The Flavors of Europe

Day 1 Lisbon, Portugal

Embark the Silver Explorer this evening and depart on your exciting 15-day expedition – “The Flavors of Europe”. You will be introduced to your Expedition Team. Tonight you are invited to attend a special Welcome Aboard cocktail party.

Day 2 Oporto (Leixoes), Portugal

Oporto is located near the mouth of the Douro River and the second largest city in Portugal. During your afternoon visit to the city center (a UNESCO World Heritage site), you will see the Castelo Queijo and the impressive 14th-century St Francis Church with its magnificent 18th-century gold-encrusted interior. Proceed to Ribeira, its picturesque riverfront quarter made up of narrow, twisting streets lined with brightly tiled or pastel-painted façades.Your day in Oporto would not be complete without a visit to a well-known wine cellar for a taste of some world-famous port wine. The history of port wine dates from the 17th century when British merchants doctored the wine with brandy to prevent it from turning sour while in transit. It was found that the stronger and sweeter the wine, the better flavor it acquired. Learn how over the years, methods of maturing and blending were refined and continue today in the port wine lodges.

Day 3 Vogo, Galicia, Spain

Today wtravel along the Galicia coast to the fishing village of Bayona, known as the place where the Pinta first returned in 1493 following Christopher Columbus’s historic journey to the New World. Walk along the narrow streets of the town center, admiring the stone houses before climbing up to the 16th century Monte Real Castle. At the Parador de Baiona, a five-star hotel built within the castle walls, enjoy a taste of Spanish wine and Galician-style tapas.

In the afternoon, travel to the nearby Cíes Islands – a true natural paradise of exceptional ecological interest. Here go ashore by Zodiac together with your local guides to explore the cliffs of these three islands. Once well known as hideout for pirates, the area is now a nature reserve and home to over 15,000 nesting seabirds.

Day 4 At Sea

Gather in The Theatre to hear fascinating tales by your expert guest speakers. Other onboard diversions may also include photographic workshops, spa treatments, a workout in the Fitness Center, and, of course, exquisite dining experiences.

Day 5 Santander, Spain

This morning visit a local seafood market that offers fresh seafood from the Cantabrian Sea including hake, sea-bass, little sardines, squid, octopus, lobsters, percebes (goose barnacles), and crayfish. Chef Rudi Scholdis, Silver Explorers Culinary Director, and Chef David Bilsland, Culinary Trainer, will show you how they select the fresh fish that will be featured on tonight’s menu. Visit the area surrounding the Magdalena Palace, once the summer residence of King Alfonso XIII and the most emblematic building in Santander.

After lunch on board, Silver Explorer departs for Santillana del Mar, one of Spain’s most beautifully preserved towns. Your walking tour through the charming village includes the fortified house of Borja, the House of the Eagle, Merinos Tower and the impressive College Church with its cloister.

Alternatively, leave Santander early in the morning and head out to Bilbao. This noble city was founded in 1300 and your visit to the Old Quarter allows you to view the Cathedral of Santiago, the church and bridge of San Antón, the Ribera Marquet, the Museum of Basque Archaeology, and the Plaza Nueva. In modern Bilbao, find the Gardens of Albia, the Church of San Vicente and the Palace of Chavarri. Your excursion continues with a visit to the famous Guggenheim Museum. Its architecture invariably causes guests to decide whether they are in the love-it or hate-it camp. Either way, step inside to explore the impressive exhibits before making your final stop at restaurant that sits atop Mount Artxanda. Herelearn how to prepare pintxos, the Basque equivalent of tapas, and enjoy a tasting of several wines from the region.

Day 6 St Jean de Luz, France

One of France’s most charming and picturesque beach towns, Saint-Jean-de-Luz is a quiet seaside community with a long sandy beach, beautiful Basque architecture and delightful town squares. After an overview tour of the town’s historical highlights, travel to Ainhoa to admire its Labourd-style houses, and then enjoy a visit to one of Sare’s typical Basque farmhouses for a tasting of the local produces, such as cheese served with apple jelly, cider and wine, and delicatessen specialties.

Alternatively, you may prefer to join your Culinary Team for a tour to San Sebastian, the cultural hub of the Basque Country. After a stop at Monte Igueldo to take in the amazing view, and a panoramic city tour, visit the city's Old Quarter. Here, in the narrow pedestrian streets, have the opportunity to taste some tapas with Spanish wines or local cider during a tapas “bar crawl”.

In the afternoon, join Silver Explorers Culinary Team for a cooking class in The Restaurant or perhaps take in a lecture that details the region’s fascinating history.

Day 7 Bordeaux, France

With an early morning arrival, awaken today in beautiful Bordeaux. To celebrate, the Culinary Team will insist on preparing a leisurely breakfast featuring fresh French pastries such a croissants and pain au chocolat from a local bakery. Enjoy a lazy morning before setting out this afternoon to the Medoc vineyards, north of Bordeaux.

At the Chateau Kirwan estate in the Bordeaux countryside, enjoy a memorable lunch served with several wines from the estate. Learn about the French tradition of wine and food pairing, as well as how the “gastronomic meal of the French” has been inscribed on UNESCO’s list of “intangible” world heritage. The meal is described as “a customary social practice for celebrating important moments”, which “brings people together for an occasion to enjoy the art of good eating and drinking”.

Tonight, enjoy an evening at leisure in Bordeaux.

Day 8 Bordeaux, France

For your second full day in Bordeaux, take a short, guided walking tour of this UNESCO classified city, beginning with a look at the Grand Theatre, one of the most beautiful in Europe and a pure work of art from the 18th century. Your walk continues through the old Bordeaux district, taking in the Parlement and Bourse squares, the Cailhau Gate, the cathedral Saint Andre and City Hall. Your tour concludes in the luxury boutiques district, called “the triangle” by the locals, and the Quinconces square. During your time ashore discover some local traditional specialties, such as chocolate, canelé cake, cheese, and of course sample some fine Bordeaux wines.

Guests may then choose to join a member of your Culinary Team for an excursion that rediscovers the atmosphere of a grandmothers’ vegetable gardens. Since the 1960s, numerous varieties or species of ancient fruits and vegetables have disappeared from tables. However, at this farm, a conservatory orchard and vegetable garden are expressly dedicated to all these forgotten fruits and vegetables. Find more than 600 different species and varieties of edible plants and have the opportunity to taste some of these forgotten produces, such as Chinese artichokes, Turkish turban, Jerusalem artichoke, Zealand spinach and ground cherries. This farm is a perfect illustration of the growing philosophy that protects magnificent foods from the threat of standardization, bureaucratic hygienism, and commercialization, and ensures these products continue to be made and enjoyed.

Alternatively, join your onboard historian and visit the UNESCO World Heritage site of Saint Emilion. This region and village is the heartland of the Merlot grape, which produces popular, rich, round wines. The vines on the "hill with a thousand châteaux" reach right up to Saint Emilion’s 13th-century town walls and surrounding moat, dug out of solid rock. Visit the main monuments of the town: the Collegiate Church and its magnificent cloister from the 12th century, the ramparts, the market place, and the monolithic church or underground church from the 9th and 12th centuries. The catacombs include a number of sepulchres from the 11th and 12th centuries. The Hermitage was constructed by transforming a natural grotto in which, during the 8th century, a holy man, who gave his name to the town, used to live. During your walking tour, see the Cadene Gate and the King's Tower.

The Silver Explorer will be docked in Bordeaux overnight, and the evening is yours to spend as you please. Why not ask the Culinary Team to suggest the perfect restaurant for dinner ashore? The members of the Expedition Team will gladly assist with making reservations.

Day 9 At Sea

After an early morning departure from Bordeaux, spend the day at sea, relaxing and taking in a lecture on the rich history of the region. Peruse an array of titles and topics in the well-stocked Library, enjoy a fine cognac in the Connoisseur’s Corner or indulge in any of the other special amenities offered aboard ship.

Day 10 Quiberon, France

Today drive south from Quiberon to the Morbihan area, famous for its megalithic standing stones (menhirs). Across Brittany there are thousands of such ancient and mysterious stone sites, but the sheer size and extent of Morbihan’s stone rows are unparalleled anywhere else. The small town of Carnac is world-famous for its long rows of standing stones, dolmens and passage graves. Explore the Le Menec, Kermario and Kerlescan alignments and consider various theories of their existence and purpose.

Next, travel to a local oyster farm for a tasting. The history of Brittany has always been associated with the sea and fishing, but it is also a great production region for oysters. There are considered to be a dozen of excellent types of Breton oysters, each with its own characteristics and farming techniques. During your tasting you will learn the traditional way to select, open and savor flat and cupped oysters with a glass of Champagne.

Days 11-12 Saint-Malo, France

Arrive at Saint-Malo in the evening on Day 11, providing a quiet ship and a good night’s rest before your adventures tomorrow – a visit to the legendary Mont Saint Michel. After breakfast set off for this spectacular granite tidal island, situated on the border between Normandy and Brittany. Upon arrival, troll through the narrow streets of the medieval village and up to the Abbey. During your guided visit, learn that the monastery was found by the 10th century as the result of a dream vision, and was one of the first sites to obtain UNESCO World Heritage listing.

Day 13 St Peter Port, Guernsey, Channel Islands

Today, spend the morning on Guernsey – the Island of Flowers. During the years 1940 to 1945, the Channel Islands were under German occupation, and many of the massive concrete towers, gun emplacements and bunkers remain today. First visit the German Occupation Museum, which includes a life-sized street, bunker rooms, an armory of weapons and communications equipment, as well as files of local propaganda newspapers. Next drive around the winding coastal road to see one of the many WWII gun casements and visit the charming Little Chapel before returning to St Peter Port.

Alternatively, guests may choose to visit Guernsey’s lovely Sausmarez Manor for a deliciously quintessential English tea party! Enjoy a guided tour around the house and subtropical gardens, which are the delightfully informal setting for his enviable collection of over 200 sculptures from over 90 international artists and the largest display of sculptures for sale in Britain. Under a marquee on the formal lawn, enjoy dainty sandwiches, scones, cream and berries, shortbread and, of course, tea! This traditional tasting would not be quite complete with finishing it off by sipping a glass of Pimm’s while humming along to some local music. Return to the Silver Explorer feeling utterly charmed by Guernsey’s hospitality.

Day 14 Honfleur, France

The whole town is virtually an outdoor museum, full of half-timbered houses and cobbled streets. In the 19th century, Honfleur attracted a steady stream of Impressionist artists who took their inspiration from the town’s picturesque setting. Museums, shops, cafés and the famous Old Port add to the attraction of this lovely city. Your call at Honfleur allows for a visit to Arromanches and some of the most important locations involved in the historic events of 1944. The D-Day landings, which took place on the beaches of Normandy, involved the largest military operation in history. In the early morning of June 6, swarms of Allied landing craft hit the Normandy beaches and tens of thousands of soldiers invaded the coast of France. The Battle of Normandy that followed led to the liberation of Europe from Nazi occupation, but not without severe casualties including 37,000 killed.

Arromanches was the site of the prefabricated Mulberry Harbor, which enabled some 2½ million soldiers, to land in France. The remains of the port can still be seen. Visit the Musée du Débarquement (Invasion Museum) and the American Cemetery. The cemetery is located above Omaha beach, the site of the heaviest of the American casualties, and known as ‘bloody Omaha’ (the film Saving Private Ryan was based on the Omaha invasion). Here, more than 9,000 white marble crosses and Stars of David stand in perfect alignment on a plateau above the beach. A memorial contains the Tablets of the Missing, and a map outlines the battle sites of the Normandy Beaches. Continuing on to Pointe du Hoc, see the positions the German soldiers held and the remaining observation posts, shelters, trenches and anti-aircraft platforms.

Day 15 Portsmouth, England

Following breakfast on board, disembark Silver Explorer.