The Park School Spain 2024

May 18, 2024

Yesterday afternoon around 5:00 pm students from the Spanish and Latin trips boarded a flight to Dublin for just under 6 hours. After arriving in Dublin, we parted ways with the Latin group and boarded the plane for a 2.5 hour flight to Málaga. We got our bags and met our Global Works leaders, Carlos and Teresa. We then went to a restaurant on the beach for lunch and took some fun pictures. On the bus ride to Granada, many students who had not been able to sleep on the plane decided to get their rest. We arrived in Granada and got refreshed at the hotel before heading out to the Festival de Arte put on by the Fundación. It was around a 15 minute walk, with pleasant breezes and time to bond with community members. Once we arrived at the plaza, we joined a group of spectators who watched as several performers on top of stilts danced. There were people wearing cardboard hats representing the five senses, two women who performed a dance, and a person on a unicycle. The performance was very unique and was a great way to spend time before eating dinner. For dinner we went to a spot called Sancho Casual Burger, which was a perfect way to end the night before going to bed. We are all exhausted and can’t wait to get a good night’s sleep so we’re ready for tomorrow’s adventures!

By Lukas, Ollie, Dash, & Edward

May 19, 2024

Today we ate breakfast in the hotel, and then we were off to start our day. We started the day by going to the Foundation and playing some games to learn the core values that we would need for our work later that day. We also made lists of what values and goals we had for our trip and read them out loud. It was so much fun to be with our friends in the sun. Next we went to the Foundation where we started off with a tour. We were all super impressed by the facility and the number of people staying there from all different parts of the world.

We finished the tour, did some small art projects, ate, watched a performance, and headed off to our flamenco dancing class. The dance class was hilarious, exciting, and informal. It couldn’t have been better. Then we walked around Granada, enjoyed some helado, saw some amazing views of the Alhambra and the city, and bought a few souvenirs. Then we had our nightly meeting led by the leaders of the day. Finally, we went to dinner in Granada and had the opportunity to watch a professional flamenco performance.

By Ellen, Lizzie, & Addie

May 20, 2024

Today, we started with breakfast at 8:30, and soon got ready to leave for the Alhambra, the home of the former rulers of Granada. After a 15 minute bus ride, we arrived at this amazing site, and split into two tour groups, with our two wonderful tour guides. We visited the castle, grounds, and gardens of both the Alhambra, the regular home, and the Generalife, the summer palace. We learned a lot of about the former rulers and the history of Granada. The gardens, architecture, and incredible setting were stunning, and it was clear that the detail and infrastructure were very advanced for the time.

Once the tour concluded, we walked into Granada, to Casa Kuna (the second hand store run by the FES). There, we had a make-your-own sandwich lunch and helped to organize the store. We met a lot of very nice people who worked with FES and learned more about the organization. Then, we headed back to the hotel for some downtime during the hottest hours of the day, before leaving for some shopping at 6. There, we split up into three groups depending on our shopping interests, and went to find what we were looking for. The area we shopped in, Calle Elvira, had a lot of Moroccan items. At around 8, we headed to dinner in beautiful Moroccan restaurant with delicious food, where they paid a lot of attention to all of our allergies and dietary restrictions, and then walked back to the hotel to go to bed.

By Alice, Lyra, & Lila

May 21, 2024

Today, we had breakfast at our hotel, and then said goodbye to Granada to head to Córdoba. There, we visited the Mezquita de Córdoba and then ate tapas for lunch! We had a little time before and after lunch to play in a park.
Then we visited the Synagogue. Next we hopped back on the bus to Sevilla, and explored the Plaza de España. Finally we ended our evening with a delicious dinner at an Italian restaurant. Now back to the hotel for a good night’s sleep!

By Sylvie, Sarah-Alysse, Arii, & Max

May 22, 2024

We woke up in Sevilla and had breakfast at Hotel Simón. Then, we left for Triana, a small neighborhood in Sevilla, where we toured the local market. We learned that almost three hundred flowers containing saffron have to be harvested by hand for one gram of saffron, pigs that are raised for jamón ibérico have to have one acre of land covered in oak trees so they only eat acorns, and that paprika peppers have to be smoked while hanging one floor above a floor covered in wood fire to help the smoke enhance the flavor. After our tour of the market, we went to a cooking class nearby where we cooked paella and gazpacho. First we chopped up vegetables including green beans, bell peppers, and tomatoes, minced garlic, and sliced onions to put into both the gazpacho and the paella after adding oil to the pan. We cut up the chicken for the paella and poured it into the pan. Then, we put in some paprika and more oil before mixing all of it around. For the gazpacho, we grated tomatoes, placing the skin into the soup and then poured in some cucumbers and blended it all. After everything finished cooking, we drank the gazpacho and most people tried it and reactions were mixed. We then ate the paella and it was a hit for everyone. The texture and flavors were incredible, especially considering that we made it ourselves. On our way back to the hotel, we stopped at the market to buy assorted goods. We then went to the hotel for our hour of rest, replenishing everyone’s energy for the last few hours of the day. After our short rest, we went to the Alcázar with a tour guide. We toured all of the rooms of the palace, learning how King Pedro built the palace and the political world at the time. We toured the trade room and the gardens. Then, we saw some peacocks and toured the Jewish neighborhood near the Alcázar. After that, we went back to the hotel and had a small break before we all went to Las Setas. Everyone walked through the city and saw Las Setas, the largest wooden structure in the world. Many photos and videos were taken and everyone, despite fatigue, decided to come despite the lack of a requirement and loved it. Then we went to dinner where we had tapas. After dinner, we enjoyed some helado and then walked back to our hotel for sleep.

By Denis, Daniel, Nicholas, & Jonathan

May 23, 2024

Today we got to sleep in a little late at Hotel Simón. We started the day by packing for Málaga, then headed to La Catedral and La Giralda. We climbed up the 34 ramps of the Giralda and saw the amazing views of the city from the bell tower. At 11:15 we heard one bell, and at 11:30 we heard two bells. We also explored the cathedral and saw the tomb of Christopher Columbus. When the excursion to La Catedral and La Giralda ended, we went shopping at the market for food for a picnic. After getting lots of different foods for everyone, we set up next to the Guadalquivir River to eat. Everyone ate really well! Then we rushed back to the hotel to get our bags and board the bus on time for Málaga.

After a restful 2 hour bus ride, we arrived in Málaga. We checked into our hotel and then headed out to see a bit of the downtown and do some last minute shopping. Then we enjoyed an outdoor dinner at Vino Mío. After our meal, we did our last evening circle and reflected on the trip. Then we walked along the water a bit, took some final photos, and headed back to the hotel to rest up before our journey home tomorrow!

By Aidan, Dash, Xavier, Edward