Review: Spain Vacation, Andalusia, Ronda, Cordoba, Madrid, Malaga, Flamenco Performance, Picasso Museum, Art & History

For the past 15 years we have traveled often, either using travel agencies or planning trips on our own. Three years ago I  used Zicasso to locate a travel agency in Greece and was thrilled with the results. So when it came time to plan our Spain trip, Zicasso helped me locate this travel company and due to the excellent service both before and during our 16 day trip to southern Spain, this latest trip was probably the best one we have taken. This travel agent quickly contacted me   after receiving my referral, and during the 4 months of planning, continued to be available both through email and phone calls in order to plan and then tweak the details of this trip. She customized this trip according to my interests, art, music, culture, food and history, including the Jewish(Sephardic) history of Spain. We received recommendations of hotels, restaurants  and activities, and several itineraries were suggested. Our hotels were 4* boutiques hotels, all located in the the most interesting areas of the cities, and convenient for exploration on our own.  My travel agent arranged for private guides and private drivers, all of whom were personable and knowledgeable and offered their own recommendations when asked, as well as changing plans according to our interests. In addition to the paper itinerary provided, she also assisted me in downloading an app for my phone so that all of the information, including documents were readily available electronically. One of the best features of this travel agency, however, is the fact that this agent met us several times while we were in Spain, acting as a tour guide for a small privately owned olive oil factory, driving us to Lucena, one of the oldest Jewish communities in Spain, and several times for lunch or coffee. She was also available any time we needed by phone or app,( what's app) and was able to change plans when we re requested , always a plan B if needed.  My agent was a joy to work with during the entire process, and it was so reassuring to know she was just a phone call or a text away.