A wonderful trip to Spain
On the 13th until the 17th of November the Spanish, Visual Arts and World Arts and Cultures classes of the IBDP had the chance to visit Spain, in a trip that could be characterized fully of traditions, colors, cultures, information, scents, and beauty!
European Commission in Madrid
The students with their teachers were very warmly welcomed to the European Commission branch in Madrid by Mr. Yannis Virvilis, who enthusiastically shared with them the importance of the European Union and how its creation gives us many educational and professional opportunities. He explained all the different functions of the European Commission and how it cooperates with other European institutions and bodies to promote peace, justice, growth, security, freedom, and sustainability while keeping the rich cultural and linguistic diversity of the county-members. The students had the opportunity to ask questions and participate in an open discussion with Mr. Virvilis and understand in more depth some more specific matters which they were interested in.
Reina Sophia and Prado
Our students visited one of the most famous museums of modern and contemporary art in Madrid, Reina Sofia. They had the time to look closely, investigate and sketch artworks that caught their attention, as well as analyze their formal qualities and symbols among themselves, in an attempt to unravel the hidden messages of the artists and understand the context in which they were created.
Students had the chance to look at the original works of many famous international and Spanish artists including Juan Miro, Salvador Dali, and Pablo Picasso. The highlight was the extraordinary “Guernica” by Picasso, a gem of Spain’s history and culture.
In Prado, one of the museums with the largest collection of European art, we were thrilled to look at the original amazing works of artists from the 12th to the 20th century, including artworks of Diego Velazquez, Francisco Goya, and El Greco. The students noted the characteristics of the style of each artist and how it developed through the years. It was interesting to point out and discuss how historical events, culture, beliefs, religion and personal life of the artists are related and mirrored in their artworks.
European Space Agency
One of the other places our students visited was the European Space Agency, located just out of the city of Madrid. There, they were introduced to the amazing research and work that is done in ESAC, regarding the exploration of the outer space, with the aid of specially constructed satellites, which give the ability to collect information that is impossible to gather from the earth. They had a chance to see the smaller or same scale replica models of the satellites that have been sent out to missions in space, in the past and currently, visit the offices and different facilities of the organization, ask questions and have a discussion about physics and astronomy and how that has developed us as humankind.
One of the most interesting points of our host, Eduardo Ojero-Pascual, was that there is a very close link between science and art, as both would be impossible without limitless imagination and a little bit of madness, and we wouldn’t be able to explore our inner and outer world without them!
Flamenco
An impressive demonstration of cultural fusion and Spanish identity was an outstanding Flamenco performance our students attended. Passionate, emotional, rhythmic, active and full of colors and movement, the performance left them in awe and made them travel in time and space with the dancers who were on fire on the stage!
Toledo
Another trip that felt as a time travel experience was our trip to beautiful Toledo, a city that was declared as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Our students were able to look at the influences of different cultures, which were evident in the architectural styles of the buildings and interior decorations, and different artifacts. They visited the house of El Greco, where the artist lived most of his life and the Primate Cathedral of Saint Mary of Toledo, where the Gothic style with Baroque and Roccoco work together to create a magnificent and spectacular monument as evidence of beauty, history and wealth. The students had also the time to explore the city themselves and discover the little traditional shops showcasing the local crafts, such as handmade leather bags or damascene jewelry.
Santiago Bernabeu Stadium
For all the football fans, exciting was to visit the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, an impressive modern stadium with extraordinary facilities, in which the students felt that they came, in a way, closer to their favorite players. The students were able to have a closer look at the different areas of the stadium as well as learn more about the history of it and the players of Real Madrid.
Around Madrid
During all days of our trip, the students lived as little Spanish citizens. They enjoyed practicing the language in every possible way, from ordering food and asking for instructions, to discussing among themselves and with the teachers. They explored the city with the beautiful public buildings, impressive architecture and their history, the gorgeous green parks, like Retiro, as well as the different traditional dishes with different aromas and colors such as paella, jamon, Spanish omelet, chorizo, etc.
All the students and teachers became a little more Spanish, artistic and multicultural!
