Viva Espana!
Barcelona - Granada - Seville - Valencia 
Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia, Valencia
Dear Opera Lover,
Beethoven and Wagner were of course quintessentially German composers but they both wrote operas set in Spain: Fidelio, dealing with the political imprisonment of a Spanish nobleman and his wife’s heroic efforts to free him; and Parsifal, with its setting in ‘the northern mountains of Gothic Spain’.
Fidelio, in the historic Gran Teatro del Liceo in Barcelona, features during the first part of our exciting tour ‘Viva España’. We’ll come close to the spirit of Parsifal on the following day during our trip to the mountain Abbey of Santa Maria de Montserrat, identified by some with the location of the Holy Grail. Bach, Handel, Vivaldi and Mozart will also feature in two concerts in Barcelona before we head for the Moorish city of Granada with its exquisite palaces and gardens.
Tristan und Isolde in Seville will be a stunning, traditional staging of Wagner’s ground-breaking work (something of a rarity these days), with American tenor Robert Dean Smith, Bayreuth’s reigning Tristan, in the title role, and Evelyn Herlitzius as Isolde.
How better to conclude our tour than with Wagner’s mighty final day of the Ring: Götterdämmerung, in a spectacular staging in the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia, one of the most remarkable examples of modern architecture. Even Antoni Gaudí, whose architectural fantasies we’ll explore in Barcelona, would have been surprised!
‘Viva España’ promises to be a wonderful tour – stimulating and fun, like sunny Spain herself - and I’m looking forward enormously to joining you there.
With all good wishes, until we meet in Barcelona,
Peter Bassett
Itinerary
Fri 22 May 2009 - Arrive Barcelona
Arrive Barcelona and check in to your hotel. This evening, enjoy a special welcome dinner with Peter Bassett and your fellow group members. (D)
Sat 23 May - Barcelona
Morning guided tour of the Gothic Quarter, the oldest part of the city, considered by many to be the true heart of Barcelona. Continue to the Picasso Museum which is housed in three adjoining palaces dating from medieval times and boasts a collection of over 3,000 pieces. After lunch drive up to Parc Güell, Antoni Gaudi’s most colourful creation, originally the garden of a private estate commissioned in the 1890s by Count Eusebi Güell. End the day with a visit to Gaudi’s unfinished masterpiece, the extraordinary La Sagrada Familia. Evening symphony concert at the Palau de la Musica Catalana featuring works by Bach, Pärt, Vivaldi and Mozart. (BL)
Sun 24 May - Barcelona
A full day at leisure in Barcelona. Why not discover more of Gaudi’s incomparable works of architecture and design, soak up Barcelona’s unique atmosphere with a walk along the historic avenue of Las Ramblas or watch the world go by from a charming outdoor café? Evening performance of Beethoven’s Fidelio at the Gran Teatre del Liceo. (B)
Mon 25 May - Barcelona
Full day excursion into the magnificent mountains outside Barcelona to the Benedictine Monastery of Montserrat, Catalonia’s holiest site dating back to the 9th century. After a tour of the abbey, enjoy a short performance by the El Virolai choir of Escolania de Montserrat, one of the oldest choirs in Europe. Lunch will be served in a local restaurant before returning to Barcelona. Evening concert at Palau de la Musica featuring Handel’s Water Music. (BL)
Tue 26 May - Barcelona to Granada
Transfer to the airport for flight to Granada. Arrive midday and transfer to your hotel. First occupied by the Moors in the 8th century, Granada reached a Golden Age under the Nasrid Dynasty (1238 - 1492). After its fall to the Catholic Monarchs in 1492 and the expulsion of the Moors, Granada blossomed in Renaissance splendour. This afternoon you will visit the Albaicín, one of the oldest quarters of the city, built on the site of a 13th century Moorish fortress, where you can take in spectacular views of the Alhambra on the adjoining hill. Also visit Sacromonte, Granada’s Gypsy quarter. (BD)
Wed 27 May - Granada
Morning tour of the Alhambra and Generalife. Built during the Nasrid dynasty the Alhambra is a remarkable example of the exotic and sensual use of space, water, light and decoration in architecture. From the Alhambra we continue to the Generalife (‘the garden of lofty paradise’), the country estate of the Nasrid rulers, where the gardens blend with the Moorish and Renaissance architecture. After lunch, continue with a private visit of the art collection of Fundacion Rodriguez Acosta. Inside a typical Granadino carmen (private villa), it houses fine works of art, archaeological findings, and a library collected by the Granada-born scholar Manuel Gómez-Moreno Martínez. (BL)
Thu 28 May - Granada
Morning tour of the magnificent Granada Cathedral and the Royal Chapel, both built in the early 16th century on the orders of the Catholic Monarchs. You will have some free time this afternoon before an evening Flamenco show and dinner in a local restaurant. (BD)
Fri 29 May - Granada to Seville
Today you will travel to Seville, visiting the fascinating city of Cordoba en route. In Cordoba you will take a tour of the Mezquita (Great Mosque), which embodies the power of Islam on the Iberian Peninsula. Dating back to the 8th century, the Mezquita evolved over the centuries, with many additions and elaborations, especially in the 10th century (under Hakam II) and during the 16th century, when the cathedral with an Italianate dome was built in the heart of the reconstructed mosque. Continue with a stroll through the Juderia or Jewish quarter to visit the Old Synagogue and, time permitting, the Alcazar de los Reyes Cristianos. After lunch, continue to Seville. (BL)
Sat 30 May - Seville
Morning tour of Reales Alcazares, the royal residence dating from 1364. The ornate Moorish-inspired rooms and decoration contain many fine examples of complex tile and plasterwork, and are complemented by the gardens, laid out with terraces, fountains and pavilions. Continue to the immense Gothic 15th century Seville Cathedral and the Hospital de la Caridad. After lunch there will be a short orientation tour by coach passing by the 13th century Torre del Oro (‘Tower of Gold’), which formed part of the Moorish walled defences of the city; La Giralda, originally a minaret which became the belfry of a Christian cathedral; and the 18th century bullring Plaza de Toros de la Maestranza. (BL)
Sun 31 May - Seville
A full day at leisure for your own explorations or sheer relaxation! Those who fancy more sightseeing may enjoy a visit to the Archive of the Indies, which illustrates Seville’s role in the colonisation of the New World. Included in the exhibition are over 8,000 hand-drawn maps and charts as well as letters from Christopher Columbus, Magellan and Hernan Cortes. Evening performance at the Theatre of La Maestranza of Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde with Robert Dean Smith and Evelyn Herlitzius. (B)
Mon 1 June - Seville to Valencia
Transfer to the airport for flight to Valencia. Arrive at around 1.00 pm and transfer to your hotel. Valencia is Spain’s third largest city and, with its warm coastal climate, is known for its exuberant outdoor living and nightlife. Afternoon orientation tour by coach along the coast and through the Old Town of Valencia, stopping along the way to visit the 13th century Valencia Cathedral and the Diocesan Museum within. (BD)
Tue 2 June - Valencia
Morning at the City of Arts and Sciences - a complex of entertainment and cultural establishments including the Applied Science Museum and the magnificent Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía, where you will have a guided tour (subject to permission). There will be some free time to relax this afternoon before an evening performance at this fabulous venue - Wagner’s Götterdämmerung, under the musical direction of Zubin Mehta. (B)
Wed 3 June - Valencia
Morning visit to the Fundacion Lladro to see how these famous porcelain pieces are made, followed by a an exclusive tour of the private art collection of the Lladro Family (subject to permission). Afternoon at leisure before a special farewell dinner. (BD)
Thu 4 June - Depart Valencia
Tour services end after breakfast. (B)
YOUR HOTELS
Barcelona - 987 Barcelona Hotel* * * *
Granada - AC Palacio de Santa Paula* * * * *
Seville - Vincci La Rabida * * * * *
Valencia - Astoria Palace* * * *
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