The 21 students of High-School 1 and 2, who participated in the Exchange program to Spain promoted by the Escola Internacional de Alphaville had a unique experience which was full of learning, culture, landscapes and friendships.

During 15 days, students participated in a Spanish course taught by Instituto Cervantes in Salamanca, and saw various sights and leisure options of the medieval city.
Next, in the five remaining days, they experienced the hectic cultural and social routine of Madrid and Barcelona  and, because of the proximity, visited cities such as Ávila and Alberca and used the opportunity to travel to Lisbon, capital of Portugal, where they visited the main streets and landmarks, such as Belém Tower, the Hieronymites Monastery and the Castle of São Jorge – and the passage by Aveiros, where they spent a pleasant afternoon at the beach.

Among the activities undertaken, students passed through the Valley of the Fallen, located on the route between Salamanca and Madrid, site that contains a memorial and a Basilica in tribute to the nationalists (francoists) supporters of dictator Francisco Franco who succumbed during the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939).

Arriving in Madrid, students had the opportunity of visiting  Santiago Bernabeu, stadium, owned by Real Madrid soccer club, in addition to walking and getting to know the main streets and squares of the Spanish capital. They also visited Reina Sofia and Museo del Prado, museums where they could enjoy classic paintings of various Spanish art geniuses, such as Las Meninas, ny Diego Velázquez (1599-1660), La Maja Desnuda, by Francisco Goya (1746–1828), as well as the masterpiece Guernica, by Pablo Picasso, which depicts a bloody battle that occurred in the Spanish Civil War – in addition to seeing the work, they heard details of its history.

In Barcelona, the artistic experience continued in highlight, with the visits to the  famous masterpieces by the architect Antonio Gaudi (1852-1926), such as the Basílica i Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família and Parc Guell. Still in the Catalan city, they watched a flamenco show and visited the region of the revitalized port – besides, the students went to Teatre-Museu Dalí, installed in Figueras, location close to Barcelona.

They also passed by the city of Toledo, where they made a tour and had contact with the well-known artisans of the city, who keep alive the tradition of forging swords, as they have done from the time of the Crusades, in the Middle Ages.

Note that all these tours were conducted by means of extensive walks, marked by a lot of History, as well as with the use of public transport (subway), which allowed a greater interaction with the culture and way of life and behaviour of the Spanish people.

“It was a remarkable experience for everyone! In addition to the obvious benefits related to the acquisition of the Spanish language, both in the course and in interaction with people, students had the opportunity to learn about different cultures as well as absorb much knowledge in museums and historical sites, enjoy the many leisure options and, especially, have contact with the Spanish language, spoken by young people, with their ' slang ' and regional particularities”, analyzes the Spanish teacher Mariana Doná, who accompanied the students during the trip.

For these, the experience brought positive and long-lasting results. See below what some of them said about the Exchange program:

Flávia Sá (High 1): “It was an incredible opportunity! We did much more than just learn; we made new friends and we got to know each other better.”

Alexandre Martins (High 1): “We learned the Spanish that people of our age use.”

Gabriel Houch (High 1): “We learned a lot with people, which is different from learning in the classroom.”

Gabriel Capella (High 1): “Learning, interaction, entertainment and culture in the same place.”

Yago Matos (High 1): “We knew many people from different cultures. I enjoyed visiting Valle de Los Caídos.”

Clarissa Garbin (High 2): “It was great, wonderful! With the time we spent there, it was possible to better get to know their way of life.”

Giulia Rocha (High 2): “I started studying Spanish this year, and the experience helped me relax when speaking.”

Matheus Rebouças (High 1): “I liked it a lot, we stayed in a university town with people from all over the world.”

Caio Sabag (High 1): “Coexistence was cool, we got to know different places and we had experiences that we had never had before. Spain surprised me.”

Isabela Bragança (High 2): “The classes were good, the teachers were willing to teach.”

Leonardo Buzzetto (High 1): “The experience was rich, among other reasons, due to getting to know the European style of relating to others.”

Fernanda Loreto (High 2): “I really enjoyed Salamanca, a cozy city with everything close by.”

Maria Laura Doná (High 1): “We knew different cultures and we related to people of various nationalities.”

Natalia Sena (High 2): “The Sagrada Família is beautiful!  I did not want to get out of the museums.”

Alice Titto (High 2): “It is exciting to be in important historical places that we only see in books.”

Maria Fernanda Gonzaga (High 1): “We became closer to our schoolmates, it was very good!”

Marco Souto (High 2): “I made new friends from other regions and visited historic places.”