Day 1.
We met at Manchester Airport early in the morning with everyone wearing their Andalucía hoodies. As soon as we had checked in, we made our way to the duty-free lounge. Some of us got some breakfast whilst others did some shopping. Around two and a half hours later, we landed in Malaga and the weather was glorious. We made our way to the hotel and unpacked. We got changed into our shorts and T-shirts and headed down towards the beach which was only 2 minutes away. We explored the cafes in a local marina and spoke Spanish to the people in the shops before heading to the beach for a sandcastle competition and a game of football. We headed back to the hotel for our evening meal. The food was really good. There was a huge selection and there was something for everyone. Afterwards we made our way to the stage and we all took part in a flamenco lesson.
Day 2.
After a busy first day, we were excited for another action packed day exploring Granada. Following breakfast, we received our packed lunches and climbed on-board the coach for the one and a half hour journey. The trip was long but enjoyable as people played music and the views across the mountains at the coast were spectacular. Once we arrived at the Alhambra Palace, we explored some of the many backstreets and quiet squares in the city and after getting lost many times we made our way to the viewing platform with amazing views across Granada. Lots of us bought souvenirs, gifts and had henna tattoos. After taking in the views and lots of photos, we headed back into the city to get food in some of the many cafes before heading to the shopping centre. Unfortunately, as it was 3:30, most Spaniards were having a siesta so the majority of the shops were closed. However, after roaming the centre, some of us including the teachers, found a café selling churros and soft drinks and after ordering tucked into freshly baked churros. Soon, our trip to Granada was over so we all got back to the coach for the journey back to the hotel.
We headed down to the beach with most of us either paddling in the sea or having a game of football while the sun started to set. It was soon 9.30 and after we had enjoyed another evening meal, we went to the stage to have a mini disco before heading to our rooms and getting ready for the next day’s adventure.
Day 3
On Saturday, we ate our breakfast together at the hotel then got on a coach and visited a fruit farm. We walked around with Juan and his assistant, Natalia. He picked different food from his trees, like limes, grapefruit and pomegranates, and let us try them. Then we had a traditional Andalúcian breakfast at his farm, which was amazing. Next, we got on the coach again and visited a little village called Álora – there was some little shops and a pretty water fountain. We then took another coach journey to Tivoli World! This was the theme park where we spent the afternoon, and there were cool attractions such as a haunted house, bumper boats, a huge rollercoaster and a big Ferris wheel. There was also lots of little kiosks where you could buy snacks and drinks and on a hot day everyone loved the slushies. After a few fun-filled hours at Tivoli World we went back to the hotel, then spent the evening at the beach, paddling in the sea and playing football. Finally, we headed up back up to the hotel for a well needed dinner, before settling down for our last night.
Day 4
We got up and had breakfast. It was feeling normal getting up at six at that point. Straight after breakfast, we boarded the coach to Malaga and visited a scenic viewpoint at the top of a hill. We then visited the cathedral, the main square and unique cultural shops. Afterwards we went back down to the front and explored the shops and cafes. We met the coach and went straight to the airport. We had some time to do some last minute shopping in the duty-free shops at Malaga airport. It was an amazing four days and we really enjoyed speaking Spanish to the Spanish people. They were really friendly and spoke Spanish back to us. We cannot wait to visit Spain again. Many thanks to Mrs Elphick for organising the trip and all the staff who accompanied us.
Written by Sahira Bakht, Lucy Haynes, Daniel Howe and Thomas Rigg Y9
