Tunas at the Final Party

We want to thank everyone for making this year's trip to Spain such a wonderful experience. Hopefully, you are all back home safe and sound - feel free to send an email letting us know you arrived :) Here are some pics from our final chocolate con churros get together.

All together now - tunas included

Churros!

Cameron with the tunas

Zipping Through the Trees

By the lighthouse to the north of the city center is a ropes and zip-line course. Yesterday, the group spent the afternoon there zipping through the air.

Learning the ropes

Oliver in the trees

Dancing Sevillanas

In addition to studying Spanish, the group has been learning to dance Sevillanas - a type of flamenco - after school ends on Tuesdays and Thursdays. They are quite talented, as you can see in the video below.

Altamira, Santillana del Mar and Comillas

On Sunday, the group travelled some 20,000 years back in time. Not only did we analyze the cave paintings, but the student went hunting for deer and bison using paleolithic technology. Afterwards, we wandered the cozy streets of Santillana del Mar to admire the impressive sandstone palaces the nobles built for themselves throughout the sixteenth, seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. We ended the day in Comillas, enjoying Gaudi, the seaside and churros con chocolate.

In Altamira

Hunting for lunch in Altamira

This could take a while

Finally, lunch is served

In Santillana

In Comillas

The Peaks of Europe and Potes

Today, the group visited the village of Potes, which is tucked into the Peaks of Europe. Potes became famous in the ninth and ten centuries for the illustrated religious texts its monks produced. Nearby is the monastery of Santo Toribio de Liebana where we stopped to see its large fragment of the True Cross. Santo Toribio is one of the most important Roman Catholic pilgrimage sites in the world.

Outside Santo Toribio

Having lunch in front of the 15th century guard tower in Potes

In Potes

At the top of Cantabria, the Peaks of Europe

Ice Cream and Potter

On Thursday we met for ice cream at the Regma stand in the Sardinero. Regma is a local institution and the lines wind their way down the boardwalk at all hours of the day.

Ice cream by the sea

More "helado"

Nick seems to like Spanish ice cream

Friday was the world opening of the final Harry Potter movie. The group took a trip to the cinema and watched Potter speak Spanish.

Off to see Harry Potter y Las Reliquias de la Muerte

The Rain Rain Went Away

Tuesday was wet, but the sun came out this afternoon and it seemed the entire city gathered in the Sardinero area to celebrate. The students had a fun beach volleyball match against a group of Italians and learned the game of "pala."

Dragging Nick to the sea

Volleyball

Playa del Sardinero 

Playing Pala

Classes and the Beach

On Monday morning official Spanish classes started. That afternoon, we put everyone on a boat and crossed the bay to beautiful Somo beach -a long sandy peninsula that looks out at Santander. Everyone went swimming and jumping in the waves.

Somo

Tuesday, the temperature dropped a bit and it started to rain. The students have their first flamenco class today. We will cross our fingers and hope these scattered showers scatter to other parts of Spain soon.

Sunday Excursion to the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao

Bilbao is about an hour east of Santander. The inside as much as the outside of the Guggenheim seemed to really grab the students' attention.

Is it a bear or a dog?

Inside the cardboard cave

Saturday Excursion

On Saturday we visited the Cabarceno Natural Park. An open pit mine from Roman times until the mid-twentieth century, the animals are now free to roam up and down its rolling hills.

 

Friday, first day in Santander

First day of Spanish class, 10 to 1 with teachers Nacho and Conchita. After a lunch picnic we took a guided tour to get familiar with Santander. The students liked the beautiful beaches and the sea lions... Then free time to enjoy the late afternoon before finding home for 9 pm dinner...

Light House

Our girls in the Sardinero Gardens

Looking out from the Santander Light House

On the Road Again

Thursday morning the bus picked us up outside Don Diego and we said goodbye to Madrid. On the way to Santander we stopped by El Cid's hometown of Burgos.

Teddy and Alex in Burgos

Nick and Oliver in front of the Burgos Cathedral

Plaza Mayor in Burgos

The Prado, Reina Sofia and Flamenco

After taking a morning stroll across the Retiro (Madrid's central park), we stopped at the Prado Museum to see Velasquez, Goya, El Bosco and others, and then moved on to Picasso and Dali at the Reina Sofia. At night, the group went to Casa Patas, probably the best place in Spain to see flamenco.

More snaps from Madrid.

The Retiro

The Crystal Palace in the Retiro

Tuesday at Segovia

On Tuesday we drove 90 minutes to Segovia, visited the royal palace there and the cathedral. After another 3 course Spanish lunch we had free time, took pictures by the roman aqueduct and went back to Madrid for more exploring.

The Alcazar in Segovia

4th of July!

The group Spent the entire day at aquopolis
Water park in Madrid... Then free time for dinner and exploring!

Wandering Toledo

Today the group wandered the twisting streets of Toledo. About an hour outside of Madrid, Toledo is a testament to Spain's Jewish, Islamic and Christian past -all of that on top of deep Roman foundations.

Panorama of Toledo

Cathedral of Toledo

Lunch in Toledo

Mezquita

Madrid - Day 2

Today we walked old Madrid - Plaza Mayor, Puerta del Sol. We visited the Royal Palace and had a big Spanish lunch before taking a siesta to gather strength to go dancing tonight. A few more pics from the day's activities.

Plaza de Espana

Calle de San Nicolas

Plaza Mayor

And more...