On Friday 23rd March, some of us rolled out of bed in the early hours of the morning, perhaps sleepy from having been awakened so early, but all very excited. We were excited to go to Granada, where we would experience a week living with a host family, giving us a great opportunity to practice and improve our Spanish and experience many unique and fun cultural activities which were sure to leave us with great memories, and a souvenir or two.
Firstly, we were taken to have churros, which are a kind of fried dough pastry, traditionally dipped in thick hot chocolate. It was simply delectable and it was one of my most vivid memories of the trip, just because of the amazing taste alone! We spent each morning in the language school in intensive Spanish lessons where we could put into context the things we had seen the day before and learn new language. We would then put this into practice during the afternoons’ activities and when speaking to our host families.
The next day was one of the highlights of the trip. We visited the sprawling Alhambra, an Arabic palace situated on a mountain top. We spent a good few hours in awe of the masterful decorative details, amazed by the scale of the palace and enjoying the peaceful gardens. What an architectural wonder! Of course, such an amazing piece of architecture provided ample opportunity for photography, and so camera clicks could be heard around every corner and amongst the orange trees in the gardens. There were so many unique things to see that I do not think it would be possible to pick a favourite! Of course, one of the highlights was definitely the Court of the Lions, at whose center stood a fountain ringed by twelve stone lions. All in all, this was definitely one of the most memorable experiences of the trip, and I think I speak for everyone when I say that we would recommend this as a holiday destination in Spain.
Another day full of highlights was in store on the Monday of the trip. After lunch, we went to the Hammam (Arabic baths) and took some time to unwind there, relaxing in the warm pools of the baths. A few of us also took the time to have some lovely floral tea and chat for a while. The atmosphere was very tranquil and it was lovely to spend an afternoon just relaxing. Following this, we had a cookery lesson where we made some delicious paella as a group effort, which made for a very satisfying meal with an appetizing aroma and so we all went back to our host families fulfilled.
The last - (though by no means the least) - highlight was on the last day, on which we had vibrant sunshine and a blue sky. It was warm and so it was lovely to head to Nerja Beach. We spent the day enjoying the pleasant weather, sunbathing or taking a stroll across the beach. Some of us even had an afternoon siesta in the sun, or cooled off by dipping our feet in the refreshing seawater. The favorable weather meant that the scenery was very photogenic, creating a great opportunity to add to an already bulging photo album full of pictures taken throughout the trip.
Having done all of this, we said thank you to our host families and Spanish teachers and finally headed home on the plane, disappointed that the trip had come to an end so soon since the week flew by in what seemed like moments!
Julia, Year 10
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