Language Learning: Spain A 2011

Granada is a truly enchanting city still rich with the influences of its long history as the capital of Muslim Spain.

The spectacular panoramic view as seen from the mirador San Nicolás

We arrived late in the afternoon, just in time for lunch and a siesta. Following the free time we headed up to the amazing mirador San Nicolás way up high in the neighborhood of the albaicín for a breathtaking sunset with the Alhambra as a backdrop. We finished off the evening tapeando on the lively Calle Elvira.

Tom, Hannah “Gafitas”, and Dan in front of the amazing Alhambra.

The next day we got to know more of the city famous historical sites, like the Capilla Real (where the Catholic Monarchs Isabel and Ferdinand are buried), on another exciting Amazing Race. After the stiff competition, we did a relaxing language lesson in Parque Garcia Lorca. The park is dedicated to the memory of the poet and playwright Lorca, one of Granada’s most famous sons and one of Spain’s most famous martyrs in the Civil War. While at the park, we read, translated, and discussed some of his beautiful poesía.

Students preparing for the Amazing Race: Granada edition

Emily, Jake, and Max working on deciphering some of Lorca’s poetry.

We ended the evening with some tapas and were off to bed with the anticipation of the day before us.

The next morning, we woke up bright and early to viajar en el tiempo, or in other words, visit one of Spain’s most important historical sites, the Alhambra. The elaborate palace is home to some of the best examples of Moorish architecture. Our guide Carmen guided our imaginations as she led us through the different parts of the palace pointing out the changes made to the palace through time and explaining the various functions of each part.

Ready or not, Alhambra here we come!

Our guide Carmen pointing out some of the smaller details of the Alhambra.

Ben, Luke, Sarah, Izzy, Emily, and Hannah “Gafitas” inside the palace.

The Alhambra as seen from one of the lookout towers of the fortress.

Just two of the examples of some of the exquisite detailing housed by the Alhambra.

In front of a great example of the Alhambra’s intricacies.

Exploring the gardens of the Alhambra.

Enjoying the view of the Albaicín.

The boys are all smiles atop the tower as they pose in front of the city.

The group atop one of the lookout towers.

Dan, Max, and Maddie posing in front of the gardens of the summer palace, the Generalife.

Later that night we tasted a bit of the culture we took in earlier that day by going to a Moorish restaurant. Students agreed that the food was finger-licking good and enjoyed the comical musing of the restaurant owner.

Students posing in front of the restaurant with the owner.

After our delicious meal we were off to see a flamenco show at the Corral de carbón, a 14th century building that first served as a market place for coal during the Moorish presence in Granada, later converted into a theater and market-place during the Spanish era, and recently it has been renovated and houses municipal offices for the government of Granada.

The next day we visited an 11^th century authentic bañuelo before embarking on the challenge for the day: Iron Chef Granada! As everyone knows, tapas are an integral part of Spanish life. Students were given some typical Spanish tapas to research before they headed out to the market, store, and city in search for ingredients to make their very own creation. As official judges of this contest, we were more than impressed by the outcome. We could really see that everyone’s been paying good attention to the cuisine here as local flavors made an appearance. Manchego cheese, meatballs, walnuts, and nutella graced our pallets– we even had a group make tuna tartar! Overall, it was a very festive (and tasty!) afternoon.

Inside the bañuelo.

Winners of the “Essence of Spain award” preparing their tapa.

Tuna tartar, the classiest tapa around!

Winners of the creativity award, as well as overall competition, Melissa, Carly, Dan, and Sarah show off their creation, entitled “Essence of Summer”

Emily, Tom, Christian, and Nick really knew how to sweeten up the competition.

After lunch and a siesta, we walked over to the current arab baths located in Granada. Inside there were 7 pools of varying degress designed to help you relax. We wandered from pool to pool, drank some delicious tea, and even got massages! It was a perfectly relaxing afternoon. Afterwords we were off to our farewell dinner at Mirador Morayma with its enchanting terrace and awesome views of the Alhambra.

Some great street art on our way to our farewell dinner.

Our wonderful farewell dinner.

Now we are all in Capileira enjoying the mountainside of Granada province.

Saludos!
Anna, Brock, Simone

Hola a todos,

We arrived in Cuenca eager to meet the Spanish families that awaited us.  We finally met our Spanish hermanos, hermanas y padres on Monday morning as they joined us for a ‘meet and greet’ in a nearby park. After playing some games, our students were off to join their new familias for lunch. During lunch, the students had a great time eating nuevas comidas típicas, exploring historic Cuenca, and getting invaluable insight into what life is like for the typical Spanish family.

Los chicos con algunos hermanos en la Plaza de España de Cuenca.

The next day our guides took us and our new Spanish amigos on a walking tour of the breathtaking casco histórico (historic district) of Cuenca. We wandered through maze-like streets admiring the ancient architecture, especially the stunning casas colgadas (hanging houses), and the remarkable paisaje natural that surrounded us.

Lucas, Carly, and Christian enjoying the view.

Melissa, Maddie and Sarah with Maddie’s hermana in front of las casas colgadas.

Ben and Izzy by the cathedral.

Lucas, Ben, and Hannah taking it all in.

We also visited the world-famous Museo de Arte Abstracto, housed in one of the casas colgadas, which contains works of some of the most important modern Spanish artistas. After a picnic lunch, we enjoyed the Museo de Ciencias and planetarium. We finished off the lovely day watching cine bajo las estrellas (cinema under the stars) with the stunning backdrop of an ancient plaza.

Students, American and Spanish alike, enjoying some famous abstract art.

Students at the Museo de Ciencias monitoring their thermal images.

The next day we awoke early to beat the heat for a hike to a point with a commanding view of the city below. We then enjoyed a relaxing afternoon poolside with our Spanish friends.

Hiking the Cerro del Socorro.

On Friday our students said adios to the group to embark on the final part of their adventure- the overnight stays with their host families! We are sure this will be a memorable and eye-opening cultural experience for all. Tonight we will reunite as a group, and their hermanos and familias will join us for a pizza party to celebrate our final night in Cuenca and our new friendships.

Hasta pronto,
Brock, Anna and Simone

Wow, have we been busy here in Madrid! Leaving behind the mountains and tranquility of the rural north, we once again find ourselves amidst the hustle and bustle of Spain’s capital city.

Early Thursday morning we headed to El Museo del Prado to view some of the world’s most famous works of art, while at the same time learning about the amazingly interesting history of Spain. After a guided tour, everyone was still wanting more, so we stayed for an extra hour and a half. Having worked up quite the appetite, we went to a famous restaurant to enjoy some exquisite paella. We sampled many varieties, including pollo, marisco and even conejo!

Ready to taste the delicious paella

After a much-needed siesta, we embarked on an adventurous and competitive Madrid version of the Amazing Race. The students enjoyed racing around the city deciphering clues, talking to locals, and taking in the beautiful sights of this world capital.

Madrid’s Puerta de Alcala

Friday morning came quickly, and it was again time to visit another world-famous art museum – El Museo de la Reina Sofia. The Reina Sofia features the works of Spain’s most prominent 20th Century artists, like Miró, Dalí and Picasso, as well as an incredible collection of other works. The students were given a snippet of a famous piece of art housed in the museum and were sent out in groups to locate the entire painting, learn about it and present it to the group. Everyone was were captivated by the incredible works! After lunch we went directly to the impressive Santiago Bernabeu stadium, home to Madrid’s champion football team, Real Madrid. The group enjoyed getting to explore the field, the locker rooms, the trophy room, and all the other places the magic happens.

At the stadium

Con la copa

Later that evening, some students took a relaxing stroll through Madrid’s stunning Plaza Mayor, while others went to a rooftop movie at the historic renovated 1920s theater Cine Dore.

At the Cine Dore

We started off the weekend in true Spanish style, taking a late breakfast then heading to the famous Parque del Buen Retiro for a relaxing morning of language learning activities and games.

We enjoyed a tipica noche madrilena on Saturday night. El Mercado San Miguel is home to some of Madrid’s finest tapas, with stands featuring all types of tasty treats. We sampled the great variety of foods such as pulpo, paella, croquetas, and tostas, just to name a few. The crowded marketplace gave us a great taste of a typical evening for the residents of Spain’s capital.

Sunday morning brought us to El Rastro, Europe’s largest outdoor market. Another exciting scavenger hunt awaited as our students were given the opportunity to do some bargaining while taking photos of wacky things like “the best English mis-translation,” “the craziest pair of underwear,” or “something with only three legs.” El Rastro is an awesome spectacle, and everyone enjoyed the unique environment of a rambunctious marketplace filled with all kinds of wares, from marroquinería to antiques to pets to second hand clothes.

We completed our visit to Madrid with a visit to the world-famous Plaza de Toros de Las Ventas to see a typical corrida de toros. Bullfighting is a longstanding Spanish tradition, though not all Spaniards are avid fans. Before the event, a local Spaniard explained to the group the many intricacies of bullfighting, which gave the students a new respect for the timeless art form. Although it was an intense and eye-opening experience, most everyone enjoyed the bullfight. It was an amazing cultural experience for all.

At the Plaza de Toros de Las Ventas

On Monday afternoon we’re off to Cuenca, where our students will spend a week with Spanish host families. Look for more updates soon!

Happy 4^th of July to all! We will be celebrating later on with a barbeque, but for now we have some great pictures to share with you from our early morning canyoning adventure. Our wonderful guide helped us get up and down the Picos de Europa yesterday and met up with us again today for a water-filled adventure. Between sliding down rocks, jumping off into the brisk mountain water, and rappelling down waterfalls, the vote was unanimous: we had a blast!

Our good ol’ American barbeque went exceptionally well! Our grill master manned the grill as others gathered around for some delicious eats and some warmth from the fire.

The following day we waved adios to Llanes and made our way to Potes. We explored the delightful medieval center and sent the students off to interact with locals in their quest for information about the town. But the real gem of Potes was today when we all went on a 7-hour hike through the Picos de Europa. We started off by taking the teleférico up a ways. That got us as far as this point…

But it didn’t stop there! We kept making our way up the mountain and added some wonderful colors to the scenery.

About three hours into our hike, our wonderful guide informed us that in 15 years of working with Putney, we were to be the first group that he would lead to the summit for an amazing view of the entire valley. In two shakes of a lamb’s tale we were eating our picnic lunches and soaking in the incredible scenery.

We continued to make our way down the mountain, encountering many amazing vistas and even getting an exclusive local celebrity tour.

We have two more days in Potes and are really looking forward to rappelling in a canyon tomorrow and celebrating the Fourth of July with another good ol’ fashioned American barbacoa.

Although it is just a small pueblo in the north of Spain, Llanes has had a lot to offer us over the past few days and we’ve had a great time soaking it all in. From friendly locals who have lent us a hand with scavenger hunts, to breathtaking views that serve as a backdrop to our picnics, there is no doubt that Llanes has been good to us!

Our days in Llanes have been full of much interaction between locals and our students, in Spanish of course!  One of our first activities here included a scavenger hunt where small groups of four students had to go out into the town and find out certain information about Llanes as well find certain objects. . .like a rock in the shape of Spain!  All of the groups had a lot of fun interacting with locals, but one group in particular got a personal tour of the town from an old man with plenty of spare time on his hands.  Our students have gone out of their way to meet Spaniards, which has given them a good look at Spanish culture.  They’ve also met quite a few Spaniards their own age; we have almost doubled our group’s size with all the friends we have made!

From sharing stories about school to a USA versus Spain soccer match at Llanes’ local sports complex, our students have had numerous interactions with local teens. Despite our best efforts, the USA squad was unable to defeat the reigning world champions, as we fell 5-4 in the soccer match.

During a hike in the Picos de Europa in Spain’s Northern Pyrennes mountains, the students first visited Covadonga, where the famous Don Pelayo began the Christian reconquista in the early 700’s. A breathtaking natural cave and waterfall paired with a beautiful church left the students stunned and wanting more. We took the bus higher up the mountains, and after slowly inching through the herd of cattle that blocked our path, we finally made it to our destination, the fantastic mountaintop lakes of Covadonga. A three hour hike around the Picos provided us with breathtaking views of valleys, cattle, and the famous lakes. During our trek, we paused for a picnic lunch on the side of the hill and tossed around the Putney frisbee.

Today has been another full, exciting day. We went to the scenic playa San Antolin where we took a group surf lesson. The Cantabrian sea gave us some nice waves this morning, and many of the students jumped right up on their boards like pros! Some students tried paddle boarding on a tranquil river nearby. After a picnic on the beach, we headed to the breathtaking playa de Gulpiyuri, an “inland beach” formed by seawater that flows through rock crevasses and collects inland, creating a perfectly calm swimming hole protected from the waves of the sea.

Now we’re off to a good ol’ American barbecue to celebrate our time in Llanes and bid farewell to the friendly town that has welcomed us so warmly.

Abrazos,
Anna, Simone, and Brock

Welcome all readers to our Putney blog, where we will be chronicling our wonderfully diverse, interesting, and of course sweaty adventures throughout Spain this summer.  We have an exciting itinerary mapped out with plenty of room for surprises–like the sighting of two famous Spanish soccer players in a Madrid train station this morning!

Our first day in Spain was great considering that we were quite tired from our long journey across the Atlantic.  We took advantage of a beautiful Sunday morning and we headed out on a walk, stopping for some world famous churros con chocolate.  Everyone had a wonderful time filling up on some sweet chocolatey goodness and we even had a few boys go for an extra 20 churros!  It was a great day to start the day.

Satisfying our sweet tooth in Madrid

We then took the scenic route past the Palacio Real over to El Templo de Debod, a beautiful park with a stunning Egyptian temple in the center.  There, we played some games to start getting to know each other and had a talk about some of the amazing places we will visit this summer.

Silly games in the park

We then delved into our first real Spanish meal of comida típica.  We enjoyed pollo asado, tortilla española, croquetas and queso de oveja.  Despite our collective exhaustion, we took another stroll through the center to prepare our “Putney Picnic” for the train ride to the north of Spain.

We are now in gorgeous Llanes, on Spain’s northern coast.  We arrived in the late afternoon and were treated to a cool sea breeze.  After a walk around the pueblo, we enjoyed some typical Asturian dishes.  One of our more adventurous travelers ordered blood sausage! ¡Bravo! We then strolled through the charming town center.

Finding our way around Llanes

Later we enjoyed the stunning views of the Cantabrian Sea from one of the town’s many breathtaking look-out points.  Now it’s off to bed as we have a full day ahead of us!  All is well here.  Saludos and until soon. . .

Enjoying the view.

Que vista. . .

Un abrazo,
Brock, Anna y Simone

We’ve received word from the leaders that the group has arrived safely in Madrid.

We know that parents love to keep up to date on their kids’ activities during our programs.  While we expect that most of our participants will take the time to be in touch occasionally, we have found that it is helpful to parents for our leaders to post periodic updates on this blog.  Obviously, blog posts will not provide detailed information about your child, but they will let you know about some of the group’s activities, projects, and excursions.

The frequency of blog posts varies from program to program depending on internet access (which can be limited), and each group’s itinerary and busy schedule of activities.  Please rest assured that we can reach leaders at any time and that we will discuss any important issues concerning your child directly them and with you.  As you know, you can reach us by phone at our office during business hours, and on our emergency line 24/7 if necessary.

We suggest that you subscribe to the blog during your first visit so that you will receive e-mail notifications at the end of the day if a new update has been posted that day.  To subscribe, enter your email address under ‘Subscribe to this blog!’ form on the right-hand column of the blog.

Have a fantastic summer!