Necessity of Abstraction

An in-depth understanding of contemporary art provides a crucial insight into the culture which it reflects. In our ‘Painting of the 20th Century’ experience, our specialized art guides will bring into a deeper knowledge of the artists – and their works. As part of our itinerary, we will trace the footsteps of Picasso, Miró and Tàpies and the renowned ‘Dalí Triangle’ formed by the verdant Empordà countryside. But these experiences intend to be as faithful as interactive, so we’ll expect from our participants a high degree of involvement. We’ll dispose all the set-up for them, in order to emulate the great abstract Masters... Shall they achieve it?

Gastronomy in Catalonia

As Mediterraneans we don’t think twice about dedicating a large proportion of our time to the pursuit of new culinary pleasures... It’s widely known that our cuisine benefits from the highest quality of fresh ingredients, but you’ll probably be surprised to learn that it’s also one of the most innovative in Europe. In fact, no regions other than Catalonia or the Basque Country have recently received so many international culinary accolades.All of our cookery courses and demonstrations are built around local specialities, and prove to be both insightful and rewarding experiences for all our guests.

The best way of tasting our cuisine is definitely through its 3 main variants: the sea cuisine, the dry land cuisine and the mountain cuisine. From rustical and simple restaurants to highly-qualified establisments by the Michelin guide, we'll try everything. And not only in a passive way, as we'll seek the products on the market or in the orchard, we'll cook them and we'll discover one of the most specialized retails in Europe. Everything, provided by an excellent service quality.

Tendencias Arquitectónicas al Descubierto

De entre todos los países Europeos la arquitectura del nuestro es sin duda la que más ha sorprendido en la última década debido a su contundencia conceptual y a la rica combinación de estilos diversos. La mayoría de los arquitectos se pone de acuerdo en decir que nos hemos vuelto un centro internacional del diseño innovador y nos vamos acostumbrando a un paisaje arquitectónico heterogéneo, el cual finalmente define lo que vemos. La reciente exposición en el MOMA de Nueva York es un buen aval de esta aseveración. Si buscamos factores de análisis, probablemente los períodos en los cuales carecíamos de libertad política y espiritual, forzaron a muchos creadores al exilio, lo que actuó como catalizador, renovando fuerzas que han generado más creatividad que nunca. Se trata de un indispensable paseo por la arquitectura actual.

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A New Way of Travelling

Prior to the 19th century, being a traveller did not only depend on having the right economic resources and a good portion of daring and fearlessness. Sometimes, if the winds didn’t blow adequately, even in our old Europe being so bold could lead us into uncertain destiny... Nevertheless, these hazards didn’t discourage the curious pioneers, luckily. At the beginning of the industrialisation century, some devilish machines appeared boosted by steam energy, that scared many with their terrible noise, but they became the anticipation of modern individual vehicles. The train played a decisive role in the world technological development, and contributes nowadays to the avant-garde of quality travel and is a sustainable transportation besides. Today, we can be whisked from the Mediterranean coast to Castile rapidly, enjoying the landscape and reaching promptly the centre of our main cities. Added to the advantages of this agile communications, we have to consider as well our input as sensitive people in the context of cultural travel. We believe that in the era of velocity, not everything has to fly, and therefore being down-to-earth allows us to discover lovely corners close from here, on a bird’s view, but standing on a branch.. Some of the most legendary routes in the world were followed by the railway, as for instance, based on the rich English merchants on the 18th Century, who departed from London to Venice for widening their cultural views, was born the Orient-Express train as an advance north-south. The Trans-Siberian is likely the longest railway in the world, as over its 6000 kilometres its trace continuous a history of unique misthycism and mystery. Closer to us, the Cantabric coast dyes in green the comfortable journey of the passengers on the thematic train “Transcantábrico”. In the south, its competitor “Al-Andalus” witnesses the Muslim past, in an opulent and magic journey.

Scents of the Mediterranean

Of our five senses, the one that most impinges on our minds and emotions is that most elusive of all – smell; the whiff of an aroma or scent provoking an immediate response in every cell of our bodies. Our ‘Scents of the Mediterranean’ Experience has been specially designed to let you in on the secrets of – and to experience for yourselves – the elaboration of the sweetest smell of all: perfume, from the beginning of its journey within the petals of certain flowers to the fragrances with which we adorn ourselves. Although to many people perfume is nothing more than a prettily-packaged bottle with a liquid inside it, we maintain that hidden behind this façade lie centuries-old recipes and work that’s imbued with passion, which all combine to make the miracle that is – perfume. In this Experience, you’ll journey from Grasse in Provence – home of the many aromatic plants and natural essences used in creating a perfume – through the arc of the Mediterranean to Barcelona, familiarizing yourselves along the way with the composition, distillation and sale of a fragrance. Finally in Barcelona, you’ll visit the exquisite Museum of Perfume, the product of an irresistible fascination with perfume bottles and for the timeless elegance which they evoke.

Art Nouveau Experiences

A style that after a century comes back to present time’s notoriety with an unwonted strength, has in our country a privileged representation at all levels; we shouldn’t forget either that the European Art Nouveau Network has produced strong links between different cities which encourage new travel fluxes for people with affinity for the idealistic beauty and hedonism, that produced this style. Our Art Nouveau Experience takes in the extraordinary palaces designed by Domènech i Montaner and Puig i Cadafalch, as well as the exquisite Art Nouveau pharmacies and grocery shops in the Modernist residential neighbourhood of the Eixample. We haven’t forgotten either the great genius Gaudí, (not really member of this movement) whose works will show us his most unknown production.

Architectural Trends in Sight

Perhaps Spain is one of the European countries that have surprised the most in the last decade due to its conclusive conceptual nature and rich combination of diverse styles. Anyone agrees to say, that it has become an international centre for design innovation, where you get gradually used to contemplate a heterogeneous landscape, which finally defines what you see. The last exhibition at the MOMA in New York is a very thorough expression of this statement, and probably as for so many years the political & spiritual freedom obliged many artists to the exile, the renewed strengths have inspired more creativity than ever. An indispensable architectural stroll in our time...

Wine Tours in Spain

High Quality Culinary and Wine Experiences for Sybarites: Gastronomy in Catalonia, The Basque Country and other areas in Spain. Wine Tasting in La Rioja, in La Ribera del Duero, in the Priorat and in our Cava paradise.
With all our pleasure!

Visit us at quality-tours-spain.com

A huge sport phenomenon

If you ever go to that magnificent city, which heart beats to the pulse of the football/soccer don't miss the Barça Museum, where you'll be aware of the presence an significance of the social weight of the supporters. There are displayed the so-called penyes blaugranes, or clubs of supporters who organize and manage the expectation on the football matches and their results. I've never seen such a mighty support on so many different sports.

Go there!

Actual vision in Europe

It is about time, that one cares for the quality of the travel service and the content of the tours explanations. As a person interested in architecture and Art History, I believe that Barcelona and generally speaking Spain, offers one of the widest and most surprising visions of the actual architecture in Europe. Never boring and very consistant in the composition.