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Take a trip to Spain and Portugal

Posted at 8:32 AM, Sep 09, 2014
and last updated 2014-09-09 13:13:57-04

AAA Travel is a paid advertiser of Sonoran Living Live

As a full-service travel agency, AAA created Today's Traveling Women for women who want to get together, learn something new and maybe even travel together.

From packing and travel safety tips to riverboat cruising, the group holds meetings across the state that cover a variety of travel-themed topics. In addition to women-only trips, the group will hold events that focus on spa and wellness packages, off-the-beaten-path destinations, food and wine trips and more.

Today's Traveling Women has several trips planned in 2014 and 2015. This includes a thrilling vacation from Madrid, Spain, to Lisbon, Portugal. Although the trip doesn't leave until next summer, now is the time to take advantage of a 10 percent early booking discount.

Your first stop will be Spain. In the city of Toledo, situated above the River Tagus, you'll walk the cobbled streets to visit the Church of Santo Tome, then continue through the dry plains of Don Quixote's La Mancha.  

A visit to the Alhambra Palace, built as a citadel by the Moors in the 13th century, will yield a fantasy of stone-cut lace, arabesque gardens and fountains. You also will visit the exotic water gardens of the Generalife, the royal summer residence, and a local expert will guide you through the maze of narrow lanes and shady squares of the Santa Cruz Quarter.

When you emerge by the huge walls of the fabulous Alcazar, in front of you will stand La Giralda, a former minaret of the Great Mosque but now the Cathedral bell tower. Enter the immense 15C Cathedral, the final resting place of Christopher Columbus. You'll also enjoy a full day of leisure in Seville.

You'll pass through the oak forests where black Iberian pigs are bred for the famous Spanish ham. Stop for an insight into the history and curing process of various hams. The subtle differences will be revealed with an expert tasting.

Then it's on to Portugal - Lisbon, to be exact.

During your stay in Lisbon, a panoramic guided tour will take you along the avenues of the Lower Town and beneath the hilltop Barrio Alto to the Terreiro do Paco, the finest square in the city. You'll visit the Belem Quarter, where sailing ships set forth to discover unknown lands.

You'll be able to take a drive north into the green hills north to visit Fatima, the most celebrated place of pilgrimage in Portugal. You'll cross the border back into Spain and continue to Salamanca, famous for its golden stone buildings. See the handsome arcades of the Plaza Mayor and Puente Romano bridge across the River Tormes - many of its arches date from the time of the ancient Romans.

Then it will be on to the rock-strewn hills of La Morana, toward the city of Avila, still enclosed within 11th-century walls and unique in Europe. You will be able to walk around the ancient city before returning to Madrid for a sightseeing tour. There, a local expert will take you along the Gran Via and through the Puerta del Sol. You'll see the statue of Don Quixote in the Plaza de España, Royal Palace, Cibeles Fountain and Parliament.

Sonoran Living viewer offer: Today's Traveling Women - Amazing Spain and Portugal
From $2,430 per person, includes:
o July 3-12
o 10-day, 9-night AAA hosted tour
o 11 meals included
o An early booking discount of 10 percent is available through Dec. 18.
For more information on AAA's Today's Traveling Women, visit www.az.aaa.com/travel/todays-traveling-women.      

AAA Travel is a paid advertiser of Sonoran Living Live