Payment of bespoke program of private tours. Barcelona. April 2020. 3 pax
Description and schedule of services:
12th of April: introduction to Barcelona: gothic quarter and quarters of el born and el Raval with a visit to the Picasso Museum:
9:30am: meet your personal local host at your accommodation to go on an introductory walking tour of the oldest sections of Barcelona: the gothic quarter and the quarters of el Born and el Raval. This tour will allow you to learn about the origins of the city and about its evolution while you stroll around its three iconic old quarters. You will start your tour visiting the oldest of these three sections: the gothic quarter. There you will learn about the roman origins of Barcelona and about its evolution until the medieval times. Your walk will take you through a maze of narrow streets that open onto charming squares with impressive temples and noble houses. Then you will venture into the quarter of el Raval which originated from the rural areas outside the old city walls, when the city started to experience a considerable growth during the industrial revolution. Then, your tour will take you to the quarter of el Born which is the medieval extension of the gothic quarter and where you will take a private tour of the Picasso Museum. There you will learn about the life and work of this iconic artist through a selection of the best pieces of the collection that the museum treasures.
1:30pm: end of your tour and rest of the day at leisure.
13th of April: the eixample quarter. Gaudí and modernist architecture:
9:30am: be met by your personal local host at your accommodation to start a walking tour of Barcelona eixample quarter. This tour will take you to see probably the most iconic private residence that Antoni Gaudí designed in Barcelona: Casa Milá. Located in the surroundings of your accommodation, this buildings will allow you to travel to the early 20th century when the Catalan Burgeoisie started to develop and settle in a new part of town, following a modern approach to architecture and urban planning. This area became an absolute icon of the 20th century elegance and grandeur of Catalonia and your personal local host will allow you to understand its origins, evolution and present character and personality.
11am: after your tour of Casa Milá (la Pedrera), walk (or take a taxi) through the eixample quarter to the church of La Sagrada Familia: the religious masterpiece of Gaudí.
11:30am: arrival to la Sagrada Familia and private tour of the site. After your introduction to the life and work of Gaudi earlier today, you will have the right context to enjoy the magnificence of this temple and to understand the visionary he was, by taking a private tour of both the inside and the outside of the building with your personal local host.
12:30pm: after your visit to la Sagrada familia, take a taxi with your personal local host to Parc Güell.
12:45pm: arrival to Park Güell and private walking tour of the park aimed at understanding the extent to which Gaudi was able to expand his creativity and versatility. a private residence, a majestic temple and a park will be the highlights of your modernist immersion in Barcelona.
1:45pm: end of your tour either at park Güell for you to enjoy some more time there or take a taxi back to your accommodation.
14th of April: half-day trip to Montserrat and rest of the day at leisure:
9am: be met by your personal local host and a dedicated driver at your accommodation and be transferred in a modern and comfortable Mercedes vehicle to the mountain range of Montserrat.
9:45am: upon arrival to Montserrat area, you will take the cable car to get to the area where the impressive Monastery of Montserrat is located. You will enjoy along the way stunning views of the area where Montserrat is located.
10:10am: upon arrival to the Monastery area, take a short guided hike to the cross of Saint Michael for panoramic views of the mountain range and of the Monastery. After enjoying the views, take a short hike back to the monastery area.
11:10am: visit the art museum of the Monastery, which treasures the stunning pieces of art that the monks have gathered throughout history.
12:15pm: make your way with your personal local host to the door of the basilica to secure a good spot (standing) near the altar in order to enjoy the singing of the L’Escolania choir that starts at 1pm.
1pm: enjoy the singing of two prayers that the choir dedicates to the Virgin Mary every day.
1:30pm: private transfer from Montserrat back to Barcelona.
2:30pm: arrival to Barcelona and lunch and rest of the day at leisure.
15th of April: market and cooking experience
10am: be met by your personal local host at your accommodation and take a short walk to the nearby market of Santa Catarina.
10:20am: Upon arrival to the market you will take a guided tour aimed at learning about Catalan local produce, about the characteristics of the Mediterranean diet and about the Catalan gastronomy in concrete. This will make a great introduction to the Northeastern Spanish cooking philosophy.
10:55am: after your visit to the market you will be taken to your cooking space, located just a short walk from the market.
11am: upon arrival to your cooking space, have a welcome drink and then start a 100% hands-on cooking lesson focused on Catalan recipes. During your lesson, you will cook some selected regional recipes that define the gastronomy of Catalonia. This will make a great immersion into the culture, history and customs of the region. The menu that our chefs suggest is the following:
– Pan Tomaca (bread with tomatoes)
– Asparagus with romesco sauce.
– Escalivada (a salad of grilled vegetables)
– Empedrat (a traditional dish based on cod and beans)
– Spinach cooked Catalan style
– “Fricandó” with “moixernons” (a slow cooked beef stew with mushrooms).
– Monkfish in a fish sauce
– Catalan sausage rolls with alioli sauce.
– Catalan cream for dessert.
12:45pm: after finishing all your dishes in an interactive and hands-on way together with your cooking instructors, you will get to enjoy the results by a having a comprehensive lunch filled with Catalan flavours and culture.
2pm (approximately): end of lunch and rest of the day at leisure.
Price of this bespoke tour program for a private group of 3 people: 900 Euros per person.
This price includes:
– Personal local host from Genuine Andalusia throughout the journey in all four tours.
– All entrance tickets and admissions during your tours (Picasso Museum, Sagrada Familia, La Pedrera, Parc Güell, art museum of the monastery of Montserrat)
– Tickets for the cable car to get to the top of Montserrat.
– Private transportation in a modern and comfortable Mercedes minivan with a dedicated driver throughout the day for your day trip to Montserrat.
– A private cooking lesson with all necessary ingredients, lunch and wine there.
– A private visit to the market of Santa Caterina as a part of your cooking experience.
– All taxes.
This price excludes:
– Any taxi rides. Your personal local host will manage the taxis when necessary but the cost of the taxis is not included.
Confirmation and payments:
In order to confirm this program of tours we require a 30% deposit of the grand total no later than the 2nd of February 2020 via credit/debit card, The remaining 70% must be paid no later than 30 days prior to the start of your tour program.
Grand total of this tour program: 2700 Euros.
30% needed no later than the 2nd of February 2020: 810 Euros.
Llinda Forrest pays for one person. That is 270 Euros.
Margherite Brown pays for two people. That is 540 Euros.
Final 70% needed to fully pay the tour program no later than 30 days prior to its start: 1890 Euros.
Llinda Forrest pays for one person. That is 630 Euros.
Margherite Brown pays for two people. That is 1260 Euros.
Cancellation policy:
– More than 30 days prior to the start of the tour program: deposit only.
– 30 – 10 days prior to the start of the tour program: 50% of the full cost of the tour program.
– 9 – 3 days prior to the start of the tour program: 75% of the full cost of the tour program.
– 2 days or less: 100% of the full cost of the tour program.
