AAVE Trip BLOG » Espana Clasica
July 14, 2008
Espana Clasica #1
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July 8 – 9: After 7 long hours crossing northern Spain in the vans we finally arrived in the beautiful city of Barcelona. We settled into our cozy youth hostel and then headed out to explore the famous street: Las Ramblas. We devoured falafels, then ate ice creams for desert, treated by the trip leaders. The next day we woke up bright and early to get a head start on our first day in Barcelona. We visited the beautiful cathedral, Sagrada Familia, designed by the famous architect Gaudi. After a morning of Gaudi’s architecture we returned to Las Ramblas for lunch and entertainment. We enjoyed the fresh food markets in town, then to the beach and then delicious paella for dinner.
July 10: We walked in the morning to another site deigned by Gaudi, Park Guell, where we listened to music, shopped for jewelry and observed beautiful sites and architecture. We headed back to the hostel where we packed our bags and said goodbye to Barcelona. A three hour car ride then lead us through the breathtaking forests of the Pyrenees mountains. For dinner our cook crew stirred up pasta, salad and other authentic sides for our first dinner put together by the campers.
July 11-12: We woke up for an early breakfast and headed out to the mountains to start our 2-day hike. At the start of our hike we met our Spanish mountain guide, Cesar, who lead us up the mountain. As we traveled up the mountain we came across gorgeous views of snow-capped peaks and walked along meadows full of flowers and small brooks. Yes, we are practicing our Spanish everyday in every way! Before dinner we took a siesta and enjoyed the peaceful natural surroundings. For dinner we extended our palette of food consuming traditional rabbit, chicken broth soup and various fruits. Everything felt serene and calm. Believing we would get a good night sleep we went to bed after our activity filled day. However, we were mistaken. After having settled down in our sleeping quarters our guide Cesar began his snoring musical operetta. Four hours after the production began most of us made it to the happy grounds of sleepy time. The next morning after a quick breakfast we geared up once more for our last day of hiking. The way down seemed easy enough for many of us in our group. We managed to breeze down the mountain in a record time. We stuffed our backpacks and our tired muddy boots in the van, eager to return to the campsite that we manage to now call home. Our second cook crew stirred up another delicious meal filling our stomach with grilled cheese, chicken and salad. Although there is only one week left the group is exited to soak in more culture, food, and develop our relationships further in Spain.
We are loving la vida AAVE!
Lien, Ernie and Caroline and the EC Crew
July 7, 2008
EC1 - Hola Padres y Mamas!
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We have spent a very enjoyable week in beautiful Santander. After meeting up in the airport, everyone got situated, comfortable, and eager for the next three weeks. The past week, everyone has had the chance to live in a Spanish household. Las familias son muy amables….the house families are very nice, no worries…..Believe it or not parents, we have been participating in extreme sports. Surfing was definitely a highlight for everyone rain or shine, and the city has been full of culture and liveliness. Our visit to the Guggenheim was awesome. Yesterday, we explored a medieval city, perfect with its cobblestones streets and tiny cafes. Throughout the trip, we have been practicing our Spanish with the locals. The Spanish have been super simpatico.
Every morning we make our way to the language school where we sharpen our linguistic skills with our maestros Jose Tomas y Isaias. As part of the program we have completed a scavenger hunt in a local market and another activity scouring the city of Santander to answer questions…so much better than Spanish classes in the US.
Well parents, Boars Head certainly has not found its way to Spain and no peanut butter and jelly here. Our survival strategy consists of nutella, one of the seven wonders of the European Community. Everyone has been embracing la comida….food. We are trying all the essential Spanish meals, such as paella, Spanish tortilla, and of course a lot of chocolate. After a busy day we welcome the idea of the siesta, a short nap after eating to replenish our energy levels.
The group is gearing up for an exhilarating visit to the unique city of Barcelona. We will then stay in an incredibly beautiful hilltop hostel and explore its wonders. Some our our visits include the iconic Sagrada Familia by Gaudi and shopping around on Las Ramblas. After we get a taste of the city, we will head off into the Pyrenees Mountains where campers will get in touch with mother nature and start a two day backpack adventure. Shortly after, we will depart and go to Sort where white water rafting is very popular.
Off to the next adventure
Love, hugs, besos, y abrazos
July 1, 2008
Hola Todos!
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Hola Everyone!
It’s great to be here. What a great village - we have mostly been taking some time to get familiar with our surroundings and introduce ourselves to our host families. Its a fun challenge to learn how to live with host families and so cool seeing the differences in culture! Can’t wait to tell you more stories about our journey as a unified group and loving the adventures that are to come!
Talk to you soon
Adios!
January 26, 2008
Spanish Language Immersion Camp, IN SPAIN!
Posted by admin in : Espana Clasica, General , 2 comments
It was all successful. I had the greatest time ever. The counselors were absolutely great, the camping was enjoyable, and the whole trip was wonderful.
-Camper, Yvette Gong, EC
It was extremely successful. My daughter loved every minute of it!
-Parent, Lisi Gong, EC
Emily had an amazing time with truly professional trip leaders!
-Parent, Charlotte Drinkwater, EC
EVERYTHING was successful! I loved every second of my trip to Spain. I loved surfing in Santander the most. I also loved the atmosphere of this trip. Everyone was so positive and wanted to achieve the same things as me.
-Camper, Emily Drinkwater, EC
I think that AAVE does a terrific job of matching trip leaders to the specific trips, and also matching the leaders to each other. It was a largely successful summer because the leaders allowed you to grow as a person.
-Camper, Jay O’Donnell, EC
Everything great, good communication when necessary, fortunately communication was not often necessary. Thanks for the great summer!
-Parent, Karen O’Donnell, EC
Your company management of parental paperwork (ie. staying on top of me with gentle reminders) was excellent. Your organizational skills made me feel comfortable that Emily was in a well controlled, well managed teen program. All possible concerns were addressed up front with clear expectations for us as parents and allowed for clearly established expectations of behaviors/goals with our teenager. She came back more independent, confident and had a better defined sense of who she is as an individual. I would recommend your progrm to others with confidence and look forward to sending her younger sister.
-Parent, Anne Leahy, EC
It was wonderful. Amanda tells everyone that it was the best time of her life. She is still in touch with many teens from the trip. As parents we were kept informed and had no worries.
-Parent, Rod Watson, EC
Everything I experienced at AAVE was completely sucessful. We had so much fun in everything we did.
-Camper, Amanda Watson, EC
The AAVE experience surpassed all of our expectations and met our dreams. We said goodbye to our young daughter on her 14th birthday as she boarded the international flight to Spain for the very first time. And 3 weeks later, on July 20th we welcomed back our mature and very evolved daughter. Her growth was evident to us the minute we saw her. She couldn’t stop talking about the entire trip, from what she saw and experienced to her wonderful group and super star leaders. The way in which the leaders mobilized the kids to get to know each other and work as a team was brilliant. Thanks!
-Parent, Amie Ratajczak, EG
Max loved his trip. The most successful outcome was the home stay and his desire to learn Spanish. If you had told him he would love staying with a woman and her middle aged grown son, he would have said “What? Are you nuts?” But it was great and he really learned Spanish as well. He also loved the hiking and is planning a smester at the University of Salamanca when he gets to college.
-Parent, Ruth Harwood, EG
The entire trip was successful from surfing to Spanish classes there wasn’t a bad moment!
-Camper, Jack Greenhouse, EG
This trip to Spain was needless to say my best summer experience ever!
-Camper, Mark Frankel, EG
July 31, 2007
Buenos DÃas from España Clásica #2A
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¡Buenos DÃas!
We have just completed our first full week in España, and thus far the entire group has enjoyed itself thoroughly. After meeting up in the airport in Madrid, we took a van ride to our first campsite and spent the entire day getting to know each other and relaxing. Everyone was friendly and welcoming to each other, and the meeting would only be a harbinger of good things to come.
Our routine normally includes waking up at eight and preparing brekkie. After our meal, we set off for adventure. Returning to camp offers a break to rest or head off for a dip in the pool. We prepare our own meals at night with our cook crew. So far we have turned out pasta dishes, lomo, a typical Spanish dish, and our own twist on grilled cheese.
The next day, we became Master Torreros, bullfighters, and spent an hour in the ring with a baby bull. There were a few bumps and scrapes, but overall the group was successful. The owner of the finca, Antonio, was so impressed with our fearless performance that he awarded us all certificates. From there, we proceeded to take in the beautiful college town of Salamanca, where the group enjoyed the centuries old architecture and atmosphere.
After Salamanca, we departed for the Picos de Europa, widely regarded to be the most beautiful national park in all of Europe. Our biggest challenge was a 16.5 mile hike that taxed us both mentally and physically. We were rewarded with spectacular views and a sense of accomplishment unlike any other we had experienced. After leaving the Picos, we stopped briefly in the small town of Potes, wherein we had lunch and many a café. We then departed for the town of Santander, where we would stay for an entire week with a host family, living la vida española.
Great group, great times, amazing adventures en espana!
Ernie, Lien and the EC#2A Team
November 6, 2006
Spanish Language Camp in Madrid!
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“Alex had a wonderful experience in Spain this summer. He really enjoyed all the activities as well as the opportunity to practice his Spanish. He particularly enjoyed the rafting and surfing. The travel was quite extensive and Alex got to see many different parts of Spain. He seemed very impressed with what he saw and liked the culture and people. He enjoyed meeting and spending time with his Spanish family. The trip was very well organized and he liked all his leaders. I will definitely recommend this trip to our friends. Thanks to all the AAVE staff that made this trip such a fun and successful experience!”
-Alice Galakatos, parent
Teen Camp Adventure and Language in Spain!
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“I would like to thank you for what I feel is the best summer of my life. What I have learned this past summer I feel I will carry with me for the rest of my life. A city kid like myself rarely gets to see mountains and nature the way I did on this past trip!”
-Ryan Greene, camper
Teen Camp Enjoys Family Stay in Spain!
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“Liz had a great time connecting with the other kids on the trip and enjoyed the itinerary, her family stay, the hiking in the Pyrenees and the city visits. Her command of Spanish is great and after seeing all her pictures of the trip I can tell she will have many fond memories. Thanks to all for a great experience!”
-Bill Barr, parent
August 4, 2006
Spanish Language Adventure Camp
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Santander, August 4
Spain definitely brings the sun into our hearts. Starting off in the beautiful surroundings of Madrid/El Escorial, we already learned everything there is to know about the campsite way of living. The second highlight was the outstanding historical city of Salamanca. Wandering around, the 14th century architectural beauty and atmosphere absolutely amazed us.
Next stop on the AAVE-routemap was Picos de Europa. This high cool mountaineous region in northern Spain confronted us with a challenging outdoor setting for the first time. During a sunny hike in the mountians, some Spanish cows seemed to have a keen interest for AAVE-campers. This hike though was only an appetizer for what is still to come…
After a week of camping, a nice and cozy bed with a Spanish host families in Santander felt wonderful. Improving our Spanish speaking skills stood high on the agenda, communicating with the family members and taking Spanish classes in the morning. Theory and practice perfectly intertwined… Santander had even more to offer. A cultural visit to Santillana del Mar and surf classes at Somo beach gave this second week in Spain lots of extra flavour.
This trip has been awesome and very fullfilling up till now and there’s still lots of highlights to come: Bilbao, Barcelona, canyoning, rafting and hiking in the Pyrenees. We will keep in touch…
Hugs and kisses from the España Classica Trip leaders Katrijn De Marez, Jonas Scherrens and Daniel Diaz-Silva and 15 campers.