June 17: Departure Day, Newark, NJ to Lisbon
For all travel details, please see the Travel Information document under the Essential Information tab in your digital locker.
June 18 – 21: Lisbon
Begin your trip in Lisbon, one of the oldest and most storied European capitals, with an in-depth orientation to get to know your fellow group members and leaders. Ride iconic yellow trams to the top of some of its famed seven hills and learn about changes wrought by the earthquake of 1755. Take a journey through the city’s vibrant contemporary art scene, from the modern and industrial architectural fusion of the riverside Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology museum to the studios, shops, and restaurants of the reclaimed LXFactory complex. Take a day trip to the green hills of nearby Sintra to walk the parapets of the technicolor Pena Palace and explore the hidden passageways and sinuous curves of the gothic-inspired Quinta da Regaleira estate.
June 22 – 24: Cáceres
Travel to Cáceres, capital of Spain’s Extremadura province, whose medieval walled city center is a UNESCO World Site. Relax in the warm waters of a modern recreation of an Arabic bath house, and climb to the top of the Islamic Torre del Bujaco for a view of the potpourri of architectural styles, ranging from Roman, to Gothic, and Italian Renaissance that comprise Cáceres’ Old Town. Vist the preserved and restored 12th century moorish house of Yusuf Al-Burch and sip sweet mint tea while discussing the overlapping cultures that shaped the city. Learn about the consequences of Spain’s infamous 1492 Expulsion of the Jews while walking through the narrow streets, small plazas, (and even an olive grove!) of one of the best preserved Jewish Quarters on the Iberian peninsula.
June 25 – 27: Madrid
In Madrid, stay in a centrally located hotel only a few minutes walk from both Spain’s sprawling 3,000 room Royal Palace and the 2nd century B.C.E. Debod Temple, a gift from Egypt whose perch commands impressive sunset views over the city’s largest park, the Casa del Campo. Get up close to foundational works of Western Art by painters such as Velázquez, Goya, Bosch, Dalí, and Picasso in the Prado and Reina Sofia Museums and spend an afternoon at Retiro park before exploring the evening tapas scene which unfolds nightly along the winding cobblestone streets of the nearby multicultural neighborhood, Lavapiés. Step out onto the pitch of the modern-day “temple” of Real Madrid’s Santiago Bernabeu soccer stadium and discuss the effects of recent pedestrian reclamation efforts which have returned important central plazas and boulevards to foot traffic-only status.
June 28 – July 1: Barcelona
End your Iberian journey in the thriving cultural hub of Barcelona, a city which charges the imagination with vivid visual reminders of its constant “rebirths.” From the arches, narrow streets, and plazas of the Gothic Quarters, to the impossibly sinuous curves of Gaudís signature Modernist masterpieces such as the Sagrada Familia Cathedral, Park Güell, and the Casa Battló – Barcelona is a city dedicated to the public display of civic pride. Climb to the top of Montjuic Hill, site of the Olympic Stadium and discuss the transformative effects of the 1992 Olympic Games on the urban landscape. Discover the cultural codes hidden in the abstract iconography of the Miró museum, and then ride a cable car to the reclaimed port and beach of the Barceloneta for a farewell dinner by the sea.
July 2: Return Day, Barcelona to Newark, NJ
For all travel details, please see the Travel Information document under the Essential Information tab in your digital locker.
July 2: Airport Hotel
One of your leaders will stay overnight with the group. If you have reserved and paid for a hotel room, we will send you an email one week prior to departure with details about the hotel reservation.