Madrid and Andalucía, Spring Break 2018
Spring Break in Spain
This 2018 trip was my first trip with Education First (EF), so I was fairly excited! Our original itinerary was Madrid and Barcelona. However, during that time, there were protests happening in Catalonia so our itinerary was changed to Madrid and Andalucía, which is the southern part of Spain. At first, we were disappointed, but after the trip, we were glad it changed, because we got to watch Flamenco in a cave, visit the Alhambra, and experienced spring in the Mediterranean.
Oh, and we heard the word 'vale' at least five hundred times a day, no exaggeration!
Meet the Travelers
On the foreground is me! This photo was taken at the Atlanta airport during our layover from Jacksonville to Paris.
Clockwise from me: Christopher. His balls turned purple in Marbella!; Nicholas. He almost got married to a girl from Ohio; Jen, Nick's mom, she was basically the adult of the trip; Ruby, Jen's mom (Nick's grandma), she's hiding behind Bayli's head; and Bayli, who was faithful to her stateside boyfriend the whole trip!
Stopover in Paris
We got to see Paris for a little bit and it didn't disappoint. The Eiffel tower was everywhere, and we even saw a guy just straight up eating a baguette.
Day 4: Toledo
We took a day trip to Toledo, which is about 45 minutes south of Madrid. This city is known for its damasquinas, metal work that includes blades, jewelry, and tools.
Days 1-3: Madrid
Madrid was such a lovely city, full of culture. We took the subway for the first time, and none of us were pick-pocketed, so that was a plus. Highlights of the city includes:
The Palacio Real - The official residence of the King of Spain. It has over 2,700 rooms!
The Prado Museum - The national museum of Spain. Las Meninas by Diego Velázquez is here. There is also a copy of the Mona Lisa, which is thought to be painted by a student of Da Vinci. Can you see how different it is from Da Vinci's version?
La Puerta del Sol - The main square of Madrid. Many street performs are found here, along with restaurants and shops.
The cathedral of Toledo was such a sight to behold. Words cannot replace the experience so I highly recommend making a stop there if you're every in Spain!
Day 5: Granada
We visited Granada, the city where Alhambra resides. Alhambra is a fortress and palace and is one of the most famous examples of Islamic architecture.
Day 6: Segovia
Segovia is famous for its suckling pig - there were statues of them everywhere! We got to try the suckling pig dish, and it was quite tasty. Segovia is also famous for its aqueducts, which the Romans used to transport water in ancient times.
Day 7: Marbella, Costa del Sol
Spring in the Mediterranean smelled of orange blossoms and sea air! Some of my students went for a swim in the ocean, but it was too cold for me, so I sequestered myself to the coast.
Have you had tiny fish eat your dead feet skin cells?
Unscheduled activities are the best! After getting ice cream, we found this place where you soak your feet in a tub of water and tiny fish cleaned your feet by eating the dead skin cells. My feet definitely felt smoother after that!
Day 8: Palm Sunday in Sevilla
They are not the KKK! We actually had a completely different plan for this day, but since it was such a coincidence that were were in Sevilla during Palm Sunday, we got to see the procession of penitents and everything that the festival had to offer.
Pitstop: Consuegra
We made a stop at the town of Consuegra, where the famed Don Quixote took place. We even got to see the windmills mentioned in the books!
Day 9: Flamenco
The show we watched was in a cave, so we were so close to the dancers. Apparently, this was the same show that Michelle Obama watched when she visited Spain. Highly recommended!
Day 10: Córdoba
The Islamic architecture is prevalent in this city! On the way to Córdoba, we passed by at least one million olive trees.
These boys were from Ohio and they hung out with us for a day!
Day 11: Let's go home!
All good things must come to an end. This was definitely a trip of a lifetime and we learned so much about Spain. My favorite part were the museums and cathedrals, and our late night trips to fast food restaurants!
If you plan on going to Spain, I would definitely recommend the following:
Try the chocolate con churro, a traditional snack in Madrid.
Try the paella, a traditional Catalonian dish.
Visit the Prado Museum.
Take the metro (subway) at least once! It's very clean and safe.
Say 'vale'!
¡Hasta la próxima, Espana!
