PLEASE NOTE: The information below is for our September 2024 trip to Madrid, which is now complete.
Please check back for future Art Encounter trips.

Flavors of Madrid: Art & Gastronomy
with day trips to Toledo and Segovia

SATURDAY, SEptember 14–Saturday, September 21, 2024
Price: $5450 per person double occupancy

Contemporary art is flourishing in Spain’s capital city! Join trip leaders Joanna Pinsky and Sarah Packer in Madrid this September for exclusive visits to private artists’ studios and guided tours of outstanding museums, featuring famous works by Picasso, Velázquez and Goya. Art Encounter is partnering with local restaurateurs Oscar Garcia and Annie Byer of Ochenta Grados restaurants to bring you delectable Spanish cuisine in this city of elegant boulevards and manicured parks. Delve into Spain's rich Jewish, Muslim, and Christian cultural history on day trips to Toledo and Segovia. Sip a glass of wine as you enjoy splendid views at a local winery. Throughout it all, relax at the luxurious, five star Hotel Villa Real, an authentic example of Madrid's distinctive architecture in the Barrio de las Letras neighborhood.

Activity Level: Participants should be comfortable independently walking and standing for an hour at a time, climbing and descending stairs, and walking on uneven surfaces. 

Email sarah@artencounter.org to register or learn more.

COST DETAILS

Price: $5450 per person double occupancy; single room supplement: $975

Cost includes entry fees, lodging, guided tours, program transportation, all breakfasts, two lunches, five dinners, wine/tapas receptions, and performances.

Cost does not include airfare, transfers to/from airport, trip insurance, porter tips, alcohol, or incidental room charges.

You must be a current member of Art Encounter to participate.

Trip is limited to 18 participants. We recommend that you are up-to-date with all covid and flu vaccinations.

An $800 non refundable deposit is required to reserve your spot.

Please do NOT purchase airfare until notified that the trip is confirmed by Art Encounter.

Email sarah@artencounter.org to register or learn more.

itinerary

Itinerary is subject to change.

Day 1: Introduction to the Flavors of Madrid
Saturday, September 14

Our adventure begins with an introduction to each other in the hotel lobby, followed by an orientation tour of our neighborhood. In the evening, we will head to an art gallery for a wine reception. We’ll conclude our first day with a special welcome dinner.

Day 2: Spanish Masterpieces & Traditional Dance
Sunday, September 15

We will depart on foot for a visit to the famous Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, home of Pablo Picasso’s masterpiece, Guernica. We begin with an Art Encounter tour of works from the museum’s collection. Then, take time on your own to explore other works in the museum and/or take a coffee break the museum café. Next, we’ll head to the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, where the group will enjoy lunch on their own in the Museum Cafeteria-Restaurant before reconvening for an Art Encounter tour of the renowned collection. We’ll head back to the hotel with time for a siesta before heading to dinner and a traditional flamenco dance performance.

Day 3: Historic Sites & Spanish Cuisine
Monday, September 16

Our first stop on day three is the Museo Nacional del Prado, where Joanna and Sarah will lead the group through the museum’s iconic collection, featuring pieces by Diego Velázquez and Francisco Goya. The group will have time to enjoy lunch at the museum café and explore the museum independently before heading to our next stop, El Retiro Park. We’ll explore the park’s beautiful monuments, lakes, and magnificent buildings, including the incredible Palacio de Cristal, a 19th century glass and iron greenhouse housing special art exhibitions. After a break at the hotel, we’ll spend the evening enjoying a live cooking demonstration and hors d’oeuvres with Ochento Grados chefs before concluding our day with a group dinner.

Day 4: Toledo, the City of Three Cultures
Tuesday, September 17

On Tuesday, we’ll board the bus for a day trip to Toledo, often called the “city of the three cultures” for the influences of Christianity, Islam, and Judaism throughout its history. A local guide will take us through the old city beginning with the Primatial Cathedral of Saint Mary of Toledo, one of only three examples of 13th century High Gothic cathedrals in Spain. Next, we’ll visit the Iglesia de Santo Tomé, home of El Greco’s most famous painting, The Burial of the Count of Orgaz. Before lunch, we’ll explore the Synagogue of El Tránsito, a historic synagogue and Sephardic museum. Then, we’ll spend the afternoon at the El Greco Museum and the Alcázar of Toledo, a building once used as a Roman palace in the 3rd century. After returning to Madrid by bus, the group will have the evening free to relax and have dinner independently.

Day 5: Madrid’s Contemporary Art Scene
Wednesday, September 18

Back in Madrid, we’ll kick off day five by meeting with a local guide for a tour of murals in Madrid’s Lavapiés  neighborhood. Then, we’ll meet artists in their studios to view different artistic processes and find out about the local contemporary art scene. In the early afternoon, we’ll visit the Mercado de San Antón, a neighborhood market filled with ready-to-eat Spanish food and ingredients. The group will have time to enjoy a tapas lunch and explore independently before heading back to the hotel for an afternoon break. In the evening, we’ll meet artist and designer Alexandra Eseverri for a private shadow puppet presentation and reception in her studio. The evening will conclude with a group dinner.

Day 6: Art, History, and Wine in Segovia
Thursday, September 19

This morning, we head for Segovia, a historic city northwest of Madrid, where we’ll start by exploring the “Old Town of Segovia,” home to a massive Roman aqueduct, and the Jewish Quarter, followed by a visit to an art center. For lunch, we’ll sample the city’s specialty, lamb, before departing for the Alcázar of Segovia, a spectacular medieval castle and UNESCO World Heritage Site. We’ll conclude our day trip with a relaxing and scenic visit to a local winery before heading back to Madrid, where the group will have the rest of the night free for an independent dinner.

Day 7: Spanish Elegance
Friday, September 20

For our last day in Spain, we’ll spend the morning in Madrid’s exclusive Barrio Salamanca neighborhood, then take a tour of the Lázaro Galdiano Museum, located in a palatial building constructed in 1903 as the residence of Lázaro Galdiano and his wife. The museum, which houses Galdiano’s personal collection, is designed to reflect the home’s original interiors, featuring elaborate baroque painted ceilings. We’ll peruse the Golden Mile, a luxurious stretch of designer shops and, switching gears, we’ll visit a contemporary art exhibit at the Fundación Juan March. The group will have the afternoon free for lunch, shopping, or rest. We’ll reconvene in the evening for a gallery reception and special farewell dinner.

Day 8: Departures
Saturday, September 21