Where to mend a broken heart
 

Hello Fodorites!

My bro (30 years old) has just broken up with his fiancee and called off his wedding :(

Better now than later, yes, but of course he is very heart broken.

Hubby and I are going to take the money we put away to go to his wedding to fly him out and take him on a 2 weeks vacation instead in Sept 2010.

We plan to spend a week in London and a week somewhere else. Obviously his choice, but he is rubbish a planning stuff etc. So I need to give him some ideas.

I am thinking maybe a week in Barcelona? It has to be fairly cheap so I am thinking an apartment. He loved Positano, so I am thinking something hot, beachlike...but with some lovely wine. He loves beaches, history, heat, and fun...he is much more into nightlife than we are, but we will do it for him!!!

Other than Barcelona...any other suggestions for a week (we dont want to rent a car, he has been to Paris, Rome, tuscany, Positano, London, Copenhagen).

Thanks!
J

I wish travel had done it for me!

Definitely not Paris, I tried that and failed. Amsterdam? You are such a good sister! What a lovely thing to do for and with him when he needs you most!

San Sebastian and the Basque Coast.

Stop looking. The only major city in Europe that scores on all three -- city beaches, nightlife, and lots to see and do -- IS Barcelona.
September is a great time to go there. You can still swim in the Mediterranean sea, the beachfront chiringuitos are open and great for nightly drinks, and the city will party till dawn every day. A few kms inland, is the major wine-growing region of the Penedes, and you have the famous Cava cellars in that area, too.
Plus, BCN is a very international city and chances are not too slim that he will meet a nice girl from the States :-)

After London why go to another big city?
I see a combo of Lago Como and Luzern as a pleasnt contrast. Fly into Zurich and home from Milan.

Somewhere he's never been with his ex-fiancee...

Switzerland? Yikes! That dude wants to party! :)

Thank you all so much!! He has only been to Paris with the Fiancee so no problem there.

I was thinking either Barcelona or the Basque coast.

Any hints on decent cheap apartments in either area (hubby and I will be paying so on the cheap would be great)...we will be 3 :)

Fodorites rock!!
J

Thanks Bob..but he loves big cities...so definately has to have some rockin night life hahaha

Hubby and I have Lake Como and and Suisse on our bucket list!!

It's March - what makes you think his heart will still be broken in September. If you really thinks he needs a change I would organize something for him - shorter and in the next couple of weeks - by September we may well have moved on completely - and have a new girl to travel with.

Berlin. It's a great city, seems to be plenty of nightlife and lots of young people. He should meet some lovely young women to take his mind off of things. :)

The best cure for a broken heart is another place and another person.

Buy him a ticket to Amsterdam for Queen's Day http://tinyurl.com/yln3hrp. I think that big sister and hubby should stay home. You will just get in the way of all the Dutch girls trying to get their hands on him, and I'm not talking RLD.

April will be too early for the summer in Holland but wait until August for an eye-opening visit to Zandvoort aan Zee. Beach, beer, babes, casino, and all-night clubs.

Key West, FL

Key West? She thinking babes, not LBGT, just saying. Try habitat apartments in Barcelona.

I do love Key West, if only I was there now.

Berlin is a great city, but huge and a bit cold
Barcelona has it all .. I am with Cowboy.!

The women are beautiful in Sevilla and both Barcelona and Madrid have great night lives. Switzerland is always good for a funeral directors' convention.

Barcelona would be easier to do without a car than the Basque coast IMO. Barcelona seems to have more apartments per capita than any other city. Go to a couple of apartment sites and find a couple then check back here. Very likely someone will have stayed in same or similar place and can comment. I'd suggest El Born area as the place to stay. Lots of youthful nightlife and plenty of apartments. You'll have to hike to the beach, but places to stay near the beach are not as plentiful. You'll love BCN--or maybe you've already been there and know that already.

How about Greece? Loads of nightlife, Positano-like beauty, an international youth crowd, ancient ruins to put things into perspective... and it's cheap.

I'd do a few nights in the trendy, seductive Kolonaki district of Athens, then head to Crete or another island known for dancing the night away.

Thank you all for wonderful suggestions.

The reason for Sept is that was when his wedding was suppose to be (thought he might like to be out of town) and we all have the time booked off.

I think we will likely go with Barcelona. Greece was another option, but we are planning a trip to Greece with our parents in 2011 so that wont work as my mom REALLY wants to go hahaha.

Thanks again! Any suggestions for Barcelona would be appreciated!

I agree with nytraveler, take it slow, by September he may have a new girlfriend and won't want to go without her.

go do octoberfest in munich. after a few pitchers.......

San Sebastian is much better than Barcelona in my biased opinion. The party scene is bigger in Barcelona though. The beach is not very nice there. The women in Sevilla are stunning but they're beautiful all over Spain. How about splitting time in BCN and Ibiza? Oh and why go to London? The comment about Switzerland being good for a funeral directors convention is really funny.

Why do people suppose that what you need after a broken relationship is another relationship - give him a break, its probably the last thing he wants. I waited only 5 months after the end of one relationship and it was a disaster. Anyway, Barcelona would be my choice but not for the parties or maybe somewhere for gentle reflection and occasional distraction.

How about South Beach in Miami? Beautiful beaches, great weather, wonderful restaurants and night life, lots of women! There are great packages on inexpensive hotels right on the beach and you don't need a car once you get there.

I think just keeping him busy, entertained as not to dwell on his loss. The trip may be fine and fun, but once home, the
contrast, back to his feelings of loss may be intensified.

oh so its your bro
different
cos my first instinct if the OP was a girl then id say mend the heart at home before you go

id hate to see romance all around when youre on your own

but for a guy
it may be different

mind you if youre sharing a room and he wants to forget his woes in some holiday frivolities then you might arrange for the sock on the door sign

youre a nice sis though
really!

Miguel Poveda opens the month long flamenco festival in magic Sevilla on the 15th of September with an open air concert in the center of the city. Here from Pedro Almodóvar's latest movie "Broken embraces":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3CJiJX-qLE

Great nightlife and one of the best tapas scenes in all of Spain. http://www.exploreseville.com/la-marcha.htm

Direct London (Heathrow)- Sevilla for 80-90€ in September with Vueling. Vueling has also got cheap direct flights from Barcelona to Sevilla: http://www.vueling.com/booking/booki...ciona-tu-vuelo

agree with stevelyon...the last thing he wants to do is think about women, even if he thinks that's all he wants to do. who hasn't been there...sevilla is for lovers and couples - it's wonderful but not this time. barcelona a much better option. and much livelier than the basque coast. he wants occupying so head for catalunya

A different festival: "Euskal Jaiak" in San Sebastian on September.
Sagardo Eguna, or cider day --free samples of cider are given in the plaza-- will be celebrated on the first Saturday of September marking the start of a week dedicated to Basque culture known as Euskal Jaiak. Throughout the week there will be various activities organized to showcase the traditions this ancient civilization. There will be local sport exhibitions such as the row boat races, stone lifting and tree trunk cutting. Open air concerts featuring Basque music, traditional dance troupes, local craftsmen demonstrating their time tested techniques and the famous "bersolaris" (oral poets who improvise) are all part of the week long festivities.
http://www.donostia.org/info/sanseba...=Fiestas&doc=D

Please visit:

http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/id...es_of_america/

Flamenco and broken hearts were made for eachother. The best beaches in Spain close by in the Cadiz area.
http://www.justspain.org/spain/cadiz/cadiz-beaches.asp

Well the truth is the trip will be tinged with melancholy no matter where you go. As Cigale says if you keep busy and occupy the mind with "stuff" it will still be there later.

I hope you might allow him some space for his feeling throughout the trip to wallow a bit..and maybe just talk in order to get past the shock and help get through it instead of avoid the pain.

And as Kim says...flamenco and broken hearts we indeed made for each other.

so the bro has a broken heart, take him to a place that he can forget not so easy, take him to a place that he can start to mend and have some fun. That would be Barcelona or my second choice is Prague.