Pamplona • Montserrat • Barcelona – April 1-7, 2018
Itinerary Highlights
Day 1 – Arrival Pamplona
April 1, 2018
We arrive at Bilbao airport in the morning. We are collected by luxury coaches and drive 2 hours to Hotel Tres Reyes in Pamplona. We will check into the Hotel in time for lunch. After we have settled, guides will take the group on a walking tour of Pamplona including a relevant history of the Camino. Dinner is served from 7.30pm which will give us ample time to explore the city.
Hotel Tres Reyes in Pamplona
Address: Calle Taconera, 1, 31001 Pamplona, Navarra, Spain
Phone: +34 948 22 66 00
Day 2 – Morning Lecture & Afternoon Tour of Arre and Puente la Reina
April 2, 2018
After breakfast, morning in a workshop with Caroline.
After lunch, we set off towards the town of Arre. To start the tour an experienced pilgrim will give a 40-minute lecture at the Basilica de la Santisima Trinidad de Arre. This is an important Camino stop where you can witness pilgrims taking a rest or personal prayer break, the Camino stamp for the carnet, a hostel where many travelers stay, the historically significant Basilica and a medieval bridge over the Rio Ulzama river. The pilgrim will give a personal account of what it is like to walk the Camino and the spiritual significance of it.
We will visit the Fuente Reniega, which means the Fountain of Renouncement or Denial in English. We will visit the Iron sculpture of a group of pilgrims, Alto del Perdon – ‘Mount of Forgiveness’. Set on a high point of the Camino, you can experience extensive panoramic vistas all around the surrounding countryside as far as the Pyrenees.
On the summit of Alto del Perdon is the iconic sculpture dedicated to all the pilgrims who walk the Camino Del Santiago. The long metal sculpture representing pilgrims on foot and on horse reflects the historical and eternal nature of the walk. There is a Spanish inscription on it “donde se cruza el Camino del viento con el de las estrellas” meaning “where the path of the wind crosses that of the stars”. It is one of the great landmarks of the Camino.
Then we move onto Puente la Reina. The bridge lies between Pamplona and Estella on the Way of St. James pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela. Queen Muniadona built the six-arched bridge over the Río Arga for the use of pilgrims on their way to Santiago de Compostela along the Camino de Santiago.
On the way to Puente la Reina ,we will give the group a ribbon in order to write an intention from their day, so that when they arrive at the bridge they can explore the area and tie the ribbon to a branch or iron pole nearby.
Day 3 – Zaragoza and Arrival at Montserrat
April 3, 2018
Check out of the Hotel in the morning. The coach trip from Pamplona to Montserrat is 4hrs and 24mins. In order to break up the time we thought the group could stop at Zaragoza midway for have lunch there. Zaragoza is a wonderful added additional to the trip and an attraction in itself. Art lovers will note that it is the home of Goya.
About Zaragoza: The ethereal image of the multi-domed Basilica de Nuestra Señora de Pilar reflected in the Río Ebro at dawn is reason alone to visit Zaragoza, one of Spain’s most underrated regional capitals. Spain’s fifth largest city is loaded with creatively displayed Roman remains, a turreted castle with an interior like a mini-Alhambra, and the epoch-defining art of Francisco de Goya, the genius painter who was born a short horse-ride away in 1746. A stroll around the riverside northwest of the city centre will reveal space-age bridges, built recently as Zaragoza’s most recent moment in the spotlight came in 2008 when it hosted the World Expo.
After a stop for lunch and some sight-seeing we will be back on the coach to Montserrat. We’ll arrive in the late afternoon. Once we have settled, Caroline can hold a short session before dinner.
Montserrat Monastery
Monasterio de Montserrat, Plaza del Monasterio, s/n, 08199 Montserrat, Barcelona, Spain
Phone: +34 938 77 77 01
Days 4 & 5 – Montserrat
April 4-5, 2018
Workshop with Caroline.
Late afternoon off to explore the complex including the cable cars, Museum, Funicular, the Black Madonna, hiking etc…
Day 6 – Montserrat, Arrival in Barcelona
April 6, 2018
Workshop with Caroline in the morning
After lunch, coaches will bring the group into Barcelona – check into Hotel Melia Barcelona Sky. The group may want to explore as it is Friday evening – a great time to walk around Barcelona. Gala dinner will be arranged for the group in the Hotel.
Hotel Melia Barcelona Sky
Address: Carrer de Pere IV, 272, 08005 Barcelona, Spain
Phone: +34 912 76 47 47
Day 7 – Barcelona
April 7, 2018
Breakfast is included at the Hotel. Double-deck open bus tour with tour guides – all day. Lunch on Las Ramblas in the middle of the tour. Dinner, on the Mediterranean Sea.
Day 8 – Departure from Barcelona
April 8, 2018
Breakfast, coach transfers back to Barcelona airport.
Other Information
Registration fees include all meals, transport and hotel accommodations – except for lunches on Tuesday and Saturday. Air travel expenses not included.
Deposit Payment
Due to the nature of this event, your deposit payment is non-refundable. Balance payments are due no later than January 15, 2018. If balance payment not received by this deadline, you will forfeit your registration and deposit.
Cancellation Policy
$1,300.00 US cancellation fee per person. Cancellation after February 1, 2018: 50% of total workshop cost per person. No refunds after March 15, 2017. No refund for unused portions of the tour, including but not limited to, missed meals, hotel nights and sightseeing. To mitigate the risk of unforeseen circumstances causing you to cancel, we recommend you purchase travel insurance.
Frequently Asked Questions
I’m taking this trip with my friend or spouse. What is your rate if we share our room?
There is a $250 per person discount for double occupancy. Please note that European accommodations are smaller than they are in the U.S. Our experience has been that these intimate spaces work well for spouses and partners, but can be a challenge for more casual relationships. Consider carefully as arrangements cannot be changed during the tour. If you are paying your registration fee in full now, contact us and we’ll provide you with a discount code. Otherwise, you will receive a discount code when you pay your balance.
Is there any certification or Continuing Education credit offered with this workshop?
While our workshops can benefit and enhance your professional practice, we do not offer any certification or CE credit.
Do you offer any scholarships or discounts in exchange for work?
We are not equipped to evaluate students for aptitude and/or financial need equitably – therefore we are unable to offer scholarships. Our tours are professionally staffed so we do not offer discounts in exchange for service.
