At the end of March, an unforgettable linguistic trip to Malaga took place. My colleagues from the 8th grade and high school and myself had the unique opportunity to master our Spanish speaking skills and discover the beautiful region of Andalusia. Thanks to the excellent guidance and planning of Ms Marta Torres and Ms Marybel Alvarez we had the time of our lives.
We spent the day after we landed in Malaga, in Seville - the capital of Andalucia. The people, the cultural diversity, the smells and the weather, as well as the spectacular architecture all added up to an extraordinary image of Spanish beauty. In my opinion, no other place conveys the city’s vibe better than the Santa Cruz district’s streets. The beautiful architecture and warm colours of the old Jewish quarter’s houses accompanied by picturesque orange trees of magical smell seemed fairytale-like. This city centre is home to many monuments of great historical importance such as the breathtaking Alcazar Palace. Because it is the oldest used palace in Europe throughout history it was governed by many people of different religions, tastes, and nationalities. This resulted in a special fusion of Muslim and Christian architectural patterns and as many as three architectural styles: Romanesque, Gothic, and Renaissance. Not far from this palace stands one of the largest cathedrals in the world: the 'Catedral de Santa María de la Sede’. Once again the fusion of architectural influence is perhaps even more visible since it was being built when the city was taken over by Catholics from the Muslims. It is most clearly exemplified by La Giralda - a tower that initially was a mosque but then was converted into a bell tower. As a result up to about one-third of its height, it has Moorish architectural elements and gothic elements above. But enough of history, besides those two sights we also glanced at the Torre del Oro, had a picnic in the 'Maria Luisa’ park and wandered around 'Plaza de España’ - the most famous square in Seville.
The following days, we would head out to our language school in Malaga in the mornings. Having absorbed a hefty amount of practical knowledge and practised our speaking skills we would reorganise and get ready for afternoon activities. We attended a Flamenco concert, ate traditional Andalucian dishes such as delicious seafood paellas, obviously sunbathed at the sandy Playa La Malagueta, wandered around the Port of Malaga and many more. One of the activities I particularly enjoyed was the walk up the Castillo de Gibralfaro. It is located on the crest of a rise, 132 m above sea level. The route which leads atop it is paved with rock stairs. At its numerous stages observation decks have been set up so that the visitors can admire the beautiful panorama of the city. The fortifications of the castle are quite complex and make up for a really cool space to discover. Although the walk is quite lengthy it is definitely worth it and provides a beautiful experience. The weather was also very good that day making it that much more enjoyable. Yet another great activity that we took part in was a little competition the language school set up for us. Our task was to find answers to specific questions connected to the history, important places, customs, etc of Malaga by interviewing the locals, in you guessed it, Spanish. The Malagueños were very friendly and eager to help us, as well as understanding when it came to our not yet perfect Spanish;) It was a really fun game. However, this memory would not be complete without mentioning the amazing Flamenco classes that we attended. Once again an unforgettable experience.
To sum up, this trip was a perfect mix of learning a language, absorbing the culture, meeting new people, and actively spending time in a unique place. It was absolutely amazing. We must go on a trip like this again!
Bruno Bugla, edited by Marta Torres