Madrid 2024
An update by Mr Guaje:
Our school trip to the cities of Madrid, Toledo and Segovia from 8 February to 11 February 2024 was amazing!
An enthusiastic group of 46 students of Spanish students from Years 9, 10 and 11 set off for Spain and they had an unforgettable time. They managed an average of 20,000 steps a day, from Thursday to Sunday, as they explored three amazing Spanish ancient cities. This trip helped them to improve their Spanish and to appreciate the local food, history, scenery and culture.
Mornings started with a lovely Spanish buffet breakfast, followed by excursions and activities in the city centre. They then enjoyed a packed lunch while relaxing in the park or town square before continuing with their exploration of the city. For dinner, students had an open buffet booking in popular restaurants in the centre of Madrid. They could eat as much as they liked and most certainly took advantage of that having generous dinners and mountains of ice cream for dessert.
During their outings, on Friday, students had opportunities to appreciate the ancient architecture of Toledo, a city that is known for being an early example of a successful multicultural society. Students were amazed at the beautiful Jewish, Moorish and Christian architectural influences that have been carefully preserved.
On Saturday, students were able to appreciate the impressive dimensions and admirable precision that characterise the Roman Aqueduct of Segovia and many other of the remaining Roman structures in the city. They also visited one of the oldest synagogues in Europe and one of the most magnificent fortified buildings, which is thought to have inspired the design of the iconic Disney castle.
Throughout their adventure, the city of Madrid was their base. Students stayed in a trendy hotel in the city centre. They walked up and down the historical centre of Madrid and they visited most of the famous landmarks. They particularly enjoyed the Plaza Mayor and La Latina. One of their Madrid highlights was the most important bullfighting arena and museum. Some students also had a go at practicing their bullfighting skills with a virtual simulator. This was followed by interesting discussions on the contrasting views on the topic of bullfighting and cultural heritage that are currently held in modern Spain.
We are extremely happy that parents and students were so positive about the experience:
“My daughter had a wonderful time. We’ve seen the pics and the places they visited look beautiful.”
“Thank you for giving my daughter this opportunity to travel away from home and sightsee Spain with friends.”
"He had a wonderful experience… He has been telling us all about it. When is the next trip to Spain again?."
We would like to thank all participating students, parents/carers and the accompanying teachers for making such an amazing trip possible.
Madrid Trip, February 2024
