Arrive Seville airport and meet at the charming Hotel Las Casas de la Juderia, www.casasypalacios.com

Following a chronological history of the Iberian peninsula, we start in exotic Seville where the Moorish influence prevailed from the 8th century until 1492 when King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella expelled the Arabs. That same year, the King and Queen sponsored Columbus’ discovery of America.

Afternoon walking tour in the old Barrio Santa Cruz, includes the huge Gothic Cathedral (1402 – 1509) with Columbus’ tomb, important altar, and magnificent interior decoration. The sunny orange tree patios, ironwork, gardens, and fountains encourage exploration.

We start with a lecture on Islamic Decorative Arts and their important influences on europe and subsequently America.
Walk to the Alcazar Palace complex, a prime example of Mudejar (Christian/Islamic) craftsmanship and meet the Curator of the Islamic collection of ceramics and tiles. Continue on to the Casa Lonja, a fine example of late Renaissance architecture and repository of the Archivo de Indias, 30,000 documents since 1492, many related to the colonization of the Americas.

Lunch at the garden restaurant Corral del Agua followed by a visit to Casa de Pilatos, home and foundation of the Duchess of Medinaceli, with its fine Roman statuary, Mudejar craftsmanship, frescoes and azulejos tiles.

Return to hotel

Leave (with luggage) by coach for Cordoba situated on the banks of the Guadalquivir River and little changed since its importance in the 10th century. And, visit to the 17th-century Palacio de Viana with its 12 patios and a family collection of furniture, paintings, and porcelain.

After lunch at Restaurante el Churrasco, we visit the extraordinary Mezquita Cathedral begun in the 8th century with over 850 columns, gathered from miscellaneous classical buildings around the Mediterranean and converted to Christian use in the 16th century.

We continue to Granada, the last Moorish stronghold and major cultural center, to stay at the elegant Alhambra Palace Hotel, made famous by Washington Irving. www.h-alhambrapalace.es

Dinner is independent.

Leave on foot for the Alhambra where we will have a guided tour of this exquisite Moorish Palace with its stuccowork, fountains, tiles, and Generalife Gardens as well as the important, round Renaissance Palace of Charles V.

After a light lunch at the hotel, we continue with luggage to the old town and Cathedral which has the magnificent tombs of Ferdinand and Isabella in the Royal Chapel.

Continue to the airport for a short Iberia flight to Madrid

Leave by coach for the Royal Tapestry Museum to see artists and artisans weaving tapestries and rugs at their looms. Continue to Palacio de Liria, residence of the Duchess of Alba, built in 1770s with some remodelling later by edwin Lutyens. It houses an exceptional paintings and furniture collection.

Continue to Restaurante Balzac, near the Prado, for lunch.

After lunch, visit the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, a treasure trove of european art from the 13th century to the late 20th-century art, assembled by Heinrich and Hans Heinrich Thyssen-Bornemisza.

Rest of the afternoon is at leisure.

In the evening we will walk from the hotel to a wine and tapas reception at a private apartment.

An early guided visit to the Prado highlights is followed by free time there to explore personal interests.

Continue by coach to La Granja de San Ildefonso.

Lunch will be at a private hunting lodge (subject to arrangement with the Viscount of La Nava del Rey). Visit the Royal Palace of La Granja, country residence of Philip V, with its fine Spanish glass chandeliers, stucco work and tapestries, set in beautiful gardens.

Return to Madrid and visit Picasso’s iconic Guernica in the Museo Reina Sofia.

Dinner is independent.

We leave by coach (with luggage) for a visit to the Madrid Decorative Arts Museum with its extensive collection of Spanish furniture, glass, ceramics, silver, and tooled leather.

A late visit to the Picasso Museum which celebrates his early career in Barcelona.

Check into Hotel 1898, www.hotel1898.com

Dinner is independent.

We explore on foot Las Ramblas, the most famous street in Spain, and the lively Barri Gotic or Gothic Quarter with the recently restored Santa Catalina Market.

The rest of the day is devoted to Gaudí’s remarkable domestic architecture and interiors.

Morning refreshments at a private apartment located in “La Pedrera” with original Gaudí furniture. Then we will go to the rooftop of “La Pedrera,” Gaudí's wavy apartment building, also called Casa Milà, to see the iconic chimneys and staircases and another furnished apartment. Continue down Paseig de Gracia Avenue where we will see the undulating Casa Batlló by Gaudí.

Lunch in a café on the Paseig de Gracia.

Afterwards, we will visit the Palau Güell, an exciting early Gaudí town house of exceptional detail, furnishings, basement stable, and roof-scape.

Afternoon is at leisure.

Dinner is independent.

Other fascinating aspects of Barcelona are explored today. The Museum of Catalan Art exhibits great Romanesque frescoes, assembled from neglected pilgrimage churches for the 1929 World’s Fair. There are also fine examples of Art Nouveau furnishings.

Nearby, the UNESCO World Heritage Mies van der Rohe German Pavillion of 1929 (dismantled but rebuilt recently) is an icon of Modern Architecture, comparable to the Rietveld House we saw in Holland and Corbusier’s Villa Savoye outside Paris.

A stop at the Miró Museum for lunch in the cafeteria on your own. Followed by a visit to this well-known modern artist’s work

Rest of the afternoon is free.

Farewell dinner in the hotel.