tour de españa with césar 2008
Nine-day tour
September 9 – 17 2008
Join Chef Maggie Pond and her staff from césar for a fun and fascinating nine-day culinary tour of Catalunya in northeast Spain, with special focus on Barcelona & the Penedes region, and discover why we are captivated by Spanish cuisine.
We will hold our culinary classes at the Esteve estate, a beautiful, 300-year old property situated in the rolling hills south of the city of Barcelona. The Esteve estate offers a stunning view of the over 300 acres (150 hectares) of vineyards, olive trees and vegetable gardens. The property also features several homes where the family and the people that work the land have lived for many generations. Among them is our home base, Mas Joliu, a beautiful country house that has been featured in many of Spain's top interior design magazines. Mas Joliu affords the perfect atmosphere for you to experience the finest Spanish cuisine with César.
Day 1 Our Tour begins
Arrive at Barcelona airport by 11 am.
Private car will transfer guests to Mas Joliu.
After settling into your rooms, meet for cava & tapas on the patio and a brief trip overview. Guests can then enjoy free time in the afternoon.
8:00 pm. Welcome dinner at Restaurante Es Sigró D'or (The Golden Garbanzo), a favorite local restaurant in the small town of Gelida, near Mas Joliu.
Day
2 Barcelona
8:30 am. Leave for La Boqueria (Mercat de Sant Josep), one of the world's greatest public markets, situated in the heart of Barcelona. Breakfast will be on your own where you can choose from the many tapas bars in the market. Our favorites include Bar Pinotxo (Pinocchio), located at the entrance of La Boqueria market, where you'll find owner Juanito Bayen and his signature bow tie serving pŕ amb tomaquet (bread rubbed with fresh tomato and olive oil) and a glass of cava, Catalunya's delicious sparkling wine.
12:00 noon. Demonstration class. We'll all prepare lunch, using the fresh ingredients purchased during the morning's tour of La Boqueria
5:00 pm. Trip to Sitges. Spend some time exploring this quaint coastal town on your own before we meet up for dinner.
9:00 pm. Dinner at one of the beach side restaurants.
Tapas Cooking Class
8:30 - 9:30 am. Breakfast buffet at Mas Joliu featuring local cheeses and cured meats.
9:30 am. Hands on cooking class featuring some of césar's most popular tapas. Get in the kitchen with Maggie, Germain, and Dianne and learn how to put together a tapas party.
12:30 pm. Lunch featuring the foods from our tapas class.2:00 pm. Transportation into Barcelona for a tour of the sites.
9:00 pm. Dinner at El Botafumeiro de Mancho. This is a one of a kind experience featuring classic European service and the extraordinary seafood of Galicia in northwest Spain.
Day 4 Wine tours and tasting
8:30 - 9:30 am. Breakfast buffet at Mas Joliu featuring local cheeses and cured meats.
10:00 am. Leave for a private tour of the Summarroca Winery, a typical Catalan vintner
2:00 pm. Catered lunch featuring regional dishes and wines from the Summarroca estate.
4:00 pm. Return to Mas Joliu for free time.
Evening. Dinner at Mas Joliu prepared by the staff of césar.
Day 5 A day of Tapas, Cheese, and Olive Oil in Barcelona
8:30 - 9:30 am. Breakfast buffet at Mas Joliu featuring local cheeses and cured meats.
9:30 am. Private car leaves for Unio olive oil for a private tour of their local olive oil mill and a tour of a Catalonian cheese maker which specializes in Garroxa cheese.
Lunch at a wonderful small local restaurant
4:00 pm. Return to the Hotel & Mas Joliu
7:00 pm. Private car leaves for a guided "tapeo" (tapas crawl) through our favorite Barcelona tapas bars. We'll head first to Quimet Quimet where you'll see how they make all their flavorful tapas. Next, we'll head to Cal Pep, our all time favorite tapas bar (we'll need to be prompt so we can get a seat at this hugely popular tapas bar). We will stop at La Xampaneria for a glass (or two) of their house-made cava, and finally, a stop at Cervezeria Cataluna before heading back to Mas Joliu.
Day 6 Sunday at Mas Joliu
8:30 am Breakfast buffet at Mas Joliu featuring local cheeses and cured meats.
11:00 am. Paella class & lunch.
Free time in the afternoon to enjoy the beautiful estate.
8:00 pm. A family-style dinner served in the private wine cellars of the Esteve bodega, during which the owner of the local wine shop will speak to us about the history and the wines of the Penedes region. We will be serving tapas that compliment the wines we will taste.
Day 7 Mountain Picnic
9:00 am. Breakfast buffet at Mas Joliu featuring local cheeses and cured meats.
10:00 am. Private car leaves for Montserrat
1:00 pm. Picnic lunch at the foot of the mountain.
8:30 pm. Dinner at a restaurant nearby specializing in local sausages.
Day 8
A Day of Cooking and Shopping
9:00 am. Breakfast buffet at Mas Joliu.
Afternoon. Trip up to the small town of Vic, 2
hours drive, north of Barcelona, to visit Choco Vic, a small artisanal
chocolate manufacturer.
5:00 pm. Visit the sites of Barcelona.
8:00 pm. Farewell dinner at El Passadis de Pep in Barcelona.
A Day of Cooking and Shopping
8:00 am. Breakfast buffet at Mas Joliu.
Transportation to airport.
tour itinerary is subject to change
For more information and pricing please contact
dianne@barcesar.com
510.985.1222