Spain and Portugal Tour

Spain and Portugal Tour

Day 1     DEPARTURE to MADRID

We board our overnight flight to Madrid, with meal service en route.

Day 2    MADRID

Arrival in Madrid, and after luggage retrieval and customs, we’ll be met by our USIT tour conductor and our city guide and board the coach for our transfer to the city.  Madrid is the capital of Spain, is located in the heart of the peninsula and right in the center of the Castilian plain 1800 feet above sea level, with a population of over three million. It’s a cosmopolitan city, a business center, and headquarters for the Public Administration, Government, Spanish Parliament and the home of the Spanish Royal Family. As it is too early for check-in, we’ll start with a panoramic tour of the city, ending at the famous Prado Museum (adm. Incl.) midafternoon.  At 6:00 PM, we’ll leave the museum to check into our hotel, and shortly thereafter, we’ll go to dinner at a nearby restaurant (incl.)

Day 3   MADRID

After breakfast at the hotel, we’ll start our guided tour by visiting the Plaza Mayor, close by the hotel.  Inaugurated in 1620, this large rectangular, stone paved plaza with its ground floor arcades underwent its last remodeling in 1853 by Juan de Villanueva. Until the last century, the Plaza Mayor was used as a marketplace on weekdays and was the scene of popular events from bullfights to public announcement of sentences during the Inquisition, religious processions, public executions and dance and theater festivals.  The most striking building in the Plaza Mayor is the Casa de la Panadería (Bakery house), with its colorful fresco-adorned façade. On the opposite side of the square is the Casa de la Carnicería.  This former butcher shop now houses Municipal offices. We go on to walk through the area, seeing the Palacio de Santa Cruz, Mercado de San Miguel, and the Plaza de la Villa. Lunch is on our own and time to explore in the in the area.  Then we proceed to the Royal Palace, the Palacio Real for a tour.  The palace is one of the most beautiful in Europe, especially its architecture and gardens. There are also excellent frescos inside the palace by Tiépolo, and paintings by Velázquez, Goya, Rubens, El Greco, Juan de Flandes and Caravaggio, among others. We’ll also see the Almudena Cathedral nearby.  Dinner is on our own, with a large variety of restaurants at the nearby Plaza Mayor from which to choose.  Possible concert tonight.

Day 4  MADRID/SEVILLE

After a leisurely breakfast, we transfer to Madrid Puerta De Atocha train station to take the TGV (high-speed train) to Seville’s Santa Justa Station.  Seville is in the heart of Andalusia.  We’ll have lunch in the area before starting our panoramic tour of Seville.  First we’ll discover the architecture of 1929 in Seville when the IberoAmerican Exhibition took place in the capital of Andalusia. Next is Plaza de España, one of the country’s most spectacular. Plazas de España was the centerpiece of the 1929 Spanish-Americas Fair. It boasts fountains and mini-canals and is surrounded by a display of tile work representing all the provinces of Spain. If we need a break from the city, we’ll head into the tranquillity of the adjoining Parque de María Luisa, only a 10-minute walk east of the cathedral.  On the way to the Plaza de España, we will see the city’s old tobacco factory that was the setting for Bizet’s Carmen. Today it’s a part of Seville University, and is open to the public during daylight hours.  Then we coach to the Plaza de America and the Pabellon Mudejar, located by the Maria Luisa Gardens.  We continue to the city center where we’ll visit the Alcazar Royal Palace, the oldest Spanish King’s residence. This was a fortress from the Muslim era (dating from AD 913), which served as a hideout of Muslim and Christian royalty for many centuries. It’s a fantastic example of the Moorish style: tiles, mosaics, ceilings, courtyards and Arabic and Renaissance gardens.  We’ll see the Plaza de Toros de la Real Maestranza.  It’s well worth a visit, since Seville’s bullring is one of the oldest (1758) and most famous in Spain. The tour will finish at the Santa Cruz Quarter, the Jewish district with narrow streets and small squares with orange trees and flowers.  Then we check in at the hotel.  Our evening is comprised of dinner and a Flemenco Show at 7:00 PM (incl.) at a local restaurant.  We’ll depart the hotel at 6:45 PM.

Day 5   SEVILLE

First we visit Seville’s immense cathedral, one of the biggest in the world: it was built on the site of Muslim Seville’s main mosque between 1401 and 1507. One highlight of the cathedral’s lavish interior is Christopher Columbus’ supposed tomb inside the south door. The tower that adjoins the Cathedral is La Giralda. It was the mosque’s minaret and dates from the 12th century.  Those who wish can climb up the tower for a panoramic view, using the same ticket as for the cathedral.  Then we move on to the Golden Tower.  On the banks of the River Guadalquivir stands the Torre de Oro, which today represents one of Seville’s major landmarks. It houses important documents related to the nautical history of Seville.  The Moors originally built it as a way to close access to the harbour by stretching a chain across the mouth of the harbor. Lunch is on our own and the afternoon is free to explore and relax on our own.  Dinner is on our own.  Possible concert tonight in the cathedral.

Day 6   SEVILLE/LISBON

Today is a long day on the coach, making our way to Lisbon, but there is much to see, so we’ll leave around 9:00 AM from the hotel.  We travel west on the highway, passing stretches of olive groves before rejoining the Mediterranean.  We’ll stop for lunch in Quarteira along the beach before continuing north towards Lisbon. We’ll take the motorway through the southwest mountains of Portugal, passing verdant forests with unique species of trees as we wend our way north. By about 3:00 PM, we arrive in Evora, which is one of Portugal’s most delightful towns. In addition to its spacious town square with shops, restaurants, and cafes, it is an “open-air museum” with a large number of well-preserved monuments, including its cathedral, a Roman temple, and the 15th century Loios Convent with Gothic church.  Evora is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  Leaving Evora, we drive the last leg of our day, arriving in Lisbon around 7:00 PM to check into our 4* hotel on the main square in Lisbon.  Dinner is provided at the hotel

Day 7    LISBON

After a late breakfast at the hotel, we’ll start our half-day walking tour of Lisbon from the hotel at 10:00 AM.  We’ll walk through the medieval Alfama district, a village within the city, still made up of narrow streets, tiny squares, churches, and whitewashed houses, and up to St. George’s Castle, dating from the 6th century, overlooking the city (adm. Incl.).  There are many churches in Lisbon, foremost among them are the cathedral, the oldest building in Lisbon, dating from 1150 AD, and we will visit the cathedral this morning. Then we’ll visit the amazing Jeronimos Monastery.  This monastery, dedicated to St. Jerome, is the most impressive symbol of Portugal’s power and wealth during the Age of Discovery.  King Manuel I built it in 1502 on the site of a hermitage founded by Prince Henry the Navigator, where Vasco da Gama and his crew spent their last night in Portugal in prayer before leaving for India. We’ll also go by the Belem Tower and the Discoveries Monument.   After lunch on our own, we’ll drive through the coastal town of Cascais, with its beautiful beaches, and on to the lighthouse at Cabo Roca, with its pounding Atlantic surf. Return to the hotel. Shortly thereafter, we arrive at the royal town of Sintra, hidden in the lush mountain forests.  The Romans made it a place of cult moon worship and named it “Cynthia” after the goddess of the moon. They were followed by the Moors who also fell in love with the lush vegetation and built a hilltop castle, a palace, and several fountains around the town. Later it became the summer residence of the Portuguese royal family and attracted a number of wealthy aristocrats who built huge mansions and villas. Dinner is on our own.  Possible concert in the cathedral or the Jeronimos Monastery.

Day 8   LISBON to PORTO

This morning we board the coach early for our trip north to Porto.  On the way, we’ll stop to visit to visit the Batalha Monastery (Mosteiro da Batalha),   erected in commemoration of the 1385 Battle of Aljubarrota, to thank the Virgin Mary for the Portuguese victory over the Castilians.  It took over a century to build, starting in 1386 and ending circa 1517, and it’s one of the most important Gothic sites in Portugal. This is one of our concert sites.  We arrive Fatima around lunchtime, and we’ll have lunch on our own.  We’ll tour Our Lady of Fatima Basilica, and the tombs of the visionaries.  This national shrine is the site where three young peasant shepherds spied a “lady brighter than the sun,” which was, many believe, the first of six apparitions of the Virgin Mary in this region of Portugal. There is an afternoon mass in English, and we hope to participate and then sing a concert.  After the concert, we board the coaches to continue to Porto, arriving for dinner.

Day 9 PORTO TO SALAMANCA

This morning, we’ll take a brief tour of Porto, including a cruise on River Douro to see the city from the water, including the city’s six bridges, before departing for Salamanca, Spain.   We arrive there in the early afternoon, and after lunch on our own, we tour the city. We’ll start with the historic Plaza Major, where we’ll hear about the major historic events of Salamanca, followed by visits to the Old Cathedral and the New Cathedral.  The interior architecture and decorations of the New Cathedral are rich and elegant, and we’ll see three of the chapels:  the Golden Chapel, the Chapel of the Veil and the Chapel of Saint Roque.

Day 10    MADRID/ HOME

We depart the hotel for the airport to arrive at least 2 hours prior to our departure time.

Portugal Performance Tour

Performance Tour to Portugal

Day 1 Travel to Madrid

Day 2  Madrid to Salamanca via Avilla.  Hotel

At 8:25 AM, our flight arrives at Madrid’s Barajas International Airport, and after going through passport control, and colleting our luggage, we’ll be met by our guide and our USIT tour conductor, who will lead us to our coach.  Shortly thereafter, we depart the airport to enjoy a panoramic tour of Madrid, including the amazing Royal Palace and the Plaza Major.  Then we depart for our visit to Avila, a two-hour ride on the highway, on our way to Salamanca.  Avila is famous for its medieval city walls and towers that enclose the town.  We’ll see the cathedral and the convent of St. Teresa.  Then we continue to Salamanca, the end of our travels for the day.   We arrive early evening for check-in and dinner at our four-star hotel in the heart of Salamanca.

Day 3  Salamanca to Porto

Depart Salamanca in the morning, arrive Pinhão for a cruise down the River Douro through the vineyard region to Porto on the Atlantic Coast, arrive Porto early evening.

Day 4  Tour Porto

After breakfast at the hotel, we’ll enjoy a panoramic tour of the city, including visits to St. Francis Church, one of the famous Baroque Golden Churches.  We are invited to sing a concert in this national monument at 6:00 PM.  Next to St. Francis Church is the Commercial Association Palace (Palácio da Bolsa), a major neoclassical landmark, rich in artwork in the interior.  Our final visit this morning is the Cathedral of Porto, an austere, fortress-like cathedral where King John 1st married the English Princess Philippa of Lancaster in the 14th century and where their son, Prince Henry the Navigator, was baptized.   While the building has its origins in the 12th century, it has undergone many alterations over time.  We’ll hear about why from our guide.  After lunch on our own, we’ll enjoy a one-hour cruise on the Douro River to see the city from the water, including the city’s six bridges.  We return to the hotel for some free time and dinner is on our own.

Day 5  Day trip to Braga and Guimarães

After breakfast, we’ll drive out to Braga.  Sometimes called the “Portuguese Rome” for its many churches, Braga is an ancient town in northwest Portugal. Its history and livelihood are tied to Christianity dating to the 3rd century. The city’s 12th-century Sé (Cathedral) is still one of the most popular attractions.   We’ll have lunch on our own in Braga.  Then we go on to Guimarães, a city in region of Minho, and it’s one of the most historical cities in Portugal, said to be where “Portugal was born”.  It was the first city of Portugal to have a famously beautiful Castle, and a Palace to visit, from the beginnings of the country.  The Castle has been classified as one of the New Portuguese Seven Wonders.

Day 6  Coimbra to Tomar

After breakfast at the hotel, we’ll check out early morning (8:00 AM) and depart for Coimbra, about two hours’ drive from Porto.  Together we’ll visit University Library at 10:30, and the Cathedral.  Inside the library, there are three great rooms divided by decorated arches. The walls are covered by two storied shelves, in gilded or painted exotic woods and the ceilings are decorated with painting, and the library contains about 250 thousand volumes.  The cathedral is one of the most important Romanesque Cathedrals in Portugal and was built by the first King of Portugal when the city was the Capitol of the country.  After lunch on our own in Coimbra, we continue to Tomar, a charming and historically outstanding town on the banks of the Nabão River. It is dominated by a 12th-century Templar castle to see it’s collection of medieval weapons and armor, and the Convent of Christ (declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO).  Tonight we stay in Tomar.

Day 7 Tomar to Lisbon via Evora

After breakfast at the hotel, head south to Lisbon, by way of Evora.   We take the scenic route through Santarem and several small towns to arrive at lunchtime.  After lunch on our own, we’ll tour Evora, which is one of Portugal’s most delightful towns. In addition to its spacious town square with shops, restaurants, and cafes, it is an “open-air museum” with a large number of well-preserved monuments, including its cathedral, a Roman temple, and the 15th century Loios Convent with Gothic church.  Evora is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  Late afternoon, we depart for Lisbon, an hour away.

Day 8  Lisbon, city tour

After breakfast at the hotel, we’ll start our half-day walking tour of Lisbon from the hotel at 10:00 AM.  We’ll walk through the medieval Alfama district, a village within the city, still made up of narrow streets, tiny squares, churches, and whitewashed houses, and up to St. George’s Castle, dating from the 6th century, overlooking the city (adm. Incl.).  Then we’ll visit the amazing Jeronimos Monastery.  This monastery, dedicated to St. Jerome, is the most impressive symbol of Portugal’s power and wealth during the Age of Discovery.  King Manuel I built it in 1502 on the site of a hermitage founded by Prince Henry the Navigator, where Vasco da Gama and his crew spent their last night in Portugal in prayer before leaving for India. We’ll also go by the Belem Tower and the Discoveries Monument.  Lunch is on our own after the tour, with some free time to explore.   We will sing a concert afterward after the 5:00 PM mass at St. Anthony’s Church.

Day 9  Obidose, Nazare and Batalha Monastery

After breakfast at the hotel, we depart to the north, and our first stop is Obidos, a delightful little walled city with its origins in Roman times.  Next we continue to the Batalha Monastery (Mosteiro da Batalha),   erected in commemoration of the 1385 Battle of Aljubarrota, to thank the Virgin Mary for the Portuguese victory over the Castilians.  It took over a century to build, starting in 1386 and ending circa 1517, and it’s one of the most important Gothic sites in Portugal.  After lunch on our own in town, we’ll sing a concert in the sanctuary.  Then we continue to Nazare, where we’ll have lunch on our own before visiting the Chapel of Our Lady of Nazare.

Day 10  Cascais and Sentra via Cabo di Roca

After breakfast, we travel north to the royal town of Sintra, hidden in the lush mountain forests.  The Romans made it a place of cult moon worship and named it “Cynthia” after the goddess of the moon. They were followed by the Moors who also fell in love with the lush vegetation and built a hilltop castle, a palace, and several fountains around the town. Later it became the summer residence of the Portuguese royal family and attracted a number of wealthy aristocrats who built huge mansions and villas. Here we’ll have lunch on our own.  Then we continue south toward Lisbon, making a stop at the lighthouse at Cabo Roca, on a bluff high above the pounding Atlantic surf.  On the way into Lisbon, we’ll drive through the upscale coastal town of Cascais, with its beautiful beaches and abundant shops.  After a visit there, we continue the remaining half an hour drive along the coast into Lisbon.

Day 11 Travel home from Lisbon