On Thursday 27th April, the LVI geographers embarked on a trip to sunny Barcelona to collect data for our A Level coursework (NEA) and enrich ourselves with how our geographical studies relate to life in the real world. On our first full day in Barcelona, we travelled to El Raval (an area located in the centre of Barcelona) to complete the human aspect of our fieldwork. After a morning of collecting data alongside a guided tour of the area, we had a well-deserved lunch break where we tried the delicious local cuisines.

Our second day involved all of us going to the Sitges coastline to perform some coastal fieldwork. We got to try out new equipment such as calibrated poles and clinometers as well as learning new skills whilst partaking in activities like measuring the beach profile and testing the direction of longshore drift.

On the third day, we had to decide whether we wanted to proceed with a physical or human geography NEA. Those who chose a human topic headed to the city centre to gather data on El Raval. Meanwhile, the physical geographers enjoyed a fulfilling day by the Sitges coastline assessing the efficacy of the hard and soft engineering techniques and the effects erosion had on shaping beach morphology. Both groups had productive days and managed to gather an abundance of data preparing us for the less enjoyable part of our NEA in rainy London.

On our final morning in Barcelona, we took one last walk along the Sitges coast, stopping at various points in the town, such as the local church, enjoying the view that overlooked the ocean and the beachfront market to buy some jewellery and clothes to take home. We then, with heavy hearts and more knowledgeable brains, returned to Barcelona Airport to survive a 2-hour delay eventually landing us back home to the less enjoyable: London.

By Tiggy Matthews and Francesca Glanville, Lower Sixth A Level Geographers