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.