Last Post...see it all. A trip of a lifetime!

Day 6- The Royal Palace and Flamenco

Today was an amazing last day.

After enjoying a delicious breakfast, we rode a cable car over the city into Casa de Campo, the huge park behind the palace that used to be the royal hunting grounds.  It now houses the Madrid zoo and aquarium, amusement park, camping areas and playgrounds.

We toured the royal palace where every room was intricately decorated and absolutely beautiful. Afterwards, we ate lunch at the market where there was a wide variety of fresh food.

This evening, we attended a Flamenco show and dinner. It was a great way to spend our last night absorbed in the culture of Spain.

This trip was amazing. Everyone absorbed the Spanish culture and everyone had a great time!

Adios España!  posted by Kayla Howell and Liesl Eschbach

Day 5- A Day at the Museums

Today has been a very busy day! We went out to breakfast and after headed to the famous Prado art museum. In the museum were several masterpieces including the famous "Las Meninas". After spending two hours in the Prado museum we ventured to the Reina Sophia modern art museum. We all were fascinated by the original works of Picasso and the role he played in informing the world about the Spanish Civil War. We then walked through the famous "Parque Del Retiro". Everyone was tired but the park was beautiful as the sun was beginning to set. We ended the day with an extraordinary dinner with our friends from Madrid Sacred Heart and our fellow Bloomfield Hills Sacred Heart student Molly Lynch who just arrived in Madrid for student exchange.
                                                                           by Samantha Yee and Teresa Walawander

Day 4 Avila and Segovia

Day 4: Avila and Segovia

On day four we started our morning with a long bus ride to the walled city of Avila, Spain where we visited the many Romanesque style churches as well as passed by the fortified cathedral of the XII century. Arriving in Avila, we woke up from our bus ride siestas to see snow capped mountains and the beautiful 2500 meter wall of the city and its 90 towers. In Avila, we visited la iglesia de "La Santa" or the church of the Saint where we learned about the life of Saint Teresa, a great mystic woman of the Catholic Church.

After our trip to Avila, we hopped back onto our bus and drove one hour to Segovia. The view of the the Roman Aqueducts was our first main attraction we saw.

After having our delicious lunch at a local Segovia restaurant, we visited the medieval Segovia Cathedral where we learned about the history of masses during the medieval Spanish era.

In this breathtaking cathedral we also saw the very intricate carving of Jesus after he was taken down from the cross. The powerful and moving sculpture, we learned, is paraded through town on Good Friday every year.

After visiting the Cathedral, we made our way to the Alcazar castle. We walked into red velvet-walled rooms with incredible tapestries hanging from each wall. The original bedding and furniture as well as the amazing view from the windows took everyone’s breath away as well as provided us with great photo opportunities.

Yours Truly,

Monika Ferris and Andrea Kchikian

Day 3 - El Escorial and Toledo

Today we visited excellent sights including El Escorial, the Basilica underneath the Valley of the Fallen, and the town of Toledo. The Basilica at El Escorial held many tombs of Spanish royals. Every detail had meaning and the architecture was amazing. The Basilica was built into the side of the mountain underneath the 150 meter cross. Though it was incredibly windy, we stayed outside of the basilica to take advantage of the photo ops of the beautiful scenery. The town of Toledo was rich with history and was once the capital of Spain! It was a cute little European town with cobblestone streets and friendly shop owners. The town held famous works by El Greco and interesting architecture.We ended the day with Goal 6 and ate some amazing tapas at a small restaurant near our apartment!

The Basilica at El Escorial

The Cross above the Valley of the Fallen

Church in Toledo

River surrounding Toledo

Spanish Grilled Vegetables 

Day 2 - Visit to our Sacred Heart School in Madrid!

Today was very exciting! We visited our Sacred Heart school here in Madrid. They spoke exceptional English and were very friendly. They wanted to know if our lives were anything like the movies they've seen about Americans. They thought we looked fairly young for our ages compared to them.

We arrived at the school around 10 a.m. and we sat in on 4 of their classes. We found it strange that instead of moving from class to class, they stayed in their classroom and their teachers were the ones that moved from class to class. At the end of the day we participated in a conversational English / Spanish exercise with students.  The teachers  gave us a list of conversation topics, but soon we were discussing many issues important to teenagers in both of our countries.

After the school day ended, we went to lunch with a group of 20 students. We were very happy that they were eager to spend more time with us. We ate lunch and many of them stayed a while after just to talk with us. 

By the end of the visit, many of them were very interested in the exchange program and even more were interested in visiting the USA. We had a great time hanging out with them and hope to keep in contact with them.

English teachers (Chelo and Marta) who organized our visit.

Day 1 - We arrive in Madrid

When we got off the airplane today and arrived in Madrid, we were all quite exhausted. There was only one thing on our minds: sleep. Yet when we arrived at the condo we were taken aback by the beautiful scenery around us and the excitement began. While waiting to check in to the condo, we had a lovely Spanish breakfast comprised of the best tasting hot chocolate, famous ham, churros, and more. After walking the cobblestone streets of downtown Madrid, we embarked on a bus tour of the city. For dinner we tried the traditional Paella and it did not disappoint. Tonight we plan on watching the rivalry game between Real Madrid and Barcelona, and finally getting the rest we need.

Princeton basketball team

Alcala

Cafe near condo

This region is known for its cured hams 

Paella