Spain Culinary Tour - Madrid, Barcelona and Penedes Region ULIB06

Personal Highlights:

• A private tour of the Prado Museum in Madrid
• Tasting the vintages at Bodegas Osborne Malpica
• Dinner in your 1st Class carriage en route to Barcelona
• Exploring the Gothic Quarter in Barcelona
• A tour of the vineyard and a cooking class in the Penedes wine region

Day 1 Depart USA

You board your aircraft for your overnight journey to Madrid and the beginning of your Spanish adventure.

Day 2 Welcome to Madrid

After completing arrival formalities, you are met by your guide who will escort you to the car that will take you into the city. During this trip you will get an overview of the city and its history before arriving at your hotel which is located close to the major museums and shopping areas. We have reserved a table for lunch so that you can unwind and discuss all the upcoming activities. You then have the chance to relax or take a stroll around the area surounding your hotel. We have not included dinner since Spaniards tend to eat late and most of our guests opt for a light snack and a good night's rest

Day 3 The Royal Palace and the Prado Museum

Today your morning will be focused on the Royal Palace and the Prado Museum. The Royal Palace is the largest in Europe and was built by Philip V in the 18th Century. The building itself is an architectural treasure but inside is a rare and diverse collection of ceramics, tapestries and clocks. After the palace you visit the Prado, one of the most important art galleries in the world. Here are the Spanish masters including Goya, Velasquez, El Greco and Ribera. They are joined by Raphael, Rubens and Titian among others. This afternoon is left open to allow you some time for personal sightseeing or some shopping. Enjoy dinner in the hotel's fine restaurant this evening.

Day 4 The Vineyards of La Mancha

La Mancha is the world's largest wine producing area with a total of 420,000 acres of vineyards. Today you will be visiting the region and specifically Bodegas Osborne Malpica where we will be able to see new innovations in vine growing techniques allowing the creation of wines for the international market. The vineyard has over 2,000 acres under cultivation including Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Syrah. You will have a private tour of the winery before sampling some of the vintages along with cured meats, hams, pate and cheese. After your visit you return to Madrid where the rest of the afternoon is at leisure. This evening has been left open to allow you to pick a restaurant of your choosing.

Day 5 A Day at Leisure, An Evening on a Train

We have left the day open for you to do some shopping, explore the city on your own or adopt the lifestyle of the city and take a long leisurely lunch. In the afternoon your car will be waiting to take you to the station where you board your first class carriage. As your high speed train whisks you towards the Mediterranean and Barcelona, you relax over dinner. Upon arrival in Barcelona you are met by your guide and escorted to your hotel where it is still early enough to go out and about in the area around your hotel.

Day 6 A Private Tour of the Gothic Quarter and Las Ramblas

After breakfast your guide will meet you to take you on a walking tour of the medieval part of the city called the Gothic Quarter. First you will walk down one of Barcelona's most famous streets known as Las Ramblas. Here you will see top quality stores, fine hotels and street vendors selling pets, chickens, flowers and other interesting items. Leaving Las Ramblas you enter the quaint and twisting streets of the Gothic Quarter home to residents, shops and fine restaurants. In the central part of the Quarter is the Cathedral built in the 13th Century which you will visit. You will also visit the Picasso Museum with many of the works created during his extended residency in the city. You will top off your visit at one of the area's better restaurants where a fine meal awaits. After an extended lunch you are free to continue an exploration of the Quarter or Las Ramblas before returning on your own to your hotel. This evening has been left open for you to select the type of meal you want to enjoy. There are many choices..

Day 7 The Vision of Gaudi

The high priest of modernist architecture, Antoni Gaudi belongs to a distinguished line of visionaries who, over the generations, have endowed Barcelona with the world's most curious mixture of styles. On your combination walking and driving tour you will view some of Gaudi's key commercial works including two downtown apartment buildings Casa Batllo and Casa Mila built in the early 1900's and still in use today. you will then spend some time studying La Sagrada Familia the cathedral that is Gaudi's unfinished masterpiece. He took charge of the project in 1883 when work had already commenced on the crypt and gradually worked on the project more and more until it took all his time and financial resources. You will explore both the outside and the inside. After your tour the rest of the afternoon is free. This evening you travel with your guide to old town to sample the best regional wines and Tapas.

Day 8 Sitges and the Penedes Wine Region

You have the morning for some personal sightseeing or shopping. In the afternoon your guide will pick you up at your hotel and take you a short dstance along the coast to the beach town of Sitges, noted for its unique modern architecture. Your destination is a wine resort which combines a productive vineyard, a spa and and great kitchen all in one location. This evening you test the quality of the kitchen along with a sampling of the wines.

Day 9 A Day at the Vineyard

After breakfast you are taken on a tour of the vineyard by the winemaster and receive an overview of how the grapes are cultivated, harvested and turned into fine wine. You get to taste the various wines produced by the estate. You next move to the kitchen for a hands-on cooking class with the chef and the chance to sample your efforts for lunch. In the afternoon you get the chance to relax by the pool or try some of the spa activities. Tonight enjoy your farewell dinner with wine.

Day 10 Return to USA

After breakfast your driver is waiting to take you to the airport for your return flight to the USA.

Available Year Round