Another life-altering trip to Spain was held for Rensselaer Central High School students over spring break this year.
Stops included the cities of Barcelona, Madrid, Segovia, Toledo, Cordoba and Seville in Spain, as well as Evora and Lisbon in Portugal. The trip was made possible through WorldStrides, which has been used by Rensselaer Central as its travel planner for nearly two decades.
Trip organizer and high school Spanish teacher Jan Benner said 16 students were in this year’s group. Adding parents and chaperones, the total people in the group was 29.
The trip was held March 20 through March 30.
Benner provided highlights of the trip:
“The students explored many sites as we would leave in the morning around 9 a.m. and not return until 9 or so at night. Some of the highlights were seeing the Sagrada Familia Basilica, which is still being constructed, Park Guell, la Casa Mila, in Barcelona, the Roman aqueducts in Segovia, as well as the Alcazar castle, participating in cooking school in Madrid and having churros and chocolate. In Madrid the students also visited the Prado Museum as well as the Reina Sofia museum seeing several of the paintings studied in Spanish class.
“In Toledo, we wandered the streets and visited several sites that date back centuries. On the drive to Seville, there was a stop at the windmills of Don Quijote fame in Consuegra and a lunch break and shopping in Cordoba. In Seville, the students learned how to dance the flamenco and watch a professional flamenco performance.”
The students also visited the Cathedral in Seville where Christopher Columbus is buried and climbed the Giralda Tower for a fantastic view of the city.
“We also visited the Plaza de España,” Benner added. “The last two days of the trip were spent in Portugal. There was a sightseeing tour of the city which included a visit to Belém Tower, the Alfama quarter and the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos visit. The students also were able to try the famous Pastel de Nata or Pastel de Belém pastry. Delicious!”
Benner noted that the weather was beautiful in Barcelona and most of Madrid and then it was hit and miss with some rain for the rest of the trip.
This was a milestone trip for Benner, who has visited Spain and other locations abroad 15 times since the school began conducting spring break excursions.
“We have always had wonderful support from the community and I want to thank all the businesses that have contributed to our fundraiser dinners by donating money to help offset the cost and to all the community members who have attended the dinners to support our students,” Benner said. “As usual, our students represented themselves and our school well.”
Brandy Cook, a family and consumer sciences teacher at the high school, served as a chaperone on the trip.
“This was my third time going on this trip with the school,” she said. “I always enjoy exploring new places and revisiting some of my favorite sites. There is always something new to see and learn. This time, Portugal was new and it was beautiful! One of my favorite parts of the trip has always been the cooking class, where the students learn how to prepare traditional Spanish dishes and make dinner for the whole group. It is fun to watch them try something new and be excited about it!”
Once again, the trip overseas was a huge hit with the students, many of whom were taking their first trip to Spain.
Grant Potter: “It was a really fun experience and our guide from WorldStrides made it fun.”
Anna Parrish: “It was a wonderful experience. I liked doing the cooking school.”
Emily Louck: “It was fun to see the different cultures and my favorite part was seeing the Gaudi buildings in Barcelona.”
Bryce Tanner: “There were a ton of amazing views and the architecture was really nice.”
Audrey Korniak: “It was really cool how each of the cities had their own unique culture.”
Madison Parrish: “I enjoyed being emersed in the culture.”
Daniel Marlow: “The trip was an all-around great experience. It was fun to be able to see another country and its culture. It was also great experience to hang out with my classmates.”
Lilly Cook: “I loved the trip! I thought it was so cool that we were able to see all the paintings we studied in Spanish 3, in person, as well as seeing the windmills from Don Quijote. My favorite thing about the trip was the flamenco class and watching them perform. It was so cool to watch the dancers express their culture through the dance. The trip was amazing and I loved everything about it.”
Knightly Perez: “It was an incredible experience that you might only get one chance in a lifetime.”
Kami Davis: “Vamanos!”
