Best in Spain travel specialist teams up with the Travel Channel The Trip 2014
I first caught the travel bug at the age of six when my father took my sisters and me sailing in the Caribbean. Travelling on a small sailboat took us off the beaten path and I remember feeling as if we had discovered deserted islands and uninhabited beaches. Ever since then I always felt a strong curiosity about how the locals lived and what existed beyond the pages of vacation brochures.
Back in America as a local boy growing up in the countryside of Michigan I knew all about the special spots, like where you could catch a glimpse of a magnificent elk or which bluff had the best view of the sunset or what stretch of beach you could have all to yourself. When I travelled I couldn’t help but wonder where were those same secret places would be in the places I visited and who knew how to find them.
My passion to find the best kept secrets and understand the local culture continued to drive me to get to know the places I visit. As a college student, travelled the world, backpacking around Europe and spending a year studying on a ship stopping at ports like Caracas, Salvador, Mombasa, Madras, and Kobe. But then it was time to get to work and exploration gave way to a focus on planning and execution. I started looking after the needs of other travellers who needed to perform at their best whilst away from home…but I also realised that just because they were on business travel didn’t mean they wanted to sacrifice the joy of discovery the travelling brings Over the years my business travel experiences evolved from travelling practically in freight class as the office grunt to commuting supersonic on the Concorde supporting Donatella Versace as her executive assistant. My five years at Versace gave me the opportunity to perfect my luxury service skills and learn in an extremely high-profile environment under the most demanding conditions. Looking after personalities like Versace, Madonna, Cher, Jennifer Lopez, and Elton John I truly understand the value of time and the importance of detail.
After all these amazing experiences it was time for me to move to the next adventure and I moved to Madrid. Upon arriving in Spain I thought it would be easy to settle in, assuming it was like any other country I had been to. I couldn’t have been more wrong. Spain was not what it appeared to be exactly and the cultural differences ran much deeper than I could have anticipated. Spain is filled with interesting contradictions. And that is probably why one of the things I love so much about this country is that it never ceases to surprise me. It’s a mix of simple pleasures and mysterious adventure. There always seems to be another secret to uncover or oddity to understand.
I have had the privilege to live in many cities like New York, London, and Milan. Living in Madrid for ten years now I can safely say I’m a big fan of Spain; I no longer live like a local, I am a local and this is my home. As a local who knows the secret delights (but also the surface frustrations) of this wonderful country, I am able to smooth the rough edges and take you straight to the little known delights.
Best In Spain is born out of my passion for travel, my ability to navigate the cultural landscape, and the desire to share great experiences of Spain with other travellers. I created it so that you can find the authentic and wonderful experiences it’s taken me years to discover whether you’re on weekend break, two-week vacation, or six month business secondment.
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