I wonder if Esperanza's trip went off the night of the Train bombings in Madrid or how many 'last minute' cancellations she had.

I believe they were scheduled to arrive in Madrid this AM, less than 24-hours after those horrible attacks. Those N.Y. kids are going to get a real picture of the aftermath of some horrific events.

Our prayers are with you, Esperanza; and when you get back you can give us some first hand reports of what you saw there.

Ohmygosh. It's true. Esperanza and all those New York City kids are in Madrid! Ohmygosh. Ohmygosh. Those poor kids, having to relive some of the horrors and fears they had just 911 days earlier. That's so sad and so unfortunate.

Where's esperanza?? I'm anxious to hear how things went or are going with her and all those kids in Spain.

Saludos, MadridMan

I haven´t heard from her...not that I was expecting to... but thought maybe she might check in while here....especially in light of the attacks.

Hello everyone... I am back in New York! We arrived home yesterday. I am sorry not to have checked in while on the trip, but I was SOOOOO busy and had not one minute to get online at all.

So, here is the scoop: We were scheduled to leave on Thursday, March 11th...and everything was in place and set to go. I woke up that morning at 6am with the news of the tragedy in Madrid. What devastating and tragic news!! After 2 years of postponing this trip, I could not believe that this could happen on THE day we were scheduled to leave. I psyched myself up for school, not knowing what the principal would decide to do... and the minute I walked into school, she was there waiting to speak to me. I was thrilled that she hadn't decided to cancel, and wanted to know what I thought we should do. I already had tons of messages from the parents wondering what we were doing...so I had my morning planned out for me...Our tour company was extrememly helpful and accomodating, telling me we could change our itinerary once in Spain and not go on the AVE train from Córdoba to Madrid ( arriving at Atocha!!) as planned. We could avoid Madrid totally if we wanted to. That news and the belief that it had been ETA, helped me reassure the school and the parents that we would go as scheduled and then once in Spain we would reevaluate the situation.

So, we went on our flight as scheduled and in the end we DID go through Madrid ( by AVE into Atocha). I am SO glad we were able to follow our itinerary as planned. It was a great trip...with lots of happy memories. The students LOVED Spain ( por supuesto) and cannot wait to return.

I have lots ot tell you...but I cannot do it right now. I will try to write some more during the week. What I can say is that I feel so fortunate to have been in Spain this past week...such an historic and sad week in Spain's history...

I will try to write more soon. thanks for thinking of us...

Welcome back, Esperanza!
I'm sure many others on MM's Board were 'holding their breath,' just like me.

We took an Iberia flight…it was packed and pretty uncomfortable. The food was eatable but not too interesting. Arrival at Barajas was smooth and easy. (I knew I was in Spain with the aroma of Ducado’s in the air!) No one’s luggage got lost…thank goodness! Our tour manager was there to pick us up and bring us to Toledo…our first stop. We, the other chaperones and myself, were very concerned and interested in what was happening in Madrid and how things were going. We were assured that we would be “safe” in Toledo and that the kids would feel secure walking around the town there. Unfortunately it was drizzly and damp…but our spirits were high! We were all SO happy to finally be in Spain after 3 years in the planning! We stayed at the Carlos V in Toledo which turned out to be one of the best hotels of the trip. The location is ideal and the place was clean and comfortable. Breakfast and dinner were included in the tour and the hotel’s restaurant was quite pretty…all white with decorations on the style of the Alhambra….arches and such! The buffet breakfast was elaborate and quite satisfying…especially for the hearty teenage appetites.

We were free the first day to wander around on our own, getting a “feel” for the city. We went immediately to the Plaza de Zocodóver where the kids experienced their first “chocolate con churros”…they were THRILLED with Spain …they knew that the food would be a highlight of their adventures in Spain. Some kids had a plate of embutidos—salchichón and chorizo…they were happy. We took them all out for a long walk, stopping in San Juan de los Reyes monastery. After wandering the streets of Toledo, we were able to check in and get into our rooms. The rooms were small but nicely decorated and everyone was happy.

We kept the kids up all day…no siestas!! ..which worked out great. We were able to give them lots of free time that afternoon to “get lost in Toledo” and get back to the hotel to meet and go back to the Plaza for the “manifestación”, which they wanted to experience for themselves. It was a moving experience. It was raining, so there was a sea of umbrellas in the Plaza…some people were handing out signs which said ”Asesinos” and all in all it was peaceful…quite quiet….and filled with emotion. The next day we saw the pictures in the newspapers of the manifestaciones in Madrid….wow! that was amazing! The kids were happy to have been part of the movement in Toledo. . After dinner they were beat, so we just hung around the hotel and got to bed early. It was a powerful and moving day for these teens in Spain. We were ready to begin our real journey tomorrow.

I will continue a bit more later…

Well, the week home has flown by and I go back to classes tomorrow...so I just wanted to finish this thread up by telling you all that Toledo was a wonderful first stop and that the kids loved the ambiente of the Plaza at night... la marcha de Toledo está en la Plaza WOW! ...the first night was the demonstration...which was very moving and powerful...they were priviledged to be a part of it...and the second night it was just really crowded with lots of young people... there was no time for a "scavenger hunt" but I was glad to have that as a back up plan. Thanks Chica for all your ideas.

They loved Spain! They were surprised by all the moorish arquitecture in the south and they soaked up the culture. THe Alhambra and the Mezquita were real highlights. For me it was exhilerating to see Spain thru their eyes. They loved the food...couldn't get enough tortilla, churros y chocolate, chorizo, etc. They shopped and loved the fashion... the boys got lots of Real Madrid stuff...and the girls bought lots of accessories... They were captivated by the Prado and loved having time to explore there. They loved seeing Guernica in person after having seen posters of it in my classroom. They got a chance to put their feet in the Mediterranean while on the Costa del Sol...they took donkey rides in Mijas...the Ave train from Córdoba to Atocha was so fast and so good...and then to arrive at Atocha and see the memorial...a lasting memory for sure.

I am so happy that the trip was not postponed and that we were able to experience Spain during this historic time.

I miss it already...I am feeling very homesick for Madrid as I write this...I have to start planning our next trip!

Thanks for your post Esperanza. It´s so good to hear that the kids had a great time despite the unfortunate attacks here.

I am certain that seeing the memorial in Atocha brought back many memories of the same in NYC. I remember the first time that I saw the ad-hoc memorial in front of the site of the WTC. I was astounded and deeply moved.

Having participated in the manefestaciones here in Madrid, I can share with your students emotions as for me it was one of the most emotional experiences that I have had here.

No time to waste...time to start planning your next trip!

Here is a copy of the article I wrote for our school newspaper discussing our trip that we took in March. I thought I would share it with you all.

Mission Possible
Fieldston Students Travel to Spain

Thursday, March 11, 2004 was a memorable day for all of Spain and the entire world. On that day, Madrid experienced the worst terrorism attack in its history. More than 1,400 people were injured and almost 200 people were killed when commuter
trains heading to Madrid during rush hour were bombed. Thursday, March 11, 2004 was also a memorable day for a group of 20 Fieldston students, and their chaperones, Fieldston teachers Trevor Nightingale, José Cury, Diane Russcol, and me. On that day, we departed for Spain, a trip which I had been planning for over two years. Although we were anxious and sad about the events in Madrid, we decided to continue with our much-anticipated trip. Having the love and support of the Fieldston community, we left for the airport when school was dismissed that afternoon. We were ready to begin our adventure!
Our first day in Spain was spent in Toledo where we explored the beauty of this medieval city with its unique mingling of Jewish, Moorish, and Christian influences. We went immediately to the Plaza de Zocodóver where the kids experienced their first chocolate con churros. They knew then that the food would be a highlight of their travels. Later that day, all of Spain joined together in a peaceful demonstration and expression of unity of spirit following the terrible events of the previous day. The demonstration was a moving experience and an opportunity to witness a moment of Spanish history in the making. After our stop in Toledo, we visited Granada, Ronda, Sevilla, Córdoba, and our last stop, Madrid. The Alhambra in Granada and the Mezquita in Córdoba were real highlights.
They were captivated by the Prado Museum in Madrid. They loved seeing Picasso’s Guernica at the Reina Sofía Museum and the flamenco show in a gypsy cave in Granada. They loved the food, the fashion, and they shopped in every city. One of the highlights was the bullfight in Madrid on our last day in Spain. It was not part of our planned itinerary, yet the students decided that they wanted to experience the bullfight to be able to see the spectacle and judge for themselves what it was all about. They also got a chance to put their feet in the Mediterranean while on the Costa del Sol, take donkey rides in Mijas, and take the high speed Ave train from Córdoba to Atocha station in Madrid, seeing the memorial set up for the train victims...lasting memories for sure.