Ubrique Exchange: Update
8 Apr 2014
Dear Ubrique families: Our experience here is quickly coming to a close and it is hard to believe that the time has flown by so fast. It seems like ages ago, and it seems like just yesterday. As the weather muses predicted, we have had gorgeous weather from Friday onward, and we have all gone from wearing all our layers to getting out our summer clothes!
Sunday we had a lovely family picnic and we had a table full of tapas homemade by our host families. The picnic was near a spring, and the students quickly cooled off by pouring water all over each other :-). The next day, they attended classes with their host siblings and a group of the guys took a spontaneous hiking trip in the afternoon. During classes, our two art students had the special privilege of going to art class led by Ubrique’s most famous painter, Martel. He even showed them his gallery and taught them how to draw eyes!
Today, we spent the day in Ronda, another of Spain’s oldest towns, founded in the 6th century BC by the Celts, only then to be taken over by Romans, then Visigoths, then Arabs, then Christians. We visited the Moorish Palacio de Mondragón, then took a mildly adventurous hike all the way around the outside of town to the Arab Baths. It was our hottest day so far, and we were all happy to spend the later afternoon lounging and enjoying the gorgeous views surrounding us.
Please see the few pictures attached to give you an idea of our footsteps over the past few days!
It is with a mixture of sadness and satisfaction that we end this trip—we all have gotten quite used to the different rhythm here, and we know that a bit of re-entry culture shock will be awaiting us on Thursday at 8am. Yet the students can all be so proud of themselves for their improved Spanish, their new friendships, and their increased understanding of different people and different places. Thank you again, students, for the privilege of walking you through this time together in this most special place.
Now, back to reality… Here is the flight info once again:
Wed, 9 Apr 2014
Air Berlin 2269
Arriving Berlin TXL 18:15
See everyone then! Best, Julia Mentan
