For the third year running, the Spanish exchange took place during February half term.

A group of ten girls from WGS set off to Barcelona and were warmly
greeted by the families from the La Vall school. Arriving on the Friday
of a 3-day weekend for the school, our girls experienced ‘full'
immersion into the Spanish way of life with their families. Some
families even took their partners skiing in the Pyrenees, which are only
a couple of hours away!

We were soon to realise that Barcelona has a winter like us. Although
the temperature was as low as in the UK when we left, we were blessed
with sunshine and sunlight during most of our stay. A trip was organized
to the seaside town of Sitges and we all thoroughly enjoyed the fresh
sea air and the amazing views over the Mediterranean.

Our girls had the opportunity to understand how prominent and important
the works of Gaudi are in Barcelona thanks to the guided tours first of
the quirky Casa Mila and then of its iconic cathedral, the Sagrada
Familia. We were fortunate enough to have Gabriele as our guide. She is a
friend of one of the teachers of La Vall and we were astounded to hear
that she had taken three hours off work (as a lawyer) to share her
knowledge and passion for this wonderful city. Just to give you a
feeling of the warmth and generosity of the people we came across during
our stay!

Wandering around the narrow lanes of Barri Gòtic, the centre of the old
city of Barcelona, we were able to visit the Town Hall, which was open
to the public that day only during the year, as it was Saint Eulalia's
Day, Patron Saint of Barcelona. Yolanda, a teacher from La Vall was our
guide that day and enthusiastically led us through the old part of
Barcelona, with a visit to the Pablo Picasso Museum and a stroll down
the Ramblas. She recommended a worthwhile short visit to La Boquería,
the amazingly brightly-coloured food market.

After a week of culture we said our goodbyes to our new friends below
Botero's famous horse sculpture at the airport, with the promise to see
each other very soon. All of the girls thoroughly enjoyed the unique
experience an exchange abroad offers and couldn't wait to host their
Catalan partners on the return leg!

Mrs Anne Humblet and Ms María López