Vermont Academy's Semester in Spain

A Picture of the Scenic Coastline in Corrubedo

Today, VA Spain Campus students had the opportunity to visit the beach; in a sense a way of celebrating our amazing experience here as well as a way of taking full advantage of our last week here in Spain. We depart on Monday morning, and we plan on taking full advantage of the time between now and then. This beach is one of the most beautiful in Galicia, with magnificent dunes and white sand. The weather was wonderful, and we had a blast playing soccer, tanning, swimming, and tossing a frisbee throughout the day. The next few day will be our last times meeting up in San Martin Pinario Monastery where we've had our classes throughout this trip. This coming weekend will be spent saying good-bye to our wonderful host families and all the wonderful people we've met here in Santiago. We have built strong bonds with them, and it will be hard to say goodbye. I am sad to leave Spain, but I know that the coming days will be a great end to a fantastic trip. We'll be seeing you soon VA!

- Sipho Msipa

VA Spain Students in El Parque Guell, an incredible park designed by Gaudi

This past Wednesday, VA Spain took an amazing trip to the beautiful city of Barcelona in the region of Catalonia. We arrived at about 10:30 in the morning to some absolutely gorgeous weather! After taking a quick ride on the metro to our hotel, we headed off to the Sagrada Familia. The Sagrada Familia is a large cathedral, designed by Gaudi, a famous architect whose work is typical of Barcelona. It actually appears as if the building is almost melting. There was a wide range of opinions as some people thought it was very beautiful and others thought it was one of the ugliest things they had ever seen. Regardless, it was very impressive. From the Sagrada Familia we headed up a hill on the west side of the city to El Parque Guell. El Parque Guell is an incredibly beautiful park with some amazing views of Barcelona and the ocean. The day was concluded with a great dinner, and an amazing opportunity to visit with Dani and Alejandra Seculi, as well as Jordi Pujol. It was awesome to visit with some Spanish VA alumni, and for me the experience was even more meaningful, as Dani was my roomate freshman year. 

VA Spain Students in El Retiro, the most famous of Madrid's Parks

This past weekend we took a trip to Madrid.  We got to see some of the most prestigious art museums in all of Spain and take in the sights of the city. On the first day, we went the Prado. El Museo del Prado is the most important art museum in Spain, featuring artists such as Velasquez, Goya, and el Greco. After the Prado we went to see the Plaza Mayor and the Puerta del Sol and explore the socially and historically important areas around these two major plazas. My personal favorite from the weekend was the Reina Sofia, which we went to see on Sunday morning.  It is a museum filled with modern art from many famous Spanish painters.  I got to see the surreal works of one of my favorite painters, Salvador Dali. One of my favorite paintings was Picasso’s Guernica.  It depicts a bombing that occurred during the Spanish Civil Wars. El Guernica is considered the greatest works in the history of Spain, and the opportunity to see it in person was truly incredible. Madrid was vibrant and filled with life, and I would say that it is the most beautiful city that we have seen so far.  

- Sipho Msipa

A picture from last trimesters visit to Ribeira Sacra

This weekend we plan to visit Ribeira Sacra, which is located in the mountainous region of Galicia. The main purpose of this trip is to strenghten the students' knowledge of Roman and Romanesque Art. This includes concepts of architecture, painting, sculpture, as well as cultural and social concepts. Of course, the focal point of the trip is to get a better knowledge of our region, Galicia, and become more in tune with our surroundings.

The first point of the trip will be making an approach to Romaneque art. The Galician region of the Ribeira Sacra is famous for its numerous Romanesque religious buildings (up to 18 are in perfect state of conservation). 

The itinerary for this weekend is attached.

2nd trip. April 27th-28th

10.00 am- Meeting at La Salle

12.00 am- Visit the Monastery of San Esteban of Ribas de Sil.

1.00 pm - Visit the Monastery of San Pedro de Rocas.

2.30 pm- Lunch at Castro Caldelas
4.00 pm – Visit the fortress of Castro Caldelas
6.00 pm – Arrival at Parada de Sil. Visit the Canyons

Sunday
8.30 am –Breakfast
10.00 am- Visit the Monastery of Santa Cristina de Ribas de Sil
11.30 am – Trekking route through the Canyons of the Sil
1.30 pm - Lunch
4.00 pm– Visit Ourense, the Roman Bridge and enjoy the Roman baths of the city. 7.30 pm- Arrival to Santiago (La Salle school)

The main purpose of this trip is to strengthen the student’s knowledge on Roman and Romanesque Art. This includes concepts of architecture, painting and sculpture, but also cultural, historical and social concepts. And, of course, the other focal point of the trip is to get a better knowledge of our region, Galicia.

VA Spain Students in St. Peter's Square after hearing from Pope Francis

We just got back from a fantastic trip to see the cities of Florence and Rome! In Florence we went straight from the airport to the hotel and from there into the city. We visited the Plaza of the Republic and the Church of Santa Maria Novella. Later we got a delicious Italian dinner. The next day saw us visiting the Duomo Cathedral and even going up into its dome! We also went to the Gallery of the Uffizi, Santa Croce, and also saw many other beautiful sights in the streets of Florence while enjoying pizza, pasta, and gelato. 

Tuesday morning we took the train to Rome and wasted no time once we got there. The weather was beautiful, and we enjoyed visiting the Colloseum, the Roman Forum, and the ruins of the old city. On Wednesday morning, we had the incredible opportunity to see the pope in St. Peter’s Square. Definitely not something a lot of people can say! We also visited the Sistine Chapel, and the Vatican Museum. The beautiful weather continued into the afternoon as we went to see the Fountain of Trevi and explore the city of Rome. We got up early on Thursday to catch our flight back to Santiago. 

All in all it was an incredible trip. We saw beautiful historical sites and got a taste of Italian culture. To see photos of everything we did this weekend, visit the VA Spain Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Vermont-Academy-Spain-Campus/155376507958385?fref=ts

 A model of the Cathedral in the Museum of the Pilgrimage

Yesterday afternoon the Vermont Academy Spain Campus students had the opportunity to visit the Museum of the Pilgrimage. The museum is just a short walk from the San Martin Pinastario, which is our campus here. The museum is rich in historical information about the city of Santiago de Compostela. The opportunity to learn about the history of this amazing city was incredible. We were able to see what the very streets we walk on now looked like hundreds of years ago. After seeing all the artifacts and information the museum had to offer, we were rewarded with a beautiful view of the Cathedral's towers from the fourth floor window.

On a side note, we are all eager for our departure for Italy this coming Sunday. Stay tuned for our trip itinerary!

- Sipho Msipa

VA Spain Campus Students at the Tower of Hercules in La Coruña

On Saturday, the VA Spain campus took a trip to Costa da Morte (Coast of Death) on the Northwestern coast of Galicia. The coast extends from the towns of Finisterre to Malpica. The coast is absolutely gorgeous with blue water and beautiful beaches. However, the peaceful aura of the coastline is somewhat misleading as it has been the sight of numerous tragic shipwrecks

Part of its name comes from a shipwreck that happened in 1890. The HMS Serpent was an English naval ship traveling to Galicia when it suddenly crashed into the rocky coast and sunk.

The VA Spain group really enjoyed this trip. Almost everyone did a bit running, jumping, and climbing on the treacherous rocks while others simply sat and enjoyed the beautiful views the coast has to offer. It was nice to enjoy the coastline while simultaneously thinking about the rich history this place hides. We had a wonderful lunch of mariscos(seafood) in the coastal village of Camariñas. The Paella was incredible!  

Our first trip was an amazing cultural experience for the VA Spain campus!

- Sipho Msipa

For more photos of our weekend trip, visit both our Facebook page, Flickr, and Twitter!

Vermont Academy Spain Campus Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Vermont-Academy-Spain-Campus/155376507958385?fref=ts

Vermont Academy Spain Campus Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/vermontacademyspain/

Vermont Academy Spain Campus Twitter: https://twitter.com/VASpain2013

Students Exploring the Castro de Borneiro

Stopping for lunch in Camariñas, Galicia

Coastline in Cabo Vilan

Here is our activities calendar for the month of April so that readers back in Vermont know what we're up to here in Santiago. We are all very excited for our upcoming trip to Italy, which is only one week from today. Stay posted for the report of our trip to Costa da Morte this past Saturday! 

- Sipho Msipa

A photo taken two years ago of the beautiful sunset in Finisterre, the most Western point in Europe. 

 The students and teachers here at the Vermont Academy Spain Campus are very excited for our upcoming weekend trip. This will be our first time travelling outside of Santiago, and I can’t wait. Mr. Vilarino prepared a summary of what our trip will entail. The itinerary is attached so readers back at home in Vermont can see what we’re up to.

- Sipho Msipa

First Trip April 6^th

8.30- Meeting at La Salle.


9.15- Visit to the Tower of Hercules in La Coruña


11.30 – Visit to the Castro de Borneiro


12.30- Visit to the Castle of Vimianzo


13.30/15.00h – Lunch in Camariñas


15.15h – Visit to Cabo Vilan


16.00 - Visit to the Cemetery of Englishman ( Cementerio de los Ingleses)

17.00- Visit to Finisterre
19/19.30 – Arrival to Santiago

This is a trip that will show our students the northwestern coastal Galicia, the world famous Coast of the Death (Costa da Morte). On this trip the kids will be accompanied by all of their teachers. Last year it was a great experience, since these trips represent an opportunity for the kids to gain confidence and know each other better. Here in Spain we only have 10 weeks to make this group work as a true team, so this trip offers an interesting time to talk not only about strictly academic topics, and that is important for us: we are educating students as well as global citizens.

We will ride our own bus at 8.30 am, and visit the Tower of Hercules in la Coruña at 9.15 am. The Tower of Hercules (or Heracles), is the most important roman lighthouse in Europe. It was built during the 2^nd century BC and marks the maximum expansion of the empire in Spain. Plus, La Coruña is one of the most important cities in Galicia, a center of industry and economy. After that, we’re going to move West and visit the Castro of Borneiro at 11.30, that is a pre- roman hill fort. The pre-roman culture is one of the most important point of our first thematic unit, and the Roman Empire and its occupation of Spain is the main points of the second unit of the Art and Architecture course. This hill fort was inhabited between the IV and I centuries BCE. A few kilometers away this hill fort there is the most important pre historic monument of Galicia: the Dolmen de Dombate. A Dolmen is a funerary building made with three huge stones. This kind of funerary art is the other main topic in our fist thematic unit.

After this, we will go to Vimianzo to visit the great Middle Age Castle at 12.30, and then we will have lunch in the coastal village of Camariñas (13.30-15.00). This is one of the most important villages on the Coast of the Death. There, the students will have lunch and will taste a variety of local foods such as octopus, seafood and other dishes. After lunch, we will visit three paradigmatic places of this region. The Coast of the Death is named as such because there are a lot of sunken ships in this area. We will visit the lighthouse of Cabo Vilan (15.15), which has the strongest winds of Western Europe, and the Cemetery of the Englishman (where the crew of the Royal Navy School ship HMS Serpent was buried after the ship sunk there) at 16.00. Also, in this area, due to the strong winds, there are a lot of wind farms, one of the most important economic activities in Galicia, and also fish farms. So in this visit we are discovering historic, economic and cultural aspects of Galicia. Finally, we will go to Finisterre, the ending point of the Camino de Santiago (the Way of Saint James), and the most western point in Europe. There, we will enjoy one of the most beautiful sunsets that Europe can offer, looking directly over the Atlantic Ocean at 17.00. We will return to Santiago and arrive to the city at 19.00-19.30.

VA Spain Students in a Local Park

VA Spain Students First Impressions:

I am very excited to spend another two months in Spain with the new group. After six days off relaxing in the city, new group has arrived and settled in to their respective homes. As for expectations of the forthcoming months I can only hope that they go as smoothly and fun filled as the previous two. I am very excited to spend a week in Rome and Florence, two Italian cities rich in culture and cuisine. However I am equally excited to return to The Ribeira Sacra, Madrid, and Barcelona. In closing I am very thankful that I received this amazing opportunity to continue my studies in this amazing city and I cannot wait to better my Spanish skills and others. 

- Miller Charman '13

Spain has just been everything I've expected and more. The city itself is spectacular! We've only been here for a short time and I cannot wait to see what else this trip has to offer.

-Jo-Hanna Rifai '13

I can't believe I'm actually here! The opportunity to live and study here in the beautiful city of Santiago is truly incredible. My numerous years of Spanish class have finally payed off as I am now able to live and communicate in a Spanish-speaking country. I am almost certain that the forthcoming months will be full of as much excitement and learning as the past two weeks I've spent here in Santiago. I can't wait to have an incredible two months in Spain.

- Sipho Msipa '14

 VA Spain Students in a Local Coffee Shop

The VA Spain group arrived in Santiago just in time for lunch on Monday. After meeting with their host families and settling in to their homes for the next ten weeks, the group toured their new school in the San Martin Pinario Monastery. After the tour, we enjoyed “Churros con Chocolate” at a local café before retreating to our respective homes for the night for some much-needed rest.

The following day we spent time walking around and getting to know Santiago de Compostela.

More photos and the VA Spain students’ first impressions of Spain will be coming soon.

It is hard to believe it, but this is the last day of the Winter Spain Trip.  It has been a great trip filled with fun times and great memories.  Some might think that we would be slowing down at the end, but we are determined to keep on packing as much cultural exposure into every moment as possible.  Yesterday Mr. Jarcho and Ms. Boomgaarden arrived in Santiago.  We took a tour with them of the cathedral not long after their arrival.  We got to go up to the roof and see some great views.  After the tour, we all went out for a typical Galician dinner.  It was a very entertaining evening.  It’s nights like last night that I’ll miss.  We had good food, but even better friends. 

This weekend’s trip to Barcelona has been my favorite trip! The weather, and the city were both beautiful, and we were allowed time to explore. Upon our arrival, we walked to the hotel, “Hostel Barcelona”, to drop off our bags before going to lunch. For lunch we met up with Mar’s sister Raquel, and niece, Martina. Martina is one of the cutest babies I have ever seen, and I’m really glad that I got to meet them both. For lunch we all went to an Italian restaurant for pizza and pasta. I am a bit of a pizza diva because my dad owns a pizzeria, and this was delicious! After eating an entire pizza by myself, I went on a walk in the Ruta Gaudí Park with the rest of the group. The park was full of architecture and music. It was very relaxing to sit in the sun for a bit and eat some ice cream! There was a huge fountain and I barely resisted jumping in! I made sure to take pictures for you to see. We also walked a bit on the beach, and went through the city. I decided that I have to return to Barcelona one day. Around 9, most of the group met up with some former Vermont Academy students (Lucas, Jordi, Alejandra, and Dani) for dinner. It was so great to see them all again; I miss them so much already! The next day we went to the Cathedral of Maria del Mar before meeting back up with our friends to do a bit of shopping. Saying goodbye was really hard, and I know that I am speaking for the rest of the group when I say that we didn’t want to leave. Most of us promised our friends that we would return soon before hugging goodbye, and running off to the airport. Looks like I’m headed back there soon! 


            -Monique Yingling

Last year's spring group at the Royal Square

Here is the itinerary for Barcelona, hot off the presses!!!  Mr. Vilariño sent this document early this morning, and after reading this, all of us got extremely excited for our last trip.  Last year, Barcelona was by far my favorite Spanish city.  I can’t wait to return and see beautiful Mediterranean architecture of Las Ramblas.  It will be a perfect last opportunity to take in some sun, before returning to snowy Vermont.

            -Mike Reilly P.R. Director      

TRIP TO BARCELONA

Saturday, March 2nd

7.30- Meeting at the Santiago Airport.

8.30- 10-15   FLIGHT TO BARCELONA

After this, we are going to take the train to the  HOTEL.

We will spend the day visiting the most well known sites of the Catalan capital, especially the "Route Gaudí", where we will visit some of the most important art that Barcelona has to offer:

During the first day we will visit:

- PLAZA CATALUÑA: social, political and economic center of Barcelona

- PASEO DE GRACIA.

- The Cathedral of SAGRADA FAMILIA: masterpiece of the well known architect Antoni Gaudi.

- PARK GUELL, CASA BATLLÓ, LA PEDRERA (important points of the Gaudí Route). Great examples of Baroque and contemporary architecture.

- PORT VELL AND PUERTO OLIMPICO

Saturday, March 3rd

10.15 We are going to visit and walk around LAS RAMBLAS, the famous boulevards of Barcelona.  The Palace of the Viceroy, the Boqeuería Market, the Liceu Theatre (one of the most important opera theaters in the world), are alongside the Ramblas. One of the streets of Las Ramblas takes us to the Royal Square, a great example of the architecture of Barcelona.

 - Walking around the BARRIO GOTICO: We will discover the CATHEDRAL of Barcelona, a great example of Gothic Architecture.

-  PICASSO MUSEUM: In this famous gallery we will find a lot of paintings by the genius from Malaga.

18.25-20.15 Flight from Barcelona to Santiago.

While my time in Spain has been full of fun times, I have also had to keep up with my studying.  I have been able to do some very rewarding work while in Spain.  My Senior Research Seminar is one of the best examples of the integrated relationship between academics and fun activities that can be achieved with the trimester in Spain curriculum.  I chose to do in depth research on Spain’s transition into democracy.  It has been amazing to study Spanish and be in Spain at the same time.

I have not been alone in this process.  Both Mr. Vilariño, here in Spain, and Dr. Cohn, back at Vermont Academy, have been helping me with my paper, and each has been an invaluable resource.  This past week, Mr. Vilariño was able to set up interviews with two experts on my topic from the University of Santiago de Compostela. 

Mr. Vilariño, who studied at the Faculty of History of Santiago himself, is a close personal friend of the first person I interviewed.  Mr. Alfonso Iglesias is an old friend of our program.  Last year gave us a great lecture on the Spanish-American War.  Mr. Iglesias, is currently completing his PhD at USC (and the Trinity College in Dublin), and is a great expert in contemporary Spanish History.  At 29 he already has several books on the market, some of them dedicated to the Second Spanish Republic (the government against which Franco executed his coup), and the war in Morocco, where Franco was a key player.   It was very interesting to learn the mindset of a dictator who ruled Spain for 40 years.

The next person that I had the pleasure of interviewing, Mr. Emilio Grandío Seoane, is a professor at the University of Santiago, and one of the leading researchers in the Department of Contemporary History.  He has worked tirelessly on studying the Second Spanish Republic along with various aspect of Francoism.  Mr. Emilio Grandío Seoane felt more comfortable talking in Galician during his interview, so I had to have Mr. Vilariño translate between us.  His insight was invaluable in my writing process, and he was kind enough to work my interview into his busy schedule.

Both Mr. Vilariño and myself would like to thank both their kindness and willingness to collaborate with our project.

Being able to count on the help of renowned experts from the University is just one of the many advantages Santiago de Compostela gives to our program and in the VA Spain Campus we take advantage of it.

            -Mike Reilly P.R. Director   

The Sun is finally here!!

… and we decided to spend the Advance Spanish Conversation class visiting a reference point in the city, the emblematic “Mercado de Abastos”.

The students were hard at work this past week after coming back from Prague.  We had many test, homework, projects… everything needs to be done in order to have grades ready for next week, so since yesterday we had a sunny and beautiful day, I thought that taking a walk to get some sun would help everybody to feel more peaceful and focused.

The “Mercado de Abastos” of Santiago (Santiago City Market) is a place that appeals to the five senses, offering a wide range of fresh and traditional products. It is the second most visited place in Santiago de Compostela thanks to the history and quality of the architecture and tradition that is on display. Here one can taste the best Galician food, and met the best traditional craftsmen and women, all experts in their fields. We can get the best out of Galician culture and gastronomy, all in one historical, architectural and anthropological setting.

The kids helped me shop for groceries in Spanish, and it was so fun to talk with the wise Galician oldies.

            -Mar Gonzalez

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As I sit down to type this blog post, the Vermont Academy Spain Campus group is currently on a train headed back to Santiago from Madrid.  Since Santiago is relatively close to Madrid, we are able to take an overnight train ride to get here and back.  Visiting Madrid was an amazing experience!  The city truly is something special.  From the beautiful Spanish architecture, to the amazing art museums there is always something new and fun to do.  We stayed in a very nice suite style hotel located near the center of the city.  The hotel was only a few blocks away from the world famous home stadium of the Real Madrid Football Club!  From here we took trips to both the Reina Sofia and the Museo del Prado, two of the most impressive art museums in all of Spain.  These national museums are a wonderful place to see the full extent of the creativity that lies in a country so full of beautiful art.  We also saw a huge protest take place in the famous Puerta de Sol.  It was inspiring to see the people of Madrid come together in the name of social and economic reform.  The Madrid trip was a great experience that would be difficult for one person to wrap up, so I have asked some group members to write about their favorite part of the journey.  Below you’ll find what they thought about the experience.

            -Mike Reilly P.R. Director

Yesterday, we met a man that most of you have heard of. He is known for his courage and strength. He has saved hundreds of lives, and defeated great world evils. He always flies in to save the day, and tends to sweep girls off their feet (literally). A true hero.

Unfortunately, it appears that Spider Man let himself go after retiring from the hero biz, and became a street performer. At first, I thought this man might have eaten Spider Man and stolen his costume, but after closer examination, I concluded that he was the real deal. It started with an innocent “may I take a picture with you?” from Rachel, and turned into something crazy. Somehow, even though I was taking the picture, I got reeled into it too. Next thing I know, we are all posing for the photo shoot of a lifetime. I would explain all the poses that Spidey had us do, but I promise that looking through the pictures yourself is the only way to truly understand. After posing with most of the kids in our group, Spidey moved on. Mr. Carreño was his next victim. Having proclaimed that Mr. Carreño is a “criminal that must be stopped” they had a comic book duel ending in Spider Man’s victory. It was hilarious to say the least! Afterwards we had free time to go shopping, and explore Madrid. It was an awesome day!

            -Monique Yingling

The group had an excellent trip to the Reina Sofía yesterday morning, and topped it off with Chinese food ordered in Chinese by Attila!!!  Upon entering and checking coats we started through the massive museum first with an assortment of very modern art. However another floor up housed the most impressive piece, not only in the museum but the world, Pablo Picaso’s Guernica. The Guernica itself is a massive piece and is really something that has to be seen to be understood…so come to Spain next year and see it.

            -Miller Charman

On Saturday afternoon we visited the Retiro park of Madrid. This park contained many beautiful statues as well as the crystal palace. The crystal palace, a copy of the one in England, was unbelievable. I had never seen any architecture like that before. Being able to see everything completely clear outside, no matter where I looked was something different. One of the best monuments was the monument to Charles III.  Sitting in the sun on the steps was extraordinary.  There was a great view of Estanque. Every sight was picture worthy with all the little bridges and waterfalls. It was as if fantasy was reality because there was so much to explore. While walking through the many paths in the park, we got to see ducks and their ducklings as well as turtles. While at the at the Retiro park, the park built by Charles III, we were also able to buy trinkets from the street venders. A lot of them really did create beautiful art. The Retiro Park was amazing and I believe that most of the group wished that we could spend more time there.

            -Elkanah Linder

On our first day out in the beautiful city of Madrid, we went to one of the most famous museums in the world; The Prado. It holds famous works of art ranging from such artists as El Greco, Velazquez, and Goya. We spent two hours absorbing the ground breaking abstract and religious sculptures and paintings that have attracted millions and millions of people before us. One of the most famous works of art we saw was “Saturn,” which was a painting of Kronos, the Greek creator of the Gods, eating one of his sons to stop him and his siblings from taking his power. It was a moving, dark, grotesque image that made me feel the carnage and brutality that Kronos showed to all people that threatened his power. We also saw one of Señor Bello’s favorite paintings,” The Garden of Earthly Delights,” which showed in three separate sections the evolution of sin and the juxtaposition of human’s want and punishment. This museum was an eye opening experience that proved why it is so well renowned throughout the world. It was a fantastic start to our trip to Madrid, and a thought provoking experience that gave us a firsthand perspective of some of the most moving paintings ever created.

            -Erik Nielsen   

In our recent visit to Prague I had the opportunity to see a very close friend of mine, Marta, a Spanish girl that fell in love with a Slovakian boy, Dani. Since Marta is working in a British School we planned a meeting between our schools, and we choose a literature English workshop. I encouraged the VA students to write a poem in order to read it in this special event. In the end, we couldn’t go, but Bobby had completed his anyways. To my wonderful surprise he wrote this poem in Spanish!! And I think is a great opportunity to show to VA Community how these guys are doing their best here trying to be on top all the time. As a teacher and as a friend, I’m very grateful to be part of this experience.

Enjoy Bobby’s poem, and maybe have your first opportunity to improve another language and open your mind to a new world…

SUEÑOS REALES

El sueño conocido hace hombre afortunado.

La señorita única, diferente entre gente.
Sola en su mundo, sólo existe en mi mente.

Ella quiere conmigo
y yo el mismo quiero
si existe la vida perfecta,
este es el día primero.

        -Mar González

This past weekend in Santiago was our last one without trips to other cities until our final week.  This was definitely a bittersweet occasion for most of the group.  On one hand we are all extremely excited to visit both Barcelona and Madrid within the coming weeks, but on the other hand we will miss the beautiful city of Santiago.  Santiago has become a second home for me.

Salty, Bobby, Attila, and I decided to spend this Saturday in the park.  Saturday brought nice weather to Santiago, and we just couldn’t pass up such a sunny day.  The four of us found a park near our houses and spent the day soaking up some rays.  We found a maze made of rose bushes, and spent some time trying to navigate the network of shrubbery.  All in all it was a great day.

        -Mike Reilly P.R. Director

Yesterday, the students of the Vermont Academy Spain Campus had the opportunity to see a concert preformed by the Real Filharmonía de Galicia.  The Real Filharmonía de Galicia is undoubtedly the best orchestra in Galicia.  Lead by maestro Fabien Gabel, the orchestra preformed pieces from Wagner, Stravinski, and Beethoven.  The Auditorio de Galicia, where the concert was held, is within walking distance from the Monastery of San Matrin Penareo.  Santiago de Compostela is a beautiful city full of cultural opportunities.  Here at the Vermont Academy Spain Campus, we take advantage of as many of these opportunities as we can.  Where else in the world can you study in a beautiful monastery, enjoy a myriad of unique cafes and restaurants, and still be within minutes of an exquisite rendition of Beethoven’s eighth symphony?            

        -Mike Reilly P.R. Director

The Entrance to Prague Castle

As you all know, we have just returned from our amazing trip to Prague.  I have never ventured that far east in my life, and I was greeted with a completely new lifestyle in Eastern Europe, and I loved it!  We weren’t able to bring our computers with us, so unfortunately there was no way to update you of our daily adventures.  We wanted to share some of the highlights of the trip with you individually.  I asked the members of our group to each write what they thought was the most interesting thing to happen on the trip, and I have attached their responses below. 

Personally, I enjoyed viewing the changing of the guard on our trip to Prague Castle.  It is the biggest castle in the world, and every day they have a changing of the guard ceremony similar to better-known ceremony in London.  We were in the front of the crowd, and it was a real treat to see.  Throughout the ceremony the guards kept their stern faces.  I envy their poise!  Enjoy reading about other pieces of the trip and looking at pictures from the trip below.

            -Mike Reilly P.R. Director  

A Prague Castle Guard

Our trip to the Charles Bridge was one of the highlights of the trip. It was first night out on the town, and the sights from the Bridge were fantastic. We arrived being led by Mr. Bello, and after a very thorough synopsis of the history of the Charles Bridge by Rachel, we were able to just enjoy the view of the frigid waters and up at the Prague Castle. After we went over to the Statue of St. John of Nepomuk where everyone touched the bottom of the statue for good luck.  The legend says that those who rub the statue will make another trip back to beautiful Prague. The rest of the night we spent overlooking the waters and enjoying our first night out in Praga.

            -Erik

A Franz Kafka Statue

One of the first things we saw in Prague upon arrival was the Charles Bridge, but looming in the background was the massive Prague Castle. The following day we trekked up the hill to see the castle up close. It was indeed very grand, lively, and steeped in tradition. At the gate to the inner castle we watched the changing of the guard, who are ever present and vigilant at the castle. Inside we looked out the defenestration window and toured many more ancient rooms of the castle. Then we got lunch.

            -Miller

St. Vitus Cathedral

The Terezan camp was established by the SS and is located outside the city of Prague. Tens of thousands of Jewish people were killed there and over 150,000 people were brought there. They often transported to two other concentration camps, Treblinka and Auschwitz. When the prisoners arrived at Auschwitz, propaganda was displayed as a trick to make the people think they were living a great life. The survival rate of these transports was so low that sometimes there were no survivors at all. On Friday, we visited the Terezan concentration camp. Being there was probably one of the saddest things I have experienced. The tour was so interactive that it allowed me to be even more empathetic about what people had to go through in their daily life. For example, some people had to sleep in a standing position; they had no private showers or good sanitary conditions. They also lost privacy, which must have been so overwhelming for the people. We were able to walk through the Crematory and see the gas chambers, which almost made me cry knowing that people had to suffer through all this pain because of their belief.

            -Elkanah

Holocaust Memorial 

Wenceslas Square was one of the most historically and visually interesting places we visited in Prague. It is a long open square, bordered on both sides by many tourist shops and restaurants, and at the head of the square is the Czech National Museum, a beautiful stone building. Bustling with tourists, it is hard to imagine that less than twenty-five years ago it was the location of the Velvet Revolution, a peaceful demonstration that led to the end of communist rule in Czechoslovakia.

            -Salty

The Group in Front of Saint Vitus Cathedral 

The Cathedral of St. Vitus is an incredible display of Gothic Architecture. Located within Prague Castle, the cathedral is a towering example of the power and influence of Christianity throughout Europe during the medieval ages. We had the privilege of visiting this stunning location on our first full day in the Czech Republic, and it did not disappoint. As impressive as the exterior was, the interior was equally as beautiful. With beautiful natural light through the stained glass windows and a unique crisscrossing roof pattern known as parlor vaults, named after one of the Cathedral’s designers Peter Parlor, the cathedral’s interior challenges the beauty and presence that its exterior possesses. We are all incredibly fortunate to have this image in our memory forever.

            -Bobby

The Group Visiting a Jewish Museum

Being in Praga was an incredible experience! We were very fortunate to be able to attend an opera! I am a total theater geek and was excited to be presented with such an amazing opportunity. It was unlike anything I have ever experienced before! Since I do not understand a word of Italian, or Czech, I relied entirely on the English subtitles to understand the plot, but the show was just as beautiful in any language. The performers used their bodies and voices to express intense emotions of love, jealousy, and hate. The plot was sort of Romeo and Juliet-esque with star-crossed lovers and war. When the lights came on after the show, I was reminded of the beautiful building in which we sat. A large chandelier lit the golden, decorated room. The whole experience was breathtaking. It was my first opera and I feel very lucky to have experienced it in Prague with so many close friends!

            -Monique

Hello Everybody,

This week as you all know we are leaving on a trip to Prague.  Everybody is extremely excited.  I know that, personally, I can't wait.  Over the weekend, Mr. Vilarino and I came up with this week’s itinerary.  As you can see below, we have some awesome trips planned.  We will get to see some of the most important museums pertaining to Eastern European History.  We will also be going to two separate theater performances.  We will be in the cultural capital of Eastern Europe.  Unfortunately the VA Spain crew will not be bringing their computers on this journey.  This means that we won't be able to fill you in on our adventures until after we return, but don't worry.  As soon as we get back we will post detailed accounts of our adventures for all to read.

        -Mike, P.R. Director

Tuesday, February 5th

• Meeting at Santiago de Compostela Airport at 07.30 am to take the flight to Barcelona at 8.35 am
• 10.20 am. Arrive at Barcelona
• Flight to Prague at 12.05 pm
• 2.35 pm Arrive at Prague
• Ride to the Hotel
• Visit to the Old City of Prague: National Square, Astronomical Clock, Charles’ Bridge (one of the most famous in Europe), Gold Tower… We’re very lucky to be visiting one of the most historical cities in Europe, with an amazing medieval, gothic, and contemporary heritage.

Wednesday, February 6^th

• Visit at the Castle in Prague: Cathedral of Saint Vitus, Gold Lane, etc. The Castles is considered the biggest medieval fortress of the world. It is a formidable structure built during the IX century and the city grew around the massive residence of the Kings of Bohemia. Inside the Castle we can visit the world famous Cathedral of Saint Vitus, one of the best examples of Gothic architecture (which is an important point of our Art History program). Also, buildings representative of the politic and religious power of the German Empire, the Monastery of Strahov and the pilgrimage church of Loretus. This will be a true lesson of the history of Europe inside the walls of the Castle!
• Visit at the National Museum and San Wenceslas Square. This place is truly the heart and soul of Prague, and the National Museum is the crown jewel. History, Biology, Astronomy, etc are all represented inside the impressive building of the ‘Narodni Muzeum’.
• Opera. A true cultural trip to the heart of Europe won’t be complete without enjoying an opera. Prague has three of the most important operas in Europe, so the VA Spain crew will attend a showing of ‘The magic flute’ by Mozart.

Thursday, February 7^th

This will be a full day dedicated to the history of Prague and Eastern Europe politics.

• Trip to the Jewish district of Prague, including the Jewish cemetery. This was an important part for the Jewish community of center Europe. During the III Reich, this district of Prague was the center of the fight against the Nazis, and the home of important artists, musicians, and businessmen throughout the history of the city.
• Trip to the Museum of Communism. This is an amazing opportunity to study the political system that competed against the US for a big part of the 20^th century. The students will discover how the communist regime worked in Czechoslovakia and the Warsaw Pact countries. The fight against the regime, the fall of communism and the Velvet Revolution led by Vaclav Havel have an important role in this museum. All the History students should visit places like this to understand our world and all the things we have achieved.
• After this, we are going to visiting the parks of the city, such as Letna Park, an important place for artists such as Mucha and Dvorak and scientists such as Johannes Kepler and Tycho Brahe, famous for its important role during the fall of communism (it was a meeting place for the rebels).  In this park we have the famous Prague Metronome, placed instead of a giant statue of Stalin, which represents the former soviet leader “protecting” (or “watching”) the city. A fantastic metaphor of what the Soviet Union was for the Czech people and the citizens of Eastern Europe.
• Enjoy the magnificent San Wenceslas Square, with its shops and social life

Friday, February 8^th

• Trip to the Terezin Concentration Camp. 50 km away from Prague, there is an ancient nazi concentration camp, Theresienstadt, and we’re going to visit it. The Holocaust is one of the most important periods of History, and our students will have the opportunity of discover how a concentration camp was run. This is a critical point of contemporary history. It’s important to know the past to not commit the same mistakes again.
• After this, we are going back to Prague to visit the cemetery where some of the most famous and important people of the Czech Republic and Europe are buried. Writers such as Franz Kafka, musicians such as Antonin Dvorak and Bedrich Smetana, and athletes such as Josef Bican… learning what they accomplished and visiting the place where they are buried will be a special experience.
• We will continue exploring the city, by walking down the boardwalk of the Vltava River, where the famous “Ginger and Fred” building is. Frank Gehry designed this building.  Its name is in reference to the famous dancers Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire, and it’s a great example of modern architecture.
• We will finish our visit attending a Black Theater play. This is a theatrical performance style characterized by the use of black box theater augmented by black light illusion. This form of theatre originated from Asia and can be found in many places around the world. This style has become a specialty of Prague, where many theatres use it.

Saturday, February 9^th

• Packing for Santiago
• Flight to Barcelona at 3.10 pm. Arriving at Barcelona at 5.25 pm
• Flight to Santiago at 6.25 pm. Arrive at Santiago at 8.15 pm

Santiago de Compostela is an amazing place, and is unlike anywhere I have ever been before. Granted, I’ve lived in Vermont for my entire life, and I have never been out of the U.S. before (except for Canada), but I find it amazing how different everything here is. First, everything is in walking distance. There is no need for a car, and I have not been in a vehicle since our bus ride from the airport on the first day. I love walking through the beautiful old city to school everyday. And when I say old, I mean really old. According to Señor Carreño, the youngest stone in the Old City of Santiago de Compostela is over 500 years old, which means that this entire city is far older than our country. I find the sense of history here amazing. When I visited the 801-year-old Cathedral in the center of the city, I was baffled to think that I was standing in a building that had existed since the Middle Ages. Living in a place like this truly an amazing experience, and I am extremely excited for the adventures still to come. 

        -Salty

Along with the obvious cultural exploration, there is a vibrant academic aspect to Vermont Academy Spain.  Here in Santiago, we keep up with all of our yearlong courses at VA, and we are also able to study new and interesting topics that are special to the Vermont Academy Spain Campus.  We take classes in both Art History and Spanish History.  Instead of just reading about these topics in books, we get the chance to go out and experience these things first hand.

It is a very special experience, to one day learn about a painting in class, and the next day, go and see it on display.  Erik and myself have been assigned to write research papers for our respective VA classes.  Today, we will be visiting the library of history in the University of Santiago de Compostela.  Erik’s paper is about the fall of the Berlin Wall, and my paper is about Spain’s Transition period into democracy.  This library will be useful to both of our projects.  I will be able to browse a plethora of primary source documents.  The library also has an English section, so I am sure that Erik will also be able to find what he is looking for.

Along with going to famous libraries, I will interview people who lived through the transition period for my paper.  There is no better environment in which to study Spanish History, and here at Vermont Academy Spain, we take advantage of all that the city of Santiago has to offer to us.

            -Mike Reilly P.R. Director

Also feel free to check out our photo stream on Flickr.  All that you have to do is click on any one of the pictures on our blog, and they will link you directly to the Flickr page.

Hello Everybody,

This weekend was an amazing experience for the entire group.  We got the opportunity to visit the world famous Riveria Sacra, in Northern Galicia.  The region is very beautiful, and filled with ornate Romanesque Monasteries, unique to this region.  This weekend was also a great bonding experience for the group.  We all had a blast, and Elkanah wants to tell everybody about her favorite part of this weekend’s trip.

This past Saturday the Spain group met at 9:30 to set off on an adventure to the Galician region of Ribeira Sacra.  This region is so sacred that it even contains the Latin word Sacra (sacred) in it. The goal of this trip was to visit monasteries to learn about what we are currently studying in art history class, Romanesque art. Our first stop was at the Monastery of San Pedro de Rocas. It is believed that this monastery is one of the oldest monasteries in Europe. It was amazing to be able to explore the inside of this monastery and to put my self into the shoes of the people that lived long ago. The monastery was built by hand with stone, and inside the monastery there was no heat except for the use of a little fire. It was amazing and inspirational to realize the devotion that the people had long ago even though they had so little. Outside of the monastery there were uncovered tombs, these again showed the devotion that the people had for their families in the 5^th century. After that monastery, we went to another monastery that we were not allowed to go into, but seeing the outside with all the sculptures and the architecture was still inspirational, beautiful and a learning experience to always remember.

            -Elkanah

After visiting the second monastery on our journey, we made our way to a famous fortress in a small village.  This fortress gave us a chance to take a look into the life of the nobility of the medieval period.  There were also many great photo opportunities that our expert photographer, Miller, took advantage of.  After visiting the fortress, we stopped in another village, which was well known by Mrs. Gonzalez, for a meal fit for a king.  We ate a very traditional plate of chorizo and other assorted meats, followed by the best veal steak I had ever eaten.  The meal was truly delicious.

Next, we visited the village of Prada de Sil, a place that Mr. Carreño spent much time as a child.  We spent where greeted by many local townsfolk, and after a siesta took in some great views from a park over looking the Sil River and the surrounding canyon.  We spent the night in Prada de Sil in a traditional Galician house.

The next day, we were able to visit one more monastery near Prada de Sil.  This monastery was one of the best preserved, and the group was able to climb up a set of ancient stairs into the tower.  After this tour, we went for a hike along the Sil River, and got more great pictures.

At the end of our day were able to visit spa in the city of Ourense.  It was the perfect end to the perfect trip.  It was great to just be able to relax after a long weekend of sight seeing.  We here at the Vermont Academy Spain Campus really have the life.

            -Mike Reilly P.R. Director         

This afternoon, Ms. Gonzalez, Mr. Vilarino, and I sat down to disscuss this weekends plans.  We came up with a really great itinerary that everybody is very excited over.  I have attached the plans below so people back home can follow our adventures.

The main purpose of this trip is to strengthen the student’s knowledge on Roman and Romanesque Art. This includes concepts of architecture, painting and sculpture, and also cultural, and social concepts. Of course, the other focal point of the trip is to get a better knowledge of our region, Galicia, and become more in tune with our surroundings.

The first point of the trip will be making an approach to Romanesque art. The Galician region of the Ribeira Sacra is famous for its numerous Romanesque religious buildings (up to 18 are in a perfect state of conservation). 

This weekend our plan is:

Saturday

09.30 - Meeting at La Salle

11:30 - Visit the Monastery of San Pedro de Rocas.

13:00 - Arrival at Castro Caldelas.  Visit the Fortress and lunch in the village.

16:30 – Arrival at San Lorenzo Barxacova.  Visit San Victor’s Necropolis, the biggest in Galicia, for a little trekking and the wonderful landscape that will show us vineyards in terraces along the slopes of the Rio Sil.   

19:00 – Arrival at Parada do Sil.  Visit the village and the Canyons of the Sil.

21:00 – Dinner of typical Galecian inland food (“Cocido Gallego”) at a local Galecian Resturrant.

Sunday

11:00 – Trekking route through the Canyons of the Sil to the Monestery of Santa Cristina.

14:00- Lunch at Parada do Sil.

16.00 – Visit Ourense and relaxation time in the Roman baths located on the banks of the Rio Miño.

20:00 – Arrival back home in Santiago, at La Salle School.

        -Mike Reilly Spain P.R. Director

Hola! 


We are currently starting our second week of classes after an exciting weekend! This Saturday, we were scheduled to go to the north-western coast of Galicia, and see the beautiful campo (or countryside). Due to the crazy wind and rain, the trip had to be postponed. Instead we headed to a few local museums to learn more about Santiago de Compostela. It ended up being really interesting! In the morning, Elkanah and I ran for fifteen minutes through what seemed like a hurricane, to meet the rest of the group for chocolate con churros. My umbrella broke, but the rich melted chocolate made everything worth it. After we all had our fill, we headed to our first museum. The museum helped me to realize how amazing the city is. We learned how the city was build and expanded to protect La Catedral. Our tour was entirely in Spanish and I was so impressed with how well we are all starting to understand the language. After taking a group picture, we ventured to the next museum! This one was my favorite. It was a museum all about Galician culture. There were typical Galician clothes, houses, and pottery set up in every direction. There was also a cool triple-spiral staircase and I overcame my fear of heights by climbing to the top with Salty. After the museums, a bunch of us went shopping! I didn't expect the museums to be as interesting as they were, and I always love shopping.  All in all, despite the weather, it was a great day! 
Hasta luego!

      
-Monique

Announcement

            Due to dangerous weather, the Vermont Academy Spain Campus has decided not to travel to the “Coast of Death”.  Even though we have had to postpone this amazing trip, the high winds and rain will not keep us from having fun.  We are resilient.  Mr. Carreno and our teachers have set up an equally fun outing around Santiago.  First, we will have a brunch of chocolate and churros.  Next, we will visit both the Museum of Pilgrimages and Santiago, as well as an architecture museum.  The museum of architecture in Santiago will provide us with some great information for our Art History Class.  It also allows visitors to learn about the origins of pre Roman Galicia.  In the Museum of Pilgrimages and Santiago we will discover aspects of the Camino de Santiago and its relevance to the city.  It sounds like it will be a great day despite the rain.

        -Mike R.

Rachel's mad "ups"

Deportes (Spanish for sports) began this week with an early 8:30 AM start on Tuesday morning. Sports are held three times a week in, La Salle, a local school, and activities range from stretching, running, basketball, soccer, and other games that can be held with our group of nine students.  Senior Bello, who also teaches both science and math, leads our sports activities. Sports are always a nice way to start off the day right, with rigorous activity.  We started this week off with some basketball games and eventually we were led into a full court game where our very own Rachel Therrien posturized all of us with her insane “ups” and experience in high flying maneuvers and dunking prowess. Afterwards, we headed off to our respective private locker rooms where we showered and got ready for another day of hard studying. Next week we will move onto fútbol (soccer) and who knows what other rigorous activities Senior Bello has in store for us next.

        -Erik

A picture taken last year of the beautiful sunset over the ocean at Finnisterre 

Here at the Vermont Academy Spain Campus, we are very excited for our upcoming weekend trip.  This will be the first trip out of Santiago, and I for one can’t wait.  Today, Mr. Carreno, Mr. Vilarino, and myself prepared a summary of what our trip will entail.  I have attached it below so readers, back at home in Vermont, can see what we are up to.

            -Mike Reilly

FIRST TRIP. March 19^th.

9.00- Meeting at La Salle

10/10.15 – Visit to the Castro de Borneiro

12.00- Visit to the Castle of Vimianzo

13/15.00h – Lunch in Camariñas

15.15h – Visit to Cabo Vilan

16.00 -  Visit to the Cemetery of Englishman ( Cementerio de los Ingleses)

17.00- Visit to Finisterre

19/19.30 – Arrival to Santiago

This is a trip that will show our students the northwestern coastal Galicia, the world famous Coast of the Death (Costa da Morte).  On this trip the kids will be accompanied by all teachers. Last year it was a great experience, since these trips represent an opportunity for the kids to gain confidence and know each other better. Here in Spain we only have 10 weeks to make this group work as a true team, so this trip offers an interesting time to talk not only about strictly academic topics, and that is important for us: we are educating students as well as global citizens.

We will ride our own bus at 9.00 am, and visit the Castro of Borneiro at 10.00-10.15, that is a pre-roman hill fort.  The pre-roman culture is one of the most important point of our first thematic unit, and the Roman Empire and its occupation of Spain is the main points of the second unit of the Art and Architecture course. This hill fort was inhabited between the IV and I centuries BCE. A few kilometres away this hill fort there is the most important pre historic monument of Galicia: the Dolmen de Dombate. A Dolmen is a funerary building made with three huge stones. This kind of funerary art is the other main topic in our fist thematic unit.

After this, we will go to Vimianzo to visit the great Middle Age Castle at 12.00,  and then we will have lunch in the coastal village of Camariñas (13.00-15.00). This is one of the most important cities on the Coast of the Death. There, the students will have their first lunch as a team and will taste a variety of local foods such as octopus, seafood and other dishes. After lunch, we will visit three paradigmatic places of this region. The Coast of the Death is named as such because there are a lot of sunk ships in this area. We will visit the lighthouse of Cabo Vilan (15.15), which has the strongest winds of Western Europe, and the Cemetery of the Englishman (where the crew of the Royal Navy School ship HMS Serpent was buried after the ship sunk there) at 16.00. Also, in this area, due to the strong winds, there are a lot of wind farms, one of the most important economic activities in Galicia, and also fish farms. So in this visit we are discovering historic, economic and cultural aspects of Galicia. Finally, we will go to Finisterre, the ending point of the Camino de Santiago (the Way of Saint James), and the most western point in Europe. There, we will enjoy one of the most beautiful sunsets that Europe can offer, looking directly over the Atlantic Ocean at 17.00 . We will return to  Santiago and arrive to the city at 19.00-19.30

What an exhilarating first cultural experience.

Buenos dias!
On Friday, when we arrived, I was nervous and excited! Elkanah and I met our host mother who is sweet and wants to help us to learn spanish. She speaks very little english, so it is necessary to learn! We walked through the city with her, ate a delicious lunch at her house, and spent some time exploring the city alone. Elkanah and I got SO lost! We ended up in a beautiful park and took some pictures. It was exciting asking people for directions, and we had a feeling of accomplishment and relief when we finally found our house. After a couple days of getting lost, I feel very confident walking about the city. It is safe and all the people are friendly and helpful. We met up with the group again later, and had churros con chocolate in a little cafe. I will definitely be returning there soon! At the cafe, I drew a picture of “Un coche antiguo” (an antique car) for the waiter to put up on the wall. It fit in well with all the drawings made by first graders! On Saturday, I met up with most of the group to walk around the city and take more pictures. I don’t think I will ever get bored of the beautiful buildings in this city! On Sunday, Elkanah and I played Scrabble with our host mom and I came in second! Later, we ate at a nice little restaurant and met a 4-year-old boy named Nicholas who loves to spit on Eric, take selfies, and eat potato chips! He was Spanish and English, so he fit in perfectly with us! Then, Elkanah and I returned home, and went to bed early after an exciting weekend!
Hasta luego! 


            -Monique Yingling

We are in Spain!!!  It’s hard to believe now, but yesterday morning Mr. Jarcho drove the majority of us down to Logan Airport to board a six-hour flight to Madrid.  Today most of us where tired and jet-lagged, but we didn’t let that slow us down!  After meeting with our Spanish teachers, we were introduced to our host families.  All of the host families are wonderful people who want to help us learn Spanish.  My host grandmother made me a nice bowl of soup today when I told her that my stomach was feeling a little sick after the plane ride.  Our host families provide us with so many great opportunities, and we are very thankful for their generosity.  Even though I am extremely exhausted after a day of exploring Santiago, I can’t wait for the morning so I can get right back at it!

            -Mike Reilly 

        Santiago's beautiful cathedral in the sunset 

        Yesterday was the beginning of Winter Break, and for many of us going to Spain this trimester, it was the last time that we would be seeing the beautiful Vermont Academy Campus for quite a long time. Spain is less than three weeks away and everybody is very excited. We have all learned a lot in our time taking Vermont Academy Spain Campus prep classes, and I can confidently say that all of us feel well prepared for the challenge that lies ahead.  This will be the last blog post for a while. The next time that I post will probably be after Winter Break. Have a great break everybody.

        -Mike 

        SPAIN IS SO SOON, but until we actually arrive in Europe, the blog must be filled with exciting adventures that take place right here in the quiet, little town of Saxton’s River. Lucky for you, and myself as a blog writer, VA is an exciting place! The MOST exciting thing BY FAR is my new Literature of Spain class. This class is taught by the wonderful, smart, talented, and brave Señor Hearon, or as Miller calls him “Don H” (except you have to pronounce the H like AH-CHAY because that is how you say it in Spanish). Anyways, so far we have read sections of two extremely famous Spanish books called Lazarillo De Tormes, and, Don Quixote, both of which I recommend! Luckily for me, we are reading them in English, and using the books in order to learn new Spanish vocab as well. We have been reading and analyzing as well as learning the history of Spain, and the context in which each book has been written. When we go to Spain, Don H will be greatly missed, but I am sure that Mr. Vilariño will do a great job filling his shoes as our teacher!

Thanks for reading,

            -Monique Maria De La Paz Belt Lamadrid Yingling

With Winter Break only one week away, the trimester in Spain students have even more to be excited for.  After break there is only one more week untill we leave.  The rest of us who haven't yet wanted to take this time to share our expectations for the trip with you all.

In spain, I expect life long memories. I expect to be afraid, confused, frustrated, overwhelmed and amazed. I expect to meet people who will change the way I think, and to see things that will change the way I look at the world. I will walk outside and see something new every day, but I don't want to simply observe a new culture. I want to join in its excitement, and allow myself to change. I know that there will be moments when we are frustrated with ourselves and with each other, but I expect Varsity Spain athletes to become closer to each other as well as accepting new friends from each city we visit. Meeting new people will help me to truly learn the language and culture of Spain, and I intend to keep in touch with them. I expect to laugh a lot, cry a little, dance to some music I don't understand, and allow myself to be surprised by everything else.

            -Monique

My expectations for Spain are hopefully similar to everyone else’s. I want to improve my Spanish and live comfortably by using Spanish. I want to continue to do well in my VA classes while in Santiago and do well in the Spain specific classes. I want to have fun and enjoy the Spanish culture as well as see as much as possible of Spain. I want everyone to be safe, have fun, and learn a lot about Spain outside of the classroom. 

            -Miller

This year, I will have the opportunity to return to Spain for another trimester.  I know some of what to expect and I can’t wait.  Last year I had so much fun while at the same time learning new things about European Culture and the Spanish Language.  I can already tell that this year we have a great group of students who are really dedicated.  It will be an amazing trimester in Santiago.

            -Mike

Three more students wanted to take an opportunity to write their expectations on the blog.

I'm very excited to travel to Europe. Having this amazing opportunity at such a young age is something that not many people are privy to. I'm very grateful to be able to experience new things and immerse myself in a culture completely foreign to me. I hope to be able to strengthen my understanding of the Spanish language while also learning more about the history and lifestyle of the people of the country. I also want to meet people and develop new friendships. I can't wait to go to Spain!

          -Rachel Therrien

My goal for the 8-week Trimester in Spain is to become truly immersed in the culture of Galicia. I wish to leave for Spain with a solid foundation from my 3 years of Spanish (Spanish 1 - Spanish 3) at Vermont Academy and come back as a nearly fluent speaker with a Spanish foundation that would normally only be acquired through rigorous research and study time. My time will be used to better myself academically, as well as a person.  I hope to come back a much more experienced Spanish speaker with a strong worldview that I can use to better myself.

            -Erik

I’m not sure if words can describe how excited I am for this trip, but I’ll try to throw some down. First and foremost, I’m definitely hoping to expand my knowledge and understanding of Spanish to new levels. I can’t wait until I’m in an environment with completely new people that I can just explore the Spanish language with. The trips to Madrid, Barcelona, and Prague are a lineup that nobody could ever complain about, and I’ve heard more good things about the food than anybody could count.

            -Hasta Luego!! Bobby Ronacher

The students going on the Spain trip would like to take the opportunity to post their expectations for the journey on the blog.         

It should be a wonderful trip. We are going to many European countries and we will experience the European Lifestyle. I love Europe, and I want to go to all the countries around Spain and in Europe that I can. We have a great crew going. It will be one of the best 9 weeks of my life. Can't wait for this trip!

       -Attila

In the near future I am going to be presented with one of the most amazing opportunities. I aspire to become fluent in Spanish; however, I know that it is going to take a lot of work and motivation. I don’t expect this trip to be easy at all. I know that when I meet my host family I will initially be afraid. I expect that it is going to be so overwhelming, at least for a while, to speak Spanish. I know that the trip is supposed to be complete immersion but I hope they know a little bit of English. From the immersion classes I have had, I know already that it is hard for me to understand different accents, but I know I can overcome this setback. I am excited to learn about where I am going, and to have this experience with my classmates.

        -Elkanah

I find it difficult to express my expectations for this trip because I have now idea what to expect. I have only ever left the country once, and that was on a field trip to Canada (which does not really count). This will be a completely new experience for me, and I am extremely excited for it. I hope to gain a better understanding of foreign cultures, and to be able to see how others view the United States and its people. I am also eager to improve my skills in Spanish. Through this immersion experience, I hope to accelerate my progress on the road to fluency. I expect that this trip will be unlike anything I have ever been part of.

         -Salty 

         Photo Taken by Peter (Miller) Charman, Director of Photography 

         Today was the start of the Winter Trimester, and everybody was pretty thrilled, but for the nine of us traveling to Santiago de Compostella this January, Tuesday brought an even greater sense of excitement.  There are only about six weeks until we leave for Spain, and embark on our language emersions adventure together.  We are about to be thrust into a completely mysterious world.  Today marked the start of our Vermont Academy Spain Curriculum.  We were introduced to the three teachers who will guide us academically during our time in Spain: Mar Gonzalez, Eloy Bello, and Sergio Vilarino.  I know them from last years trip and they are all class acts.  Mr. Bello and Mrs. Gonzalez will teach us science, math, and conversational Spanish, while Mr. Vilarino will teach us Spanish history, art and architecture, and literature of Spain.  Mr. Vilarino is a true lover of classic Spanish tales such as Don Quixote and El Cid.  From now until the time we arrive in Santiago, our afternoons will be filled with studying to prepare ourselves for our Spain Experience.  All nine of us are delighted to able to learn about the culture of Spain and its history before we even arrive.  During today’s meeting, I looked over at Bobby Ronacher and saw a look of pure joy on his face.  That sense of unrivaled bliss has become a universal feeling among our group.  This blog will be used as a tool to keep readers informed of our awesome adventures over the next few months.  I look forward to being able to share pieces of this incredible experience with you all.

        -VA Spain Campus Public Relations Director, Mike Reilly   

VA Spain 2012 from Vermont Academy Spain Campus on Vimeo.

On Sunday, the VA Spain group said their final goodbyes to their friends and host families and boarded a plane back to the US.  After a long day of traveling, the group arrived back in Vermont and was energetically welcomed back to the VA Vermont Campus.  While we were sad to leave Spain, we were very happy to reunite with our friends and teachers so share some amazing memories.

Now that the trip has ended, blogging will become less frequent.  Within the next week, expect to see a final slide show presentation with photos from the entire trip.  This show will appear at next Monday's community meeting for the whole VA community to enjoy.

Also, the VA Spain program will be continuously evolving throughout the summer and the upcoming school year.  Please continue to check the blog and the VA Spain homepage for the latest information.

Thank you to all the readers who kept up with our adventures over the last few months.  We hope you were able to get a sense of the amazing experience we had.  If you have any comments or suggestions about the blog, our Flickr page, our Twitter page, or any other VA Spain publications, please feel free to contact Anna Brown, the blog editor at abrown12@vermontacademy.org.

-The VA Spain PR Team

Today is our last day in San Martin Pinario Monastery. This morning we were lucky enough to have Father Fernandez Lago come and speak to us about the history and meaning of the Camino de Santiago. This gave us a deep understanding of how important this pilgrimage is in Santiago and across Europe. Fr. Lago is perhaps the most knowledgeable person in the world on this subject. Fr. Lago is the director of the Theological Institute that has housed our classrooms here in Spain. Fr. Lago is a wonderful man who has offered us much hospitality during our time here. We put together a framed letter with all of our signatures as a final thank you and goodbye gift. 

-Anna Brown

Yesterday we took a trip to Corrubedo, a small village on the coast.  We all had a well-deserved chance to relax after a final week of hard work. The beach was absolutely beautiful, and it was great to go swimming in some cold but refreshing water. For lunch we ate some of the best Galician food I have ever had.  The tortilla was especially excellent. After lunch, we had a siesta on the beach, and then went for ice cream before heading back to Santiago. Overall, it was great way to wrap up our last week in Spain. Today we have one final day in the classroom to wrap things up. Tomorrow will be our final goodbye to our host families and Spain before our flight back to the US early on Sunday morning.

-Mike Reilly   

For more photos of the beach, visit the Vermont Academy Spain flickr page!

Today is our last day of formal classes here in Spain. We have worked hard to finish our work early so that we can spend the next few days enjoying some time on the beach and spending time with our host families. We depart on Sunday morning, and we plan on taking full advantage of the time between now and then. Tomorrow we will be spending the day on the beach in Corrubedo. This beach is one of the most beautiful in Galicia, with magnificent dunes and white sand. The weather is predicted to be amazing. On Friday we will be meeting up one last time in San Martin Pinario Monastery where we have had our classes throughout this trip. Saturday will be spent saying good-bye to our wonderful host families and local friends. We have built strong bonds with them, and it will be hard to say goodbye. I am sad to leave Spain, but I know that the next few days will be a great end to a fantastic trip.

-Anna Brown

This past weekend, VA Spain took an amazing trip to the beautiful city of Barcelona in the region of Catalonia. We arrived at about 10:30 in the morning to some absolutely gorgeous weather! After taking a quick ride on the metro to our hotel, we went for a walk through one of the most beautiful parts of the city, including Las Ramblas and ended at the Picasso Museum. The Picasso Museum was definitely one of the coolest art museums I have ever been to. The building that it's in is a very creative series of arches and hallways that make you feel like your actually IN the art while you browse through the works. On every wall there is a short blurb about a part of Picasso's life, so you can get a general biography of his life just by reading the walls. After the Picasso, we traveled across town to the house of former VA students Alejandra and Dani Seculi where we had dinner with them and other former VA students Jordi Pujol and Lucas Aguadow Ivanow. It was a great reunion made possible by the Seculi family.

The next day, we got up around 9:30, had a great Spanish breakfast at the hotel and headed off to the Sagrada Familia. The Sagrada Familia is a large cathedral, designed by Gaudi, a famous architect whose work is typical of Barcelona. It actually appears as if the building is almost melting. There was a wide range of opinions as some people thought it was very beautiful and others thought it was one of the ugliest things they had ever seen. Regardless, it was very impressive. From the Sagrada Familia we headed up a hill on the west side of the city to El Parque Guell. El Parque Guell is an incredibly beautiful park with some amazing views of Barcelona and the ocean. Everyone wanted to stay longer, but unfortunately we had to head back to Santiago. Even though it was sad to say goodbye to Barcelona, we were all content with the wonderfully beautiful experience that we had in the city. I'm sure more than a few of us will be returning some day in the future.

-Robert Parent

Visit the VA Spain flickr page for more photos of the trip!

Tomorrow we leave for Barcelona. This is our last trip before we head back to the US, and we plan on making the most of it. My host mom says that this is her favorite city in all of Spain, and I can't wait to see it. We will have the opportunity to see many famous landmarks and museums in the city, including the Sagrada Familia, the Route of Gaudi, and the Olympic Port. One of the sights that I am most excited to see is the Picasso Museum. We were able to see some of his paintings in Madrid, and I loved them. All of his paintings make you feel unique emotions. We will also have the chance to walk the famous Ramblas and see the Gothic neighborhood and the beautiful Cathedral there. We have recently been studying about Baroque art and architecture in class.  Mr. Villarino says that Barcelona is a city filled with Baroque architecture. I can’t wait to see the famous buildings that we have been studying and explore this great city.

-Mike Reilly

Vermont Academy Spain campus took wonderful trip to Madrid this weekend. We had a very pleasant and relaxing bus ride there before arriving at our hotel in the famed Plaza de España. We saw some great things the first day we were there, but the real highlight for me was on the second day when we went to the Reina Sofia art museum.

As soon as you get to a point where you can see the museum, you know you're about to walk into something special. The outside of the museum is a giant red square with an air bridge connecting to another building. Protruding from the tops of these building is an enormous roof that covers a huge amount of space outside of the museum. The inside is just as amazing. You walk through hallways and rooms lined with almost every form of art you can possibly imagine. The museum uses a combination of sculptures, paintings and videos to make you feel truly immersed in the artistic atmosphere. Some of the big name artists that we saw included Salvador Dali and Pablo Picasso. I could have spent the whole day marveling at the works. I know that I will have to go back someday to see it again. Hopefully, that day will be next year with another great VA Spain trip!

-Robert Parent

This past weekend we took a trip to Madrid.  We got to see some of the most prestigious art museums in all of Spain and take in the sights of the city. On the first day, we went the Prado. El Museo del Prado is the most important art museum in Spain, featuring artists such as Velasquez, Goya, and el Greco. After the Prado we went to see the Plaza Mayor and the Puerta del Sol and explore the socially and historically important areas around these two major plazas. My personal favorite from the weekend was the Reina Sofia, which we went to see on Sunday morning.  It is a museum filled with modern art from many famous Spanish painters.  I got to see the amazingly surreal works of my favorite painter Salvador Dali. One of my favorite paintings was Picasso’s Guernica.  It depicts a bombing that occurred during the Spanish Civil War. I liked it so much because it truly made me feel scared. It was great to be able to see all of the staggering beauty that Madrid has to offer. Madrid was vibrant and filled with life, and I would say that it is the most beautiful city that we have seen so far.  

-Mike Reilly

For more photos of the trip, visit the VA Spain Flicker page at www.flickr.com/photos/vermontacademyspain/

Last week VA Spain went to see Nobel Prize winner Ei-ichi Negishi speak. Here are some of our impressions of the event:

Listening to Nobel Prize winner Ei-ichi Negishi last night was a wonderful experience. Negishi described himself as a dream-chaser, and encouraged everyone in the audience to chase the dream that would bring them happiness. He told us that if you are good at something and you enjoy doing it, then it is not impossible to reach the highest level in it. However, he also stressed that even if you never win a Nobel Prize, you are successful as long as you are happy. He also spoke about the potential that scientific research has to be profitable and help the world. It made me very excited about going into the sciences next year in college. Maybe one day I will be able to be as positive of an influence in the world as Ei-ichi Negishi.

-Anna Brown

Yesterday the Vermont Academy Spain Campus went to see Nobel Prize winner Ei-ichi Negishi give a lecture in Santiago. It was a truly amazing experience. He talked about his accomplishments for a while, but the main focus of his speech was the life lessons that he had learned along the way. I took all of these lessons that he talked about to heart.  The thing that struck me the most was what he said about happiness. He said that it was the most important thing, and all that you only need to do three simple things to achieve it.  They are loving what you do, putting yourself good living circumstance, surrounding yourself with good friends and family. He also encouraged everybody in the audience to reach for lofty goals.  He said that one day we might also win a Nobel Prize.  He broke it down to two simple steps; love what you do, and be good at it. I know that winning a Nobel Prize is a nearly impossible feat, but listening to him I felt that it actually was obtainable. He was a very wise man and very insightful. I want to follow his steps to happiness because I feel that they will allow me to live a fulfilling life.

-Mike Reilly

Today, VA Spain visited St. James' Cathedral in our home city of Santiago de Compostela. St. James' Cathedral is the most prominent landmark in Santiago with its three towering spires that can be seen from almost any point within the city. We started out by walking through a small courtyard with no roof which was very beautiful. There were many different types of plants and mosses growing out of the old stone walls. We then ascended some stairs to the palace of the archbishop. We entered a very long room with intricate decorative stone flowers on the ceiling. Our guide told us that the room was used as a social gathering place for the archbishop and his people.
    After a few more flights of stairs, we arrived at the roof of the cathedral where the real tour began. We walked all over the roof and gazed at the different sights of Santiago de Compostela as our tour guide explained each one in great detail. The view was beautiful and hearing about the rich history of Santiago was very interesting. I did not want to come down, but after a few group pictures at the unrelenting insistence of our captain, Thomas Savoca, we descended into the actual Cathedral to take in its marvelous arched ceilings and gleaming gold altars. Everyone had a great time. 

- Robert Parent

For more photos from the roof the cathedral, visit our flickr page!

Today we are lucky enough to be able to hear from Ei-ichi Negishi, a 2010 Nobel Prize winner. He is speaking here in Santiago as part of the Programa ConCiencia at the University of Santiago de Compostela. Thanks to the efforts of Mar Gonzalez, one of the VA Spain Campus teachers, we will be joining the audience for this exciting conference.

Ei-ichi Negishi is a Japanese chemist who studied at Purdue University. Negishi won his  Nobel Prize for "palladium catalyzed cross couplings in organic synthesis." While I am not quite sure what this means, I am very excited to have the opportunity to learn more about it. The title of today's program is Transition Metal Catalysis for a Prosperous and Sustainable World. It will be given in English. 

It is not everyday that you get to hear a Nobel Prize winner speak, and we are very excited to take advantage of this opportunity.

-Anna Brown

This weekend we are travelling to Madrid! We leave on Friday night and arrive Saturday morning. We will start our weekend in Madrid with a visit to the Prado Museum. This is one of the most important art museums in the world. There, we will see some of the greatest pieces from the Renaissance, including Las Meninas by Velazquez and The Garden of Earthly Delights by El Bosco. These famous paintings come from the period that we are currently studying in the Art History of Spain, one of our Spain Campus Curriculum classes. Later in the day, we will go to the social center of Madrid and see La Plaza Mayor. We will spend the afternoon in the Retiro, a huge park with many amazing things to see; monuments, fountains, and the Crystal Palace. We will enjoy some Spanish cuisine before heading back to the hotel. Sunday morning we will visit the Reina Sofia Museum. Here we will see art by famous artists such as Salvador Dali and Picasso. We will see the Guernica by Picasso. This painting memorializes the Spanish civil war, which we have read about in our Spanish Literature class and are currently studying in Spanish History. The contemporary art in this museum is a preview of what we will be studying soon in Art History of Spain. We return to Santiago on Sunday afternoon, and back to class on Monday. 

-Anna Brown

Yesterday VA Spain began the spoon game. You're probably asking yourself, what is the spoon game? Well, the spoon game is  played annually Vermont Academy. You get a spoon and a target. Your spoon is your weapon, and your target is the person that you have to tag. The way to get them out is by tagging them. However, they can only be eliminated if you tag them when they are not holding their spoon. Their target becomes yours, and the game goes on until there is a single victor. 
    This is the first year that the Vermont Academy Spain campus has played the spoon game, and it has been a big success and tons of fun. I, of course, was the first one to draw blood almost immediately after Herve Mudahakana, the game master, announced the start of the game. Ian Pattinson foolishly had his spoon in his mouth, and I tagged him before he knew what had happened. We've had a lot of fun in the last 24 hours, but the game has finally come down to two competitors. It's Samantha McIntosh vs. Liz Richards. Only time will tell who will be the ultimate Spanish victor.

-Robert Parent

Several of us here at the Vermont Academy Spain Campus are taking art classes at Vermont Academy. The Studio Art II class has been working on alot of drawings related to our experience here. We wanted to share some of them with you!

San Martin Pinario by Ian Pattison

San Martin Pinario by Thomas Savoca

The Colosseum by Samantha McIntosh

Fantasy Drawing by Vincent Flanagan

Today was our first day back from our trip to Italy.  It was such an amazing trip.  My favorite city on the trip was Rome.  Here we were able to see buildings that have been standing for thousands of years such as the Colosseum and the Roman Forum.  While exploring these structures I thought about the sheer magnitude of what we were seeing.  Ancient people have been gathering in these places for thousands of years.  In a few more thousand years our skyscrapers will all be obsolete and crumbling, but these ancient buildings will still be here.  I am glad that I have had the opportunity to see something so great in my lifetime, something that I would not have had the chance to see without Vermont Academy Spain.

-Mikey Reilly

VA Spain just arrived back from Italy today. Everybody had a great time. My favorite part, as you can probably guess, was seeing the Medusa by Caravaggio for the first time. It was every bit as ugly as I thought it would be. Yet somehow, it has a magnetic pull that draws you into admiring it and staring at it. We arrived to the Caravaggio room after viewing many other famous artists and works of art such as The Birth of Venus by Botticelli and Michelangelo's sculpture David. It was breathtaking to look at real paintings by artists so famous that almost everybody on Earth knows their name. I left with a feeling of completeness at having finally seen the one piece of art that I had always dreamed of seeing. 

-Robert Parent

My favorite part of this weekend's trip was visiting the Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore, commonly known as El Duomo. The huge dome of this basilica is beautiful from the inside and the outside.  A seemingly never ending spiral staircase brought us first to a walkway around the bottom of the dome, and then continued until we were standing right below the beautiful painting that decorated its ceiling. This was not the end of the climb. We continued up increasingly small and steep stone steps. The walls of the stairway started to curve as we reached the peak, and eventually we arrived at the small trap door that led to the roof of the dome and breathtaking views of Florence. It was completely worth the climb to see such impressive art, architecture, and the view of the city from above.

-Anna Brown

For more pictures of the trip, visit the VA Spain Flickr page.

We just got back from a fantastic trip to see the cities of Florence and Rome! In Florence we went straight from the airport to the hotel and from there into the city. We visited the Plaza of the Republic and the Church of Santa Maria Novella. Later we got a delicious Italian dinner. The next day saw us visiting the Duomo Cathedral and even going up into its dome! We also went to the Gallery of the Uffizi, Santa Croce, and also saw many other beautiful sights in the streets of Florence while enjoying pizza, pasta, and gelato. 

Friday morning we took the train to Rome and wasted no time once we got there. We did not let the rain stop us from visiting Vatican City on Friday. We visited Saint Peter's Square, the Sistine Chapel, and the Vatican Museum. The rain continued into Saturday, but that did not lessen our enjoyment of the Colloseum, the Roman Forum, and the ruins of the old city. The rain stopped in the afternoon as we went to see the Fountain of Trevi, the Spanish Steps, the Piazza del Populo, and everything in between. We got up early on Sunday to catch our flight back to Santiago. 

All in all it was an incredible trip. We saw beautiful historical sites and got a taste of Italian culture. To see photos of everything we did this weekend, visit the VA Spain flickr page:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/vermontacademyspain/

-Anna Brown

Tomorrow we are leaving for Italy! The first city that we are visiting, Florence, has a history rich in art. I am looking forward to seeing the Venus de Milo and other famous works of art first hand. We are visiting the Gallery of the Uffizi, which has been called the most important art gallery in the world. I’ve been amazed by looking at pictures of these works in Art History of Spain, one of our Spain Campus Curriculum classes, and I can’t imagine how I’ll feel getting to see them in person. Also in Florence we will see the Duomo cathedral, the Palazzo Pitti, and more. After Florence we’ll take the train to spend the weekend in Rome. We’ll take trips to the Pantheon, Circus Maximus, Vatican city, and the Colosseum, as well as many other amazing places.  I’ve heard stories of Rome being a magnificent city, but I’ve never had the chance to visit until now. I am very excited to go and I know everyone else is too! 

-Mikey Reilly

Semana Santa, the week leading up to Easter, is a very important holiday here in Spain. It is celebrated with parades and religious ceremonies, as well as chocolate eggs and Easter cakes. We spent Easter weekend with our host families and celebrated in a variety of ways. Here is a sampling of what VA Spain Students did this weekend:

  Last Friday, VA Spain campus took a trip to Costa de Muerte (Coast of Death) on the north western coast of Galicia. The coast extends from the towns of Finisterre to Malpica. It is an absolutely beautiful coast with blue water and white sands. However, the calm and peacefulness of this area is misleading as it has been the site of many shipwrecks and quite a bit of death.

Part of its name comes from a shipwreck that happened in 1890. The HMS Serpent was an English naval ship traveling to Galicia when it suddenly crashed into the rocky coast and sunk. All 176 crew members perished in the tragedy. We visited The Englishmen's Cemetery, the memorial of this tragedy.

While it was a bit depressing to hear this tale, it didn't keep anyone on the trip from having an awesome time. Almost everyone did a bit running, jumping, and climbing on the treacherous rocks while others simply sat and enjoyed the beautiful view, one of the many beautiful views we saw this weekend. It was nice to be next to the ocean and sit in an area that you know contains so much history, even if that history is a bit morbid.

Once again, an amazing cultural trip for the VA Spain campus!

-Robert Parent

For more photos of our weekend trip, visit our flickr page and follow us on twitter.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/vermontacademyspain/ 

https://twitter.com/#!/vaspain2012 

 

 

We have a busy few days coming up here in Spain. The following is our itinerary for the weekend:

Today we wil hear a special presentation from Michael Horowitz, a VA community member and strong supporter of the VA Spain Program.  The presentation will be on Spanish idiomatic expressions.  He will be teaching us many expressions that we will use everyday while living in Santiago.  Knowing these expressions will improve our conversation skills and our ability to function in the Spanish community.

Mr. Horowitz has been visiting the VA Spain Campus for a few days now and is extremely happy to be here.  He is a strong supporter of the program and, as a non-native Spanish speaker himself, knows the huge value in learning a new language and exploring education on an international level.  He will be with us until Sunday and will be going on our upcoming weekend trip with us. 

In his own words, "It's thrilling to be here, in this environment, with all the students.  It's fantastic to be here, seeing the students learning.  It's very exciting to be learning how to speak a new language.  It makes the world a smaller place."

More details on the weekend trip are coming soon and pictures from the trip will be posted next week on out Flickr page.

Also, don't forget to follow us on Twitter @VASpain2012 for even more pictures and information that you won't find here.  Tweet at us or use the hashtag #VASC to interact with us!

-Thomas Savoca

This Friday we will be having our first big trip. We are travelling to the Northwestern coast of Galicia. The trip starts in La Coruna, a major trading port. We will se the Tower of Hercules, an ancient lighthouse, and then continue on to two more ancient sites. The first is the Castro of Borneiro, a Pre-Roman hill fort, and the second is the Dolmen de Dombate, a stone monument. We will then go on to a castle in Vimianzo built in the middle-ages. These sites relate directly to the topics that we are studying in the Spain Campus Curriculum. We will then go to the lighthouse of Cabo Vilan where there are the strongest winds in western Europe.

We end the trip in Finisterre, who's name means "End of the Land" because of its far western position. Finisterre is the final destination of the Camino de Santiago, the pilgrimage route that passes through Santiago de Compostela. We will be meeting with a representative from La Voz de Galicia, the most read newspaper in Galicia. This is a very good opportunity for us and we are very excited to be able to share the experience that we are having with the media.

Additional information about our plans for the weekend will be posted soon, so keep checking back here and on flickr! http://www.flickr.com/photos/vermontacademyspain/

-Anna Brown

This week trustee Michael Horowitz is visiting the Vermont Academy Spain Campus. He is staying with us for about a week. While he is here he is sitting in on some of our classes, coming on our upcoming weekend trip, and will be teaching a special class on idiomatic expressions in Spanish. We are very excited to have him here visiting us.

-Anna Brown

-Anna Brown

Yesterday was Grace’s birthday.  Grace’s host sister and some of her Spanish friends planned a surprise birthday party for her in the park.  We had balloons and snacks, and got to check out a beautiful view of Santiago and watch the sun set.  I thought it was amazing that a person who just met us a week earlier would be so thoughtful as to throw a birthday party.  That is one of the things that I find so amazing about Spain.  People who you have just met will go out of their way to try to make you feel as comfortable as possible.

-Mike Reilly

For more photos of Grace's birthday, visit the VA Spain Flickr page: http://www.flickr.com/photos/vermontacademyspain/

This past weekend was amazing. My family took me to the coast where we went to a bright and sunny beach. After I worked on my tan, we had an incredible lunch of all different types of sea food. My favorites were the spiced octopus and my main course of Galician sting ray. After that, we played soccer for a bit on the beach. Then we went to a little church on a point of land out in the sea to watch the sun set. The following day, Monday,  was the Spanish fathers day which my family celebrated by going out to have a special lunch with even more sea food. All in all, it was a great weekend.

-Robert Parent

This past weekend, our first one in Spain, we had an extra day off because Monday was Spanish Father’s Day. On Father’s Day my host family and I took a trip to a shopping mall. I ate lunch and had chicken for the first time since I have been here. The Spanish eat a lot of pork. After lunch, my family and I went to an arcade where my host brother Edison and I played a few rounds of pool. After my first weekend in Spain, I am starting to see that the people America and Spain are not very different. We may have our subtle differences, but at the core we are both just people who cherish the time that we get to spend with family and friends.  I look forward to spending many more weekends with my host family.

-Mikey Reilly

Visit the Vermont Academy Spain Flickr page for more photos! http://www.flickr.com/photos/vermontacademyspain/

My first week in Spain has been a very exciting one.  We arrived in Madrid after a 7-hour flight from JFK airport in New York, and then went on a smaller plane to Santiago.  Santiago is a beautiful city, and the people are so nice and welcoming.  After checking out the school that we are going to be studying in for these next ten weeks, we were introduced to our host families.  Edison and I are staying with the same family.  We were first introduced to our host brother, a fifteen-year-old boy who attends the La Salle School named Matheus.  Matheus' family lives in a three-story house with his little sister, father, mother, and grandmother.  Edison and I share a room on the third floor.  Our host family does anything they can to make sure that we are comfortable.  They are constantly asking if we are hungry or thirsty, and they drive to come and pick us up after school.  Both Edison and I speak only a little Spanish, but we are able to communicate with Matheus because he speaks some English.  Yesterday while were waiting in the car and I had a nice conversation with Matheus’ little sister.  She doesn’t speak English, but she is learning in school.  I told her the name of her toys in English, and she helped me with some of my Spanish.  Through interacting with my host family I gain a better understanding of Spanish, and they get better at English. I can not wait to get to know my host family even better.

-Mikey Riley

We are having an amazing experience here in Santiago, and we want to share it with all of you. Of course the blog will continue, but do not forget to also check our flickr page, at http://www.flickr.com/photos/vermontacademyspain/, for photos of the trip. Also, VA Spain now has a twitter! You can follow us at https://twitter.com/#!/VASpain2012, and have real time updates on our experiences here. 

VA Spain students and teachers in the courtyard of San Martin Pinario, the Monastary that will be their school in the coming weeks.

The VA Spain group arrived in Santiago just in time for lunch on Monday. After touring their new school in the San Martin Pinario Monastery, they met with thier host families and headed to their homes for the next ten weeks.

Today, the VA students walked around and saw the sights in Santiago de Compostela. They spent their free time in the afternoon with all of their host siblings, immersed in the life of a spanish teenager and improving thier spanish the best possible way: conversing with and listening to native speakers of the language. 

More photos and the VA Spain PR team's first impressions of Spain will becoming soon!