Spain & Portugal

Dear Quilters and Friends,

Join us for this special 14 day sailing from London to Barcelona. We’ll cruise on Holland America Line’s wonderful ship, the Nieuw Statendam. You’ll be part of a warm group of fun-loving people sharing a common interest in quilting, and have an opportunity to make new friends, one quilter at a time!

Our classes are held during “at sea” days and we make every attempt to schedule classes outside of port time. There are two classes from which to choose, taught by renown quilting instructors: Gyleen Fitzgerald and Margarita Korioth!

There’s something wonderful awaiting you in every port of call! You can play tourist, choosing your pleasure whether it be walking, touring, flight-seeing or shopping! Onboard ship you will have the opportunity to perfect your quilting skills with our fabulous teachers, as well as myriad opportunities for “SEWCIALIZING” with other people who all share your love of quilting! We will be bringing new sewing machines for your use. You can even go home with a wonderful buy on a new Machine!

Dover, United Kingdom – Explore Dover Castle, venture into the bustling city of London, and experience the picturesque English countryside. Our cruise offers a luxurious and comfortable base from which to explore, with amenities and service that cater to your every need, making your visit to Dover a seamless addition to your European adventure.

Amsterdam – Visitors are naturally drawn to the historic city center where you’ll find some of the world’s top art museums, including the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum. And at Dam Square, the Amsterdam’s largest public square, you can tour the Royal Palace before continuing to the tourist attractions on the Canal Belt. The iconic network of waterways that surrounds the downtown area offers a picturesque backdrop for sightseeing by bike or canal boat.

Portland, United Kingdom – Portland and the nearby town of Weymouth sit on the south coast of England in Dorset County near the area’s beautiful beaches. From here, visitors can wander on Chesil Beach or venture further afield to explore some of the most interesting sights of the British countryside.
Bilbao, Spain – This Basque city combines a heady mix of ancient roots and ultramodern sensibilities. If you like modern design, Bilbao’s got striking architecture—like Frank Gehry’s shiplike Guggenheim Museum, the soaring Isozaki towers and Calatrava’s glass-bottomed Zubizuri Bridge. If you seek older cultural highlights, there are historic buildings, traditional Basque cuisine and inviting cobblestone streets to explore.

A Coruña, Spain – A Coruña’s subtle allure and attractions can be unlocked with a simple stroll if you know where to go. Walk the waterfront promenade out past the Roman Torre de Hércules and you’ll reach the edge of the continent, or you can amble through the narrow cobblestone streets and sights of the Old Town to find cafés and shops, bustling squares and shady gardens.

Porto, Portugal – Porto, the second-largest city in Portugal, is sometimes dismissed as Lisbon’s business-minded sibling. But underneath its commercial and industrial surface, there flourishes a lively scene for the arts, food and music amidst Art Deco buildings and a UNESCO World Heritage-designated historic core. Take time to visit the port wine cellars where the city’s famous export is blended and stored. Then explore a turn-of-the-century bookstore, the neoclassical Stock Exchange Palace or the sprawling arts complex.

Malaga, Spain – While Málaga was long considered just a stopover on the way to southern Spain’s Costa del Sol beach resorts, in recent years a buzz has developed around the Andalucian city. There is a brand-new $100 million port promenade filled with restaurants and a bold new branch of Paris’s Centre Pompidou built in the form of a colorful glass cube. A handful of other major new museums include one devoted to one of the city’s most famous sons, Pablo Picasso—it’s also the hometown of another famous Spanish export, actor Antonio Banderas. Where once many buildings were dilapidated, an entire swath of the historic center is now pedestrianized and filled with shoppers, diners and street musicians. Tapas bars with outdoor tables line the old town’s Calle Strachan, while all over Málaga a boom in fine dining is taking place.

Alicante, Spain – Fresh sea breezes, mountain backdrops and vibrant locals have made this magical city a must-see for both international tourists and residents of Spain alike. It’s easy to slip into the local rhythm. Spend your day exploring everything from the Old Town and Santa Bárbara Castle to the trendiest of Spanish stores. Promenade down the marble Explanada de España, an iconic and bustling boulevard dotted with palm trees. Enjoy a proper Spanish lunch that spans several courses and hours, prepared by some of the best chefs in the country. Take advantage of the proximity to the sea to dine on the freshest seafood, or try one of Alicante’s many traditional rice dishes. And don’t forget to sample the outstanding regional wines, which are also very tasty souvenirs.

Valencia, Spain – In an era when a homogenizing global culture can erase the differences between cities around the world, it’s refreshing to find one with such a well-defined personality. Valencia, now the third-largest city in Spain, was once the capital of the Kingdom of Valencia which, during its golden age in the 14th and 15th centuries, eclipsed Catalonia in importance. And it still has a plump and prosperous air, thanks in part to its worldwide trade in citrus fruits and vegetables. There are certain advantages to life in “The Big Orange.” Few cities in Spain have such gorgeous public buildings, and, even if Valencia isn’t quite a cultural powerhouse on the level of Barcelona or Madrid, it’s still a civilized town with a rich artistic past and present.
Barcelona, Spain – On the northeast coast of Spain, overlooking the Mediterranean, Barcelona is a vibrant port city, packed with centuries of iconic art and architecture—Gaudí and Picasso both called it home—and lined with sunny white-sand beaches. Explore the Catalan capital’s tourist attractions and historic neighborhoods, Modernisme and world-renowned art museums, galleries and local crafts shops—some of which are centuries old and stock traditional Catalan wares. After you see the sights, there are lively tapas bars around every corner where you can stop for a drink, a café amb llet (Catalan for espresso with steamed milk) or a snack, no matter the hour.

For all of you that have sailed with us before, welcome back! For those of you that are new to the fabulous experience of quilting at sea, we look forward to getting to know you and to sharing our Spain and Portugal Quilt Seminar at Sea with you! Bring a friend, your spouse or your family – non-quilters are welcome to join us and they get a special discounted rate! We will make them feel especially welcome and there’s plenty for them to do while you are quilting! We are really looking forward to returning to Alaska for another Quilt Seminar at Sea, and we hope you can join us!

Sincerely,
Gyleen Fitzgerald and Margarita Korioth

Alisa VandenBosch
Group Coordinator