WISCONSIN RAPIDS - Mid-State Technical College (MSTC) will host an international tour to Spain, May 21-30, 2008. Experienced tour leaders Megan Sokolowski and Gregory Konz-Kryzminski will lead MSTC's 11th annual overseas Global Classroom tour. This year's tour is in Spain, featuring city-stays in Barcelona and the resort island of Mallorca. Sokolowski, MSTC Communications Instructor, says all travelers over age 18 are welcome and do not need to be an MSTC student to participate.

The tour begins with a flight from Chicago to Barcelona, Spain, the capital of Catalonia and Spain's second largest city. This vibrant city has played important roles throughout Spanish history and has inspired important modern artists, such as Miró, Picasso and Dalí. Gaudí's masterpiece, La Segrada Familia, the unfinished church of the Holy Family, is undoubtedly the architectural highlight of Barcelona. Five nights in this colorful city and the surrounding Catalonian countryside will allow participants to explore to suit their own interests, which may include the Parque Guell, a world heritage site, the Picasso Museum and possibly a flamenco dance lesson!

Tour participants may enjoy excursions outside of the city to Tarragona, Sitges and Figueras. Tarragona, an important Roman town, dates from the first century A.D. Sitges, just 20 minutes south of Barcelona, boasts more than 300 days of sunshine annually. Figueras, located on the Costa Brava, is a fascinating Catalan city which features a theater museum dedicated to the surreal world of Salvador Dalí.

On day seven, the tour of Barcelona ends and a cruise to Mallorca, the largest of the sunny Balearic Islands, begins. The three-night stay includes guided sightseeing and optional trips to Sóller, a tranquil town noted for orange and olive groves Valldemossa. In Palma participants will visit the old quarter and the Castillo de Bellver. The trip ends on day ten with the flight back to Chicago.

The adult fee for the Spain tour is $2,691 (double occupancy) and includes round-trip airfare from Chicago to Barcelona/Mallorca; lodging (all hotel accommodations have private baths); continental breakfast and dinner daily; full-time service of a multilingual tour director; sightseeing tours and visits to special attractions. A single adult occupancy and student (ages 18-22) rates are also available.

The tour group will meet at least once in central Wisconsin prior to departure. For tour information, visit MSTC's website at http://www.mstc.edu/barcelona.htm. More details are available by contacting Sokolowski at (715) 422-5486 or via email at megan.sokolowski@mstc.edu.