Background

            This year’s study abroad trip to Spain trip was top of the line, with four wonderful cities to visit and exciting tourist sites around every corner. Around 25 students traveled with the four Spanish teachers to the cities of Bilbao, Madrid, Granada, and Nerja. Two days were spent in the first three cities, and one day was spent in Nerja.

Bilbao

As the first city to visit, Bilbao was a great experience and an exciting new adventure. Bilbao’s important tourist sites included visiting the famous Guggenheim Museum and the Puente Colgante bridge. Students also had free time to explore the city. They were broken up into groups to have lunch at any place near the Guggenheim and some groups even had authentic gelato. Some also visited a beach to get in some fun exercise. Being the first place they visited, students enjoyed putting their Spanish vocabulary to the test by ordering food.

Madrid

The stop in Madrid started at a famous city square. From here, groups took a trip to the Museo del Prado. Here, there were many world famous paintings by Velazquez, Dali, and Goya. An exciting experience was trying “churros con chocolate,” where one could dip churros into a fondue-like chocolate and even drink the rest of the chocolate. Sammi D’Amico says, “I loved the churros con chocolate! It was so delicious! I loved trying authentic foods from Spain.” Another site was the Royal Palace, laced in gold. It was truly magnificent.

Granada

            The most important site in Granada was The Alhambra. It was a great palace that showed the significant Arab influence in the region. The walls and doors were very intricate in design. A lot of time left over in Granada was for shopping. Granada had many small souvenir shops directly next to one another. Some groups also visited a small cathedral of Isabel and Ferdinand.

Nerja

            Nerja was the last city that the study abroad trip went to visit. It was a beautiful, warm day in a stunning city. The groups went to a small beach cove to start off. The water was ice cold, but some still went in to enjoy the Mediterranean. Another exciting adventure was getting true Spanish paella. Paella is a delicious rice dish consisting of clams, shrimp, and chicken. Although the trip there was very arduous, the tour director assured the groups it was the best in town, and it was!

A Trip of a Lifetime

            Overall, the trip was fantastic. Expanding vocabulary and conversing with native Spanish-speakers added to the trip. It was a great learning experience and one to always remember.