Spain: Day 4

Today, we drove to the highest cliffs in Europe, learned to sew fishing nets with rederas (women who make nets for local fishermen), sat and chatted with kids in a local elementary school, ate a huge lunch with a bread roll the size of my head, and hiked to a small, sleepy pueblo (San Andres de Teixido). To say it was an incredible day is truly an understatement. We filled our stomachs with fresh food and our minds with fresh memories of connection with locals and each other. There are two moments from today that I want to describe, and then I will let the kids who didn’t write yesterday take a moment to talk about their impressions from today. 

 

 The first moment was standing outside of an ordinary, easily missable warehouse taking in a spectacular view: our kids split into small groups to talk to rederas on their own and learn how to sew fish nets. As I’ve said before, my favorite view as a teacher is standing on the sidelines and letting kids organically experience Spanish and culture without me there as their guide. They are learning to trust themselves and their ability to speak without me as their dictionary. 

 

 A second moment that brought me great joy was being in an elementary school classroom with eight of our students (the rest were in other groups of eight in other classrooms). They gave a presentation about Weber, answered questions from the kids about our community, and then had free time to talk with kids on their own. One of the girls discovered Stella could sing, and she asked if they could sing together. Moments later, Stella and the girl—artificially separated by age, language, and culture—stood at the front of the class and sang Bruno Mars’ “Count on Me.” The famous “oooooh” in the song was my favorite part, and I had my hands on my cheeks in disbelief that I was lucky enough to witness music in its best form: raw and together. 

 

 And now, from the kids: 

 

 Jaren- today I went to these beautiful cliffs in a rural town called Teixido. The view was beautiful and there was a lot of great places to look down at the views. After that we hiked down to the church in the town and it was very pretty. It was my favorite day so far. 

 

 Zach- today I went to learn about how fishing nets are created and to visit students at an elementary school. It was super interesting to learn about the lives of a different community. The day ended with a peaceful hike on the cliffs of Teixido. Being with my friends on the hike was super fun! 

 

 Jolie- Today has been my favorite day by far. We went to two beautiful sites: the most Northern part of the Iberian Peninsula and the cliffs of Teixido. We learned about the history and legends of both locations. They were both absolutely freezing but beyond beautiful. Being there, living in the moment with my friends was completely surreal. 

 

 Arianna- a moment that stood out to me today was during our beautiful, but hectic walk when I saw two horses on the cliffs of Teixito. It was one of the most unreal, serene things I’ve ever seen and it looked like it came out of a postcard. The only thing that made it even more special was getting to experience it with my favorite people, and my amazing sister.  

 

Kira-today was my favorite day so far. My favorite thing was going to an elementary school to talk with the kids, practice spanish, and share about our different cultures. I also loved the hike and the view even though I ate sh**.

 

 Shayna- my favorite part of today was going to the elementary school in Cariño. I talked to 2 10-year-old boys named Manuel and Christian. They were so friendly and fun to talk to. 

 

 Darren- today we went to an elementary school in Cariño, Galicia. It was very touching to teach the kids about Weber and talk to them. I learned a lot from the students and it was very fun and meaningful. (Hi mom by the way papa’s camera broke) 

 

 Daniella- Today we had the opportunity to speak with kids from a local elementary school. It was such an incredible experience talking and laughing with these children- bridging the language barrier with our shared interest in one another. Today was a perfect example of the reason we learn languages: to connect with people. 

 

 Scott- Today was the prettiest day on the trip so far. We went to a unesco nature site, which had beautiful cliffs on the ocean. We also went on a hike, and despite the light rain, there were beautiful views of the ocean and cliffs. On the busses we saw the city of san Andres de Teixido, and it looked very nice with all of the colored houses. 

 

 Rachel- today was really fun and meaningful. We started off the day meeting some women who worked at the fishnet workshop. they taught us about the craft and went through each step of making the net. We then got a chance to work on the nets. I really enjoyed this part because we not only got to weave the nets but also got to speak with the women. I spoke to her about her son and the culture of the small town we were in. She was so sweet and helped me learn how to do each step. She even gave us little sweets at the end. I am so greatful that we were able to start the day with such a fun program. 

 

 Aaron-Today was incredible. We had gone to the top of a cliff, took pictures, and hung out. The hike down was the best part because we got to bond with one another and enjoy being in the beautiful nature of Galicia. 

 

 Harry- today was the most fun day of the trip so far for me. We got to start at an Elementary school in cariño and interact with the kids there, and got to see some of the most gorgeous views I’ve ever seen. 

 

Leeya- Today we spoke to a group of women who work, creating fishing nets for the local fishermen to use. I spoke to a women named Julia and she discussed how her and her fellow coworkers work together, laughing, and just having an amazing time doing something so helpful and quite tedious, however enjoy every moment of it and even help recycle while doing it. Their amazing connection, warmth, and just willingness to share made my day. 

 

 Leah- today we saw the most amazing views. Up on the cliffs it was beautiful and you could see the whole ocean! I was so glad to have that experience. 

 

 

Today marked our last full day in Galicia, and early in the morning, we will leave and eventually rest our heads in a drastically different region of Spain: Castilla y Leon. Individual homes will fade away and wood and stone apartment communities with balconies and plazas will take center stage. It will be both exciting and sad walking down the gravel paths of Casa Louran and Casas do Grilo, rolling our luggage behind us; no doubt, some of us will drag our feet recognizing how life-giving this pocket of the world is. The roofs and walls have done more than separate us from the elements, but have also joined us together as a group. Buenas noches a todos.

 

Reflection Photos and Videos Here: