Sam DeCoster - Spain

Beginnings

The group from Nashville and one of our teachers in Salamanca

At 4:00 in the morning on June 3rd, I woke up to go to the airport and catch an early flight to Spain. There I met with the other students, who were all from Nashville schools, although I didn’t know them personally. Over the course of the next 24 hours though, as we made our way to Madrid, we began to bond, although we were all nervous. By the time the plane finally touched down, I had no energy left to feel anything other than tired. We had been flying for almost a full day, and landed in Madrid at around 8:00 AM local time, but in order to adjust, we weren’t allowed to sleep until that night. Most of the first day was a blur because of this. We drove to Salamanca, met the families who would host us for the next three weeks, and went to a short orientation of our school and the city, but the real fun started the next day.

The Cathedral of Salamanca

Salamanca

For the next three weeks, I would have a few hours of Spanish speaking and grammar classes in the morning, and an afternoon activity with the school where we would learn about some specific historical site or cultural aspect of the city, but most of the day was free time, which gave me plenty of time to explore and experience the city on a more personal level. Every afternoon I and my new friends would explore some new aspect of the city, from the giant Cathedral of Salamanca, which is actually two Cathedrals combined because they ran out of money when they were replacing the old one with the new, to various museums with everything from local Renaissance art to history of the Spanish civil war. We also made regular stops for gelato, a Spanish version of ice cream, and sampled many other Spanish delicacies like churros. During our time in Salamanca, we also got to see the famous ‘festival de los luces’, or Festival of the Lights, that occurs every year there. In the festival, teams from all around the world design complex light shows to be projected onto the walls of Salamanca’s Plaza Mayor. These projections incorporate the environment to create optical illusions, and were one of the high points of the trip.

Salamanca's Plaza Mayor

Host Family

Staying with a host family was probably one of the most meaningful experiences I had while in Salamanca. Although I was initially intimidated by our host mom’s rapid Spanish, and the gigantic serving sizes of our food at lunch, through my experience I gained a better understanding of native Spanish speaking, culture, and cuisine. By the second week, I finally had the courage and language proficiency to hold meaningful conversations, and we talked about a variety of topics, from her family’s personal experience during the Spanish Civil War, to her opinion on the current president of the United States. Eating her cooking was also an eye-opening experience for me. I was worried at first, since I am a picky eater, and didn’t know what to expect from Spanish food, but once I tried it, I absolutely loved it. My favorite dishes were paella and Spanish tortilla.

Excursions: Alba, Segovia, and Avila

The Aqueduct in Segovia

Every Saturday, we went on an excursion to a different local city with the program. In Alba de Tormes, we learned about the Dukes of Alba, and got to see the remnants of their castle, which was blown up by Napoleon during his conquest of Spain, in Segovia we saw a Roman aqueduct that was built without mortar, and still stands today, and in Avila, we saw more impressive castles, along with the famous wall of Avila, which encircles the main city and is over 2.5 kilometers long. These trips were some of the most interesting parts of my experience in Spain, since they let me experience up close and personal the incredible history and architecture of Spain.

The Alhambra

Seville, Granada, and Madrid

After three weeks, Sr. Paolicchi picked us up, and over the next week took us on a tour of three more Spanish cities. First, we went to Seville, where we stayed for two days. We got to see an authentic Flamenco dance, saw the impressive Cathedral of Seville, and saw the Alcazar, a Moorish castle with amazing Muslim tiling and architecture that has been the filming site for many scenes from Game of Thrones. Next, we went to Granada, where we saw the Alhambra, my personal favorite piece of Spanish architecture. The intricate tiling and geometric designs gave me a new appreciation for Islamic architecture, and the tour we took taught me tons about the history of the region. We finished our trip in Madrid. There we got to see the Palacio Real, where all of the Spanish royal family’s official functions take place. We also went to two museums, where we saw works by famous Spanish artists Picasso, Goya, and Velasquez. The best part about the last week was the time we got to explore the cities on our own and become more self-sufficient in a foreign environment. Sr. Paolicchi made us order and ask questions only in Spanish, and we also sometimes had to look for and choose restaurants despite our unfamiliarity with the cities.

Thank You

My experience in Spain was amazing, and it wouldn’t have been able to have it without the support of a number of people. Thank you to Mr. Gioia and the Wilson family for making this trip possible, Sra. Victoria and Srta. Hackney for teaching me Spanish these last two years, Sr. Paolicchi for chaperoning and organizing the trip, and finally my host family and all of the teachers and students at Estudio Sampere for giving me such an amazing experience.