Spain & France 2009
April 6, 2009 "Right now I am very excited. Before I left I couldn't wait until we arrived. I'm a little nervous for the flight but I know everything will be okay." -Louis Acero
"I’m pretty excited, but this 12-hour plane ride is going to kill me. But other than that I can’t wait to get to France. Wee wee." -Louis Ramirez
"I’m excited to land and meet all the new French people, but the 12 hour plane flight is too long." -Eric Fuentes
Thank you Mr. McKendrick, it's wonderful to get some news!
I appreciate your strict guidelines in maintaining our children safe and involved with learning about Paris. Have fun and take care!
Sincerely, Jesus Tapia's mother
"Right now, I am extremely excited! I have never been on a plane this long! But I did bring my food and I can’t wait to experience this once in a lifetime opportunity. Wish me luck." -Crystal Fuentes
Thanks so much for the update. I just talked to Samantha and Amanda as they were eating dinner and told me you were all going to hop the train to Barcelona. They sound like they are having the time of their lives :) Have a safe trip to Barcelona and thanks for taking great care of our children. Lupe Granados
This trip was a lot to take in, a lot to plan and a lot to promote. I would like to thank all those who made this possible starting with our site administration, parents and teachers. Many have asked us (my wife and I) where our children were while we were in Europe. They were with my wife’s family for 11 days and we could not have been at peace without them being in good hands. It goes without saying that this vacation fulfilled a lot of our dreams and aspirations. It has opened our awareness to other cultures, languages, geography and customs.
-Mr. McKendrick
Fue un viaje muy bonito, en donde conocí y agredí mucho de la historia de Paris, Barcelona y Madrid, así como su historia, su alimentación cultura y algunas costumbres fue muy fascinante descubrir además de todo esto la gran importancia del idioma. Agradezco a todos Uds. Maestros y alumnos por aceptarme en su grupo y fue muy enriquecedor para mi además de todo esto porque me vi en lo forzada necesidad de hablar y escuchar el ingles; gracias por todo, me la pase muy bien y los felicito a Vd. Mr. McKendrick and Ms. Rojas por su excelente organización y apoyo a sus alumnos.
P.D. Agradezco a su familia que fue muy amable conmigo y dieron gran apoyo al grupo.
Gracias,
Mayra Sánchez
"Remember on the bus ride to Zaragoza when we were napping and suddenly Ephrain gets on the microphone and starts talking about anything and everything. My favorite part of the trip was when we got back on the bus after a bathroom break and passed the microphone around to (almost) everybody to share what he or she felt about the trip. I wish I had recorded that talk session. It was great. I’m glad we had time for that. Remember that one night we were in Barcelona and there was a senior dance and no one understood the sign? Most of our group just heard music and went right to the dance floor. We were dancing for hours with Senior citizens while they taught us some line and ballroom dances."
-Mr. McKendrick
Thank you so much Mr. McKendrick for your unwaivering dedication and comittment to our children. This was truly an unforgetable excperience for Louis (Ramirez) and I am so thankful to God that we were able to make this dream a reality for Louis.
Because of you, my son's life has been truly enriched!
Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Rosemary Gutierrez
"I’m very nervous!! Never been on an airplane this long. But I’m sure I’ll have fun." -Monica Gonzales
"I can’t believe the time is here. I feel like i have been waiting for so long. France and Spain here we come!" -Amanda Granados
Mr. McKendrick,
Thank you again for making this happen. I am sure the kids will remember this trip for the rest of their lives. Thank you again. I hope you enjoyed it as much as the kids.
Sincerely,
Tony Thompson
"Hi, I’m very excited and anxious that I’m going to France and Spain. I never thought it would happen. I hope i will enjoy every minute of this trip."
-Yvonne Gonzales
I remember that first night in Barcelona when the boys went running out to the beach to see the sunset. When they got back Mr. McKendrick’s dad reminded them that they would probably have a better view from Portugal. Do you remember the flight (not fight, well almost) up to the top of the Eiffel tower? The first day we were rushing to make it up in time before the sunset only to find out that the security guards had gone on strike and nobody was going up. The next day, we made a second attempt and it was complete madness. Everyone else in the world must have been on their Spring Break because keeping our group of 35 together was complete insanity. We quickly made some enemies from our friendly British and Spanish encounters who felt we were not abiding by international line laws. Speaking of which, do you guys remember the “British Bulldog” guy who was being a bully to our students? The last image I have of him is the face he wore when we sailed away from the dock while he was held back to wait for the next boat. I think one thing we learned was how protected we are even though we live in a “free” country do to our laws that are both strict and enforced. I know a lot of us could not believe the amount of smokers and smoke in the air! The personal space in the metros, cafes, & restaurants was very limited. I don't think Americans can deal with such limited space!
-Mr. McKendrick
"I never thought this day would come. We’re going to Spain and France!!! Can’t wait 'til we get there!!! " -Alfredo Folgar
Well……let’s party in France. -Samantha Granados
"We're on the freakin' plane on the way to freakin' France!! Let's bond and cuddle!" lol -Alexis Garcia
A MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENT WE WITNESSED!
PARIS AT NIGHT
"Remember the Flamenco dance in Barcelona? Remember the Flamenco lessons we took in Madrid? Remember the night train we took from Paris to Barcelona? I thought the boys were going to get left behind so we literally started throwing them out of bed and their stuff out of the train. Remember how Jesus and Dahlia were freaking out about the camera they left behind only to find out that it wasn’t on the train? Then there was the lady with the hugest ‘fro ever that we saw across the street while waiting to eat dinner. Remember the first tour in Paris? It was raining and we saw a motorcycle driver slip and fall off his bike right in front of us. Remember the street dancer who went up to Diadrah and told her he loved her? I decided to intervene and gave him a hug. He needed to feel loved." -Mr. McKendrick
Hello Mr. McKendrick,
The trip to Spain and France was so successful this year that I thought I would check in to see if you will be leading another trip to Europe next spring break. (Italy? Germany and the Netherlands?) I am hoping Charles can go this time.
There is a good chance I would be able to make a financial contribution in January, or maybe make it possible for all the kids this time to go to a great Italian or Dutch restaurant (I know superb Dutch restaurant in Amsterdam).
Are any other teachers leading a trip during Spring Break?
Kind regards,
Tony Thompson
THE PARIS STREETS AT NIGHT ON THE WAY TO THE "SACRE COEUR" BASILICA!
"What I'm really excited about is going to Paris, the fashion city. I plan on buying something for my dance partner John and chocolate for him and I. I’m a world traveler but I never expected France and Spain would be my next destination. Who I really wanted to go with me is my boyfriend Miguel who I'm missing already. This spring break is going to be a dream come true and if it’s really great I would love to go to Paris for my honeymoon."
-Francesca Thompson
THE ETERNAL FLAME MARKING THE TUNNEL WHERE PRINCESS DIANA PASSED AWAY IN A TRAGIC CAR ACCIDENT IN 1997.
"What can I say? I love Paris. I'm really happy to be in a place where most of my family hasn’t been. This was my first time on a plane. I was ok!! I love the food. This was one of my dreams “to go to Europe” and it came true. If I were to choose a place to live, Paris is my place." -Melyna Soriano
PINEAPPLE AND CINNEMON "FLAM'S"
"Well what can I say, this trip has been an experience I will never forget. I was able to travel Europe with all of my friends and people who I love and let's face it, who gets that opportunity? Well Europe was an interesting experience on our first trip to see the amazing Eiffle Tower I was flipped off by a gypsy because I would not give her money lol. Not only did that make my stay interesting but also my roomates who I have now created an unbreakable bond with. Though Diadrah might be breakable because of all the times has tripped throughout Europe." -Amanda Pimentel
THE HALL OF MIRRORS
April 8: "TODAY IS TEA DAY"
"Why is that? I had so many cups of tea today while I was waiting for the group. Im a tea drinker so it doesn’t matter. I had 3 cups for breakfast. I had 1 tea not for lunch. When the group was writing Versailles I sat in a café and had another tea pot (and did some work). While the group had free time in the latin quarter, I sat in another café and had another GIANT cup of tea (and did some work). I had maybe half a gallon of tea today. That is what I do when the group is writing." -Nathalie (tour director)
"On my trip to France and Spain I learned that Europe is really awesome and going on this it was a life experience. The food was so good the candy was good. The people were mean, some were nice I met a lot of new friends, I went on a train for the first time. I will always miss Paris, that city was the most beautiful city I've been to and one day I will come back! Spain had the best culture and the landscapes are beautiful and the ocean was blue and cold. This trip was something I will never forget!!!" -Efrain
LUNCH IN VERSAILLESPARK GUELL IN BARCELONA
April 13
"This whole trip has been amazing and an awesome opportunity. I had to go to Spain and France. I have been traveling a lot over the past two years from Italy and France, England and now Spain and France. I'm not a Spanish speaker but I tried and I can’t believe it but I understood what they were saying. This diversity is amazing from what they celebrate to what they speak. In Paris I had an opportunity to eat at this great restaurant with three other students and I knew what kind of food I was getting myself into because I had French food before. But who I was scared for was three other students because they never had French food before, but in the end we had a fantastic time with a 20 course meal which took 3 hours and 30 minutes. I went from eating a great meal to eating still good food but nothing could top that restaurant. The person I want to thank is Tony Thompson who is my dad. I always wanted to see the Eiffel Tower and I was bumbed that we couldn’t go at night but we did get to go up the next day and it was amazing. What was funny is that we had to squeeze on a little elevator and couldn’t breathe but it was all worth it. Spain has been amazing but I wish I had more time in Barcelona and Madrid but I hope I come back. Thank you Mr. McKendrick for telling us about the trip." -Francesca Thompson.
CHOCOLATE CHIP FLAMS IN PARIS
PARK GUELL IN BARCA CREATED BY GAUDI.
WAITING FOR THE TRAIN RIDE FROM PARIS TO BARCELONA!
"No time to waste, this trip has been an unforgettable experience I would have ever imagined coming to Spain and France with a broken ankle and crutches. But the whole view and beauty made me more motivated to not give up. When I broke my ankle I thought about the Spain trip, my family insisted me not to come cause I wouldn’t handle touring around with crutches, but I thought to myself, "when would I get another opportunity like this to travel across the world?" I still don’t regret coming to Spain and France with a broken ankle. The first day in France was a pain but when I saw how beautiful the country is I just motivated myself to suck up all the pain I felt. All the people were very helpful. My friends were very helpful. Metros are the best!!! When you get lost you know what that means, more stairs. All the soreness and pain I felt crutching around Spain and France was worth it. All the excitement of this trip was the best feeling ever--crippled or not crippled. I’m thankful for Barcelona being wheel chair friendly, thanks all the teachers and students for helping me out cause I wasn’t able to do much. This trip was worth every penny." -Vivian Torres
YUMMY CREPES IN PARIS!THE NOTRE DAME CATHEDRAL IN PARIS
"There is so much to say…I have no idea how I will be able to fit it all. I’m really glad I kept a journal. My favorite place was definitely Paris. I loved the metro as well as the architecture. The culture in both Spain and France is apparent in everything around. I learned a lot of stuff and visited places that I could only ever dream of going to. I am so fortunate to have been able to go on this trip and as much as I missed everyone, I didn’t even have time to be upset because of all the activities I got to do. Not only did I learn a lot about history, art, architecture, and culture; I also learned many things about myself. I really cannot imagine not traveling again. It is something I want to do for the rest of my life. Now I am just really excited to go home and tell my friends, family, and aquaintences. I will miss everything here, but I feel as though I couldn’t have asked for a better experience. I am so thankful to my family and I love and miss them all." -Lauren Osmonson
OUR GROUPS AT NIGHT AT THE BASE OF THE EIFFEL TOWER IN PARIS.
"We just got back on the bus and are leaving Zaragoza. So far this trip has been really amazing. I am very grateful for the fact that I was able to speak both French and Spanish. Speaking their language shows respect for the culture and the people. I remember when I first heard about this trip I was so excited but apprehensive about going. Primarily because I didn’t think my mom would allow me to go but I am so happy to be here in Europe. It doesn’t feel like I’m too far away from home but I stop and realize there is a whole ocean dividing the two lands. So far, I had the most fun in Barcelona or Calella. I love the atmosphere here, how everything is laid back and friendly. Don’t get me wrong, there are really nice people in Paris, like this liquor store guy around the corner from our hotel in Paris. He was polite and funny, but then kind of odd. Funny story: Carol, Grace, Alejandra, and I go to the liquor store one night because we were craving goodies. So we go and start talking to the man behind the counter and he speaks to us about Obama, Bush, and Palin. He said he likes Sarah Palin because she has a big chest. Then we continue our conversation and right before I walk out of the store, he says, “Bye Sarah Pallin” Then Carol goes to tell him that I’m only seventeen. But I really like it here. I am homesick; I miss all of my family and just being able to sleep in. But I really won’t be home until Saturday because right when I get home (the very next day) I have to get on another plane to visit a university, which I’m also really excited about. For everyone that went on the trip: Thank you for coming. This trip would not have been the same without you. I hope we keep in contact. (really mean it) We’ve all had our good days and bad days like when my room woke up late the second day in Paris or when I momentarily got lost on the Paris metro. Even when Alex attempted to plug in her hair straightener and killed our electricity Or those days when the night before we had too little sleep and were just grouchy the next day. But there were definitely better times like the dance, the beach, and our apartment style room. And in the end all those bad embarrassing moments turned into really funny stories to tell. I love being here." -Karina Luna
OUR GROUP OUTSIDE THE MUSEE d'ORSAY IN PARIS
"When I arrived in Paris I did not know what to expect. I was very surprised by our hotel in Paris. It was very small but then, I realized how fun this would be. We were definitely not in California anymore. The food in Paris was interesting, but I thought it was a good experience. I can’t complain at all. I loved the garden in Versailles. It was huge and beautiful. I could not get my head around the fact that Marie Antoniette once walked these halls. The Eiffel Tower was so grand and beautiful. I feel so privileged that our group went to the very top. The view was like nothing I had ever seen before. I was very sad to leave Paris, but looking forward to Spain. The first day in Barcelona was fun. Our hotel was in a perfect spot. I was very tired though. It was interesting to experience the differences between both countries. So far this trip has been a major highlight of my life. I thank my parents so much for letting my sister and I go. It was a big deal for both of them and I appreciate this very much." -Amanda Granados
YUMMY "HELADO" IN CALELLA (NEAR BARCELONA)
KARINA AND ALEXANDRA SNUGGLING IN THE METRO!
"So far this trip has been great! It is cool going half way across the world with a random group of people and getting to travel and get close to them. My favorite place was the Eiffel Tower. It was a long way to the top but it was worth it. Its crazy how it is built with just iron. The hotels were also fun. It was cool staying 2 min away from the beach. This trip was definitely worth it."
-Eric Fuentes
OUR WHEELCHAIR TEAM (GO VIVIAN, MELANIE, & JASMINE!)
OUR GROUP IN THE PARK GUELL DURING OUR FIRST DAY IN BARCELONA!
ALEXIS AND LIZ HAVING BREAKFAST IN OUR HOTEL VILA (CALELLA, SPAIN)!
"Well what can I say, this trip has been an experience I will never forget. I was able to travel Europe with all of my friends. This trip has been beyond awesome, but I can’t write because the bus is shaking too much! But I love this trip…"
P.S. I can’t express on this piece of paper how awesome this trip was!
-Louis Ramirez
"These past 10 days have been pretty much close to perfection. I never imagined traveling to Spain and France. Not only have I learned so much on this trip but I have met and talked to some amazing people along the way. There is so much I won’t forget. From having the longest plane ride ever to having the smallest hotel room ever! The experience alone has been more than I could ever ask for. All the memories will never be forgotten, like the Suduko parties in Paris with Lauren, Alejandra and Lauren, to wandering the streets of Barcelona in the pouring rain with Alex, Grace, Lauren and Karina. Ha! (in sandals!) All in all, this trip has been the most amazing experience. I love every person who went on the trip and hope we all really do keep in touch. I’d like to give a big thanks to the McKendricks and all of the teachers and parents involved." -Diadrah Lovell
"As a whole this trip has been far the best experience I have ever had. How many people get to fly to Europe and visit Paris and France? Not many. At our stop to Paris we had so much places to visit and I was so excited. Although on this trip my friend Melanie and I had to help our friend Vivian who is on crutches. It was a bit difficult carrying the wheelchair down millions of stairs and pushing her through bumpy roads but in the end she was a trooper, and that’s what friends are for. It was awesome to glace at the Palace of Versailles and reach the top of the Eiffel tower. As for Spain, that country is very cultural and the food is to die for especially the gelato. Also on my visit to Spain I got to go to a flamenco show, the dancers are amazing, now I want to learn how to dance flamenco. Over all you never know what are these types of trips might bring. I'll probably be taking flamenco lessons soon. In addition, you get to meet so many people. I’m so grateful to Mr. McKendrick, his wife, parents and Ms. Rojas for organizing this trip. It’s a chance in one lifetime and I had a fantastic time." -Jazmine Rodriguez
hey mckendrick
well i just wanted to show u this video becuase its so awsome to see that ive been here lol
-melyna
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZf2W3S7gV0
April 15, 2009
We have just landed and I'm so glad after all those roller coaster movements. I finally get to see my family, even though I do miss France and Spain a lot. I had a great time; I even got to go to a Spanish Easter church. And yeah, no more French bread or pick pcketers! I was glad I got to meet all new people like Peter, Sam [McKendrick], Sam [Granados] and Amanda Granados. I want to wish all the 2009 class good luck in college and see you at school on Thursday.
-April Lopez
April 15, 2009
"We’re on the plane and we’re less than an hour away from landing home and I can’t believe how fast these past 10 days have gone by. It’s crazy because tomorrow when I’m at school I can say oh I was just in Spain yesterday. Coming on this trip I had no idea what to expect but what I experienced was amazing. Walking the streets of Barcelona to fighting my way up the Eiffel Tower, everything seems so surreal. As much as I’m excited to get back home the memories I created with everyone and all our little adventures will be missed. I’ve made new friends and gotten closer to old friends too and as a group as a whole I just think it’s so incredible because we’ll always share this bond, this connection that none of us will ever forget. And if one person weren’t here then everything would be completely different. I’ll never forget all the rides on the Metro with Diadrah, Lauren, Karina and Alex and me shuffling and refusing to sit down-I will never forget every little detail. I’m really grateful to the McKendrick’s and Ms. Rojas for giving me this experience." -Grace Schaefer
Mr. McKendrick:
Beautiful work and thank you for going beyond "the call of duty" as a teacher. I know we have not talked in person in reference to what happened in Paris with Jesus, but I am very appreciative that you kept us informed. I must confess it was hard to read the message knowing my son was soooo far away, but I'm glad he returned safe and in good health.
We would like to donate the $10.00 to next year's trip, even if Jesus does not participate.
Respectfully,
Maria Tapia-Montes
LA SAGRADA FAMILIA, BARCELONA
awww i loveee that page!!!!! thanks so much for rewriting everything everyone wrote.. i bet it must have take FOREVER especially the long passages people wrote.. like me haha -Karina Luna
thanks again! and say hi to Carol for me :]