A glimpse of Spain at the holidays

On December 22 almost everyone in Spain takes part in the Christmas Lottery, and prizes are celebrated in style out in the streets.

Christmas Eve (December 24) and Christmas Day (December 25) brings families together. Traditional dishes such as lamb and sea bream are prepared, along with seasonal desserts such as turrón (rich sweet made with almonds), polvorones (crumbly shortbread) and marzipan.

Many attend Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve, to commemorate the birth of Jesus. 

 December 28,  the Day of the Santos Inocentes, where people play pranks on each other similar to those of April Fools’ Day. Novelty items purchased at street markets add to the entertainment.

Bid farewell to the year with the New Year’s Eve celebrations on December 31. Tradition has it that you have to eat 12 grapes one by one, in time with the striking of the clock at midnight on December 31. If you manage to eat all the grapes on time, you are in for a year of prosperity and good luck. People gather at the clock towers in their towns or cities (usually found in the main square) to toast and  welcome in the New Year. Puerta del Sol Square in Madrid is a popular place to spend New Year's Eve. Thousands of people decked out with hats and squawkers joyfully toast in the New Year. Celebrations continue throughout the night at hotels, bars and clubs throughout Spain.

Another tradition is found in Alcoy, where young and old alike anticipate Christmas and the arrival of the Three Wise Men with special excitement. On the Sunday before January 6 (Epiphany), a  children’s parade called “les Pastoretes” (the little shepherds) is held. Children dressed up as shepherds parade with their flocks to give gifts to the new-born Baby Jesus. Excitement builds until January 4 when the Royal Envoy reads a royal proclamation announcing the coming of Melchior, Caspar and Balthazar, The Envoy is accompanied by “les Burretes,” small donkeys that carry letterboxes where the children put their letters to the Three Wise Men.

Finally, when night falls on January 5, the Three Wise Men make their spectacular entry into Alcoy, riding camels, loaded with presents. Torch bearers (antorcheros) light the way as the Wise Men ride through the streets of the town. Christmas carols fill the air as the royal pages (“les negres”) hand out  presents to the children.

To read more about holiday traditions in Spain, visitwww.spain.info/en/reportajes/un_viaje_a_espana_el_regalo_perfecto_para_sus_navidades.html

To learn more about New Year's Eve in Spain, visit www.spain.info/en/reportajes/nochevieja_en_espana.html

To find out more about the Three Wise Men visit www.spain.info/en/vive/fiestas/alicante/cabalgata_de_los_reyes_magos.html

Little things to know about Spain and Portugal before packing

At Incantato Tours, we strive for you to enjoy every single step of your way. Here you have some info on little things you might want to know about Spain and Portugal before getting on the plane. Maybe these tips are able to help you enjoy the trip better!

Spain and Portugal at night by NASA

In Spain there is a saying that :
“one just-in-case is worth more than a hundred if-I-had-known”

- It is customary to always have some kind of picture ID. You can use your passport or your driver's license. It is a good idea to have a photocopy of your passport to be kept with the rest of your valuables.

- In order to use a credit card, you will need to activate it and get a pin number before coming. Let your bank know that you will be using it abroad so that the card will not get blocked!

- American Express credit cards are not accepted in many places.

- Any kind of Traveler Checks are not accepted. If they are, it can become very expensive.

- Please click here for more info on money matters.

- Food and clothing are generally more expensive in Spain than in the USA. Portugal is cheaper than Spain for most things.

- It is forbidden to smoke in all public places.

- Please bring a photocopy of your prescriptions in case you need medication. This is a just-in-case! The active ingredient is good to know too, as we do not always have the same medicines (though mostly).

Cooblestoned Praça do Giraldo, Évora

- Old towns mean cobblestones and hilly streets, pedestrian areas, steps, stairs... Happy feet help to have a happy tour. Please bring flat, comfortable shoes.
- Flip-flops are definitely not comfortable in our old towns, but they might be in the hotels. We do not walk around barefoot! Remember that January maybe rainy, especially in Portugal!

- Showing your knees/shoulders is forbidden inside churches. We will be entering churches almost daily – concerts, art, history... Please bring appropriate clothing. Knee-long pants/skirts, girls can use a scarf to cover their shoulders. Men are not supposed to use scarves, so please do bring shirts with sleeves (short or long).

- Pocket-knives, scissors and sometimes drinks and food are not allowed inside some monuments and museums.

- Laundry service in hotels is very expensive. Unfortunately there are only a few laundromats in Madrid and Lisbon.

- Suitcase: 1 per person, NOT heavier than 50 pounds!!

If you have any specific questions, please do not hesitate to contact us. There are so many little things that we can tell you, and we will be hapy to address your doubts!

Hasta la vista!

Occidental College Glee Club: Incantato Tour Poster

Wonderful Occidental College Glee Club and Director Désirée La Vertu, sure deserve great marketing, and in the next weeks you will see them here:

Incantato proudly presents the concert poster for the 2014 Performance Tour to Spain and Portugal.

Incantato Performance Venue: Auditorium of the Conservatorio Profesional de Música de Córdoba.

As a great finale for their Exchange program with the Coro del Conservatorio Superior de Música de Córdoba "Rafael Orozco", both choirs will perform a Joint Concert in a wonderful venue: the Auditorium of the new headquarters of the Conservatorio Profesional de Córdoba.

Inaugurated in 2011, the new building of the Conservatorio hosts the most modern equipment of all of Spain's conservatories.
The government has paid over 7 million Euros for the building, measuring over 7000 sq. meters, including 51 individual instrument classrooms, 24 individual study carrels, a choir classroom, drums classroom, orchestra classroom, four music classrooms, a library, a sound library,... and of course the administrative offices.
The Conservatory has some 1212 students this year: 546 in elementary music levels and 666 in middle music levels. The number of teachers: 122 professionals are in charge of the teaching.

The new auditorium is also impressive: a whole year non-stop Concerts Programme is hosted by this reknown hall. The 296 seats and its very good acoustic will make a warm and brilliant concert.
A wonderful end to the Spanish part of the Occidental College Glee Club Performance Tour to Spain & Portugal.
For more information, you can visit the Conservatorio Profesional de Música de Córdoba "Músico Ziryab" webpage

Travel Tip: Money matters

Dear travelers,

Money is a delicate subject. The best way to use your money during your upcoming trip is to have adebit card; this allows you to withdraw money from any ATM machine with only being charged a small withdrawal fee. This fee will differ between banks. Be sure to call your bank before yourdeparture to tell them where you are going and for how long so they won't freeze your account. Thedebit cards given by a bank has the compatibility of Visa, MasterCard, however, Visa is the most widely accepted worldwide.

If you bring cash, you can exchange it but you will lose more money as they often charge for their services. Most places in Europe won't accept traveler's checks anymore. Also, be prepared to pay for water and a small fee for restroom use. There are no free refills on soft drinks in Europe which is why mostEuropeans ask for little to no ice in their drinks.

We suggest you have some spending money available and our recommendation is around $20-25/day for the meals not included, snacks, drinks, postcards and some souvenirs. It is notimperative that you have this amount of money. 

There are many ways to lower your expenses such as:

• Most restaurants have menus outside so you can check their price range. 
• Venture off the main roads to find a restaurant. These usually have more character, better food, and better prices. 
• Bring your own water bottle. Most places have safe tap water to fill up with. 
• Buy food from the "convenient" stores. You don't have to sit down in the restaurant for every meal. 
• Shop around for souvenirs; many stores have the same things on sale for very different prices.

Remember that your Incantato Tour Manager is with you pretty much 24/7. The guide is there to help you make the right choices.

Performance venue: Palácio Foz, Lisbon.

The magnificent Palácio Foz, in Lisbon, will be host the final concert of the 2014 Occidental College Glee Club Performance Tour to Spain and Portugal, on Friday 17th January, at 6 pm.

The neo-classical Palácio Foz, originally called Palácio Castelo Melhor, was designed by the Italian architect Francesco Saviero (or Francisco Xavier) Fabri, and built shortly after the great earthquake in 1755, for the Marquês de Castelo Melhor. 

Mirror Hall for concerts

It was purchased by the Marquês de Foz in 1886 when it received the first of many facelifts.

It is magnificently decorated internally and the ballroom features outstanding paintings by Columbano Bordalo Pinheiro, (1857-1929), one of the leading painters of his generation and a master of realism in Portugal. 

It now houses 11 different institutional offices, and a very rich Cultural Program at the concert hall Sala dos Espelhos (Mirror Hall). Among the institutions there is an Art and Cinema Museum, a Lisbon’s Tourist Information centre and important cultural gobernment and private entities.

Performance venue: San Jerónimo Church, Madrid.

The Occidental College Glee Club, under the direction of Désirée La Vertu, will sing Main Mass at the Royal Monastery of San Jerónimo el Real Church, in Madrid, on Sunday January 12, at 1pm.

The Iglesia Parroquial de San Jerónimo el Real  belongs to the Royal Monastery of St Jerome, founded in Madrid in 1503 during the time of Queen Isabella I, and popularly known as "Los Jerónimos.". 

During 300 years, San Jeronimo was the official Royal Church of the Spanish Crown. From 1528 to 1833 the monastery was the site of the investiture of the Prince of Asturias, the heir to the Spanish throne. 

The impressive stairway leading to the entrance was constructed in 1906 for the wedding of King Alfonso XIII, and the present King of Spain, Juan Carlos I was proclaimed King in the church in 1975.

The church itself is an impressive sight next to the Prado Museum. It also contains its share of art treasures, including works by Benlliure, Carducho and José Méndez and Juan de Mena's Cristo de la Buena Muerte.

This temple has undergone many alterations and refurbishments over the years, from the original Isabelline gothic and soon reached reinassance, to the most contemporary tendences on the 21st century.

The renaissance-style cloister, originally built in the 16th century, was replaced a century later by one in Baroque style, by Fray Lorenzo de San Nicolás. This is the cloister which survived sufficiently to be included in the recent extension to the Museo del Prado. 

The cloister was dismantled and removed stone by stone to be incorporated into the Prado museum's new extension, leaded by the famous architect Rafael Moneo. A total of 2,820 stones were removed and carefully documented and catalogued before being taken for restoration in studios in Alcalá de Henares. 

The stones of the cloister were then replaced in almost exactly their original position and enclosed with a concrete skin, to make it an integral part of the Prado extension. 

Your last home away from home in Lisbon

The five star Real Palácio Hotel is set close to Edward VII Park, in a quiet quarter at the very heart of Lisbon City. Originally a seventeenth century palace, this building has kept its original layout. Built in two separate but adjacent wings the Real Palacio Hotel has benefited from a renovation retaining its original architecture and natural ambience.

The hotel's main building houses 135 bedrooms, comprising 4 suites, 63 double rooms, 60 twin rooms and 8 single rooms, all equipped with the most up-to-date technology in terms of comfort. The palace has 12 rooms, all of which are decorated in the style of the era to create a romantic ambience.

An access control system for guest areas based on room keys reinforces the security of the hotel. The rooms offer individual air-conditioning, telephone (digital & analogue line), mini bar, free personal safe, hairdryer and 24 hour room service.

News from Madrid, presented by Incantato Tours

In the past, Madrid has often been considered the stately, classical cousin to the cooler, hipper Barcelona. However, the ambiance of Spain's capital is changing and it is evolving into a trendy destination in its own right.
One of the main contributors to this transformation has been the emerging and contemporary art exhibitions and there has also been a spike in shopping venues opened with international visitors in mind. 
One of the events to watch is the fourth annual Apertura contemporary art exhibition, presented by the ARTE Madrid Association of Art Galleries. The festival features simultaneous activities at museums and some 50 galleries city-wide.  
There will also be the first ever Summa, a fair hosted by the Matadero Madrid cultural center, that will showcase everything from emerging art and photography to gastronomy. The Matadero center itself is also a happening venue, with year-round events and exhibitions. Located in the previously less touristed Arganzueal district, the center has revitalized that part of the city. 
If shopping is more of interest to you than art, be sure to watch out for the Las Rozas Village. It is a large complex that acts not only as a tourist draw, but is also set to help revive the country's down economy. Close to Gran Via is also TriBail, featuring young designers, appealing shops and one-of-a-kind boutiques. 

An addition to the thriving shopping and art scene, the San Anton Market has also been a valuable addition to what Madrid has to offer. Situated in the popular neighborhood of Chueco, which is a hub of welcoming restaurants, this modern, refurbished market offers visitors typical season Spanish products in a three-story building. The building originally dates back to the 19th century, but it was modernized in 2002 and finally opened in 2011. San Anton is not a market in the traditional sense, but a combination between market, show cooking and restaurant. 
On the first floor, vendors present stands of food from hamburgers to a selection of more than 60 types of bread, vegetables and fruit. On the second floor, there is a tasting area, as well as the opportunity to purchase Spanish and international cuisine to go. A restaurant is located on the third floor where typical products form the market below are cooked. It also features a terrace lounge with a view.


For more news from Travel Weekly, please click here. 

Your home away from home in Évora

The Hotel M`ar de ar Muralhas is a 4-star hotel located right in the historic centre of Évora, a 5 minutes walk from the famous Giraldo Square, hub of this magnificent city and capital of the kingdom during the first years of the XVI century. Because of its location the hotel benefits from an ample garden framed by the historic city wall.

The hotel offers 85 double rooms and 6 suites, and the restaurant "Sabores do Alentejo" where one can taste the local gastronomy under the signature of Chef António Nobre.
The rooms have internet access, in-room safe deposit box, room service and laundry and dry cleaning services.

Your hotel in Seville

The Barceló Renacimiento hotel, entirely refurbished in 2012, is situated in Seville on the banks of the Guadalquivir River. The hotel was designed by Javier Carvajal Ferrer, one of the foremost Spanish architects of the 20th century, a standard bearer of modernism, and internationally considered a master. The hotel is considered by many as the Guggenheim of Seville for its singular design and architectural similarity to the museum in New York of the same name.

It offers 295 light-filled and spacious rooms measuring 40m2, with large, comfy beds. The modern, comfortable décor and services on offer such as Wi-Fi and 24-hour room service are sure to make your stay in Seville an unforgettable experience.

Exceptional facilities with restaurants, computer room with free Wi-Fi and fitness room. At the restaurant, you can enjoy a complete American buffet breakfast and show cooking. Visit the chill-out terrace with views of the Guadalquivir river or the Barbacoa restaurant located in the hotel gardens.

Isla Mágica Theme Park is located just 200 metres away. The popular Alameda de Hércules, and the districts of Macarena and San Lorenzo are also located very close to the hotel. You can shop at the city's most exclusive stores at the Plaza del Duque and Plaza Nueva shopping areas. The historic district, where you can visit the Cathedral, La Giralda, the Royal Alcazar palaces and the Santa Cruz neighbourhood, is just a short stroll away.

Incantato Update: Lisbon

Lisbon was voted top city destination in Europe!

Portugal’s cosmopolitan and intriguing capital has been named Europe’s Leading City Break Destination 2013 at the World Travel Awards, considered to be the “Oscars” of tourism.

This win is the third time Lisbon has been recognized as Europe’s Leading City Break Destination over the last five years. Known for its year-round pleasant climate, rich culture and beaches located just 20 minutes from the city center, Lisbon also has a price-quality ratio unrivaled anywhere else in Europe.

For the full article from eTNGlobal Travel Industry News, please click here. 

Your first home away from home in Madrid

The Senator Gran Vía 21 Hotel, a 4-star hotel in the very center of Madrid, is close to the most important leisure areas and tourist attractions: Sol, Ópera, Tribunal, Chuec and also a few steps away from the metro station (Gran Vía) and taxi services to reach any part of the city.

The hotel has 136 fully equipped rooms. Every room has a 32” LCD TV with international channels and Pay per View, CD player, wardrobe with iron and ironing board, coffee maker, bathrobe service, private bathroom, air conditioning, heating and ceiling fan. Most of the rooms have a relax armchair, free minibar (non-alcoholic drinks) and magnetic safe. The rooms are perfectly soundproofed with double glazing and double Climalit® door, premium high-speed Wi-Fi (payment not included), a courtesy tray with tea and coffee and beds with quilt.

Incantato News: Have you tried our APP yet?

Incantato Tours is proud to present our Incantato App, now available for the Apple and Android systems. 

Based on our motto "Be a traveler, not a tourist", this App is designed to provide you with all the vital information prior to your journey to Europe. Currently, the App presents all of the group tours traveling in 2014. 

Under each tour, you will find:

Tour Info
Included in this section are all the necessary documents, such as your flight information, registration form, tour information, as well as Incantato's Terms and Conditions.

Connect
Once other participants traveling with you have signed up, you are able to connect with them, exchange information, travel tips, etc or just find out who else is going on the journey with you!

Photos
In order to give you some first impressions of your destinations, this section includes pictures of the cities you will be traveling to, as well as of their most famous sights. There are also first previews of the hotels you will be staying at, as well as the venues you are performing in. Each group also always has their own picture album on our Facebook page, which is updated frequently, especially while you are on tour!

Itinerary
Here you find a break-down of your day-to-day activities, where you will be when and a first idea of what you might be doing on any given day. First confirmed performances are also included here.

Brochure 
In case you need another look at your tour brochure, which includes information such as tour pricing and other tour details, you can access it anywhere you go through this section of the App.

FAQ
Believe it or not, we receive a lot of similar questions. We have compiled the most common ones here so that you can gather information and the basics regarding your tour. Should you have more detailed or specific questions, always feel free to email us. 

In addition to the tour-specific information, there is also a general section, including information about us as a company, how to best contact us, as well as some information about our favorite destinations and personal highlights. 

So if you are traveling with Incantato Tours in the future, or if you are interested in more information about what we do, download our App today!

Click here for the App from the Apple iPhone Store
Click here for the Google Play Store for Android devices

Your flight schedule for Europe

DEPARTURE FOR EUROPE
Friday, January 10, 2014
Air France flight AF65 leaves Los Angeles (LAX) for Paris (CDG), France, at 3:50 pm, arrival is at 11:35 am the next day (Saturday, January 11, 2014).

The group then connects from Paris (CDS) at 12:35 pm with Air France flight AF1600 to Madrid (MAD), Spain, with an arrival time of 2:40 pm local time.


RETURN TO THE US
Sunday, January 19, 2014
Air France flight AF1125 departs Lisbon (LIS), Portugal, at 6:00 am local time for Paris (CDG), France, to arrive at 9:30 am local time.

The group then connects from Paris (CDG) at 10:30 am with Air France flight AF66 to Los Angeles (LAX) with an arrival time of 1:15 pm local time.