Barcelona’s Sagrada Familia is Gaudi’s still unfinished architectural work, one of the many highlights of the Spain Room Tour in February 2023.
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Wednesday, March 16, 2022
Spain is one of the places that will lift your spirits in 2023. It’s been a long time since I’ve been to Spain and the only city I saw was Barcelona, one of the biggest cities in Spain . Even though it was a long time ago, I clearly remember one of the most remarkable churches that captivated me even more than Notre-Dame de Paris.
Barcelona is the final stop on Collette’s 10-day tour of Spain, and they’ve saved the best for last, as it’s here that we visit La Sagrada Familia, the still-unfinished architectural masterpiece of the Spanish architect Antoni Gaudi. Still under construction today, Gaudi began his dream in 1882 and died on June 10, 1926. Work continues and is currently scheduled to complete the structure in 2026, the 100th anniversary of Gaudi’s death.
The other Gaudi structures we will visit in Barcelona on our last day in Spain besides the amazing cathedral are the Batlo house and the Casa Mila building, considered one of the most outstanding UNESCO sites in the world. I also saw his work in Vienna. Absolutely fascinating!
While a trip to Barcelona alone is worth the trip, there are plenty of amazing stops to captivate you from the moment we land in the capital city of Madrid where we will spend three nights allowing us to successfully recover from it all. jet lag. There is a city tour where our love of art and architecture begins.
We spend a day in the walled city of Toledo, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Once the medieval capital of Spain, Toledo is considered the most representative of Spanish culture and is known as the “city of three cultures” for mosques, Catholic churches and synagogues, all within walled borders . For those who love jewelry, this is where you will find Moorish damascened jewelry – in steel inlaid with gold and/or silver.
Then two nights will be spent in Seville. You will have the option of traveling by high-speed train or taking the coach to Cordoba where we will spend a day discovering even more religious sites and strolling through the famous historic Jewish quarter. Next, drive to Seville, the cultural capital of Spain, where the next day we will take a boat ride and then visit another UNESCO site, the largest Gothic church in the world – Seville Cathedral. Here, Christopher Columbus was buried. After all the church visits over the past few days, we’ll spend an evening livening things up enjoying an authentic flamenco show.
Day 7 will be a visit and overnight in Granada, the last great capital of the Moors in Spain. On day 8 we travel to Valencia to spend two nights, enjoying incredible scenery along the way. Known as the “City of Arts and Sciences,” this bustling city is packed with scenic spots. We’ll visit a fisherman’s house for lunch and learn how to make (and eat) authentic paella.
Our last two nights will be in Barcelona, the icing on this incredible cake. You will also have time to explore on your own. Spain is home to the third highest number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites and you will see six of the 45 cultural sites.
Departure date is February 3, return home February 14, making this a great Valentine’s Day gift!
The price of $3,748 per person includes roundtrip airfare from Reno, airport transfers, 10 nights hotel, 16 meals, all tours, baggage handling, and more. Spain has become the “hot” international destination and promises to be another great Collette Vacations trip. Visit the Chamber Travel Club page on the homepage by logging on to www.carsoncitychamber.com for the full brochure and other travel offers. Or call 775-882-1565.
At 93, Marilyn always has her suitcase close at hand.
