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Northern Spain: June 21st - July 3rd Barcelona, San Sebastian, Bilbao, y Galicia |
Day 1 and 2: June 1st & 22nd Barcelona:
Depart Seattle on 23 of June arrive Barcelona Spain on the 24th. Arrive in the AM. Van takes us to a beautiful hotel in Barcelona. Check-in relax. Meet for tapas then take a city tour of Barcelona. There is not just one Barcelona, but several. The old city (Ciutat Vella) offers a wide range of routes to follow and reconstruct the history of Barcelona by starting at the Roman walls, moving to the medieval streets of the Gothic Quarter and going to the popular promenade known as La Rambla. From there you can discover the architectural and decorative models of the Modernism, with many works of Antoni Gaudi such as the Sagrada Familia. Barcelona is a city famous for its cultural tradition. The city has over twenty museums, covering all aspects of art and culture.
Afterwards return to the hotel, rest and reunite for dinner in the evening at a wonderful city restaurante. Dinner (1).
Day 3: June 23
Barcelona
Typical Spanish Breakfast at a local café. Then walk around and/or bike around Barcelona; shop, visit museums, visit Parc Güell , another of Gaudi's works and, like the Sagrada Familia(pictured above) was never completed. What exists today is a fabulous park with gingerbread houses, fountains and interesting ceramic statues that will fascinate. Wander Down Las Ramblas Barcelona's most famous street. Check out the street performers, take a look at the interesting architecture, see a show, or stop for a beer or wine, practice Spanish with the locals and soak up the vibrant atmosphere. Explore La Ribera . The most popular reason to be in La Ribera is to visit the Picasso museum, but there is much more to see than just that. The narrow streets are as interesting and there are some excellent wine bars around the Basilica de Santa Maria. Return to the hotel rest and meet for a great Spanish Dinner(2) and music.
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Day 4: June 24 Barcelona
After a Spanish breakfast we will take the train to the famous Dali museum in the small town of Figueres in Catalonia, it was the birthplace of Salvador Dali. The Dalí museum in Figueres is a work of art in itself and has to be seen to be believed - the most surreal sight you will see- well, apart from the Dalí paintings inside the museum! After we take in Dalí's masterpieces we will explore the town of Cadaques on the Costa Brava. Have some tapas(pintxos) and wine on our way back to Barcelona. Rest, then take in a Flamenco show and dinner that evening. Dinner(3)
Day 5: June 25
Barcelona
Breakfast early then we will take day trip to Montserrat. The highest peak in Cataluña at 1,236m or 4,055ft. There are many things to see here. Known as a holy place where holy visitations by the Virgin Mary were reported. You can walk to the Holy Grotto and see first hand where these events took place. There are also mountain walks with breathtaking views. If you don't feel like walking a cable car will take you to the top. In the afternoon we will visit and take tour of a very famous winery to sample some great wines and cava(Spanish champaign) in Spain. After a great afternoon return to Barcelona, rest. reunite for a wonderful Spanish dinner(4).
Day 6: June 26 Barcelona to Bilbao/San Sebastian
Breakfast early. Depart for Bilbao in the Basque country of northern Spain. Check into a beautiful hotel in the historical area of Bilbao. Visit the Guggenheim Museum. Rest relax walk around the town. Sample some of the best food in all of Spain. Dinner(5)
Day 7: June 27 Bilbao
Visit Bilbao and the Guggenheim Museum. Take a ½ day trip to San Sebastian.
Spend the afternoon and evening touring the Playa de la Concha. Ranks as one of the most celebrated finest city beaches in the world. Walk around the city, explore. Go for pintxos(tapas) a famous activity in this region for the locals. We have dinner(6) in San Sebastian. Return to Bilbao rest and prepare for next day.
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Santiago de Compostela (pic)
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Day 8: June 28
Bilbao to Galicia
Depart for Galicia. Via Airplane. Arrive in Galicia late afternoon. Van takes us to our villa or casa rural. Check in. Relax enjoy the natural historical setting of the casa rural. Go for a late afternoon walk in the paths surrounding the area. Dinner (7)
Day 9: July 29
Vigo / Pontevedra
Breakfast early. Go to visit Vigo. The beaches of the ria (bay) of Vigo are regarded as some of the best in Galicia, if not the whole of Spain, and there are a lot of them. In fact the tourist board for Vigo claims no less than 45 separate beaches in the immediate vicinity and this is no exaggeration.
Tour the famous fishing port and historical old town.
We will be sampling some of the best seafood in the world here in Galicia and the Vigo and Pontevedra areas. Dinner(8) and dancing.
Day 10: June 30 Santiago De Compostela
We will spend the day in Santiago de Compostela. Santiago de Compostela is the jewel in Galicia's historic, cultural and medieval crown. Santiago is this Spanish region's most famous and illustrious city and it holds a vast medieval district with many monuments and buildings of not just Spanish, but international importance. It is quite rightly regarded as one of the world's great cities. The cathedral itself is the final destination for thousands of Christian pilgrims who walk the "Way of St. James (Camino de Santiago)" pilgrimage across Galicia in order to reach this impressive city and visit the tomb of the saint himself. We will be able to walk through the city enjoy all its splendor either on foot or by renting a bike. Santiago's old town is very compact, with winding, narrow streets. Most of the center is pedestrianised.
After dinner in Santiago we will head back to our Casa Rural near Pontevedra to rest and prepare for the next day.
Day 11: July 1st
Vigo
Breakfast early and we go to Las islas de Cias to visit, hike, snorkel, and relax. The Islas Cies are an amazing group of isles to the west of Vigo, they have beautiful beaches with incredible blue water and white sand. It's good to spend the day and you'll never get enough of taking pictures in these magnificent isles. The islands feature marvelous beaches, nature parks, wildlife, hiking paths to historical sites, and lovely restaurants. Isla Cies is most famous for its kilometer long, pristine beach, Playa de Rodas, which in a half circle joins two of the three islands which form the complex. Awarded with a Blue Flag from the European Union, the cristal clear water and fine grained sand make this a swimmers and snorkelers paradise. After our visit we will return to Vigo for shopping, tapas and wine. Dinner(9)
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Day 12: July 2
Galicia to Barcelona
Return to Barcelona in the afternoon. Check into our hotel for one night. Take in the evening sites of Barcelona. Go out for some pinxos and dinner for our last night in Spain.
Day 13: July 3rd
Up early..check out. Van takes us to the Airport. Return to USA.
**Time are approximate and subject to change **There may be some slight alterations **A More Detailed Itinerary coming soon.
The Total Cost for the trip is $4250.00
This includes: all airfares, Hotels (based on double occupancy, single occupancy will cost more), van fares, all continental breakfasts, 9 dinners which are marked in number order. Tours, museums entrance fees. A work-packet with worksheets to practice Spanish with relevant historical and cultural information about Spain.
Not Included are: all drinks with meals, lunches, tips for drivers and guides, 4 dinners and tips at all meals, entrance and exit taxes are also not included.
We will also have a couple of informational meetings prior to the trip. Announced at later time.
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