Musical Interludes - Noble Caledonia

SEVEN NIGHTS IN SEVILLE STAYING
ABOARD THE MS BELLE DE CADIX
WITH OLGA STONE & CESAR PEREZ
Join us as we discover the beauty and
wonders of Andalucia, a captivating region
and one of the most attractive areas within
the Mediterranean due to its climate, history
and culture. The region has an intriguing past
and was conquered by Phoenicians, Greeks,
Carthaginians and Romans, later by Vandals
and Suevians, before the Arabs occupied the
region for five centuries.
Our base while we explore the region is the
MS Belle de Cadix which will be moored in the
fascinating city of Seville, the city of Carmen,
Don Juan and Figaro. Further afield we will
visit other Andalucian gems; the “Pueblos
Blancos”, including the romantic town of
Ronda. There will also be a chance to visit
Granada, home to the Alhambra Palace with
its ornate architecture and beauty, and
Cordoba with its Great Mosque.
Using the vessel as our base also allows us
to offer such a tour at less than half the cost
than if we were based in a good centrally
located hotel. Although the vessel
accommodates up to 178 passengers, we are
limiting numbers for this tour to 120 due to
the size of some of the venues we will be
visiting. We have purposely planned our trip
early and late in the year to avoid the tourist
high season months when the crowds of day
trippers.
CESAR PEREZ
We are delighted that our ever popular and
long standing Cruise Director from the MS
Johann Strauss, Cesar Perez will be joining us
onboard the Belle de Cadix. A native of the
city of Seville, Cesar’s local- knowledge will
enhance our visit tremendously.
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Music & Art in Andalucia
Alhambra, Grenada
8th to 15th February
& 29th November to 6th
December 2013
The Itinerary
Day 1 London Gatwick or London City to Seville. Fly to Seville with Easyjet or to
Malaga with British Airways. On arrival transfer to the MS Belle de Cadix and embark
for your seven night stay. Enjoy welcome drinks and dinner this evening.
Day 2 Seville: Old City. Our morning excursion “the myths of Carmen and Don
Giovanni”, includes a visit to the bullring and the Hospital de la Caridad with
extraordinary paintings from famous Sevillian artists (Murillo, Valdes Leal, Pedro
Roldan) and whose founder Miguel de Mañara has been considered the
source of inspiration for the myth around Don Juan for a long period of time.
Our tour ends with a visit to the Santa Cruz Quarter with its cramped streets,
flowered balconies, richly decorated facades, and hidden patios. Return to the
ship for lunch and afternoon at leisure. This evening London Festival Opera will
perform a programme which will include highlights from Bizet’s ‘Carmen’.
Day 3 Ronda & Pueblos Blancos. The brilliantly whitewashed villages and
towns of inland Andalucia are called Pueblos Blancos. These towns and
villages dot the steep slopes of the mountains. Many have "de la Frontera" as
part of their name, an ancient reference to the frontier towns that formed a
boundary between Christian-held territories and Muslim towns and villages
during the Middle Ages. We take a scenic drive through this region to Ronda,
a picturesque town of Celtic origin. With the Cathedral (Roman, Arabic and
Gothic styles), the Old Quarter, the Bull Ring (oldest one in Spain) and the
magnificent Tajo Gorge, Ronda is both romantic and fascinating. We will
have lunch in a local restaurant followed by some free time before departing.
On our journey back to Seville we will make a photostop at Zahara de la
Sierra, one of the classic ‘white villages’ with its spotless white houses and
crumbling castle, all overlooking a turquoise lake. After dinner this evening
there will be a flamenco performance on board by local artists.
Day 4 Seville: The Alcazar & Cathedral. After breakfast we depart for our
tour to see the exotic Royal Alcazar, with its delightful terraced garden. The
Reales Alcazares consists of a series of smaller palaces built by the kings of
Seville around and on top of the ruins of King Al-Mutamid’s Moorish palace.
Continue on to visit the Cathedral, reputed to be the largest Gothic style
church in the world. Also see Seville’s symbol, the Giralda Tower. Return to
the ship for a late lunch. Afternoon at leisure and this evening enjoy an after
dinner performance by London Festival Opera.
Day 5 Romantic Seville & Gala Night. During today’s morning excursion you
will discover “Romantic Seville”. We will first visit Casa Pilatos. The construction
of this palace house, which serves as the permanent residence of the Dukes of
Medinaceli, began between the end of the 15th and the beginning of the 16th
century. It is considered the prototype of the Andalucian palace and after the
Royal Alcazar, this is the most splendid Palace that you can visit in Seville. It is
not only popular because of its combination of Spanish Mudejar, Gothic and
Italian Renaissance style, but also for its Roman antiquities, its canvases and
furniture of various epochs. Afterwards we will walk to the Palace of the
Countess of Lebrija, also known as Palacio de la Condesa de Lebrija which is
considered the “best paved house-palace in Europe” owing to its collection of
Roman mosaics, which pave practically the whole of the ground floor. There