Spain, the land of sun, sand, sea, and sangria – it sounds alright to me. But there is more! This most fortunate country also has superb mountain ranges, wonderful lakes and countryside and fascinating flora and fauna. In Barcelona it has possibly the most vibrant and architecturally interesting city in Europe – I defy you not to marvel at some of Antoni Gaudi’s buildings. All of this plus top quality wines and delicious food – the gods have been kind to the Spanish. This tour represents an opportunity to visit the less known as well as the more popular areas, giving a balanced view of what northern Spain has to offer today.
ALL MOTORHOMES OVER 6 METRES LONG WILL BE SURCHARGED BY £50 PER METRE OR PART METRE OVER 6 METRES.
All campsites used are the best available and will include electric hook-ups. It is possible some of the swimming pools will not be open.
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Saturday 8th May 2010: Our boat leaves Portsmouth at 20.00. Everybody has an inside 2 berth cabin, with en-suite facilities reserved. Cabins can be upgraded if desired. This evening we will have a group drinks reception and dinner on the ship, which will give everybody the opportunity to get to know each other – or maybe to re-new old acquaintances. |
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Sunday 9th May 2010: The whole of today is spent cruising towards Bilbao. The boat has several restaurants, a gymnasium and a swimming pool as well as many other activities which will pass the time. We suggest you get an early night ready for disembarkation in the morning. |
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Monday 10th May 2010: When we leave the boat this morning we have a drive of about 150 miles, much of it on motorway, to arrive at our first campsite at Mendigorria in the Navarra region. This evening we will be welcomed to Spain with a traditional, tasty 3 course dinner with wine. |
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Tuesday 11th May 2010: A completely free day to become acclimatised to the Spanish culture and climate and perhaps to test the campsite’s swimming pool. |
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Wednesday 12th May 2010: We will be collected from the campsite at 09.00 and taken by bus to visit a wonderful bird sanctuary, alongside a lake in the mountains. There will be time for a stroll around the lake before we leave for our lunch at the monastery of the Oliva. At about 12.45 we will have the opportunity to experience a short mass, with Gregorian chants and then a short visit of the monastery. After this we will have a 3-course lunch with wine, served by the monks. The ingredients are usually supplied by the monastery itself. In the afternoon our bus will take us to the Royal city of Olite (today it is a pleasant village), where we will visit the old castle of the Kings of Navarra. We will be returned to the campsite in the early evening. |
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Thursday 13th May 2010: Today we leave Mendigorria and have a 165 mile drive to arrive at our next campsite, on the banks of Lake Barasona. The site is superb, with excellent facilities including a swimming pool, bar, restaurant and supermarket and private lakeside beaches. |
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Friday 14th May 2010: Today has been left completely free to relax and maybe explore on your own. |
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Saturday 15th May 2010: We leave the tranquillity of Lake Barasona this morning and make a 185 mile drive to our next campsite, which is on the Mediterranean at Canet de Mar, just north of Barcelona. This evening we will be welcomed by a 3 course dinner, including wine, which should help everybody to sleep after the day’s drive. |
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Sunday 16th May 2010: This morning we have a bus tour of the fabulous city of Barcelona with an English speaking guide. We will eat a traditional Catalan lunch in a typical restaurant of the city. Although the tour will take in most of the places of interest in the city, pride of place will be taken with a viewing of some of the Gaudi buildings. We will be returned to the campsite in late afternoon. |
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Monday 17th May 2010: A free day today, allowing you to relax on the beach or to swim in the campsite’s pool. We suggest you take a siesta, as this evening we will be taken back into Barcelona by bus for an evening tour, which will be followed by the gastronomic event of the tour, a fabulous 4 course dinner with top quality wines, in possibly the best restaurant in the whole of Barcelona. It is situated in the harbour and lists The King of Spain, Princess Anne, Juan Samaranch and most of the Barcelona football team among its customers. At the end of a long, wonderful gastronomic experience we will be taken back to the campsite by bus. |
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Tuesday 18th May 2010: Just relax and enjoy the seaside atmosphere of the campsite. |
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Wednesday 19th May 2010: We leave Barcelona this morning for a 230 mile drive to our next campsite, which is near Zaragoza. This site was renovated in 2008 and is of a good standard. An interesting and graceful city, Zaragoza is the capital city of the Aragon area. Zaragoza is the fifth-biggest city in the whole of Spain and its wealth and prosperity are reflected in the city's spacious boulevards, extensive shopping districts, lively bars and fine dining.
Centred around the scenic River Ebro, Zaragoza is known for its Roman heritage, being home to the Murallas Romanas, ancient remains of Roman walls, which once surrounded the central area. |
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Thursday 20th May 2010: A free day so you can relax – or maybe catch the bus into Zaragoza and explore independently. |
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Friday 21st May 2010: Another free day so you can make the most of the lovely campsite or the elegant city of Zaragoza. |
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Saturday 22nd May 2010: We continue our journey with a drive of about 140 miles to arrive at our final campsite, in the small town of Haro, which is the centre of the world famous Rioja wine region. Our campsite is only a few minutes’ walk from the town centre. It will be possible to make a slight detour to visit the world-famous Dinosaur footprints which are spread around a small area in this region. The GB Privilege tour director will be able to give you directions to the sites. |
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Sunday 23rd May 2010: Today we will have a visit around one the region’s famous wine bodegas, with a tasting and a traditional lunch. No driving will be necessary, of course |
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Monday 24th May 2010: We leave the campsite this morning for the 60 mile drive back to Bilbao to catch the 12.30 boat. After everyone has relaxed in their cabin, we will have a “farewell” dinner with wine in the boat’s excellent restaurant. After dinner you can watch a film, gamble your life’s savings away in the casino or simply go to bed. |
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Tuesday 25th May 2010: The boat docks at Portsmouth at 16.30 and the tour ends. |