Spain: Thirteen Days, Eight Cities, and One Unforgetable Country

Spain: Thirteen Days, Eight Cities, and One Unforgetable Country

by | May 14, 2026 | Blog, Destinations, Eating & Drinking, Experiencing Europe

by David McGuffin

It took Spain a long time to get on my travel radar

I’d been to France dozens of times, Italy even more. But once I started leading tours of the Iberian Peninsula, I kept coming back—and I think I finally know why. There’s a looseness here, a no-rush-about-it attitude that is hard to find anywhere else in Europe. The food is incredible, the history is layered and complicated, and the people seem genuinely happy to have you wandering their streets.  that’s my Best of Spain tour in a nutshell.

Over thirteen days on my Best of Spain tour, we cover eight cities and towns across the length of this massive country — from the modernista madness of Barcelona in the northeast all the way down to the sun-baked, flamenco-fueled streets of Sevilla in the southwest. Here’s a taste of what’s waiting for you.

Barcelona: Gaudí, Gothic, and the Grand Promenade

Barcelona-La Sagrada Familia exterior vignetteWe begin in Barcelona, and honestly, it’s hard to imagine a better opening act. On our first evening, I like to walk the group through the Eixample neighborhood to see Gaudí’s so-called “Block of Discord” — a stretch of modernista buildings that are about as far from boring architecture as you can get. Over dinner at one of my favorite tapas spots, you start to get the feel of the city: loud, social, and very much alive after dark.

Day two is all about Gaudí’s great unfinished cathedral, La Sagrada Família. I’ve stood in front of that building more times than I can count, and it still stops me cold. The façades, the towers, the way light moves through the interior — there is simply nothing else like it in the world. After that, we wander the narrow lanes of the Gothic Quarter, out to the harbor promenade, and then the rest of the day is yours. Barcelona rewards wanderers.

Madrid: The Royal Capital at Its Best

Madrid-Plaza MajorA high-speed AVE train whisks us from Barcelona to Madrid in just a few hours — and yes, the train is genuinely part of the fun. Madrid is the heart of the country, and we give it the time it deserves: four nights.

On arrival, we head straight for the Palacio Real, the Royal Palace. With over 3,400 rooms, it is the largest functioning royal palace in Western Europe. The sheer scale of the place tends to make jaws drop. The next morning, we meet a local guide at the Prado Museum for a personal tour of its greatest works — Velázquez, Goya, and El Greco. No rushing. No tour bus crowds. Just good art and good conversation.

The rest of your time in Madrid is yours to fill. Find a café on the Plaza Mayor, duck into a neighborhood taberna, and discover the Retiro Park. Madrid is a city that rewards people who slow down.

Segovia: Cool, Quiet, and Completely Worth It

Segovia- AcquductOne of the best decisions I made years ago was to add a day trip to Segovia to this tour. Just a short train ride north of Madrid, Segovia sits at nearly 3,000 feet of elevation — which means even in summer, the air is crisp, and the pace is distinctly unhurried.

The Roman Aqueduct is the star of the show: 2,500 feet long, nearly 100 feet high, and built from 20,000 precisely cut granite stones stacked without a drop of mortar — two thousand years ago. No scaffolding, no power tools, no mortar. It still stands. We also wander up to the fairy-tale Alcázar, the hilltop castle that is said to have inspired Walt Disney, and the elegant Gothic Cathedral right on the main plaza. For lunch, we sit down to the regional specialty — roasted suckling pig. Don’t be shy about it. It’s extraordinary.

Toledo: The City of Three Cultures

Toledo vistaToledo is only thirty minutes from Madrid by high-speed train, but in every other sense, it is a world apart. For centuries, Christians, Muslims, and Jews lived and worked side by side here, and you can feel that layered history in every lane and doorway.

The Cathedral of Toledo is one of the great Gothic churches of the world — massive, dark, full of treasures. But I love Toledo just as much for the wandering: the crooked medieval streets, the sword-makers’ shops, the views from the old city walls out over the Tagus River below. We make a full day of it before heading back to Madrid for the evening.

Granada: Where the Moors Left Their Greatest Gift

The Best of Spain: Granada AlhambraA fast train carries us south to Granada and the heart of Andalucía. On arrival, we visit the Royal Chapel, where Ferdinand and Isabella — the monarchs who united Spain and sent Columbus west — lie in their lavish tombs. It’s a surprisingly intimate and moving place.

But the next morning is what everyone has been waiting for: The Alhambra. I’ve been through it many times, and I still find it breathtaking. This sprawling Moorish palace complex, perched on a forested hilltop above the city, is without question one of the most beautiful places on earth. The tilework, the carved stucco, the reflecting pools, the Generalife gardens — the artistry is extraordinary. Plan on spending the better part of the day.

Nerja: One Day, No Agenda, Just the Sea

Evening at a lively waterfront promenade with palm trees and lights.After the grand palaces and cathedrals, I always love watching the group arrive in Nerja. This little beach town on the Costa del Sol is our one deliberate day off — no sightseeing agenda, no guided tours, no checklist. Just a pretty cliff-top town, sandy beaches, a small central plaza, and the Mediterranean stretching out in every direction.

Find a chair and umbrella on the beach. Read a book. Have a long lunch with a glass of something cold. That’s the whole plan, and it’s a good one.

Arcos de la Frontera: Spain’s Most Spectacular Hilltop Village

ArcosThe mountains between Granada and Sevilla are dotted with whitewashed villages perched high in the hills, and my favorite of all of them is Arcos de la Frontera. We set up here for an afternoon and evening, and the views from the old town ramparts — out over the Andalusian countryside — are the kind that make you reach for your camera and then realize no photo will do it justice.

The cobbled lanes are ancient and narrow, the whitewashed houses glow in the afternoon light, and dinner at the top of the hill, watching the sun go down over the valley, is one of those moments the group always talks about afterward.

Sevilla: A Grand Finale

Night view of a historic cathedral illuminated against the dark sky.We save the biggest finish for last. Sevilla — capital of Andalucía and arguably the most passionate city in Spain — gives us two full nights to take it all in.

On our first day, we walk the whitewashed lanes of the Barrio Santa Cruz, the old Jewish quarter, and visit the Cathedral of Sevilla — the largest Gothic church in the Christian world, with a tower you can climb for sweeping views over the rooftops. That evening, we will settle in for a live flamenco performance. After a few days in Andalucía, you start to understand where this music comes from — the emotion, the drama, the raw intensity of it.

Our second day features a tour of the Real Alcázar, the Moorish-influenced royal palace that has been home to Spanish monarchs for more than five hundred years. Then the afternoon is free — wander, shop, sit on a terrace with a fino sherry and watch the city go by. That evening, we gather for our farewell dinner, raise a glass, and toast thirteen days of Spain done right.

Ready to Go?

Granada- David Toasting the evening Alhambra in the backgroundMy Best of Spain tour runs in September/October 2026 and again in spring and fall 2027. Small groups, authentic dining, and no rushing through the good stuff. Find dates and details here.

Spain rewards the traveler who pays attention to the food, the history, and the unhurried rhythms of daily life. Thirteen days is just enough time to fall in love with this country. Plenty of my travelers have come back for more.

I hope to see you there.

— David

 

Barcelona-La Sagrada Familia exterior vignette
Barcelona-La Sagrada Familia interior
The Best of Spain: Granada Alhambra
Madrid-Plaza Major
Madrid-Tio Pepe Billboard
Segovia- Acquduct
Segovia-Alcarzar
Segovia-Suckling Pig
Segovia-Cathedral at night
Toledo-Tapas
Lisbon — Where the Old World Meets the Edge of the Sea

Lisbon — Where the Old World Meets the Edge of the Sea

by | Mar 31, 2026 | Blog, Destinations, Eating & Drinking, Experiencing Europe

by David McGuffin

Lisbon — Where the Old World Meets the Edge of the Sea

Lisbon is not my most favorite city in Europe, but it does have this crusty, old-world charm that always beckons me to explore its hilltops, back streets, and grand boulevards. The first time I walked through Alfama — the old Moorish quarter draped across Lisbon’s steepest hill — I didn’t want to leave. As the afternoon turned into evening, the vhino verde and vistas would not let me leave. There’s something about this city that feels both ancient and completely alive. It moves at its own pace, it sounds like no other place on earth, and it will feed you extraordinarily well. If you’re going for a few days, you’re in for a treat. Here’s what I’d put at the top of my list.

🏰 Alfama & Castelo de São Jorge

Start at the top, literally. Castelo de São Jorge sits atop Lisbon’s highest hill, a Moorish fortress that has watched over this city for a thousand years. Arrive right at opening — 9AM — and for a brief window, you’ll have the battlements nearly to yourself. The views from up there are the best in the city, a full sweep of terracotta rooftops rolling down to the wide silver ribbon of the Tagus River. And keep an eye out, because peacocks roam the grounds freely, as if they own the place. They might.
On your way back downhill, stop into the Sé Cathedral. It’s Portugal’s oldest church, dating all the way back to 1147, and it looks the part — thick Romanesque walls, a stern facade, built to last through earthquakes and invasions alike. It has.
From there, just wander. That’s really the only instruction for Alfama. The neighborhood is a maze of narrow cobblestone lanes, faded azulejo tiles, and sun-bleached laundry strung between buildings. You’ll get lost. That’s the point.

🚋 Tram 28

At some point, you need to ride Tram 28. Not because of where it takes you, but because of what it is — a rattling, century-old yellow streetcar that hauls itself up and down impossibly steep streets, squeezing through lanes so narrow it nearly brushes the walls on both sides. Locals actually use it, which tells you something. Hang on tight, keep a hand on your pocket, and let it carry you through a slice of the city that most tourists see only from the outside.

🌅 The Miradouros — Lisbon’s Great Viewpoints

Lisbon is built on seven hills, and the locals have turned the best viewpoints into a civic ritual. They call them miradouros, and you need to visit at least two of them. Miradouro de Santa Luzia is the classic — a tiled terrace covered in bougainvillea, with red rooftops tumbling below you toward the river. It’s beautiful, especially in the late afternoon light. But if I had to pick just one, I’d send you to Miradouro da Senhora do Monte. It sits at the highest point in the city, it’s less crowded than the others, and on a clear evening at sunset the sky goes orange and pink and the whole city glows. There are usually pop-up drink vendors and sometimes live music. Grab something cold, find a spot on the wall, and stay as long as you can.

🏛️ Praça do Comércio & the Heart of the City

Walk down to the river, and you’ll arrive at Praça do Comércio — one of Europe’s grandest public squares, opening directly onto the Tagus. It’s framed by elegant golden arcades on three sides and the wide river on the fourth. Stand there for a moment and let the scale of it sink in. This is where Lisbon faces the sea that once made it the center of a global empire stretching from Brazil to India. The triumphal Rua Augusta Arch anchors the opposite end — climb to the top if you want another great view. At golden hour, with the river light bouncing off the buildings, the whole square turns honey-colored and magnificent.

🌿 The Carmo Convent

A short walk uphill into the Chiado neighborhood, you’ll find something I think is one of the most quietly extraordinary sights in all of Portugal. The Carmo Convent is a Gothic church that stands completely roofless — its elegant stone arches open to the sky, with ivy slowly climbing the walls. The 1755 earthquake brought the roof down, and the decision was made to simply leave it that way. There’s now a small archaeological museum inside. But the real experience is just standing in what used to be the nave, looking up at nothing but the open sky framed by eight-hundred-year-old stone. It stops you in your tracks.

⛵ Belém — Half a Day Well Spent

Take the tram or bus about six kilometers west along the river to the district of Belém, and you’re stepping into the heart of Portugal’s Age of Discovery. The Jerónimos Monastery is the crown jewel — a UNESCO World Heritage site and, in my view, one of the most breathtaking buildings in all of Europe. The style is called Manueline, Portugal’s own ornate maritime Gothic, and the stonework is almost unbelievably intricate — ropes, anchors, armillary spheres, and exotic flora carved into honey-colored stone. Vasco da Gama is buried inside. Buy your tickets in advance; the lines get long, and there’s no shade. Right next door, at the Pastéis de Belém bakery, order a warm custard tart straight from the oven, dust it with cinnamon, and eat it standing up. The recipe is a closely guarded secret that hasn’t changed since 1837. It’s worth the trip to Belém for that tart alone.

🎶 Fado — Don’t Skip This (but on my tours we do Fado in Coimbra)

On one of your evenings, find a small restaurant in Alfama where the lights are low and the chairs are pushed close together. When the fadista takes the floor and begins to sing — accompanied only by the Portuguese guitar — the room goes completely silent. Fado is the music of this city: born in these very streets, full of longing, salt air, and something irretrievably lost. Whether you understand a word or not, it will reach you. This is one of those experiences that no amount of reading about it can prepare you for. You just have to go.

🍽️ Eating & Drinking

Lisbon’s food culture will not let you down. Start every morning with a pastel de nata — a warm custard tart — and a bica (a small, strong espresso) at a neighborhood café counter, standing up like a local. For lunch or dinner, look for grilled fish, garlic prawns, or the beloved bacalhau (salt cod) prepared in one of what locals claim are 365 different ways. The wine is excellent and inexpensive — a crisp Vinho Verde on a warm afternoon, a robust Alentejo red with dinner. Small family restaurants are the best bet. Tip generously at the good ones; they deserve it.

💡 One Last Thing

The best tip I can give you for Lisbon doesn’t involve any monument or restaurant. Buy a small bag of ginjinha cherry liqueur chocolates from a street vendor near Alfama, find a set of steps on any hill, and sit down. Watch the light change over the rooftops. Let the city come to you. Lisbon has a pace all its own — unhurried, warm, a little melancholy in the best possible way. The sooner you surrender to it, the better your trip will be. I promise you, you won’t want to leave.
A vintage tram passes by a historic yellow building under a blue sky.
Historic fortress tower with visitors under a blue sky.
Mount Etna and the Gambino Family winery

Mount Etna and the Gambino Family winery

by | Jan 8, 2026 | Blog, Destinations, Eating & Drinking, Experiencing Europe

by David McGuffin

I was up on Mount Etna with my Sicilian friend, Paolo, a few months ago. After winding through the lava fields and trekking down into a crater, we had had all the cold and desolate volcanic slopes we could stand for the day. So we headed back down the northern slope of Etna to the Gambino family winery.

The Gambino estate sits at about 2,600 feet above sea level on the eastern slope of Mount Etna, perched right there in the National Park with views stretching across the Taormina coastline and the Mediterranean. Getting there means winding your way up mountain roads through volcanic landscape, and I won’t lie to you—the drive can be a bit nerve-wracking if you’re not used to mountain driving. But the moment you arrive and see those terraced vineyards spreading out with the sea glittering in the distance, you understand why this place is special.

Here’s what makes Gambino extraordinary. This is a family operation that’s been at it for over twenty years, with the Raciti Gambino siblings—Francesco, Filadelfo, and Mariagrazia—pouring their hearts into every aspect of the winery. Francesco grew up watching his parents buy land piece by piece on Etna, and his mother Maria came from a long line of Etna vintners. You can taste it in the wines, and you can feel it in how the family welcomes visitors. When Filadelfo takes you down into their cellar—carved ten meters deep into volcanic rock—and explains their winemaking philosophy, you’re not getting a corporate tour. You’re getting invited into their passion.

The volcanic terroir here is remarkable. The soil is rich with minerals from Etna’s eruptions, and those high-altitude vineyards get that dramatic temperature swing between day and night that’s crucial for developing complex flavors in the grapes. They’re working with indigenous varieties—Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Cappuccio for the reds, Carricante and Catarratto for the whites. The Tifeo Etna Rosso has this beautiful pale ruby color with aromas that just keep unfolding—cherry, leather, coffee, vanilla. And the Tifeo Etna Bianco? It’s got this bright citrus character with touches of pepper. I could taste the soil and the sea breeze in it.

We booked their full experience—the wine tasting paired with food. They serve you five wines alongside a three-course meal of traditional Sicilian specialties, and their sommeliers know how to guide you through the pairings without being pretentious about it. The antipasti plate and the lentil and chickpea soup were perfect pairings with the wine. And that view from their terrace? Breathtaking doesn’t quite cover it. You’re looking out over terraced vineyards with the Mediterranean spread out before you, and you’re tasting wines that couldn’t come from anywhere else on earth.

The Gambino siblings practice sustainable viticulture—hand-picking their grapes, using natural pest control, doing things the way their parents and grandparents would recognize. But they’re not stuck in the past. They’ve married traditional methods with modern techniques to create wines that speak authentically to this place while meeting international quality standards. You can find their wines in restaurants, but experiencing them here, where they’re made, is something entirely different.

What I love about bringing people to Gambino is that authenticity. There’s no pretense here, no over-the-top wine snobbery. Just a family that loves what they do, making exceptional wines in one of the most dramatic settings you’ll find anywhere. They welcome you like you’re visiting their home—because you are. After your tasting and tour, you can browse their shop, stock up on bottles (they ship worldwide), and maybe grab some of their olive oil, which comes from trees growing at the same altitude as the vines.

The winery gets busy, especially in summer, so I suggest booking ahead. And yes, it takes effort to get there. But that effort is part of what makes it memorable. This isn’t a quick stop on a tour bus circuit. It’s a genuine experience with people who have deep roots in this volcanic soil, who’ve been dealing with Etna’s challenges and gifts for generations, and who make wines that taste like nowhere else on earth.

1977 Lunch in Rome on flight layover to Athens

David and Paolo

1977 Lunch in Rome on flight layover to Athens
Temple of Apollo Epicurius at Bassae

Temple of Apollo Epicurius at Bassae

by | Jan 6, 2026 | Blog, Destinations, Experiencing Europe

by David McGuffin

I’ve been leading tours to Greece for years now, and I’ve found most travelers pack their itineraries with Athens and the islands—and don’t get me wrong, those are must-sees. But if you want to experience something truly special, something that’ll stick with you long after you’ve unpacked your suitcase back home, you need to make the trek to Bassae.

 

The Temple of Apollo Epicurius sits high up in the Peloponnese mountains at about 3,700 feet, perched on a remote mountainside that feels like the edge of the world. Getting there isn’t exactly a hop, skip, and jump—you’re looking at about an hour’s drive from the nearest town through winding mountain roads. But trust me, that journey is part of what makes this place so remarkable. When you finally arrive and see this ancient temple standing against the rugged Arcadian landscape, it hits you. This is what the ancient Greeks were all about—reaching for the divine in the most awe-inspiring places they could find.

 

Here’s what makes Bassae extraordinary. First, it’s one of the best-preserved Greek temples you’ll see anywhere, right up there with the Hephaisteion in Athens. The locals built it back in the 5th century BC, probably designed by Ictinus—yes, the same architect who worked on the Parthenon. They dedicated it to Apollo Epicurius, which means Apollo the Helper, supposedly after he protected them from a plague. And get this: unlike most Greek temples that face east-west, this one runs north-south. Some say it’s because of the steep terrain, others think it is aligned with an older temple on the site. Either way, it’s different, and different is good when you’re exploring ancient Greece.

 

Now, I won’t sugarcoat it—the temple is currently covered with a protective tent structure. It’s not the most photogenic thing you’ve ever seen (from afar). They shrouded the temple to prevent further weathering and decay, but the tent detracts from that “ancient ruins in the mountains” aesthetic we all love. The beautiful sculptural frieze that once decorated the interior—showing battles between Greeks and Amazons, and Lapiths and Centaurs—was carted off to the British Museum back in the day. I’ve seen those in London, as well, but that’s a whole other conversation, and one the Greeks aren’t too happy about.

 

But here’s the thing. Even with the tent and without the original sculptures, standing at Bassae is an experience you can’t get at the more famous sites. The remoteness that kept this temple remarkably intact for over two millennia is the same quality that makes visiting it feel like a genuine discovery. You’re not battling crowds or tour buses. Instead, you’re surrounded by wild, windswept mountains with views stretching across untamed valleys. That isolation lets you really feel what those ancient worshippers must have felt when they climbed up here to honor Apollo.

 

I can only bring my friends here when I’m driving with 4-6 people.  But when we get here, they always tell me Bassae was one of the tour’s highlights. It’s authentic. It’s dramatic. And it reminds you that the best travel experiences aren’t always the ones in the guidebooks—sometimes they’re the ones that take a little extra effort to reach.
1977 Lunch in Rome on flight layover to Athens
Exploring Beyond Europe: New Destinations, New Adventures!

Exploring Beyond Europe: New Destinations, New Adventures!

by | Nov 8, 2025 | Blog, Culture & Customs, Destinations

For almost fifty years, my heart has belonged to Europe—until a single sunset in the Serengeti changed everything.

I’d spent nearly five decades leading tours through cobblestone streets and medieval castles, convinced I’d seen it all. But as I grew older, I realized there was a finite number of days left on this Earth, so we’d better experience all we can while we can. That’s how I found myself standing in a Toyota Land Cruiser, camera in hand, marveling at a herd of giraffes gliding across a brilliant orange Serengeti sunset—about as far from a Tuscan hill town as you can imagine.

Europe will always be my choice destination. I’ve spent 48 years showing folks like you around my favorite European places. I still cherish those jokes that I’ll lead tours when I’m 90, encouraging my group to “move along; it’s just another 10-minute walk.” But something shifted in me that day in Tanzania. I realized there’s a whole world of wonder waiting beyond the familiar.

Why Go Beyond Europe?

Like I said, “I’m not getting any younger.” That’s why I’ve crafted my Exploring Beyond Europe series—small-group tours that take you to places where the culture, landscape, and wildlife are unlike anything you’ll find in the USA or Europe.

If you’re feeling that same restlessness, that whisper asking “what else is out there?”—you’re exactly who these journeys are for.

Our adventures in Ecuador and the Galápagos Islands are a perfect example: think volcanic islands with blue-footed boobies, giant tortoises lumbering through misty highlands, and snorkeling with playful sea lions. These trips are designed with the same spirit as our European tours—immersive, authentic, and always focused on connecting you with local people and experiences.

Marcampo cooking lesson

What Makes These Journeys Special?

Just like our European itineraries, these Exploring Beyond Europe trips are all about small groups, personal guidance, and immersive local experiences. We work with trusted guides, stay in locally owned lodges, charter boats owned by our friends, and make sure every day is packed with opportunities to learn, taste, and explore. It’s travel that’s both adventurous and comfortable—always in the McGuffin style!

Here’s what sets our adventures apart:

Small group sizes (only 12 people) mean more flexibility and camaraderie—you’ll actually get to know your fellow travelers, and we can pivot when we discover a hidden gem or local festival. Personal guidance from me and our expert local partners ensures you’re not just another face in a tour bus; you’re part of a curated experience shaped by decades of travel wisdom. And authentic experiences are at the heart of everything we do—from home-cooked meals in Andean villages and photo hunting for wild game in Tanzania, to hikes through cloud forests where your guide grew up.

On a recent Safari tour, we were sitting around the dinner table recalling our adventures the last few days. Everyone shared their highlight, their wow moment, they were all different, yet the same… Roy shared, “For years I’d dreamed of going on a safari to experience the animals in the wild, I’ve enjoyed every moment and now I can tick this off my bucket list.” 

Travel Tips for New Frontiers

Stepping outside your comfort zone doesn’t mean sacrificing comfort or safety. Here’s what I’ve learned from taking European travelers to new continents:

Pack layers, not suitcases. Climate varies dramatically—from chilly morning game drives to hot afternoon hikes. Lightweight, breathable layers work everywhere from the Galápagos to the Serengeti.

Embrace local rhythms. Unlike Europe’s predictable schedules, many destinations operate on “island time” or “safari time.” This isn’t inefficiency; it’s a different relationship with life. Go with it, and you’ll find yourself more relaxed than you’ve been in years.

Say yes to the unfamiliar. That guinea pig dish in Peru? The fermented tea in the Himalayas? Some of my best travel memories come from saying yes when my instinct was to politely decline.

Trust the expertise. Our local guides know these places intimately—where to find the best light for photos, which trails are less crowded, when the sea lions are most playful. Listen to them, and you’ll have experiences other tourists miss entirely.

Ready for Your Next Adventure?

Europe will always hold a special place in my heart—and in our tour calendar. But life is short, and the world is vast and waiting. Whether it’s watching a leopard lounge in an acacia tree, snorkeling alongside sea turtles older than most European cathedrals, or sharing stories around a campfire under the Southern Cross, these new adventures offer something your soul didn’t even know it was craving.

I’ve spent 48 years perfecting the art of small-group travel. Now I’m taking everything I’ve learned and applying it to the rest of the world. Join me, and let’s explore beyond Europe together.

Browse our upcoming Exploring Beyond Europe itineraries, or reach out to chat about which adventure might be calling your name. Trust me—that sunset in the Serengeti is waiting for you too.

A lion cub resting in the grass with a natural background.

A lion cub resting in the grass with a natural background.

A seal and a man interacting on a sandy beach near rocky cliffs.

A seal and a man interacting on a sandy beach near rocky cliffs.

White yacht anchored near rocky shore on calm sea.

White yacht anchored near rocky shore on calm sea.

Catamaran Anahi

A giraffe and an antelope in a green savanna landscape.

A giraffe and an antelope in a green savanna landscape.

A cheetah walking across a dirt road in a grassy area.

A cheetah walking across a dirt road in a grassy area.

When History Gets Stolen: The Louvre Heist

When History Gets Stolen: The Louvre Heist

by | Oct 26, 2025 | Blog, Culture & Customs, Destinations, Experiencing Europe

Last Sunday, I was on my way to church when I heard the news —the Louvre had been robbed. Not pickpockets lifting wallets from distracted tourists, mind you, but an actual heist. Four thieves with angle grinders and a furniture lift had just pulled off what authorities are calling one of the boldest museum robberies in modern history.

It happened Sunday morning, October 19th, at 9:30 a.m., while tourists queued outside, clutching their pre-purchased tickets and cameras. The crew scaled a furniture lift to a second-floor window of the Galerie d’Apollon, forced it open, and in seven minutes flat, smashed display cases and fled with eight pieces of Napoleonic jewelry—emerald necklaces, diamond tiaras, brooches worn by Empress Eugénie and Marie-Louise. They fumbled Empress Eugénie’s crown during their escape, damaging its 1,354 diamonds and 56 emeralds.

The haul? Prosecutors say $102 million, though officials call it “inestimable cultural and historical value.” President Macron called it “an attack on a heritage that we cherish.”

I’ve stood in that same Galerie d’Apollon, where the inscription above the door proclaims, “Opened 10 August 1793 by legislative action for all the people of France.” Entering the Galerie, you can’t help but look up, gaping open-jawed at the lavish decor… gold, gold, gold, everywhere! After a fire destroyed this palace wing, Louis XIV commissioned the Galerie in the 1660s and dedicated it to Apollo, the Greek god of the sun and arts.

The reports and news stories about the robbery continued all last week. Then, this morning, I heard reports that one of the thieves was arrested at Paris’ Charles De Gaulle Airport as he was preparing to leave the country. But, I can’t help but wonder: how does the world’s most-visited museum become vulnerable in broad daylight?

Join me in Paris, or almost anywhere in Europe!

Paris is my favorite big city in all of Europe. It has so much to offer, from museums like the Louvre, quaint neighborhood cafés, green parks, the Eiffel Tower, the Seine, fantastic food, and more. Where many tour companies “do Paris” in a whirlwind two-day tour, I’ve designed my tours to spend at least four days in the city. This gives you time to slow down and experience the City of Light, get out and explore on your own, while still seeing the major tourist sights with your local guide. Check out my Best of France, or London, Paris, Rome tours to savor Paris at a slower pace.