Meeting at the intersection of faith and history.
Itinerary - Spain: Land of Frontiers
Day 1 – Monday, October 10: Depart U.S.A. for Spain
Tour members meet for the flight to Spain. We are served meals according to flight schedule, so sit back, relax, and enjoy the on-board entertainment and prepare for this exciting adventure of a life time.
Day 2 – Tuesday, October 11: Barcelona
Upon arrival in Barcelona, we are welcomed by our local guide and board our motor coach. We begin our orientation tour to Barcelona with a stop at the fascinating Casa Milá. An UNESCO World Heritage site, built by the architect Antoni Gaudí in the early 20th century, was interestingly designed to mimic nature, so it was constructed without any right angles. We continue touring the city, including a view of La Rambla and the Gothic Quarter. Dinner and overnight are at our hotel in Barcelona.
Day 3 – Wednesday, October 12: Barcelona
After breakfast at our hotel, we con nue exploring Barcelona. We begin at the Park Guell, a beautiful mosaic park and one of the major works of Antoni Gaudi in Barcelona. Then we will head to Sagrada Familia, which has been under construction since 1882 and has continued over five generations. After lunch, we have some free me to explore the city on our own. Overnight is in Barcelona.
Day 4 – Thursday, October 13: Barcelona, Madrid
This morning we will head to the station to board our train to Madrid. We will enjoy some guided sightseeing around Madrid and visit the Prado Museum, which holds one of the world’s nest collections of European art, dating from the 12th century to the early 20th century and based on the former Spanish Royal Collection. After lunch, we head to the Royal Palace, the official residence of the Spanish Royal Family. Dinner and overnight are at our hotel in Madrid.
Day 5 – Friday, October 14: Toledo, Madrid
This morning we drive to Toledo, another UNESCO World Heritage Site, which dates back to the Bronze Age. We visit the Cathedral, the centerpiece of Toledo. We see the sparkling gold reliefs, huge oil paintings and portraits of all of the Toledo Cardinals going back at least 500 years. Then we have some free me for lunch on our own. Next we continue to one of the jewels of Toledo “Sinagoga El Transito”, which hosts the Sephardi Museum. We see one of El Greco`s most famous and recognized works “El Enterro del Senor de Orgaz”, housed in Church of Santo Tome. On our way back to Madrid, we will stop at a local vineyard to learn more about local wine production, special grape varieties and taste some of the best wines produced in the region (included). We return to Madrid for dinner on our own and then overnight at our hotel.
Itinerary continued
Day 6 – Saturday, October 15: Granada
We board our bus this morning and begin with a drive from Madrid to Granada. On our way to Granada we pass through the vicinity of Jaen, popular with its olive groves and local factories for olive oil producing. We ́ll taste an extra virgin olive oil, to identify its nuances. Then some free me will be provided for lunch on our own and we continue to Granada. Upon arrival, we get a panoramic bus tour of the city of Granada. Granada boasts one of the most magnificently positioned palaces in the world, as you can see across the gorge with the Sierra Nevada mountains in the distance and with the palaces’ elaborate symbolic designs. The city has a fascinating history, which can still be seen today in Granada’s careens and Arab baths. Dinner and overnight are in Granada.
Day 7 – Sunday, October 16: Granada, Seville
We start our day with a visit to the Alhambra Palace, or “Red Castle”, an Arabic fortress built while the Moors (Muslims from North Africa) s ll laid claim to this part of Spain - back in the c13th or so. Construction continued on this “alcazaba” (fortress), “alcázar” (palace) and small “medina” (city), all in one un l the 17th century. We will then have lunch on our own and begin our scenic drive to Seville. Dinner and overnight are at our hotel in Seville.
A er lunch, we will enjoy the spectacular gardens of Mary Luisa Park, which were once the gardens of the Palace of San Telmo. Dinner is on our own this evening and overnight is in Seville.
Day 8 – Monday, October 17: Seville
This morning we visit the UNESCO site of Royal Alcazar, reportedly the most beautiful palace in Spain, which is still used by the Spanish Royal Family as the official Seville residence. It is the oldest royal palace s ll in use in Europe.
We will see the Salon de los Embajadores (The Ambassadors Room), the Arcos de Herradura (Horse Shoe arches), the El Pa o de la Montera (The Hun ng Pa o), the El Pa o del Yeso (The Plaster Pa o), as well as the Salones de Carlos V (Rooms of Charles V). We will also be able to visit the gardens, adorned with fountains and pavilions, which are patterned a er those of the British Isles from the 18th century. Then we will head to the Giralda Tower and the Seville Cathedral, another UNESCO World Heritage site, which is the largest gothic cathedral in the world. After lunch, we will enjoy the spectacular gardens of Mary Luisa Park, which were once the gardens of the Palace of San Telmo. Dinner is on our own this evening and overnight is in Seville.
Day 9 – Tuesday, October 18: Cordoba, Seville
Today we drive to Cordoba, where we’ll begin exploring its most precious treasures starting with the majestic Alcazar de los Reyes Cristianos. After submersing ourselves in the beauty of the Mezquita, spectacular testimony to the Califalian age, we’ll explore the glorious Cordobese Jewish quarter, full of life and great shops. We’ll meander down its most emblematic streets such as “Callejón de las Flores”, a pure joy for the senses, plaza de los Gran Maimonides, stopping by to visit the Synagogue. Here we conclude our day in Cordoba and head back to Seville for our farewell dinner (included) and overnight.
Day 10 – Wednesday, October 19: Seville, U.S.A.
This morning, we transfer to the airport for the return flight back to the U.S.A. We arrive back in the U.S.A. the same day, full of wonderful memories of our me enjoying the beauty of Spain.