Park School Spain 2023

May 19-20, 2023
It was a long trip from Larz Anderson to the Occidental Hotel in Granada, but we made it! After an easy connection in Dublin we met our group leaders, Lauren and Carlos, in Malaga and took the bus to Granada. Most of us were able to sleep on the bus! After arriving at the hotel, we had a buffet lunch (that included pasta and hamburgers!) and an hour of down time. We then went to Federico García Lorca park where Lauren and Carlos formally welcomed us to Spain and led us through norm/goal setting activities. We then visited La Fundación, had dinner, and heard stories from some of the residents. We’re excited to come back and do our service project tomorrow!

-Nick Y.

May 21, 2023

This morning we woke up at 7:45, ate a delicious breakfast at the hotel, and headed to la Fundación. We split into groups and did service work while learning about life there. We baked bread, took photos, painted, did ceramics, made marmalade, and more! We ate a great lunch that was prepared by the residents. We had an hour of downtime, then headed off to a flamenco class. After, we walked to the Mezquita de Granada to see an incredible view of the Alhambra palace. We took lots of photos and explored the Mirador San Nicolás. We then headed to dinner and enjoyed an amazing professional flamenco show before returning to the hotel. All in all a very fun day in Granada!

-Nicole & Oskar

May 22, 2023

This morning we had a buffet breakfast and then went to the Alhambra. We took pictures of the flowers, the palace, and the view. We LOVED the view! There were also fountains with water flowing all through the Alhambra. Our tour guide, Juan, was very nice and taught us the history of the Alhambra. We learned about the sultans and the way the whole thing was built around different uses of water. We then went to Casa Kuna, a store operated by the Foundation. At Casa Kuna we had Arepas con carne, queso, y verduras for lunch. We helped sort jewelry and donated clothes, helped clean up, and took photos. A few of us got to learn photography from one of the Foundation’s residents, Fernanda. We then walked home in the rain and had a two hour siesta. Finally, we walked to dinner and had delicious soup and cous cous at a Moroccan restaurant.

-Haylee, Tyler, and Kate

May 23, 2023

Feliz cumpleaños, JJ, and adiós, Granada! Today, we woke up bright and early to board… the wrong bus… whoops! But we got everything figured out and headed to Córdoba. We explored the Gran Mezquita and then visited a synagogue and did some wandering and shopping before our lunch in the center of town. We then boarded the (right!) bus to Sevilla. We walked through the tiny streets to arrive at our hotel and get ready for dinner. We had Italian – our choice. At the end of the meal, we sang to JJ, watched him blow out his candles, and enjoyed some birthday cake. After, some of us went for some helado (a second dessert!), while others visited the famous “Setas de Sevilla” and marveled at the views from up top. It was a fun day and great to celebrate JJ. We can’t wait for tomorrow!

-Ella and Lila (with some minor additions by Ms. Come)

May 24, 2023

This morning after breakfast at the hotel, we headed out for a lovely walk along the Guadalquivir river before visiting the Mercado de Triana. We had a tour of the market and learned about many of the different foods sold there, particularly Spanish ham, cheese, and olives. After, we took a cooking class and learned how to make gazpacho and paella. When we were done cooking, we got to eat what we had made for lunch, and it was delicious! Mr. Young described the gazpacho as “a walk through Spain on a nice summer’s day when it’s not too cool and not too hot”.
After eating, we went back through the market to buy some treats and then walked along the river again, stopping to take a photo in front of the Torre del Oro. We took a little siesta at the hotel and then met our guide for a tour of the historic city center, the old Jewish neighborhood, and the Alcázar palace. We learned about the history of the city and what life was like at the time the palace was built.
We refueled with ice cream and other treats and then had some free time for shopping. Finally, we enjoyed a dinner of tapas at a restaurant right near our hotel. Now, time to pack (and sleep!) because we have a full morning in Sevilla tomorrow before we head to Málaga in the afternoon!

-Kaia, Orly, & Elizabeth

May 25, 2023

We started our last day in Spain in Sevilla. After breakfast, we visited the Plaza de España and then the Catedral de Sevilla, where we all climbed the 34 ramps to the top of the Giralda tower. Then we did some last-minute shopping – some of us visited a handcrafted jewelry market, and others went to the Sevilla Football Club store. We had lunch followed by some helado and grabbed our bags from the hotel. It has been a very busy week, so many of us took a siesta on the bus ride to Málaga. Tonight, we had our final dinner outdoors at Vino Mío, a restaurant in the center of Málaga. The food was great, and we took lots of photos! We ended our night with a walk along the water. Now it’s late, and we have a big travel day tomorrow, so time to get to bed. See you tomorrow at Logan!

-Anaaya & Mariamawit