This important festival of classical music and flamenco has been held annually since 1952 in the beautiful city of Granada. Top-class orchestras, musicians and dancers provide memorable spectacles in some of the most attractive settings of the city including the gardens of the Generalife, the Myrtle Courtyard of the Alhambra, the Palace of the Emperor…
Day: August 27, 2009
Group Tours in Spain and Portugal
Tours offered by Valesa are always tailor-made to include art and architecture, history, religious sites, gastronomy, gardens, wine-growing and tasting, and whatever special interest the group may have, and they are accompanied by experienced tour leaders who know the area and can convey its secrets to visitors. The result is a quality product that might…
Shore Excursions from Cruise Ships
VCS has long experience in organising land excursions from cruise ships calling at ports around the Iberian Peninsula and offshore islands. These trips can be more creative than the usual visits to local monuments. For example, Barcelona is now a major port of call for cruise ships: let VCS organise a private cooking class and…
April in Portugal
Springtime is a good moment to be in Portugal, and what better reason to travel there than the Estoril Open, one of those special world tennis events that combine tournaments counting towards the official classification of both the ATP and the WTA. The two competitions comprise a single event held at the prestigious Jamor Tennis…
Spanish Train Company (Renfe): Under construction
Northeastern Corridor – to the French Border Construction is currently underway to connect the new high speed line from Barcelona to the French TGV network via the Perthus tunnel under the Pyrenees.The line from Barcelona to Figueres is scheduled to open in 2012, while the line from Figueres to Perpignan is set the open in…
Delta Airline News
Delta Airlines will offer a new exclusive checkin service at the Port of Barcelona for passengers that have taken a cruise and then fly directly from Barcelona to the USA. Clients will arrive at the port Terminal B on Royal Caribbean, Norwegian or Holland America cruises will enjoy the comfort of this checkin including baggage…
Catalonia is the Most Popular Destination in Spain
According to Spain‘s tourism statistics, Catalonia received over 6 million foreign visitors in the first half of 2008 (25% of the total for Spain), followed by the Canary Islands with 15% of the total number of visitors and Andalucia with 14% of the total, Valencia with 10% of the total and finally Madrid with 8%.…
Madrid's Reina Sofia Contemporary Art Center Expands Again
Less than 4 years after architect Jean Nouvel completed the striking new addition to the Reina Sofia Museum, the museum’s director Manuel Borja-Villel has announced expansion and new offerings to come soon. The Reina Sofia, which is housed in a building that was Madrid‘s General Hospital when inaugurated in 1781 (designed originally by Francisco Sabatini…
Hotel Palace in Barcelona Renovation
It began in 2007 and is expected to end by the end of 2009. The long-awaited refurbishment of the Hotel Palace (formerly Ritz) in Barcelona is almost there. This historic property, in the most central and prestigious part of Barcelona, includes an “optimization” of its architectural infrastructure and soft redecoration of public areas maintaining the…
Mortier Takes Over Madrid's Operahouse
Belgian musician Gerard Mortier will take over the Teatro Real as artistic director in January 2010. Currently in charge of the Paris Opera, Mortier is seen as a major coup for the Teatro Real after its plans with the director of Milan’s La Scala fell through. Mortier was due to take over as general manager…