Hpso Garden Tours
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
THE HARDY PLANT SOCIETY OF OREGON HPSO GARDEN TOURS The Alhambra, Granada From Aragon to Andalusia: An Iberian Winter Warmer November 7—20, 2018 Tour Extension: A Taste of the Algarve November 20—23, 2018 Combine the horcultural gems of Spain’s Mediterranean provinces with an array of architectural and arsc treasures and you have all the key elements of this extraordinary 2018 HPSO garden tour. Encounter the fantasc worlds of Gaudí and Dalí amid the buzz of Barcelona; enjoy the sun and sea washing upon charming coastal villages; cross the rugged Sierra Nevada and experience the refined splendor of Moorish Granada, Cordoba and Seville. Vising public and private gardens, cathedrals, castles and museums, sharing fine meals, and enjoying treats including a flamenco performance, this 14‐day, 13‐night journey offers tour members a richly balanced exploraon of Spanish gardens, culture and history unavailable to the independent traveler. As an added feature, the off‐season travel permits accommodaon at hotels of exceponal levels of quality and comfort. For tour members looking to make the most of this journey, a four‐day, three‐night tour extension into southern Portugal is available over Thanksgiving with “A Taste of the Glorious Algarve,” also described in this brochure. ‘ARAGON TO ANDALUSIA’ TOUR TINERARY Day 1: Wednesday, November 7, 2018 Day 2: Thursday, November 8 Arrive at the airport at Girona (GRO) or Barcelona (BCN) and We visit the seaside gardens at Cap Roig before having lunch at connue to a rendezvous at our stunning seaside parador in leisure in the village of Calella de Palafrugell and connuing to a Begur, where we meet our fellow tour members at a sumptuous one‐me home of Salvador Dalí. On a cliff with impressive views welcome dinner. Dinner included. Stay the night at Parador de of the sea, we also tour the magnificent, Italian‐influenced Jardí Aiguablava, Begur. Botànic Santa Clolde , designed in 1919. Breakfast included. Stay the night at Parador de Aiguablava, Begur. Day 3: Friday, November 9 We check out of our parador this morning for a full day of touring, stopping at private gardens including the one at Castell de Peralada, where wines have been made since the Middle Ages (we sample them, of course). We share a group lunch in the resort town of Blanes, where we also visit the Marimurtra Botanic Garden and the Pinya de Rosa Tropical Botanical Garden. Aer one addional stop at a private garden, we reach our hotel in the heart of Barcelona. Nearby restaurants and tapas bars offer an authenc taste of Catalan cuisine. Breakfast and Lunch included. Stay the night at Hotel Duquesa de Cardona, Barcelona. Day 4: Saturday, November 10 Sights in and around Barcelona fill our agenda today, including the Naonal Museum of Catalan Art, atop Montjuïc, with its commanding views of the city, and four gardens: Jardin Botanico de Barcelona, Laribal, La Tamarita, and the Palau de les Heures. Breakfast included. Stay the night at Hotel Duquesa de Cardona, Barcelona. Jardí Botànic Santa Clolde, Lloret de Mar Day 5: Sunday, November 11 No visit to Barcelona is complete without seeing two architectural masterpieces of Catalan modernist Antoni Gaudí. A guided tour of the fantasc Sagrada Familia basilica, begun in 1883 and sll under construcon, helps us fully appreciate his work. We also see his equally striking Casa Batlló nearby. Lunch, and the remainder of the day, our last in Barcelona, are at leisure. Breakfast included. Stay the night at Hotel Duquesa Cardona, Barcelona. Day 6: Monday, November 12 We depart Barcelona aer breakfast and drive southwest to the port of Tarragona to see Parc Samà. In Valencia, we enjoy lunch in the historic center prior to visits at Jardí Botanic and Jardí de Monort. Then we connue to the Costa Blanca, where our hotel overlooks the sea. A group dinner rounds out the full day of travel. Breakast and Dinner included. Stay the night at Parador de Jávea, Jávea. Day 7: Tuesday, November 13 This morning we tour the Jardín de l’Albarda, founded in 1990 to conserve Mediterranean flora and promote sustainable gardening techniques. In the nearby Jalon Valley, we stroll Casa Batlló,Barcelona among thousands of lavender plants at Finca la Cuta, a garden Day 8: Wednesday, November 14 known—not surprisingly—for its fragrance, where the owners Aer breakfast, we connue our travel southwest to L’Alfàs del prepare a lunch for us. We return to our hotel for an aernoon Pi to see the Klein‐Schreuder Sculpture Garden, featuring at leisure. Breakast and Lunch included. Stay the night at permanent and temporary art exhibits, as well as plants from Parador de Jávea, Jávea. Mediterranean climates worldwide. Nearby, we also visit one or more private gardens before connuing to Alicante, where our five‐star hotel is steps from the Explanade de España, one of Spain’s most beauful promenades. Breakfast included. Stay Huerto del Cura, Alicante the night at Hotel Hospes Amérigo, Alicante. Day 9: Thursday, November 15 Deparng Alicante aer breakfast, we make two stops before heading inland: at Huerto del Cura, set in the largest concentraon of palm trees in Europe, and at a private garden in the Moorish style. In historic Murcia, we have lunch at leisure. Connuing our journey, mountains tower over both sides of the highway as we pass the rugged Sierra Nevada range before reaching Granada. Breakfast included. Stay the night at Hotel Palacio de Santa Paula, Granada. Day 10: Friday, November 16 We explore Granada’s treasures, ascending aer breakfast to the fabled Alhambra, the most emblemac building of Islamic Spain, described by Moorish poets as “a pearl set in emeralds.” A guided tour helps us comprehend its significance. Aer returning to town for lunch at leisure, we walk along the narrow lanes and alleys of the Albaicín, a neighborhood with fine Moorish architecture and walled gardens (“carmenes,” in Spanish). One delighul private garden we visit is Carmen de los Cipreses, with dramac views to the Generalife. We also make a short drive to the Lecrín Valley to see Jardín Müller before returning to Granada late in the aernoon. Breakfast included. Stay the night at Hotel Palacio de Santa Paula, Granada. Mezquita, Córdoba Day 13: Monday, November 19 Our journey through Spain—southward, just like the migrang swallows this me of year—culminates today in the Andalusian capital of Seville. We visit the Seville Cathedral, the third largest church in the world, and the neighboring Alcázar, a gem of Moorish architecture and the oldest royal palace sll in use in Europe. Though its gardens have evolved over centuries, they sll delight visitors with their palms, ponds and pools. Tonight, we mark the final evening of the main tour with a farewell dinner in the historic center of the city. Breakfast and Dinner included. Stay the night at Hotel Hospes Las Casas del Rey de Baeza, Seville. Day 14: Tuesday, November 20 With a morning transfer to the Seville Airport (SVQ), tour members concluding their tours can make connecons back to the United States, or on to other desnaons in Europe or elsewhere. Breakfast included. For a descripon of the inerary for the tour extension to the Algarve, please see the next page. Day 11: Saturday, November 17 We check out of our hotel and travel to Córdoba, the Carthaginian and Roman city that became, as capital of the Umayyad emirate, one of the most advanced and important cies of the world. We explore sites built during Islamic and Chrisan eras, including the Mezquita, the city’s remarkable mosque‐cathedral, where we have a guided tour. We also see the Alcázar de los Reyes Crisanos and the Palacio de Viana, with it’s 12 marvelous paos. Breakfast included. Stay the night at Hotel Hospes Palacio del Bailío, Córdoba. Day 12: Sunday, November 18 With the doors of our hotel opening to the second largest Old Town in all of Europe, a day at leisure in Córdoba lets you stroll, shop and dine on your own during the day. Take a siesta, too— you’ll want to be well rested for a flamenco performance in the evening! Breakfast included. Stay the night at Hotel Hospes Palacio del Bailío, Córdoba. Alcázar, Seville ‘A TASTE OF THE ALGARVE’ TOUR EXTENSION ITINERARY Algarve Coast, Portugal Day 1: Tuesday, November 20, 2018 Day 4: Friday, November 23 A morning taxi transfer brings us to La Casa de Pilatos, a classic Our Algarve sojourn comes to an end, and we transfer to Faro Andalusian palace, with its artwork and glazed ceramic lework, Internaonal Airport (FAO) for flights home, or to other its courtyards and its well‐kept gardens. You are free in the desnaons. aernoon to explore some of the many treasures of Seville on your own. Breakfast included. Stay the night at Hotel Hospes Las Casas del Rey de Baeza, Seville. Day 2: Wednesday, November 21 We check out of our hotel and board the coach for the Algarve, mainland Portugal’s southernmost region, renowned for its beaches. Our base is Tavira, a port acclaimed for its authenc Portuguese charm. A strong gardening community, including many expatriates, is centered here, too. We visit a couple of private gardens and hear a talk by Rosie Peddle, a founding member of the Mediterranean Gardening Associaon. Breakfast included. Stay the night at Pousada Convento Tavira, Tavira. Day 3: Thursday, November 22 More private gardens are on our inerary today, before we cap the day, and our tour, with a very special group Thanksgiving Dinner. Breakfast and Dinner included. Stay the night at Pousada Convento Tavira, Tavira. Tavira, Portugal TOUR PRICES The tours are priced in Euros, the value of which may fluctuate, HPSO tours are open to HPSO members only.