Day 11: Houston

The majority of travelers were up at 2:30 this morning for a 3 AM transfer to the Madrid airport. We were too tired to enjoy the boxed breakfast left for us at reception, but it was a nice gesture.

For the first two flights connecting through Frankfurt and Amsterdam, tight connections plus long lines at passport control meant narrowly making the flight home. We walked onto our plane 20 minutes before departure—it took us over an hour to go from one end of the airport to the other—and Coach King’s group made it with only 10 minutes to spare. 

Most of the students will struggle to make it to school tomorrow despite sleeping most of the way home. The movie selections have been exhausted and we still have 3 hours to go!

What is most remarkable is how much we saw in such a relatively short amount of time. The ten days flew by! Students will have to flip through pictures or peruse the blog in order to jog their memories of all the great things we had a chance to see and do. We tasted authentic Spanish and Portuguese dishes, toured ancient castles, shopped in local villages, danced the flamenco, examined world-famous art, walked alongside a national protest, relaxed by the Mediterranean, laughed a lot, and were bitten by monkeys. (OK. Only one person can actually lay claim to that last one.) Students strengthened friendships, matured and acted responsibly in a foreign culture, and grew in their understanding and appreciation of the Spanish people. 

In sum, it was a worthwhile and wonderful Spring Break. It was a trip every traveler will remember fondly for a very long time.

Thank you to everyone who toured with us and for those of you who followed our adventures from the States. Our official video link will be sent out to travelers when ready and will be posted on this blog as well.

Till then,

Day 10: Madrid

Today we experienced Madrid in depth starting with a tour of the Royal Palace and guided bus tour of the central city district. After a quick lunch we toured the Prado Museum, home to famous works by Spanish artists Goya, Velazquez, and El Greco. The most famous paintings were The Garden of Earthly Delights and Las Meninas. 

Then, the fun began! Thousands of Catalonians flooded the capital city to protest for independence. The march began just as we were exiting the museum. Our plan to ride the metro was thwarted by throngs of incoming Catalonians, so we walked almost an hour to get back to the Plaza Del Sol. 

At dinner, we celebrated our tour guides Eliza and Maribel and Coach King announced the destination for 2020...China! We last toured China in 2012 and are going to try to add Hong Kong next year.

Our bus leaves for the airport at 3 am. Adios!

Spain Day 9: Grenada to Madrid

For breakfast this morning students treated themselves to two fine cultural offerings in downtown Granada: Burger King and Dunkin’ Donuts...Then we loaded the suitcases that are growing heavier each day with souvenirs. Students and adults are trying to decide what clothes we might have to leave behind!

We arrived in the capital of Madrid this afternoon and spent some free time in the “Times Square” of Spain. Students are using up the last of their euros eating chocolate y churros and gelato. For dinner we ate paella again and cream puffs. (There’s probably a Spanish word for that.) We said goodbye to our drivers of the past six days Emiliano and Jose. Tomorrow we are looking forward to a guided tour of the city, the Royal Palace, and the Prado Museum.

Granada

Thursday was all about the Alhambra. It was a dramatic drive across expansive bridges, through rocky mountains, around olive groves as far as the eye could see on the way from Malaga to Andalusia. The Mediterranean shone on the far side of the bus beneath another gloriously beautiful day. And every student slept soundly through it all!

The good news is they were awake and ready for the challenge of walking through the Alhambra Palace in Granada once we arrived. It was a mixture of Moorish and Roman architecture built primarily in the 14th century. It is truly one of the most impressive UNESCO World Heritage sites we have ever seen. 

After dinner about half the group took an optional trip to the Gypsy caves and watched a flamenco show before doing a walking tour of the neighborhood above the city. Marie Louise was serenaded in Spanish for her birthday and got to dance a little!

Our hotel is in the city center and the night was active all around us. We have a late breakfast planned for tomorrow before onward to Madrid!

Day 7: Gibraltar

At the border of Gibraltar our bus was inspected by the Spanish authorities—every student had to procure a passport. The bus then pulled forward a length and we were inspected again—by the British! The British say they will never relinquish this peninsula overlooking the entrance to the Mediterranean Sea. They seem as territorial as the two tribes of Macaque monkeys who inhabit the upper regions of “The Rock.” We toured natural caves and WWII tunnels before eating a traditional lunch of fish and chips. The territory is duty free so students and adults spent an adequate amount of time shopping before we returned to the beach in Costa Del Sol. We only had to wait a few minutes talking our way through customs due to a (temporarily) misplaced passport. :)) 

Spain! Day 6

Today we crossed the border from Portugal to Spain and drove directly to the bustling city of Seville. We were treated to a Spanish traditional dinner of paella, usually eaten on the weekends because it takes so long to prepare well and is cooked in specialized large iron skillets. One of the main spices in the hearty rice dish is saffron, an expensive flavoring contributing to the dish’s distinctive yellow hue.

Two local guides led us through the cathedral, an awe-inspiring experience. Students gazed upward at the vaulted Gothic ceilings, stained glass masterpieces, and intricately carved figurines. Many climbed the 34 ramps to the top of the bell tower, including Coach Legate who continues to power through each day with a broken toe and walking boot. We also saw the ornate tomb of Christopher Columbus.

Our local guides use microphones and students wear “Whisper” headsets so we can all listen while spread out and taking pictures. It also prevents various tour guides, leading groups of many languages, from trying to speak over one another. However, it also causes some humorous misunderstandings when students only half-hear what is said or not everyone is looking in the same direction when they are speaking. For example, “Brazilian Pappillon” sounds a lot like Brazilian Papa John...

We arrived late in Costa del Sol near Malaga for a buffet dinner. This will be our launching point for Gibraltar  tomorrow—our third country in three days!

Portugal Day 5

The villas were much easier to navigate in the morning daylight and breakfast included fresh orange juice from nearby groves. We bussed to Sagres, the site of a fortress and school for navigators founded by King Henry. Students took dramatic photos and video of the deep blue waters and waves crashing against the steep and jagged coastline. 

Lunch was in Lagos, the regional capital, and about half of the group took a boat tour of the cliffs and coastal caves. We skirted in and out of grottos and admired the staircases built to access the secluded beaches. Most of the students HAD to have gelato before returning to the villas, so we made it back to the hotel for dinner and rest after sunset!

Portugal Day 4

On our way south to Algarve, we stopped and spent a few hours at the once-Roman colony Evora.  The city of 60,000 hasn’t changed its name since Roman times and still boasts the remains of a Roman temple at its very peak. The region is famous for cork trees—they sell purses, shoes, hats, and every other souvenir you can think of in cork. It is water-proof and pliable but slightly less durable than leather.

Our first stop within the city was to the Chapel of Bones-a sanctuary for the remains of over 5,000 unnamed Portuguese. The entry sign reads, “The Bones Within Wait For You” or something to that chilling effect. We all think we can translate Portuguese because it is so similar to Spanish and we recognize many of the words, but I’m fairly certain I don’t know what flavor of gelato I had for lunch. #translationfail 

Lunch was leisurely. They eat between 2-3 PM and then enjoy dinner after 9 PM. Our Sunday lunch was during their busiest time but we should be eating again sooner than the rest of the country. (They say the children eat on an earlier schedule. Our eating habits are like little children to them!)

Our final resting place tonight is at a hotel composed of multiple bungalows...a very unique and European experience.

Eu amo Portugal!

Portugal to Spain Day 3

Our morning began with a short drive to the quaint, cobblestoned village of Sintra where a royal palace was built for a queen who missed growing up in England. The bonds between the two superpowers extend to the tradition of afternoon tea, which here is called “cha,” short for chai. Our guide, Rafa, set us loose for lunch in the seaside getaway Cascais. Tarts and seafood are delicious here, treats for those seeking savory or sweet. Men played paddle board on the beach or competed in “volleyball” using a soccer ball and no hands. The weather has been astounding and is predicted to show us favor for the next several days. 

Portugal’s capital is the resting place of Vasco de Gama (we saw the tomb) and suffered a large earthquake in the 18th century. Today, it is a very clean metropolis of over 2 million inhabitants, 20% of the country’s total population. Our day ended downtown Lisbon, old town, where International Women’s Day was being celebrated with marches and our dinner awaited. We squeezed into a place off the beaten path for several courses of Portuguese fare served in a close-knit (literally) environment. 

P.S. Pastiere Belem serves amazing tarts. Thanks for the treat, EF!

Portugal Travel Day 1-2

95 people landed in Lisbon today as part of Galveston’s attempted takeover of the country of Portugal.  We have a few things to learn first. #1: In order for the lights to work in your hotel room the room key must be placed in the door socket. #2: You only get 80 euros for every $100, so that $8 McDonald’s Happy Meal in the airport really cost $10, and #3: There are two places to sit in the bathroom which for us is one too many.
We were well fed tonight with soup, chicken, and pasta. They fed us so many times on the flights over even the teenage boys stopped eating. So we are tired but not hungry. There is a large casino near our hotel and a beautiful beach the students visited just blocks away from our hotel in Estoril. Tomorrow will be a full day of exploring Sinatra, Cascais, and Lisbon. A small our tour guide says in her Galician Spanish, “Hasta la vista, baby!”