Motorbike Tour, SPAIN
Airing Date: Feb 28th, 2005
Iberian Moto Tours visits some of the most spectacular Spanish landscape. You can either ride one of the BMW bikes yourself, or for those without a license, it's great fun to travel as a passenger.
Fifty kilometres northwest of Barcelona is Montserrat, a mountain of rock pillars over 1km high, shaped by wind, rain and frost from a conglomeration of limestone, pebbles and sand that once lay under the sea.
One of Catalonia's most important shrines, Benedictine Monestir de Montserrat is cradled at 725m on its side.
The Montserrat Monastery was founded in 1025 and today a community of around 100 monks live there, and pilgrims come from far and wide to worship La Moreneta, a 12th century Romanesque wooden sculpture of Mary with the infant Jesus.
The Montserrat Boys Choir, dating from 1223 and believed to be Europe's oldest music school, sings at the 16th-century basilica (the monastery's church) at 1pm and 7pm Monday to Saturday and 1pm only on Sunday. It is a rare and popular treat!
As in all the Benedictine monasteries, the Montserrat monks dedicate all their life to prayer. During the Franco dictatorship, the Monastery sheltered three hundred intellectuals demanding the dictatorship respected human rights. Pope John Paul II, together with representatives from the Catalan Church, made a pilgrimage to Montserrat in 1982.
On the tour you will also visit the Dal Theatre-Museum. The museum covers three different museum spaces: The Theatre-Museum itself, the Galleries (which feature several works from the Dal legacy, as well as some of the new acquisitions made by the Foundation) and the exhibition Dali Jewels.
This includes the thirty-seven gold jewels from the old Owen Cheatham Collection, and twenty-seven drawings and paintings on paper that Dal made when designing the jewels.
The facts
Thai Airways International fly to Madrid from $2415 ex west coast and $2475 ex east coast. Includes taxes/charges. Subject to exchange rates. Conditions apply. Includes bonus spending money of $170 for side trip in Thailand.
Thai Airways International
Tel: 1300 651 960
Iberia Airlines fly one way to Barcelona from $66 ex Madrid. Prices include charges/taxes. Subject to exchange rate. Conditions apply.
Iberia Airlines
Tel: 0011 34 902 400 500
Iberian Moto Tours is a nine day motor bike tour from $3325 a person. Includes accommodation, breakfast, dinner, guide and support vehicle.
Iberian Moto Tours
Tel: 0011 34 915 913 482
Vist the Salvidor Dali website:
Salvidor Dali
Suggested reading material: Lonely Planet
Prices correct at 28/02/05
