Over four days, students explored the culture, food and architecture of northern Spain, returning home with plenty of stories to tell.
The adventure began at midnight on Thursday, as the group set off for Manchester Airport, ready for four days of exploring. However, things got off to a slightly less glamorous start when their transfer bus failed to arrive after they landed in Santander!
One of the highlights came the following day at Bilbao’s Guggenheim Museum. Famous for its striking architecture and contemporary art, the museum offered plenty to admire and, judging by the reactions to some of the exhibits, plenty to debate, too!
The group later wandered along the river and into the Old Town, where they sampled pinchos, the small savoury bites that are a staple of the region.
Saturday brought a visit to El Capricho, a wonderfully unusual building designed by Antoni Gaudí for a composer. Its distinctive design and use of natural light showed just how imaginative architecture can be. Students also discovered the region’s prehistoric art at the Altamira Museum before stopping in Santillana del Mar for the rather more universally appreciated combination of churros and chocolate.
Then came the maze…
What sounded like a straightforward activity quickly became a challenge of navigation and concentration. As confusion spread, one piece of advice emerged above the rest.
Mrs Tuck joked:
“Keep your left hand on the bush and follow it.”
Whether this was a foolproof strategy or simply the result of desperation is another matter, but the maze certainly provided some of the trip’s funniest moments.
That evening, attention turned to quiz night, where Ethan, Georgie, Amy, Jack, Henry and Cameron secured the win.
Ethan said: “We’d love to say it was all down to our incredible general knowledge, but honestly, a lot of it was educated guessing!”
The final day was spent in San Sebastián, a coastal city known for its beautiful beaches and picturesque streets. After exploring the Old Town and sampling yet more pinchos, the group headed for the funicular, hoping to enjoy panoramic views across the city. The views certainly delivered, although the journey became memorable for another reason when the door came off one of the class’s funicular cars!
Back on the bus, a group game of Heads Up brought everyone together for one final highlight, with students joining in before the early journey home. A 4 am wake-up call marked the end of the adventure.
From Spanish cuisine and extraordinary architecture to an unforgettable maze and an unexpected funicular mishap, the trip offered a memorable glimpse into northern Spain.
Frances said: “Sometimes, the best travel stories come from the moments that don’t go quite to plan.”
