Arrival into Barcelona where you are met by your Back-Roads Touring Co. Ltd representative and transferred to our Barcelona base. This afternoon we'll take you on an introductory city tour and tonight there'll be a welcome dinner.

Barcelona

DAY TWO - Sunday

We depart  and take the short drive to the ancient and beautiful city of Girona, located about 60 miles north of Barcelona. The city boasts a variety of cultural modern and traditional activities and one could hardly find a better base than Girona for exploring the spectacular coastline along the Costa Brava.

This splendid and ancient city boast a wealth of attractions, and is a very important site of Jewish heritage. Magnificent buildings in the ancient quarter include the Arabian Baths, the baroque Palace of the Agullana Family, one of the most relevant baroque areas of the ancient quarter, and the winding, narrow street and alleys of the Rambla de la Llibertat. The Cathedral is breathtaking, both from the outside and inside. The interior contains numerous works of art such as the reredos and silver altar canopy Gothic tombs and baroque altar paintings. The renowned Tapestry of the Creation, the Beatus, and a rich collection of medieval gold and silver works are exhibited in the Capitular Museum.

You'll have free time to explore the city, visiting the Archeological Museum which contains an important collection of prehistoric objects together with others from Greek and Roman periods, as well as a unique collection of Hebrew tombstones.

Girona

DAY THREE - Monday

Our sightseeing attractions today include The Valley of Sant Daniel, a great natural reserve praised by poets and painted by artists. There, you'll also see the Monastery of Sant Daniel and visit the Convent of Sant Domènec. This single-nave church was one of the first Gothic buildings constructed in Catalunya.

The day's indoubted highlight, however, will be the Dali Museum at Figueres. The artist Salvador Dali was born in the Catalan town of Figueres in 1904. Dali never strayed far from the town and in 1974 founded the Teatre-Museu Dali here. Showcasing a large part of the artist's work, it is also full of illusions and surprises. Surrender yourself to one of the strangest imaginations of the 20th century.

Girona

DAY FOUR - Tuesday

We follow the Costa Brava coast, through quaint fishing villages and beach resorts, crossing the France border and making for Perpignan.

This is a leisurely day's drive, enjoying the contrasts and similarities between France and Spain. The fact that these lands were just one region until relatively recently becomes obvious, but the slight differences are also intriguing.

We arrive at the medieval walled city of Carcassonne and our base nearby.

Carcassonne

DAY FIVE - Wednesday

Today we explore Carcassonne and its surroundings.

Carcassonne

DAY SIX - Thursday

The Tarn Gorge and Albi.

Carcassonne

DAY SEVEN - Friday

Toulouse and Lourdes to Pau.

Pau

DAY EIGHT - Saturday

More surprises await on the French side of the Pyrenees. Iparralde, as the French Basque Country is known, is filled with peaceful villages of red and white half timber farmhouses. Cottage industries producing delicious sheep milk cheese, foie gras, pottery, baskets and jewellery abound.

On the coast, the towns and villages vary from the chic resort of Biarritz to the traditional fishing villages. One of the latter is San Jean de Luz which grew up around a pilgrim's hospital in the middle ages. Corsaires built impressive mansions from which to watch their boats at sea. A tribute to the town's importance came in 1660 when Louis XIV, the Sun King, chose it as the site for his marriage to Maria Theresa. We see the dramatic cliffs of Hendaye and visit an explorer's crazy neo-gothic palace before continuing up the coast to Biarritz for an afternoon of Belle Epoque glamour and wonderful shopping.

San Sebastian

DAY NINE - Sunday

We have crossed back into Spain and to the Basque region, the focus of our explorations over the next few days. We'll begin with San Sebastian, known as the pearl of the Cantabrian sea, with its shell shaped bay, wide, tree lined boulevards and protected fishing harbour. We will tour the city, visiting the unusual fish market where fish are displayed like works of art, San Telmo museum which houses a unique series of wall hangings by Jose Maria Sert, and the lovely port area. In the evening we will meet in San Sebastian's old part and dine as the locals do on the surprising and delicious miniature cuisine known as pintxos. A dining experience like no other.

Nearby, Ainhoa is a tiny town known for its crafts and art galleries, and the walled medieval village of Fuenterrabia.

San Sebastian

DAY TEN - Monday

Frank Gehry's acclaimed Guggenheim Museum is the focus of our morning. The titanium-clad structure, remarkable in itself, has been the catalyst for Bilbao's economic revival along with Sir Norman Foster's unique metro system. The changes that have taken place in Bilbao are staggering. Cesar Pelli's plan to unify the river bed with the modern city center is in full swing. After lunch at the museum you can choose to explore Bilbao, its shops and fascinating architecture or visit the Basque council house and the legendary Tree of Gernika made famous throughout the world by Picasso's remarkable painting. Bilbao, home of Frank Gehry's incomparable Guggenheim Museum. Clad in Titanium the building is a masterpiece of design and a wonder of construction.

San Sebastian

DAY ELEVEN - Tuesday

Pamplona, home of the running of the bulls during the Festival of San Fermin and the setting for Ernest Hemingway's novel The Sun Also Rises. A tour of the old city is followed by lunch in one of Papa's favorite haunts.

San Sebastian

DAY TWELVE - Wednesday

Lleida (Lerida) - Located inland in a mountainous area. Most interesting is its cathedral, "Seo", built between 12th and 15th century.The visit to the monumental complex of Seu Vella plateau is an essential for any visitor. The castle - as it is lovingly called by the people from Lleida - is, from its privileged position, the most remarkable landmark of the city. According to some historians, the building commenced on the grounds of a former Muslim mosque. Devoted to Saint Mary, the temple was consecrated in 1278. The access to the architectural complex is by the Porta dels Fillols. Five monumental doors make up a clear example of late Romanesque architectural sculpture by the so-called School of Lleida. Seu Vella bell tower has 7 bells.

Lerida

DAY THIRTEEN - Thursday

First today, a descent from the hills to the Costa Daurada and its capital, Tarragona. This was an important city of the Roman empire and still preserves outstanding monuments including the aquaeductus, an amphitheater and the Tomb of the Scipios. Close to Tarragona there are the monasteries Santes Creus and Santa Maria de Poblet, both of high historic-artistic interest.

Finally, our tour takes us along the 'Gold Coast' to the lively resort of Sitges, situated just 35 km south of Barcelona, before we return to the city where our adventure began.

Barcelona

DAY FOURTEEN - Friday

Barcelona or transfers