Barcelona, 5 days with Aegean (Jan.-March)

Meeting at the airport and direct flight to the capital of Catalonia and the second largest city in Spain, Barcelona. Arrival, transfer to the hotel and our first walking tour of this well-designed city and the largest Mediterranean port, will start from its historic center, the Gothic quarter, known as Barrio Gotico, with its beautiful stone alleys and its trademark impressive Cathedral of Agia Eulalia. We continue with the Isidre Nonel Square and the impressive wall decorated with 4,000 ceramic tiles with photographs printed on them. All together the tiles create a larger image that when seen from a distance forms a unique mosaic kiss. “The world begins with every kiss” is the motto inscribed on the plaque of the project, which was created on the occasion of the 300th anniversary of the liberation of the city. We continue to the shopping street Porta del Angel, where you can do your shopping. Return to the hotel for rest. Overnight.

Our morning tour will start from the imposing temple of Sagrada Familia, Gaudi’s most important work and the most visited monument in Barcelona, which we will also admire from the inside (entrance guaranteed). A symbol church for the city of Barcelona, where it ranks among the most complex and time-consuming architectural projects in the world. It is the life’s work of Antonio Gaudi, who spent 43 years laying the foundations of this monumental project. On our bus route we cross the famous Passeig de Gracia avenue – the Champs Elysees of Barcelona, with its impressive ‘modernist’ buildings, prestigious shops and very good restaurants, where we will also admire the two most famous houses of the great architect Antonio Gaudi , Casa Battlo and Casa Mila, as well as the houses of the best architects of the time – Lluis Domenech I Montaner, Puig I Cadafalch, Enric Sagnier and many others. We will continue to the Olympic village, the Olympic port and Barceloneta, the old fishing village, where in your free time you will be able to taste the famous paella. Going up to Montjuik hill (Jewish hill) we will see the Olympic Stadium with almost all facilities of the 1992 Olympiad. Our next stop is the Spanish Village (Poble Espanyol), a miniature of Spain, built for the 1929 world fair. We will end our tour in the city center and the largest and most commercial square – the Plaza Cataluna – and we will reach the famous Las Ramblas pedestrian street, with its flower market, outdoor artists and painters and its never-ending liveliness. Continuing on the Ramblas, we will see the Rambla Canaletes, famous for the fountain with the coat of arms of Catalonia. Legend has it that anyone who has tasted some of its water will surely return here. This is also the meeting point for the fans of the most successful team of the 21st century, Barcelona. Walking, and roughly in the middle of La Ramblas we will see the Plaza Real, a classic mansion square, where you can enjoy your coffee. For the afternoon we suggest an optional guided tour of the “other Barcelona”. We will see the famous Parque Guel, a work of Antonio Gaudi, an example of the harmony of nature and architecture, which has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Crossing the more expensive suburbs of the city, we will approach Barcelona’s stadium, Camp Nou, where we will stop for photos. Next stop the historic city center and the narrow streets of the El Born district, where we will see the Santa Maria del Mar church, a unique example of Gothic architecture. Then we will see the Hospital Sant Pau, the largest modernist complex in the world – a hospital straight from a fairy tale, the work of the great architect Lluis Domenech I Montaner and a UNESCO monument – and we will end up on the Montjuik hill. Return to the hotel. Overnight.

Today’s full day tour will start with Figueres, the city of Salvador Dali. In his museum we will see the largest collection of his works worldwide, from his youth to his death. Gala, the wife and love of his life, appears in many of his works, while in the center of the museum is his tomb, in the place and the city that honored him more than anyone else. Leaving the museum also enjoy the jewelry exhibition, consisting of 37 unique pieces of jewelry designed by the multi-talented painter. We continue to Girona, a beautiful city on the banks of the river Onar with beautiful painted houses. We will admire the city’s Cathedral and walk through the former Jewish quarter, where the Sephardim – the Jews of Spain – lived. Late afternoon return to Barcelona. For the evening, we optionally suggest you to watch Flamenco in its homeland and indulge in its intense and passionate rhythm. Overnight.

For today’s free day we suggest you visit the famous central market La Boqueria, where you can try the famous Spanish cured meats, the famous Jamon Pata Negra, exotic fruits and eat fresh fish and tapas. Spain’s largest and oldest market awaits you to taste its wonderful products. Also visit the museum of the greatest painter of the 20th century, Pablo Picasso, or the MOCO Museum of Modern Art. Visit the Ciutadella Park, built for the 1888 World Fair and flanked by the Arc de Triomphe. For the afternoon, we suggest a short cruise enjoying the sunset and listening to live jazz and chill out music, or visiting the famous Barcelona Aquarium located in the port area, which is the largest marine park in the Mediterranean and the second largest in the world. Overnight.

Transfer to the airport and boarding the flight to Athens.