SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA
The Spanish trip to Santiago de Compostela was both the first residential school trip after the pandemic and my first trip with the school , as a new Sixth Form student . On both fronts , it was very successful . It was an enriching eight days and a perfect balance between work and play .
Throughout the week , we started each day with a Cola Cao – hot milk with chocolate powder – before heading to the Spanish speaking institute for lessons until 1pm . The lessons were primarily conducted in Spanish , pushing us all to speak as much of the language as we could , as well as helping us to consolidate grammar , vocabulary and oral comprehension . By the end of the week , we were holding class debates in Spanish over world issues , such as the impact of consumption of certain foods on the environment , marking a huge improvement in our Spanish speaking for all of us . During the afternoons we explored the city and its beautiful gardens , history , galleries , and most importantly visited its main attraction , the cathedral – the reason for the city ’ s fame , due to it being the final destination on the St James ’ s pilgrimage route , El Camino de Santiago . On our trip , we were lucky to witness the holy door , La Porta Santa , of the cathedral being open ready to receive pilgrims , marking the holy year , which only occurs every five to 11 years .
At the weekend , we went on a day trip to a local seaside town , Coruña , where we visited an interactive science museum , walked along the beach and went to an aquarium ( the seals really stole the show !). We broke into smaller groups and strolled around the town using our Spanish to navigate , order lunch and buy souvenirs – a valuable experience which allowed us to use our new skills in an everyday setting . What helped further our language skills even more was meeting the students from the local school in Santiago de Compostela – our planned exchange with them was postponed due to the pandemic . They were all very friendly and eager to show us around . Before we knew it , it was time to leave , but not before participating in a dancing class where we tried to learn salsa , while Señor Capelo danced circles around us , by which we were all very impressed .
A huge thank you to Señora Duran-Oreiro and Señor Capelo for organising this wonderful trip that enabled the group to grow close , while experiencing and learning more about Spanish language and culture .
Tessa Owen , Lower Sixth
110 TRIPS , CLUBS AND ACTIVITIES