From March 14 to 21, students from Stagg were able to visit Spain. The trip, sponsored by the Spanish Club, also included a variety of students from San Joaquin County. The majority of students were seniors that were soon going to graduate in May. There were a lot of beautiful sights to see, along with new information to be learned. Famous spots on the trip included Barcelona’s Sagrada Família and Madrid’s Plaza de la Villa (Plaça Villa Madrid).
Everyone who attended the trip first gathered at the Billard airport before flying to Spain, a six hour flight from San Francisco to New York.
Junior Axel Miramontes, shared his experience and perspective of the trip, the weather there and the view of the Sabatini Gardens, “It was somewhat hot, but then got cold, especially when taking your jacket off.”
Miramontes also shared his reaction upon seeing the Sabatini Gardens, a part of the Royal Palace in Madrid, Spain. “It looks like I was dreaming, but no, it was a reality. It was super beautiful.”
Junior Emily Valencia Espinosa shares her experience, seeing the structures and community in Spain, which differed from America’s.
“It was very different, very antique. It looks very old, but in a very fancy way. Everything was very different and was gothic, they were telling us everything was gothic,” said Espinosa. Espinosa and the attendants from the trip were told by the tour guides that the structures and architecture in Spain had a gothic architectural style.
“Everywhere you see, there are a lot of people there. It was very packed everywhere.” Espinosa said.
Espinosa later shared that she would want to go back to Madrid preferably than Barcelona, “I love Madrid more than Barcelona, It was just better and beautiful.”
There were more sights to see, like La Sagrada Família (Basilica de la Sagrada Família), an unfinished Catholic church that´s under construction in Barcelona, Spain. Junior, Javier Silva shared his initial reaction upon seeing La Sagrada Família.
“It was really, wow, it was really big and probably be so fun to go in it.”
“I expected to see like a church kind of, but it was more like, there was a lot of stuff locked up,” said Silva. Everything was mostly locked up due to the unfinished state of La Sagrada. Even so, Silva said he has enjoyed his trip in Spain. “It was good, a ten out of ten.”
Senior Elideth Romero Diaz shares her experience during her stay in Spain. Diaz shared that she did manage to make a new friend during the trip, which was Diana.
“I met new people, like Diana. During the trip, we both bonded, because other people on the trip had their friends going or other people they knew. I was going alone, she was going alone, so we kind of bonded there.” Explained Diaz.
Throughout the trip, Diaz reveals that people in Spain weren´t not as welcoming or polite.
“I feel like there was a lot of tourism going on, so they would get kind of irritated, like it’s their home and city and there were some people that were rude, like when you cross the street there, there are some people that don´t stop right away. Over there, they don’t really stop for you.”
Diaz explains about Miguel, the tour guide in Spain and how he had helped throughout the tour, “He was really nice, he really gave us a whole scent of the city and he booked us into a lot of places, he let us try new foods. He was really nice.”
When it was the last day in Spain for everyone attending the trip, Diaz remembers something that Miguel said that has really struck with her.
“It was our last day, and he said that we should keep traveling the world because we´re young, and we should be able to experience these new things and the countries.” Diaz recounted.
Miguel’s last comment really stuck with Diaz because she said it was something that she wanted to keep in mind, especially because she would still like to go out and travel. Diaz said that she would visit Spain again, sharing her plan for next year. “I’m planning to go next year, when I’m in college and to study.”
Diaz revealed that she enjoyed her trip and was really glad that she had gone, “I was nervous at first, because I didn’t know anyone in the trip but overall, like I really enjoyed it, it was a really good experience everyone should definitely try to.”
Diaz had enjoyed Madrid more than Barcelona saying, “Madrid was my vibe, like city life, Barcelona was kind of like for the history, and I’m not a history person.”
The trip to Madrid and Barcelona gave everyone who attended an opportunity to learn more about everything in Spain; the cuisine, the structures built and the culture, along with sharing this experience with your peers and tour guides.
