Spain Group 2 Arrives!
Posted on July 17th, 2007 by PeteFrom Kendra, Manager of iD Tech Camps’ Documentary Filmmaking and Cultural Immersion Study Abroad Program in Spain:
Reminder: All photos of the Spain Program can be accessed by:
Students: Via the Student Corner
Parents: Logging in Via My Camp Account
Trust me! The photos from the first week are incredible. It is worth it to logon and see all of the photos. Rene and Kevin (iD Staff) have been duking it out for “best photographer” honors this week.
Bienvenidos a Espana!
The second session of iD Tech Camps Documentary Filmmaking and Cultural Immersion Study Abroad Program is officially underway.
We have already seen many sights and experienced a lot of the magnificent Spanish culture. Occasionally throughout the program we will be posting many photos. I’ll also be making a handful of post to this blog, to keep you updated about our adventures in Europe. I hope that you enjoy reading and learning a little bit about the history and culture that the students are experiencing and learning about everyday here in Cadiz.
First, let me start by giving you a little bit of history about Cadiz, which happens to be the oldest city in Western Europe. We are so incredibly fortunate to all be living in the middle of the “Barrio Antiguo” or old historical area of the city, with narrow winding cobblestone streets. Legend has it that Cadiz was founded as a result of the mythical 12 labors of Hercules, which included separating Europe from Africa. The first settlers came here after their oracle advised them to construct a city overlooking the Atlantic between the Pillars of Hercules. This is the oldest continuously inhabited city in Europe. The Phoenicians established a trading post here in 1,100 BC and called the town Gadir (meaning enclosure), a name that later became Gades under the Romans, and now is known as Cadiz. Hercules and the two pillars remain on the official seal of the city of Cadiz today.
On Friday the entire group made it safe and sound and everyone, although very tired from the long journey, was excited to be here in Cadiz. The flights were on time and the group arrived in Cadiz around 2:30pm, where their host families met them.
After the traditional dos besos (two kisses on the cheek) to say hello, the students went home with their familias to eat a nice big lunch, unpack, shower, rest and take a siesta. Later Friday evening we met again for a brief orientation, and to go over some important logistics like where to find the ATMs, where to buy phone cards, and how to call home.
Saturday morning we had an orientation at our Instituto where all our Spanish and video classes will be held. After going over important rules, handing out the video cameras, and teaching the first lesson in documentary filmmaking and camera operation, we then had a walking tour of Cadiz, walking along the coast from the new part of town back to the old part of the city where we live.
From there we headed to the Torre Tavira, one of the tallest towers in Cadiz. From the roof there are fantastic birds-eye-views of the entire city.
The rest of the afternoon on Saturday was free to rest up and recuperate from any lingering jet-lag, eat lunch and spend more quality time with the new host families, go to the beach, and just explore the city we will call home for the next 2 1/2 weeks.
Sunday we headed to the Sevilla - one of the most beautiful cities in all of Spain. It also happens to be one of the hottest cities in July! We were prepared for dreadful heat. Although it was hot, it was not as bad as we anticipated, and all the students drank lots of water to stay hydrated.
We began our tour in Barrio de Santa Cruz in the heart of this historic old city in Sevilla. We had some free time to eat lunch and shop at the many stores to buy authentic souvenirs. After enjoying lunch and exploring the old part of the city, we began our tour at the Catedral de Sevilla.
The entire city of Sevilla has an ancient history and the architecture depicts wonderful examples of the combination of Moorish and Arabic structures along with Catholic and Christian styles. The cathedral is huge – the third largest in the world! It was originally an old Mosque but was converted to a Cathedral when the Christians conquered Spain. Possibly the most iconic figure of Sevilla is the tower, la Giralda.
We climbed the 30+ floors to reach the top of the tower and get extraordinary views of the city.
After coming back down, we had time to walk around and admire the interior of the gothic cathedral with its tall arches, stained glass windows and beautiful altars and artwork. From there we went to Reales Alcazar, the royal palace.
The royal family will still stay in the palace when visiting Sevilla. Once again, the palace was originally constructed by the moors and then was adapted by Rey Pedro Primero “El Cruel” when he conquered Spain. He maintained much of the Arabic style of the palace with the mosaics and geometric designs, and then added on with a classical Christian style of architecture. The many rooms and patios are stunning, and being inside was a nice escape from the heat!
All of our tours in Sevilla were led in Spanish by our tour guide from Mundo Lengua, then we quizzed the students in English to make sure they understood. The more they hear and listen to the language the better their comprehension will be – it is the best was to learn!
We finished our tour in Sevilla at the stunning Plaza de Espana.
This big plaza contains plaques representing all of the provinces in Spain and was constructed in 1929 for the Iberian-American Exposition. One of the highlights is learning that this site has been used in several Hollywood films including “Star Wars” and “Mission Impossible.”
Today classes began at Mundo Lengua (Monday). We check in with everyone everyday to make sure they feel comfortable in their classes, as we can make changes in the levels if necessary. This week we have a very busy schedule everyday. From 10-1:30pm are Spanish classes. 1:30-4pm is time for lunch and a siesta at home. At 4pm each afternoon we have a cultural activity or tour to participate in. Today we toured the Campo del Sur and the old Castillos (forts/castles) that guard the old city and protected Cadiz from invaders and pirates. After the activity we go to video class that lasts until 8pm – 9pm each day. Today we gave a basic lecture on documentary filmmaking, discussed initial impressions of Spain, and began to log and capture the footage collected so far using Final Cut Pro. After video class each night this week we also have many fiestas and outings planned. It will be a busy but fun two weeks!
We always encourage the students to come to us directly if they have any questions or issues – Kevin, Rene and I are here to help in anyway possible. You can always feel free to email me directly as well with any questions, as I check frequently. This group has already bonded together and become great friends, and we know we will all love every minute we have together here in Spain.
Gracias por su tiempo! (Thank you for your time).
-Kendra, and the rest of Team iD Spain
Reminder: All photos of the Spain Program can be accessed by:
Students: Via the Student Corner
Parents: Logging in Via My Camp Account
