!Hasta la Vista!

June 2

Our last full day today began with several classes in the morning--two in Castellano and one working with younger students in English. Classes here are much bigger than Pingree kids are used to, as most of them have at least 30 students of all abilities, although almost everyone is on a university track. The school is very large, but friendly, and we have been made to feel welcome at all levels.

Pare Manyanet is a Catholic public school, as are many schools here in Spain. In the 30+ years since the liberalization of the national consciousness, the cultural aspect of Catholicism has remained part of Spain´s social fabric, although there is very little traditional observance of religion--at least here in Barcelona. One sees this reflected in the culture of the school--religious icons are present, but there does not seem to be a lot of daily activity that one comes to expect of a Catholic institution.

This afternoon, we left on a field trip to Pueblo Español, an outdoor museum that features reconstructions of pueblos from all over Spain, and tonight, there will be a farewell dinner at the school, planned and prepared by host families. Last night, in honor of Jenn and Rachael´s shared birthday, one family gave a dinner for all 28 kids--hosts and guests! This is a true reflection of the generosity we have encountered here.

Our thanks go to all the teachers and families who have exhibited such generosity in the last 8 days, and a special thanks to Anna Buñuel whose thoughtfulness, organization, and hard work make this "intercambio" such a popular and important tradition in the life of both our schools.

Tomorrow´s ¨field trip" will be an extended one, as we fly home through Madrid and Chicago!

June 1

We spent most of the day today in Sitges, a coastal town on the Costa del Garraf about 1/2 hour from Barcelona by train. Sitges is another home of Modernism, especially of modernist domestic architecture, and has a beautiful vista over the Mediterranean, particularly from the top of Cau Ferrat where one can also visit the Church of San Sebastian. Pingree students enjoyed a great day on the beach with their Manyanet hosts and had a stroll through the small shops of this charming town.

Happy 18th to Jenn and Rachael!

Monday, May 31

Today, we attended a class of Castellano, which is what we Americans would call Español. Here, the word Castellano is used to differentiate it from Catalan, as they are both languages spoken in Cataluña. At any rate, the teacher of the class was Natalia, a charming veteran teacher here at Pare Manyanet. Teachers here are called by their first names, and the pronoun ´tu´is used almost all the time, even by small children with their teachers. Since the country was liberated from fascism over 30 years ago, social mores have become much more liberal, and one of the aspects of this liberalsm is this important change in the use of language.

After Castellano, the group was split up, and Pingree students went to the English classes of the younger students to answer questions about their lives at home and their attitudes toward Barcelona. Standard answers in this case must be that their favorite Spanish city is Barcelona, and their favorite sports team Barça!

These activities were followed by an introduction to the field trip of the day which was a visit to Gaudí´s famous masterpiece, Sagrada Familia, the modernist cathedral started over 100 years ago and still a work in progress. From Sagrada Familia, we went to one of Gaudí´s other buildings, the Pedrera, an apartment building in use even today. Barcelona is the home of Modernism, and there are many modernist works here designed not only by Gaudí, but also by his pupils and imitators. As a result Barcelona is world-famous for its beautiful and original architecture.

Tomorrow will feature a trip to Sitges, a popular coastal town.

Friday, May 28 Port Aventura

Thursday, May 27

We arrived after a long journey, made longer by an extra wait in the airport in Madrid. Although the airport there is very nice and modern, we were happy to make it to Barcelona and to be met by the director of Colegio Pare Manyanet and several host parents who took their Pingree guests home for lunch and a much-needed rest.

The school visit began today with a welcome breakfast of Spanish and Catalan specialties: tortilla de patatas, pan con tomate, manchego cheese, and jamón serrano, followed by local pastries. Pingree students were given a lesson in the making of tortilla de patatas in the school kitchen as well as lectures in the phenomenon of Cataluña, and an introduction to today´s trip to the Barrio Gótico--the old quarter of Barcelona. In addition, we visited a class of 5-year olds who were treated to a reading of "Little Red Ridinghood" by Pingree students. Our guided tour took us to the Gothic church of Santa Maria del Mar, the Plaza del Rey where los Reyes Católicos greeted Columbus before his voyage to America, and the old market of la Boquería in the famed Ramblas of the city. All lectures and tours are conducted in Spanish, so those experiences in addition to the homestays, are a great chance to improve fluency, comprehension, and vocabulary.

Friday will feature a 12-hour day with Manyanet students at PortAventura, a famed amusement park in the south of Cataluña.