Emilie's Spain Adventure

Last semester Emilie had the amazing opportunity to spend ten days in Spain with the International Travel Club at school.  Here is a glimpse of her pictures from the trip, as well some excerpts from the parent emails we were sent every evening (Thank you Mrs. Hodgson!).

So excited to head out on a new adventure!

"Seriously Mom?!??! PLEASE get off the bus!"

First stop - Madrid!

"The weather was stunning - perfect for our bike ride in the lungs of Madrid - the Retiro Park. The area was amazing and we explored the park, tree-lined lane ways, statues and lake on our bikes. This was a wonderful way to start the trip with exercise after the long flight. Everyone was laughing and smiling the whole way. After returning our bikes we caught the local train to the Puerto del Sol and Plaza Mayor where we sat outside and enjoyed our first meal in Spain."

"The Museo Del Prado holds one of the finest art collections in all of Europe. Being very mindful of the interests of our group, Marcus (our INDAGO guide) gave us a lively account of the history of Spain and told us stories about 5 main pieces of art that were in the museum. When we went inside the museum we looked for those major pieces and we were able to really appreciate the works and look for the unusual aspects of each piece. The group really enjoyed this one hour visit. 

After lunch at the museum we went by train through to the Plaza Monumental de Las Ventas - Madrid's bullring. Seeing inside the main bullring for Spain and hearing all about how the bullfights involve audience participation in regards to the trophies the bullfighter receives, was really fascinating. This was an amazing experience and something I am 100% convinced will be a highlight for so many of the group. 

Following the bullring we went by train to participate in our own private flamenco dance lesson. This was so much fun and by the end of our class the group were able to perform a group flamenco dance."

Trying her hand at Bull Fighting!

On to Toledo

"This morning we traveled by train to the old capital of Spain - Toledo. It felt like stepping back in time with the narrow alleyways, cobble stone roads paths and the architecture of the buildings.

We took a fabulous walking tour of the city. We learnt so much about Toledo and why the lane ways were so narrow and so windy - to protect the locals from the wind and to create shade during the hot summer months. We saw the door knockers on the doors to homes that were so high we could not reach them - they were located so high for people riding on horses through the city in centuries past. We also found the world's smallest window that is recorded in the Guinness World Book of Records.

It truly was amazing to be standing in the city where three religious cultures had lived in harmony for centuries - Christian, Muslim and Jewish. Toledo is the place where Marzipan was first made by the nuns with sugar and almonds (we got to try some of the local customary food today.) After a fabulous lunch we visited the Cathedral which was built with "magical dimensions" by the same person who designed Notre Dame in Paris. The dimensions for the cathedral in Toledo are 123 meters long, 45 meters high and 67 meters wide - the numbers 1,2,3,4,5,6,7 in order. Ask your son/daughter how number 8 factored into the numerical sequence! The group were very interested in the way there were sections for the people to sit to hear mass - the royal family members at the front of the church in front of the altar, rich people sat in the next section, priests were next and then there was a wall where the poor people would sit behind the wall and not be able to see the altar. The architecture was cleverly designed to ensure the acoustics were such that everyone could hear mass wherever they were in the church.

Next, we joined the local tourist train with commentary during a ride through the outside of the city walls. The scenery was amazing. 

We traveled by train back to Madrid and onto the Flamenco Dance Performance. Everyone was so impressed with the talented flamenco dancers. Our group would need to practice before we got anywhere near the level of these dancers!" 

"We bought picnic lunches at the station to take on board the bullet train through to Barcelona. It was fabulous to travel by train and to see the countryside between the two cities. The train felt as though it was not moving very fast and it was moving so smoothly - but we clocked travel times as fast as 303km.   

It was exciting to arrive in Barcelona. We  set off for the local metro to go into Barcelona's most famous street - La Rambla. Marcus (INDAGO guide) led us on an interesting walking tour of the Gothic Quarters. There was so much to see and to learn about the history of Barcelona and the Catalonia region.  Marcus shared many legends and beliefs from the area. 

One very sobering section of our walk was to a section inside the Gothic quarters where a church has indentations on the outside wall. These are the original markings from bullets from firing squads during historical times. The markings serve as a reminder of what has happened in the past. It was surreal to be standing in the exact same spot where these atrocities took place. 

Marcus shared many interesting stories with us throughout the afternoon. Our group listened with great interest and if only you could have seen the eyes on your sons and daughters as they stood in the very spots where historical events had happened which have shaped the future of this country. Their eyes were wide with interest as they soaked up every bit of information. 

After our walking tour we continued to the beach area where we enjoyed the beautiful scenes across the ocean and along the beach area before we headed to dinner."

"Today was an exceptional day weather wise which added to the day being amazing in every way. Today was our day learning about Gaudi.

After breakfast we caught the metro to La Rambla street where we had time to wonder through the market area. 

Sagrada Familia was Emilie's favorite

Next we visited Gaudi's still-unfinished masterpiece - Sagrada Familia. This large Roman Catholic Church commenced construction in 1882. Antoni Gaudi became involved as the architect in 1883. The church is yet to be completed and it is

estimated to take another 20 years to finish. Our group were fascinated in the architecture of the church and the way Gaudi's architecture reflects patterns in nature. Marcus led us on our one hour tour of the church pointing out the main points of interest for us.

After lunch we headed to another of Gaudi's works - the Parc Guell. Gaudi designed the Parc as a housing complex but only two houses were ever built there. It was intended to be a private complex but it became a public park for the people. Walking through it was easy to see Gaudi's works and how his connection to nature is reflected in his works.

In the late afternoon we went to a fabulous cooking school where we participated in an amazing Spanish cooking lesson. We worked in three groups and rotated through three stations where we cooked different dishes. "

"This morning we left our hotel and went by metro to the main train station where we caught a regional train to Figueres - the birthplace of Salvador Dali.

After arriving in Figueres, we walked to the main square where we enjoyed lunch before walking a short distance to the museum that holds the works of Salvador Dali. The museum was built on the same site as the original Figueres Theatre. 

Dali was a surrealist artist and our group enjoyed the engaging tour of the museum we had with our local guide, Sonia. Sonia explained all about Dali's life and his eccentric ways which helped us understand his works. We visited the main sections of high interest to our group and I am extremely confident that our group will always remember the unusual works of this influential artist.

One exhibit which was of high interest was the Mae West room where Dali set up a display of his impressions of getting inside Mae West's head. It was a fascinating visit."

"This morning we headed to the waterfront where we collected our bikes and helmets and headed off on a bike ride along the waterfront and beach area. The area we rode was magical - fresh clean air, beach and waterfront. The weather was around 21 degrees and was perfect for the ride. This was a lot of fun for everyone.

Next we went by funicular to the top of Montjuic Hill. This is the site where many of the events of the 1992 Olympic Games were held. We saw the stadium and the place where the Olympic flame was burning during the games.

 

Our next stop was to Camp Nou Stadium. This was a highlight for many. You should have seen the eyes of members of our group as we walked into the stadium. This stadium is the biggest in Europe and seats 100,000 people. Our guide explained to us how Barcelona FC water the turf so it grows and then they cut it short to make it a fast field. Most other teams keep their turf long to ensure a slower surface for the ball. The stadium was amazing and to visit the media rooms and the dressing rooms of the players was very special. We also walked through the players tunnel to the field. Of course the tour ended in the shop where quite a bit of merchandise is now in the hands of our group and making it's way back to Jakarta.

When Emilie was chastised for not knowing any well-known soccer players, my Arizona girl simply replied with, "Well, do you know who Larry Fitzgerald is?"

Before dinner we had some shopping time! A lot of bags were filled in a short period of time! 

Everyone is now in bed for the last sleep in Spain. The group has been fabulous and they have all got along so well together. The constant chattering and laughter is music to the ears. Everyone is smiling and has had a really great trip."

To say Emilie had an AWESOME trip would be an understatement; And we enjoyed living the trip through Mrs. Hodgson's nightly emails. Spain has been Emilie's favorite country visited thus far - She has even gone as far as saying she would like to explore the possibility of attending college in Spain (insert Mom's panic attack here!). At least that would ensure a better chance of visiting Spain one day myself.