For many of our families, Italy is their first Mediterranean experience. Everyone loves and is already familiar with the food and wine, culture and history. When you want to experience more of the Med…we recommend Spain. This country’s highlights are very similar to Italy with its great weather, excellent food and wine, art, culture, Jewish history, diverse cities and sordid history. For a first trip, Barcelona and Madrid is ideal in a week to 10 days with time for nearby day trips to places like Girona, Toledo and Segovia. Just three hours by train divides these two very different cities with varied histories, culture and even language. Barcelona, the seaport capital of Catalan, mixes the classic with the modern with an emphasis on all things Gaudi architecture, the Olympics, beaches, etc. Madrid, the capital of Spain and located in-land, showcases monumental architecture, a royal palace and some of the world’s best art museums. Our families are also enamored by the Andalusia region in the south with 500 miles of coastline, white-washed villages, forests and the area’s Moorish influences. Not as easy to get around the mountainous terrain, but highlights include Sevilla, Granada for the Alhambra, Gibraltar and the beach towns in and around Marbella. For more details check out https://www.spain.info/en/.