Chronicle of the trip of the 3rd year ESO students to Barcelona, written by their Language and Literature teacher, Óscar Cortina.
Last Thursday, April 6th, the intrepid teachers Juanjo Romero, Carlos Parra, and Óscar Cortina, along with myself, led the expedition to Barcelona with 41 students from Lope de Vega High School. What might have seemed like a suicide mission, surrounded by so many hormone-fueled teenagers, wasn't an ordeal for us at all. On the contrary, we returned with the feeling of having spent three unforgettable days, which will remain indelibly etched in the memories of all who were there. Barcelona, the gateway to the Mediterranean for centuries for many cultures, revealed itself to us in all its splendor.
The bus trip there was pleasant, filled with mobile games, movies on tablets, rap battles to sharpen our wit (a prelude to what was to come), and numerous conversations brimming with laughter and good humor. After a procession of several gas stations, we began our journey in grand style: the Sagrada Familia. We toured the exterior of the monument, with Don Juanjo explaining the history and details of this iconic structure. And to spice things up, he announced that at the end of the day he would play a game in the form of... SocrativeThe game was to see who had been the most attentive and win a prize. Although most listened with interest, it was Carla Llobell who came out on top, answering more questions correctly than anyone else. In hopes of a better night's sleep (and imagining what was to come), she won a curious fluorescent sleep mask.
We continued along Passeig de Gràcia, enjoying the city's characteristic modernist architecture, with buildings like the PedreraOn top of all this, last year's trip to Madrid started a tradition that the students insistently revived in Barcelona: a geek tour. So, more than half the group visited several geek shops, ending up at Norma Comics, the largest and most important comic book store in Spain, which delighted all the fans of manga, movies, and various TV series. We spent a great time there among characters from Game of Thrones, Batman comics, and superhero t-shirts… the perfect place for personal purchases and gifts.
In the mid-afternoon the bus finally took us to the hotel Les Palmeresa 4-star hotel located in Calella, which from the outside looked more like a Conchi's GuesthouseBut inside, it was a vast improvement over their initial impression, with spacious rooms (which the students frequently seemed determined to leave) and excellent breakfast and dinner service. As we began an evening stroll through the area, we realized that happiness is found in the little things, and our students found it in the most unexpected place… a playground! There, they seemed to step back ten years, launching themselves onto the swings, seesaws, and slides as if they were back in kindergarten. It was a moment of pure joy.
Back at the hotel, after spending some time in the recreation room they'd given us so the kids could have their fun, the dreaded moment arrived: sending everyone back to their own rooms. It seemed the hotel's layout was tailor-made for us, because the entire first floor was ours. Not a single room too many or too few. A long corridor divided the boys' and girls' sections into two blocks, with the teachers keeping watch and trying to curb the already irrepressible desire to party. At this point, I have to say that none of our students would have a future as tambourine thieves, because they're anything but quiet. After the umpteenth warning to go to bed (our own, of course), it wasn't long before we heard them running and slamming doors amidst loud laughter. The frequency of escape attempts gradually decreased, but some of them saw the sunrise without having closed their eyes yet.
On Friday morning we met Estrella, our local guide. Already known for her calm and collected demeanor, she had to be incredibly patient explaining the intricacies of the Cathedral of the Sea, the Gothic Quarter, Barcelona Cathedral, and Park Güell to a group of teenagers. We certainly left with a PhD in Gaudí, and imbued with his environmental philosophy and his approach to integrating life with respect for nature. When we finally said goodbye to Estrella, she left to a standing ovation from everyone present, feeling like she'd earned her place in heaven. Midway through our expedition, we recharged our batteries in the... Hard Rock among hamburgers, onion rings and the already famous Tupelo chicken tender.
For the final part of the afternoon we visited the shopping center tidal wavewhere many girls became angels for a while Victoria Secret...devouring the entire product range in the store. After two such intense days, the teachers were praying that the students' energy levels would be depleted and they'd collapse like logs. Nothing could have been further from the truth. To our astonishment, we discovered that some nuclear power plants generate less energy than a fifteen-year-old on a school trip.
Before sending them to their rooms, we squeezed in the early hours of the morning with an official rap battle tournament. After some tough semifinals where Josevi, Borja, and Mik were eliminated, Pablo pulled off a surprise victory, winning the final against Matys. His prize was a cool Batman figure, which he can proudly display in the center of his trophy room. From then on, the story of the previous night repeated itself: laughter, confidences shared in other people's rooms, heartbreak, or who knows, maybe the beginning of a romance. The truth is, we teachers understood, thanks to Gaudí's work, that it's impossible to hold back the tide. That one must adapt to the waves instead of fighting against the current.
The next morning, with sleepy faces, we set off for the perfect end to the trip: PortAventura. However, tiredness didn't take its toll, and the journey provided an opportunity for a hilarious competition to see who could post the most embarrassing photo of anyone on the bus. Primary school yearbooks, pictures from previous trips, costumes, concerts, theater performances... all came out, totaling 250 images in just a few minutes, with the motto being "the more difficult, the better" to see who could post the funniest snapshot. Once we arrived at the park, we thoroughly enjoyed it. From its opening time at 10:00 until we were the last to leave at 20:20. The day had everything we could have asked for: good weather, not too many people, amazing rides (the Shambala (it was the one that accumulated the most praise), foosball games (where Raulito didn't fare very well…), Mexican food and even new friendships with boys (especially girls) from other parts of Spain.
But if I had to pick one moment from the whole trip, it would be the queue we stood in for Furius Baco, in the late afternoon. In the middle of the crowd, and without warning, a few girls pulled out a tiny speaker and started singing a well-known song. They hadn't even finished the first verse before all their classmates were singing and dancing along, amidst their own laughter and the laughter of all the tourists who were entertained by this explosion of camaraderie and festive camaraderie. I think that moment perfectly encapsulates the trip. The close-knit group of 41 students, regardless of their class, formed a tight-knit community that radiated joy and good vibes.
The final hours on the bus were punctuated by students dozing in their seats, philosophical conversations, and a wealth of anecdotes from the trip. I'm certain that when they finish their time at Lope and look back, these students will never forget the journey in which Barcelona opened its doors to us and we conquered it by land, air… and sea.
You can read this article and others by the same author on his blog: http://oscarcortina.blogspot.com.es/
