Fam Report – Spain and Portugal – 10/4/2018 – 10/14/2018 – Matt Balsamo
FAM REPORT – SPAIN AND PORTUGAL – 10/4-10/14
DAY 1
Flew from Boston to Lisbon via Madrid on Iberia. Everything went smoothly. Upon arrival in Lisbon was met by our guide Fernanda and our driver Sergio. We made our way up to Fatima and visited the Tomb of the Visionaries and had a mass at the Chapel of the Apparitions. We checked into the Santa Maria Hotel in Fatima. A 2 minute walk to the shrine and right in the town.
Day 2
Today we visited the Parish Chruch where the visionaries were baptized. We had a private mass at the Sanctuary of our Lady. In the evening we participated in the evening Rosary and candlelight procession with thousands of pilgrims.
Day 3
Today we traveled from Fatima to Madrid. Enroute we stopped in Salamanca for lunch and then Avila a walled city Unesco Site. We did have a man in the group wander off in Avila and get lost. Luckily after an hour he was found by the police. Late arrival in Madrid. We stayed at the Melia Madrid Serrano a very modern and chic hotel in the heart of the city.
Day 4
Today we had a morning orientation tour of Madrid. We saw all the various squares and statues of Spanish leaders and famous people including Don Quixote. Then it was time to tour the famous Prado Museum with all its beautiful paintings. The rest of that day was free and we chose to experience lunch at a traditional Tapas restaurant. In the evening we found a restaurant specializing in just Paella. It was fantastic.
Day 5
Today we traveled from Madrid to Burgos. Another walled city. Upon arrival there we had a tour of the city and of the beautiful Gothic Cathedral. We also had a private mass in the chapel dedicated to St Mary Major. Our hotel for the 1 night stay was the Silken Gran Teatro. A 5 minute walk to the center of the city with the restaurants and shops.
Day 6
Today we traveled from Burgos to Lourdes. On the way we had a scheduled stop at San Ignacio de Loyola. This is the birth place of St Ignasius. We were able to tour his home and had mass in the Basilica. We had an unfortunate incident when one of the ladies in the group missed a step outside the church and fell on her face. She had to be taken to the hospital and was diagnosed with a broken nose. Luckily the delay didn’t cause us a big problem. We were able to continue on the Lourdes and arrived there in the late afternoon. Our hotel was the Grand Hotel Gallia & Londres. It is situated right in the heart of Lourdes and a 2 minute walk to the shrine. That evening in Lourdes we participated in the evening rosary and candlelight procession.
Day 7
Today we had a walking tour that took us to the grotto to see where the Virgin Mary appeared to Bernadette. We also saw her birth place and family home. In the afternoon we had a private mass at Lourdes. Then free time. We chose to take a Funicular ride up to the top of one of Pyrenees Mountains that over looks Lourdes. It was spectacular.
Day 8
Today we left Lourdes to head back into Spain. On the way we stopped at Carcassonne , a walled city in France also a Unesco site. Had free time there for lunch and shopping. We arrived in Barcelona in the early evening. Our hotel was the Catalonia Barcelona Plaza Hotel. Very modern within walking distance to many landmarks and attractions in Barcelona. That night 12 of us went to a Flamenco Dancing Dinner Show. It was a wonderful experience.
Day 9
Today we had an orientation tour of Barcelona which included various plazas. The highlight was the visit to Gaudi’s Sagrada Familia Church. It is scheduled to be completed in 2026. It is Magnificent. We also had a private mass in the crypt of the church. An experience I will never forget. That afternoon we had free time before the farewell dinner. I took 2 people with me to the Picasso Museum. A wonderful tribute to his works at every stage of his life. That evening we had a wonderful farewell dinner at a restaurant on the waterfront in Barcelona.
Day 10
Flew back to Boston on Iberia via Madrid got back to Boston in the early afternoon.