19 Days Pyrenean Panorama, Andorra

About the destination: Andorra la Vella is the capital of the Principality of Andorra. Andorra La Vella, a city small enough to traverse on foot, yet offering a bustling main street boasting many shops and dining opportunities. It's also a place of superb old medieval churches, many of them untouched by time.

About the destination: At the heart of the South, Toulouse has always occupied a prominent place in the Southwest of France. The reflections of golden light on the pink-brick walls, used in many of its buildings, have earned the city the designation of 'La Ville Rose', the Pink City. As the region’s largest city, Toulouse combines medieval architecture with bohemian music, delicious food and constant innovation, sustained by the city’s cutting-edge aerospace industry. The old town of Toulouse hides great treasures. The Basilica of St. Sernin is considered the city’s most beautiful religious monument. It is also the world’s largest church built in the Romanesque style. Feel free to wander through its cobbled streets to discover its splendid Renaissance courtyards and magnificent houses that hide behind the heavy gates. The Augustinian Museum exhibits a rich collection of paintings and sculptures. Here you will find works of either medieval masters or contemporary artists and painters. Toulouse is active and bustling, fuelled by the energy of its student population. There’s nothing like strolling through the historical center, walking along the banks of the Garonne and the Canal du Midi, or stopping in one of the many bars and restaurants to eat or have a drink under the open sky.

About the destination: Bordeaux is an exhilarating and sprawling city where wine still flows and churches still stand. Attractive shopping arcades and handsome 18th century riverfront facades decorate its streets. This city is a paradise for wine lovers and it’s a perfect choice for a romantic gateway. Perhaps the most remarkable feature of the Cathédrale St-André is the wide variety of flying buttresses that encircle it. To the right of the main portico is a 16th century buttress composed off a string of slender columns. Adjacent to the Church of St-Michel is the equally beautiful, free-standing bell tower, an imposing and hollow shell. If you ever wondered what Flamboyant Gothic was all about, these edifices provide an unsurpassed definition of that style. Also not to be missed is Bordeaux’s Romanesque representative, the Church of Ste-Croix, with its richly ornamented façade. And of course you cannot leave Bordeaux without visiting the Maison du Vin that offers free tastings of regional wines. The city is also within striking distance of the sublime, immensely enjoyable Dune du Pilat, a gargantuan mountain of silken sand that seems to bring out the acrobat in everyone.

About the destination:

Madrid has a tempo of its own: The dry air of the Castilian plain crackles with its cosmopolitan crowds. If the illuminated shop windows along the Gran Vía, and the unrelenting elegance of Paseo de la Castellana are overwhelming, retreat to Old Madrid. Its tangle of side streets south of Plaza Mayor and Puerta del Sol are what makes the real Madrid. Spend half a day in the Prado Museum, thaat sit to rest on the steps leading down to the lake in lush Retiro Park. The city begins to live it up as soon as the sun goes down. Madrid claims to boast the largest number of bars per capita of any European city. Madrid teems with cultural events all year round. After concert, play or film, you can choose among literally hundreds of tapas bars and an endless array of nightspots. Madrid successfylly combines its cosmopolitan sophistication with its most cherished local traditions, the result is fascinating to explore.

About the destination: Lisbon is known as the city of seven hills due to its location, the city spreads across steep hillsides that overlook the Rio Tajo. Romantic and cosmopolitan, the city presents its typical red roofs to the visitors that want to get to know its every inch. Lisbon surprises with its natural beauty and relaxed atmosphere. The Portuguese capital offers lots of museums, libraries, a huge port, churches and palaces and stunning views of the Rio Tajo Lisbon was considered a poor and chaotic city. Currently it has experienced a resurgence in the style of the XIV and XV centuries, when it was part of that vast empire stretching from Brazil to India. The reason for this was the World Expo held in 1998, a new bridge over the Tagus was built and the network of underground of the city was remodeled. The resurgence of the city then continued to host several matches during Euro in 2004, also held there the Delivery Music Awards (MTV) in 2005. Many of its most beautiful buildings date from the XIV and XV centuries, especially the ones located in the Belem district. There are also many buildings from the XVIII century, which are located mostly in the Baixa area of central Lisbon and were reconstructed almost completely after a devastating earthquake that hit the town in 1755. The historic center of the city, standing on Las Siete Colinas, presents steep streets and picturesque alleys. On the west side of the city, there is Monsanto Forest Park, Lisbon’s lung, with an area of 10 km and one of the largest in Europe. The capital’s majestic port has 3 docks commonly used for several cruises and it is, currently, the busiest port in the European Atlantic coast. Lisbon is a city with centuries of history and with an ambitious attitude, marrying the historic with the modern, the traditional with the cutting edge. Strolling through the old quarters one can hear the traditional Fado sung and played in small restaurants in town. In the hilltop district of Bairro Alto, dozens of restaurants and bars line the narrow streets, with jazz, reggae, electronica filling the air and revelers partying until dawn. Nightclubs scattered all over town make fine use of old spaces, whether on riverside docks or tucked away in 18th-century mansions. Lisbon presents itself to the world as a cosmopolitan and lively city, with alternative for every taste, especially in the summer months when its many bars, terraces and restaurants are crammed with people.

About the destination: Situated on a dramatic valley cut by River Douro, Porto is known for the beauty of its building and the sweet taste of is wine. The hub of the city is Avenida dos Aliados, a wide avenue encircle by Praça General H. Delgado and Praça da Liberdade. Nonetheless, the most alluring part of the city is Ribeira, the river district and a Unesco World Heritage Site, where three of Europe’s most graceful bridges span the gorge. Busy Praça da Liberdade and the adjoining Avenida dos Aliados make up the centre of town, where statues stand in the centre of busy mosaic walkways. Nearby rises Porto’s great cathedral, a colossal, fortified Romanesque structure whose heavy granite foundations, thick walls and tiny windows enclose a gloomy interior. The Ribeira stretches along the river, skirted by a wonderful quay filled with shops and restaurants. Porto’s most characteristic monument, the ornate Torre dos Clérigos, offers a panorama of the city from atop its 240 steps. No visit to Porto would be complete without a stop at some of the many bodegas, wine lodges, where port is stored and bottled. And a visit to the amazing Lello library with its spiral staircase, is a must see as well, even if you are not a Harry Potter’s fan.