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Ten Nights - Ten Cities!

March 2013

Early Bird Special Price only $ 1399 plus air

Shalom Spain is a brand new inspiring and fun educational tour by Ezra USA. It focuses on the legacy of the Jews in Spain + history, art, architecture etc. Besides visiting medieval synagogues, the Jewish Museums, ancient Jewish quarters, you will explore non Jewish sites & activities in order to appreciate the beauty of Spain. The tour explores 10 cities including Barcelona, Madrid, Velencia, Cordoba, Seville, Granada, Toledo, Gerona, Besalu, Alicante/Benidorm. Spain was once home to one of the world’s largest and most prosperous Jewish communities under Muslim and Christian rule. The glory and pain of Spain and their deep Jewish heritage leads us to a history that goes back 2000 + years and epitomized by key figures like Maimonides, Ibn Ezra and poet Judah HaLevi. In fact the word Sefarad (Sephardic Jews) originally meant Spain. But Today, there are approximately 40,000 Jews living in Spain, mainly of North-African Sephardic descent.

SAMPLE TRIP ITINERARY

(it's a tentative itinerary and is subject to change, and is based on the previous tour)

Day 1 (Thur) Mar 22 Departure from the USA to Barcelona

Depart USA on the way to Barcelona, Spain

Day 2 (Fri) Mar 23 Barcelona

Arrival in Barcelona in the morning. En route from the airport, enjoy a short sightseeing tour in one of Spain’s most exciting cities - Barcelona.

Ascend by cable car to Montjuic (Hill of the Jews), which offers a birds'-eye view of the city below located next to the sea. Check in at the hotel with time to rest and get ready for Shabbat. In the evening Traditional services and a kosher Friday Night Dinner at the Jewish Community Center, where you will get a chance to see people from local Jewish community of Barcelona.

Day 3 (Sat) Mar 24 Free Day in Barcelona

Day 4 (Sun) Mar 25 Girona - Besalu - Barcelona

Breakfast at the hotel. Follow the Mediterranean "Costa Brava" highway north into the heart of Catalonia and the city of Gerona, a major Jewish center prior to 1492. Take a guided walk around the Historical Quarter and the famous University Square. See the Old Jewish Quarter, birthplace of the famous rabbinic commentator, the "Ramban" or "Nahmanides", including the Jewish History Museum and the alleyways and buildings that once housed (the Bonastruc Ca Porta Centre), guild quarter and ‘Rambla' (walking area).

Continue to about 20 miles north of Girona to the pretty medieval village of Besalu. Return to Barcelona. Overnight in Barcelona.

Day 5 (Mon) Mar 26 Barcelona - Valencia - Alicante

Walking tour of Barcelona in the morning: Pass the broad, flower-filled Las Ramblas Avenue, the amazing park Guell, Plaza Cataluna, the Gothic Quarter - the oldest part of town, Pasaje de Gracia (Gracia avenue), Lo Boqueria Market etc Explore Barcelona's historic Jewish quarter and its recently restored synagogue-museum Sinagoga Major, the oldest Synagogue in Barcelona. Moving to Valencia,  the third largest city in Spain, a charming town and a major port on the Mediterranean coast. Short tour of Valencia . Walk through Medieval vomu city. One of the earliest Gothic Sobo-ing in Spain and visit the new area "City of Science and Arts" - the creation of Valen Siya architect Santiago Calatrava. Moving to Benidorm or Alicante. It is the 4th largest in terms of GDP after Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia. Overnight in Benidorm or Alicante.

Day 6 (Tue) Mar 27 Alicante - Granada

After Breakfast transfer to Granada. Start with the walking tour of historical Granada. Enjoy the walk in the old Moorish quarter of Granada. Visit the monument of Moorish architecture: the palace of Granada Khalifa XI century, one of the Wonders of the World.  Located on a hilltop with the Sierra Nevada as background, Alhambra's exquisite design and layout have few rivals. Walk through the Palacio de Generalife water gardens and enjoy a breathtaking view of the town below and the Sierra Nevada Mountains.

Tonight, why not experience a little Spanish passion at a spectacular “Flamenco show” * in the evening at the oldest neighborhood of Granada- Sacramento. Overnight in Granada. Overnight in Granada.

Day 7 (Wed) Mar 28 Granada - Seville

After breakfast moving on to Seville. Start with the walking tour of historical Seville, the home of Carmen and Don Juan. See Murillo gardens, explore the narrow streets and the many plazas of the Santa Cruz , see the monument to Don Joie, visit Giralda Tower overlooking the Guadalquivir River. Tour the Alcazar, a Moorish Palace that still is used as a residence for the Spanish Royal Family, grand Plaza de Espana, site of the pavilion of the great 1929 exhibition and El Barrio de Santa Cruz, once the thriving Jewish Quarter, preserved with great care and the burial place of Christopher Columbus. Overnight in Seville.

Day 8 (Thur) Mar 29 Seville - Cordoba

After breakfast, depart to Cordoba, a birthplace of great court doctor and Torah sage, Maimonides (Rambam - Rabbi Moshe Ben Maimon). Visit the Almodovar Gate and the pre-Inquisition Jewish Quarter. Old Town - Medina, the amazing famous Mosque of the Caliphsof (La Mezquita) the most significant Muslim architectural achievement in the Western world. Cross the Roman Bridge, see the statue of Maimonides and walk the Calle de los Judios to the ancient synagogue.

Day 9 (Fri) Mar 30 Cordoba - Toledo - Madrid

After breakfast, depart to Toledo, the “Museum City”. Walking pro-echoed through the city: Sinagoga del Transito which today houses the Sephardic Museum and Sinagoga de Santa Maria La Blanca which after expulsion Jews in 1492 were used as a church, Juderia and other Jewish sites. See El Greco's house, formerly the palace of the prominent (and Jewish) Samuel Halevy (treasurer of King Pedro I, and architect of the El Transito Synagogue). Transfer to Madrid before Shabbat.  In the evening traditional Friday Night Service & Dinner with local Jewish Community. Overnight in Madrid.

Day 10 (Sat) Mar 31 Walking Tour in Madrid

In the morning enjoy a walking tour of historical Madrid, and the rest of the day enjoy time at leisure.

During the walking tour see the impressive Royal Palace as well as two of Europe's grandest squares: Plaza Mayor (main square), and the Spanish version of Times Square – Plaza Puerta del Sol.

After Shabbat an Optional Bus tour of Night Madrid*. Overnight in Madrid.

Day 11 (Sun) Apr 1 Departure from Madrid (or stay an extra day in Madrid*)

After the breakfast, transfer to the airport, return home, or stay an extra day* (costs extra) in Madrid to see a boulevard Paseo del Prado, Parque del Retiro, a marvellous park. Do some shopping in El Rastro, one of the biggest street markets in the world or see “Bullfight show”, or visit the Prada Museum. Overnight in Madrid.

Tour Includes:

• 3-4 star Hotel accommodations for ten nights, including hotel tax and service charge.
• Breakfast each morning from hotel. (non kosher)
• 2 Kosher Friday Night Dinners in Barcelona & Madrid Jewish Centers.
• Entrance fees to monuments and museums as stated in the itinerary.
• Experienced tour directors well versed on Jewish-Spanish history.
• Round-trip airport to hotel transfers for people traveling with the group.

* Additional excursions and activities (are not included)

• Entrance fees at Bullfighting in Madrid

• Entrance fees at Prada museum in Madrid

• A bus tour “Evening Madrid”.

• Entrance fees at flamenco show in Granada

Tour Does Not Include:

• Entry & Exit Airport Fees.
• Manadatory Travel & Medical Insurance. (approx $ 55) 
• Cell Phone Rental.
• Daily Lunches & Dinners.
• Visa Fees if needed (US Citizens do not need visas).
• Changes in air fares due to increase in fuel cost.
• Airport & Security Tax Surcharges.
• Hotels' Minibar, Internet and Phone charges.
• Occasional taxi rides in the evening.
• Non-scheduled Attractions
• Personal Purchases.
• Tips.

Please be aware that this trip is on a first come first serve basis.

To secure a place for yourself, send your deposit in the amount of $ 899 to our Brooklyn Office.

Ezra USA

311 Sea Breeze Avenue

Brooklyn, NY 11224

The payment must be either a check or cash (no credit card or paypal payments). Please write Spain in the memo section of the check. This deposit, less $ 99 p.p . handling charge, is refundable until January 15, 2012 (thereafter the deposits are not refundable but will be applied to the final payment for the trip due approx. 2 months before the departure day). The early bird special price is based on the double occupancy, and is subject to change after the deadline. For single occupancy additional fees are required. The trip will take place if a minimum of 20 people will submit deposits by December 1, 2012