An Andalusian Flamenco Tour   We will spend 12 days and 11 nights visiting white-washed villages, enjoying hearty food & wine, and living the thrill of flamenco. Travel with us from the bustling capital of Madrid to enchanting Seville, visit the famous sherry wine cellars of Jerez de la Frontera, taste the exquisite seafood of Cádiz, and wander the mysterious streets of Granada and Córdoba.
DAY 1 & 2 - MADRID
	A welcome dinner of paella and sangría precede a walking tour of Old Madrid and the Royal Palace. In the evenings enjoy fine madrileño cuisine and tapas, and see a traditional outdoor zarzuela, a Spanish flamenco opera, as well as first-class tablaos, or flamenco shows... keep your eyes open for well-known artists in the audience! Die-hards can go on to the late-night flamenco bars for some dancing and modern Madrid-style ambiente. Royal Palace in Madrid.
DAY 3 - CORDOBA
	The high-speed AVE train takes us to Córdoba, land of oranges and olive groves. Visit La Mezquita, an 8th c. mosque standing inside a 15th c. cathedral, and explore the streets of the Barrio de los Judios. Flamenco beckons in the evening, and the morning AVE will whisk us on to Seville. The Great Mosque of Córdoba.
DAY 4, 5 & 6 - SEVILLE
	Enchanting Seville... Visit the cathedral, Europe's largest, and tour the Alcazar Palace and gardens, the white-washed Barrio de Santa Cruz, the ceramic shops and local ambience of Triana, take a boat ride up the river. At night enjoy spectacular views of the Guadalquivir River and the city, and join other aficcionados for some live local talent at the Carbonería (the Mecca for any flamencophile). Later, dance sevillanas 'til the wee hours! Sunday in Spain means time to relax... have a long lunch and a walk along the river, take a siesta, and in the afternoon re-energize with the drama and excitement of a bullfight in the famous Las Arenas bullring. La Giralda, one of the most important symbols of  Seville.
DAY 7 - JEREZ DE LA FRONTERA
	Home of sherry wine and bulerias! Tour the Tío Pepe bodegas, and see how this fine liquor is produced. Visit the Centro Andaluz de Flamenco, and duck into a local flamenco dress shop, or visit the awesome cathedral in the old quarter. After a dinner of delicious tapas in a traditional Andaluz patio, see what the upcoming local artists can do at La Parilla Taberna, where many famous flamenco performers got their start. Jerez de la Frontera, the birthplace of the bulería!
DAY 8 & 9- GRANADA
	En route to Granada see the landscape change from vast farming plains to the majestic Sierra Nevada mountains. Tour the Alhambra Palace, and the sprawling and peaceful Genaralife gardens. Up the mountain have lunch in the maze-like Albaicín, and spend the afternoons exploring this mysterious and timeless quarter. At night, witness gypsy tablaos in the mountain caves of the Sacramonte, and sip chai at a Morrocan tea house in the exotic Arab quarter...with a little luck we'll even catch a bellydance! La Alhambra, a testament to the skill of Muslim craftsment.
DAY 10- MALAGA
	The archeological remains and monuments from the Phoenician, Roman, Arabian and Christian epochs, conver the historic center of Málaga into an "Open Museum" displaying its rich history of over 3,000 years. Málaga is also the birthplace of artist Pablo Picasso as well as the birth place of rondeñas, verdiales, jaberas and malagueñas. These are all variations of the fandango.
DAY 11 - MADRID
	Stroll through the Retiro Park, tour the Prado Museum to see some of the world's finest works of art, and shop for last-minute souvenirs. Optional excursion to Toledo, Segovia, or El Escorial. Our final night celebration will be amid live spontaneous flamenco music in the cave restaurants of the Calle Baja. Plaza Mayor, center plaza of Madrid built in 1589.