During Autumn half term, a group of Upper Fifth Spanish students travelled to the city of Salamanca to improve our understanding of Spanish language and culture. We were greeted by our host families with whom we lived for the next five days. Staying with Spanish families was a great opportunity to practise our Spanish with native speakers and be fully immersed in the language. My host family was very hospitable, generous and cooked delicious meals for us. We also learnt lots and lots of Spanish every morning at a language school with amazing views of the cathedral. The lessons, taught in Spanish by local teachers, were fun and centered around speaking. Throughout the week, we enjoyed participating in a wide variety of activities and cultural events. We learnt how to dance flamenco, tried churros con chocolate at a restaurant in the city’s main square, and watched a film in Spanish at the cinema. My favourite activity was a bike ride alongside the river Tormes. Local tour guides took us on tours of Salamanca including the cathedral and museums and told us all about the myths and mysteries of the city, for example the story of the astronaut carved on the wall of the cathedral. We ended the week with a delicious paella night at a local restaurant just outside of Salamanca. The teachers looked after us very well (including when our return flight was delayed by two days!) and we arrived back home full of happy memories. 

By Ella (U5)