Bodie and I at the gorgeous Chateau de Villandry, Loire Valley, France

Hello AndASmallDog followers! I know I have been quiet (except my rant about KLM losing our dog) but that doesn’t mean I haven’t been traveling. In fact, we’ve been on the road a lot of this year – first NYC, then Europe (Belgium and Holland this year), followed by a week in South Florida (the Keys and Miami). We’ve settled back home for a while until it starts again in NYC in March!

Of course, Bodie comes with us on these trips. We also took him all over France last year including the Loire Valley, Bordeaux and Burgundy areas. He got to explore the beautiful gardens at the Chateau de Villandry, see the cute castle of Chateau de Chennonceau (from the outside only), drive around the famous wine regions all over France (think his favorite part), visit the Armagnac distillery… Ooh la la! We stayed at some gorgeous pet-friendly properties including in the prestigious wine town of Puligny-Montrachet.

In Belgium, we did our own self-guided brewery tour. We lost count of how many breweries we visited but it was at least 12+! He wasn’t allowed inside the breweries but we’d leave him at our vacation rentals while we went in. Or just did a quick visit while he slept in the car (weather was cool enough for us to do that!).

Bodie enjoying the view

For the past two years, we’ve stayed on houseboats when in Amsterdam. Bodie loves (?) barking at the boats as they go by haha! We enjoy the feeling of space the houseboat gives us and its lovely to feed the passing ducks and swans out of the window (Bodie is not so keen and in fact tried to leap out of the window as I was throwing bread to ducks once. Luckily I grabbed him before he went overboard. So now I have to give him bits of bread each time so he doesn’t get jealous!)

He really doesn’t care where he is though as long as he is with us. He loooooooves being in the car and will sleep on our laps on the long journeys. I’m glad that he is so good about that!

Anyways, I am here still to assist you with your next vacation – whether you are taking your pet with you or not. AndASmallDog.com is my “pet project”. I have a couple other sites including GoYourOwnWayTravel.com (my main hub) and WineBeerTours.com (food/wine/beer travel). Feel free to check them out as well! They are the reasons why I have been quiet on here. Plus I’ve been busy helping my clients travel!

Happy Travels!

Leila Coe, CTA

Hot Bodie in Barcelona!

One our favorite places we visited while living in Europe was the amazing Barcelona, Spain – and it was very dog-friendly!

The Flight

Of course, our small dog Bodie came with us. We flew KLM from Amsterdam – the only time we flew within Europe since it was a long drive! Upon arrival in Barcelona, I went searching for the place to meet Bodie (he unfortunately has to travel in cargo as he’s a few pounds/inches too big to fit under the seat). I went back over to my husband who was waiting by the baggage claim belt  to tell him I had no luck yet, and out pops Bodie riding on the conveyer belt! He was the first piece of “luggage” on the belt, and luckily we were there to take him off so he didn’t get dizzy from going around and around! Everyone was laughing and peeking in to his kennel – it was a surprise to us all! He seemed happy that the flight was short (compared to the overseas flights which he was used to by then!).

KLM

I have to applaud the KLM for being really pet friendly in both airports (Amsterdam and Barcelona). They were very friendly and caring about Bodie’s experience and took care of us all. They allowed us to take Bodie out for a walk before the flight (in both locations) and they also allowed us to stay with him until it was time for us to board the flight(s). All the KLM employees seemed genuine in their love of animals and were eager to help us. Bodie got a lot of positive attention during this stressful time!

The Adventure Begins!

Bodie Exploring the Roof Terrace, Barcelona

Bodie had a great time in Barcelona. We stayed at an apartment in a quiet street in the Gothic area and had the rooftop patio all to ourselves. Bodie couldn’t see over the side, but enjoyed having extra room to run around and sniff!

View from the Roof Terrace, Barcelona (What Bodie Couldn't See, But Wanted To!)

We all enjoyed exploring Barcelona by foot. It is a large city with lots of interesting areas. We ended up walking from our apartment, through the Parc de la Ciutedalla, to the Mediterranean Sea. It was a long walk, in hot weather, but we had lots of fun.

For Bodie, it was a trip of firsts – First time seeing a parrot in the park – very tame since they are fed all the time by Barcelonians.

Parrot in the Park, Barcelona

It was Bodie’s first time seeing the beach (as far as we know – at least the “beach” in Holland isn’t the same as the beach in Barcelona!).

And he was mesmerized!

Bodie at the Beach, Barcelona

And it was also his first time riding in an elevator! Now he understands the concept.

Bodie in an Elevator, Barcelona

I definitely recommend Barcelona as a great destination to visit, and you can be rest assured that your pet will also have a fantastic time! 

If you are interested in visiting Barcelona, with or without your small dog, please don’t hesitate to email me at Leila@worldclasstvl.com!