Serene Spain Tour for Seniors: Madrid & Barcelona

In the morning, the aroma of hot chocolate and freshly fried churros drifts out of the sleepy cafes where locals enjoy a sweet, quick breakfast before work. Unlike the surrounding cities of Spain, Madrid moves swiftly like traditional capital cities while retaining the charm of traditional Spanish culture accumulated both within the greater municipality of Madrid and with Spaniards from the various different regions of the country calling the capital city home. After breakfast, you will begin your fascinating tour of Madrid’s unique beauty beginning with the Museo del Prado.

The impressive gallery contains more than 7,000 paintings and 1,000 sculptures across three floors that cover more than 312,000 square feet. The collection offers visitors the most complete assemblages of works by master artists such as El Greco, Titian, and Peter Paul Rubens. When walking through the grand halls, you will feel as though you have stepped into a palace as Charles III commissioned the structure in the 18th century during a project meant to add impressive and elaborate structures to the cityscape.

After exploring it all, the evening will be yours to enjoy as you would like, and your guide will offer you recommendations for restaurants you may enjoy.

The grand city of Toledo is located approximately 45 miles away from Madrid and rises out of the plains of the Castilla-La Mancha. Three cultures living in harmony created the quintessential ambiance of the preserved medieval city by blending the visual aesthetic of Muslims, Christians, and Jews within the walled historical center. The Tagus River winds along the edges of town beneath subtle signs that date the earliest settlements of the region back to the Roman Empire and the Visigoth kingdom. Quiet cobblestone streets wind between the walls and hint at a unique legacy of stunning churches, magnificent palaces, beautiful synagogues, and captivating mosques. The aroma of handmade marzipan emanates from the confectionaries. Master crafters tinker and toil with metalwork to craft antique-inspired weapons and armor.

Your guide will lead you through town to reach the soaring towers of the Cathedral, which was built in the 13th century beside the former Jewish quarter. The tightly-packed houses and structures obscure the grandeur of the façade before you enter the nave to find a remarkable collection of paintings by masters from the 13th-15th centuries. The interior contains five naves and stretches 394 feet long with 88 decorated columns glinting in the natural light pouring through the windows. The sacristy contains a gallery of works by artists like Zurbarán, Caravaggio, Titian, and El Greco. The latter’s painting, Disrobing of Christ, was completed in 1579 and depicts Jesus looking up to heaven with a serene expression removed from the surrounding chaos and violence.

The morning light washes over the city glinting against the landmark marking Kilometer Zero located at the Puerta del Sol. The symbol indicates the starting point from which all roads in Spain are measured. Life returns to the usual bustle at breakfast as the cafes in the grand central square of Plaza Mayor open looking into the imposing and picturesque architecture of the city. Your transfer will greet you in the hotel lobby and escort you out of Madrid bound for the distinct ambiance of Barcelona. Before reaching the shores of the Mediterranean city, you will stop first at the Basilica del Pilar in Zaragoza.

You can see the edifice of the Basilica rise above the banks of the Ebro River with dramatic grandiosity. The structure was crafted between the 17th and 18th centuries with four soaring spires and 11 cupolas. True believers refer to the extravagant building as the place where the Virgin Mary appeared to St. James the Apostle in January of 40 AD. An elevator ferries visitors to the northwest tower offering a sensational view over the domes and the Basilica and the surrounding city of Zaragoza.

Continue to the Royal Abbey of Santa Maria de Poblet at the foot of the Prades Mountains. The fascinating edifice was founded by Cistercian monks after Spain the Reconquista marking one of three monasteries that helped consolidate Catalonian power in the 1100s. The preserved walls add to the luster of the tranquil setting amid the captivating Gothic design. The main cloister contains hints of herbs and spices that drift along the edges of the cultural treasures from the Royal Pantheon dating back to the 12th century. The raised alabaster sarcophagi contain the remains of famous Catalonians in history including Ferdinand I of Aragan and his wife Eleanor of Albuquerque. The fountain in the cloister carried over from the Moorish traditions in the region and was originally used for ablutions set beneath traditional archways and classic regional brickwork.

The captivating city of Barcelona contains the brilliance of human creativity and soothing allure of natural splendor set alongside the Mediterranean Sea. Bakeries fill with the scent of xuixo, a fried pastry coated with sugar and stuffed with custard, and locals enjoy dipping ladyfingers into cups of thick melted chocolate. The day begins late in the morning in Catalonia before the neighborhoods brim with excitement. You will begin your exploration of the classic Spanish city at Las Ramblas, the famous boulevard that stretches for a mile between Port Vell and Plaça de Catalunya.

The Miró Mosaic adds a cluster of color to the walkway in the middle of the street with a single tile signed by the artist and hidden within the work. The street originally stood outside the medieval walls until the 14th century and now often acts as the center of life within Barcelona for visitors and locals. The Boqueria Market glows with fresh produce, delicious sandwiches, and dangling jamón connoting the prestige of the marketplace as a landmark of culinary mastery in the city first mentioned as a vibrant, busy market in the 13th century.

The Gothic Quarter captures the Old-World ambiance of vintage Barcelona emanating from cobblestone streets and imposing Gothic architecture. The magnificent facades have withstood the tests of time lining alleyways that lead to peaceful fountains and tranquil hidden courtyards. The sounds of Spanish guitar echo in the little square and pleasant cafes serve locals strong cups of delicious coffee. You can settle into a chair and watch the world go by, the time yours to enjoy as you would like.

The works of Antoni Gaudi have become ubiquitous in Barcelona and act as the renowned landmarks for which the city is known. After breakfast, your guide will lead you on a tour dedicated to the incredible architecture of the surrealist visionary that adds distinct style and dreamlike beauty to the city. The magnificence of La Sagrada Familia crowns any visit to Barcelona with 18 towers, the tallest of which is meant to reach 558 feet tall when complete. Gaudi designed the structure in 1883 with construction making slow progress on the basilica long dividing citizens of Barcelona. The unique and grand design runs 300 feet long and 200 feet wide with each portal referring to a different biblical narrative.

The Nativity Façade is dedicated to the birth of Jesus and decorated with symbols along with the columns and porticos. Your guide points to the turtle and tortoise acting as the base of the columns, as well as the allusion to the theological virtue of Hope, Faith, and Charity by dividing the porticos into three parts. Entering the interior makes you feel as though you’ve stepped into a well-lit cave made of precious gems. The ceiling floats above you 148 feet tall. With vaults causing the columns to resemble stalactites. The sunlight filters through the stained-glass windows that pour ample light and sensational color over the floor and columns. The formidable design of the pillars changes along the surfaces forming new and exciting geometric forms at every angle.

The splendor of Barcelona highlights the passage of time where you could trace the evolution of aesthetic and the height of power in Catalonia by wandering between the Gothic Quarter and whimsical designs of Antoni Gaudi. Works of Pablo Picasso fill small museums, and the famous Spanish sunlight casts a long, shimmering light across the deep blue colors of the Mediterranean Sea. After a last leisurely morning to enjoy it, your transfer will greet you in the hotel lobby ready to escort you to El Prat Airport for your flight home.