The Shumskas Family from Piperville, PA traveled to Spain for an 8-night getaway just after Christmas. December is a lovely time to experience Southern Europe with comfortable temperatures and lots of holiday festivities. The family of 5 (2 adults and 3 children ages 20, 16 and 11) began their trip in Barcelona. They stayed in a spacious and modern 3-bedroom apartment for four nights. Sensation Sagrada Familia is an apartment hotel with front desk services located in the upscale Eixample neighborhood and near the famous basilica. The family enjoyed several privately guided tours to help keep them all engaged due to the range of ages. They started off with a Gaudi themed tour that included Sagrada Familia, Park Guell and La Pedrera apartments. Another tour followed the footsteps of Picasso through his favorite places in the Gothic Quarter and a tour of the Picasso Museum. Their food tour of the Barcelona markets was also a highlight and conducted by a local chef. A 3-hour train ride took them from Barcelona to Madrid where they again opted for another spacious 3-bedroom apartment at the Erik Vokel Madrid Suites.  This apartment hotel was their home for another four nights and ideally located in the heart of the Malasana district, next to the Gran Via. In Spain’s capital city, the family had a privately guided tour of the Royal Palace and surrounding neighborhood. They also took a quick, 30-minute train ride to Toledo for a privately guided tour. The city is well known for its mixture of Christian, Arab and Jewish monuments, located within the fascinating walled historic center.  They found the cathedral in Toledo to be a highlight of their trip and a sharp contrast to the more modern Sagrada Familia. Their New Year’s celebration included a home cooked meal in their apartment and a walk around Madrid to see all the holiday festivities. They explained that it was very easy to navigate each city by taxi or uber; even for their family of 5. Overall a great way to end their holiday break and enjoy special family time.