Markets, Metros and Miró

Thanks to Señora Martinez-Gran’s Catalan upbringing; Ms Cossey’s travel experiences; Mrs Hughes’ calm coordination; and Ms Wilson’s artistic expertise, we were given the most incredible representation of this historic place.

Staying at a youth hostel certainly had its perks, despite the early mornings, sharing the space with similar young travellers added to the sense of adventure. We were given lots of free time and independence to explore the many shops and markets dotted around town. Our personal favourite, La Boquería, located on Las Ramblas, had a range of fresh jugos (juices) and carne (meat). Along our trip, we saw the famous Barcelona landmark, La Sagrada Familia, which is an indescribably beautiful church, where we learnt its history, understood its religious importance and last but not least – went to the gift shop!

Not only did we fully immerse into the rich Spanish culture and the fascinating landmarks, but we also spent a day experiencing iconic Catalan and Spanish artwork. Lead by Ms Wilson, we visited the Miró Art Foundation and uncovered the thought-provoking pieces from the 1910’s onwards. During our visit, we created our own mini art books filled with sketches inspired by his pieces. The other gallery (MACBA) took a more modern approach to art, with influences from different times and artists. Our personal favourite was the vivid take on 1960s society.

A trip to Barcelona can’t be complete without seeing the deep blue Balearic Sea which hugs the east coast of Spain. The warm golden rays, the faint crashing of the waves and the melody of buskers along the coast created a calm relaxing breather within our action-packed trip.

Along with sightseeing, we got to appreciate exotic aquatic life in the Barcelona Aquarium and enriched our Spanish vocabulary with unique animal descriptions and names. To get from place to place we took the Metro, yes, 30 students all using the Metro at the same time! Surprisingly, it went smoothly with only a few hiccups along the way thanks to the amazing teachers who coordinated and planned everything to a T. One of the destinations we arrived at was the old port, which was redone as a contemporary shopping centre, which of course was a fun morning’s activity, especially with the oceanic views that surrounded the place. We were fortunate enough to have an authentic tapas meal on Las Ramblas where we dined on an array of patatas bravas, tortilla and jamón. It was an excellent experience of Spain’s fascinating culture. The iconic Parque Güell showed the stunning views of Barcelona and Gaudi’s unique designs. The 12 hectares of rich greenery and art concluded our unbelievable trip.

Now all we had to do was get the flight home, easy right? Well...a delayed flight and several taxis and hotel rooms later we managed to return to England: safe, sound and worn out. Once again, thank you to all the staff involved who made this trip unforgettable.