Macleans College students experience trip of a lifetime to Spain
Posted on May 16, 2024
On April 9 a group of 18 Macleans College Spanish language students departed on the trip of a lifetime to Spain.
The first week was spent in Madrid where students stayed with families and attended school at Colegio Malvar. Students were warmly welcomed by their homestay families and participated fully in family life. They experienced wonderful Spanish food and amazing hospitality and were treated to a range of activities such as exploring central Madrid, visits to theme parks, football stadiums and neighbouring cities.
Students enjoyed experiencing school life with their hosts; attending lessons, participating in sports and eating in the school cafeteria. Genuine friendships were forged between the students of both schools and Macleans College students left with the sense that they now have whānau in the Spanish capital.
Before leaving, Macleans College students performed the school haka and waiata to express their gratitude to the staff and students of Colegio Malvar. Macleans College and Colegio Malvar have now created a strong bond and the two schools hope that this relationship will be nurtured and will grow in future years through subsequent trips and exchanges.
Whilst in Madrid, the students also enjoyed a day trip to Toledo - a fascinating walled city from Roman times. Students had another two weeks visiting other parts of Spain such as Valencia which is famous for its delicious paella. The students did a bike tour of the city, Granada, where they watched a flamenco performance in a building constructed inside a cave and visited the amazing Alhambra palace in Seville, where they had a horse and carriage ride around the city and visited a number of buildings of significance such as the bullring and its museum. Another highlight was the cathedral and palace in Cordoba, where students marvelled at the beautiful ancient mosque turned cathedral. Lastly, in Barcelona, the magnificent capital city of Catalonia, students took part in a scavenger hunt around the city, cooked paella and took in the breathtaking Spanish gothic, modernist and Art Nouveau architecture such as Antoni Gaudi's Sagrada Familia.
The 2024 Macleans College Spanish trip was an enriching and memorable trip, with students making the most of every experience. The students’ understanding of Spanish culture and history was greatly enhanced through participating in daily life in Spain, partaking in the cooking and eating of Spanish food and visiting many places of cultural and historical significance. Students also came away with greater confidence in communicating in Spanish as well as appreciation for the merits of learning another language.
