At 4.15 in the morning at Edinburgh airport, we were getting really excited about going to Badajoz. We all met inside the airport at the door next to the EDINBURGH sign, except Jack who was late as usual! He eventually turned up twenty minutes late and we got our boarding passes and headed to security. (Mia)
We arrived in Lisbon late morning and it was already beautifully hot and sunny. We then split into smaller groups to explore the city. My friends and I went for lunch and then to look around the shops. Afterwards, in the afternoon, we spent most of our time on the small beach area we found. From there, we had a stunning view of the bridge over the water and also of one of the city’s main squares, where we could sunbathe. Overall, we really enjoyed visiting Lisbon and it was a great way to start the trip. (Isobel)
The first night with our families was a bit awkward but it was interesting to find out where our partners lived. My family were very kind and welcoming but they didn’t speak much English. My partner had to translate for me at times. After I gave them their presents from Scotland, I went to bed and had a good night’s sleep. (Dylan)
On our first morning of the trip, we went to school for breakfast. We ate churros and chocolate which are typically Spanish although I had tasted them before. They were delicious and it was nice to speak with our Spanish partners. (Lauren)
On the first day, we stayed in Badajoz. We listened to three different tour guides and learned about the history of the city. We finished the tour with a video. It was very insightful. (Georgia)
On the second day in Spain, we visited the city of Mérida. We went to a museum full of Roman artefacts and then walked around the Roman theatre and amphitheatre. The school’s history teacher Juan Antonio explained to us what all of the historical sites were. It was very interesting. (Lucy)
Our trip to the city of Cáceres was amazing! We had lunch in the square next to the old part of the city. After that, we visited the old part of the city which was very interesting. I would recommend the trip to Cáceres to other people visiting Spain. (Jack)
The weekend was very eventful and so much fun. On the Friday, we went to a small pizzeria for dinner. It was very nice. On the Saturday during the day, some of us went to a pool party. It was amazing and the weather was so warm. On the Saturday night, we went to hang out in a park. It was very different to parks in Scotland and had an amazing view of the city of Badajoz. On the Sunday night, we went to an under-18s nightclub where we danced a lot and had a great time. (Brodie)
On the last day of our stay in Badajoz, we spent the day in their school E.I.S. Maestro Domingo Cáceres. One of the activities we did was Spanish dance. It is very much the same as Scottish country dancing. The music is similar and the dances contain movements like those of Scottish country dancing although you dance less with your partner and the pace is slightly slower. (Angus)
At the end of the last day in Badajoz, we all gathered at the park by the river. All together (Spanish and Scottish), we had dinner and had a last get-together before we returned to Scotland the following day. The last night was filled with photos, tears and a lot of laughs. Hugs and memories were shared between the close friends that we had made over the two weeks we had spent together. We hugged each other goodbye one by one and went home for the last night that we would spend at our Spanish friend’s houses. (Tanya)
The hardest part about the Spanish Exchange was saying goodbye to everyone. It had been an amazing week and we have made new friends and memories that will last a lifetime. There were lots of tears and emotional goodbyes when we eventually had to leave. It was a fantastic trip and I really recommend it to anyone taking Spanish. (Olivia)