I don’t write very often about the actual work I do for Global Traveler because, quite frankly, I doubt many people would find it very interesting. I telecommute, working thousands of miles from my coworkers, and I’ve actually visited only a small number of the fascinating places written about in the pages of our magazine. I truly enjoy my work (who wouldn’t love reading about all the amazing places we cover?!), but when folks ask what I do for a living and I tell them I am a proofreader, usually their eyes begin to glaze over and I imagine them thinking, “Oh, how boring, nitpicking all day about where a comma should go!”

Believe me, there are times when I wish I could wow someone with an exciting and unusual job description. Just the other day I was listening to an interview on NPR with a young woman who, as a graduate student, worked as a “date” booker for a high-end call-girl agency. Now there’s a person who I am sure provides plenty of stimulating conversation at parties! Conversely, her work might be an awkward topic around the family table at Thanksgiving; my profession might be terribly mundane, but it isn’t likely to cause Grandma to choke on her turkey!

However, my purpose goes beyond merely making sure punctuation is properly used, the right words are capped, spelling is correct and the rules of grammar are observed. I fact check and keep an eye out for inconsistencies and style issues. These are things which editor in chief Lisa Matte and associate editor Jan Hecht watch out for, too, and periodically we put our heads together and hash out a solution or answer to some issue which crops up as we’re reviewing an article. If you’re not asleep yet, let me give you an example.

Several pieces in each issue provide contact information for hotels, restaurants and places of interest in destinations all over the world. Whenever possible, we provide addresses, phone numbers and website addresses so that our readers might be able to visit those locations, or at least easily get further information about them, on their own. The question arose the other day as to what form we should use to present an address. For instance, in some cultures, street numbers follow the street name rather than preceding it, as we are used to here in the United States. Should we “Americanize” the address for the majority of our readers or present it in the form typical of the country of its origin? Should we use abbreviations and spellings familiar to English-speakers or use the form in the original language?

Such questions may appear to be so much dithering over unimportant details, but let me assure you that the editorial staff at GT seriously consider that our readers are real people who will use the information we provide to help them make travel plans and visit the places written about in the magazine. Our decisions usually are made against this final arbiter: What will make the most sense and be most useful to someone in a different culture who doesn’t speak the local language?

In this particular case, we imagined travelers jotting down the address of a fabulous restaurant that had been praised on our pages, eager to try the unique cuisine offered there. It might be on their first night in a city completely new to them, and they might not be able to speak the local language. Hungry, tired but excited to step out in this fascinating destination, they hail a cab and hand over the name and address of the eatery to the driver. What will make the most sense to HIM, the one responsible for getting his passengers to their destination? An “Americanized” version of an address, or a form familiar to him and used throughout his city or country? Voila! The answer is clear, yes?

It’s the attention to those little, seemingly inconsequential yet important details that I believe helps make Global Traveler an excellent, reliable source for the business and leisure traveler. And, while it ain’t very glamourous, I’m proud to do my part!

– Patty Vanikiotis, proofreader

In the course of several trips to and from Chicago to visit our daughters, Harry and I have had the opportunity to try several different travel options and accomodations. On our most recent excursion, we flew from Portland (PDX) to Midway (MDW) on Southwest Airlines, as we have in the past. Formerly, we have varied our means of transport from Midway into the city, trying the El (inexpensive but difficult to negotiate with luggage) and taxi (fairly quick and direct but about $50 plus tip for a one-way trip).

This time we tried the Go Airport Express shuttle van. We purchased our round-trip tickets at the counter adjoining the baggage claim hall ($56 for both of us) and hopped right on a waiting van (they leave every 15 minutes for downtown hotels). Travel time matches a taxi ride, with perhaps a few minutes tacked on, depending on how many others are sharing your ride and where they are staying and where your hotel falls in the logical order of drop-offs. We found that, as promised, a shuttle would be at our hotel every 15 and 45 minutes after the hour every day, so we didn’t need to reserve or pre-arrange our return trip to the airport. For ease of travel and value, we decided this will be our preferred mode of airport transfers in Chicago in the future.

Harry had found a good rate at the Chicago Hyatt Regency, located along the south side of the Chicago River on Wacker Drive, just east of Michigan Avenue and on the northern side of the Loop. Three of our four nights were weekend evenings, and our deal included a room in the West Tower on a Regency Club floor, which ensured access to the Regency Club Lounge on the 35th floor (great views!) and a host of amenities beyond those offered with a standard guestroom. While comfortable and offering a great view south to Soldier Field and Grant Park, our 33rd-floor king-bedded room was not particularly remarkable. The 37-inch plasma TV apparently included cable movie channels, but the malfuntioning remote (and a busy schedule) meant we never had a chance to confirm that feature. We appreciated the presence of a coffeemaker and minibar as well as a sizable work space (Internet fee was more than $13 per day) and easily accessed power outlets. We found ourselves wishing for a little more drawer space for our clothes and more counter space in the bath for toiletries; adequate certainly for a solitary business traveler but tight for a couple on a multiday leisure trip.

Access to the Regency Club Lounge meant we could enjoy a generous Continental breakfast buffet each morning along with several different local and national newspapers. The Lounge also offers light snacks and beverages throughout the day, an honor bar and hors d’oeuvres in the evenings and some rather decadent-looking desserts after the dinner hour. Although there was also a dedicated concierge desk there, I never saw it manned during what I would have expected would have been a prime time for those services at the start of the day.

Our busy schedule out and about meant we didn’t get to try Hyatt’s 24-hour Stay Fit fitness center or the complete business center (with Internet access included), nor did we stop in at the several bars and dining establishments located within the complex. One could certainly find all one’s needs met, though, without leaving the property if a conference kept one there. Happily, we took advantage of the Hyatt’s central location to get out and explore sites we had not yet had a chance to visit on previous trips (and revisit a few we wanted to see again) and get in some shopping time, too. More on that, tomorrow.

Lastly, I’d like to extend a very happy birthday today to our publisher and CEO, Francis X. Gallagher. Many happy returns, Fran!

– Patty Vanikiotis, proofreader

Knowing how limited our time in Barcelona was, we decided we’d need to focus in on one aspect of the city for the day. We all agreed that we were shopped out, so we didn’t feel compelled to spend time in any more stores or shopping districts. Fairly quickly we agreed that we ought to zero in on something that was unique to this lovely city, and from there it was easy to choose to visit some of the Modernista architecture which is so emblematic of Barcelona. Barb had been doing some reading, so we followed her lead as we struck out, deciding to visit Sagrada Familia first, and then proceed from there to other, primarily Antoni Gaudi-designed sites.

I was determined to venture into the Metro, and Julie gamely joined me while Barb and Ann shared a cab. Having used subway systems in Chicago, London, New York and Germany, I found that Barcelona’s was fairly easy to negotiate. Signs and route maps, when not in English (and most were), were simple to decipher, and the system seems to provide routes to every corner of the greater metropolitan area. We bought a one-day pass for two zones from a vending machine, confirmed the line we wanted and the stop for Sagrada Familia, and arrived at the station across the street from the church not long after Barb and Ann had departed their taxi on the same corner.

I had seen plenty of pictures of this amazing church before, but none of them had adequately communicated the size and mass of this yet-unfinished structure. Its multiple towers stretch high into the sky, accompanied now by immense construction cranes being used to continue Gaudi’s great final project. We never ventured inside the gates, crowded as they were on this Sunday afternoon with visitors, but limited ourselves to circling the massive building and trying to take in just a fraction of the details of its unique facades. I added it to my mental list of places I will need to re-visit on my someday return trip here: I think one would need at least half a day to even begin to delve into this treasure.

Leaving the church behind, we crossed the street into a lovely, quiet park block shaded by purple-flowered jacaranda trees under which families with babies in strollers enjoyed their day off and couples walked hand in hand. The immediate sense of peacefulness which decended on us was a welcome contrast to the noise and crowds surrounding the landmark across the way. From there we decided to stroll onwards; it appeared from our maps that it wouldn’t be too great a distance for us to reach other iconic Gaudi projects: Casa Battlo and Casa Mila (also known as La Pedrera — “the quarry”). Bad news (for our feet): it was a longer walk than we initially thought. Good news: there were plenty of unexpected architectural treasures along the way which we enjoyed at least as much as those we had purposely sought out.

Towards mid-afternoon, Julie, Ann and I grabbed a cab to deliver us to Park Guell while Barb struck off on her own. The park, another Gaudi-designed project, was created on the site of a barren, rocky hillside and completed in 1914. We spent much of the rest of the afternoon exploring the paths and stairways which offered wonderful views south over the city. All sorts of trees, shrubs and flower beds make this a wonderful oasis, and Gaudi’s fanciful colonnades, benches and other structures provide one with delightful surprises throughout.

Late in the day our party regrouped at our hotel and decided to quickly tour the Museu Picasso in the Gothic Quarter before searching out a tapas bar for a late supper. The museum is located in adjoining medieval stone palaces and contains a permanent collection of a number of works primarily from Picasso’s early career, plus some wonderful pottery he did much later (colorful and delightful pieces!). We arrived only about an hour before closing and found that the entrance fee was waived–great! (By this point in our nearly two-week sojourn, we were doling out our euros carefully and trying to figure out if we could avoid visiting an ATM one more time.) From there we meandered down narrow streets and alleys of this very old part of Barcelona and rather randomly chose a tapas restaurant based partly on the menu board and partly on the looks of the place. At 8 p.m., we had our choice of nearly every table in the place, but before our first dishes arrived, nearly every one was full. We really enjoyed everything we ordered and shared; I only wish I could tell you what we had, but the evening is a bit of a blur. With our wake-up calls set for 3:30 a.m., we did not make too late a night of it, though I know we all wished we could have extended our stay in this lovely, vibrant city much longer.

–Patty Vanikiotis, proofreader  

Our full day in Barcelona began with the fairly smooth disembarkation process from our ship. I did learn, however, that it would have been wise (and time-saving) to have booked transportation from the port to our hotel well in advance. It seemed that the majority of the passengers on our cruise were also staying at least one extra day in the city, and the queue for the taxis was very long. Our party of six at last made it to the front of the line and piled luggage and ourselves into two vehicles to take us to our night’s accomodation:  the NH Constanza Barcelona.We had received good general advice about what part of the city to stay in from a professional photographer friend of my sister Ann’s who travels extensively. It was sister-in-law Barb, though, who actually pinpointed the Constanza and found us some very good rates. The hotel’s location is ideal for visitors, as it is in the Barri Gotic – Gothic Quarter — only a few blocks east of Las Ramblas and a few blocks south of the central Placa Catalunya. We were within an easy stroll of either spot but just far enough away to not be affected by street noise or traffic. In fact, I noted that many of the streets in the area, most quite narrow, had limited vehicular traffic, regulated by large metal pillars that could be raised and lowered by a keypad or remote control. It seemed that only some delivery vehicles, cabs and perhaps some local residents could negotiate past these barriers, and it certainly made the streets pleasing and safe to travel on foot.We arrived at the hotel well before noon and merely hoped to store our luggage until our rooms were ready, so that we could get started on our explorations. To our delight, two of the three rooms were available immediately. We stashed all the luggage in those two and took a quick survey of our accomodations. Julie and I shared a twin-bedded room of a comfortable size, with generous desk space, lamp and wireless Internet available (for a daily fee). The roomy closet also held an electronic safe, but most impressive was the very ample marble bathroom. Good lighting, large mirrors and plenty of counter space were much appreciated, and the sizable tub/shower combination was a nice upgrade from our telephone-booth-sized shower stall in Venice. The room also featured both a commode and bidet and plenty of soft, thick towels.Another feature that I admired (once I figured it out) was one I had not encountered before. Perhaps those of you who travel more extensively than I are well-acquainted with it: as one enters the room, there is slot into which the room keycard is inserted. This provides a sort of master switch which then allows the lights in the room to be turned on. When the key is not in the slot, only one small lamp may function. I grasped the beauty of this device immediately: First, it ensures that one doesn’t leave the room with lights blazing, wasting energy. Secondly, it’s much harder to misplace your key (did I leave it in a pocket, on the desk, by the bed, in my purse?) and saves you the scramble of trying to locate it when you’re jet-lagged or bleary-eyed . . . it’s always right there by the door. Brilliant!We didn’t have cause to use the Constanza’s other facilities, but I noted that there is an onsite restaurant and some limited meeting rooms. The front desk staff was extremely helpful with everything from directions to providing change for large-denomination bills to arranging airport transfers early the next morning. The free-of-charge lobby computer also allowed us to print up our boarding passes for the next day, eliminating a step at the airport.As we came and went over the next twelve hours, the hotel’s ideal location became more obvious. It is about equidistant from two stops on Barcelona’s highly efficient Metro. The Green Line L-3 trains stop near the Liceu, the city’s acclaimed opera house on Los Ramblas, and beneath the Placa Catalunya, where there is also a large, well-staffed tourist information center. We found we could stroll just a few blocks over to Avenida Diagonal and follow it up to the Placa, with large stores such as El Corte Ingles and H & M located for our shopping pleasure along the way. Catalunya is an enormous hub where several major avenues come together, and a host of large banks (with convenient ATMs), corporate offices, restaurants and shops surround it. From here one can easily hail a taxi, hop a bus or ride the Metro (or walk) to any of the city’s famous sites.Yes, I could not have been more pleased with our find for our stay in Barcelona, and I would stay there again in a heartbeat. It would seem I will need to return just so I can see more of what that great city has to offer. Next week I’ll share with you what we did enjoy on our all-too-short day there.–Patty Vanikiotis, proofreaderGlobal Traveler has joined the world of social marketing. For breaking news, special offers and much more, fan us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter @Gtmag!

Our Mediterranean cruise concluded in Barcelona, arriving about 5 p.m. on a Saturday afternoon, allowing us a final overnight on the ship before disembarkation early Sunday morning. We ladies had already planned for an additional night in a hotel in Barcelona before returning to our “real” lives (work, laundry, cooking) via flights home on Monday. We decided to grab a cab into town (the cruise terminal is only a few miles, at most, from Las Ramblas) as soon as the ship docked so that we could get a quick sense of the city and how we might want to spend our next day there.

One of the things I loved about this trip is how it brought home to me again how very different and exciting each city can be. I had read descriptions of Barcelona — its abundance and variety of amazing architecture, its vibrant vibe, its position on the cutting edge of all things modern while dwelling gracefully with its wealth of history — and all of them got it right, as much as one can try to capture in words the pulse of this place. Gothic churches, Modernist buildings, post-modern hotels and tree-shaded boulevards lined with 18th-century mansions provide visual delight without a jarring note, all of them somehow coexisting with and complementing each other. Beyond the physical attributes the city enjoys, there is a palpable energy here, neither frenetic nor keenly focused on one industry or sector, but providing a current of exuberant living one senses underlying every aspect of daily life.

We plunged into that river of energy at the top (north end) of Las Ramblas, the city’s famous, primarily pedestrian boulevard which runs from the Placa Catalunya to Port Vell, terminating at the towering Colon (Christopher Columbus) Monument. Deciding to stroll the length of the almost-one-mile avenue, we were immediately surrounded by crowds of people, citizens and tourists alike, making their way home from work or shopping the myriad booths lining the way. Las Ramblas is edged on either side by a one-lane roadway (one headed north, the other south), and between these two is an expanse of pavement shaded by a double row of towering elms, embroidered by lush planter boxes and powered by commerce in every direction. One area was primarily devoted to flower- and plant-sellers, offering everything from herbs to orchids, cut flowers to cacti. There were the to-be-expected cosmetic, jewelry, art and clothing booths alongside those selling cellphones and domestic goods for the home. Most interesting of all, perhaps, was a whole section where small creatures, suitable as pets for city dwellers in not-so-spacious apartments, were sold. Cages full of brightly colored songbirds vied with more unusual options including reptiles, gerbils and honeygliders and large insects (I didn’t venture very close to those!).

We looked briefly into La Boqueria, Barcelona’s large public market which opens on to Las Ramblas, but decided our limited time wouldn’t allow a satisfactory exploration of its tempting displays of what seemed to be everything one could possibly want. Knowing that the market would be closed on Sunday, I reluctantly followed our group back to the boulevard, tempted to make a dinner of whatever appealed at those colorful and crowded tables. Oh well, it just means I’m meant to return to Barcelona for a more extended stay in the future!

Although we had been warned to be careful of pickpockets and the more “seedy” aspects of the southern end of Las Ramblas, we were cautious but felt comfortable in our meanderings, if a little overwhelmed at the sensory overload. The group decided to return to the ship for our final, late dinner aboard (I was still yearning for some tastes from La Boqueria) and to attack the city fresh in the morning. Our taxi conversation on the drive back to the dock was full of possibilities and options — clearly we would need to make some hard decisions on how to spend a single, completely insufficient day in this amazing city.

More on that, tomorrow.

–Patty Vanikiotis, proofreader

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