Villas and Vines
presents
Barcelona and Catalonia
A Spanish Food, Wine, and Art Adventure
Day One - Barcelona
Arrival at the Barcelona International Airport and transfer to our hotel in the center of Barcelona, just off La Rambla, Barcelona’s most famous promenade.
In a privileged position on the northeastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula and the shores of the Mediterranean, Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain in both size and population. It is also the capital of Catalonia, 1 of the 17 autonomous regions that make up Spain. Barcelona is unequivocally a Mediterranean city, not only because of its geographic location, but also because of its history, tradition and cultural influences. The splendor achieved by Catalonian modernism is one of the most obvious displays. Settle into our hotel and enjoy lunch on your own in this lively city.
This afternoon is a panoramic sightseeing tour of Barcelona’s most famous attractions, including: the Sagrada Familia, Barcelona’s icon and Gaudí’s unfinished cathedral devoted to the Holy Family; the Boqueria, an open-air market and the oldest of its kind in Europe; the Barri Gòtic, or Gothic Quarter, holding traces of Roman settlement and massive 4th-century walls; and the Eixample, containing most of Barcelona’s Moderniste architecture.
Welcome dinner this evening in one of Barcelona’s many restaurants, experiencing our first taste of Catalonian cuisine.
Day Two- Penedés Wine Region- Sitges - Barcelona
This morning is devoted to exploring the noted wine region of Penedés, less than an hour from Barcelona, and one of the most exciting wine regions in Spain. A wide range of wine styles are produced here including the Traditional Method of sparkling white and rosé, along with dry reds, dry whites, and dessert whites. Winemaking in the region, as in the rest of Spain, dates back millennia and the Ancient Romans have left many vestiges of their wine production here. Penedés is a fascinating region, steeped in history and renowned for its “Modernista” architecture. We stop for a guided winery visit, including both wine and cava tastings. The afternoon brings us to the seaside village of Sitges, the prettiest and most popular resort in Barcelona’s immediate vicinity, with an excellent beach, an attractive Old Quarter, and interesting Moderniste architecture. Time is your own to discover lunch, shopping in the narrow alley-ways, and the promenade along the beach.
Back in Barcelona, the late afternoon and evening are quite special, as we take to the Boqueria, Barcelona’s most spectacular food market and a veritable explosion of life and color. A solid wall of fruits, herbs, wild mushrooms, vegetables, nuts, candied fruits, cheeses, hams, fish, poultry, and every other imaginable delicacy greets visitors. The air is alive with the aromas of fresh produce and the reverberating chorus of commerce. We have a private guided walking tour of the market, followed by a hands-on cooking lesson utilizing the freshest ingredients just selected. Dinner is the delicious result of our cooking talents!
Day Three- Barcelona – Costa Brava - Cadaqués
This morning brings free time to visit on your own some of the sites and monuments in Barcelona, including: the Sagrada Familia cathedral; Casa Batlló, a Gaudí masterpiece with undulating dragon-backed roof, multicolor façade, skull-and-bones balconies, and underwater interior – most remarkable and open to the public; Palau de la Música, the flagship of Barcelona’s Modernisme architecture; and the Parc Güell, an imposing mansion, one of the first and greatest masterpieces built by Gaudí, and one of the few private Gaudí houses open to the public. Or simply opt for more of Europe’s finest boutique shopping!
Lunch is an adventure on your own.
The Costa Brava, a celebrated resort area, extends from 40 miles north of Barcelona to the French border. It contains Catalonia’s most idyllic beaches, often indented by stunning coves. Covered with fig trees and vineyards, cacti and mimosa, eucalyptus trees, pines, birches, and its famous cork oak trees; and perfumed by the scents of lavender, thyme, and rosemary, this coastline boasts both hidden villages and beautiful resorts. Such villages are a source of infinite pleasure to anyone with an eye for aesthetic beauty, so it’s little wonder that the master Salvador Dalí embraced Cadaqués as home, or that Marc Chagall found his “blue paradise” along this coast.
Our destination is Dalí’s adopted village of Cadaqués, our home for the next three nights. Cadaqués has been called the most beautiful village on the Costa Brava. Its jumble of white houses, roofed with red tiles, massed upon each other, and capped by the church of Santa Maria, has been immortalized by hundreds of artists. The village is a labyrinth of steep and narrow pebble-paved streets. Its serpentine waterfront is lined with whitewashed private homes and inlets where small fishing boats have been pulled up onto the black, slate sand. We have a private guided tour, exploring all the nooks and crannies of this village.
PS. One cove up the coast from Cadaqués – just a 15 minute walk away – is Port Lligat, where Salavador Dalí built his famous house in the 1930’s, which became a love nest for him and his adored wife and model Gala, who left famed surrealist poet Paul Eluard to become Madame Dalí.
Dinner is a discovery on your own either at the hotel or in the lively village.
Day Four - Figueres – Empordà - Cadaqués
This morning we visit the village of Figueres, the capital of the Alt Empordà, which is predominantly an agricultural region. Locals come from the surrounding areas to shop its many stores; however the main reason tourists come to Figueres is the jaw-dropping Dalí Museum, one of the most-visited museums in all of Spain.
The artist, who was born in Figueres (1904) and was to die here (1989), decided to build a museum-monument to himself during the last two decades of his life, thus creating the Teatre-Museu Dalí. Topped with a glass geodesic dome and studded with Dalí’s iconic egg shapes, the museum pays homage to his fertile imagination and artistic creativity. Among the gardens, ramps, and other masterpieces, another “exhibit” on view is Dalí’s own crypt. All in all, the museum is a piece of Dalí dynamite! We are privileged to have a private guided visit of this spectacular “Theatre”.
After the museum, enjoy lunch and a bit of time on your own in Figueres.
Empordà is a landscape of contrasts. Situated in the far northeast of Catalonia, the Pyrenees to the north and the Mediterranean Sea to the south, work to form natural boundaries. There are several protected areas and an awe-inspiring coastline of beaches and coves.
The wine region produces a great variety of wines. The whites are fresh and crisp. The reds are full-bodied, well-structured, and harmonious; complex with a subtle fragrance and a hint of spice, giving the aromas of the fruit and the vine. We stop in for a visit of a local winery, followed by a tasting. The wines are under the Designation of Origin D.O. Empordà.
Dinner this evening is together, experiencing the lively color and local cuisine of Cadaqués.
Day Five- Cooking Lesson – Costa Brava Villages
This morning brings us back into the kitchen, participating in our second hands-on cooking lesson of the week. This time, we venture into the southern portion of the Costa Brava, further enhancing our knowledge of and exposure to, the vibrant Catalan cuisine.
Lunch is a delectable feast of our own creations, prepared during the lesson.
Following lunch, we visit several of the small villages nearby, namely La Bisbal, an inland village famous since the 16th-century as a pottery-producing center; Peratallada, an enchanting medieval and miniaturistic village quite happily stuck in the Middle Ages; and Pals, with vestiges of fortified ramparts enclosing ancient houses and winding alleyways.
Dinner back at home in Cadaqués, certain to find your own “special place” in town.
Day Six- Costa Brava - Barcelona
Scenic drive back to Barcelona, enjoying the beautiful views, arriving in time to enjoy lunch and the afternoon in this great city
Farewell dinner this evening will be a festive occasion in Barcelona, celebrating the food, wine, friendship, and art of this glorious corner of Spain!
Day Seven
Transfer to the Barcelona airport in preparation for the flight back to America.
$3595 Double Occupancy
$750 Single Supplement
Villa 3/13
