A group of 48 Year 8 and 9ss recently ventured to Cantabria in northern Spain, to experience the culture and the many sights this region has to offer.
The group stayed in Santillana Del Mar, a small village with few English-speaking locals, so the students were really put to the test to practise their language skills.
The group visited Santander, the region’s capital, for a spot of shopping and to sample their amazing ice cream at the beach and travelled on the Fuente Dé cable car, taking us 2000m up into the heart of the Picos de Europa. Thursday’s itinerary took the group to the other extreme, as they explored deep underground in the Cuevas El Soplao, showing the most beautiful displays of stalagmites and stalactites.
Our final day took saw the group venture to the Parque de la Naturaleza de Cabarceno, taking in a bird of prey display and an opportunity to see many other animals, before returning to Bilbao airport for our journey home.
Our students thoroughly enjoyed their experience and have returned home with a broadened knowledge of Spain beyond the curriculum. The owner of the hotel, Paco, presented us with a book with a personalised inscription that reads: 'For Hermitage Academy, for your co-operation and your teachers who have made us remember them for their great professionalism, thank you very much'.