France and Spain!
Summer 2016
Mrs. Broekhuizen
Our journey is outlined below the slideshow.
Day 1: Fly overnight to France from our very own Grand Rapids airport.
Day 2: Paris
Meet your Tour Director at the airport in Paris, the City of Light. During your stay you’ll get a taste of Parisian style as you ride down the Champs-Élysées, an elegant boulevard packed with high-fashion boutiques. Pass the Place de la Concorde and the Arc de Triomphe and strike a pose in front of the Eiffel Tower. At the École Militaire, see where a promising young Napoleon launched his rise to power. I.M. Pei’s iconic glass pyramid marks the entrance to the renowned Louvre, home to treasures like Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa. Then, admire the Notre Dame Cathedral’s sculptured façade, stained-glass rose windows and seemingly weightless vaulted ceilings.
Day 3: Paris
Take an expertly guided tour of Paris: Place de la Concorde; Champs-Élysées; Arc de Triomphe; Eiffel Tower. ]
In the afternoon: Visit Versailles
Day 4: Paris
Visit the Louvre
Take a walking tour of Paris: Latin Quarter
Visit Notre Dame Cathedral
Day 5: Paris | Barcelona
Travel by TGV train to Barcelona, an art lover’s dream city and the place where masters like Miró, Picasso and Dalí flourished. During your stay you’ll explore open-air plazas dotted with avant-garde gems, like the Plaza de Catalunya and Plaza España. Snap photos of the twisting spires of La Sagrada Familia and the Magic Fountain of Montjuïc, which delights with dazzling light and water shows. From atop Montjuïc Hill enjoy panoramic views of the harbor below. Here you’ll also find the 1992 Olympic stadium. Marvel at the landscaped greenery and playful Modernist mosaics on your visit to Park Güell. Flower vendors and street performers greet you as you walk the tree-lined Las Ramblas.
Day 6: Barcelona
Take an expertly guided tour of Barcelona: La Sagrada Familia; Barcelona Cathedral
Visit Park Güell
Take a walking tour of Barcelona
Day 7: Barcelona
Enjoy our Taste of Spain cooking class
Day 8: Zaragoza | Madrid
Travel via Zaragoza to Madrid, the capital and largest city in Spain. Explore Puerta del Sol, the heart of the city, and travel back in time to Spain’s Golden Age at Plaza Mayor, where you’ll learn about this grand square’s history of bullfights, royal weddings and public executions. At the Prado, behold paintings like Velázquez’s Las Meninas and Goya’s paired canvases. Get a taste of royal Madrid at the extravagant Palacio Real, where you’ll wander the fabulous palace interior and find more than 2,000 rooms decked in beautiful frescoes, delicate porcelain wares and finely woven rugs.
Day 9: Madrid
Take an expertly guided tour of Madrid
Visit the Palacio Real
Take a walking tour of Madrid
Visit the Prado
Enjoy a Madrid Flamenco Evening
Day 10: Depart for home