DAY 1 (Feb 6, 2010) - Trip from Hong Kong to Madrid

     Today it is a warm day.The temperature is 8 degrees Celsius but there may be snow and showers tomorrow. We arrived at the hotel at 6am Hong Kong time after almost 19 hours of travel. Air France flights were excellent. The kids had lots to eat. They even reserved sandwiches and noodles for them before the other passengers got a chance to try. So far, no one has lost anything. The kids are now wide awake and ready for their first day of adventure. Adios y buenos dias de Madrid!

Day 2 (Feb 7, 2010) - Downtown Madrid

     After getting a good night’s rest, we were excited to explore the capital city of Spain, Madrid. After having breakfast, we waited eagerly for our guide to meet us at the hotel. Then, we set out for a walk along the city centre of Madrid, passing by beautiful historical buildings and several fountains, of which our guide explained the history. After a morning of sightseeing, we finally reached our destination, the Prado Museum, which features ones of the finest collections of European Art. As we passed by beautiful paintings and sculptures, our guide showed us the most famous painting in the museum called “Les Meninas” which translates to Maids of Honour in English. Through the painting, we learned about the painting techniques of the time and also about the Spanish royal family.

Day 4 (Feb 9, 2010) – Toledo

     Today is our first time to travel to the outlying towns of Madrid, and Toledo was our destination. We learned that Toledo used to be the former capital of the Spanish empire and that it was a town of many cultures. We passed by places of worship of different religions and learned about the architectural structure of a Catholic cathedral, a Jewish synagogue and a Muslim mosque. We were all amazed by the intricate details inside these places of worship. By lunch time, we were all happy to sit down and enjoy our meal. We were given a menu by the waiter, and we were allowed to choose our own mea with our group members. Of course we had to order the meals by ourselves in Spanish. After lunch, we played games around the main plaza of the town and before we left, we visited a traditional bakery that offered traditional “Marzipan”, a type of confectionary made of sugar and almond. Delicious!

Day 5 (Feb 10, 2010) – Madrid Zoo

     We were all excited to visit the Madrid Zoo, home to animals from 5 continents. After having breakfast, we took the metro and surprisingly, the ride was only 10 minutes away from the hotel. When we arrived to the entrance, we were divided into 3 teams. Each team was given a map. The task was to visit animals from the different continents and to choose one for each, and to write a brief description about the animal and take a picture of it. That was a fun activity that made us run all around the zoo. By noon, we were famished. Little did we know that a treasure was awaiting in the afternoon. In the same teams, we were given clues to specific animal in the zoo. In order to solve the puzzle, we had to ask questions in Spanish to the zoo staff. Once we figured out which animal it was, we had to take a picture in front of it. Each team tried their best and it was a close call. When the treasure hunt ended, it was time to leave. We were all sad to bid farewell to the amazing animals.

Day 7 (Feb 12,  2010)

     The temperature has been dropping every day. Yesterday we went to the beautiful city of Salamanca. On the way by the mountains the kids got excited when they saw it was snowing! Unfortunately for them it wasn’t cold enough for the snow to stay on the ground but it was for sure a very cold day but still sunny. Salamanca is famous for its main plaza and university. At the entrance of the University the kids were looking for a while for a small frog that is located somewhere in the wall. They all found it; after a while. There is a tradition that the students who come to study at the university, before they enter the door for the first time, have to find the frog. If they do that it means they will be successful in their career. Today it wasn’t as cold and we decided to walk through the beautiful “Retiro” park. We also took the MTR to “El Palacio Real”, the Royal Palace. The students were amazed at the ostentatious building. Mr. Adames was or guide through the visit. The students listened and took it all in. We all learnt so much about Spanish history. After a very long and tiring day we were ready to go to bed and rest, but not before we enjoyed the last dinner in Madrid at a local restaurant where we ate as much as we could! Buenas noches desde Madrid.

Day 9 (Feb 14, 2010)

     “Churros, Spanish omelet (“tortilla española”) and hot chocolate was our last breakfast in Madrid! After that we packed our bags, went out shopping to Madrid’s famous department store “El Corte Inglés”, had lunch then went back to the hostal to pick up our luggage to go to the airport. The students are excited to go back home, eager to tell all they’ve seen and experienced. It was a very fun, productive, smooth and interesting tour. We all learnt more about Spanish culture and how to work and live with different people. The student’s behavior on the plane and everywhere we went, was very good and would make St.Margarets’ proud. The students were very happy to see mom and dad again after a very busy 9 days. My personal thanks to Ms.Kwok and Mr. Adames for their help and also to the parents for entrusting their kids to us. We are looking forward to the next tour. ¡Hasta luego!