This past June, as school ended and summer began, Bishop Feehan sponsored a travel abroad program again for the first time since before COVID-19. This year, led by teachers Mrs. Kate Harris, Mrs. Lindsey Lindsay, Mr. Noel Grant, Mr. John King, and Miss Hannah Ramer, Feehan’s Rock the World program brought a group of twenty-nine rising junior and senior students all around the country of Spain for ten days.
The trip’s itinerary consisted of multiple stops across Spain; the group visited destinations including Barcelona, Madrid, Zaragoza, Toledo, Seville, Granada, and Málaga. The group, led by a local Valencian tour guide, Pedro, explored the cities and marvelous historical sights they contain. Students saw outstanding architecture in Barcelona and Madrid; they visited Gaudí’s masterpiece, La Sagrada Familia, and embarked on a tour of the Royal Palace of Madrid. “The everyday buildings were so colorful and expressive, too; it added so much to our walks,” student Mary Salter recalled. Additionally, they visited the beautiful and intricate Alhambra in Granada, a palace that contains both Islamic and Spanish Renaissance era architecture.
In addition to architecture, the group experienced many different aspects of Spain’s nature. Every day consisted of long walks through the cities, and there were many opportunities to be within nature. The group saw the breathtaking views of the land and river in Toledo, and they got to experience the beaches and mountains of Málaga through multiple hikes. One such hike was the Caminito del Rey, which took them for a narrow walk along the sides of many tall mountains.
Lastly, students were heavily immersed in Spanish culture during the trip; they got to experience Spanish language, art, and food through many activities. During their time in the country, many students found themselves utilizing the Spanish they had learned previously in class and practicing speaking it with locals. In addition, the trip consisted of many artistic experiences; in Madrid, the group visited La Sofia Reina, a museum which contains Pablo Picasso’s famous work, Guernica, and in Seville, students had the opportunity to watch a live flamenco show. “Learning about something is so different from actually experiencing it,” says Mary Salter, a former AP Spanish Language and Culture student. “It was exciting to see what I learned about in real life.” Fellow student Julia Pratt feels similarly, commenting on her favorite ways she experienced Spanish culture while on the trip: “it was really cool to see history come to life and witness its impacts on modern-day Spain, like with the Roman ruins, the Arab influence at the Alhambra, and the mixture of Catalan and Spanish cultures in Barcelona.”
“Learning about something is so different from actually experiencing it…It was exciting to see what I learned about in real life.”
Lastly, students found themselves enjoying the traditional Spanish cuisine offered during the trip. Every day, students were given free time to eat lunch at a nearby café or restaurant where they could indulge in traditional food, such as tapas. In Barcelona, students also took a cooking class where they made paella and other traditional cultural foods. Julia Pratt commented on her enjoyment of the class: “I loved the experience of getting to take a cooking lesson for authentic dishes like paella and pan con tomate. It was a very cool way to experience Spanish culture hands-on.”
“I loved the experience of getting to take a cooking lesson for authentic dishes like paella and pan con tomate. It was a very cool way to experience Spanish culture hands on.”
Feehan’s Spain adventure was an amazing and immersive cultural experience for the group of students who embarked on the trip, providing them with fun memories and an unforgettable ten days. However, this excursion was only the beginning. The Rock the World program is continuing trips in the future for the current 2025-2026 school year and the upcoming summer, and will be hosting informational meetings about three new trip opportunities soon. For more information, join the Google Classroom with the code: kmkepc5.
