Tour EU3

Day 1

Depart for Lisbon

Take your overnight flight. Your meals will be served on board.

Day 2

Lisbon

Arrive in Lisbon and transfer to the hotel. Dinner and overnight in Lisbon.

Day 3

Lisbon – Santarem – Fatima

Guided small tour of the City, visit to the birthsite of St. Anthony. Although this patron Saint of Lost Things is known as St. Anthony of Padua (Italy), he was originally born in Lisbon. This Church is built upon the site of St. Anthony’s birth, and is also where Saint John Paul II visited in 1982. Then we drive to the town of Santarem, where you will have Mass and visit the Church of St Stephen, which contains the oldest recorded Eucharistic Miracle. Stolen by a woman in payment to a sorcerer, the Host began to emit a brilliant beam of light and then to bleed. In the afternoon, we drive to Fatima, the place where, in 1917, the Blessed Mother appeared to three simple shepherd children. Today will be a memorable experience as you’ll pray upon one of Our Blessed Mother’s Apparition Sites. Her most prominent message at this time was to pray for world peace! Tonight you may participate in a candlelight procession, an unforgettable experience. Dinner and overnight in Fatima.

Day 4

Fatima – Aljustrel – Valinhos – Fatima

Today we see the basilica built in 1928 which contains Francesco and Jacinta’s graves, two of the shepherd children and celebrate Mass in one of the Sacred Chapels dedicated to Pilgrims. Visit the Hamlet of Aljustrel, where the children lived, and Los Valinhos, the site of Our Lady’s appearance after the children’s return from prison. Dinner and overnight in Fatima.

Day 5

Fatima – Porto – Santiago de Compostela

After breakfast we head to Porto, a city with a long history which is reflected in its old city, a World Heritage Site, in its baroque churches and in the characteristic winding streets. The city is very proud of its famous and sweet Port wine which is aged and bottled even today in large cellars located along the river bank. We’ll visit the old Ribeira district, the oldest district of the city, full of old houses, narrow cobbled streets and numerous restaurants and cafes. After lunch we’ll proceed to Santiago de Compostela. Dinner and overnight in Santiago.

Day 6

Santiago de Compostela

In 1985, the city’s Old Town was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The city has its origin in the shrine of Saint James the Great, now the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, as the destination of the Way of St. James, a leading Catholic pilgrimage route since the 9th century, known in English as the Way of St. James and in Spanish as the Camino de Santiago. Over 100,000 pilgrims travel to the city each year from points all over Europe and other parts of the world. The name Santiago comes from Latin Sanctus Iacobus (“Saint James”), while Compostela derives from the latin Campus Stellae (“field of the star”). We’ll celebrate Mass in Santiago and then free time to explore this lovely small city on your own. Dinner and overnight in Santiago.

Day 7

Santiago – Salamanca

After breakfast, we head to Salamanca, lunch on the way. Half day guided tour of the city, where we’ll see the grand Plaza Mayor, an iconic square filled with food stalls , shopping and city events; the University of Salamanca, the oldest University in Spain and the third oldest in Europe; the Roman Bridge, which extends along the River Tormes, national monument. Visit inside the two joint Salamanca Cathedrals (old and new), one of which is of a Romanesque style and the other is of a Gothic style. Mass. Dinner and overnight in Salamanca.

Day 8

Alba de Tormes – Avila

Transfer to Alba de Tormes, where St. Theresa of Avila is buried. This town is home to the Carmelite Monastery that Saint Teresa founded in 1571. Upon arrival in Alba de Tormes, your group will celebrate Mass at this Monastery where the saint died and was buried. Following Mass, you can visit the museum dedicated to St. Theresa of Avila, which also holds her incorrupt heart and left arm. Then we’ll continue to the medieval city of Avila. Upon arrival in Avila, you will immediately notice the perfectly preserved eleventh-century walls that surround the old town. Half day guided tour of the city of St. Theresa, the great mystic, the first woman to be named a Doctor of the Church. In Avila, visit the Cathedral, which contains many of St. Theresa’s relics and the crypt of the Convento of La Santa, which is built on the site of the house where she was born and is home to the most comprehensive museum dedicated to her life. Also visit La Encarnacion Convent, the first convent she founded and where she became a nun. Dinner and overnight in Avila.

Day 9

Avila – Segovia – Madrid

After breakfast, we go to Segovia for a guided tour of the city, World Heritage City, visiting the Cathedral, last church built in Spain in the Gothic Style, the Alcazar, looking the famous Roman Aqueduct, very well preserved, and exploring the Jewish Quarter. Time for Mass and then, we continue to Madrid, capital of Spain. Free time. Dinner and overnight in Madrid.

Day 10

Toledo – Madrid

After breakfast, depart for Toledo which sits on a rocky mount close to the Río Tajo. The city surrounded by walls hides great treasures: the awesome Cathedral, the church of Santo Tomé, the Tránsito Synagogue, the superb church of San Juan de los Reyes, etc. Toledo is known as the City of the Three Religions or Cultures because for many centuries the Christians, the Moors, and the Jews lived together in relative armony and peace. Mass in Toledo, then back to Madrid for dinner and overnight.

Day 11

Madrid – Zaragoza

After breakfast we will depart towards Zaragoza where, in a guided tour, we will visit the magnificent Basilica del Pilar, built on the bank of the river Ebro, on the site where, according to tradition, on January 2nd,40 A.D. the Virgin Mary came personally to meet St. James, giving to him a marble pillar to be used as the first stone for a sanctuary. This pillar, with on top a statue of the Virgin, may be seen today in the church and it is worshipped by thousand pilgrims. Following your visit to the Basilica del Pilar, you will visit La Seo Cathedral (San Salvador Cathedral of Zaragoza). In addition to the famous cathedral, Zaragoza is also known for its folklore and local gastronomy, both of which may be explored on your walking tour of the city. Mass. Dinner and overnight in Zaragoza.

Day 12

Zaragoza – Barcelona

From Zaragoza, we continue to Barcelona, capital of Catalunya region, one of the most vibrant and turistic cities in Europe, for an afternoon guided tour. Enjoy the stunning panoramic views of the Port of Barcelona, Montjuic, Plaza de España, and Plaza de Catalunya. We will also see from the outside the Antoni Gaudi’s stunning, unfinished Roman Catholic Basilica, the famous “ Sagrada Familia”. Mass and free time. Dinner and overnight in Barcelona.

Day 13

Barcelona – Manresa – Monserrat – Barcelona

After breakfast we will travel to Manresa with a visit to the Sanctuary of Saint Ignatius of Loyola and the Holy Cave where St. Ignatius lived. Continue to Montserrat, home to the miraculous Black Madonna where we’ll visit the Shrine of Our Lady, located on a mountainside, with the statue of the Black Madonna, according to Catholic tradition, carved by St. Luke. Mass and free time. Return to Barcelona for dinner and overnight.

Day 14

Barcelona – Airport

This morning you will be accompanied by your Tour Manager to the airport and assisted with check in formality to board the flight home.

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