conoceris
TM
The Road to Santiago. Living memory of European culture
The Collection of Insight Journeys
2010
vel & arning
eriences
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WELCOME TO CONOCERIS
Fascination for learning. It´s my pleasure to introduce and welcome you to the Conoceris 2010 Insight Journeys Collection, a new concept for insightful learning that goes beyond traveling. How many times have you been fascinated with a subject, a place or a great personality and wanted to be more informed but found yourself unable to dedicate the time and effort that it would take?. Conoceris’ Insight Journeys are an excellent starting point for those who are constantly curious and retain a life-long delight in learning as well as an excitement for traveling.
Alhambra of Granada
Our journeys provide a unique way of learning combining the most up-to-date information delivered by reputed local scholars and offer selected itineraries that are off the beaten path.
We create true educational experiences in places where a subject can be observed first hand, discussed and debated. Our aim is to help you to become more expert and more knowledgeable through your own understanding. When traveling with Conoceris you will appreciate both an exciting and a lasting vacation experience and at the same time an unexpected but practical way to learn. Let us bring back the excitement of learning as you join us on the next Conoceris adventure.
Francisco Javier Navarro Founder & Managing Director Conoceris
► Conoceris is a not-for-profit foundation committed to creating the best learning experiences through travel.
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Travel & Learning
Learning is a means by which we give purpose to our lives and which strengthens us with a better understanding of the world around us. It also allows us to enrich our personalities and enables us to jump over hurdles in life.
Insight Journeys are sensational travel and learning experiences that start well in advance of traveling and have no end.
To achieve a truly beneficial learning experience we need to incorporate more dynamic perspectives and to interact with our environment. It’s necessary to change the pace by bringing one’s own knowledge and contrasting it with the lessons of real life. Traveling then becomes a huge opportunity to learn. But all too often any attempt at learning while traveling gets diverted because the emphasis is not on what you want to learn, but what the tour operator or trip planners have pre-planned for you. Traveling then becomes a racecourse in which you have little power to navigate or time to truly experience. Conoceris’ Insight Journeys are experiences where the ideas and concepts that you learn are turned into places, reflections and debates that you can see, listen to and grasp. This is the reason why we talk about journeys of discovery instead of a flat-out race across a tour. When traveling with us your destination is not a place, a resort or a show, but an inner journey that allows you to link what you are physically seeing, hearing and feeling with your innermost understanding of the complex nature of the world.
► Conoceris means knowledge (from Spanish verb, conocer ) and paths (from Latin noun, itineris). Our mission is create knowledge paths for you.
The Road to Santiago
Our life-long travel participants find that an Insight Journey is what makes a journey interesting and valuable. Join us on one of the knowledge paths that Conoceris has created for you.
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Our Difference We have added to a top-notch travel experience the luxury of learning from the best scholars in the subjects.
Cutting-edge knowledge Insight Journeys are in-depth experiences that rely on the most up-to date knowledge coming from the research community. This scientific knowledge is then adapted and brought to you by our journey directors so that everyone may be able to participate.
Personalization Insight Journeys are flexible learning experiences that can be tailored to your individual requeriments or to group interests. We take personal responsibility for every stage of your journey, sparing no effort to deliver the most inspired travel experience.
Reputed Scholars Insight Journeys are created and guided by outstanding scholars in their subjects. They are active participants in the research community and recognized experts in their respective fields.
Experiences From practical workshops to access to private places, Insight Journeys add experiences that are unique vehicles for practical learrning, often out of reach for average travelers.
Off-the-Beaten Path Itineraries Even though Insight Journeys visit most “must-see” sites at each destination, they are also focused on off-track itineraries that are not so obvious to the average tourist and that add real value to your learning experience. Limited editions Insight Journeys are limited to only a few trips each year. This allows the necessary time for our scholars to continue in the advancement in their specialized fields so that they are able to deliver a quality learning experience to you.
Research Conoceris is a not-for-profit foundation that aims to support research projects in a variety of subjects. Your participation contributes to our ability to support scholars’ research and improve future Insight Journeys. Partners Insight Journeys are fully crafted by the team of Conoceris. Additionally, we work directly with the local management at our destinations as well as leading travel companies whose goal is to deliver excellent quality and service.
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..... OF JOURNEY DIRECTORS MEET OUR JOURNEY DIRECTOR Our journey directors are the scholars that create sensational learning experiences that will inspire your understanding of our complex world.
Esther Pascua has been a Professor in the Department of Medieval History and Institute of Environmental History at St Andrews University in Scotland for 10 years. Esther received a Ph.D in Medieval Studies from Madrid Complutense University in 1985 and she participates regularly in seminars and projects on Spanish Medieval History. Esther has been an active member of several research centers in the United Kingdom and Spain and is the author of over 30 contributions to books and journals. > Meet Esther in “The Road to Santiago: living memory of European culture”
Javier Perez is a Professor in the Department of History and Modern Art at Madrid Complutense University since 2008 where he also received a Ph.D with high distinction in History of Art in 1997. He has been researcher at international institutions such as the National Gallery of Art (Washington DC), the Smithsonian Archives of American Art, the Carnegie Museum of Art, as well as in Berlin and Munich. Javier is also the author of several books on modern art, is an art curator and a juried member in modern art showings. > Meet Javier in “Discovering Picasso: life, works and legend” & “New visions on Spanish 20th century art”
Jesus Varela is a well-known and prominent scholar of Columbus and the History of Discovery to which he has dedicated most of his academic career. Since 1994 he is the Secretary General of the Institute of IberoAmerican and Portuguese Studies at Valladolid University where he is in charge of research and is also the Director of Casa de Colon in Valladolid. Jesus is the author of 20 books, 28 contributions to books and over 40 articles. Professor Varela has been widely recognized for his work and he has received distinctions in Spain and Portugal. Jesus holds a Ph.D. in History of America with high distinction in 1983 from Valladolid University. > Meet Jesus in “Columbus and the Discovery: in the footsteps of the Admiral of the Ocean Sea”
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Language
insight
THE ROAD TO SANTIAGO Living memory of European culture 15 days/ 14 nights Departure dates 2010: 04/28, 05/26, 09/29
The Road to Santiago was one of the main inspirations on European culture in Middle Ages and a unique example of its type which had a significant, even fundamental, influence on the consolidation of western Europe. The Road, which is to a large extent preserved intact, travels throughout Nothern Spain from East to West and converged on Santiago de Compostela, at the foot of the apostle’s tomb.
A tile signalling the Road to Santiago
The tradition of pilgrimage to Santiago has not ceased since the 10th century, though its popularity has waned in modern times. Since it was declared the first European Cultural Itinerary by the Council of Europe in 1987, it has resumed the spiritual role that it played in the Middle Ages, and every year many thousands of pilgrims converge to make their journey.
The cultural heritage scattered along the length of the Road is immensely rich. It represents the birth of Romanesque art and is unique by virtue of the Gothic cathedrals and the chains of monasteries, along with public works created expressly for the Road, such as bridges, inns, hospitals, markets and even prisons. The Road to Santiago was also included by UNESCO on the list of World Cultural Heritage in 1993. Today traveling along the Road is an exciting and unforgettable experience, an exceptional opportunity to discover Europe and its most deepest cultural roots.
WHY TRAVEL
BRIEF ITINERARY:
The Road to Santiago is a unique opportunity to experience and comprehend the complex evolution of western Europe along the centuries.
Day 1: Arrival to Madrid
Our main aim is to translate and update the real significance of the Road to the modern cultured traveler, turning the journey into an individual experience and a collective exercise into the medieval origins of Europe. You will travel the Road along the “French Route”, one of the most outstanding itineraries to tour today. Throughout the Road, you will combine visits to main historical cities, all of them celebrated heritage centers, along with trips to smaller rural villages that contain invaluable traces of the passage of time. You will walk up to 10 miles by foot along the journey divided in several easy excursions that will take you to explore the most representative artistic monuments and landscapes of the Road.
Day 2: Madrid- Roncesvalles Pamplona Day 3: Pamplona to Logroño Day 4: Logroño to St Domingo Day 5: St Domingo to Burgos Day 6: Burgos to Palencia Day 7: Palencia to Sahagun Day 8: Sahagun to Leon Day 9: Leon to Ponferrada Day 10: Ponferrada to Lugo Day 11: Lugo & Roundtrip
And of course you will listen to the music of the period and debate upon original texts translated into English.
Days 12: Lugo to Santiago
Definitely you will live the ultimate Road to Santiago travel and learning experience.
Day 15: Return to Madrid
Days 13-14: Santiago
WHAT YOU LEARN Our experts will lecture you on these themes along the journey: • Europe in the Early Middle Ages (11th century). • Benedictines and Cistercians: Romanesque and Gothic. • The origins of the Castilian (Spanish) and other linguistic communities. A Road´s cathedral capitel
• Beasts and monsters of the Road. • Revolts, violence and conflicts.
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THE ROAD TO SANTIAGO Living memory of European culture • Fairs and trade along the Road. • Popular architecture, popular games and traditional music. • Legends, magic and symbols. • The rural world: agriculture, medieval landscapes and fauna. • The military orders.
Esther Pascua Journey Director
• Pilgrimage in the Middle Ages. • Urban impact of the Road. • Othe cultural transmission: medicine, fragrant plants, diet and others. WHAT YOU EXPERIENCE The journey stops at 40 cities and small villages throughout the Road, a fully comprehensive tour across the most valuable assets of the Spanish heritage of the Middle Ages. You will pass through five Spanish regions and about 100 towns and villages. Some of these are the top medieval spots of Western Europe. You will visit an extensive myriad of religious establishments of all kinds (cathedrals, parish churches, chapels, abbeys, monasteries, and hermitages), foundations designed to assist pilgrims (hospitals, inns, and hospices), administrative buildings, private houses and palaces in the towns and villages along the Road. You will explore other structures such as bridges, pillories, locks, and commemorative crosses as well as the thousands of years of old art and history concentrated at the worldwide known Atapuerca archaeological site and the Roman open-air quarry of Las Medulas. Surely you will be stunned by the magnifient medieval heritage cities of Burgos, Leon and Santiago de Compostela.
The Road to Santiago is probably the most valued cultural itinerary of Europe and a perfect reflection of the European cultural evolution throughout the centuries. But being able to understand the real significance of the Road is not a simple task. Those who travel the Road to Santiago frequently have a very fragmentary information; sometimes superficial, sometimes complimentaryc. Only a few manage to understand the real historical, critical, deep and integrated impact of the Road and comprehend its full relevance and meaning for the present. And that is exactly what I propose to you. A panoramic vision of what the Road once represented and what it is today, with the analytical maturity of a historian expert in the topic that will help you unravel the complex cultural phenomenon of the Road. Join us on a journey of knowledge and reflection that attracts not only the mind, but the senses and the feelings as well.
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THE ROAD TO SANTIAGO ITINERARY Day 1 Arrival to Madrid
Day 8 Sahagun to Leon
Individual or group arrivals to Madrid. Check into the hotel and gather at the hall to meet your fellow travelers and your Journey director and tour leaders.
After an early breakfast at the hotel visit the medieval town of Sahagun, later on the monasteries of St Pedro de Dueñas and Sandoval. ♦ Lecture in Sahagun. Rest of the afternoon, follow the Road to Puente de Villarente, Alto del Portillo and arrival to Leon. Dinner and overnight at the hotel in Leon.
Day 2 Roncesvalles to Pamplona
Early breakfast at the hotel. Transfer to Madrid’s railway station for a high-speed trip to Pamplona, then ride to Roncesvalles. Later on easy walking excursion through the valley. ♦ Lecture in Roncesvalles. In the afternoon visit the medieval villages of the Road to Pamplona. Dinner and overnight at the hotel in Pamplona.
Day 3 Pamplona to Logroño After breakfast at the hotel follow the Navarra´s Road visiting the medieval old towns of Muruzabal, Puente la Reina and Estella. ♦ Lecture in Puenta la Reina. After lunch, enjoy the visit to the cister monastery of St Maria de Irache, later on continue to Viana and Logroño. ♦ Lecture at St Maria de Irache Monastery. Dinner and overnight at the hotel in Logroño.
Day 4 Logroño to Santo Domingo Following breakfast enjoy the walking tour of Logroño, then follow the Road to the old court of kings, Najera, there visit the monastery of St Maria la Real. ♦ Lecture in Najera. In the afternoon, enjoy a short ride to the monastery of San Millan, the craddle of Spanish language. ♦ Lecture in San Millan. Dinner and overnight at the hotel in Santo Domingo.
Day 5 Santo Domingo to Burgos Your day begins with a walking tour of the old medieval town of St Domingo, visit the Cathedral and 12th C. Hospital, which sheltered the pilgrims on the Road. ♦ Lecture in St Domingo. In the afternoon, the route arrives to the medieval towns of Redecilla, St Juan Ortega and the Caves of Atapuerca. ♦ Lecture in St Juan Ortega. Dinner and overnight at the hotel in Burgos.
A post signalling the Road to Santiago
Day 6 Burgos to Palencia Start the day with a visit to the medieval old town of Burgos and visit the Gothic masterpiece of Burgos Cathedral and Hospital del Rey. ♦ Lecture in Burgos. After lunch, enjoy a pleasant ride to Hontanas, Castrojeriz and Boadilla del Campo. ♦ Lectures in Hontanas and Castrojeriz. Dinner and overnight at the hotel in Palencia.
Day 7 Palencia to Sahagun Your day is dedicated to some of the most beautiful medieval old towns of Castille, starting in Palencia, then Fromista and Villalcazar. ♦ Lecture in Fromista. In the afternoon, follow the Road to Carrion, Quintanilla, Valderaduey and arrival to Sahagun. ♦ Lecture in Carrion. Dinner and overnight at the hotel in Sahagun.
Day 9 Leon to Ponferrada Your day begins with a walking tour to the stunning World Heritage Gothic Cathedral, one of the most important historical sites of Spain, and the old town. Later on follow the Road to Orbigo and the striking Gaudi’s Bishop’s Palace in Astorga. ♦ Lecture in Leon. Rest of the day follow the Road through a range of Castilian charming medieval villages. ♦ Lecture in Ganso Oak. Dinner and overnight at the hotel in Ponferrada.
Day 10 Ponferrada to Lugo After breakfast your morning begins with a walking tour of Ponferrada and its Temple Castle. Later on depart for a round trip to Peñalba and St Pedro Montes. ♦ Lecture in St Pedro Montes. In the afternoon, visit Las Medulas old Roman mines, then visit the charming medieval towns of Camponaraya, Cacabelos and Galician Piedrafita. ♦ Lecture in St Pedro Montes. Dinner and overnight at the hotel in Lugo.
Day 11 Lugo & Roundtrip
Your day is dedicated to some of the most beautiful and picturesque Galician Road’s villages as O Cebreiro, Triacastela, Sarria, Portomarin, Ligonde and the mythical natural environment. You will also tour the old city of Lugo, with its World Heritage Roman wall. ♦ Lecture in Sarria. Dinner and overnight at the hotel in Lugo.
Day 12 Lugo- Santiago Early breakfast and depart for a tour through Galician Road´s villages of Santa Eulalia, Carballar, Leboreiro and Melide. ♦ Lecture in Melide. In the afternoon visit Monte del Gozo, with its spectacular views and the sculpture of the pilgrim trail, there you´ll see Santiago for the first time. Arrival to Santiago ♦ Lecture in Santiago. Dinner and overnight at the hotel in Santiago.
Days 13 & 14 Santiago Two days strolling the streets of Santiago, the final destination for thousands of Christian pilgrims. Visits to the stunning Cathedral and the old town, which is full of dazzling examples of Gothic, Neo-classical, Romanesque and Baroque design. ♦ Lectures at the Old University and Santiago’s Cathedral Square. Dinners and overnights at the hotel in Santiago.
Day 15 Trip back to Madrid
After breakfast at the hotel, transfer to Sanfiago’s railway station for a high-speed trip back to Madrid. End of the journey.
* The places where lectures are held may vary depending on availability.
ITINERARY MAP
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Main Places You Will Explore Santiago de Compostela
Pamplona
Santiago is the final destination on the Road and its old town has the UNESCO World Heritage designation. Santiago houses stunning buildings and monuments. Be sure to walk through the historic centre and you will see why.
The city is famous worldwide for the San Fermín festival in which the running of the bulls is one of the main attractions. But Pamplona is also a vibrant city that brings together history, culture, nature and tradition.
Burgos
Lugo City Wall
The city still preserves important vestiges of its medieval splendour. The city was the capital of the kingdom for five centuries and boasts a masterpiece of Spanish Gothic: the Cathedral of Burgos, declared World Heritage and a splendid historic quarter.
The city wall was part of a defensive complex comprising a ditch, wall and an intervallum. It is the only one, anywhere in the three continents that saw Roman domination, to maintain its entire perimeter intact.
Las Medulas
Astorga
The World Heritage Cultural Landscape of Las Medulas was the largest open gold mine in the whole Roman Empire, with the mining clearances reaching 3 kilometres in its maximum extension and more than 100 metres deep.
At the crossroads of the Road to Santiago, its walled town preserves churches, convents and hospitals and the culminating work by the Modernist architect Antoni Gaudí: the Bishop’s Palace.
The Caves of Atapuerca
Leon
The complex system of large limestone caverns have provided shelter for humans as well as animals for nearly one million years,and left behind an extraordinary fossil record that scientists are just beginning to unearth.
The city became the capital of the kingdom in the Middle Ages, a historic enclave in the Road with an incredible natural landscape and a cultural and leisure offer which is only surpassed by the quality and variety of León’s gastronomy.
San Millan de la Cogolla
Galician Cuisine
The importance of San Millán is due to its status as the cradle of the Spanish language, since the first documents written in Spanish are preserved here. The Monasteries of Suso and Yuso, both declared World Heritage Sites, are outstanding.
The exquisite delicacies of Galicia are based on the high quality and variety of the local products with country, farm and sea products that are unique in their characteristics and quality.
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Hotels & Restaurants A selection that cultivate our philosophy of joining history, culture and modernity and the care for every detail.
Our hotels and restaurants provide an impeccable hospitality, elegant comfort and excellent levels of service. Among the hotels are extraordinary historical buildings which display original pieces that will support your own learning experience. Most of the hotels are located in the heart of the cities and within walking distance from the cultural sites and shopping areas. The rooms are designed to offer the most up-todate technological standards and business facilities for your communications. And for your relaxation and sport activities the hotels feature spa and fitness clubs.
In the restaurants our commitment is with the regional gastronomy as the essence of the culture and of the history of each location. You will enjoy the best of the yesterday and the today of the cuisine with dishes that are adjusted to each season. You will truly live a real experience for the senses. We always take care of your special health requirements, the vegetarian ones, the diabetics, and of those who want to enjoy the high gastronomy looking after of themself, but without having to resign anything.
QUESTIONS? Call Conoceris at + 34 91 678 26 07 or E-mail info@conoceris.com
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Groups & Tailored Programs A journey that may specially be tailored for your group to elevate your learning experience.
We work hand in hand with your alumni, society, academy, museum, not-for-profit, special interest group or employee rewards program. Conoceris’ travel management department creates unique learning experiences specially tailored for your group.
University departments and professors may participate in the tailoring of extension programs or curriculum course credits through our insightful and hands-on journeys. With us your students will meet your highest academic standards.
You may wish to extend a journey with new original themes or add an outstanding specialist to further enrich the learning experience. Our programs can be personalized for reduced or extended itineraries or to balance your group schedules.
Your journey begins with a phone call to one of our specialists, who will design and oversee your program from beginning to end. We can arrange for special access and opportunities for your group learning experience that no other organization can match.
The result is a carefully crafted distinctive insight journey perfectly tailored to your interests. Contact our Travel Specialist at + 34 91 678 26 07 for special groups requirements or E-mail info@conoceris.com
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Dates & Prices JOURNEY
The Road to Santiago: living memory of European culture
DAYS/ NIGHTS
PRICE FROM
STARTING DATES
15 / 14
Please ask
04/28, 05/26, 09/29
Note: Special dates and prices may apply to groups and tailored insight journeys. Please ask our travel specialist for specific conditions. * Prices may change to reflect fluctuations in foreign exchange rates.
QUESTIONS? Call Conoceris at + 34 91 678 26 07 or E-mail info@conoceris.com
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Reservation Information Costs Include: All accommodations in hotels per jouney, museum and entrance fees, special access permits, transfers to and from group flights, taxes, service charges, services of our guiding staff and journey directors and a complete pre-journey information,including suggestions on what to bring and recommended reading. Not Included: Air transportation, extensions, passport, visa, immigration fees, meals not indicated, baggage/accident/travel protection plan, items of a personal nature such as alcoholic beverages, e-mail, laundry. Gratuities to hotel and restaurant staff at your discretion. Airfare: For all programs, airfare is an additional cost unless otherwise indicated. Sample airfares are subject to change. We will gladly assist in making your air arrangements. TERMS & CONDITIONS Guaranteed Departures: All departures are guaranteed being subject to a minimum number of passengers to operate, excepting only cases of force majeure and other circumstances beyond Conoceris control. Should the minimum number of passengers not be met, Conoceris will offer either modify the services of the original program to accommodate a smaller group or offer an alternative program. Should no alternative be suitable, Conoceris will offer a full refund of all monies received. Itineraries: Arranged itineraries are subject to change at any time due to unforeseen circumstances or circumstances beyond Conoceris control. Every effort will be made to operate programs as planned, but alterations may occur after the final itinerary has been issued. Conoceris also reserves the right to withdraw a program or any part of it, to make such alterations to the itinerary or the program inclus2ions as it deems necessary or desirable. Reservations: To reserve your place, an advance payment for the program as outlined is required at the time of reservation and is payable by Visa, MasterCard, American Express or transfer. The per person amount due is noted within this brochure. Early Arrival: Conoceris recommends that you arrive a day or two before the start of your program to allow time to relax and to prepare for the start of your program. Conoceris has negotiated special overnight rates so ask for details at time of booking.
Active Elements: On specified programs Conoceris will require notice if any participant has any physical or other condition or disability that could create a hazard to himself or herself or to other members of the selected program. Conoceris reserves the right to decline to accept anyone that it considers unsuitable due to fitness level. Should you have any questions or need any clarification about a specific program please ask for details at time of booking. Registration and Payment Schedule: For all programs in this brochure a deposit of $1,000 per person is required at the time of booking. Final payment is due 45 days prior to departure. If your reservation is made within 45 days of departure, the entire cost of the trip must be paid at the time of the request in order to secure confirmation. Cancellation Charges: For all programs cancellations received 45 days or more prior to departure will be subject to a $600 per person/per program cancellation fee; 45–30 days, will be subject to 50% of program price and 29 days or less will be subject to 100% of program price. Travel Protection Plan: Travel protection and medical insurance are available at extra cost. Ask about our comprehensive guest travel protection plan for a worry-free expedition. Claims and Refunds: Refunds are not made for any missed services, except for verifiable extenuating circumstances. For verifiable claims to be considered, they must be received in writing within 30 days of the termination of the program and be accompanied by supporting documentation and/or a statement from the local destination company verifying the claim. Limits on Responsibility: Conoceris its employees, shareholders and directors and assigns does not own or operate any entity which is to or does provide goods or services for your trip. It purchases transportation, hotel and other lodging accommodations, restaurant and other services from various independent suppliers. All such persons and entities are independent contractors. As a result Conoceris is not liable for any negligent or willful act of any such person or entity or of any third person. In addition and without limitation, Conoceris is not responsible for any injury, financial or physical loss, death, inconvenience, delay or damage to personal property in connection with the provision of any goods or services. Travelers assumes all such risks associated with participating in this trip.
fascination for learning.
For Reservations: Contact CONOCERIS (+34 91 678 2607) Reservation Hours: Monday – Friday 9am – 2pm ET
FOR RESERVATIONS, PLEASE SEND: Your name: Journey title:
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For reservations and/or quotes, please fax this form to +34 91 655 54 46; Version as of 02/24/2010