Spain – Spectacular Gardens and Gaudí Tour 2022

Arrive into Granada and make your way to your hotel…and what a hotel! The historic Hotel Alhambra Palace.

We meet later on this evening to enjoy a Welcome Dinner.

Hotel Alhambra – Classic Exterior View – 2 Nights

Experience a revival of a grand tradition of European hospitality at Hotel Alhambra Palace. Inspired by the beauty of the Alhambra, our hotel conjures up a sense of culture, aristocracy and elegance. Relax on one of their terraces with a refreshing drink or outstanding gastronomy. Hotel Alhambra Palace has been offering stylish Granada hotel accommodation since 1910. Five minute walk to Alhambra and 10 minute walk to historic center.

https://www.h-alhambrapalace.es/en/

One of the most beautiful gems of architecture is the Alhambra, a series of palaces and gardens started as far back as the 13^th Century by the Nasrites. The Alhambra became a Christian court in 1492 when the Catholic Monarchs (Ferdinand and Isabel) conquered the city of Granada. The summer palace is called Generalife. The Generalife is the most charming corner of the Alhambra, thanks to its gardens, ponds and fast-flowing water. In fact, the name of the main courtyard is the Patio de la Acequia – Courtyard of the Water Channel – in reference to the water which coursed through the villa before supplying the Alhambra below. It stands at the foot of Spain’s highest mountain range, the Sierra Nevada, and overlooks the city below and the fertile plain of Granada. The Alhambra (Arabic root meaning ‘red’ or ‘crimson’) and Generalife both became a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1984. A short walk from our hotel takes us there where we will enjoy a guided visit for there is much to see and we want time to soak it all in.

Did you know? The word “Generalife” has been translated as “garden of paradise“, “orchard” or “garden of feasts“.

https://theculturetrip.com/europe/spain/articles/the-history-of-the-generalife-gardens-in-1-minute/

Then we will head back to our hotel for a break before walking to the Carmen Rodriguez-Acosta. Wait until you hear the history – romance and more – of this quite startling, eclectic and very cool villa and its gardens.  Designed by painter Jose Maria Rodriguez-Acosta in the early 20^th Century, our guide will have you spell bound.  He traveled the world and loved so many styles… Built in 1914-1930, it is one of the most relevant architectural complexes of that period, a summary of the European style of the twenties and thirties, and declared a National Monument in 1982. Its creator used it as a studio where he developed an important body of work, midway between modernism and symbolism. The steep hill on which the carmen is perched gives rise to its magnificent gardens. They are full of monuments and stand out from the rest of the secluded gardens in Granada.  http://www.fundacionrodriguezacosta.com/

Then back to our hotel for the rest of the day and evening on your own.

Breakfast included, Lunch and Dinner on own

Pack up this evening, check safe and power adaptors you may have used

Cordoba’s hour of greatest glory was when it became the capital of the Moorish kingdom of El-Andalus, and this was when work began on the Great Mosque, or “Mezquita” in 785, which – after several centuries of additions and enlargements – became one of the largest in all of Islam. When the city was reconquered by the Christians in 1236, the new rulers of the city were so awed by its beauty that they left it standing, building their cathedral in the midst of its rows of arches and columns, and creating the extraordinary church-mosque we see today. The Mezquita de Cordoba is most notable for its giant arches and its forest of over 856 (of an original 1,293) columns of jasper, onyx, marble, and granite. These were taken from the Roman temple which had previously occupied the site and other destroyed Roman buildings. The Mezquita also features richly gilded prayer niches. But the Mezquita’s most interesting feature is certainly the mihrab, a domed shrine of Byzantine mosaics built by Al Hakam II (961-76). It once housed the Koran and relics of Muhammad. In front of the Mihrab is the Maksoureh, a kind of anteroom for the caliph and his court; its mosaics and plasterwork make it a masterpiece of Islamic art.

https://mezquita-catedraldecordoba.es/en/

As well as the unique mosque-cathedral, Cordoba’s treasures include the Alcazar, or Royal House, built by the Christians in 1328. The Alcazar served as one of the primary residences of Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon. From 1490 to 1821 the Inquisition operated from here. Today the castle’s gardens are among the most beautiful in Andalucía and also take time to enjoy the Roman mosaics…they are truly special. In a hall which housed the former chapel of the Inquisitions there are exhibited a magnificent collection of Roman mosaic art from the 2nd and 3rd century AD. The collection was discovered under Corredera Square in the city in 1959 and once belonged to a wealthy Roman Mansion. Outside the main castle walls the gardens occupy 55.000 square metres. It is certainly a very relaxing place to wander. There is a wide variety of plants, palm trees, cypresses, orange and lemon, trees to be seen which overlook stone fountains and large ponds. Originally the water was brought in by an aqueduct from the Sierra Morena and the great Albolafia waterwheel in the River Guadalquivir nearby helped with the supply. The large ponds were added in the 19th century.

https://alcazardelosreyescristianos.cordoba.es//?id=3

Then we enjoy Lunch with a wine tasting.

and a floral feast for the eyes, the Palacio de los Viana.

We enjoy guided visits of the Alcazar and Mezquita and a quiet joyful time to wander on our own through the many gardens of Viana. This 17th-century palace is one of Córdoba’s most splendid aristocratic homes. Also known as the Museo de los Patios, it contains 12 interior patios, each one different; the patios and gardens are planted with cypresses, orange trees, and myrtles and more. I was so delighted to see this that I bought a book on the patio gardens here…well worth it!  http://www.palaciodeviana.com/en/

Hotel NH Amistad – Superior Room – 1 Night

History surrounds you the second you step inside the NH Collection Amistad Córdoba hotel. Made up of two 18th century palaces, its traditional courtyards are filled with flowers and shaded by orange trees, archways and woodwork have been restored to their 18th-century glory, with a few carefully-chosen modern touches. Plus it’s right in the historic heart of Córdoba, 5 minutes’ walk from the city’s shops. Our quiet, contemporary-style rooms all come with views of our pretty courtyards, Maimonides Square or the historic wall which once separated the Jewish and Christian sections of Cordoba. Our stylish courtyard café offers up delicious local dishes while our 2 open-air patios are a wonderful place to unwind with a drink.

https://www.nh-collection.com/hotel/nh-collection-amistad-cordoba

Breakfast and Lunch with wine tasting included, Dinner on own

Pack up this evening, check safe and power adaptors you may have used.

The Portocarrero Palace, together with its Hispano-Mudejar-style botanical gardens surrounded by Almohad walls from the 11th-12th centuries, form a spectacular complex located in the heart of Andalusia, between Córdoba and Seville. It is an architectural jewel that was hidden and in ruins and that after years of careful restoration it shines again.

A beautiful architectural monument cataloged BIC (Well of Cultural Interest) that has a rich ancient history, a mix of civilizations that dates back to 105 AD in Roman times. The Portocarrero Palace offers us its Roman legend, both Roman and Arab archaeological remains and a building with areas from the 15th and 16th century mainly. Guided tour here…

http://www.palacioportocarrero.com/historia/

According to legend, Sevilla was founded by Hercules and its origins are linked with the Tartessian civilization. It was called Hispalis under the Romans and Isbiliya with the Moors. Sevilla lies on the banks of the Guadalquivir and is one of the largest historical centers in Europe, it has the Minaret of La Giralda, the Cathedral (one of the largest in Christendom), and the Alcázar Palace. Part of its treasure also includes Casa de Pilatos.

From the Palacio we head to Sevilla and our first stop is Lunch in Carmona

After our lunch we visit the Palacio de las Duenas, a very special place in time…

For the first time the Palacio de las Dueñas— built between the XV and XVI centuries and residence of the renowned Duchess of Alba— opens its doors to the public, thus offering a unique opportunity to discover this Andalusian gem and the pride of Spain. One of the oldest and most illustrious noble houses in Spain, the House of Alba, boasts a rich heritage, which dates back many centuries and encompasses several magnificent estates located all over the country as well as a great cultural and artistic legacy. (Audio guide here)

https://www.azureazure.com/travel/palacio-de-las-duenas-official-residence-house-alba-pride-seville

http://www.lasduenas.es/

Then on to our hotel where the rest of the day/evening is at your leisure.

Hotel Becquer – Standard Room – Two Nights

Hotel Bécquer is located in the old town of Seville, in a unique and privileged location in the city. From here, you can enjoy pleasant walks on the city streets, discover its emblematic spots, mix with the people, taste the exquisite cuisine (especially in the traditional Triana district) and admire its characteristic architectural beauty. Seville Cathedral, the Giralda or the Santa Cruz district are all less than a 10-minute walk away.

https://www.hotelbecquer.com/en/

Breakfast and Lunch included, Dinner on own

After breakfast we start our day out with a visit to the Hospital Venerables Sacredotes. This building was founded by Justino de Neve in the 17th century as a hospital and retirement home for priests. It is in the Baroque style and comprises two sections. The first is the residence built by Leonardo de Figueroa and features original elements such as the tiled galleries arranged in a circle leading to the fountain, and the staircase beneath an elliptical vault decorated with Baroque plasterwork. The second part of the building is a church with a half-barrel vault with lunettes and rib arches. It now houses the Centro Velázquez, devoted to famous painter Diego Velázquez.…A beautiful 17^th century baroque mansion, Seville’s most typical patio – embellished with plants and intimate in design and of course decorated in tiles, a church filled with rich murals and frescoes (now used for music), and a painting done by Diego Velazquez called ‘Santa Rufino’  the Patron Saint of Seville, painted between 1632 -1634 and what more you do need?  If you know your artists this is indeed a very special and very rare visit.

https://hospitalvenerables.es/

Then to visit the Alcazar and Gardens. Our guide will take us through this incredibly impressive monument of Sevilla. The site was initially a Roman settlement, later used by the Visigoths. In 712 Seville was conquered by the Arabs, who transformed the building in a palace-fortress. When Fernando III of Castile regained the city in 1248, the Alcázar became the Royal Palace. His son, Alfonso X, initiated the first works and ordered the construction of the Gothic Palace. The numerous rooms, patios and halls vary in architectural styles from the Islamic to Neoclassical. The beautiful gardens and fountains are all different in look, feel and decoration. The garden-orchards not only supplied food for the palace residents but had the aesthetic function of bringing pleasure. Water was ever present in the form of irrigation channels, runnels, jets, ponds and pools. The gardens adjoining the Alcázar of Seville have undergone many changes. In the 16th century during the reign of Philip III the Italian designer Vermondo Resta introduced the Italian Mannerist style. Resta was responsible for the Galeria de Grutesco (Grotto Gallery) transforming the old Muslim wall into a loggia from which to admire the view of the palace garden. https://alcazar.nomadgarden.org/gardens/real-alcazar/

Then we will enjoy Lunch.

Followed by a panoramic tour by coach with stops to visit Parque Maria Luisa and the colourful Triana area. Plaza de España was built for the Ibero-American Exhibition of 1929 (Expo 29), along with many of the pavilions you can see in and around the Parque Maria Luisa which is across from this. The Maria Luisa Gardens were built by JCN Forestier. This building will take your breath away. I was simply stunned as I stood and looked at it. Seville’s most impressive and majestic after the cathedral, for its sheer scale and grandeur. All that tilework – from guardrails to finials on the roofs and everything in between – you must see this in person to truly appreciate that each tile piece is unique. The building is a semi circular brick building, Renaissance/neo-Moorish in style, with a huge tower at either end.  All along the wall in front of the building are 48 alcoves with benches – one for each province of Spain, each with a relevant tableau and map, all designed on colourful azulejos (painted ceramic tiles). In front of the building, following the curve of its façade, is a 500-metre canal crossed by four bridges. Lots of boats on this lake with people happily paddling as they made their way around. It was simply amazing to stand on one of these bridges and take it all in.

https://www.visitasevilla.es/en/history/plaza-de-espana

Then back to our hotel for the rest of the day/evening at your leisure.

Did you know? The Giralda minaret is a masterpiece of Almohad architecture built in 1184 to 1197. It stands next to the Cathedral with its five naves; the largest Gothic building in Europe (and holds the tomb of Christopher Columbus). Make time to visit if you can as it is worth seeing and yes – do walk all the way up to the top of the minaret for an incredible memory. (I did) to discover that there are no steps, just a wide ramp because when the minaret was built the Imam used to ride a horse up to the top for the call to prayer! (or so the story goes)

Breakfast and Lunch included, Dinner on own

Pack up this evening, check safe and power adaptors you may have used. Keep passport in carry on.

Barcelona, the capital of Catalonia, is a Mediterranean and cosmopolitan city with Roman remains, medieval quarters and the most beautiful examples of 20th century Modernism and avant-garde. It is no surprise that emblematic constructions by the Catalan architects Antoni Gaudí and Lluís Doménech i Montaner have been declared World Heritage Sites by the UNESCO.

Arriving into Barcelona on the AVE Train, we board our coach and go to our hotel for a brief stop before walking over to Casa Milà. We will have a box lunch while on the train as we pass by olive groves and orange orchards. It is a lovely ride.

Casa Milà, popularly known as ‘La Pedrera’, is probably one of the most famous buildings of the Catalan Modernisme or Catalan Art Nouveau period and one of the architect Antoni Gaudí’s most ambitious works. It is a structure that is a work of art in itself. Gaudí planned Casa Milà (1906–1912) at the age of fifty-three, when he was at the height of his powers and had found a style of his own independent of any established ones. It turned out to be his last civil work and one of the most innovative in its functional, constructive and ornamental aspects. Indeed, thanks to his artistic and technical ideas, it has always been considered a breakthrough work, outside the concepts of the time, a rara avis in Modernisme itself and, especially, a work that anticipated the architecture of the 20th century.

https://www.lapedrera.com/en/home

I have chosen what I think are the most representative of his works on this tour but there is much more that you can discover on your leisure day in Barcelona. Here are some more ideas….

http://www.globotreks.com/destinations/10-gaudi-buildings-barcelona/

http://www.barcelona-tourist-guide.com/en/attractions/barcelona-architecture.html

http://www.barcelona-tourist-guide.com/en/attractions/barcelona-tourist-attractions.html

Also worth walking to is the Block of Discord, noted for having buildings by four of Barcelona’s most important Modernista architects.  Their styles were very different and here you see them all up close and they seem to clash with each other creating this discord.

https://www.barcelonas.com/manzana-de-la-discordia.html

Capri by Fraser – Studio Apartment – Four Nights

Nearby is the impressive National Theatre of Catalonia, the modern musical complex L’Auditori and the club Razzmatazz that hosts the hottest gigs and parties in Barcelona. Capri by Fraser also has the perfect view point to see the sky scraper Torre Agbar, a must see attraction when in town.  A fifteen minute walk will take you to the Barceloneta beach, where you can walk along the shore and just be in the moment.  The hotel has a lovely rooftop terrace where you can sit back and enjoy the view.  Your room is lovely and bright and comes with its own little mini kitchen.  Twin beds for those sharing a room and Queen bed for single or double.

https://barcelona.capribyfraser.com/en/accommodation/studio-deluxe-apartments.html

Breakfast and Box Lunch Included, Dinner on own

Sit back, enjoy the spectacular Mediterranean views from our coach as we make our way out of Barcelona to the Botanical Gardens of Marimurtra.

Located in Blanes, in Costa Brava, the Marimurtra Botanical Garden is one of the most beautiful gardens on the Mediterranean. At the top of steep cliffs running along the sea, you can enjoy one of the most spectacular panoramic views over the coastline and get to know more than four thousand plant species, most of them exotic ones, as well as several specimens that are extraordinary because of their age or size. Marimurtra is the work of a man with a passion for nature. Carl Faust was a businessman residing in Catalonia who devoted his hopes, his efforts and all his fortune to make his dream come true, the Botanical Garden Marimurtra.

https://marimurtra.cat/en/

Tossa de Mar – Some leisure stroll time in this Seaside Resort before our Lunch.

Before becoming a tourist resort, Tossa de Mar was a small fishing village, and before this, was involved in various other industries such as cork, food preservation, charcoal burning, wine making and olive oil production. At one time, Tossa even had a fleet of boats which traded with other Mediterranean ports and America. Another important part of Tossa’s history was the filming of Pandora and the Flying Dutchman in the 1950s, with Ava Gardner and James Mason in starring roles. At one of the most spectacularly astounding viewpoints of the Vila Vella, there is a magnificent bronze statue of the renowned American actress, Ava Gardner. A tranquil stroll around the old town reveals a multitude of intricately interwoven alley ways, each leading to it’s own spectacular pine framed view of the bay of Tossa, lapped by the sparkling topaz blue Mediterranean, sunlight drizzling through the branches. If you need ideas of what to do while here, please check out https://www.infotossa.com/en

We finish off this exquisitely relaxed day with a guided visit to Santa Clotilde Gardens in Lloret de Mar

This wonderful garden was landscaped in a setting of great beauty on top of a cliff with breath taking views over the sea. It is a fine specimen of the spirit that animated the Noucentista movement in Calalonia – an early 20^th century movement for intellectual and aesthetic renewal that found a distinguished spokesman in the writer Eugeni d’Ors.  The Santa Clotilde gardens were designed in the manner of the dainty yet austere gardens of the Italian Renaissance by Nicolau Rubió i Tuduri at the age of twenty-eight, when he was still brimming over with admiration for his master in the art of landscape gardening, JCN Forestier. In these gardens, Rubió ignored Forestier’s teachings with their Spanish-Arabic slant mixed up with images of the French garden, as he had seen when working with Forestier, and instead sought to recover the spirit of the Italian Renaissance as the essence of modernity. A new bourgeoisie was then emerging, looking back nostalgically on the prestige enjoyed by patrons of the arts during the Renaissance. The garden greets us with a blend of features from the Villa Medici, the Villa Borghese and perhaps the Boboli gardens as well – Florence was where one went for inspiration at the time. The spirit of romanticism underlies the garden, expressed in the marble bust glimpsed amid the vines, looking out to sea with its back to us – another delightful parody of that romantic sentiment of union with nature, closer to Leopardi than to his master C.D. Friedrich. These gardens, work on which began before the house, feature a collection of marble statues in the neo-classical style and the mermaids by the sculptress Maria Llimona. All the paths, avenues, squares and steps are set off by clipped hedges that form splendid green architectural shapes.

https://barcelonanavigator.com/santa-clotilde-gardens/

Then we make our way back to our hotel…renewed in spirit and basking in the memories. Evening at your leisure.

Breakfast and Lunch included with Dinner on own

Barcelona is very easy to walk around and enjoy and our hotel is very close to great shopping venues as well. Make your own memories today as you stroll, remember to look up as you walk too or you will miss some great architectural features. Cafes seem to be on every street corner and as I walked along the streets I had the distinct feeling I was here before for it is very European.

Breakfast included, Lunch and Dinner on own

Today, our last day, I want to share two very special places we will visit…both so special and so utterly unique.

Gaudi’s Sagrada Familia

I did not know what to expect on the inside…I only knew that even with the scaffolding from continual building I was mesmerized by every inch of it on the outside.  It was so totally bizarre. The outside is busy, colourful in spots with the tiles yet so very grey, having so much symbolism and inside….well, I loved it for being so different from the outside! As with all of Gaudi’s work, you either like it or not but I don’t think you can make that presumption without seeing it in person. It is so different from our usual thinking and it just plain takes time for it all to sink in. I loved the peace that I felt inside, especially when the sun shone through the most beautiful and unique stained glass windows you will set your eyes on. When this happens you cannot help but look up and feel you are being transported on one of the beams of colour. At the time of Gaudi’s death in 1926 less than a quarter of this project was complete. They say it should be complete by 2026, the centenary of his death.

Paul Goldberger, an American architectural critic and educator, called it “The most extraordinary personal interpretation of Gothic architecture since the Middle Ages.” The building’s design itself has been polarizing. Assessments by Gaudí’s fellow architects were generally positive; Louis Sullivan greatly admired it, describing Sagrada Família as the “greatest piece of creative architecture in the last twenty-five years. It is spirit symbolized in stone”. George Orwell called it “one of the most hideous buildings in the world” James A. Michener called it “one of the strangest-looking serious buildings in the world” and British historian Gerald Brenan stated about the building “Not even in the European architecture of the period can one discover anything so vulgar or pretentious.” The building’s distinctive silhouette has nevertheless become symbolic of Barcelona itself, drawing an estimated 2.5 million visitors annually.

Did you know? Since he was convinced that nothing of value could be achieved without sacrifice, Gaudi dedicated himself to an austere life of prayer and detachment. On occasion Gaudi had expressed a desire to die in a hospital among the poor people. This came to pass when he was run down by a street car. The police didn’t recognize him and seeing him a poor man, they took him to the Holy Cross Hospital, where he died June 10th, 1926.

https://sagradafamilia.org/

And Finally…

The Palau de la Música Catalana is one of the most representative monuments of Art Nouveau architecture. An emblematic building of the Catalan Modernism, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1997. Built between 1905 and 1908 by the great architect Lluis Domènech i Montaner, the Palau de la Música Catalana is an architectural jewel of Barcelona. Our guided tours starts in the Rehearsal Hall of the Orfeó Catala, where the foundation stone of the building was laid in 1905 and where even today, as it has for more than 100 years, the choir of the Orfeó Català rehearses regularly. Sitting in this intimate space, you can find out the reason for its importance with an audiovisual tour. The tour continues along the grand staircase decorated with flowers, Catalan flags and a single rail: built in a clever combination of a range of materials including iron and glass to create a world of detail which never ceases to amaze. Next we’ll visit the Lluís Millet Hall, where you can glimpse the large balcony with columns symbolizing flowers of every kind, in a tribute to nature. Finally we’ll go into the Concert Hall where an explosion of colour, shapes and light will welcome you to this great masterpiece of decorative art which amazes and inspires visitors and artists day after day. You will also go up to the second floor, next to the great skylight a drop of water and honey, a source of both light and inspiration. And finally the organ of the Palau, overlooking the room, will accompany you on a little musical journey. What an ending to a magical tour!

https://www.palaumusica.cat/en/the-art-nouveau-building_23602

We will head back to our hotel until our Farewell Dinner later on this evening.

Breakfast and Farewell Dinner Included with Lunch on your own

Or you may choose to stay on. If you want to use the same hotel do let me know so I can confirm post tour nights for you.