European Connoisseur

In its history, Cordoba has been both a capital of a Roman province and capital of the Arab state of Al-Andalus. A great cultural reference point in Europe, this ancient city has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site and contains a mixture of wonderful buildings, monuments and artefacts that are a reminder of the cultures that have settled it throughout history. It has been estimated that in the 10th century Cordoba was the most populous city in the world, and today it is a moderately sized city with a population of about 330,000.

The historic quarter of Cordoba is a beautiful network of small streets, alleys, squares and whitewashed courtyards arranged around the Mezquita, which reflects the city's prominent place in the Islamic world during medieval times. You will visit the most famous and inspiring monuments of the city, including the Roman Bridge and the famous Great Mosque, a building that was considered a wonder of the medieval world by both Muslims and Christians. The building is most notable for its giant arches with over 1,000 columns of jasper, onyx, marble and granite. These were made from pieces of the Roman temple that had occupied the site previously. When Cordoba was re-conquered from the Moors in 1236 by King Ferdinand III of Castile, the mosque became a Catholic church.

Another highlight is the old Jewish quarter. You will have the opportunity to visit the ancient market, now transformed to artisan market, and walk through the well known “Calle de las Flores” or “street of flowers”, a beautiful example of a typical Andalusian street decorated with plants and flowers. Before heading to lunch, you will have some time at leisure to explore the city independently

A more leisurely tour taking in the highlights of this intoxicating city on a panoramic drive.

Seville is a beautiful and romantic place. Legend has it this Andalusian city was founded 3,000 years ago by Hercules and it is also said to be the birthplace of flamenco. Your tour will, we trust, give you a flavour of this intoxicating place. Admire the exterior of the spectacular fifteenth-century Cathedral of Seville which is the third largest in Europe and one of the last built in the Gothic style. It stands on the site of the great 12th-century Almohad mosque, with the mosque’s minaret (the Giralda) still towering beside it.  It has been said that if heaven does exist then it probably looks like Seville’s Royal Palace Alcazar. A building existed on this site as early as 913 but the main construction was carried out in the early fourteenth century with the sublime Mudejar Palacio de Don Pedro being completed in 1366. The Alcazar is a functioning royal palace and some of the Upper Royal Quarters are still used by the Spanish royal family. Finally, stroll through the Old Jewish Quarter of Santa Cruz with its labyrinth of narrow streets and lovely Moorish courtyards. 

Heading towards the west side of Lisbon, you will arrive at the historical Belem Quarter, a pleasant riverside area that has historic links with the 15th-century Portuguese Age of Discovery as it was from here that the Caravels set sail on their voyages to the New World. Belem is also where the most famous Lisbon’s landmarks are located including the Belem Tower, the Discoveries Monument and the Monastery of Jeronimos. Belem’s undisputed heart-stealer is this UNESCO-listed monastery. The mosteiro was commissioned by Manuel I to trumpet Vasco da Gama’s discovery of a sea route to India in 1498 and the great explorer is interred in the church here.

Then take a scenic drive from Belem to the city centre passing by the Alfama Quarter, Baixa (Downtown), Restauradores, and the fancy Avenida da Liberdade with its highend shops. Stop at Alto do Parque to admire Lisbon from the north and from here you have an astonishing view to the banks of the River Tagus.

Afterwards stop at Rossio Square where you can enjoy some free time. Praca do Rossio, or the Rossio Square, is one of the most beautiful places to see in Lisbon. The square, which is located in downtown Lisbon, has been a witness to various historical events in the city, from popular celebrations and revolutions to executions and bullfights. Today, Praca do Rossio is a popular destination both for locals and tourists. Every day, people from different places flock to the square to relax, hang out, and just take in the atmosphere.

This panoramic tour begins in the city of Queluz, with the magnificent 18th-century Queluz National Palace, one of the last great Rococo buildings to be designed in Europe and the former seat of the Portuguese royal family. Frequently compared with Versailles, Queluz is actually earlier in date than the French masterpiece.

From here, we will proceed to Sintra, one of the most famous places in Portugal, built against the northern slope of the "Serra de Sintra" mountains. This small village is well known for its charming narrow roads and lush greenery, where climbing flowers and semi-tropical vine-like plants trail from mossy walls and balconies. Noble houses and palaces with walled gardens and stately courtyards are scattered throughout the forested hills, revelling in the soft, cool microclimate that the mountain position brings to the town.

Please note: this optional excursion can be booked using the signup sheet and paid for on-board the ship (all prices for purchases on-board Aegean Odyssey are listed in US dollars).

Historically, Oporto is no doubt one of the most important cities in Portugal. The town centre dates mainly from the 18th century, when trade was booming and merchants embellished the city with large squares and avenues that made a big contrast with the narrow little streets of the old medieval quarters, and all around you can see the façades of elegant homes and palaces that show how prosperous they were in days gone by.

Our first stop is the Romanesque-style Cathedral, built in the 12th century and extensively rebuilt in the 17th and 18th centuries. You’ll be able to admire the interior and see the altar dating from the baroque period.

Next you’ll visit the Stock Exchange Palace, built in the 19th century to impress European investors. The surprising Moorish decorated rooms are nowadays used by the Chamber of Commerce, the President and members of the government for official receptions. You’ll cross the Douro River by way of the unique double-decker Dom Luis Bridge to Gaia to visit a well-known wine cellar for a tasting of port wine.

Enjoy a panoramic tour by boat along the beautiful bay of Vigo. First stop is at the “Bateas” or wooden floating docks located in the estuary, used to grow mussels. Galician mussels are world known for its quality. There are around 3,400 rafts producing mussels throughout Galicia. Your guide will point out the main aspects and impacts of mussel farming in the region. Continue passing by the  “Rande bridge”  where the “Battle of Rande” took place during the opening years of the War of the Spanish Succession. Next stop is at the San Simon island, a place full of old stories of pirates, naval battles and also, in recent years, it was a prison during the Franco´s regime. During the cruise you will be enjoy a tasting of some mussels accompanied with Galician white wine.

Vigo, the Gateway to the Atlantic, is a great combination of ancient history, beautiful beaches and a modern cosmopolitan outlook. This Galician city also has a proud heritage. Vigo was where the Roman Empire met the ocean and, in the 19th century, it became the main transatlantic departure point for a nation.

Leave Vigo by road for Santiago de Compostela one of the most important places in Catholicism, because it is reputed to be the place where St James, one of the twelve Apostles of Christ, is buried.

On arrival, enjoy a guided tour of Obradoiro Square. Named after the workmen who built the Cathedral, this square sits in front of the main entrance of the Cathedral on its northern façade.

Facing the Cathedral is the Palacio de Rajoy that was built in the eighteenth century to house the choirboys and a seminary for priests. It was later used as a prison and is now the Town Hall. Facing the Cathedral is the Hostal dos Reis Catolicos that was built as a hospital for pilgrims during the reign of the Catholic kings in the XV century and today is one of the most beautiful buildings combining different styles such as Renaissance, Gothic and Baroque.

The Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela is the reputed burial-place of Saint James, one of the apostles of Jesus Christ, and it has been a place of pilgrimage on the Way of St James since the early Middle Ages. What we see today is actually the fourth church to stand on this spot. The lavish baroque façade facing Praza do Obradoiro was erected in the 18th century, replacing the weather-damaged Romanesque one. This is the cathedral's main entrance, but owing to repair work on the towers and interior, it's likely to be closed until about 2021. In the meantime, most people enter through the south door on Praza das Praterias.

Chartrons, cradle of the Bordeaux wine trade, your tour of the Medoc starts just north of the city. The Medoc wine road, located between the Gironde estuary and the Landes forest, provides magnificent views of vine-covered gravelly rises as far as the eye can see. You will have the opportunity to take photos of some of the most famous Chateaux of the area i.e. Margaux, Pichon Longueville.

Medoc vineyards are orderly and well-kept almost to the point of fanaticism, and the region's world famous chateaux produce wine that are nothing short of divine... Moulis, Listrac, Saint Julien, Saint Estephe, Pauillac, Medoc, Haut Medoc and Margaux (with the celebrated chateau of the same name).

You will visit the cellars of one of the following famous estates: Chateau Pichon Longueville Baron, Chateau Lynch-Bages, Chateau Lagrange or Chateau Kirwan. After your guided visit of the estate, you will be introduced to the secret wine-making techniques of the estate before following your guide to the tasting room to indulge yourself with their wines.

For many years Bordeaux was known as “La Belle au Bois Dormant” (Sleeping Beauty) due to its magnificent buildings being shrouded in centuries of black soot. Then in 2000, the mayor, former Prime Minister Alain Juppé, roused Bordeaux, restoring its neoclassical architecture and implementing a high-tech public transport system. His efforts paid off: in mid-2007 half of the entire city (18 sq km, from the outer boulevards to the banks of the Garonne) was UNESCOlisted, making it the largest urban World Heritage Site.

After a panoramic tour of the main sites including the 13th-century cathedral, the Palais Rohan and the Grand Theatre de Bordeaux, you will leave the city for the nearby world-famous vineyards that surround Bordeaux.

The history of Bordeaux wine spans almost 2,000 years to Roman times when the first vineyards were planted. In the Middle Ages, the marriage of Henry Plantagenet and Eleanor of Aquitaine opened the Bordeaux region to the English market and eventually to the world's stage. Today, Bordeaux wine remains the world’s most popular and sought-after wine. You will stop at one of the prestigious wine estates such as Chateau La Louvière, Chateau Haut Bailly, Chateau Carbonnieux or Chateau Latour-Martillac to visit their cellars, be introduced to the art of wine making and, of course, to enjoy a wine tasting.

Depart by coach from the ship for a panoramic walking tour of Bordeaux. Drive along the river front where the wine trade has flourished for centuries and then view the Second World War German submarine base. In the summer of 1941, Admiral Dönitz decided to build highly fortified U-Boat pens in Bordeaux and construction began in September 1941. They were constructed with reinforced concrete and the roof above the pens was 5.6 m (18ft 4 in) thick.

Then on to L’Esplanade des Quinconces. This is one of Europe’s largest squares (12 hectares) and its principal monument was erected between 1894 and 1902 in memory of the Girondists who fell victim of the Reign of Terror during the French Revolution. Stop at the Palais Rohan, the 18th-century former home of the Archbishop that is now the City Hall and walk to the 13th-century Cathedral of St Andrew, where Eleanor of Aquitaine married Louis VII, for an inside visit. Continue to the nearby the Grand Theatre de Bordeaux which was built by the architect Victor Louis and inaugurated in 1780. This is one of the most beautiful theatres in Europe and a pure work of art from the 18th century.

Strolling through the Old Bordeaux area, you will come across beautiful squares such as La Place du Parlement, the former royal marketplace (1760) with its harmonious façades and fountain, and Place de la Bourse, the former royal square dedicated to Louis XV (1729). 

Arriving in La Rochelle, start your panoramic city tour and see the Old Harbour with the Two Towers at its entrance. These were built to protect the harbour in times of war when an enormous chain was raised between the two 14th-century stone towers at the harbour entrance. Begin the walking tour at Saint-Sauveur Church close to the old harbour.

The tour will explore La Rochelle’s mercantile and military past. This history is reflected in the city’s narrow streets paved with ancient stone slabs, vaulted passages, arcades and porches. During the tour there will also be time to browse La Rochelle’s morning market before heading out of the city by coach to the Chateau de La Peraudière. Owned by the Normandin Mercier family, the Chateau was established in 1872 by Jules Normandin, a Cognac brandy broker and landowner.

The site Jules chose for his Cognac business was perfect as it is not only close to La Rochelle, which was the major export harbour for Cognac, but also has the ideal climatic conditions for producing the spirit. You will visit the cellars and have a tasting of Cognac and Pineau des Charentes, a fortified wine made from lightly fermented grape must and Cognac.

It is a short drive from the ship to Ré Island. One of the jewels of the Atlantic coast, the island has been connected to the mainland by a bridge nearly two miles long since the beginning of 1988.

As soon as you reach the Island, you will be won over by the atmosphere and brightness of the light, something that has brought to the island and inspired many painters over many years. A panoramic tour of the island shows you a succession of fishing ports, from Rivedoux to La Flotte, and Saint Martin (the island capital) with its port and its ramparts.
After a guided tour of Saint Martin, you’ll enjoy free time to explore further the typical port with its narrow streets, or simply enjoy refreshment at one of the numerous café terraces.

From here, you’ll head for La Rochelle for a guided walking tour of the old town and harbour, followed by some free time, before heading back to the ship.

Inhabited as far back as prehistoric times, since 1475 a castle has also existed on the site of the Chateau de la Roche Courbonin. Originally built by Jehan de Latour, in the 17th century, the Courbon family, which had occupied the castle for two centuries, transformed it into a more comfortable residence. More alterations were made in the 18th century, but it was eventually sold in 1817 and then abandoned. It was purchased in 1920 by Paul Chenereau, who restored the chateau and its gardens. The chateau is still owned and inhabited by his descendants.

Built in the 15th century, upon a rocky outcrop in the midst of marshland, the original castle was transformed into an elegant residence by Jean-Louis de Courbon, during the 17th century. As the marquis would not flee during the French Revolution, the chateau was not sold. His daughter Charlotte married an aide-de-camp of Napoleon. Because upkeep was so expensive, however, the chateau became abandoned during the following hundred years.

The chateau has a Garden à la française, redone in 1936-1939, featuring a terrace with an Italian gallery, a monumental stairway, a parterre with four compartments and statues. The gardens include an orchard, flower garden, geometrical flower beds and lawns surrounding a small lake ('mirror pool'). The River Bruant flows through the gardens, feeding the water features. Beyond that, an ornamental staircase leads to higher ground, on the far side of the river. In the grounds are some Stone Age cave dwellings in woodland close by the River Bruant. Prehistoric finds from the site are housed in the 'keep' museum.

The history of Honfleur, long sung about by poets and painted by famous artists, has always been tightly bound to the sea. Today, Honfleur offers visitors a unique heritage which can best be glimpsed by a leisurely stroll along its picturesque narrow streets lined by timber-framed houses.

One of Honfleur’s major sites is St Catherine’s Church, which dates from the 15^th century and also has the distinction of being France’s largest timber-built church. The separate bell tower, located opposite above the bell-ringer’s house, is likewise made of oak. Other sites of interest you will see on this tour are the Salt Warehouses, originally run by the Gabelle (tax on salt) collectors, the Lieutenancy, once the residence of the city governor, and the Old Port, which has some beautifully picturesque quaysides.

After your visit, you will then have some time on your own to enjoy the quaint atmosphere of this charming little town before returning to Aegean Odyssey.