Madrid Trip

On Friday 6th November, the Modern Foreign Languages Department at Wellington College International Tianjin led a group of senior school pupils to Spain. Year 13 pupils Sophie and Winnie had the following to say about their experiences on what was, by all reports, a thoroughly fascinating, enjoyable and invigorating trip.

“As the school day comes to a close, 37 students await excitedly for the school bus to collect them from school and head off to Beijing Airport. With the sound of heavy luggage being pulled and excited chitter-chatter amongst students, our Cultural Trip to Spain had officially begun! Throughout the whole trip, the air around us at no point stopped filling us with both happiness and curiosity, and at no point were the boys more excited than when we visited the Bernabeu Stadium– home of Real Madrid.

It is difficult to know where to start in even beginning to describe this trip, but perhaps the food was the most memorable thing. Spanish food, hands down, is one of the best cuisines any of us, (the pupils), have ever tasted. Whether it is the authenticity of the Paella or the richness of the Jamón Serrano, every time we finished a meal we all swore to one another that we would never eat again, as we all felt so full. This lasted, at least, until the next meal – a cycle that continued for the entire 10-day trip.

We very quickly learned that the residents of Spain are extremely friendly and really polite, and we were delighted and gratified to have been well looked after wherever we went in Spain. With a freshness in the air and fewer cars on the road, the trip showed us a different way of living, which we all enjoyed. The pace of people’s lives in Spain was slow and comfortable. Everything felt good, and everyone was more than happy to spend the evenings studying in preparation for our end-of-term exams.

From our perspective, we cannot believe how well the trip was organised, as the teachers looked after all 37 of us all over Madrid. We felt very safe, with Mr. Sabio leading in the front, looking like a Spanish Mafia boss with his dark shades and confident stride, and with Mr. Elrick at the back, always making sure that we did not get lost. With Mrs. Sabio and Ms. Qi there to keep an eye for pickpockets, and Mr. Jeffrey always carrying his First Aid Kit just in case of emergency, we all felt comfortable and well-protected by the teachers.

We were lucky to see so many monumental sights along the way, such as the Valley of the Fallen (Valle de los Caídos) where the former Spanish Dictator Franco is buried. Other true highlights were visiting the old city of Toledo and tasting the famous local delicacy marzipan; the Prado Museum – the national art museum of Spain; Segovia Cathedral and many other amazing sights. Due to the teachers having dedicated so much of their time in the planning and creation of this trip, we can safely say that is was one of the best trips that we have ever been on with our friends. Finally, we want to say that a trip to Spain comes with our full recommendation. Spain is a truly incredible place, and if you find the time to visit, we can personally guarantee that it will be a journey that you will not forget.”