13D10N NORTH & ENNSPS PORTUGAL FOLLOW US.... Float through two of Europe’s finest countries, staying south where the nights never fizzle and the days can surely sizzle. We’ll commence in Spain’s capital then drift into Portugal’s inimitable culture and leg it north to find Bull Fest fame.

Travel Validity Period: SANTANDER, SPAIN Summer Apr – Sep 2019 HIGHLIGHTS San Sebastian 1 2 SPAIN Santander 1 CACERES 1 • Plaza Mayor Pamplona • Ciudad Monumental

SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA SPAIN • St. James pilgrimage route 2 • Cathedral of Sanࢼago de Compostela • Praza do Obradoiro Porto 1 • Praza das Praterías Madrid 1 • Lurca

OVIEDO PORTUGAL 1 • Cathedral Square Caceres • Plaza de Trascorrales • Consࢼtuࢼon Square Flight path COVANDONGA Traverse by coach • Covadonga Sanctuary Featured destinations • Blessed Virgin Mary Overnight stays 1 2

SANTANDER DAY 1 DAY 4 • El Sardinero beach HOMEMADRID CACERESPORTO Meals on Board Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner BILBAO Assemble at the airport and depart for Cross over to Portugal today and visit • Guggenheim Museum Madrid, the central capital of Spain. Porto, a coastal city in northwest Portugal • Vizcaya Bridge known for its stately bridges and port wine • Mount Artxanda production. Take into sights of Porto Se DAY 2 Cathedral, Clérigos Church, and Avenida SAN SEBASTIÁN MADRID dos Aliados with your guide. Descend to a Meals on Board • Playa de la Concha wine cellar to sample world-renowned Port Upon arrival, enjoy the rest of the day free at • City Hall of San Sebasࢼán wine, a Portuguese fortified wine produced leisure shopping and exploring the city or exclusively in the Douro Valley in the enhance your experience of two top Madrid northern provinces of Portugal. You can PAMPLONA attractions on this tour of and the then choose to take an optional cruise on • Plaza del Casࢼllo Valley of the Fallen (Valle de los Caidos) the Douro River and sail beneath Porto’s from Madrid. Delve into the opulent beauty famous six bridges, the crowning feature of PORTUGAL of El Escorial, a palatial and monastic which is Ponte de Don Luis I, and enjoy a PORTO complex home to a striking basilica and a picturesque perspective of the city from the marble pantheon, and then marvel at the • Porto Se Cathedral river. Tonight, dine in a local restaurant with Valley of the Fallen’s colossal cross, dedicat- • Clérigos Church excellent views of the Duero River and ed to lives lost in the . enjoy dinner. • Avenida dos Aliados • Port Wine Tasࢼng DAY 3 DAY 5 MADRIDCACERES DELICACIES Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner PORTO SANTIAGO DE Today, depart for Caceres, a city in western COMPOSTELA Meal Plan Spain's Extremadura region. With Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner 10 Breakfasts, 7 Lunches, 7 Dinners contemporary suburbs wrapped around its Travel to the pilgrim city of Santiago de ancient heart, the focal point of the city is Compostela, capital of Spain’s Galicia the Plaza Mayor, one of the most striking region and also the final destination of the 4★ HOTELS public piazzas in Spain and home of the Way of St. James pilgrimage route. Embark Moorish tower of Torre del Bujaco. From on a city tour to visit the famed Cathedral MADRID Ac Cuzco here the labyrinthine old streets, turreted of Santiago de Compostela, a marvellous defense walls, archways and shady, cobbled work that combines various architectural CACERES Exe Agora squares of the Ciudad Monumental rise styles with an incredible La Gloria portico PORTO Eurostars Heroismo uphill in a jumble of Roman archways, that features 200 figures with reference to SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA Mudejar towers, gargoyle-smothered the Apocalypse, among which includes one Gran Hotel Los Abetos Gothic churches and Renaissance palaces. of Saint James welcoming the pilgrims. OVEIDO Ayre Oviedo A stroll around the silent streets uncovers Tour the surrounding Praza do Obradoiro PAMPLONA Santemar townhouses at several stories high and and Praza das Praterías as your local guide BARCELONA Medinaceli Hotel embellished with coats of arms, tiny explains about the pilgrimage route and the courtyards crammed with greenery, a history behind why thousands of pilgrims *Note: Hotels subject to final confirmaon. Should there be changes, customers will be offered accommodaon miniscule Jewish quarter, and several make the long journey to arrive at this similar to this list. thoughtfully presented historical museums. sacred site.

EU Holidays | Southern & Eastern Europes 49 13D10N NORTH SPAIN & PORTUGAL footsteps of thousands of exhilarated runners and hot-blooded bulls, exploring Pamplona's ancient city walls and Plaza del Castillo, the heart of the city where markets, tournaments and even bullfighting have taken place. Then, we’ll make our way to Barcelona, the cosmopolitan capital of Spain’s Catalonia region.

DAY 11 BARCELONA Breakfast Spend your day at your leisure for some good shopping that Barcelona can offer. You could also go for an extra excursion to Montjuic Hill & Poble Espanyol, a Spanish village in city Barcelona. Wandering along the museum, you can come across various types of authentic Spanish architecture that differ according to the region’s resources and climate. The Poble Espanyol features palaces, stately homes, religious edifices, COVADONGA, SPAIN squares and pleasant streets which reveals the country’s sometimes unexplored beauty. This architectural museum also has DAY 6 DAY 8 over 40 craft workshops in which visitors SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA SANTANDER can witness how many different objects are LURCAOVIEDO Breakfast made and can also purchase them, making Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Spend the day at leisure in elegant great souvenirs for friends and family and We will do a photostop in this Asturian Santander. Relax on the sun-kissed shores of end with a flamenco dance and dinner. fishing village of Luarca before soak up its one of the nearby playas, amble through the seafaring atmosphere en route to Oviedo, charming Old Town or perhaps join an extra DAY 12 the city of squares. Oviedo's Cathedral excursion to the coastal town of Comillas, Square leads to the Square of Alfonso II the with its cobbled streets and castle. Consider BARCELONAHOME Chaste, the site of the palaces of a visit to Gaudí's El Capricho, built in the late Breakfast Valdecarzana and la Rúa. Proceed from 19th century as a summer villa, then the Enjoy the rest of the day at leisure till it is time there to the oldest part of the historic museum dedicated to the Altamira Caves. to transfer to the airport for your flight home. quarter, Plaza de Trascorrales, which houses the former exchange. Continue to Constitution Square, the site of the DAY 9 DAY 13 18th-century City Hall building and the SANTANDERBILBAO HOME SWEET HOME Church of San Isidoro. Finally stop off at the SAN SEBASTIANPAMPLONA We hope you enjoyed your trip with our lively Daoíz y Velarde, which is home to Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner company and we look forward to seeing coloured houses with porches opening out Depart for Bilbao, a tough, industrial you again for your next trip. onto this area, serving natural cider. metropolis surrounded by green mountains. Make a pit stop at the Guggenheim Museum Suggested Excursion: – an extraordinary titanium-clad construction • (Madrid) El Escorial and Valley of the Fallen: 65 EUR DAY 7 seeks to challenge assumptions about art • (Santander) Neo Caves of Altamira with Sanࢼllana OVIEDOCOVADONGA and architecture; and the Vizcaya Bridge for del Mar and Comillas: 65 EUR SANTANDER some outstanding pictures. Then, head up to • (Barcelona) Montjuic Hill & Poble Espanyol + Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner the summit of Mount Artxanda for some Flamenco Show & Dinner: 139 EUR These addiࢼonal acࢼviࢼes enrich your experiences; Drop by the village of Covadonga to visit exceptional views of the city. Journey however it is enࢼrely opࢼonal and will be at your own the historic Covadonga Sanctuary, which onwards to San Sebastián, a lovely resort discreࢼon. Minimum group size may apply and comprises of a neo-Romanesque basilica town known for its picturesque beaches. subject to schedule. alongside a holy cave dedicated to the Take an orientation tour to get a first-hand Blessed Virgin Mary. We arrive in Santander look at one of its famous beaches, Playa de Tipping Guideline: (based on 13D10N) is an elegant city which extends over a wide la Concha, and the City Hall of San • €91 per person bay with views of the Cantabrian Sea. Its Sebastián, a grand, imposing structure that historic quarter includes a group of majestic used to house the old Gran Casino. Then, we Note: buildings which are situated against an make our way to Pamplona for the night. • A minimum group size of 15 passengers is required incredible natural backdrop of sea and for a confirmed departure. mountains. Its marine and commercial • The sequence of the iࢼnerary, flight schedules and hotels are subject to change without prior noࢼce in tradition is linked to a century old history of DAY 10 the event of unforeseen circumstances. tourism, which has its main attractions in PAMPLONABARCELONA • All acࢼviࢼes are subject to weather condiࢼons. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner the famous El Sardinero beach, the • During major events and fesࢼvals, accommodaࢼon promenade and the La Magdalena The feisty former capital of Navarre takes may be re-located to outside of the city or in peninsula. centre stage today. We follow in the another city without prior noࢼce.

50 Southern & Eastern Europe | EU Holidays FEATURE

Uncover Spain’s Quaint Gems Be captivated by Spain’s laidback lifestyle and architectural wonders that have stood the test of time. Spain has always presented itself as a diverse country that’s rich in culture history, and tradition. The vibrant cities of this European country is home to a number of attractions that embody the past as well as encapsulate the Guggenheim progressive elements that boost the country’s tourism. Museum, Bilbao Zaragoza San Sebastián Bilbao As the largest city and the capital of Located on the Bay of in Spain’s Encapsulated by green Aragon in Spain, Zaragoza is Spain’s five mountainous Basque Country, the mountains, this industrial largest cities. The vibrant city is known resort town of San Sebastian is a truly a port city charms travellers with for its cultural and architectural sight to behold. Encircling the pristine, its dramatic landscapes and highlights that can be traced back to turquoise blue waters of the Cantabrian gastronomic delights. The unique 2,000 years of historical significance. Sea, the city has lured visitors for years combination of contemporary elements The Plaza del Pilar is one such place to its circular bay and its white, sandy that’s steeped in historic heritage. beaches, quaint historical buildings. of the Basque Country and the deeply Situated in the heart of the city, near the Adopting an attitude to costantly traditional Basque culture is the perfect Ebro River, the prominent Plaza del Pilar reinvent itself to stay relevant has led this place for culture lovers. The constantly (Pilar Square) hosts several events, city to become the 2016 European progressive and dynamic city is a celebrations and music performances Capital of Culture. The city sees its fair bustling, yet relatively relaxing throughout the year. Some of the share of festivals and cultural events. destination. An iconic landmark and events include the Offering of Flowers, Some of which includes International attraction of Bilbao is the Guggenheim which draws people from all over the Film Festival, which takes place in Museum. Opened in 1997, the museum world to offer flowers to the Virgin de September and receives a number of boasts a unique facade which excude an Pilar. Another popular square or plaza in European and Hollywood stars to town. innovative and modern vibe. Most of the the city is the Plaza de la Seo, which is If there’s a sunbather’s paradise in surrounded by amazing buildings with Europe, its the La Concha Beach. modern and contemporary exhibitions beautiful façades that enchant and Situated in the Concha bay in the featured are organised by the inspire visitors. Many of the religious coastal city of San Sebastian, it is one of Guggenheim Foundation and by structures in the city adapt distinctive the best in-city in the country, that offers Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, and also architectural styles that range from scenic vistas of the vast, blue ocean and includes a permanent collection of the Romanesque to Baroque, some even lush hillsides. There are a number of Guggenheim museums. While here, going so far as to charming visitors with good vantage points that overlooks the visiting Mount Artxanda is a must! The exteriors that boast Mudejar art, a style city and its coastine. Another notable most popular way to reach the top is to that is native and unique to the history of point of interest is the Monte Urgull, take the funicular and to take in the Spain. The intricate designs that which embodies most of the city’s breathtaking vista of the city and its accompany this art are comprised of military history. The hill played a crucial colourful ceramic decorations that are role defending the city, several canons surroundings. Situated at an elevation of presented in stunning geometric and arrow slits can still be found in the 250 metres, the lookout platform offers patterns. premise today. Take the funicular up the an unhindered view compact city hill , and watch as the scenery unfold punctuated with greenery. Other than around you as you ascend. the observation point, the top of the mountain also has a park restaurant, hotel, and a sports complex.

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