Madrid 2024 - Day 1

On Wednesday, 29 Year 9–11 students and 3 members of staff left Crookhorn at 3am, to start their 4-day adventure in Madrid, Spain.

Flying from London Heathrow, we left the wet weather behind us and arrived in Madrid to sunshine.

First, we coached to our hotel and then ventured out into the city for lunch. Students had time to explore the Calle Preciados near Sol and got to practise their Spanish in the shops and cafés, where they ate Churros, Tortillas, Tacos and Croquetas De Jamón. Staff were impressed, in particular, with Orianna in Y11, who ordered all the teacher’s meals in fluent Spanish.

After lunch, students had time to unwind after their day of travelling before heading back out to visit the Plaza Mayor in the heart of Madrid. Lined with shops and restaurants, students got to browse and explore before our meal at FreshCo, where we celebrated one of our students’ birthdays.

Once everyone was full, it was time to take a walking tour back through the vibrant city to our hotel to play board games, before heading up to bed, ready to start our next full day.

Madrid 2024 - Day 2

Our second day in the Capital started with a continental breakfast, giving us the fuel needed for our first full day.

We began with a tour through the city, starting at the Gran Via and walking towards the Plaza De Cibeles to see la Fuente de Neptuno, the fountain where Real Madrid celebrates their team victories. Next, we passed La Puerta de Alcalá and headed to the Parque del Retiro for our first stop.

Students enjoyed the picturesque grounds of the park while eating the largest ice creams they’d ever seen.

Recharged and ready, we headed for lunch at the Mercado De San Miguel, via the Puerta del Sol and stood on the Kilometro cero, which is the geographical centre of Spain. At the Mercado, students got to enjoy many Spanish delicacies, including; bocadillos de jamón, Queso, calamari and empanadas.

Our standout moment of the day has to be our visit and tour of the Estadio De Santiago Bernabeu - football stadium and home to Real Madrid CF. Students got to see the plethora of trophies the team has won over the years up close and even sit in the stands, overlooking the pitch. This was a personal highlight for many of our young football fans and a unique and exciting experience for all.

With a full day of adventure behind us, it was time for dinner and a good night’s rest before we headed out to Parque Warner (the official Warner Bros theme park) on day 3.

Madrid 2024 - Day 3

Our third day in Madrid was jam-packed with thrills and high-velocity excitement.

Once everyone was up, it was time to jump on our coach and travel to Parque Warner for a full day of rides, scares and a host of ‘Looney’ characters.

Despite the park being the most popular attraction for thrill-seekers in Madrid, it was surprisingly quiet - due to our trip not coinciding with Spain’s half-term holiday. Because of this, all the attractions had a maximum queue time of 10 minutes, which our students took advantage of, to full effect.

The park is themed around the Warner Bros. franchises, with popular characters, such as Bugs Bunny, Batman and Scooby-Doo being present. As well as these, an array of spooky staff members and rides could be found throughout the park - as our visit fell on one of their popular ‘Halloween Horror Nights’.

There was no shortage of rollercoasters, jump-scare experiences, and one of the world’s tallest free-fall rides for our students to enjoy. Unanimously, our entire group had a thoroughly enjoyable day from start to end.

With another day drawing to a close, it was time to go for dinner and then get some well-earned rest, before our final day in Spain.

Madrid 2024 - Day 4

On the fourth and final day of our excursion to Spain, our group started at the Royal Palace, where the previous King and Queen of Spain resided.

The tour began in the courtyard, looking out over the Casa De Campo. Once inside, our group was able to tour through the many rooms of the Palace, including the Throne Room, the Banquet Hall, and the famous Hall of Mirrors. Each room we entered was more impressive and grand than the last, showcasing decadent furnishings, stunning ceiling murals and large, opulent chandeliers.

Once finished, it was time to grab some lunch outside the Opera House, near the Plaza De Isabell, and give students some time to explore and shop. Here our students single-handedly boosted the Spanish economy as they enjoyed their time spending in one of Madrid’s most popular pedestrianised shopping areas.

Top choices were clothing (especially Madrid FC hats), sweets, souvenirs and a plethora of rubber ducks.

Once we had shopped-till-we-dropped, it was time to catch our coach to the airport and prepare for our departure, back to the UK.

Overall, the trip was a massive success and the students that attended have been a real credit to the College with their behaviour and willingness to engage with the culture and practise their Spanish whilst on the trip.

Thank you to Mrs Papanicolaou (our trip leader), Mrs Lemon (our Spanish linquist) & Mr Parkinson (our navigator & photographer) for giving up your time to run such a memorable trip for our students.