food and interesting views.
She knew where to find the best tapas. She told us what not to miss: the Boqueria market in Barcelona (where one can spend a whole day looking at and eating all manner of food), the Cathedral and gypsy quarter in Granada, the Plaza Espana in Seville. We had less than a day in Madrid, so Meg chose a hotel that was across the street from the Prado and a short walk to the Reina Sofia museum.
Cafe in Zahara De La Sierra
The trip was seamless and totally enjoyable. And relaxing! We never had to worry about the when, where or how, thanks to Meg Nolan and Friend of a Friend Consulting. If you are considering a foreign trip, give yourself a break. Call or email Meg, then sit back and relax.
203 – 990 – 0781
www.friendofafriendconsulting.com
Read Meg’s Mom of the Week Interview here
