Day 1

DEPARTURE FROM DALLAS FORT WORTH Enjoy full meal service on your scheduled wide-bodied flight to Madrid.

Day 2

ARRIVE MADRID (3 NIGHTS) We will be met at the airport by our Tour manager/guide, where we will board our own private bus and transfer to our Madrid hotel and this evening enjoy a walk through Madrid's Old Quarter, including: the Plaza Mayor, Madrid's most famous square, and the Puerta del Sol, where we view the Kilometre Zero marker and Madrid's symbol, the Madrono. Dinner will be arranged in a local restaurant this evening.

Day 3

MADRID (SPAIN'S GOLDEN AGE) Our day will begin with a guided tour of the richly decorated Palacio Real, the home of Spain 's Bourbon monarchs until 1931. Our tour will take us through some of the palace's 2,000 rooms, which that "enlightened despot" Charles III called home. Highlights of a visit include the Reception Room and State Apartments, which include a rococo room with a diamond clock; a porcelain salon; the Royal Chapel; the Banquet Room, where receptions for heads of state are still held; and the Throne Room. This afternoon we will visit the Centro de Arte Reina Sofia, which houses the greatest repository of 20th-century art in Spain. The museum places special emphasis on the great artists of 20th-century Spain: Juan Gris, Salvador Dalí, Joan Miró, and Pablo Picasso, including his masterpiece, Guernica, which immortalizes the shameful blanket bombing of the Basque town by the German Luftwaffe, fighting for Franco during the Spanish Civil War. Our afternoon concludes with a brief visit to the Ermita de San Antonio de la Florida. The Neo-Classical church contains one of Goya's masterpieces, an elaborately beautiful fresco depicting the miracles of St. Anthony on the dome and cupola, which has been called Goya's Sistine Chapel. By depicting common street life, Goya raised the ire of the nobility who held judgment until the patron, Carlos IV, viewed it. When the monarch approved, the formerly outrageous painting was deemed acceptable. The church also houses Goya's Tomb. Dinner will be by your own arrangements this evening.

Day 4

MADRID (THE MASTERS) Our morning commences with a guided tour of the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, housing what was once one of the world's most extensive and valuable privately owned collections of paintings, rivaled only by the legendary holdings of Queen Elizabeth II. The collection is housed in the 18th-century Villahermosa Palace, and features a collection of European paintings from the 13th through the 20th century, including works by El Greco, Velázquez, Dürer, Rembrandt, Canaletto, Caravaggio, Hals, and Goya. The Thyssen collection also contains 19th- and 20th-century paintings by many of the notable French impressionists, as well as works by Picasso, Sargent, Kirchner, Nolde, and Kandinsky, as well as major American works, including paintings by Cole, Homer, Pollock, Rothko, Hopper, and Lictenstein. This afternoon we will take a guided tour of the Prado, one of the world's finest art museums, featuring works by Raphael, van der Weyden, Bosch, Rubens, Titian, El Greco, Caravaggio, and a fabulous collection of works by the Spanish masters Velazquez and Goya. Dinner will be by your own arrangements this evening.

Day 5

MADRID - TOLEDO (THE CITY OF EL GRECO) - EL ESCORIAL - SEGOVIA (1 NIGHT) Today we leave early for historic Toledo, picturesquely sited on a hill above the River Tagus. Our day begins (10:00am open) with a visit to the Casa y Museo de El Greco located in Toledo's old Jewish quarter, a labyrinth of narrow streets on the old town's southwestern edge. Our visit will include El Greco's so-called studio, where one of his paintings hangs, and a museum containing several works, including a copy of A View of Toledo, three portraits, and various paintings by 16th- and 17th-century Spanish artists. We also visit the nearby Iglesia de Santo Tome, a modest little 14th-century chapel, situated on a narrow street in the old Jewish quarter. The small church features El Greco's masterpiece The Burial of the Count of Orgaz, created in 1586. Our day continues with a walk through the winding streets to Toledo Cathedral, considered to be among the greatest Gothic structures in Spain. The cathedral actually reflects several architectural styles, and features many art treasures, including: the Transparente, a Last Supper in alabaster, El Greco's Twelve Apostles and Spoliation of Christ, Goya's Arrest of Christ on the Mount of Olives, and in the 16th-century Capilla Mozárabe, works by Juan de Borgona. The Treasure Room features a 500-pound, 15th-century gilded monstrance, allegedly made with gold brought back from the New World by Columbus, which is still carried through the streets of Toledo during the feast of Corpus Christi. We conclude with a visit to the Museo de Santa Cruz, a museum of art and sculpture. The façade of the building is a stunning architectural achievement in the classical plateresque style. The major artistic treasure inside is El Greco's The Assumption of the Virgin, his last known work, as well as paintings by Goya and Ribera. Also on display are gold items, opulent antique furnishings, Flemish tapestries, and Visigoth artifacts. Late this afternoon we continue to El Escorial, a massive monastery-palace commissioned by Philip II. During our visit we will explore: the Royal Apartments, many decorated with fine tapestries, the Pantheon of the Kings, which contains the mortal remains of all the Spanish monarchs from the time of the emperor Charles V, the Art Gallery, featuring works by Bosch, Titian and El Greco. The day ends as we arrive in Segovia, where we will view the impressive Roman Aqueduct, an architectural marvel built by the Romans nearly 2,000 years ago. Dinner will be by your own arrangements this evening.

Day 6

SEGOVIA - BURGOS - BILBAO (1 NIGHT) Making an early departure this morning we drive to Burgos (3.5 hours), time-honored for being the birthplace of El Cid, the champion of the Spanish Reconquest. On arrival, we visit the impressive Catedral de Santa Maria, begun in 1221, and one of the most celebrated churches in Europe. Built in diverse styles, predominantly flamboyant Gothic, it took 300 years to complete. The 16th-century Chapel of Condestable, behind the main altar, is one of the best examples of Isabelline-Gothic architecture. We then continue to Bilbao (2 hours), where we will visit the new Museo Guggenheim, an eye-catching structure designed by the Californian architect Frank Ghery. Inside we will have time to explore the collections of modern art, including examples from Pop Art, Minimalism, Arte Povera, Conceptual Art and Abstract Expressionism. Dinner will be by your own arrangements this evening.

Day 7

BILBAO - LOGRONO - ZARAGOZA (1 NIGHT) Our journey this morning takes us to Logrono (1.5 hours), the capital of La Rioja, with a pleasant old quarter of narrow streets adjacent to the Gothic Cathedral , which has an ornate Baroque door of interest. We then travel to Zaragoza (2 hours). Our sightseeing commences in the vast Plaza de Pilar where we can see the remains of the Roman Walls. In this area we can also view the Mercado de Lanuza, a market with ironwork in the Art Nouveau Styling. At the opposite end of the Square, we visit the Gothic-Mudéjar La Seo, more impressive than El Pilar. It has a rich baroque and Plateresque facade and is a particularly fine example of Aragonese Gothic architecture. Our final visit is to the Museo Pablo Gargallo, a sculptor born in Maella in 1881. It is installed in a beautiful Aragonese Renaissance-style palace. Gargallo, who was influential in the art world of the 1920s, is represented by 100 original works. Dinner will be by your own arrangements this evening.

Day 8

ZARAGOZA - POBLET - BARCELONA (4 NIGHTS) As we take the final leg of our journey, we arrive in Poblet (2.5 hours) where we visit the Monastery of Santa Maria de Poblet. Housing many tombs of Kings and other Royalty, the Abbey is enclosed by fortified walls and is considered one of the best examples of Monastic architecture. We end the day as we arrive in Barcelona (2 hours), the capital of Catalonia , and one of Europe 's most impressive cities. Our sightseeing begins with a stroll along Las Ramblas, Barcelona 's most colorful and interesting street. We will begin in the Placa de Catalunya, a vast square and the symbolic center of Barcelona which features sculpture, fountains and gardens. We will walk from the square to the waterfront, passing along the way a parade of street life, performance artists, flower stalls, cafes, markets and bird stalls. Architectural highlights include the market, La Boqueria, the Gran Teatre de Liceu, the Placa Reial and the Café de l'Opera. At the end of our walk we will visit the Mirador de Colón, a monument to Christopher Columbus that was erected at the Barcelona harbor on the occasion of the Universal Exhibition of 1888. We will have the opportunity to ascend to the mirador, where we will be afforded a panoramic view of Barcelona and its harbor. Dinner will be by your own arrangements this evening.

Day 9

BARCELONA (ANTONIO GAUDI: FATHER OF MODERNISTA) We will begin the day with a visit to La Sagrada Familia, Antonio Gaudí's incomplete masterpiece and one of the more idiosyncratic creations of Spain. Begun in 1882 and still incomplete at Gaudí's death in 1926, the Church of the Holy Family embodies the essence of Gaudí's style. We will explore the crypt of the cathedral, which features a small museum of the architect's scale models, photographs displaying the progress of construction on the building, as well as photos of Gaudí's funeral. We continue with a visit to the Casa Batlló, designed by Gaudí in 1905. Using sensuous curves in iron and stone, the architect gave the facade a lavish baroque exuberance. The balconies have been compared to "sculpted waves," and the upper part of the facade evokes animal forms. The downstairs building is the headquarters of an insurance company, however we will discreetly walk inside for a view of Gaudí's interior, which is basically as he designed it. Next we visit Casa Mila, commonly called La Pedrera, the most famous apartment-house complex in Spain . Antoni Gaudí's imagination went wild when planning its construction, even including vegetable and fruit shapes in his sculptural designs, the building stands as a classic example of modernista architecture. We will ascend to the rooftop, filled with phantasmagoric chimneys known in Spanish as espantabrujas (witch-scarers), which affords a view of Gaudí's La Sagrada Família and the Eixample area of the city. We also visit the Espai Gaudí (Gaudí Space) in the attic, which features an intriguing multimedia display of the works of the controversial artist. Our time in the Eixample quarter will include a visit to the Fundació Antoni Tàpies, dedicated to the Catalán artist Antoni Tàpies. The core of the museum is a collection of works by Tàpies covering the different stages of his career as it evolved into abstract expressionism, and the entire spectrum of mediums in which he worked: painting, assemblage, sculpture, drawing, and ceramics. The largest of all the works by Tàpies is on top of the building itself, a controversial gigantic sculpture made from 9,000 feet of metal wiring and tubing, entitled Cloud and Chair. Our day will conclude in Parc Güell, which was designed primarily by Gaudí, including a mosaic pagoda and a lizard fountain spitting water. A central grand plaza with its market below was built, as well as an undulating bench decorated with ceramic fragments. The bizarre Doric columns of the would-be market are hollow, part of Gaudí's drainage system. Dinner will be by your own arrangements this evening.

Day 10

BARCELONA (MODERN & CONTEMPORARY MASTERS) This morning we begin with a Gothic Quarter Walking Tour, which includes a visit to Barcelona Cathedral, a celebrated example of Catalonian Gothic architecture. The beautiful cloister, high altar, side chapels, sculptured choir, and Gothic arches highlight one of the most impressive cathedrals in Spain. We continue with a visit to the Fundació Joan Miró , a museum with a collection of over 10,000 works by the Catalán surrealist, including paintings, graphics, and sculptures. An exhibition in a modern wing charts Miró's complete artistic evolution, from his first drawings at the age of 8 to his last works. Our day continues at the Parc de la Ciutadella, which gets its name because it's the site of a former fortress that defended the city. We will have free time to explore the beautiful park, which is filled with lakes, gardens, and promenades, the Museu d'Art Modern, and a monumental fountain, which Gaudí is said to have contributed when he was a student. Our final visit is to the Museu d'Art Contemporani de Barcelona, a soaring, glistening white edifice in Barcelona's once-shabby but on-the-rebound Raval district, the museum is to Barcelona, what the Pompidou Center is to Paris. On display in the 74,000 square feet of exhibit space are the works of such modern luminaries as Tápies, Klee, Miró, and many other modern artists. Dinner will be by your own arrangements this evening.

Day 11

HALF-DAY TRIP TO FIGUERES - BARCELONA (FOCUS ON DALI & PICASSO) This morning we visit Figueres and the Teatre Museu Dali. The internationally known artist Salvador Dalí was as famous for his surrealist and often erotic imagery, as he was for his flamboyance and exhibitionism. At the Figueres museum, we will view his paintings, watercolors, gouaches, charcoals, and pastels, along with graphics and sculptures, many rendered with seductive and meticulously detailed imagery. As we return to the City we visit the Museu Picasso, housing works by Pablo Picasso, who donated some 2,500 of his paintings, engravings, and drawings to the museum in 1970. Picasso was particularly fond of Barcelona, the city where he spent much of his formative youth, and many of the works in the collection show the artist's debt to van Gogh, El Greco, Rembrandt and Velázquez. We have a final dinner together this evening to end the tour.

Day 12

DEPARTURE FROM BARCELONA Our enjoyable and rewarding tour will come to an end as our Tour manager/guide accompanies us to the airport for the return flight home.

TOUR HIGHLIGHTS (ALL ADMISSIONS INCLUDED)   MADRID: Old Quarter, Plaza Mayor, Puerta del Sol, Palacio Real (Reception Rooms & State Apartments), Prado Museum, Ermita de San Antonio de la Florida (Goya's Tomb), Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza, Cenytro de Arte Reina Sofia TOLEDO: Casa y Museo de El Greco, Iglesia de Santo Tome, Toledo Cathedral, Museo Santa Cruz EL ESCORIAL: Palace Tour (State Apartments, Pantheon of the Kings, Art Gallery) SEGOVIA: Aqueduct BURGOS: Catedral de Santa Maria (Chapel of Condestable) BILBAO: Museo Guggenheim LOGRONO: Gothic Cathedral, Plaza de Pilar, Mercado de Lanuza, La Seo ZARAGOZA: Museo Pablo Gargallo POBLET: Monastery of Santa Maria de Poblet BARCELONA: Las Ramblas Walking Tour, Placa de Catalunya, Mirador de Colon, La Sagrada Familia, Casa Batllo, Casa Mila (Espai Gaudi), Fundacio Antoni Tapies, Parc Guell (Museu Gaudi), Gothic Quarter, Barcelona Cathedral, Museu Picasso, Parc de la Ciutadella, Museu d'Art Contemporani de Barcelona , Fundacio Joan Miro FIGUERES: Teatre Museu Dali

For more information contact Marianne Berger Woods, Assistant Professor of Art History, at 432-552-2290 or woods_m@utpb.edu