Culinary Program in Barcelona & Girona, Spain.

A Mediterranean Experience

Enjoy Studies Abroad has conducted tours in Spain since 2005. The itinerary below is one that combines culture and heritage along with hands-on cooking, food artisan visits, Mediterranean gastronomy and fermentation tours. Our objective is to make your students experience a rewarding, educational and memorable one. We also offer tours of Provence and Paris.

Your English-speaking guide will meet your tour group in the afternoon at the airport and take them to the first hotel in the beautiful city of Barcelona. After the students have a chance to settle in and take a rest, we will meet for an overview of the days to come. Then, it’s off to the welcome dinner in a typical tapas bar.

Day 2

What a way to start your Spanish culinary experience: After a complete breakfast at the hotel, we will visit a Chocolate Museum. Here the students will learn about the origins of the different types of cocoa beans, and be able to sample chocolate in various forms to see the differences.

The next stop will be the lovely Gothic quarter, where the group will have lunch in a unique restaurant known for its Mediterranean specialties. After lunch, the students will have the opportunity to visit the city, its Gaudi monuments — like La Sagrada Familia, the Park Guell or La Pedrera — and to explore the charm of the old quarter

Day 3

Today, the students visit the world’s first center devoted to technological innovation in cuisine, the improvement of eating habits and the evaluation of food heritage. It is the well-regarded Alicia Center, created by world-famous chef Ferran Adriá. The students will experience a sensorial class about textures, smells and colors, a unique approach to gastronomy and, after lunch, will have a special class on the kitchen, a laboratory for scientific experimentation. For example, we can do this workshop:

Discovering culinary phenomena —This workshop explains the process of osmosis and how this takes place in many of the procedures that are used in the kitchen. For example, it is because of osmosis that water in ham migrates towards the exterior, making a certain amount of dehydration possible, which in turn propitiates conservation.

 

Day 4

Barcelona is a fascinating and historic city. Before the tour departs for Girona, the students will be given one last chance to experience Barcelona as we walk around the heart of the city, visiting the Palace of Music, a Modernist architectural building devoted to music. Lunch will be in a famous tapas bar.

It’s then time to head north to our second destination: Girona, a beautiful and timeless city. Four rivers, affording lovely vistas and reflections, grace the city that traces its roots back several thousand years. The Old Town is rich with history, whether visiting the ancient walls, the well-preserved Jewish quarter, the 12th century Arab baths or the magnificent Gothic cathedral that holds the treasured “Tapestry Of Creation,” created in the 12th century. Dinner will be in Girona at a modern Catalan tapas restaurant, where you will sample some of our chef’s specialties.

Day 5

The hotel is Girona is right in the heart of this charming city. The location couldn’t be better. After breakfast at the hotel, the group will be picked up for a visit to the weekly market of Girona. Following the market, we’ll head outside Girona to a magnificent medieval village. That’s where Master Chef Vicenç will be waiting to conduct the students’ first cooking class. He will teach the students some traditional Catalan recipes and the group will then enjoy their creations at lunch with Vicenc.

The early afternoon will find the group visiting the historic ruins of Ullastret, an Iberian settlement 35 centuries old. Ancient Iberians were thought to be the first Europeans to begin wine production. Today, Spain is the third largest wine producer in the world. The group will be driven back to the hotel in Girona. To give the students some free time and the opportunity to explore the city at night, dinner will be on their own.

Day 6

After breakfast, the students will visit an artisan goat cheese producer. His specialty is fresh wrapped cheese. The group will sample the freshly made cheese with honey. After visiting several medieval villages, the group will go for lunch. The menu features traditional Catalan rice, from nearby Pals, all local vegetables, meats and fish.

In the afternoon, the students will visit the world-famous food science center, IRTA, located in Monells. The students will tour various research rooms and hear about the different scientific experimentations of the center. The students will be on your own for dinner in Girona.

Day 7

All it takes is a day in Spain and you know that olive oil is an essential part of the cuisine. Today, the tour will take the students to a well-regarded olive oil producer. The students will be given insights into olive oil production and be able to taste samples of different oils. There will also be time to do some shopping in a lovely shop with olive oil related items. Lunch featuring Spanish specialties will follow.

Since our day will bring us to the heart of the Costa Brava, we will tour a quaint local port and, if we are lucky, see the fishermen’s catch being brought in. The students will have some free time to enjoy the Costa Brava. We will meet for dinner tonight — and enjoy an assortment of Catalan tapas.

Day 8

This is the day when the students will have their second cooking class with Master Chef Vicenç. The students will be preparing a most delicious and varied Spanish specialty — tapas. The group will enjoy their labors at lunch after the lesson.

We then head for the wine cellar to meet Marta who will explain the past and present of the Empordà wine region. The Empordà region is located in the far northeast of Catalonia, among the foothills of the Pyrenees that border France. A tasting will follow, after a walk in the vineyards. We’ll leave some time for ceramic shopping in a lovely town before going back to Girona where the students will have time to stroll around the old quarter.

Day 9

After breakfast, we will visit a medieval town where the students will experience a slice of Catalonian history. Our guide will show us the historic Jewish bath, the Romanic church and the Gothic church and explain the historic significance of each. We will go back to Girona for a free afternoon and get ready for the group’s farewell dinner. It will feature a unique tasting menu, prepared especially for us by Master Chef Vicenç, of course!

Day 10

As we are loading the luggage for the trip back to the airport, we are sure that your group will not only have enjoyed their gastronomic tour but, also, carry with them experiences and knowledge that will benefit them in the years ahead. We will look forward to each one coming to see us in the future so we can again share with them our home, Catalonia.

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