Year 10 Barcelona Trip

35 excited pupils met at Manchester airport at an extremely unsocial hour on Monday morning, suitcases packed and ready to embark on an adventure in a bustling Barcelona. First stop on arrival was the beach! 

Even being in Barcelona doesn’t mean Year 10 pupils can avoid an early morning get up for school, straight after breakfast in the hostel we were onto the metro to make our way to language school. After two hours of Spanish lessons with language tutors we began to explore the city. We arrived at the Sagrada Familia already excited because of the impressive exterior. However, when we began the tour and entered the huge basilica we got to experience the real beauty of one of Barcelona’s most iconic landmarks. Our guides were passionate in explaining the intricate architecture inside the Sagrada Familia and the significance of the different colours of light streaming through the impressive stain glass windows.

The afternoon was spent in the city centre. Pupils went shopping on Passeig de Gracia and Plaça de Catalunya, then a trip down the famous Ramblas and into la Boquería market for fruit smoothies and ice cream.  

Day two began with a 4D Gaudi experience, highlighting some of the amazing modernist architecture we would be seeing during our trip, followed by some free time exploring Parc Guell. The park was beautiful and the clear blues skies made for some fantastic views over the city. The afternoon was spent on the beach before an evening stroll through the city and past the Arc de Triomf. Back onto the metro our next stop was Passeig de Gracia for a spot of retail therapy on the main shopping street in Barcelona.

Our last full day of sightseeing brought us to Camp Nou, the home of FC Barcelona. The biggest football stadium in Europe may have been under a huge redevelopment but we got to experience the immersive Camp Nou experience learning about the history and culture of the club. The afternoon brought some more retail therapy and then off to Montjuic for another breathtaking view of the city and a look at the Olympic stadium. We finished off with a delicious variety of tapas and pupils were keen to try the local cuisine including pan amb tomacs (tomato bread), croquetas and tortilla española (omelette of egg and potato). Tummies full, it was time for one last trip on the metro and home to get packed up.

On the last day there wasn’t much time for anything except for breakfast and an early check out. Breakfast done, we headed off to the airport and the last of our euros were spent on Milka and Toblerone.

35 tired Year 10s arrived home late on Friday afternoon. The pupils were an absolute credit to the school. A trip away from home can be tough but they all exemplified our value of community and I really hope they gained a lot from their trip to Barcelona and take with them memories that will last forever.  

Mr Walker