Runway to Rail: Barcelona - Pamplona and Amsterdam

Barcelona, the old Roman Barcino, is Spain's second city, always on the biting edge of fashion, architecture, food, style, music and good times. Walk its narrow streets and wonderful plazas, or along the Ramblas, stretching from Plaza de Cataluna to the Harbor, encompassing the magic of the city: stalls full of books, birds and flowers. The city's most powerful monuments open a window onto its history: the intricately carved edifices that comprise the medieval Gothic Quarter; the curvilinear modernism (Catalan Art Nouveau) that inspired Gaudi's Sagrada Familia; and the seminal surrealist works of Picasso and Miró, found in museums that peg Barcelona as a crucial incubator for 20th-century art. The recent restoration of the port area began with the development of a harbor for the Olympic Games of 1992. New modern squares, designed by leading artists such as Miro and Barcelo have created a new style alongside Gaudi's modernist buildings. Now the city is ready to show every visitor how it has been transformed into one of the most moderns and active cities in Europe.

Explore The Sagrada Familia, Picasso Museum, La Rambla, Barri Gotic, Park Guell, modernist buildings, Montjuic Hill, Barceloneta and so much more!

Ernest Hemingway put Pamplona on the map by describing the famed running of the bulls. One can see the encierros (bull running) during Fiesta de San Fermín, usually between July 6 and July 14. The non-stop party atmosphere is spiced up by fireworks, Basque flute concerts, and wine. To get a hold of a bed, one must reserve a hotel one year in advance or stay in a neighboring town. Once a fortified city and the capital of the ancient kingdom of Navarre, Pamplona is more than one-event town.

Explore the Citadel of Pamplona, Plaza de Toros de Pamplona, Castle Square, Jardines de la Taconera, Pamplona Cathedral, Museum of Navarra, and more

Easygoing, liberal Amsterdam is 'different.' Its citizens, bubbling along happily in their multiracial melting pot, are not so easily poured into the restrictive molds of trade and industry. More important, you can enjoy Amsterdam, its culture, history, and beauty, without stretching the limits of your credit cards. Few skyscrapers mar the clarity of the sky, and the populace mostly walks or bikes from place to place. The historic center recalls Amsterdam's Golden Age as the command post of a vast trading network and colonial empire, when wealthy merchants constructed gabled residences along neatly laid-out canals.

Visit Dam Square, Anne Frank House, Bloemenmarkt, Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum, Canal Belt, Jordaan, Red Light District and so much more!