Barcelona

MYP 3 & 4 were waved off by family and friends on Sunday 8th May as they began their journey to Barcelona. Our hotel was situated in Malgrat de Mar, 45 minutes from Barcelona itself but perfectly located for excursions to Girona and Montserrat, and of course the Catalan capital itself, and allowed us to explore the area to the full.

A few downpours did not deter our hardy students and they showed great perseverance during the treasure hunt in Girona on the first day. On Tuesday and Wednesday we explored Barcelona by foot and by bike, visited the Dali Museum and enjoyed the beautiful sights of Montserrat. The sun finally made an appearance on Thursday and we had a lovely day in Parc Guell, Montjuic and Camp Nou. Our last day was spent enjoying the magnificent architecture of the Sagrada Familia and other modernist architecture in the Eixample area of Barcelona. We also had time for souvenir shopping, a boat tour around the harbour and a visit to the magical fountain show on Placa Espanya. The journey back home gave our students a chance for a long nap after a week full of fun and laughter!

Tuscany

Loes Klinker (MYP5) reflects on the MYP5­DP1 trip to Tuscany:

Over seven vibrant days, thirty­seven ISB students had the opportunity to travel to and around the beautiful landscape of northern Italy. Despite some sleep deprivation after a lengthy bus trip, no one could hide their enthusiasm for the grand city of Milan where we enjoyed the delights of the Duomo di Milano, the Galleria Emanuele II and some classic Italian cuisine. We spent two days at the charming seaside location of Viareggio from where we travelled to La Spezia, visited the villages of the Cinque Terre and even had time to enjoy the beach. After this, we headed to Lucca where we biked along the ancient city walls and further explored the city. In the following days, we travelled to an abundance of breathtaking locations, such as Siena, Fattoria San Donato (an olive oil and wine farm) and Florence, visiting the Duomo, Santa Croce, Piazza Vecchio and the world famous Galleria Uffizi. Venice was the perfect end to a marvellous trip and we could not have asked for more.