Viva Espa

The Spanish exchange 2010 was another massive success story. All the students stayed with Spanish families and had a fantastic time. They had to start school at 8am, which meant travelling to school in the dark, under the stars, but school finished every day at 2.30 - definitely a bonus!

We visited Granada cathedral, the Albaicín, with its narrow, labyrinthine streets, white-washed houses and tiny sun-drenched plazas. The students experienced the North African tea shops, and bought lots of souvenirs, including silver jewellery, scarves, leather bracelets, and lamps!

It was an absolute pleasure to take such a great group of students to Granada. They were all excellent ambassadors for Ashford School, and their host families were all delighted with their English guests. All our students really appreciated all the outings, and had no problems immersing themselves in the wild Spanish social life! They learnt lots of Spanish, including a whole new vocabulary of idioms. We spent a wonderful day in Sevilla with some of the Spanish students, where we visited the enormous Catholic cathedral, and climbed the Giralda tower. We also hired boats at the Plaza de España, and there were some very original rowing techniques! The singing on the coach home was very entertaining - almost a mini Eurovision song contest!

We also spent a morning at the world-famous Alhambra, exploring the beautiful Moorish gardens, fountains, patios, palaces, courtyards and towers. Some students were even inspired to make sketches and personal impressions of the breathtakingly beautiful surroundings. 

At the weekend, many students were driven by their families up into the Sierra Nevada, where they went to the ‘Chill-out' cafes or to the Alpujarras, where they sampled the hearty Alpujarran sausages! Many went to the Mirador San Nicolas, and experienced live flamenco singing and dancing. Everyone went to fiestas and discotecas, and quickly adapted to the late night timetable!

This really was an amazing week - well done and thank you to all the students, and to Miss Dores and Oli! The Spanish exchange is a fantastic opportunity to experience Spanish culture first hand, from the language, to the beautiful and historical places of interest, the delicious food, the whole way of life and of course the incredible fiestas! Don't miss the next ¡INTERCAMBIO FENOMENAL!