Academic Spotlight
by Claudia Prosack
It is very hard to believe that our long awaited trip to Salamanca, Spain, is over. This trip was in the planning stages for over 6 months. Our ’study in Spain’ program began on Thursday, March 19, when our adventurous group of 8 students(Morgan Allen, Sarah Andersen, Christy Davis, Brittany Kosiak, Diana Lavery, Victoria Lee, Sera Park ,and Ellie Rio) and 3 chaperones(Ms. Prosack, Mrs. Conlin and Mrs. Watkins) left from Philadelphia and arrived in Madrid, Spain, the next morning.
Our first stop was at the Valley of the Fallen(El Valle de los Caídos), one hour from Madrid.
This monument is an underground church and tomb topped with a 500 foot stone cross, which can be seen from a distance of 30 miles! It is a monument which honors the dead from the Spanish Civil War. It is also the burial place of Francisco Franco.
We continued on for another hour until arriving in Salamanca. The girls wondered and imagined what their experience would be like living with a host family. And now their dreams would become a reality. Our students were warmly greeted by their home-stay mothers and went to their new home for one week.
Saturday, March 21-The girls made their way to the Sampere Language Institute in order to meet their teachers and to take a placement test. Later that afternoon we had a walking tour of Salamanca including the Plaza Mayor, a masterpiece of Spanish Baroque architecture and one of the most beautiful plazas in all of Spain.
Sunday, March 22-We visited the cities of Segovia and Ávila. Segovia has a large, remarkably well preserved two tiered Roman aqueduct. The city is also home to the Alcázar castle where Queen Isabel promised financial backing for Christopher Columbus’ search of the New World. Ávila is a city famous for its medieval town walls(Las Murallas) and narrow streets, as well as the birthplace of Saint Teresa of Ávila.
Monday-Thursday, March 23-26-The girls attended classes from 9am to 12:30pm. We had afternoon tours of Salamanca, visits to the Cathedrals, churches, museums and even flamenco lessons! We also visited the many buildings of the university. The University of Salamanca is the oldest university in Spain! Today the University of Salamanca is an important center for the study of humanities and is particularly noted for its language studies.
We also took a short walk to the Tormes River and stopped for a photo on the old Roman bridge next to the statue of Lazarillo de Tormes. (this is a book we read in Spanish 3)
The girls received their diplomas on Thursday. It was then time to say good-bye to the teachers, Ester, Alicia, and Esther.
The girls enjoyed some free time in Salamanca to do some shopping, practice their Spanish, and become acquainted with the city! The picture perfect weather of 70° and a clear blue sky enhanced each hour of our stay in Salamanca. Our trip would not have been complete if we did not try some Spanish specialties such as paella, churros y chocolate, and gofres!
Friday, March 27-We left Salamanca and headed to Madrid. After checking into the hotel, we had a fabulous tour of the Prado Museum and saw many works of Velázquez, Goya, and other famous Spanish artists. We continued on to the famous shopping district of the Puerta del Sol and the beautiful Plaza Mayor. Later that evening we attended an authentic flamenco show in the heart of Madrid! It was spectacular!
Saturday, March 28- We traveled to the city of Toledo. It is also known as ‘the city of three cultures’ because Christians, Arabs, and Jews lived together for centuries making their mark on this historic city. Toledo once was the capital of the entire Iberian Peninsula. There are well-preserved palaces, fortresses, churches, mosques and synagogues. The Cathedral of Toledo is the most impressive example of Gothic architecture in the city. El Greco, one of the most famous artists of the 16th century, made his home in Toledo. We were very fortunate and excited to see several of his paintings.
It was back to Madrid to begin to pack and get ready for our departure to the US.
Sunday, March 29-We arrived safely in Philadelphia! We now look back on our trip with great fondness and have memories that will last a lifetime!
¡OLÉ! ¡VIVA ESPAÑA! ¡OLÉ!
