Park School 2022 Spain

May 21, 2022

What a awesome group! The Spain students had a long 24 hours of travel, with an extra 9 hours in the Madrid airport and a bus ride to Granada. We couldn’t have asked for a better cohort. they rolled with the changes and proved to be excellent travel companions, displaying maturity, flexibility and a great sense of humor – above and beyond what we could have asked.

We’ve finally made it to Granada, had showers, dinner, and are headed to bed. We are looking forward to our first full day in Spain tomorrow. Highlights are sure to include community service work at The Foundation (http://escuelasolidaridad.org) and flamenco dancing lessons!

As many of you know, we did allow the students to use the Wi-Fi at the airport. Their access to Wi-Fi will be more limited this week.

May 22, 2022

Today we went to the Foundation (FES). We split into groups; some of us made a mosaic, while others did ceramics, print-making, and work in the vegetable garden. Later, we walked through the Albaicín neighborhood to a restaurant where we took a flamenco dance class. David and Ms. Sommers slayed the floor! Next, we walked to a lookout point for a view of Alhambra and then headed back to the restaurant to watch a flamenco show and have dinner. After, we walked home – the teachers let the students guide the way using a map, so it was a bit longer of a walk than the way there!

-Kasen, Sofia, David, & Dylan

P.S. Today was much better than yesterday! Spending 9 hours in the airport wasn’t very fun!

May 23, 2022
We began the day with a visit to the Alhambra. It was designed immaculately and decorated with extreme precision. During our tour, we learned about the unique methods of architecture and saw amazing views of Granada from atop the tower. After our visit, we ate lunch at an organization affiliated with the Foundation, which we visited yesterday. We helped out with cleaning dishes, organizing clothing racks, and doing arts and crafts. We ended our day at a Moroccan restaurant where we ate delicious food, with the fan favorite being baba ganoush. Overall it was a fantastic day, and we became closer as a group!

– Joaquin, Dylan & Michael

May 24, 2022
This morning we said goodbye to Granada with a final buffet breakfast before driving two hours to Córdoba. We spent the morning exploring the Museo Vivo de al-Andalus and the Mezquita. At the museum, we did a scavenger hunt to learn more about the Muslim, Christian, and Jewish history of the region. At the Mezquita, we saw a “mezcla” (mix/blending) of Islamic and Christian art and architectural styles. We ended our time in Córdoba by enjoying a nice lunch and then headed off to Sevilla.

Once we arrived in Sevilla, we split into smaller groups and enjoyed different types of cuisine for dinner. We ended our day with a sunset visit to the beautiful Plaza de España. Overall, today was a fun day with lots of learning.

-Audrey, Louisa, & Jayda

May 25, 2022

We started the day off visiting a ceramic shop in Triana, a section of the city known for its ceramic work. We then headed to a local food market where we were given a tour and learned about various products common in different regions of Spain. After, we went to a cooking class within the market, where we made gazpacho and paella, which was delicious! We took a small siesta after lunch and then toured the Alcázar Palace, where our guide taught us more about Spanish history. We then enjoyed some helado all together before splitting into smaller groups to explore the city a bit more. We all met up again for our final dinner in Sevilla. We can’t wait for tomorrow!

-Emery, Leilah, Matty, & Mia

May 26, 2022

We had a fantastic last day in Spain! In the morning, we all tested negative for COVID! Then we visited the Catedral de Sevilla and climbed the 34 ramps of the Giralda tower to see some beautiful views of the city. Then we spent a little time in the Parque de María Luisa before having a big lunch outdoors.

After that, we boarded the bus and headed to Málaga. We had an amazing dinner at our favorite restaurant of the trip, and then we walked along the Paseo del Muelle Uno, which is along the port of Málaga. Now we have just finished our final evening meeting, and it’s quite late, so Ms. Come is writing tonight’s blogpost so we can get to bed! Very early wake-up tomorrow to head to the airport for our flights home. We will miss Spain and especially our Global Works leaders, Teresa and Fabricio, who have been phenomenal!!!

Looking forward to seeing you all at Logan tomorrow!

-Ms. Come