© Hugo de la Rosa
What we see isn’t what we see
but what we are.
And that trip, a trip designed for travelers, is what we offer you at THE REAL THING, a reality that goes beyond the journey and can only be found in good company and with even better organization. For those who know, with those who know.
THE REAL THING
FOR YOUR EYES ONLY. TRAVELS TO THE OTHER SPAIN & PORTUGAL
We want to know what you like and what´s more, if you let us, we want to surprise you with new things. Both those seeking their first Spanish or Portuguese experience and the well-versed traveler to Spain in search of something more, will find what they are looking for with us.
At THE REAL THING we know how to make the most popular places feel special and unique, and how to make the unknown essential.
Spend the day at a well-known bullfighter’s ranch, try your luck bullfighting against some young bulls, ride a beautiful Spanish horse or have a picnic in the countryside. Enjoy an afternoon in a haute couture workshop, looking at patterns and adornments; or at an artist’s studio. Take an eye-opening Portuguese cooking course, or learn how to sing flamenco with one of the country’s best. Sample delicious morsels on a terrace with views more beautiful than you could have ever imagine, or discover your passion for traditional, hundred-year old pottery making – and take something special with you when you go. Sleep in a palace with a stunning interior patio, breathe in the raw emotion of a Holy Week procession… Shall we continue?
Our trips are top-quality and tailor-made to fit your interests, needs, passions and means. We want you to go home with a suitcase full of one-of-a-kind experiences and your memory bursting with stories of both the other Spain & the other Portugal, which we hope you’ll visit many more times in the future.
GLÒRIA POU
I studied Art History at the Universitat de Barcelona, and after several forays into the London market, I knew I was meant to be in Barcelona, my city. I started out at the emblematic Sala Metrònom gallery (when it was reopened), founded by the Fundació Rafael Tous, where I organized a wide range of programs such as an International Experimental Music Week, exhibitions, a radio show, an independent film festival… After such an intense period, I spent the next seven years in the art industry, covering the artistic process from beginning to end. My first stop: Edicions T, Toni Tàpies’s publishing house, where we created an exquisite catalogue of graphic works by artists such as John Baldessari, Sean Scully, Sol LeWitt and, of course, Antoni Tàpies. The project grew, and we became a leading gallery. Years later I became Director of the Estrany – De la Mota Gallery. During that period, it was an honor for me to work with other artists such as Jaume Plensa, João Onofre, Jana Sterbak, Ignasi Aballí, Douglas Gordon, Jonathan Monk, Bestué-Vives, Francesc Ruiz and José Antonio Hernandez-Diez, during their exhibitions in the gallery and at major contemporary art events, international museums, and leading art fairs. At the same time I curated the group show Creatures, a place for the absurd.
THE REAL THING
MARTA Y GLÒRIA
We developed a fondness for travel, and for fine dining, at an early age. As we have gone through life, and in addition to unique experiences and journeys, we have taken on our own interesting projects, as well as those of others — tips and recommendations on restaurants or must-see landscapes; learning about wine and flamenco; gathering stories about local festivals or comparing notes on hotels. Traveling with someone else’s notebook is always a good place to start — especially when they have a unique point of view.
And then we started THE REAL THING: a destination management company specialized in the organization of tailor-made trips in Spain and Portugal. Our unique cultural and gastronomic experiences are designed to meet the needs and expectations of those sophisticated individuals and corporate clients looking for the authentic and the slow. Bespoke suggestions for the discerning traveler.
MARTA MUÑOZ RECARTE
I started out studying Business Administration in Rotterdam and Madrid, because it’s important to do practical things in life… and once you have, you can then do what’s really important. For me, this meant classes at Sotheby’s Institute in London, followed by studying art history and theory away from the maddening crowds at Bryn Mawr College, on the outskirts of Philadelphia. I later spent time at the MoMA and the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York, before returning home and continuing with Advanced Studies in Art History at Universidad Complutense de Madrid, and working at the Fundación ICO, the Residencia de Estudiantes and the Fundación de Amigos del Museo Nacional del Prado in Madrid. With these experiences under my belt, I began to develop other projects where I could apply my art training, including pedagogical work for La Casa Encendida, the Sociedad Estatal de Conmemoraciones Culturales and the Fundación BBVA. Additionally, I created a digital archive for promoting Spanish artists abroad — through the Sociedad Estatal para la Acción Cultural Exterior — and implemented continuumlivearts.com, an association and digital platform dedicated to the study and diffusion of live arts.
THE REAL US
THE EXPERTS
THE REAL THING is comprised of a team of intrepid travelers who have spent years traveling: alone, with a partner, with children, or with friends… We have been to many interesting places, some far away, and others right around the corner. And we all share a love for culture — the culture that overflows from theaters and museums and envelopes us, sings to us, and seats us at the table with all five senses —.
We love Spain as much as we love Portugal, and with THE REAL THING we want to put people in touch with their vast cultural wealth. At the same time we want to revisit their most common clichés and bring them up to date so that they can be thoroughly enjoyed. We also want to show you a range of different, not-to-miss experiences that are authentic and unique.
What truly sets THE REAL THING apart is our ongoing desire to improve, and the human and professional qualities of our collaborators.
Our experts design a broad range of proposals encompassing an understanding of both countries’ extensive and comprehensive culture, based on rigor, historical perspective and respect for tradition, while also highlighting our contemporary approach.
© Hugo de la Rosa
At THE REAL THING we want to be the best host that any traveler or company to and in Spain could hope for, constantly striving to delight our clients with the quality of our proposals. We know how to make the most popular places feel special and unique, and how to make the unknown essential.
We come from the cultural sector and have worked in cultural related jobs for around 20 years: as gallery directors, head of exhibitions, professors or exhibition curators, developing educational and cultural programs. This extensive experience is our strength, offered to the traveller that comes to Spain looking for an unforgettable experience.
We want travelers to discover those places, surroundings, situations and customs that lend Spanish culture its character, in the broadest sense of the word. And there is no better way to do so than to put yourself in the knowledgeable hands of the most qualified experts, for an authentic and singular experience.
All of the trips and experiences designed by THE REAL THING are tailor-made to meet the needs, interests, desires and budgets of our clients. Our visits are usually private, conducted with small, closed groups, and provide access to exceptional places. This is also our added value in our corporate services, with activities and events geared towards the reach of strategic objectives in line with leisure, culture and personal development of members of the organization.
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