On June 17th twenty-three students and three teachers departed from Baltimore to Spain for NDP’s annual summer trip abroad! The eleven day excursion was jam-packed with a grand total of four flights, six different cities, guided walking tours of Spain’s most historic landmarks, shopping, and even a day spent on a Mediterranean beach!
The trip began in Madrid where the group spent three nights in their hotel, which was just a few minutes’ walk from the famous Puerto del Sol and the best shopping Spain has to offer! One of the most exciting events that occurred while on the trip was the crowning of the new King of Spain, Felipe VI. The day after his coronation, the group took one of the first tours of the Royal Palace under the new king! The girls also enjoyed learning about the art in El Museo del Prado, rowing around in boats on the lake in El Parque del Retiro, and enjoying traditional tapas meals along the streets of Madrid!
The rest of the trip included a lot of traveling- a new city every day! The group traveled to Avila for a day where they visited El Escorial, the burial site of many past Spanish kings. After that, the group spent a day in beautiful Toledo where they learned how traditional swords were made and learned how the three old cultures, which includes Christians, Jews, and Muslims, were able to exist in harmony in one city! In the fourth city, Cordoba, the girls visited La Mesquita, both a mosque and a church, and enjoyed spending the night in a 5-star hotel! The following morning, the tour group traveled about two hours to Sevilla where they visited the 3rd largest cathedral in the world, Catedral de Santa Maria. In the cathedral, the girls trekked up 34 steep ramps to get to the top of the tower to get a breathtaking view of the city! While in Sevilla, the group also saw an authentic Flamenco show, which was one of the girls’ most beloved memories of the trip! The next stop was Granada where they toured the Alhambra, the palace of the old Muslim kings. The last stop, Malaga, was very memorable for the girls because they loved spending their free time shopping and spending an amazing day lying in the sun on the Mediterranean!
The travelers said they had the trip of a lifetime; however, they were exhausted from walking every day for 10 days straight! The girls were excited to come back to Baltimore and share their Spanish memories with their family and friends! NDP’s trip to Spain was a huge success!
