Over Half Term, our Year 10 and 11 Spanish students swapped the cold Autumnal streets of London for the sunny streets of Seville to immerse themselves in the Spanish language and culture. On Tuesday, they spent the morning in Spanish lessons honing their linguistic skills, followed by a guided walking tour of the city exploring Seville’s rich heritage as the capital of Andalusia, and the evening’s entertainment was a Flamenco show. On Wednesday, they partook in an exciting paella workshop, after which they went on a walking tour of Triana, a district on the west bank of the Guadalquivir River. On their final day, they took part in a salsa dancing workshop and spent more time exploring Seville’s sights, including the spectacular Catedral de Sevilla.

You can read a firsthand account of the trip by Linnea and Ines in Year 11 below:

During Half Term, Year 10 and 11 Spanish students had the wonderful opportunity to partake in a Spanish trip to Seville. Full of entertaining and cultural activities as well as unforgettable moments, this trip has allowed us to both discover a new city and bond with friends as well as teachers and, of course, further improve our Spanish while being immersed in the culture. 

On the first day, Tuesday 18th October, we began the day with lessons at a local language school. We had the privilege of having great teachers who navigated lessons in Spanish, which was slightly challenging at times but, overall, very helpful for our Spanish. There, we were able to work on a multitude of skills including writing, reading, grammar and speaking. We then enjoyed a lunch at a typical Spanish restaurant where we had the opportunity to try a variety of delicious dishes such as croquetas, jamón, gambas and gazpacho (for those who were turned vegetarian from having glimpsed the bull fighting displayed on the restaurant’s TV). Following on from lunch, we took part in a guided tour of Seville where we were shown the magnificent town hall and cathedral of Seville, which we later visited on Friday. One of the highlights of the trip was the opportunity to explore the city independently in groups of at least 3 during free time slots every day. These free time slots allowed us to go shopping and practice our Spanish, as well as recall what we had learnt and seen on our guided tour as we ourselves explored the city. After free time on Tuesday, we were delighted to attend a flamenco show where we saw talented dancers and musicians perform with passion. Finally, we were offered the option to end the day with ice cream for dessert at a local ice cream shop, Abuela. 

On the second day, Wednesday 19th, we once again started the day with lessons at CLIC. We then made our way over to a rice workshop where we had a late lunch consisting of 3 different Spanish rice dishes: paella Valenciana, arroz negro and arroz de verduras. This was both a delicious and insightful experience as we were able to watch the chefs prepare paella as well as ask them relevant questions we had in Spanish. We then took part in another guided tour, this time in Triana (a neighbourhood on the western bank of Seville’s Guadalquivir River) where we learnt even more about Seville and its history. To finish off the day, we indulged in a famous Spanish custom and enjoyed churros con chocolate. 

Having attended language school for the final time on Thursday, most of us set out to complete an optional ‘Free time photo challenge’ expertly curated by the teachers. We took pictures in front of different places we had already discovered during our trip, aiming to humour the judges in return for edible prizes. Upon completing the challenge, the day was far from over: next on the list was the greatly anticipated dance workshop- the main topic of conversation leading up to the trip. It’s safe to say that the prospect was far scarier than the reality which consisted of stumbling around a partner, slightly out of pace, while trying to coordinate arms and legs (we all discovered this was a lot harder than it looks!). To round up the day, some of us went to the cinema to dodge rain, while others explored the famous Plaza de España. The architecture was truly stunning, and we were impressed all around.

On our final day, we visited the Real Alcazar, which was a definitive high point of the trip. The mixture of Mudéjar and Christian architecture was unlike anything we had ever seen before and the intricate patterns on walls and ceilings were stunning. As well as this, the enormous gardens inhabited by peacocks surrounding the Alcazar were also picturesque. Some explored the neighbourhood of Santa Cruz, with its cosy narrow alleyways before our last lunch in Seville. We couldn’t believe that the trip was nearing its end as we climbed the tower of the cathedral, to admire the city we had come to know so well over the last four days.

Lastly, we want to thank Ms Johnston, Mr Confino and Ms Marina for organising and accompanying us on this amazing trip- it was a wonderful experience we would love to repeat soon!