Charles Wright Academy Spain 2026
Saturday, February 7
Today we visited a farm in Dílar, the easternmost place of Andalucía that we are visiting on this trip. First thing, we took a tour around the area. We saw a river flowing through the land, rows of olive trees, and many different kinds of plants growing in the fields. It was peaceful being surrounded by nature, but not long after, rain started pouring and everything started going muddy.
We split into three groups to do different activities. Some of us helped in the chicken coop, some planted almond and chestnut trees, and others cut branches to help with the fertilizing process. It was a great hands on experience, despite how dirty and rainy it was, and we enjoyed every moment of it. At lunch, Matteo, who is from Napoli, made pizza for everyone with the ingredients that we chose, which was the best meal we could have had after a long day of work.
Later, we had a flamenco class and participated in activities that helped us get to know each other better. The dance class was kinda awkward because we all don’t like dancing in front of a crowd, but we went along with it. The session after the dance class truly brought everyone closer together, we played some fun games focused on trust and body expression. We are at the restaurant where we will have dinner and then go back to our hotel in Granada. Overall, it was a meaningful and enjoyable experience. We are excited to explore the streets of Granada!
By: Jeremy, Corey and Seeton
Sunday, February 8
We started our day in Spain by taking a bus up to the Alhambra. We had a walking tour that led us through its incredible palaces and historic sights learning so many things like canals and palaces. Walking through we admired detailed architecture, beautiful courtyards, and views, soaking up the history and atmosphere and Spain’s culture
Afterward, we walked to a Moroccan restaurant and enjoyed a variety of flavorful dishes like chicken curry, lemon chicken, hummus, and all different kinds of stuff. We spent an hour shopping and exploring the streets of Granada, getting lost in its lively neighborhoods, charming shops, and vibrant local energy. Many of us had a blast exploring and trying new things around town.
After resting in the second half of the day, we set off to climb many MANY stairs, which led us to an incredible view of the Alhambra from across the spot where we had been earlier in the morning. The sight was breathtaking and really made the effort worth it.
Following that, we continued walking a bit further to watch a stunning flamenco dance performance. The dancers were absolutely amazing, showing skills that truly surprised many of us. Once the show ended, we headed back into town and split into groups to explore and try different foods on our own. Some of us enjoyed burgers, others went for KFC, and a few tried falafel. Later, we all regrouped and made our way back to the hotel, feeling tired but fulfilled after such a long and eventful day. Go Hawks!
By: Aly and Sarai
Monday, February 9
The day started at 12:15 at night, when we met in Benton and Kerr’s room to watch the Super Bowl. The game started at 12:30 a.m. Seattle made many field goals, including two touchdowns. At halftime, people started falling asleep. The first person was Jeremy, and then Andre, Benton, and Kerr fell asleep, while Dom went back to his room. Of course, the Seahawks and the 12s won the game. Afterwards, some of them got only two hours of sleep.
At 7:00 a.m., we went to eat our last breakfast in Granada and got ready to head to Córdoba. The bus ride was two hours, and almost everyone was sleeping except Louie and Corey, because they decided to drink a bunch of espresso before the bus ride.
We visited the Mezquita-Catedral de Córdoba, a historic building that was originally a mosque and later became a cathedral. It had a mix of Islamic and Christian architecture. After the tour we separated into smaller groups and spent some time walking around the city exploring the streets and shops nearby. Following shopping we headed on the bus and we were on our way to Sevilla.
After arriving off the bus from Cordoba, we had a chance to settle into our new hotel rooms in Sevilla. We were able to decompress before heading out. We set off on our way to the Spanish Plaza in the heart of the city. Along the way, we passed beautiful buildings and a gothic cathedral. The park surrounding the plaza was lined with palm trees and pines. You could hear parrots and other birds in the trees. We had the chance to head up to a view point overlooking the plaza on an old military fort where we got a breathtaking view. After exploring the park for an hour, we headed to a quaint restaurant for dinner and tried a local style of Spanish pizza.
Following dinner, we all went to walk around El Centro de Sevilla. Seeing Sevilla
at night was so amazing, there were so many beautiful fountains and the architecture on the different building were neat and stunning. Walking the streets and spending time with my friends made this day really special and unforgettable. To end the night we stopped by this huge ice cream spot with a ton of delicious flavors, some including Oreo and dulce de leche or crema catalana, the Spanish version of creme brulee. We all enjoyed the night laughing and stuffing our face with ice cream. It’s sad that this trip is coming to an end so soon but I’m excited to see the rest of the Spain with the people I care about most.
By: Louie, Dom, Andre and Dirk
Tuesday, February 10
Our day started with a nutritional breakfast at the hotel. After that we went to the Cathedral of Sevilla. The first thing we saw was this extremely tall tower, which it turned out, we had to climb. 35 floors later, we reached the incredible view on the top, where we could see all of Sevilla. After that we went back down and had our own self led tour, where we could listen or read about all of the attractions on our provided phones for the tour. It was an incredibly interesting and culturally immersive experience.
In the afternoon we had planned a picnic near the river, but the rain didn’t allow it, so we all went to eat burgers. Then we had a tour in the Alcazar Palace, After our guided tour, we had about 2 hours of free time to go shopping around the city, Most of us wandered the streets of Sevilla, looking at tiny shops. You could hear the birds and the murmurs of others when walking and see all of the orange trees on the sidewalks. Most of us came back with bags full of clothes and souvenirs. After our free time, we ate dinner at tapas place. After that we walked back to the hotel to have a nice night of rest.
By: Jamaiya, Viktoria and Madelyn
Wednesday, February 11
The cooking segment of our day began with a 30 minute walk to a meat, spice, plant and fish market. Through a quick tour we learned about various ingredients and made our way to the kitchen. The kitchen consisted of multiple cutting boards and knives for each student, and a large pan in the middle of the room. Donned with aprons we began to cut the meat and vegetables, throwing all ingredients into the special paella pan to simmer with rice. Additionally we were instructed to blend cucumber, tomato’s, and peppers together to make salmorejo, a cold tomato soup-esc dish. With every student working, we were swift to complete the dishes, our main dish was Paella and the side was the aforementioned salmorejo. All in all the dish was “¡Muy bien!”
Today, after our cooking class, the group left Sevilla for a 3.5 bus ride to Malaga. When we arrived in Malaga we checked into our hotel, Don Curro. We were then given some free time to explore the area and do a little shopping. After, the group walked to the beach to enjoy the sunset and reflect on our trip. To end the day, we ate dinner at Papulinas.
As we go to bed on our last night of the trip, we think about everything we’ve experienced. From the compostable toilet and the chicken coop to eating Italian pizza in the rain, it’s been a mix of funny, strange, and unforgettable moments. We watched the pinkish-orange sunset over the beach in Málaga, with palm trees lining the road and the sky glowing as the sun went down.
We struggled through flamenco and clown lessons, which wasn’t always easy but definitely memorable. We explored the Red Gate (Alhambra), a beautiful and massive castle filled with the history of Spanish royalty. We were humbled watching professional flamenco dancers perform in old gypsy cave with their skill and technique leagues above ours.
We crossed over a flooded river to visit the Mezquita in Córdoba, where Islamic and Christian designs blend together in a way that’s hard to describe. Wandering through the winding streets of Córdoba, searching for treats and souvenirs, ended up being one of the best parts of the trip.
After a long bus ride, we explored the gardens of Plaza de España in Seville, surrounded by orange trees and parakeets. The next day we climbed all the way to the top of the bell tower at the Cathedral of Seville, La Giralda, and took in the view. Later, as we wandered through the streets (and slowly spent more money than we meant to), we got a real glimpse of everyday life in Spain. The Alcázar left us staring at the detailed geometric patterns covering the walls.
Now, sitting in the Hotel Don Curro, we’re leaving with great memories, lots of smiles, and just a little bit of sadness that it’s over.
By: Dez, Dante, and Benton
