The M Friends Group
The European Experience
From Gaudi and The Shores of Barcelona to Mt. Vesuvius and The Amalfi Coast-
An Immersion in European Culture, Cuisine & History

July 1-14 2022
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Day One- We start our tour in Spain in the seaside city of Barcelona. Home to FC Barcelona, a museum dedicated to Picasso's years here and of course the playground of Antonio Gaudi. As soon as you check in meet us in the lobby for a welcome drink. Be read in the afternoon as we have our walking tour of sites of Barcelona including the heart of the old town Las Ramblas and El Born. In the late afternoon you can city-bike ride along the promenade and to the beach at Barcenoleta for a swim and some down time. Dinner together with an array of tapas and local specialties this evening. Welcome drink/ Tour of Barcelona/ Dinner together/ Overnight Barcelona.
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Day Two-We are up early to catch our tour of one of Gaudi's monuments, La Sagrada Familia. Here we will have a tour that will explain the on-going work of Gaudi's ambitious plan and climb the towers that go between the sky scraping towers. In the afternoon we were off to Park Guell a public park designed by Antoni Gaudi in the hills above Barcelona. Parc Guell is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is considered to one of Gaudi's most important works. Dinner is on your own with recommendations from us.
Downtime Option-Chaise Lounge and a cool drink beach side in the late afternoon. Or a walk along the shopping district on Barcelona complete with coffee and people watching.. Breakfast/ UNESCO World Heritage Site-Parc Guell/La Sagrada Familia/ Overnight Barcelona.
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Day Three- We leave early for Montserrat (literally meaning 'serrated' in Catalan) to view the Benedictine abbey, Santa Maria de Montserrat, in the mountains outside of Barcelona. We will use trains and cable tramways to approach the mountain-top town. Back in Barcelona you can have lunch before we leave for France and the outskirts of Avignon and the heart of Provence. Our arrival will be in the quaint Provencal town of St.Remy. After we check in we will take you on a walking tour of the town and deliver you up to a fine restaurant for dinner on your own. Breakfast/  Monastery tour/ Transportation to Avignon / Walking tour of St. Remy/ Overnight St. Remy.
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Day Four-Vincent Van Gogh painted some of his most famous works during his stay in St.Remy, including such works as Wheat field with Cypresses and Olive Grove(s). As you walk around the town you will see reproductions set up by the town to commemorate one of the most famous artists ever.  
We will tour the surrounding area that includes the Roman ruins at Glanum and the quintessential town of Les Baux, where you might want to grab a bite to eat at a local cafe.

​In the afternoon join us for a wine tasting before we head out to one of our favorite local restaurants for a joyful multi-course meal.
 Breakfast/ Tour of St. Remy and surrounding area/ Romans ruins at Glanum/ Wine tasting/ Dinner together/ Overnight St. Remy.
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Day Five- A great day with many options are in store for us today.  Some of us will stay put and enjoy the luxury of our hotel's spa. Some of us will spend time around pool having a drink of champagne and reading and some of us will take the optional trip to the small village of Chateauneuf du Pape (known around the world) for a wine tasting of some of the finest wines in France, in one of our favorite cellars.

Join us later for another wonderful Provencal dinner together.
Breakfast/ Morning of relaxation/ Optional Tour to Chatenuef de Pape/ Wine tasting/ Dinner together/ Overnight St. Remy.

​*Spa services are your choice-optional charges are on you. The Chateauneuf du Pape wine tasting will be an optional charge depending on how many people participate. 
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Day Six- Travel day. We are off to Italy and the Cinque Terre. We make our way by fast train* across the southern tier of France & the French Riviera and into the Liguria region of Italy. Cinque Terre, or 'five lands' is made up of five villages that line the rugged coast located in a national park preserved as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Our destination is the lovely town of Monterosse.

​After checking in we will have a walk down to the shore where you can put your feet in and soak up the exquisite scenery. After our short walk we will all take in dinner together in one of our favourite ristorantes.
Breakfast/Fast train to Cinque Terre/ Walk/ UNESCO World Heritage Site/ Dinner together/ Overnight Monterosso al Mare

* At publishing train times were not available for confirmation. However estimates show an all-day travel by train-very comfortable with dinning cars and ample clean bathrooms.
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Day Seven-Today we are spending our time seeing the fantastic villages of the Cinque Terre. Our first stop is Riomaggiore and the national park of Cinque Terre. Be sure to pack some walking shoes as we will use the train and our own feet to navigate to the next towns of the Cinque Terre. We will take our time and to look and feel the beauty of this area. Lunch is on your own at any of the many cafes on offer, some with incredible views. The afternoon is yours to do what ever you want, take the train back up and stop at other towns along the line or grab and umbrella down at the beach near our hotel and chill the rest of the afternoon. Dinner on  your own with plenty of recommendations from us.
Breakfast/Train to Cinque Terre/ Walk/ UNESCO World Heritage Site/ Overnight Monterosso al Mare
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Day Eight- On our way to Florence. Today we will be immersed in historical Italy as we make our way to the region of Toscana (Tuscany). Our first stop will be the Piazza dei Miracle (UNESCO World Heritage Site) home to the famous Pisa cathedral and the leaning tower of Pisa. We will have timed tickets for our trip to the top of the leaning tower where views over the piazza are stunning. We then leave for the lovely town of Lucca, where there are many places to have a bite for lunch. In the afternoon our driver will get us into the heart of Florence where our hotel is. Join us for a walk 'down to the river' where we take in the sites of the Duomo, the Bapistry, and end at the Ponte de Vecchio. Join us for a Florentine steak at one of our favourite local ristorantes as we have dinner together. 
Breakfast/Train and private driver to Florence/ Leaning tower of Pisa (UNESCO World Heritage Site)/ Lucca/ Walk of Florence (UNESCO World Heritage Site)/Dinner together at a traditional Florentine ristorante/ Overnight Florence
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​Day Nine- We get to see the best sites of Florence today. Our first stop is the bell tower where we can walk up the steps to incredible views of all of central Florence. Next is the Duomo the impressive church which we can climb up into Brusheceli's tower and then enjoy beautiful views of the church from high inside.  We have some recommendations for lunch on your own before we join back up for our walk across the river and to the Medici Palace. The afternoon is yours. You can grab a chair at many of the delightful gelato and pastry shops that Florence has to offer. Shop for the shoes you have been dreaming of, or go to anyone of the many museums on offer. All your choice. Dinner on your own with recommendations from us.
Bell tower and duomo flounce. Outside David and down to the Point de Vecchio.
Afternoon-Optional tickets to either the Academia to see David or the Ufizzi Gallery to see such works at Botticelli's Venus etc, ticket price included in tour cost.
Breakfast/ Duomo/ Bell Tower/ Baptistry/ Medici Palace/ Walk of greater Florence (UNESCO World Heritage Site)/Optional Gallery visits/ Overnight Florence
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Day Ten-This morning we leave for the heart of Tuscany. We will have a stop at a small quaint Tuscan town where you can shop for Chianti and taste test to your hearts delight. We will be staying at a beautiful working farm inside of a small medieval village, where we will tour their wine making facilities. In the afternoon join us for a select wine tasting followed by an outstanding multi coursed Tuscan meal cooked at the farm.

Breakfast/ Visit to local Tuscan town/ Wine tasting/ Homemade Tuscan dinner at a working farm/UNESCO World Heritage Site (San Gimignano)/ Overnight San Donato (San Gimignano region)
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Day Eleven -We are up early for our tour of San Gimignano and its medieval towers. We will take our time seeing the town and climbing one of the towers where the views of the Tuscan countryside are breathtaking. Lunch can be anywhere in town (including the world famous gelato shop on the square), before we return to the farm. Get ready for our afternoon cooking class where we will learn directly from the owners of the farm how to roll pasta the traditional Tuscan way. Also they will share with us their family recipe for amazing Tiramisu. We get to eat everything we make later at dinner together, along with some more of their own wine.
Breakfast/ Visit to San Gimignano/ Pasta Lesson/ Tiramisu Lesson/Wine tasting/ Homemade Tuscan dinner at a working farm/UNESCO World Heritage Site (San Gimignano)/ Overnight San Donato (San Gimignano region)
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Day Twelve -We head south by train to Napoli. Our driver will be on hand to take us to the ruins of Pompeii, one of the most interesting archaeological sites in the world. After the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 A.D. covered this city in ash and pumice it took thousands of years to uncover it once more. Here we will have a guide that will immerse us in this valuable history.

In the afternoon, we are off to the bay of Naples and the cosmopolitan city of Sorrento, near the Amalfi coast. Our seaside hotel await us. Get ready in the evening as we take you to one of our favourite restaurants in town for the local specialties.
Breakfast/Tour of the Ruins at Pompeii (UNESCO World Heritage Site)/ Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast (UNESCO World Heritage Site)/ Dinner together/ Overnight Sorrento
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Day Thirteen-This morning is free time for you to sleep in, sit on your balcony and watch Mt Vesuvius in the distance, or take the elevator down to the beach for a swim. Either way be ready int he early afternoon as we head down the Amalfi Coast. We will explore the small towns that dot this coast while also having a chance to walk the "path of the Gods" with breathtaking views the whole way. You can stay in town to shop, have a swim or go to dinner. Dinner on your own with plenty of recommendations from us.
Breakfast/ Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast (UNESCO World Heritage Site)/ Walk on the 'path of the gods'/Overnight Sorrento
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Day Fourteen- The island of Capri is where we are headed today. Capri's combination of beauty and hedonism has charmed emperors, billionaires, and hollywood elite for decades.  The jet-setting island (yes, this is where we got the name 'capri' pants in the '60's) is still bustling and as beautiful as ever. We will climb to the top of the island for views of the entire Bay of Naples at the summit. You can have lunch on the island and afterwards you can shop or catch a coffee at any one of the chic cafes. In the afternoon we will return to Sorrento for our farewell dinner together. Before dinner, join us for a Prosecco toast on the balcony of the hotel as we look over the twinkling lights of the town below us and salute a wonderfully fascinating tour.
Breakfast/Boat ride to and from Capri/ day on the island of Capri)/ Prosecco toast/ Farewell dinner together/Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast (UNESCO World Heritage Site)/ Dinner together
What your tour includes-
  • ​Three countries, including 8 regions
  • 7 UNESCO World Heritage Sites
  • Walking Tour of Barcelona
  • Las Ramblas & El Born neighbourhoods
  • Entrance to Parc Guell
  • Entrance to Sagrada Familia
  • Montserrat & the Benedictine Abbey, Santa Maria de Montserrat
  • Provence and the town of St.Remy
  • Les Baux and the Roman Ruins at Glannum
  • The Villages of Cinque Terre
  • Hiking & Train ride in National Park of Cinque Terre
  • The leaning tower of Pisa and the Tuscan town of Lucca
  • Highlight walk of Florence
  • Florence & The Duomo and Bell Tower
  • Optional visits to either the L' Academia or Ufizzi galleries (tickets included
  • San Gimignano
  • Tuscan Medieval Village & Winery of San Donato 
  • Stay at a working Tuscan farm and winery
  • Cooking lesson- Tuscany
  • The bay of Naples 
  • Tour of Pompeii
  • Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast
  • Walk along the 'path of the gods'
  • The island of Capri
  • Hotels right where the action is but still in a quiet area
  • A choice of white wine and/or red wine with each meal (children get their choice of soft drink)
  • local specialties carefully chosen for the dinners/ lunches we eat together
  • All transportation from the starting town (Barcelona) to the end of the tour (Sorrento)
  • Comfortable air-conditioned transportation with driver
  • Guides with 18 years experience planning and guiding trips all over Europe
  • Thirteen Full Breakfasts
  • Nine Multi Course Dinners with wine ​
What is your responsibility​-Airfare to the start of the tour (Barcelona) and the end of the tour (Your choice of Rome or Naples). Travel to and from the starting and ending parts of the trip-including taxi ride from Airport to starting hotel in Barcelona, and a return from Sorrento to either Naples or Rome for your return trip to the States. 
Spa costs in our hotel in San Remy.
Optional wine tasting in Chatenuef de Pape
Any travel costs associated with innoculations/ medical needs/ laundry/  communications / and personal internet and mobile phone costs while on tour.
Cost-$TBDper person-based on double occupancy. Includes all the transportation in the itinerary from the start of the tour to the end of the tour. Includes all meals and activities listed in the itinerary. 
Minimum of 8 people
 With 10 people and above   $TBD
12 people and above  $TBD
Children under 11 $TBD

Who are your leaders?

Manolis Hajifotiou

A native of Greece, Manolis has been leading tours in Europe for 21 years. Besides traveling, his passion is playing his guitar and creating his own music. He also likes to keep up with the stone house he shares with his wife, Patricia, especially trimming their olive trees.  He looks forward to showing you his favorite places and making sure you feel right at home.

Patricia Hajifotiou

A native of the U.S.A., Patricia has been leading tours in Europe for 21 years. She lives on the island of Evia, Greece, with her husband Manolis. When she is not on tour, she lives off the grid in a rock house, powered by the wind and sun. There she likes to spend her time digging in the garden. She looks forward to showing you the places she likes the best.