In Paris, you learn wit, in London you learn to crush your social rivals, and in Florence you learn poise - Virgil Thompson

Think backpacking is just for roughing it? Think again. I’m going to show you how to explore the glamorous side of budget travel in the French Riviera.

Click! Click! Click!

I told you I’d be back with more on this city. It’s too big, and too damn entertaining - not to mention gorgeous - to not write about many times. 

As I hop off the high-speed train that took me from Madrid to Barcelona in about three hours, I’m beyond excited, and also incredibly hungry, to not just experience the city, but to eat. 

I’ve written tons of times about my various backpacking “misadventures” - I put that in quotes because those mishaps were really opportunities in disguise -, and I don’t think I need to go through them again. 

What I think I need to discuss with you is the way that the lessons I learned through these “setbacks” allowed me to become a stronger and more mindful human being. 

As I arrive at the Madrid train station, I’m excited to see civilization again. 

Without a question one of the most rewarding and beautiful places to visit when traveling across Europe is Spain. 

While I haven’t seen all of Spain, I can speak for its two most well-known metropolises, Madrid, and Barcelona. We’ll get to Barcelona soon enough, but let’s talk about Madrid. 

Gentlemen, have you ever gone backpacking - or just overall traveling -, and realized, “Oh shit… this isn’t what I thought it would be.”? Or have you thought to yourself, “I thought I’d be 100% happy when I went on this trip, and it turns out I’m still feeling kind of depressed.”? 

Many of you have probably heard of Lisbon, Portugal by now as it’s one of the most popular destinations for backpackers. 

There are good reasons for this.