Maisy ’26, recounts the groups arrival in Málaga and Vivian ’26, reflects on the growth she has made during her time in Spain.
This morning the group boarded the bus and began the journey to Málaga. Although the trip was three hours, the anticipation for what awaited us in this foreign city made the ride feel like a breeze. When we arrived in Málaga we were greeted by a beaming sun and the vibrant blue Mediterranean. We unloaded the bus and looked for somewhere to eat our lunches that were packed by our host families. We found a nice park situated just outside the center of town and near the water. As we sat, I looked around and admired the people that surrounded me in this new city. Although only a couple of minutes had passed since being in Málaga, this was one of the first times over the course of this trip when I didn’t feel like a tourist in Spain. Having been here for over two weeks now, I have grown accustomed to the atmosphere. Each day it feels more like home here.
Once we finished our lunch our next stop was the Picasso museum. We strolled through the center of town on our way to the museum and were able to get a taste of the beauty of Málaga. Store after store surrounded us. We were eager to explore the town. Once we entered the Picasso museum we were free to walk around and admire his work. Before visiting the museum I was unaware of the amount of sculpting that Picasso did during his career. Because of this I was especially interested in the sculpture exhibit that was in the museum. I was also surprised by the amount of realistic art he did. Although this was not the most prominent form of his art, I enjoyed getting to see another side of his career.
After the museum we headed to dinner. The restaurant that we went to served typical Spanish dishes, and we were welcome to order whatever we wanted. Ms. Fidanza and I were sitting next to each other during this meal. When I first glanced at the menu I was very overwhelmed, everything was in Spanish (duh). Although Ms. Fidanza is still learning to speak the language, she taught me a very useful way to decipher what each dish was. She pointed out words that she knew such as, pollo, arroz, carne, and knew that those dishes would have those foods. This will be a tool that I will continue to use throughout my life. ¡Muchas gracias Ms. Fidanza!
After dinner we headed to the Arabic baths. We all put on our bathing suits and headed to the baths (which were more like medium sized swimming pools, not baths). On the first floor there were three different temperature pools, cold, hot, and warm, as well as a sauna. I made sure to try every temperature pool. Izzy, Elena and I played mermaids in the hot water pool. During our visit to the Arabic baths each of us was treated to a fifteen minute massage. This was an amazing experience, and we all had a lot of fun. We headed back to the hotel after the baths to rest up for another exciting day in Málaga. ¡Buenas noches!
–Maisy ’26
Waking up in Malaga was very exciting. Everyone was refreshed from the Arabic baths the night before, and excited for the packed day ahead. The group followed Alicia to the Catedral de Malaga. Fue construida en mil setecientos veintiocho. We entered and explored individually, talking amongst ourselves, and observing the active church. After, we visited el museo de Carmen Thyssen. Las pinturas son muy diferentes de Picasso porque ahora son mas realistica. My favorite was Boating, which depicted woman sitting on the shore of a river with their row boats.
For lunch, we ate traditional Spanish dishes, including croquetas and Iberian ham. We played popular American games like Contact and Wavelength completely in Spanish. It was very entertaining to hear the opinions of my teachers and friends in Spanish!
For our final destination, we walked through the Alacazar of Malaga. La arquitectura en esta cuidad es muy Antigua. Built on the top of a hillside, we overlooked Mediterranean ports and the busy city streets. Some parts of the structure were crumbling, but the historical aspects of tile work, layouts, and ceramics were still incorporated as we explored.
We strolled back to the hotel and prepared for a long siesta/bus ride back to Cádiz! Profe Giraldo drew stick figure versions of each member on the trip. Izzy and Elena gifted a mini book of American slang to our trip leader, Alicia!
Traveling throughout Spain is different than I expected. It’s a culture shock for sure. Entering a new country, time zone, with customs completely different from your own, but it’s a new perspective. Sometimes, and most times, it is difficult to communicate my emotions, questions, interests, but the need to communicate with others is evident. Though this feels like a simple statement, that’s what everyone wants most. To be understood and to understand another. My new mama, Gloria, tried to speak to me one morning, and just waking up, I kept responding in English, realizing my mistake, and asking her to repeat herself. Though this may have been embarrassing and frustrating for the both of us, I couldn’t help but laugh when I finally translated what she was saying. She asked me which bathroom I wanted to use! In the mornings, we talk about breakfast and I normally ask for the same thing. I ask her about her family or her plans for the day. It is interesting to connect to someone while lacking the proper vocabulary, but the effort from my friends, teachers, and new mom have encouraged me to grow.
Wow, this is an incredibly long blog! There is so much more the group wants to do and only a few days left. Much more to do!
-Vivian ’26
