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Another UNIQUE cooking passions "Small-Group" Food & Culture Experience

$AUD2270pp (Double Occupancy – Share Vehicle) ~ $AUD250 per day
$AUD2795 (Single Occupancy - Own Vehicle) ~ $AUD310 per day
$AUD2595 (Single Occupancy - Share Vehicle) ~ $AUD290 per day

* Our 2010 "DISCOVER ANDALUCIA" tours are currently BOOKED OUT, however if you would like to be placed on our Waitlist, in case we have any cancellations, please contact us at nico@urbanprovider.com.au.

We are accepting "Expressions of Interest" for those people that would like to be placed on our "Pre-Notice List" for details of our  2011 "DISCOVER ANDALUCIA" tour in September/October of 2011.

Get your sense of adventure (and tastebuds) ready to immerse yourself in Spain’s spectacular Moorish south – the culturally diverse and magical region of Andalucia. 

Nico Moretti, of cooking passions cooking school, will be escorting a small group of 12 travellers for a very unique and special 9 Day / 8 Night self-drive tour of some of souther Spain's most fascinating and historically intriguing provincial cities - Seville, Cordoba and Granada - with its exuberant Spanish life & culture and fun-loving population famous for all things quintessentially Spanish - tapas, fiestas, flamenco, guitar, manzanilla, and bullfighting!

Your own self-contained apartment set in the heart of Seville’s ancient Barrio Santa Cruz and tapas district is our base for the first half of our tour, then a stunning Spanish country villa (cortijo) set amongst the olive groved hills of central Andalucia, completes our accommodation in Southern Spain.

cooking passions cooking tours are designed so you can do as much or as little as you like, while allowing you plenty of free time to explore and immerse yourselves in the sights, shopping and eating that YOU want to experience (we’ll be happy to provide suggestions and tips from our previous experiences). We’ve arranged all of the accommodations, car hire, private cooking class & demonstrations, private guided tours of Seville and Cordoba, and most meals, so that all you have to do is pack a bag, a sense of adventure and join us on one of our delicious and exciting culinary journeys.  

ANDALUCIA (Spain's Moorish South)

HISTORY - Influenced by centuries of Moorish domination through to the golden era of the Spanish empire of Queen Isabella & Christopher Columbus, be dazzled by the mixture of cultures that have contributed to “al-Andalus” once being heralded as the richest and most civilized society on earth where its three cultures of Arabs, Jews and Christians coexisted in relative harmony for a period of time, all making their contributions in making medieval al-Andalus the height of Spanish civilization through its brilliant mix of architecture, music, art and poetry.

FOOD – Andalucia is famed for its cuisine and its culture of food. Here the meal is not only about simply eating but also about socializing, and hence Andalucia is home of one of Spain’s favourite exports; tapas. Coastal areas of Andalusia tend still to be dominated by seafood with many options for sampling the bounty of the Mediterranean. Inland regions tend to lean more towards poultry, game and, the regions favorite meat, pork. Indeed the region is home to a special breed of pig known as the "Iberico" or the "pata negra" (literally "black foot", denoting the pigs black hooves), acorn fed to produce Spain’s famous Jamon Serrano, seen hanging in rows above every tapas bar in the region. The region is the world’s largest producer of olive oil, which is the basis for the region’s cooking and accompanies many of the dishes. The Moorish legacy still remains strong and can be seen especially in the sweets and desserts of the region, many of which are flavored with aniseed, cinnamon, almonds and honey. It is this diversity in one of Spain’s largest provinces that make it such a rich culinary region and a real must for food lovers.

TOUR HIGHLIGHTS:

El Cortijo de la Prensa – our beautiful country mansion hideaway and base for the first half or our tour. Set on 10 acres of olive groves in the heart of Andalucia’s olive region and next to the Sierra Subbeticas National Park, Coritjo de la Prensa is perfectly situated to allow for day trip visits to Cordoba, Granada, or the Costa del Sol as well as Andalucia’s famous white villages scattered around the Sierra Subbeticas region.

Cordoba – Home of the amazing Arab “La Mezquita” (The Great Mosque), the third largest mosque in the world, built when Cordoba was the most opulent city on the planet during its heyday in 900AD. Now officially a “cathedral” , it is a perfect example of al-Andalus’ famous mixture of Arab, Jewish and Christian cultures, for situated in the middle of its famous prayer hall of thousands of red and white striped arches, is a 16th century Catholic cathedral. Old Cordoba is one of the largest medieval quarters of any European city, and the biggest in Spain, one whose Moorish character has been retained with is maze of whitewashed alleys opening into the loveliest patios in all of Andalucia.

Granada – With the Sierra Nevada mountains as its backdrop, Granada is home to one of the most impressive architectural feats of all time, the fortified palace of the Nasrid kings – The Alhambra – dating back to the 9th century, and one of the most brilliant Islamic buildings of Europe.

Seville – Once the largest city in Spain and the gateway of the vast wealth of riches returned following Columbus’ New World discoveries, Seville is one of most beautiful cities of Europe where orange trees line every street and square and history surrounds you. Home to the world’s largest Gothic cathedral built during the 1400’s on the site of the city’s great mosque, Seville’s centerpiece is the 90m tower of La Giralda, (formerly the mosque’s great minaret) visible from almost anywhere in Seville. Adjacent to the cathedral housing Christopher Columbus’ remains, are the stunning moorish Royal Alcazar gardens.

Barrio Santa Cruz – is the medieval area of Seville’s juderia (Jewish quarter) with its maze of “kissing lanes”, named for the narrowness of its streets and alleys where flower-decked iron balconies practically touch each other. Home of our final days in Andalucia, your self-contained apartment is situated in the middle of Seville’s old quarter giving you first-hand access to the vibrant life of the locals (sevillanos) while joining them in the tapas bar lined streets of Santa Cruz. 

 cooking passions "Discover Andalucia" Itinerary

Arrival in Spain
We suggest you arrive in Spain, no later than one day prior to the start of our tour. If you have arrived into Madrid or Barcelona you will need to arrange to make your own way to Seville, either by rail from Madrid or with one of Spain’s low cost airlines from Barcelona. Alternatively, if you are arriving from any regional centres within Europe, some low-cost regional airlines such as Ryanair fly into Seville, Granada and Malaga or domestically within Spain. 

Day One – Friday 10 September -

Situated in the heart of Seville’s ancient Barrio Santa Cruz, you can check into your self-contained apartment from 2pm. As Seville will be our base for the first 4 days of our tour, walking or cycling is the transportation of choice amongst the narrow lanes and streets of the Barrio Santa Cruz area we will be in.
PM : Rest of the afternoon & evening at your leisure.

Suggested Visit: Book into one of Seville’s famous Flamenco performances conducted in a classic sevillano patio and then grab a late night tapas with the locals in the Barrio.
 
Day Two – Saturday 11 September -

AM : For half of the group, today is a “Day at your leisure”, while the other half of the group will enjoy an Andalucian Cooking Class with the lovely Ruth Roberts, an ex-Australian who has made Seville her home for almost 20 years. After a visit to one of Seville’s local produce markets we will return to Ruth’s private home in Santa Cruz to be shown how to prepare some classic local dishes, followed by lunch on the terrace with views over Seville to La Giralda.
PM : Evening at your leisure. Find another of the many tapas bars in the area for a few dishes and glasses of vino tinto.

Suggested Visit : For those that are not participating in the cooking class today (you will participate in the class tomorrow, while those that have done the class will have their “Day at leisure”) it’s an opportunity for you to stroll around this beautiful city, or hire a bicycle from one of the many “bike stations” situated around the city. A visit to the Plaza de Toros Seville – the Real Maestranza Bullfighting Ring – and its one hour tour is worth a visit. Also, a great way to while away an hour or so is to book into Seville’s Banos Arabes, for a relaxing soak in these traditional Arab-style thermal baths situated in a restored 16th century palace in the heart of Santa Cruz. 

Day Three – Sunday 12 September –

AM : Today we swap around…those that had a free day yesterday will participate in Ruth’s cooking class followed by lunch, while the other’s will get a free day to explore Seville.
PM : Evening at your leisure
 
Day Four – Monday 13 September –

AM : After a leisurely breakfast, today we have arranged for a Private Guide to show us around Seville’s Cathedral, Royal Alcazar Gardens and Barrio Santa Cruz area.
PM : Rest of the afternoon & evening at your leisure.

Day Five - Tuesday 14 September –

AM : Following checkout, we will collect our hire cars from the Seville Rail Station and then drive the 2 hours to the beautiful Spanish villa - El Cortijo de la Prensa. Alternatively, don’t hesitate in visiting some of Andalucia’s historic towns, prior to arriving at El Cortijo.The villa is located amongst bountiful hills covered in olive groves in a picturesque area adjacent to the Sierra Subbetica National Park and amongst the famous “white villages” of Andalucia, the villa is a perfect and peaceful country base for the final four days of our tour.

Our villa, El Cortijo de la Prensa, is located just over an hour from Malaga, Granada or Cordoba. Directions to the villa will be provided to the group at our Pre-Trip Briefing.

PM :  This evening we have arranged a Group Dinner commencing at 9pm (a little early for Spanish standards, but you would by now be used to it)

LINK :    El Cortijo de La Prensa

Day Six – Wednesday 15 September -

AM : Enjoy an early morning walk around the property followed by a leisurely breakfast. Today might be a good day to visit Spain’s most visited monument, the stunningly beautiful complex of Islamic palaces known as The Alhambra. Don’t forget that you must pre-book your visit to the Alhambra, so that you are allocated a time to visit the Nasrid Palaces. Details of how to book your tickets will be provided during our Pre-Trip meeting. I would suggest you arrange a visit late in the afternoon, and spend the morning exploring the town before grabbing some lunch in one of Granada’s famous tapas bars, before venturing up to the Alhambra for your visit.

Granada is famous for its tapas and is one of the last bastions of offering mini-meals for the price of a drink, with the tapas getting better with each round of drinks.The Albaicin area of the city is the city’s old muslim quarters, a hillside neighbourhood of white-washed houses, cobblestone streets and cypresses preserving the atmosphere of ancient al-Andalus. There are a number of Moroccan-style tea bars where you can sip mint tea in Alhambra-style décor and while sampling Moorish-inspired dishes.

PM : Group dinner at the villa
 
Day Seven – Thursday 16 September -

AM : A leisurely morning for you to catch up on some sleep, enjoy a swim and a spa, or take a walk in the National Park. Today we have organized a Group Lunch following a cooking demonstration by the villa’s chef of some typical regional dishes, before lunch on the terrace.
PM : The rest of the afternoon and evening is at your leisure. Enjoy a siesta or go for a drive to visit the beautiful vista of Lake Iznajar close by. Tonight, head into one of the nearby towns to enjoy the local tapas scene.

Day Eight – Friday 17 September –

AM : Today I have arranged for a Private Guide in the beautiful town of Cordoba, to show us around “La Mezquita”, the Great Mosque,  one of the most amazing architectural wonders of Europe. We will meet our guide for a 2 hour tour at 11:30am, so you will have the morning to wander the cobblestoned maze of streets making up the Old Quarter of this beautiful city, famous for its gardens and patios. Following the tour, Cordoba’s restaurants and bodegas open at 2pm, so join the locals for a leisurely lunch before heading back to the villa.

PM : Group dinner at the villa.

Day Nine – Saturday 18 September –

AM : Following breakfast and checkout, we will say our final goodbyes and wish everyone well on the next part of their journey. Hire cars are to be returned to an appropriate city office either in Granada, or the city of your choice. Hire cars can be returned to Granada, Malaga or Seville, or for those wishing to explore other parts of Andalucia or Spain, we are able to arrange for an extension of your hire car.

If you are able to join us on this special trip to discover and experience the culture, food & wine of Andalucia, please contact us on 08 9228 0507 or email nico@urbanprovider.com.au to reserve your places and request a Booking Form.

BOOKING DEADLINE - Monday 14 December 2009(or until places are filled)
 
Also, please don’t hesitate in contacting us should you have any questions on our tour. 

COST :
$AUD2270pp (Double Occupancy – Share Vehicle) ~ $AUD250 per day
$AUD2795 (Single Occupancy - Own Vehicle) ~ $AUD310 per day
$AUD2595 (Single Occupancy - Share Vehicle) ~ $AUD290 per day

The following is INCLUDED in the price:

• 8 nights accommodation
• 4 Days Car Hire, unlimited kilometers; Fire, Theft, & Third Party Insurance
  
• 4 breakfasts - El Cortijo
  
• 4 dinner/lunches (as per itinerary) – El Cortijo
  
• Cooking lesson & Lunch (Seville) /demonstrations (El Cortijo)
  
• Private Guided Tour of Seville and Cordoba
  
• Group Escort
  
• Pre-Trip Briefing (Perth)
  

The following is NOT INCLUDED in the price:

• International & Domestic Airfares
• Transport to and from airports
  
• International Drivers Licence
  
• Travel Insurance
  
• Entrance fees to Alhambra (13 Euro), La Mezquita (5 Euro), Alcazar & La Giralda (5 Euro) on Private Guided Tours of Seville and Cordoba
  
• Any optional/suggested activities
  

BOOKING DEPOSITS
A $500pp non-refundable deposit is required to hold a booking for the tour, at time of your reservation.Booking Deposits are used to secure accommodations at El Cortijo de La Prensa and self-contained apartments in Seville’s Santa Cruz Area at the time of booking, and as such are non-refundable. Deposits will be refunded, if you are not able to attend, should alternate participants join the tour to take up your place(s).

FINAL PAYMENTS
Final Payments will be due 90 days prior to commencement of the tour, on 10 June 2010.

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