Yaya Food & Travel Group - Jewish Heritage Tours with a Gourmet Culinary Experience
Luxury 12 Day Tour of Northern Spain and Portugal From Barcelona to Lisbon with a host of cultural and historic experiences this is a truly magnificent tour gauranteed to leave long lasting memories. Delivering the heart and essence of Southern Europe and the Jewish Heritage within.
DAYS 1 & 2 - BARCELONA, GIRONA & MORE
We pride ourselves on an eye for detail ensuring that your luxury vacation will be everything you desire and expect. Years of working and living in the region has given us the local knowledge to provide you with the very finest experience.
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[email protected] By Telephone: +34 6780 11 585 DAY 1 MONDAY - BARCELONA & ANTONI GAUDI Your vacation will start with a panoramic bus tour of Barcelona taking in all the important buildings and monuments. Having seen the wonderful architecture from the outside we will explore the best of it from the inside but the highlight of the day will be the world's largest and possibly most imposing cathedral, The Sagrada Família, which was the lifetime project of modernist architect Antoni Gaudí. Antoni Gaudí's unfinished masterpiece, is a popular tourist attraction in Barcelona. Gaudi changed the original plans from a neo-Gothic design to a more modernistic approach and his design has been followed since then. This isn’t the only building of note for us to enjoy, and Barcelona is also great for just strolling in the city streets and taking in the wonderful sights and sounds of this bustling metropolis. Overnight: 4* Barcelona Gran Havana Hotel or similar
DAY 2 TUESDAY - GIRONA, BESALU & FIGUERES We will tour the romantic city of Girona with it's old Jewish Quarter and the Centre Bonastruc ça Porta, an institute of Jewish learning built around the old Synagogue on Carrer de la Força, the main artery of the medieval quarter, largely unchanged by time. The Museu d'Història dels Jueus (Jewish History Museum) contains the most accurate information about medieval Jewish communities in Spain. We will head for a tour of the medieval town of Besalú and the ruins of the Jewish quarter of Besalú, dating back to the 9th century and the Mikve or Jewish ritual bathhouse. Finally, in Figueres we will find the fascinating and imaginative world of the artist Salvador Dalí. Almost completely created by Dalí himself to house his works, the Teatre-Museu Dalí is the largest surreal structure in the world. Overnight: 4* Barcelona Gran Havana Hotel or similar
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MORE BARCELONA & TOLEDO....
DAYS 3 & 4 - BARCELONA TO MADRID & TOLEDO
DAY 3 WEDNESDAY - BARCELONA to MADRID The morning will be dedicated to the Jewish History of Barcelona. Our Jewish guide, Architect Ms Dominique Tomasov Blinder, will guide us to Montjuic and the old Jewish quarter, which is in the oldest part of Barcelona. You will get to see the house of the great scholar Rabbi Shlomo ibn Aderet (Rashba) as well as the ancient synagogue of Barcelona, the oldest in Europe. Then we will walk the streets which follow the same layout as in the Middle Ages and visit La Plaza del Rey, where Christopher Columbus announced a newly discovered continent. The day will be filled with historic Jewish sites and history including a recently discovered Mikve and sites where 3 other synagogues once stood - before we head to Madrid on the high speed train. Overnight: 4* Madrid Hotel Vincci Soma or similar
DAY 4 THURSDAY - TOLEDO Toledo is a magic place where you contemplate an intact medieval city which leaps to the present from the past! Probably one of the most spectacular cities in the world. The buildings and the narrow streets within the old city walls still contain the impressions of its persistent history, and the River Tajo which runs alongside the city walls adds to its charm and beauty. We will visit the Jewish quarters and the two synagogues remaining today, Santa Maria la Blanca and El Transito, which has ornate sculpted decorations and the Hebrew inscriptions along the walls. Also of interest the Samuel Ha-Levi’s house, in which the painter El Greco lived in two hundred years later, and which now houses the El Greco Museum. Overnight: 4* Madrid Hotel Vincci Soma or similar
Traditional Spanish cooking has popular roots. Most of it is down-to-earth, uncomplicated food, based on seasonal or local ingredients. Passionate chefs have taken many of these traditional recipes and given them a more modern feel creating a gourmet cuisine with regional influences. Olives and olive oil is a Spanish speciality found on every table Fish is a mainstay of so many menus cooked in a variety of styles Spanish cuisine benefits from a wide range of varied influences The Spanish love their wine, and of course homemade Sangria.
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A LITTLE ABOUT SPANISH CUISINE
LETS EXPLORE MADRID....
DAY 5 FRIDAY - MADRID & KABBALAT SHABBAT
DAYS 5 & 6 - DISCOVER MAGNIFICENT MADRID
Today after breakfast we take a walking tour of Madrid which will include Puerta del
Sol, Plaza Mayor, Botin Restaurant (the famous chocolate place) Opera Square, Oriente Square, the Royal Palace, España Square, Cibeles Square, Neptune Square, the Retiro Park, the gate of Alcala, Paseo del Prado street and much more with free time in the afternoon for shopping or for a siesta. In the evening we will prepare for Shabbat. We can attend the Kabbalat Shabbat service at Beth Yaacov (Orthodox) and then Shabbat dinner in the Synagogue. Optional: Kabalat Shabat at the Masorty Synagogue, and have dinner there. We will meet many of the leaders of the community and hear from them about contemporary Jewish life in Madrid. Overnight: 4* Madrid Hotel Vincci Soma or similar
DAY 6 SATURDAY - SHABBAT in MADRID, the PRADO We start the day with Shabbat services in the hotel followed by Kidush and breakfast. Then a gentle walk for a guided tour around the Museo del Prado. This is Spain's national art museum featuring one of the world's finest collections of European art, dating from the 12th century to the early 19th century based on the former Spanish Royal Collection. We shall return to the hotel for a late Shabbat Lunch around 14:30 with some free time possibly for a siesta. Then a late afternoon walk in the Retiro Park, the “Central Park” of Madrid, which is home to sculptures, monuments, and a peaceful lake. After Shabbat the night is free for fun and a late night in downtown Madrid where there is something for everyone. Overnight: 4* Madrid Hotel Vincci Soma or similar
The history of Spanish Jewry dates back at least two thousand years to when the Romans destroyed the Second Temple in Jerusalem, and brought Jews with them back to Europe. Since that time, the Jews of Spain (also known as Sephardim) have experienced times of great oppression and hardship, as well as periods of unprecedented growth and renewal. Today the Jewish community in Spain is small - numbering approximately 12,000 - but growing, and the Jewish contributions to the nation and their influence on Spanish culture is still very much alive.
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A BRIEF JEWISH HISTORY IN SPAIN
NEXT IS PORTUGAL....
DAYS 7 & 8 - EXPLORING BELMONTE & TRANCOSO
DAY 7 SUNDAY - AVILA, SEGOVIA & SALAMANCA First stop today is Segovia, which boasts not one but two UNESCO World Heritage Sites - the beautiful old quarter and its Roman aqueduct. Then we will move on to Avila, which is one of the Spanish cities with the most Romanesque and Gothic Churches, but it is also well known for the majestic medieval wall that completely surrounds the city. We will then head to the old university town of Salamanca which will be our second UNESCO World Heritage Site of the day. The Jewish settlement, which is located close to the citidel seems to have been one of the oldest in the kingdom as the first documents mentioning Jews in Salamanca date back to the 12th century. Here we will have dinner and rest for the evening. Overnight: 4* Hotel in Salamanca
DAY 8 MONDAY - BELMONTE & TRANCOSO On this unforgettable day will have the honor of meeting with Senor Jose Levy Domingez who is a Jewish Journalist. His family have lived in the area for hundreds of years and he will take us on an incredible journey through these amazing villages giving us his first hand experience of the local culture and history and the families who have lived here. Trancoso still preserves the walls and doors of the medieval castle. Many Jews coming from Aragon and Castile established themselves here from the 14th century, while Belmonte was home to many New Christian Jews who secretly preserved their faith in spite of the Expulsion in 1496 and their society has survived to the present day.. Overnight: 5* Hotel in Porto
Portuguese cuisine has many Mediterranean and colonial influences especially in the wide variety of spices used including piri piri, black pepper, cinnamon, vanilla and saffron as well as garlic and olive oil. Fish is a big favourite with a summer beachside BBQ or grill being very popular. Bacalhau is salted cod fish and a mainstay of Portuguese cuisine Porto is famous for it’s many sherries, including sweet desert sherries Hearty stews and soups are traditional every day Portuguese meals Favourite sweet treats are small open pastries with a custard filling
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PORTUGUESE CUISINE
NEXT STOP PORTO...
DAY 9 TUESDAY - PORTO
DAYS 9 & 10 - PORTO, COIMBRA & TOMAR
A day in this historic picturesque city, awash with Jewish culture which aided the development of the city and the wider region since the Middle Ages. We will take a ride on the famous and industrious Duro river and visit one of the most famous winery’s in Porto which is of course renowned for its Port, but also for it’s amazing dessert wine, we will of course sample both. We will also visit The Lello Bookshop which is one of the oldest bookstores in Portugal and has been described as the “third best bookstore in the world”. We will also see the first synagogue built in Portugal for native Portuguese Jews in over 400 years; the Dona Maria Bridge which was built by Eiffel. Then we will head off to Coimbra for dinner and a Fado show. Overnight: 4* Hotel in Coimbra
DAY 10 WEDNESDAY - COIMBRA & TOMAR We start the day with a tour of Coimbra, one of the most ancient university cities in Europe. The baroque library, containing over 250,000 volumes is highly decorated in gilded and painted exotic woods and the painted ceilings blend harmoniously with the rest of the decoration. We will also visit the Juderia, historically a very important and ancient Jewish settlement. After lunch we will head to Tomar and visit the ancient synagogue built in 1430 and named after the astronomer and mathematician Abraham Zacut. The Museum displays numerous ancient tablets, gravestones, texts, and various artefacts from all aspects of Jewish life in old Portugal. Recent excavations have also revealed a water heating system and ritual baths. Overnight: 5* Dom Pedro Hotel, Lisbon
The history of the Jews in Portugal reaches back over two thousand years and is directly related to Sephardi history, a Jewish ethnicity that represents communities who originated in the Iberian Peninsula. Jewish populations have existed on the area even before the country was established, back to the Roman era, or even before. Most Portuguese Jews, thousands, would eventually leave the country after the Inquisition of 1536. The Second World war saw a mass influx of Jews either seeking refuge in Portugal or passing through to find a safe haven elsewhere.
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JEWISH PORTUGUESE HISTORY
AND ON TO LISBON...
DAYS 11 & 12 - LISBON & ENCHANTING SINTRA
DAY 11 THURSDAY - LISBON A whole day devoted to the city of Lisbon. We will take the Jewish walking tour before taking the historic trolley to the Bairro Alto hill and walk down to Chiado from there. The Sephardic Synagogue with its Neo-Mudéjar inspired architecture is on the north side of Lisbon, winning the prestigious Valmont award for its design when it was built. We will visit Castle of Sao Jorge and Rossio Square, where the inquisition court was held in the Palacio dos Estaus. Clues to Lisbon's secret Jews can still be found hidden in the exuberant Manuline architecture and we will learn about the important Jewish community enlarged by Sephardic Jews expelled at the end of the 15th century. This is just a small view of a very full and exciting day. Overnight: 5* Dom Pedro Hotel, Lisbon
DAY 12 FRIDAY - SINTRA Close to Lisbon and a must see is Sintra and its mystical hills dotted with fairytale palaces and extravagant villas which have bewitched visitors for centuries. Once the home of the Portuguese Royal family this romantic town still retains its essentially medieval layout, with narrow and labyrinthine streets, steps and arcades that cannot be missed. Sintra was used as a retreat by the Romans, the Moors and the Portuguese Kings due to its position, its beauty, wooden ravines and fresh water springs. The Jewish quarter where the Jews lived and mixed at Court before the forced conversions of 1497, is still visible today. A UNESCO World Heritage site Sintra is a stunning and fitting finale to your European adventure. Overnight: 5* Dom Pedro Hotel, Lisbon Day 13 Transfer to the airport for your flight home
This itinerary is a suggested plan for the perfect tour. However, as we provide a tailor-made service we can adapt to suit your needs or satisfy any particular requirements you may have. Should you have any questions, or for a personalised quotation, please contact us. By Email:
[email protected] - By Telephone: +34 6780 11 585
