This past spring break, 23 HBA high school students headed to Spain to expand their learning on the Spanish language and culture, and on art and architecture in Europe. Their itinerary took them to Granada, Sevilla, Toledo, and Madrid, where they experienced local activities, including taking a flamenco class, creating art, and cooking together.
At their first stop, Granada, they explored the Alhambra, a Moorish palace and fortress, as well as the surrounding gardens and historic neighborhoods. Then, they travelled to Seville to visit the Real Alcazár, the oldest royal palace that continues to be in use today. They also walked around old Jewish neighborhoods in Seville. Reese Lueder, a freshman, loved seeing the cathedrals and architecture on display. “I think the attention to detail of all of the cathedrals’ architecture really stood out to me. It’s so crazy that humans used to build these fascinating structures, and we barely get to use them as a place of worship nowadays. [My favorite cathedral was the one] in Toledo. This cathedral stood out to me structurally because unlike the other ones we visited, it was built with such care and intricate design. It was truly so beautiful and unique, something I have never seen before.”
The students also learned how to dance the flamenco during the trip. Arlene Huster, one of the chaperones, remarked on how everyone enjoyed themselves. “The students had a flamenco dance class where everyone participated in learning some flamenco dance steps and movements. In the end they were broken up into smaller groups to perform for the rest of us. It was great fun,” she said.
After Seville, the group made their way towards Madrid, stopping at a historic sword factory on the way. In Madrid, they visited the Prado and Reina Sofía museums, another royal palace, and took a cooking class together. Alexa Ichiki, a senior, said, “My favorite part of the trip was the cooking class at A Petit ‘Oh in central Madrid. This was my favorite activity because it allowed the whole group to come together and create three amazing local dishes. The fact that the food ended up being edible was a huge plus.”
Like Ichiki, Juri Yamashita, high school art teacher and chaperone, also has fond memories of the local food she got to enjoy. She added, “Dinners at local restaurants were a great time for students to bond with each other and reflect on what was accomplished that day. Those who sat with different groups each night were able to bond with the most people.” Lueder, too, was excited for the opportunity to sample different European cuisines. “It had always been a dream of mine to go to Europe,” she added, “so when the opportunity to go to Spain was presented, it was hard to pass up. I also thought it would be a great way to experience a new culture and practice Spanish. “
Elton Kinoshita, high school principal and chaperone, was happy with how the trip went. He wrote, “I had a wonderful time on the trip to Spain. I was pleased that I didn’t slow the group down – it’s not easy for this old man to keep up with these young ones. LOL.” A highlight for Kinoshita was seeing HBA students participate in an art workshop where they created designs for tote bags. He was also excited to share about his Spanish shopping spree, where he bought “a sizable stash of saffron, two swords crafted by the world-renowned swordsmiths of Toledo, and Spanish turrones.”
For many of the travelers, the most challenging part of the trip was the 19-hour flights (each way) to and from Spain. The group made the most of a long layover in Seattle by hopping on a train to the city to spend an afternoon at the Pike Place market. Despite the long journey, Kinoshita said that he would gladly chaperone a Spain trip again. “The trips that I’ve taken with HBA students have allowed me to get to know students outside of the campus environment and have led to a greater appreciation for our students and our teacher-chaperones,” he said.
Yamashita and Gray Spainhour, who teaches high school Spanish, were in charge of planning the trip. They were both pleased to see how students engaged with the variety of new experiences and places on the trip. Yamashita said, “As an art teacher I was happy to see some of the students sketching during free time and journaling when they got a chance. A handful of students brought a range of cameras to capture their memories and the freshmen documented their trip through selfies and video shorts along the way.” When asked if he would take students on the same trip again, Spainhour said, “Absolutely! Spain is wonderful!”
