Spain Vacation Review: Barcelona, Madrid, Seville, Ronda, Marbella, Sagrada Familia, Alcazar, Flamenco Show, Shopping Tour

I cannot speak highly enough about our 3 week trip to Spain and the services provided by this travel company.  Everything was seamless. The private guides were interesting and knowledgable.  We felt that they were more than just guides.  It was like we had a friend in each city.  They gave us restaurant tips as well as tips on sights we should see on our days of leisure and on entertainment ideas. We were made to feel like honored guests at various activities.  There were so many highlights.  We had an insider's flamenco experience where a gypsy family and friends explained each facet of flamenco and then performed it for us in a tiny theater.  We had a wine tasting in Ronda with the owner of the winery.  We sat under an avocado tree and met the owner's daughter and a Hungarian couple and a few other people.  The wine was flowing and cheeses and iberico ham was served.  We never opened our wallets for the various activities.  In Barcelona the wonderful guide got us in ahead of the long lines.  This was true with all the guides in all the cities.  In this way we made the most of our time as we did not have to wait in long lines.  We enjoyed two tapas tours in Madrid on our first night and in Seville.  The tapas are different in the two cities justifying two tours.  We then went back on our own to the tapas places which we never would have found on our own. We thoroughly enjoyed a cooking class in Barcelona that began at 9:30 am with a shopping tour at La Boqueria market to buy ingredients for gazpacho and seafood paella.  We were there until 3pm.  We enjoyed the teacher, the food, the wine, the other members of the class. Private drivers arrived early in upscale immaculate cars.  In the Ronda area we had a driver and a guide.  You need a very skilled driver to navigate the very narrow streets.  The hotels were fabulous, some with beautiful courtyards.  We were upgraded to a junior suite in a beach resort in Marbella.  We have had private guides in the past through other travel agents who were not as excellent as the guides provided by this travel agency.  This trip exceeded out expectations in every way.