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The Talavera to
Salamanca tour is the classic tour of the Peninsula,
taking in a host of great battles, sieges and other
important sites. This year's tour - always a very popular
one - is all the more special as we will be visiting
Talavera on the 200th anniversary of the battle. Indeed,
the usual itinerary has been altered in order to be on the
field on the anniversary of the battle. Our programme may
alter slightly depending on whatever events are planned,
although we try wherever to place more emphasis on being
on the ground on the anniversary day rather than plan our
tour round any re-enactment. In addition to Talavera we
will be visiting other bloody battlefields including
Albuera, Salamanca and Fuentes de Onoro. We will also
visit Almeida, explore the area between the Coa and Agueda
rivers and, of course, visit both Ciudad Rodrigo and
Badajoz. This tour is always a popular one and we expect
it to be no different in 2009, so early booking will be
essential.
Day
1. Fly London to Lisbon. Drive to Badajoz and check-in
at the 4-star Zurbaran Hotel. Introductory talk, dinner
and overnight stay.
Day
2. Breakfast. This morning, we drive a few miles south
to Albuera, the bloodiest battle of the Peninsular War. We
stand close to the 'Fatal Hill' and the main fighting area
where the brigades of Zayas, Colborne, Hoghton, Myers and
Abercrombie fought and died and visit the various
monuments in the town and the visitors' centre. In the
afternoon we explore Badajoz and consider the great siege
of 1812. We visit the castle and the site of the breaches
as well as Fort San Cristobal before setting off for
Oropesa where we check-in at the 4-start parador, a superb
medieval castle, now a luxury hotel. Dinner and overnight
stay.
Day
3. Breakfast. We make the short journey to Talavera,
fought on this day in 1809. We will view the battlefield
from the Medellin and look out over the valley where the
23rd Light Dragoons came to grief. We will also visit the
memorial. Our itinerary may also be changed depending upon
whatever commemorative events take place. Return to
Oropesa. Dinner and overnight.
Day
4. Breakfast. Today we drive north to Salamanca where
we enjoy free time in the town. Check-in at the 5-star
Palacio de San Estevan. Dinner and overnight stay.
Day
5. Breakfast. We make the short drive out of town to
the great battlefield of Salamanca. We view the
battlefield from the Pico de Miranda and the Greater
Arapil before taking lunch in the village of Los Arapiles.
In the afternoon we drive to Almeida and check-in at the
4-star pousada. Dinner and overnight stay.
Day
6. Breakfast. We explore this wonderful town and its
fortifications before making the short trip to the Coa
river and Craufurd's fight of 24 July 1810. We also visit
Wellington's headquarters at Freineda, the wonderful Fort
Conception and the awesome view of the bridge at Barba del
Puerco. Return to Almeida. Dinner and overnight stay.
Day
7. Breakfast. We drive to Fuentes de Onoro and see the
battlefield from Nave de Haver before driving north to
Poco Velho and, finally, the village of Fuentes de Onoro
itself, to consider the bloody fighting that took place in
the village on 5 May 1811. We then make the short drive
east to Ciudad Rodrigo for lunch. In the afternoon we
consider Wellington's siege in January 1812. We stand in
the great breach before considering the assault on the
lesser breach by the Light Division. We then return to
Almeida. Dinner and overnight.
Day
8. Breakfast. We make the return drive to Lisbon (3
hours) for our return flight to London.
Departure date 26 July - 2 August 2009
Price £1625 Single supplement £200
Tour
Package includes
return
air fare, coach transport, seven nights accommodation,
seven dinners with wine, seven buffet breakfasts, tour
manager, and guide Ian Fletcher
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