DAY    1            DEPARTURE FROM NORTH AMERICA
Enjoy full meal service on your scheduled wide-bodied flight to Malaga or Seville.

DAY    2            ARRIVE MALAGA - SEVILLE or ARRIVE SEVILLE
                          (5 NIGHTS HOMESTAY)
We will be met at the airport by our Tour manager/guide, where we will board our own private bus and journey into Seville, the capital of the Andalusian province, where we will meet our host families. Our sightseeing in Seville commences at the Torre del Oro, the 12-sided Tower of Gold, dating from the 13th century, which overlooks the Guadalquivir River. Originally it was covered with gold tiles, but someone long ago made off with them. It has been recently restored and now houses the Museo Náutico, displaying drawings and engravings of the port of Seville in its golden heyday. We conclude our day with a scenic Guadalquivir River Cruise, which offers a peaceful and unique look at Seville and many of its most important and striking landmarks and monuments. (Arrival day sightseeing is subject to flight arrival time.)

DAY    3            LANGUAGE CLASSES & SEVILLE
This morning we will begin our Spanish Language Classes. This afternoon we will begin with a Walking Tour through Seville's Barrio Santa Cruz, a tiny, exceptionally lovely quarter of narrow streets and whitewashed houses. It is the true homeland of everything Sevillano, with flower-bedecked patios and iron-bound windows. We will continue with a visit to Seville Cathedral, the third largest cathedral in Europe. We will begin with an ascent of La Giralda, the magnificent bell tower crowned with a 16th-century bronze weathervane portraying faith. From the tower we will enjoy breathtaking views of this beautiful city. Our cathedral tour will include the Patio de los Naranjos, with its central fountain and orange trees; the Treasury; and the Capilla Mayor, which is dominated by the Retablo Mayor, dedicated to the cathedral's patron saint. Finally we will view the grandiose Tomb of Columbus, moved to the cathedral in the 1890's. We return to our host families for the evening.

DAY    4            LANGUAGE CLASSES & ITALICA
This morning we will have our Spanish Language Classes. Our afternoon will begin just north of the city center at Italica; a city founded in the 3rd century BC as a home for Roman veterans; also the birthplace of emperors Trajan, Hadrian and Theodosius. We will explore the remaining ruins, including the Amphitheater, which displays finds from the sight. We will also visit Santiponce, near the ruins, where we will view the Roman remains, including baths and a theater. We return for an evening with our host families.

DAY    5            LANGUAGE CLASSES & SEVILLE
This morning we will have our Spanish Language Classes. Our afternoon begins with a visit to the Reales Alcazares, the former Moorish palace taken over and partially remodeled by the Christian Kings. We conclude our day in the Parque de Maria Luisa, Seville's grand and beautifully landscaped park. A highlight of the park is the Plaza de Espana, a building and square designed for the 1920's Exposition, featuring Baroque towers, fancy bridges, immense colonnades and over a million azuelos, painted tiles depicting maps and historical events from every province in Spain. We return for an evening with our host families.

DAY    6            LANGUAGE CLASSES & SEVILLE
This morning we will have our Spanish Language Classes. Our afternoon commences with a visit to the Plaza de Toros Real Maestranza, one of Spain's finest bullrings. We will take a guided tour of the arcaded arena that can hold up to 14,000 spectators. Our tour will include: the Paseo de Cristobal; the Puerta del Principe, through which admirers from the crowd carry aloft triumphant matadors; the Museum, featuring portraits, posters and costumes, including a painting of a purple cape by Picasso; the Chapel, where matadors pray for success; and the Stables, where the horses of the picadors (Lance carrying horsemen) are kept. Our afternoon concludes in the Plaza de América, a landmark Sevillian square, which represents city planning at its finest. We will stroll through gardens planted with roses, enjoy the lily ponds and fountains, feel the protective shade of the palms, and view a trio of elaborate buildings left over from the world exhibition that never materialized. We return to our host families for our "farewell" evening.

DAY    7            LANGUAGE CLASSES - CORDOBA (1 NIGHT)
This morning we say "adios" to our host families and enjoy our fifth and final morning of Language Classes. After lunch we journey to Cordoba, an important town in Roman times and a city of kings during the Muslim domination of Spain. We will visit the exquisite Mezquita-Catedral, originally built as a mosque and later transformed into a Christian cathedral. The hundreds of carved arches and pillars, grillwork and mosaics, dazzle the eye in this 1200-year-old building. We will also explore the Juderia, Cordoba's ancient Jewish quarter, with a nest of tiny streets with interesting shops and cafes, as well as uniquely designed synagogues and houses with beautiful flowered patios. This evening we will enjoy a Flamenco Show, where we will observe the art of Flamenco dance and music.

DAY    8            CORDOBA - TOLEDO - MADRID (2 NIGHTS)
This morning we depart Cordoba and travel to historic Toledo, picturesquely sited on a hill above the River Tagus. Our sightseeing commences with a Walking Tour to explore central Toledo, with streets barely wide enough for a man and his donkey. During our walk we will have the opportunity to visit spectacular shops that produce and sell Damascene gold jewelry, as well as medieval swords. Our day will also include a visit to Toledo Cathedral, the spiritual heart of the Spanish church and the seat of the Primate of all Spain. Our afternoon concludes with a scenic drive through Andalusia, into Don Quixote's La Mancha, before arriving in Madrid, Spain's cosmopolitan capital city.

DAY    9            MADRID (TREASURES OF THE BOURBON MONARCHS)
Our day will begin in the Plaza de Espana, where we will admire the stone obelisk dedicated to the Author Cervantes and the statues of Don Quixote, Sancho Panza and Dulcinea. We will walk from the Plaza along the gardens and statues that lead up to the richly decorated Palacio Real, the home of Spain's Bourbon monarchs until 1931. We will take a guided tour through the Gasparini Rooms, the Throne Room, the Porcelain Room and the grandiose Dining Room. We will also have time to visit the Pharmacy Museum and to relax in the Plaza de la Armeria. We continue our morning with a walk through the Plaza Mayor, Madrid's most famous square, lined with outdoor cafes, and the Puerta del Sol, Madrid's most popular meeting place. We will view the Kilometre Zero marker, which is the starting point for all of Spain's roadways, and see the Madrono, Madrid's symbol, a bronze statue of a bear reaching for the fruit of a strawberry tree. We will begin our afternoon at the Puerta de Alcala, the ceremonial gateway to Madrid erected by Carlos III. We will walk along the Calle de Alcala to the Plaza de Cibeles, featuring a magnificent fountain with a statue of the roman Goddess Cybele. We will continue along the beautiful Paseo del Prado, where we will admire the fantastic Hotel Ritz, with its amazing architecture, before visiting the Prado, one of the world's finest art museums. We will take a guided tour that will feature important works by Raphael, Roger van der Weyden, Bosch, Rubens, Titian, El Greco, Caravaggio, and of course the fabulous collection of works by Velazquez and Goya. This evening we will explore Madrid's Parque del Retiro, once the grounds of Felipe IV's royal palace complex, and today one of Madridians favorite places to relax. We will stroll through the park and view the Monument to Alfonso XII, the Palacio de Velazquez and the Palacio de Cristal, before hiring Row Boats on the lake.

DAY    10          DEPARTURE FROM MADRID
Our enjoyable and rewarding tour will come to an end as our Tour manager/guide accompanies us to the airport for the return flight home.