I promised the parents that every few days I'd check in to let them know all is well. The first email was short and quick. And then I started writing. Geez. I wrote every day (absolutely was NOT my intention!) and the writing got longer and longer. The last few days are full blown essays. I wonder if parents ever read them...
The students were required to keep a journal during the trip and were given time to do so daily. This is my "journal."
(Because no one normal has time to read this, read the last day :))
June 17
We got to our hotel at 5 pm local time (8 am CA time), freshened up and went out to dinner. Rode the metro and got to a famous restaurant chain called Museo Del Jamon. The students had the cold tomato soup called gazpacho, some local ham and paella, the Spanish national rice dish. After that, we walked around Puerta Del Sol, the Royal Palace and Plaza Mayor, the main square.
We were supposed to be visiting the inside of the Royal Palace tomorrow but Thursday is the day Prince Felipe will become King of Spain, thus the palace is closed for preparations. Nevertheless, it was nice to see the enormous building from the outside and take some pictures.
We sang "happy birthday" to Gabbi, had some ice cream, did some light shopping and headed home. I collected all the passports and the kids are asleep :))
June 18
This morning started with a huge array of baked goods at the hotel and coffee and tea galore. We trekked to the Santiago Barnabeu stadium, where the famed Real Madrid play. Of course, there are no games right now since as I write this, they are losing yet another game at the World Cup in Brazil.
After walking around the stadium, the group split into two. Some took a tour of Barnabeu, visited the locker rooms, saw the inside etc. Others, went to Parque de Retiro, Madrid's answer to out Golden Gate Park. There, we rented row boats, ate ice cream and had a great time.
The Retiro group also made it to the Museo Del Prado, world's third largest museum (after the Louvre in Paris and the Hermitage in St Petersburg, Russia). Though we didn't have much time, we saw the works of Velázquez, Goya and Zurbaran. We had lunch at the Rodilla cafe, a place that serves a wide variety of tea sandwiches.
We then hopped the tour bus and rode around Madrid while listening to history told by a very interesting guide. She took us to Ventas (Madrid's bull fighting ring), Plaza de Espana where Miguel Cervantes (author of Don Quixote) is celebrated for his contribution to the literary world among several avenues and fountains.
After the tour, we went to Reina Sofia, Madrid's modern museum where we saw one of Picasso's most famous works of art: Guernica. Afterwards, he students "journaled." Even though I'm not reading these journals, I'm hoping they are full of insightful and thoughtful notes.
We had dinner in the center of the city and I'm so proud of those who are practicing their Spanish. Little things like asking for bread, ordering soup, etc are so so great for their confidence in Spanish!
Some students were so tired they headed home, while others are stoked to be watching the Spain - Chile game in a late night cafe. What a memory to have, watching Spain game in Spain! Now only if they could muster up a goal...
Tomorrow we are off to Toledo and Granada. It'll be a long day of sightseeing and traveling South with a cherry on top: Flamenco in the eve.
June 19
What a day! After several "wow" moments from the students, I know they are exactly where they need to be. Here, experiencing Spain.
We headed to Toledo, a city only one hour away from Madrid full of religious history and the narrowest of streets. Today is a big holiday in Spain (Corpus Cristi) and Toledo celebrates it the most. That means the streets were beautifully decorated, the incense burning and people everywhere. As we turned corners revealing yet another gorgeous building or a narrow pathway, there were many awe-inducing moments. We visited the synagogue in the Jewish Quarter, El Greco's museum, learned about Paradores (these breathtaking government owned hotels can be found at www.Parador.es/en), took in the vista of the Tajo river and walked on the bridge of San Jeronimo. Of course, we also had to have a taste of the local delicacy: turron, an almond dessert.
Next stop: watching how the Toledo swords are made. Toledo metal is considered to be one of the most durable in the world and it has the prices to go along with it. We also saw a master work on damascene jewelry http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Damascening so your kids are coming back with pieces of jewelry, knives and swords. Fabulous.
On our way down to Granada, we stopped to look at the windmills of La Mancha and have lunch. The kids also learned the importance of the Spanish siesta: we wanted to check out a castle and arrived at its gates at 1:48. Bad for us since the siesta started at 1:45 and we couldn't get in. Next time!
Upon our arrival in Granada, we scarfed down our dinner and had a few spare minutes to change for the Flamenco show. I don't want to say too much about it because the videos and smiles upon your kids' return will speak for themselves. It was awesome!
Walking around the Albacin area of Granada, we saw the beautiful Alhambra all lit up on top of the mountain. Tomorrow, we will be spending the morning there and learning quite a lot.
Afterwards, some kids headed home while others decided to take advantage of the beautiful weather and explore more. We went to the Feria of Corpus Cristi where thousands of people were dancing across many stages, riding rides, visiting a ghost house and eating fair-type food. Fun was had and it ended up being a very late night. At this point they are used to being so tired but our now planning their their make up naps on the bus. So much to do and so little time!
Tomorrow will be another busy day. And for those of you familiar with fitbit..... The first day we walked 16000 steps and yesterday 21000. Stay tuned for today's numbers!
June 20
Another day, another early wake up call!
This morning we visited Alhambra, a Muslim palace overseeing Granada from atop of a mountain. Elena, our tour guide, used the students as props (Justice was king!) to walk us through the history of the place. She was informative and friendly and we really enjoyed her company. The gardens of Generalife are immaculate and the views like no other. Many pics to come!
After the Alhambra, the kids did a City Challenge where they were to find certain statues, buildings and info by using their map and speaking Spanish. None of the Logan groups won but they got to see some nice things and enjoy each other's company.
The three hour bus ride got us to Sevilla where we currently are. Our hotel is super centrally located and the picture of the mosaic on the wall is attached.
After dinner, the students wrote in their journals and got ready for a Dance Discoteca on the boat of the Guadalquivir River. It's been neat to see the students write about their experience, especially when they grab a pen and get to it without my asking or an assigned time. That's exactly what kind of a journal you want to have; spontaneous and full of impressions.
On the boat the kids danced the night away. I'm sure there are videos of their moves but no one can beat the attitude and rhythm of Marc and Mike. Whoa, they are good!
Afterwards, we separated into two groups, the sweet and the savory. Sweet ones ate churros con chocolate while the salty enjoyed papas fritas.
Fitbit total: 24000 steps for yesterday and today. We rock.
On a completely different note, a lot of your kids are very efficient shoppers! We have had lunches at $6-10 every day, far below the $15-20 that I told you guys it'd be. The problem? The kids are running out of money. Every day they have gotten a few minutes free to look around (10-15) and they always come back with new purchases. So... since everyone has a different budget and I don't know what it is, I'd like you guys, the parents, to check in via email/whatsapp/etc with your child to make sure they have enough money for lunches for the rest of the week. Since this is the midpoint of the trip, it'd be a good time to review the financial expectations that each family set for themselves before we took off. I'm happy to relay any message you have for your child if you can't get to them directly.
Onto exploring Sevilla in the daylight tomorrow!
June 21
The hotel's wake up call never delivered and there is nothing like starting your day by jumping out of bed and realizing you are late. It was one of those mornings but we were ready to go in record time.
Next on the agenda was the Real Alcazar, a royal palace for the monarchs when they visit Sevilla. It drizzled as we walked through the gardens and our guide gave us a special quote: "La lluvia en Sevilla es una maravilla" "Rain in Sevilla is a marvel" (implying that it never happens!).
After the Alcazar we went to the third largest cathedral in the world (behind the Vatican and St Paul in London). There we saw an organ with more than 7000 pipes and the tomb of Christopher Columbus. We climbed the Giralda tower which got us some impressive views of the city.
For lunch, the students ate a traditional lunch of tapas where they ordered small plates and shared them among friends. The highlights included gambas al ajillo, tortilla española, croquetas and fried codfish.
We spent the next few hours on the bus to Costa Del Sol, the sunny coast of Southern Spain. This evening 20 people decided to head to the beach and some even took a very late night dip in the waters of the Mediterranean Sea. Others stayed back and the hotel, swam in the pool and relaxed.
Tomorrow will be much more relaxed and I think we are all ready for that!
June 22
This morning there was no alarm and I think we couldn't have been happier.
At 10, some people went to the town of Torremolinos to attend Sunday Mass while others went to the beach. Torremolinos is the most "Spanish" town we visited on this trip: small, quaint and beautiful. We've seen plenty of tourists on this trip and this was a nice local community.
The beach-goers covered each other in sand, rode banana boats and tanned.
For lunch we had Spain's national dish, the paella. It was served to us in gigantic paelleras for everyone to share at a beach side restaurant. At our table we had the traditional seafood version as well as the chicken one. We were pretty pleased with the results. It was cool to see kids having mussels and calamari for the first time and I applaud them for trying it and dare I say, liking it!
We spent the second part of the day in Malaga, the biggest town near our hotel. The town has an amazing cathedral and beautiful decorations for Corpus Cristi. Most of the stores were closed and the kids were pretty disappointed that I didn't think about it ahead of time. Sunday 5 pm is not a good time to shop in Spain.
Some shopped at the few places that were open while others went up to the vista point at the top for a breathtaking view of Malaga, beaches and the Mediterranean. Beautiful.
We finished this outing by watching the processions from the Cathedral go all around town to celebrate Corpus Cristi.
We returned to the hotel for dinner, journal writing and relaxing. Kids are in bed and we are off to Morocco in 6 short hours.
June 23
5:45 wake up call is not for the weak at heart but just like every other day, our group was complete and ready to go by our assigned time.
We arrived at the port in Algeciras to take a ferry to Ceuta, a port town that belongs to Spain but is located on the African continent. Our trip across of Strait of Gibraltar was pretty uneventful, just like a boat trip should be. Upon arrival, we went through customs (no Moroccan stamps in passports were given :() and were on our way to Tetuan to explore Morocco. Oh yes, some of us rode a camel too.
There we visited an art school and watched as kids worked on embroidery, wooden pieces, silk and leather. We also walked around the market looking at the array of vegetables, fish, really fresh chickens, gorgeous doors and narrow alleys.
We visited a traditional pharmacy selling oils, lotions, soap, etc. Said, the pharmacist, was a comedian and I was his target. Fun was had.
Our lunch was a plate of couscous, chicken, beef kebab, topped off with Moroccan tea and cookie. A man balanced candles on his head as he danced to the local band of live music.
Our last stop for the day was a rug store. The kids got to see many rugs made in the Atlas Mountains as well as polish their bargaining skills.
On our ride home, there may have been an impromptu bus jam session/ concert featuring "Dancing Queen" by ABBA but I'm not telling.
Tonight is one of the longest days/shortest nights of the year, which of course means you have to celebrate it. Tonight is Noche de San Juan in Spain. 7 girls and I braved our tired eyes and went to the beach to see the celebration. Thousands of people, fireworks, bonfires on the beach and lanterns being sent into the sky. Gorgeous.
Tomorrow is our last day and we are off to Gibraltar!
June 24
We spent our last day exploring the UK territory of Gibraltar. We didn't know what to expect and we weren't disappointed!
With the lunch of fish and chips, buffalo wings, burgers and tuna melts we felt right at home. Our guide told us about the history of Gibraltar, took us to the St Michael's caves and showed us the ultimate Gibraltarian resident: the ape. The caves were like nothing we've ever seen, lit up in lights with fun music playing as we enjoyed every nook and cranny. The view from the top of The Rock of Gibraltar gave us Spain on one side and absolutely nothing on the other. Thanks to the torrential downpour it was a wet day but we knew Africa was there somewhere.
Back in Spain, we spent the last few hours on the beach, pool or in Torremolinos where some girls had a little fish spa treatment. They'll tell you more about that later :)
Over the course of the week, the students were exposed to many new things, some can only be seen while traveling. Fish spa, topless beaches (yes, that's how Spaniards do it and no, we didn't participate :)), smells and sights of Morocco, dealing with money exchange, learning about service in restaurants (oh it's so different from ours!) and talking to locals.
I'm particularly proud of our group because of its size. Do you know how long it takes for 28 people to pee? I didn't either! But our group was always on time, no matter how tired or excited we were. I've been complimented by other Group Leaders how polite and respectful our students were. Our Tour Director, Diego, said he was waiting for a problem to arise but it just never did. The bus driver couldn't believe how clean the bus was after we used it day after day.
We looked the part for Flamenco night, dressed respectfully for Morocco, nobody got robbed (!!!) and we taught Diego about taking selfies.
A special shout out goes to those who practiced Spanish everyday and more so to Avani who learned a lot of Spanish this week and was not afraid to take a chance to practice it.
Wanya's hair deserves a special mention as well. The older man who left the San Juan procession just to express his jealousy, Elena, our Alhambra guide couldn't keep her hands off and a Moroccan guy in his 20s liked "the look." Everyone wanted to talk about it and Wanya was gracious as could be.
Some other highlights include Jade talking Arabic in Morocco and making friends with local art students, Joseph talking Spanish nonstop, Diana winning the origami boat competition, our girl night on the beach for La Noche de San Juan, La Feria in Granada, straightening Louis's hair, seeing Crystal's face and hearing Sarah's squeal once their feet touched the fishy water, seeing Kim's and Sofia's green screen pictures with Ronaldo and hearing about their visit to Barnabeu, using Travis as our metro guide and map guru, Veronica being pulled up on stage to dance Flamenco, Priscila planning our next year's trip to Puerto Rico, Gabe helping haggle down some Moroccan crafts, Prianka winning 4 card games in a row in a mean game of "killing time while we wait for our food," watching Travis and Louis try nonalcoholic beer (I have very zoomed in pics to show you the 0% alcohol factor), Gabbi needing to eat ice cream a few times a day, Jazmin making a bolt to the bus to avoid Gibraltar monkeys after taking their pics, multiple students counting how many times I trip (but never fall!)and Kyna being able to touch the ceiling in the Madrid Metro. Of course, we already know about Justice being king and Marc and Mike rocking it out on the boat dance floor.
Thank you for the wonderful memories, you've done Logan proud!
Thank you so much to Mrs. Erickson who was my right hand and Mr. Valencia who was our most important counter and book end.
I'd like to end with a story of an elderly couple who approached us in Malaga. They wanted to know where we were from. How can it be that such a large group speaking English was from the same place? It speaks to the diversity of Logan, the open-mindness of our students and the joy of being a teacher in a school that celebrates that. While every school group we encountered looked the same, our school is a beautiful mix of everyone working together, traveling and learning.
Thank you for trusting me with your kids and I hope their short experience abroad will be a beginning of wanting to learn more about the world we live in. The students miss their families and have told me so. Please hug them tight and listen to all the good and sometimes hard things that traveling brings. They were an amazing group with many pictures and selfies to share!
