The Faith & Form International Seminar in cooperation with CIVA
"It is to be understood that this is your tour. You need participate in only those events and sites which appeal to you. Following your own itinerary and interests is always permissible as long as they are self financed and you take responsibility for reconnecting with the group as you wish. Notification of your temporary absence is appreciated--thus, I�ll avoid any Calvinist guilt when we leave in your absence."
-Don Bruggink
Itinerary
Thursday, Sept. 19Leave from a convenient home airport at very favorable rates for international connections. D
Friday, Sept. 20Arrive in Lisbon at 12:25pm, where we will be met by our deluxe motorcoach and guide who will take us to the Rivoli Tejo, a new, first class hotel located in the Parque das Nascoes, scene of Expo 98 and Siza�s Portugese Pavilion. After time to freshen up, we�ll avoid rush hour to see the Oriente Railroad Station by Santiago Calatrava. Then we�ll go to the most photographed monuments in Lisbon, the Monument to the Discoveries, and the Torre de Belem. Across the park is the Mosteiro dos Jeronimos, the culmination of Manueline architecture with its spectacular nave and apse, financed by money from the spice trade. Nearby, if time permits, is the Museu da Marinha. B L D
Saturday, Sept. 21
After a sumptuous breakfast, we will enjoy the famous Museu Calouste Gulbenkian, across the gardens from which lies the Centro de Arte Moderna. (It was Mr. Gulbenkian who transferred the assets of Iraq Petroleum to four western companies, including Shell and British Petroleum, for a 5% stake in the companies.)
If possible, it would be nice to be let off in the Baixa, the lower town, and take the famous Neo-Gothic wrought iron Elevator de Santa Justa to the Bairro Alto and Chiado district with its many fascinating cafes. The afternoon can be spent in private exploration, a visit to Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga, located in a great 17th century palace, or those who wish may take the ancient trolley which will give a great overview of the city. Tonight you are free to take dinner at any of the fascinating cafes or restaurants you have seen during the day. Then, if you�re not completely wiped out, you can seek out the quintessential music of Portugal, the Fado. B
Sunday, Sept. 22.Time for early morning worship, then off for a full day of scenery on the way to Porto�or Oporto, if you wish to be more formal. The location of our hotel will be in contrast to that in Lisbon. While the Hotel Mercure Batalha is a four star hotel (first class), it is located in the historic center of Porto. In classic architecture, it underwent a complete remodeling in 1992, and is considered one of the best hotels in Porto. B D
Monday, Sept. 23.
Our first objective will be the best of art and architecture at the Serralves Museum of Contemporary Art by Alvaro Siza. In comparison with the contemporary building is the Art Deco Casa de Serralves, surrounded by magnificent gardens, graced with contemporary sculpture.
The afternoon leaves you free to follow your own pursuits. There are outdoor markets, opportunities for all kinds of shopping, the Cathedral, and the sumptuous Santa Clara with enthusiastically opulent gilded woodwork. Azulejos tiles, by Jorge Colaco, are found in abundance in of all places, the central railway station. If your appetite for gilded churches has not been sated, visit Sao Francisco, which also has a high altar bearing 450 pounds of gold! The Igreja dos Clerigos is a much plainer church, but sports a 246 foot tower surmounting an oval nave. The tower may be climbed. Yet another option is the Museu Romantico, on the ground floor of which is the Solar do Vinho do Porto, a bar in which you can sample any of 150 varieties of Port. Our location in the city center offers an ideal opportunity for exploring the local cuisine. B
Tuesday, Sept. 24.
The morning will afford our transition from Portugal to Spain, with spectacular scenery. Our goal, Santiago de Compostela and its great pilgrimage church�the goal of millions of medieval and modern pilgrims. In addition to the great cathedral we will visit the Galacian Center of Contemporary Art by Alvaro Siza. For those who prefer gardens to either of the above there are the Santo Domingo de Bonaval Gardens, also by Siza.
Our hotel is the Palacio del Carmen, a new, five star property in an old convent in the old town near the cathedral. B D
Wednesday, Sept. 25.We leave for Leon where we will have lunch and visit the great Romanesque turned Gothic cathedral with its 19,350 square feet of magnificent stained glass, some dating back to the 13th century.. The Casa de los Botines by Gaudi, a home turned savings bank, must also be seen. Then its on to Burgos, founded in 884 by El Cid as a bulwark against the Moors. Our deluxe hotel, the Landa Palace, is in a 14th century castle. B D
Thursday, Sept. 26.
Our day begins with a visit to the resting place of El Cid, the great cathedral of Burgos, described by Philip II as �the work of angels.� On the way to Bilbao, we will stop at the Altamira caves, with their 15,000 year old paintings. Entrance to the caves themselves has been severely restricted because of damage to the paintings by human visitation. Baring a miracle, we shall have to be content with an exact reproduction of the caves and their paintings which was created two years ago. Then its on to Bilbao. If time permits, we will begin Bilbao with Santiago Calatrava�s airport control tower and terminal (if completed), and his spectacular Campo Volantin Footbridge. Our hotel is the Carlton, a first class hotel in a handsome, classical, corner building overlooking one of the main squares, close to the Guggenheim. B D
The main event of the day will of course be the Guggenheim sculpture museum by Frank Gehry. However, for those who can tear themselves away, the afternoon should also afford a visit to the Euskalduna Palace (music hall and congress palace) by Federico Seriano & Colores Palacios, as well as the subway station by Sir Norman Foster. B D
Just a short distance from Bilbao is Guernica, scene of the first saturation bombing and memorialized in Picasso�s painting. While the painting went from New York to Madrid, Guernica has peace sculptures by Henry Moore and Eduardo Chilida. Then its on to San Sebastian, seaside resort of royalty, now architecturally noted for Rafael Moneo�s Kunsthall. We continue via Pamplona, made famous to Americans in Hemingway�s The Sun Also Rises, with its week long fiesta culminating in the running of the bulls. Our final destination of the day is Zaragosa (originally Caesaraugusta in 25BC) has two cathedrals, the Seo, consecrated in 1119, and El Pilar with its mudejar Parroquieta chapel. Our elegant first class hotel, the NH Gran Hotel is near the Plaza de Espana in the city center. It is considered to be the most classic in Zaragoza. B D
There will be an opportunity for worship at 6pm in the cathedral in Barcelona. We will be staying in the first class Hotel Colon located opposite the 13th century cathedral. Our arrival should be early enough to visit the Barri Gotic, its thirteenth century Romanesque and Gothic cathedral, as well as enjoying Barcelona�s most famous street, for we are just a few blocks from Las Ramblas. B D
Monday, Sept. 30.
Those who have been to Barcelona before may wish to follow their own pursuits. However, for the rest, Monday is for Modernistas. The place to begin is with Gaudi�s first major work, the Palau Guell, followed by the Illa dela Discordia, where three architects vie for attention: Lluis Domenech i Montaner�s Casa Lleo Moreraaat, No. 35; Puig i Cadafalch�s Casa Amatller with its Moorish and Gothic windows; and Antoni Gaudi�s Casa Batllo. On the way up Las Ramblas we can point out the Fundacio Tapies with a wire sculptured cloud above a building by Domenech I Montaner; and Gaudi�s Casa Mila (La Pedrera). After lunch, there will be a respite from buildings, but not from Gaudi, for we can visit his Parc Guell, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. And, of course, to climax the day, the Sagrada Familia. This evening you have the freedom to do your own culinary explorations. B
We move from the Modernistas to the Modern and Contemporary. First we will visit the place of worship constructed for the 1992 Olympics to serve Jews, Christians and Muslims. Named the Centre Abraham the structure was built to serve three faiths during the Olympics, but to revert to a parish church afterward. The construction was funded by the Archdiocese of Barcelona. The architects were Josep Benedito i Rovira and Agusti Maeros i Duch.
After the church, let us see the Bach de Roda-Felipe II bridge by Santiago Calatrava. Then Montjuic and the Fundacio Joan Miro, after which we will see the Montjuic Communications Tower by Arata Isozaki and the indoor stadium, Palau Sant Jordi, by Isozaki, and swimming pools by Ricardo Bofill. After that, it will be a delight to visit the Pavello Mies van der Rohe.. For those who wish to stay in the Montjuic area, there is the Museu Nacional d�Art de Catalunya with the greatest display of Romanesque items in the world, as well as works by El Greco, Velazquez and Zurbaran. Or, in the same area, the Poble Espanyol, with ll6 houses representing building styles from all over Spain.
Or, the late afternoon can remain free to enjoy those sites that appeal to you most within walking distance of our hotel. The Royal Palace (Palau Reial Major) is open after 4pm, as is the museum of the city (Museu d�Historia de la Ciutat), and the Maritime Museum and shipyards (Museu Maritim and Drassanes. A bit to the southeast, the beautiful Basilica de Santa Maria del Mar and/or the nearby Picasso Museum (open from 10am to 8pm). Five hundred meters to the east is the Museu d�Art Modern set in the midst of the Parc de la Ciutadella. Or, perhaps most spectacular of all, the Palau de la Musica Catalana (Could we be so lucky as to be able to attend a performance there?).
Wednesday, October 2.Today we can give our legs a rest as we head south along the Mediterranean coast to Valencia. Our hotel is the Astoria Palace Hotel, a first class hotel of modern design, located in a quiet central location near the historic and commercial district. B D
Thursday, October 3.
Its Valencia�s pride, the City of Arts and Sciences with the work of Santiago Calatrava as its centerpiece. Comprising a planetarium, IMAX theater, and museum of science, it will result in many pictures taken and should evoke considerable evening discussion. Unfortunately, his opera house is not due for completion until 2003. If the project has been realized, we will also visit Soriano�s Children�s Museum and Cyber Auditorium. Also of merit in Valencia is the cathedral with an agate cup claimed to be the Holy Grail, Spain�s National Ceramics Museum housed in a baroque mansion, and the Museo de Bellas Artes with works by Velazquez, Bosch, El Greco, Murillo, and Van Dyck. And, if you haven�t seen enough Art Nouveau, there is the railroad station with its ceramic murals and stained glass. B
More spectacular scenery as we travel to Madrid. Our hotel will be the first class Crowne Plaza, located near the business and shopping area. B Farewell Dinner.
Saturday, October 5.Those who wish can make special arrangements to stay longer-- tempting in order to spend time in the Prado and Thyssen Bornemisza Museum, the 100 piece Turner exhibition at La Fundacion Juan March, or whatever other pleasures Madrid affords. The rest of us will board the plane for return home.
Cost
The cost of the seventeen day adventure is $3,995 per person, double occupancy, from New York or Boston. A $500 deposit is required to register. Please see complete details in the linked document below from Witte Travel.
