Bethel Heights and Nature Photography Adventures Bring you Bethel Heights 2019 Spain Wine and Photography Tour Featuring Ribera del Duero and La Rioja! April 1 11, 2019 This custom itinerary is designed for members of Bethel Heights wine club. The trip will be led by Chris Schwartz from Bethel Heights and Diane Kelsay and Bob Harvey of Nature Photography Adventures. We will weave together opportunities to explore this amazing historical region of Spain, tastings and tours at a number of classic wineries, great wine-paired culinary experiences, and expert guidance to help you capture great images along the way! You can buy your favorite wines and fly home with them! Day 1 Arrive in Madrid Arrive in Madrid you ll have an English-speaking greeter at the airport and transfer to our starting hotel, Las Letras, in the heart of Madrid. Las Letras Hotel No meals included today Day 2 Madrid at Leisure Today is a casual day. Head out on your own or join us (Diane, Bob and Chris) as we wander among some of the historical sites. This is a great chance to have Bob and Diane do some photography coaching before we get to some challenging places in the coming days. Let s end our ramblings and come back to the hotel in time for orientation and the chance to meet the full group at 6 pm. It s time to launch this adventure! Evita will make sure all our wine club members know each other. Our Spanish country guide will give us an overview of the historical and wine importance of our journey through northern Spain. Diane and Bob will talk photography. Then we ll head out to our welcome dinner at Atico! Las Letras Hotel
Day 3 Our first day out will be a big one! We ll journey north to Segovia, where we have the opportunity to tour and photograph its amazing castle. We ll have a close up and personal introduction to history as we literally walk under an aqueduct built by the Romans. The entire walk between the aqueduct and the castle is through a beautiful historic district. Your cameras will be busy! We ll find lunch (on our own) among the many tantalizing outdoor restaurants, before bidding Segovia farewell and continuing north toward Ribera del Duero! This afternoon we ll find our first winery, Tinto Pesquera! It was Pesquera s early success which convinced many winemakers that tempranillo could be produced outside La Rioja! And we ll get to look at their historical winemaking setup. Then we ll head to our Ribera del Duero lodging inside an old monastery! We think you ll love this base camp for Ribera del Duero, which comes complete with a spa! It s also a photographic playground! Tonight s dinner is in the hotel. Day 4 Castles and Wine Let s start the day by visiting another castle Peñafiel Castle towers over the town of Peñafiel and nearby wineries, creating a striking landmark. We ll find a number of opportunities to photograph it from below and this morning, we ll venture inside! Then, we ll descend to visit Hacienda Monasterio, a beautiful winery perched on a hillside overlooking the Ribera de Duero and its wine growing region. It s lunch on your own in Peñafiel, then we re off to visit the Castle of Coca. More fun photography and another great piece of the picture of the history of this fascinating region! We ll have a chance to see and photograph the Peñafiel Castle at night after dinner at Pesquera Restaurant!
Day 5 Old and New! Today we are headed to Aranda de Duero, where we ll visit the Lagar de Isilla Ancient Winery, literally in a cave hewn out by hand, under the town of Aranda! This will be challenging, but rewarding photography and tasting in an underground cave is a really fun experience! Then we ll slip upstairs where the same family will pair their wines with a great meal in the restaurant they operate! Take some time to explore Aranda, before we head out to Dominio de Cair another exciting winery! But this one is thoroughly modern! Then, we ll give you a little time back at the hotel before dining out at Fuente Aceña Restaurant! All meals included Day 6 Underground wineries! This is a good morning to visit the spa or photograph on the grounds before we head out to a tour and tasting at Cillar de Silos Winery, where once again, we ll head underground to experience the old wine caves of the region! Then, a chance for lunch on your own and some personal exploration in Aranda, before we descend beneath the earth for another exciting winery this time Ismael Arroyo one of our very favorite wineries in Spain! There is a lot of camera play in the ancient tunnels, here, and it will be hard to keep from just filling your case in the tasting room! After all that time underground, we ll stretch our legs (and work our cameras) at Hoces de Riaza Natural Park. Don t think history didn t touch this park, though! This beautiful canyon features another Roman aqueduct and more!
Day 7 Say goodbye to Ribera de Duero and hello to La Rioja! It s time to pack up and leave the monastery! That will be hard, but wait until you see what we have in store for you! First, before we leave Ribera de Duero we have one more exciting winery we just can t miss Protos. This winery has tunnels extending underneath Peñafiel Castle and they are full of barrels of wine, slowly aging. You ll love this more modern twist on the ancient underground theme and you ll love their wine! Then, we ll head to Burgos for a wonderful wine-paired lunch at Polison and an exploration (follow the guide or wander with your camera) of the Burgos Cathedral! When they finally drag us away from Burgos, we ll drive to Laguardia and move into our La Rioja base camp: Hospedería Los Parajes. We suggest you get acquainted with Laguardia this evening! Dinner is on your own tonight (the hotel has great offerings and there are countless options a short walk away). Hospedería Los Parajes Breakfast and Lunch included Day 8 La Rioja! Wineries and Wine museum! Let s start the day with an outing to see and photograph both the Davalillos castle and an old bridge over the Ebro River. This is a good chance to get another piece of the puzzle in understanding a history that featured competing castles and changing dominance! Then, it s off to Haro to visit Muga this is one of the must wineries in La Rioja! We ll follow that with a personal favorite Roda Winery! Then it s off to wine and lunch at Vivanco. When we re finished with this fun meal, we ll take our time exploring the Dinastia Vivanco Wine Museum. This is truly an experience that gives you huge insights into winemaking in the past and in the present! Bring the cameras and prepare yourself to become engaged in these fascinating displays! Hospedería Los Parajes Breakfast and Lunch included
Day 9 Wine, Rocks, and Gourmet Food We ll take a leisurely start to the day, today, venturing to Marques de Murrieta to explore the vineyards and taste their impressive wines with food pairing! Then, we ll have some free time back at base camp a chance to explore Laguardia further, finding lunch on your own. Mid-afternoon, we re off again, this time to explore Basque archaeological megalithic monuments like Chabola de la Hechicera with cameras and interpretation! Then, we re off to dinner at the acclaimed Venta Moncalvillo! But not just any dinner. The Echapresto brothers have a maridage planned for us, a meal where every course is paired with a different wine! You ll love their wine cellar! Hospedería Los Parajes Day 10 Say goodbye to Rioja, Explore Basque Country, Arrive Bilbao, Farewell Dinner Oh my, this has gone so fast! It s time to pack up and leave La Rioja and head to Bilbao. But, this won t be an ordinary day! We ll explore Basque villages, including the fishing village of Lekeitio, learning even more about the Basque, their culture, and their way of life. We ll lunch in a castle at Bermeo in the heart of Basque fishing country. After lunch we have another must stop at San Juan de Gaztelugatxe Chapel. Again, your photographic impulses will be stimulated! Tonight is our farewell dinner and it s not a snack! We re dining at Etxanobe tonight, with a flight of wines! Tonight will be a meal to remember! And a time to say goodbye! Hotel Lopez de Haro, Bilbao All meals included
Day 11 We have arranged for local taxis to take you to the airport today that way you can make that transfer at a time convenient to your flight. No lodging Breakfast at hotel 2019 Bethel Heights Spain Wine and Photography Adventure Price: $7,950 Double Occupancy, $9,150 Single Occupancy Deposit with application: $1,500 Final Payment due December 15, 2018 Included in Prices Hotel Accommodations Transportation for outings and transfers English speaking guides One or two photography guides/instructors Entrance Fees Activity Fees Meals as indicated in itinerary Not Included in Prices Contact for more information and registration: Bob Harvey bob@naturephotographyadventures.com 417 683 6881 Tips and gratuities Meals not specified in itinerary Beverages unless noted Trip Insurance International Airfare to/from Madrid/Bilbao