Report of Our Week
Sunday:
At half-past nine, we gathered at Schiphol Airport. After meeting up, we checked in our bags and said goodbye to our parents. Then, we went through customs. After customs, we had some time to look around the shops at Schiphol, but we didn’t buy anything. Finally, we boarded the plane, and although there was a bit of turbulence, we landed safely. We were even allowed to look into the cockpit. Once we had picked up our bags, we took the train for an hour to our destination. When we arrived, we met our host family. They were super nice, and we gave them the presents we had brought. They were very happy with the gifts! The girl’s name is Emma, and the twins are Blai and Gael. The father’s name is Blas, and the mother’s name is Loli. They also have a dog named Bruce and a parakeet named Plumita.
Monday:
We had a very big breakfast with cookies, cakes, and more. In the morning, we went to school for the first time and played a proposal game. Then, we had to present our own presentations, which was pretty exciting. In the afternoon, we had a lesson on sustainable energy, which was super educational. Later, we watched Gael’s soccer game, and he was amazing!
Tuesday:
In the morning, we distributed licorice to the Spanish children, but they didn’t like it very much. After that, we watched the presentations from the other kids. At lunch, we had to eat at school for the first time. Unfortunately, the food wasn’t great, but thankfully, our teacher had brought toasted sandwiches and tangerines as a backup. In the afternoon, we went on an excursion to special places in Cànoves. We also went for a walk with all the host families and children through the forest.
Wednesday:
We spent the whole morning in the forest, where we had to find animal tracks, draw leaves, and create a mandala. After the break, we had gymnastics, which was super fun! First, we played slingertag, where you have to tag people, and when someone is tagged, they have to tag someone else. After that, we played a game under a parachute. There were two “sharks” under the parachute who had to pull people under, but there were also lifeguards who could help if needed. We also played a judo game.
Thursday:
At school, we worked on our report. We were supposed to eat in the cafeteria, but the teachers arranged for us to have lunch at a pizza restaurant, where we had pizza and drinks. It was super tasty! Afterward, we had a short break to play outside. Then, we received presents, including a shirt with their logo on it (we could choose between green or red), some cookies with a nut on top, and a booklet where we could collect signatures and messages from the children. After the school day ended, we went on a trip to the mountains with all the host families. We went up to a very high tree and did a little climbing while chatting. Afterward, we headed home.
Friday:
We went to Barcelona with all the Dutch kids, and it was super fun! We were allowed to walk around by ourselves at times. We visited La Sagrada Familia, walked along Las Ramblas, and traveled a lot by train and subway. We also saw Casa Mila. After a fun day in Barcelona, we headed back home with lots of souvenirs and goodies. When we got back to the host family’s house, we were surprised with soccer shirts from Gael and Blai’s club, and later, we went to a restaurant that was super tasty.
Saturday:
Sadly, today was our last day, so we had to say goodbye. Although it was sad, we still had a little bit of the morning to enjoy. We went for our last breakfast together, which was really nice. Then, we had to go to the station and say goodbye, which wasn’t easy. We took the train for three-quarters of an hour to the airport, where we had one last chance to shop before heading to the gate. The flight home took two hours, and we landed at Eindhoven Airport. After another train ride for three-quarters of an hour, we were finally home again.
It was a wonderful week filled with great memories!
