Lower V 
On the first day of our trip to El Puerto de Santa Maria we started the day with a short walk down to the school and enjoyed meeting our teachers. We learnt about tiempo libre, ropa and direciones, as well as singing a Spanish song. This included a break where we got to explore the street’s shops and have snacks.

We made our way back to the hotel to eat a buffet style lunch. Then some of us went for a swim in the hotel’s pool and sunbathed on the sun-beds, hizo muy buen tiempo!

Afterwards we walked down to the beach, stopping for ice cream on the way. We enjoyed more sunbathing and paddling in the sea despite the light Levante breeze.

We then visited la Iglesia and la Plaza de Toros followed by a fun gymkhana (a treasure hunt) which involved practising our Spanish speaking.

Once we got back to the hotel we showered and got ready for dinner. Everyone was dressed up and was wearing dresses and smart outfits. We made our way to Toro Tapas, which is part of the Osborne bodega, and enjoyed an amazing meal which consisted of three courses. The first course was either corvina croquettes and pastries or vegetables tempura and potato salad. The second course consisted of either crispy chicken or merluza or a tofu burger all with a side of chips as well as a salad. The final course was either chocolate ice cream or banana slices.

Overall it was a really fun day and we enjoyed the evening at Toro Tapas! By Emily and Sukhmani.

Lower VI Trip to Cadiz 
After eating a traditional breakfast with our host families, we went to Trinity school and met Loli, our teacher. 

We played some local games and practised our aural skills before taking a (quite rocky) Catamaran across to Cadiz. 

Loli gave us a tour of Cadiz, including the Roman amphitheatre, cathedral and old entry points, and told us about all the history and legends of the city, before we had ice cream and a few hours of free time to go shopping.

Next, we did a gymkhana (a kind of treasure hunt for knowledge), so we could practise our Spanish speaking to the locals. 

Finally, we went back to our host families for dinner – Kate and I were lucky enough to get homemade paella! By Isabelle and Kate

Student stories:
On Wednesday we went to Seville. We had a radio tour of the key landmarks in Seville and learnt about the history of each site. We saw monuments including la Plaza de América, la Plaza de España and el Parque de María Luisa. Everyone was mesmerised by the beautiful gardens. During our free time we walked around the city and visited many shops which gave us the opportunity to practise our Spanish and improve our linguistic skills, whilst having a great experience of the culture in Sevilla. By Juliette, Ophelia, Jasmin, Radha and Suhani.

Student stories: LVI day out to Seville
On Wednesday, we travelled to Seville by coach, which took around an hour and a half. Once we arrived, first, we were guided through the parque de Maria Luisa by our teacher, Loli. We walked through the gardens, which were full of really beautiful flowers, plants and pavilions, and Loli told us about a prince of Spain who proposed to his cousin in the place we were standing. The gardens were huge and, even though the temperature had surpassed 30 degrees, we really enjoyed exploring them and learning the history of the area. Next we entered the building, which was massive with immensely high ceilings, and a beautiful view of the gardens. We also saw the crest of every province of Spain around the outside, and Sra Trujillo took a photo in front of la Canarias. 

After a quick lunch, we visited the Real Alcázares, a building built in the 10th century during the time in which Spain was under Arabic rule, hence with a lot of Arabic influence in the architecture. The building was very intricate with lots of continued patterns and designs, and Loli explained the hidden dolls which were dotted around one of the rooms. Afterwards, we climbed 36 flights to the top of the Cathedral Heralda, where we saw a beautiful view of the whole city, with the bullfighting ring in sight. Finally, we had some free time where we were allowed look around the shops in central Seville, and try some ice cream before heading back on the coach.

Overall, I really enjoyed the day as we had the opportunity to learn so much about each of the buildings we visited, and, although the weather was very warm, I had a great time looking at the beautiful monuments and gaining a fuller understanding on this element of Spanish culture! By Ella.

Student stories:
Thursday morning we had a wonderful breakfast at our hotel which was followed by some exciting language lessons in which we were able to explore the beautiful town of el Puerto de Santa Maria. We found it particularly rewarding in having the opportunity to converse with the locals in Spanish, picking up many interesting phrases ourselves.

We then walked to the port and boarded a Catamaran which took us straight to Cadiz. There, we went on a guided tour and were able to see some intriguing cultural monuments like the roman theatre (Teatro Romano de Cadiz). We explored the plaza and then were treated to some delicious ice cream – which was much needed in the hot weather!

Finally, we were given the chance to look around the ‘tiendas’ ourselves, with many of us buying souvenirs to remember our wonderful trip to Cadiz! We have had a lovely day and now have many amazing memories to hold on to. By Zara and Kashvi.

Student stories: Our last day in Puerto Santa Maria, Lower VI
We started off the day walking around Puerto de Santa María as part of a school activity. We learnt more about the different types of shops and what they sell by asking the locals some questions such as the cost of food and some Spanish idioms. After walking around in the heat, we sat down in a cafe to eat churros con chocolate, it was delicious. We headed home for lunch and to get ready for the beach! We spent a couple of hours at the beach for a well needed relax then we headed back to get ready for Tapas. We ate at a restaurant by the river with amazing food and exciting conversations. It was an amazing final day in Cadiz! By Anu, Nikki, and Csenge.