Park School: Spain 2026
May 16, 2026
We arrived to a beautiful sunny day in Málaga and enjoyed lunch together at a beachside restaurant. Everyone was exhausted from various travel delays and the new European fingerprinting system, but the students were in great spirits! We were blown away by how seamlessly the students adjusted to travel challenges – they not only “went with the flow”, but they looked out for each other and for their teachers, too!
After lunch, we hopped on the bus to Granada and checked into our hotel. We had some time to shower, and everyone arrived in the lobby promptly for our Global Works orientation, some games, and dinner. We are all looking forward to a much-needed restful sleep tonight and to new adventures tomorrow!
By: Kathy, Jen, and Paul
May 17, 2026
We first had breakfast at the hotel before getting on a bus to Dílar. We stopped at a church before walking to La Finca, where we played the Spanish versions of concentration and rock, paper, scissors (piedra, papel, tijera). Then we walked to the farm. We got introduced to the compost bathroom, and we drank spring water from the mountains. Then we broke into three groups. We all planted and picked edible flowers. After, we made our own pizzas and salads (topped with the flowers we picked!) The pizzas were “muy sabrosas”! We also walked down to see the river. We loved seeing the clear water, and Brianna took a cool underwater video.
Then we walked to a Dílar community center where we were taught to crochet simple chains by a group of local women who raise awareness about domestic violence. The story behind the project was heartwarming, and learning to crochet was hard but fun. It was difficult to understand the women at first (and they spoke very little English), but it became easier to communicate over time. It was a great opportunity to practice our Spanish with the local community.
We took the bus back to Granada, where we had dinner and surprised Gabby with balloons and two birthday cakes! It was fun to watch Gabby struggle to blow out the never-ending candles. The cakes (and ice cream) were delicious. It was a great celebration!
We had our night meeting, where we shared our favorite parts of the day and gave shout-outs to each other. Now we’re headed to bed!
By: Amelia & Brianna
May 18, 2026
We started our day with a delicious breakfast at the hotel and then headed to La Alhambra. We had an amazing tour guide, Hamdy, who taught us so much about palace designs and history. Then we ate lunch in a Moroccan restaurant. We had a great time encouraging each other to try new foods and even the pickiest of eaters tried something. The best part of the day was the flamenco class, where everyone danced. Our teacher, Maria, was a great dance instructor and we learned a whole routine together. Some of us even performed on stage. After our dance lessons, we went to the neighborhood called Albaicín and saw a beautiful view of La Alhambra and Granada, while listening to live music. There, Izzie and Gabriela showed off their new dance skills to the crowd gathered around. We then walked a short distance where we took a moment to rest in the garden of Mezquita Mayor, before finishing the day with a flamenco show. The show was amazing!!! We were surprised to find out that Vanessa and her mother (our granny) who we met yesterday at Dílar came to join us for the show and for dinner. Hamdy came to dinner too. Everyone got to practice more Spanish with our new friends over dinner.
A wonderful second day, off to pack and to bed for our travels tomorrow to Córdoba and Sevilla.
By: Gabriela and Tiara
May 19, 2026
This morning, we said goodbye to Granada and the unbelievable buffet breakfasts at our hotel. Everyone was packed and ready to go on time, and we boarded the bus to head to Córdoba. We decided to have a “quiet” ride for the two and a half hours so that everyone could catch up on some sleep. It was a very peaceful journey!
We arrived in Córdoba and walked across the Roman bridge to the Gran Mezquita. At the Mezquita, we split into groups and had 45 minutes to complete a scavenger hunt. We had fun searching for information and learning more about the Mezquita in the process. Then we headed to a lovely outdoor lunch and visited the synagogue before making our way back to the bus.
Less than two hours later, we arrived in Sevilla and were welcomed by beautiful jacaranda trees. We checked into the hotel and had a bit of time to get settled, and then we walked through the historic center of town to the Plaza de España. We explored a bit, enjoyed the fountain in the center, and took some photos. Then we walked through the Parque María Luisa and found a nice spot to hang out. We ended up playing a group game of keep up (volleyball-style but with a soccer ball). The goal was for every person to touch the ball before it dropped. It took many attempts, but we finally did it (look for video of this feat in our Google album!) After this victory, we walked to an Italian restaurant and had a delicious dinner of pizza and pasta. We all ate a ton but somehow still had room for ice cream outside the cathedral on our way back to the hotel. We had our night meeting and are now resting up for a big day in Sevilla tomorrow!
By: Ms. Come (on behalf of today’s bloggers because our blog notebook was misplaced!)
May 20, 2026
This morning, we woke up and ate a nice breakfast before we headed out for the day. Next, we walked to the Mercado de Triana. The market was huge with many types of foods, including meats and cheeses. Not only that, there were everyday items you could buy. We took a tour of the market and learned about the different foods of Spain, and specifically the foods we would be using in our cooking class. We then went to a large kitchen to make gazpacho and paella. We were so excited to cook, and someone almost stepped in dog poop.
We arrived at the kitchen and started by cutting vegetables. We made gazpacho with tomatoes, cucumbers, green peppers, olive oil and vinegar. Next, we watched how to cut the chicken for the paella, and a few volunteers helped out – shoutout Liam and Amelia. They did a great job and everyone was so supportive. After, we minced garlic (which was hard!), but we had some experts among us, like Ryan and Eli. Finally, everything was put together in the paella pan. Once everything was ready, we ate what we had prepared! We all loved the gazpacho, and the paella tasted so good! Even Brady, Tyler, and Will loved it.
After we ate, we went to a ceramics shop, which was really cool. It was fun to see all the art, and we bought gifts for people at home. We walked back through the market again so people could buy some gifts, like spices. Then we headed back to the hotel for a rest – some people played cards and others napped.
After the nap, we went to the Alcázar palace and saw the amazing architecture. It was very nice to see! We all noticed the differences between the different religious art. After the Alcázar, we enjoyed churros with chocolate. The churros had a good texture, and the chocolate was flavorful.
We had a bit of time for shopping, and now we are having dinner. Next we will go to the top of the enormous “Setas de Sevilla” wooden structure to see the whole city lit up at night. Then off to bed for our final day in Spain tomorrow!
By: Cade + Max
May 21, 2026
Today, we woke up for our last full day in Spain. After breakfast at the hotel, we walked to the Catedral de Sevilla, the largest Gothic cathedral in the world! We started by climbing the 34 ramps of the Giralda tower and enjoying the views of the city from the top. It was especially fun to spot the Setas, where we were last night. We got startled when the bells of the tower went off! Then, we made our way down the ramps and had some time to explore the cathedral. We all saw the tomb of Christopher Columbus and talked about the meaning of the various symbols on the tomb.
Next, we walked to the Mercado de Arenal to purchase foods for a picnic lunch. We broke into groups, with each one responsible for a specific part of the meal: bread, meat, cheese, fruit, dessert, etc. We took everything to a grassy spot alongside the Río Guadalquivir and assembled a beautiful spread of food. Big shout outs to: Brianna, who cut all of the avocados; Ryan, who cut other foods and took care of the bread; and Mali, who served everyone drinks. The meal was delicious, and we played some games after eating.
Then it was back to the hotel to grab our bags and head to the bus. After a nice ride, we arrived in Málaga and were happy to find cooler temperatures than what we had in Sevilla! We got settled in to the hotel and then went out for a little shopping and our final dinner at Vino Mío. We ate outside on the patio, next to the beautiful Teatro Cervantes. Of course, there was some snacking in the plaza as well!
Now we will make our way back to the hotel for our final night meeting and some rest before beginning the journey back to Boston tomorrow. We look forward to seeing our families at Logan!
Families: for more photos check out the the Google Album
