|
|
Spain Trip
Deer Lakes Visits Spain
On June 29, 2009, Mr. Josh Destein had the opportunity to take his students to where his career in teaching Spanish began; Spain.
(He spent one year living in Spain during his junior year in college.) The following students and adults took the eleven day tour
of Spain studying the culture, history, architecture, geography, and language: Emily Milbert, Stephanie Jarvis (Class of 2008),
Rachel Colledge, Marisa Kofmehl and her mother Patricia Iannetti, Brett Bailie, Jon Downs, and Lucas Gray. We had the opportunity
to taste the cuisine of Spain such as Paella, Gazpacho, and Spanish tapas. One of our memorable meals was "cola de toro", or
"bull's tail". One of our first stops was a visit to the Prado Musuem, one of the oldest and most famous art galleries in the
world that houses masterpieces by Goya, Velazquez, El Greco, and Rembrandt. We visited about 50 of the 2,800 rooms of the Royal
Palace in Madrid. We toured the Plaza Mayor in Madrid which was built in 1618 and has been the site of public executions, royal
coronations, bullfights, markets, and soccer games. Today, it is a lively site of tourists, cafes, restaurants, shops, street
entertainers, and musicians. We visited the city of Segovia which is where the famous 11th century Alcazar Castle is found.
(it served as the inspiration for Walt Disney.) King Ferdinand III and Queen Isabella resided here. The Roman Aqueduct is also
located here. It was constructed in the late 1st century and still carries water from eleven miles away from the mountains of the
Sierra de Fuenfria. By the way, there is no mortar or cement holding the massive stones together! We visited the Royal Monastery
of El Escorial which was built in 1584 by Phillip II and is home to the burial sites of Spanish kings. This monastery has over 10
miles of corridors and more than 2,600 windows! The tour continued on to Toledo (not Ohio!). Toledo is a city known for its
three cultures of Christians, Arabs, and Jews. It has an artistic and cultural legacy as shown through its palaces, churches,
fortresses, synagogues, and mosques. It is also home to El Greco, a painter and sculptor who died in 1614. We visited the
southern city of Granada and observed some Moorish architecture as seen at the Alhambra. The trip continued to Seville.
Highlights in this city include the Giralda Tower and Christopher Columbus' tomb. While in Seville, we enjoyed an evening of
professional Flamenco dancing. After Seville, we continued on to the city of Cordoba which is famous for the Mezquita palace.
We also spent two and a half days taking in some hot sun along the Costa del Sol. On July 9 when the trip came to an end, the
students certainly learned a lot of Spanish, gained an understanding and appreciation of the culture, and made many friends!
Where will we go next???
Spain Trip Photos
|
