ONE DATE ONLY
2008
January 9-14 
$4,300






Itinerary

Day 1  Arrive Malaga where the Spain Adventures crew will be waiting for you.  Shuttle to Cordoba and join us for a welcome afternoon lunch and an orientation meeting.  The afternoon is yours to take a walk through the olive groves or just simply relax.

Day 2  Day trip to Cordoba and a guided visit to the Mezquita. Visit the old jewish quarter and return to the ranch.  

Day 3   Today we take a very pleasant hike beginning in the charming little village of Caracabuey until we reach Luque.  The hike takes along the Barnabe brook and offers spectacular views of Pico Lobatejo and Abuchite.  12 miles

Day 4  The festivities for the "Matanza begin today".  We will participate in a "hands on" culinary extravanganza as our chef explains the preparation of the special dishes for the event. The class is 4 hours long but don't worry, we'll sample the regional sherries and still have time for a short bike ride around the town. Tonight we feast!

Day 5  All that cooking and eating gets us ready for our trip back to Malaga where we spend the day enjoying the sights.  We have a guided visit to the Picasso Museum and the cathedral and it's time to hit all the specilaty shops.  Tonight is our farewell dinner in one of our favorite seafood restaurants.

Day 6 Departures after breakfast 

A very special tradition in Spain is called the Matanza.  Literally translated it means the “slaughter”.  But this time honored tradition is much more that just a pig roast, it is about the gathering of friends and family in a beautiful pastoral setting in celebration of the success of the harvest and bountiful game.  Going back in time, the matanza was celebrated in the winter months, generally around Christmas time as this was and continues to be the best time to preserve meat.  The activity took place traditionally in the villages when the curing of sausage and “chorizos” were smoked and then stored to cure.  Great quantities were put away so that the family would have provisions for the long winters.    In other times the matanza was one of the greatest and best loved social accomplishments among families.  All family members would help with every aspect of pork preparation, committing to help one another within the family as well as within the community.