TravelJuly 26, 2007 7:38 am

Spain is one of the top countries on my travel wish list. Ever since I read James Michener’s Iberia, I have been fascinated with the country and its unique history and culture. The people of Spain are quite different from the rest of Europe and are very individualistic, which can be seen in their art and architecture. One of the top places to visit will of course be Bilbao, to see the absolutely incredible Guggenheim Museum and all the other amazing buildings of Barcelona.

While I always thought it would be quite expensive to travel to Spain, it seems that there are lots of great deals on cheap hotels in Barcelona, even in the EUR60 range. I definitely would like to stay in a hotel in Bilbao as well, to take in the incredible art and architecture that the city offers. I thought this Bilbao hotel would be a great place to stay, as it offered a very unique combination of modern technology and old world charm. This wonderfully surprising combination of old and new is what makes all of Spain such an interesting place to visit.

Retail, Trends 7:25 am

Big Box retailers are relying on online customer reviews to make changes and become more acceptable with consumers. Staples has found that customer reviews are a great way to improve on the customers’ buying experience and make it faster and more efficient. Staples has organized its website so that customers can find and compare products easily. The company is using a service by Power Reviews, a Millbrae, CA company, which identifies reviews that “verified buyers” have written.