Trip to Cabra ⛰🌿🌳🍁

On Thursday 15th November, I had the great opportunity to go on a trip with 1ESO to the natural park in Cabra as part of their social science lessons. I was really looking forward to going as the countryside here in Andalusia takes my breath away and it’s so beautiful! It’s really different to home though. At home the countryside is more flat and a more vibrant green, and we do not have olive trees. Whereas here it is more mountainous, I love looking at the shadows of the mountains because it is magical and I also love seeing all the olive groves dotted around. I fall a little more in love with Andalusia every time I immerse myself in the landscape here. But I do miss an autumnal walk through field and along the river Thames back home. However, I feel very lucky to have gone on this trip to experience more of the natural landscape here in the province of Cordoba. From talking to lots of you, it appears you all seem to enjoy going to the countryside with your families at the weekend. 

The first stop on the trip was the natural park visitor centre which was a cute white Andalusian building. Once there we watched an audiovisual and had the chance to look around interactive exhibitions which talked about the flora and fauna, the landscape and the history of this natural park. It was interesting to learn a little more about the spectacular landscape and the species that inhabit the area. It also seemed that in this building there was good lighting as lots of you took selfies to document the trip 😂

The next part of the trip was a 3KM hiking trail so we could see some of the landscape we learnt about in the visitor centre, although for some of you I know it felt like 100KM based on the ‘moaning’ I heard. 😂😛 I was shocked at the landscape on this trail as it reminded me of home due to the autumn colours and different types of trees. Also, the sensation of trying not to fall down a sloppy hill brought back many memories of walks in the uk after it rained in the woods and the ground was damp. I really enjoyed admiring the stunning views whilst on the hike, the sun made it look even lovelier. But what I enjoyed the most was being able to speak to lots of you during the hike and getting to know you more. You all tried really hard to speak English and you are all improving lots. I especially loved when you worked as little groups to form a sentence in English so you could speak to me. ☺️☺️ thank you for making an effort, otherwise it would have been a lonely walk 😛 and well, practice makes perfect with English, so you did a great job. Thank you for teaching me the word raisin in Spanish too ‘pasa’ I’m now basically fluent in Spanish 😂👏🏻 

After the hiking trail it was time to have our well deserved snack, of course in true Spanish style... a bocadillo! The weather was perfect to enjoy the picnic area and it was nice to see you relaxed and enjoying being in the middle of knowhere. During lunch I also tried a berry from a tree that Jorge said you can eat (for now, I’m still alive 😂😝) and they were very tasty. Also, you managed to find a SNAKE!!! I hate snakes, they’re one of my phobias. But I’m still unsure as to how you managed to find it, but at least you got a true wildlife experience and it added to the ‘excitement’ of the trip. 🐍 

After lunch it was time to travel up to the summit of the Sierra de Cabra. I visited there once before and was looking forward to going again. I loved looking at the views from the peak, they are very beautiful and I enjoyed looking as far as the eye can see! I’m sure you got many Instagram worthy shots whilst there. Apart from admiring the incredible landscape we also learnt more about the landscape from Jorge, who spoke about what you could see from the top and some facts about the Sierra de Cabra. I wish I could go there more often as I love the feeling of feeling free and relaxed looking over the world below. I find being in the countryside is good for thinking things over, so I hope you enjoyed some freedom there. 

After the talk and some free time to enjoy the views, it was time to do a bilingual activity. I guess this makes this trip the first bilingual trip at Clara. You listened to my instructions in English and the acted out one of the Andalusian provinces that we could see from the Sierra. Then, the other tutor groups had to guess what province you had selected from the cards. It was great to see your little pieces of theatre, and I learnt that Jaén is famous for olives. The last activity of the day was a kinder egg hunt, which you all seemed very engaged with. I suppose the chocolate motivated everyone. But those of you that asked for clues in English had the better chance of finding the eggs. 👍🏻👍🏻💃🏽💃🏽 I’m sorry you didn’t find all of them. 

Above all, I had a wonderful day with all of you. I hope you learnt more about the landscape you’re so lucky to be surrounded with. What was your favourite part?? (Some of you told me your favourite part was the bus, but I hope you were joking) 

Enjoy a relaxing weekend after the adventure in Cabra and I’ll see you Monday. 💚

ANSWER THE QUESTIONS

Read the latest blog entry by Lissy and answer these questions:

1. What British and Spanish celebrations are mentioned in the text?
2. When is Bonfire Night celebrated in the UK? 
3. What happened in November 1605 in Britain?
4. What do British people usually wear on Bonfire Night?
5. What is the British traditional food for Bonfire Night?
6. Why is our Spanish celebration "Día de los Santos" mentioned in the text?

Firework ‘cue Katy Perry song’ 🎇🎆🔥💥

And so I was thinking about what I could write a blog about, and Halloween crossed my mind, but that’s something a lot of you celebrate too. On that note, I’d like to thank any of you who participated in the Halloween escape room activity, it was a success and the cakes you made were truly incredible and you should all be very proud of yourself, you’ve outdone yourself and I really was left without words. Watch this space for a Christmas bilingual activity. 🎄

So  I thought what better to talk about than a special celebration in the United Kingdom (afterall, I am the first assistant from the UK) It is called Bonfire night or Guy Fawkes night, and was celebrated on the 5th November. So this was celebrated on Monday. 

WHY DOES  BONFIRE NIGHT EXIST?

Bonfire night is a special celebration in the UK that happens every year on the 5th November. If you like History…Read on! (You should read on anyways if you want to practice English 😝) It is the day that King James escaped his death in the houses of parliament. Therefore, we celebrate the failiure of the Guy Fawkes plot on November 5th 1605. In November 1605 a group of men decided to make a plot to blow up the Houses of Parliament in London.The plot is known as the ‘Gunpowder Plot’ and the leader of the plot was called Guy Fawkes. The plot was made as the men were angry about the way the Catholic people were being treated in England. The men thought of a plan and decided to put 36 barrels of gunpowder in the cellar of Houses of Parliament
and then waited for the King to open Parliament, and blow it up. Guy Fawkes was the man who was going to light thegunpowder and cause the explosion. However, guards found the gunpowder before it  exploded and they caught all the men involved in the plot. They were caught because of a letter that was sent to friend who was a member of parliament warning him to avoid parliament that day because of the plot. Francis Tresham was the man who sent the letter thinking that it would never be sent to the king. The men involved were tortured and killed by being hung, drawn and quartered.

HOW IS BONFIRE NIGHT CELEBRATED?

Every year the people of the UK celebrate the survival of the Houses of Parliament and King James. In the early years, church bells rang every 5th November, but it has developed into a  big celebration. All over Britain there are firework displays with friends and families and light bonfires with models of Guy Fawkes which are burned on the fire. It’s normally quite cold on Bonfire Night so people wear warmclothes, hats, scarves and gloves to spend the evening outside. Traditional Bonfire Night food is jacket potatoes and toffee apples. Normally my family and I buy fireworks and sparklers for our garden, and also light a fire. I used to love making shapes with my sparklers.  We put sausages and jacket potatoes in the fire to eat and also toast marshmallows. At university, I go to a firework display with my friends and drink mulled wine. There are lots of fireworks displays over the UK in public spaces and the community gathers together (a little like the virgen of Araceli celebration) and the United Kingdom sky is lit up with so many colours and the bangs echo around the country. 

I have really missed Bonfire night this year, it was sad seeing everyone in England with fireworks on their snapchat and instagrams. But maybe next year! Luckily, i have the wonderful spanish traditions such as the the Dia De Los Santos to make up for it.

I really enjoyed this special day in Spain, and this year I was able to celebrate like a typical Spaniard. I find it very heartwarming visiting cemeteries and having a day to celebrate all the people that are no longer with us, but have touched and continue to touch our lives. I also got to make and try gachas, which I really enjoyed, although I couldn’t explain to you what it reminds me of. But anyways, anything sweet and I’ll like it. I feel very grateful to have been surrounded by an entire Spanish family and to have experienced a special celebration such as this. In the UK this day doesn’t exist, and well, this year I can relate to it more and so really enjoyed my day. 

What other exciting traditions or celebrations do you have here?

WE ARE BILINGUAL

Have you seen the new look of our hallway? Whenever you get into our school, the first thing you will see is a cute tree with flags from all over the European Union and, in a bigger size, the flags of the languages that students can study at our school. Next to them we have these letters with the message "We are bilingual", in case anyone has forgotten:). Our students from first ESO, and especially 1ºC did a very good job!! Have look at it all in these pictures and enjoying having a beautiful school. 

International Library Day

Do you like books?? I do! And so do many students at our school. As a proof of it, there is a very successful reader's club at our school Library every week and in the library there are also other interesting activities such as the one that took place for International Library Day, last 24th October. Students decorated all these lovely books with inspiring quotations by authors from all over the world. Have a look at them and let yourself be inspired!