In May, a group of Year 9 and Year 10 students set off on a trip to Barcelona, filled with sunshine (and one memorable storm!), culture, art and plenty of unforgettable moments.

From exploring the iconic Camp Nou and the breathtaking Sagrada Familia to discovering Gaudí’s stunning Casa Batlló and visiting the Picasso museum and the Miró foundation students had the opportunity to experience some of Barcelona’s most famous landmarks. They also walked along the beach, wandered through the historic Gothic Quarter, strolled along La Rambla and explored La Boqueria Market, one of Europe’s most famous markets – we do, however, have to admit that the Starbucks and McDonald’s menu received a remarkable amount of attention.

Along the way, students developed their independence, navigated a new city with friends, embraced new experiences and created memories that will last long after the trip itself.

But rather than hearing about it from us, we’ll let the students do the talking. Here are some of their reflections on a fantastic few days in Barcelona…

“I think Barcelona was such a fun and beautiful trip. All the things I saw were so impressive especially the museums we went to. This trip also showed me how important it is to learn Spanish because it will help with communication!” – Athena

“I really enjoyed the trip we took to Spain, because we visited lots of amazing, interesting places that showed me many cool things. Also, it was really fun in general since I got to spend lots of time with my friends. Overall, I really liked the trip. Wish I could do it again.” – Cian

“The trip was very fun. Beaches were close to the hotel and the hotel itself wasn’t bad. The places that we visited were very interesting and made me learn more about Barcelona culture.” – Patryk

“I really loved the trip. I loved ordering ice cream in Spanish and expanding my vocabulary. I also really loved visiting the different art museums and monuments, it’s really fun to learn some things about Spain and explore Barcelona. It’s a great experience, totally should do it again.” – Holly-Grace

“We explored Barcelona and took many pictures of what was around us and we bought a lot of souvenirs too! We saw all things from museums to beaches and had a great time exploring the shops too!” – Imogen

“The trip was a great experience to see and learn about Barcelona and its history.” – Tayden

“I enjoyed the Barcelona trip a lot. My favourite part was the beach. We did loads of activities in the day like museums and shopping. I took lots of photos and made lots of memories.” – Sophie

“I liked all the places we visited.” – Corley

“The trip was fun and I liked all the places we got to visit.” – Lucas

“The trip was exciting and definitely was fun, way better than anything I’ve done this year.” – Enrico