Saturday, June 27th

Day trip to Calpe. Most of the boys climbed the rock in the background for some magnificent views. Some boys also tanned on a USA soccer jersey in anticipation for Sundays match versus Brazil.

Friday, July 26th

After a great weekend in Barcelona, on Wednesday we took a train down the coast to our next homestay city, Valencia. Thursday morning we toured the city and the boys did a quick scavenger hunt in the Mercado. Valencia is famous for paella, horchata, and especially being an agricultural center with a huge food market. Across the street, we also ventured into the old silk market, La Lonja, which is a somewhat small architectural gem.

Sevilla sampler videos (more to come)

Tuesday, June 23rd

We have spent two fantastic days in Barcelona with the excellent guidance from Mr. Collier, who had lived here for two years. It has been a small sampling of a city full of architecture, art and Catalan Culture. We sampled the Ramblas, Gothic Quarter, Montjuic, Joan Miro museum, two Gaudi buildings, Tapas, Arroz Negro, and Grilled Lamb. Tomorrow, before our afternoon train to Valencia, we will squeeze in Guell Park.

Saturday, June 20th

Today we went to Jerez and had a wonderful tour in Spanish of Bodega Gonzalez Byass. We had a chance to go through the Alcazar of Jerez, which, though small, was a nice space.

Friday, June 19th

Today we had a class that described the Tapas culture that is very Andalusian. Tomorrow we head to Jerez. I am posting some old photos from the past week.

Thursday, June 18th

Two nights ago, we dined in a fancy setting (a vine covered courtyard with a fountain) and the boys loved their dishes, particularly the fish. Yesterday was spent in Cordoba, considered to be the capital of Europe around the 10th century. We had a marvelous tour through the Jewish quarter and then to the ultra impressive mosque/cathedral. The students also had a taste of Salmorejo, a gazpacho like soup from Cordoba. Today was a doubleheader of speakers as we started with a 2.5 hour wine tasting with wines from different regions of Spain and accompanied by great explanations by a true wine expert. This was immediately followed by Oscar Guzman who gave us a very private guitar concert with explanations of flamenco and classical Spanish guitar.

I have some great videos that I will download once I have more access to the internet as they take a very long time to upload.

Tuesday, June 16

We had a very full day with two phenomenal guests. We started the morning with a professional bull fighter, David Sevilla. The boys asked him questions based on what they had experienced at the Plaza de Toros in Sevilla and he brought with him his suits and some equipment. Then we had a great session with a professional flamenco singer, Ana Real. Tonight we will visit the Alcazar and have a pretty fancy dinner as a group.

Monday, June 15th

Here is a report for the last couple of days. On Saturday, we traveled to Cadiz to climb lookout towers and have some beach time in their beloved city beach, La Caleta. On Sunday, the bullfight. We saw a good show in a very historic arena, known especially for the color of the sand. Today, the boys had a Gazpacho class, where they had a hands-on experience in making the refreshing soup in a kitchen one flight up from our classes.

Thursday, June 11

Our invited speaker today was a sports journalist who explained the intricacies of Spanish soccer. He provided great insight to the national passion and conversed with the boys about Woodberry soccer. In the evening we went to a great flamenco show at Casa de la Memoria where the boys saw a very complete show. Next week we will have a flamenco guitar player and flamenco singer come to talk about their work and what the boys had just seen. Hopefully they are inspired to seek out more flamenco during their free time. We ended the night with a delicious Moroccan dinner that included a sweet tea that rivals that of the Carolinas.

Wednesday, June 10th

We met in the Plaza de Cuba and showed the boys the route to class, about a 10 minute walk across the Guadalquivir River and along Constitution Avenue, a large pedestrian road in the heart of old Seville. Our classes are a block off this street, right by the Cathedral. We then toured the Santa Cruz area which is full of narrow alleys and tiny plazas. We then returned for a class on pick-up lines and courting customs of Spain. The professor did a great job providing our boys with lines they could use later in the afternoon when we forced a mixer on them with some Spanish students of the same age as our boys. It went very well after a slow start and they were seen after the event still together being toured through the Maria Luisa Park. Wilson Tarbox wins the Stud Award as he always had at least 2 girls talking to him throughout the event. We have now visited both fitness centers and decided the one in old Seville, though smaller, is better located for our boys.

Smooth Arrival

We are here, jet lag and all. We made ith through many security lines and customs without a hitch. After a bumpy ride to Madrid, the flight to Seville felt very quick. We took taxis from the airport to Plaza de Cuba in Triana where the boys met their Madres (and some Padres.) They are now with their families, hopefully enjoying their first almuerzo (lunch.) They will get to know their neighborhood tonight and the old part of Sevilla tomorrow.