France, Spain & Switzerland  
     
  Day 12  
  In the morning we have a sightseeing tour of Chateau Chenonceau, probably the most beautiful castle in the Loire Valley.
 

 

 		  
     
  Day 13  

On our tour of the Bernardaud porcelain factory we learn about the procedure of making the famous Limoges porcelain.  

 
   
A beautiful drive brings us to the picturesque Bordeaux wine village, St. Emilion. There we meet our local guide for a  tour of a monolithic church, carved out of solid limestone and the catacombs. Afterwards there will be enough time to stroll through the cobbled alleys or to sample the Bordeaux wines.
   
     
     
     
  Day 14  
 

Today we have a scenic drive to the Basque Country.

 
  Day 15  
A local guide will show us the fine cathedral and the easy to walk old town of Pamplona. The Running of the Bulls, made famous by Hemingway, takes place in the second week of July here every year.  
     
  Day 16  
 

Today we will see some pilgrims walking along our road because our route follows the Camino de Santiago pilgrim's way. At noon we will visit the little hillside town of Laguardia in the lovely Rioja wine growing area. You might have some Tapas for lunch in one of the typical little restaurants. In the afternoon we arrive in Burgos.

 
 
     
  Day 17  
A local guide will show us the charming old town of Burgos and Spain's greatest Gothic cathedral. After that we will have lunch in a restaurant. Then there is time for you to explore this interesting city on your own. 
     
     
  Day 18  
Our highlight for today is a tour of the ridge-top city of Segovia. We will see the Alcazar and its fanciful towers  and the cathedral. The most extraordinary sight  though is the  Roman aqueduct,  a  5,180 ft. granite block bridge, made up of 163 arches, a masterpiece of Roman engineering raised in the 1st century.
 

 

  
     
 

 Day 19

  
  This morning we see the majestic palace-and-monastery complex of San Lorenzo above the little town of El Escorial  spectacularly situated at just 3000 feet about sea level in the Sierra de Guadarrama. The construction of the huge monastery, royal palace and mausoleum for Felipe II's parents started in 1557.
From there it is just a hour drive to Toledo. In the afternoon we will have a guided tour of this fascinating  city picturesquely located on a granite hill surrounded by a loop of the Tagus River.  
     
     
  Day 20  
 

Scenic drive through the rugged landscape of Don Quixote’s La Mancha to the Andalusian city of Cordoba.

 
There we will have a tour of probably the most marvellous of all Islamic buildings, the Mezquita , the Mosque of the Caliphs, converted to Christianity. You will be impressed by its 850 pillars of porphyry, marble, and jasper. After that there is time at leisure to stroll through the old town and the fascinating labyrinth of the old Jewish and Muslim quarters.
     
  Day 21  
  Our scenic road leads us  through Andalusian olive groves to Granada.
 

 

  
Its setting, with the backdrop of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, is magnificent. In the afternoon we will have a tour of the Alhambra, the marvellous arabesque palace complex, perched on top of the hill. The "fantasy of lace in stone" is surrounded by beautiful gardens and fountains and affords superb views of the Old Quarter.
In the evening we will have dinner in a restaurant and join a colorful Flamenco show  
     
  Day 22  
 

 

Today we head toward the sea and drive to the Costa Blanca, one of Spain’s premiere vacation destinations on the Mediterranean.