Barcelona (June 2015) – ¡Más que un viaje escolar!
On arriving in Barcelona, we were met by our tour guide, who brought us on a whistle stop
tour of all the main attractions including the fountains on Passeig de Gracia, Parc Guell,
Olympic Stadium, Las Ramblas and El Boqueria Market. We finished with a walking tour of
the Sagrada Familia, before heading to L’Aquarium. Despite the very early start to our day
(12.30 am!) spirits remained high and we would recommend that Duracell should definitely
contact Lorcan Donnelly and try to channel some of his energy supply!
Day Two was spent in PortAventura, where some pupils quickly attacked the largest roller
coaster in Europe, before taking a vertical drop from a 42 storey building. Mrs McWilliams
preferred the slower pace of the Crazy Barrels and Mr Kelly brought his sense of competition
to a new level as he water gunned other boats on the kiddy ride!!
The next day gave us the opportunity to combine the panoramic views of Montserrat and the
beautiful décor of the Basilica with a chance to witness the ‘birthplace’ of footballing artistry
with a tour of the Nou Camp stadium. Later that evening, our own football stars healed old
wounds when our Ireland team beat France in a street football challenge.
The fourth day saw a return to ‘Irish’ weather, and unfortunately, the planned visit to
Aquapolis had to be cancelled due to the threat of a storm. With any other group, this could
have been a disaster but, once Mrs McWilliams had her cup of tea and a bar of chocolate, we
re-grouped and came up with a contingency plan: shopping or the beach – “Sure you’re going
to get wet anyway!” Little did we know that this would turn out to be the best day of the trip!
The ‘shoppers’ found some great bargains; the ‘swimmers’ climbed walls, swung on ropes
and dived from heights on the inflatable obstacle course; and, as the sun reappeared, we all
met for a ‘relaxing’ afternoon by the pool!
After checking out from the hotel on Sunday morning, we headed to Aquapolis for another
day of high adrenalin, water slides and dolphin show.
This visit to Barcelona was much more than 5 action-filled days – it was an opportunity for
all to experience many ‘firsts’ – chatting with Spanish students as we waited in queues,
speaking French with other hotel guests, eating unfamiliar food, jumping into swimming
pools, bartering with stall holders, discovering some of the rich art history of this beautiful
city, finding similarities between the history and ethos of Barcelona FC and our own GAA –
the list could go on!
All involved have made memories for a lifetime and it was a privilege to see how our pupils
made the most of every opportunity – they were a real credit to their families and to our
school! Thanks to the staff who facilitated the trip; Mrs N. Magee, Mr B. Kelly, Mrs C.
McWilliams, Mr L. Berry and J. McKillen.