Whitehouse Common Primary -

Monday - el lunes - el dilluns

It's actually Tuesday in Spain as this is being written as there has not been a moment all day to post to the website!

Señorita Harper, Señora Dixon and Señora Stevens started the day with a tour of the Universitat de Barcelona and then moved on to the Parlament de Catalunya. Both buildings are beautiful and hearing about the history of them was fascinating. They enjoyed the park too as they walked through it. Most of all this morning though they enjoyed meeting (and remeeting for Señora Stevens) Ana and Miquel from the Consorci, Isabel and Carme from the Universitat, Alicia from CEIP Barrufet, John, Chris Veronica and Andrew from Dorrington and of course, Mar from Els Pins.

Lunch was eaten in a very posh restaurant and was delicious, then the travellers went with Mar to Els Pins. We had a group of 5 year olds all ready to SKype with Nursery but all sorts of technical issues meant that Nursery saw Señora Stevens and various children at Els pins but couldn't hear. All was not lost as the group waiting to SKype sang to Señorita Harper and Señora Dixon for a video for Nursery! Let's hope that Years 4 and 5 have more luck tomorrow!

Some 9 and 10 year olds showed the WCPS teachers around Els Pins and all three fell in love with a little boy called Oscar.

After school, our travellers went to explore Casa Batlló, one of the houses that Gaudí designed and decorated. What a stunning place! Tomorrow they'll continue on the Gaudí theme with a cvisit to Parc Guell and LA Pedrera.

Before a walk down the Ramblas, another visit to El Bosc de les Fades and a late dinner, Señorita Harper, Señora Dixon and Señora Stevens spent an hour or so sat on the floor of a FNAC looking for books to inspire and excite in our topics. The ones they chose certainly excited them (although getting the books home will be the next thing to consider!)

All in all a very exciting day - and the very old books and the Boqueria market haven't even been mentioned!

Last day tomorrow!

window

casa batllo stairs

group photo

group 2 president

L'Aquarium

And last in the trio of photo posts (please read Sunday part 3 for the words), from the Aquarium!

shark coral

El Bosc de Fades

More photographs - this time of a magical place!

Bosc fairy door

toadstool Bosc bar

La Sagrada Familia - some photographs

Señora Stevens has *finally* downloaded her 480 photographs and video clips so here are some ohotgraphs. They really don't do justice to the awe inspiring beauty of the place but might give you an idea.

And anyone who wants to citicise the ohotograph of Miss Harper Mr Dixon and Señora Stevens should bear in mind that Señora Stevens had to lie on the floor, set up her Gorillapod thingy then run to her place, guessing if our heads would be in the picture to take that whilst surrounded by hundreds of other people wandering around. The things teachers do for their pupils...

SAgrada familia roof of Sagrada fmilia stained glass

Sunday - el domingo - el diumenge pt 3

It's very late and still can't add any photographs as my camera (Señora Stevens) is downloading the 480 (yes really!) photographs and videos from today. However, thought you'd like an update.

Since last post, Miss Harper, Mrs Dixon and Señora Stevens have been in a fairy wood - El Bosc des Fades - which was such a great experience that they're going back tomorrow!

They've also visited the Barcelona Aquarium and saw lots of fish, sharks and other sealife.

Then they went to Tapa Tapa and ate some sealife (amongst other things!) before wandering back up Las Ramblas and collapsing in their rooms.

They're all still working now but need to go to bed so -

Goodnight - Buenas noches - Bona nit

Sunday - el domingo - el diumenge pt 2

Miss Harper, Mrs Dixon and Señora Stevens are currently having a short break after an action packed morning / afternoon of travelling around Barcelona.

They visited the Sagrada Familia this morning and were absolutely astounded by the beauty of the place. They were also very excited to discover some people dancing in the square outside - there was a band playing and the people just started dancing the typical Catalan dance, the Sardana. So excited in fact that they got off the bus they'd just boarded and ran to get some dancing on video.

After that, they had lunch and spent the rest of the afternoon seeing more sights.

Now they've had a little rest, Miss Harper, Mrs Dixon and Señora Stevens are off to find the fairy grotto that Miss Greenwood so wanted to visit in February when she was in Barcelona with Señora Stevens, and are then going to the Aquarium (hoping noone has decided to have a party today!)

Photographs will have to follow later as ALL of the cameras have flat batteries from taking so many photographs and videos!

CCBarcelona

CCBarcelona* has had its inaugral meeting in Farggi in Plaça de Catalunya.

Can you work out which of your teachers - Miss Harper, Mrs Dixon and Señora Stevens - had which cake?

cakes

*Cake Club Barcelona ;o)

Sunday - el domingo - el diumenge

Itinerary for the day

Tour of Barcelona

Visit la Sagrada Familia (lots of steps!)

El Bosc des fades

Vell Port

Aquarium

And at some point we may actually eat...

bus

Saturday - el sábado - el dissabtes

teacher on a wall

Whilst you were all having a Saturday lie in, Miss Harper and Señora Stevens were up bright and early to go shopping. Not for clothes, but for resources that can be used in our lessons at WCPS. They were very excited in several shops, especially by the tiny door to get into Imaginarium.

Then they went on a metro, a funicular train and a cable car to get to Montjuïc Castle. Señora Stevens was a bit scared on the cable car but there were wonderful views all over Barcelona.

Meanwhile, Mrs Dixon had got up early too and was on her way to Barcelona so, after Miss Harper and Señora Stevens had walked back down the very very big hill via the Olympic Stadium, the Miró museum, lots of steps and some gardens, they met Mrs Dixon back at their accommodation.

Barcelona view

They let Mrs Dixon sit down - but only for a few minutes before they were off again to investigate the Port Vell and the beach. A trip to the Aquarium was postponed until Sunday as there was a private party and they had shut half of the fish away from public view!

The day finished with dinner on a terrace overlooking the sea, underneath a sculpture of a fish. Delicious! And, after Señora Stevens' impeccable sense of direction (!) led them to the metro, they arrived at their accommodation ready for a good sleep before Sunday's adventures.

paella