Alumni Association to hold Portugal and Spain travel meeting
The Casper College Alumni Association will hold an informational meeting about the association’s next travel destination, Portugal and Spain, on Friday, July 28, from 10 a.m.-noon.
The trip’s official title, “Discover Portugal and Spain with Eric Atkins,” will take place March 11-21, 2024, and feature the Portuguese Riviera, Lisbon, Seville, Madrid, and more.
“Our last international trip to Italy was wonderful and such fun that we decided to host another trip, this time to Portugal and Spain,” said Ann Dalton, associate director of development and alumni engagement. “We are pleased that Casper College Spanish instructor Eric Atkins will join us on this trip to share his knowledge of Portugal and Spain along with a Premier World Discovery tour guide,” Dalton added.
After an overnight flight from Casper, the group will land in Porto, the second largest city in Portugal, to begin the 11-day adventure. The group will spend two nights in Porto and two in Lisbon. From Lisbon, the group will travel to Spain, where they will spend two nights in Seville, one in Granada, and two in Madrid. An additional visit to Barcelona can be added to the trip for those interested.
Highlights of the trip include a welcome dinner, a Porto city tour, and wine tasting; a trip to the town of Fatima to see the Sanctuary of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary; a Lisbon city tour featuring the Moorish Alfama Quarter, Jeronimo’s Monastery, and Belem Tower, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and a Fado show and dinner; the Portugal city of Evora, a UNESCO World Heritage site; a Seville city tour, visit to The Cathedral of Seville — the burial place of Christopher Columbus — and a flamenco show and dinner; a Granada tour and visit to the Alhambra Palace; a visit to Toledo, another UNESCO World Heritage site; a Madrid city tour, visit the Madrid Royal Palace, and a farewell dinner featuring a traditional Spanish meal and wine at a local restaurant that evening.
Atkins, an alumnus of Casper College, received his master’s in Spanish from the University of Wyoming. Originally from Casper, Atkins spent time in San José, Costa Rica, and taught in Mexico for almost three years. “His passion for travel and language have taken him to many countries across Europe and Latin America, and he will add to our tour guests’ experiences on this trip,” said Dalton.
The cost includes round-trip airfare from Casper, nine nights of first-class hotel accommodations, nine breakfasts and four dinners, a professional tour director, driver, and Atkins — who will provide cultural immersion — hotel transfers, motorcoach transportation, admissions and sightseeing per itinerary, baggage handling at hotels, and travel insurance.
The informational meeting is free and open to the public and will be held in Room 312 in the Walter H. Nolte Gateway Center on the Casper College campus. For more information, contact Dalton at 307-268-2325 or ann.dalton@caspercollege.edu.