Having successfully navigated the Barcelona Metro and found our hotel, we were treated to a visit to the Joan Miró Foundation of Art, containing a vast array of larger-than-life surrealist paintings and sculptures, as well as a fascinating exhibition on Miró friendship with Pablo Picasso. The next morning saw a continuation of this artistic theme as we were whisked off to the Picasso Museum, where on discovering that we were to be accompanied on our tour by a Mexican family, we decided to really push our skills and learn about Picasso in Spanish, with a few helpful clarifications from Mrs Goodbourn to aid us along the way! The rest of the day consisted of a whistle-stop tour of other key sites across the city, including a churros stop at the famous ‘4 Gats’ artists’ café, the Catalan Parliament building, iconic Barcelona beach and the Cathedral, where we enjoyed panoramic views across the city from the rooftop experience, even if we were a little tired after climbing 504 steps! Nevertheless, we still managed to squeeze in a trip to the ‘La Pedrera’ night experience before the day was done, which culminated in another fantastic rooftop view of the city, accompanied this time with a fantastic laser light show too.

The next day saw what for most of the boys became the highlight of the trip – a visit to Gaudí’s Sagrada Familia. We all knew of the work that Gaudí invested in this incredible piece of architecture prior to our visit, but seeing it in the flesh was something truly special that will stay with us for a long time, as will our trip to Park Güell that afternoon, a paradise so serene that it is easy to forget that Europe’s 5^th largest city lies just a few hundred metres below. Sampling traditional Catalan cuisine for the first time was also another fantastic experience, and the small tapas-style restaurants in Barcelona’s maze of backstreets certainly did not disappoint, as we participated in a Barcelona quiz and recounted hilarious stories of Mrs Goodbourn’s malfunctioning ticket on the Metro, to round off what was a fantastic few days experiencing all the cultural delights that Barcelona had to offer. All the boys would like to extend our thanks to Mrs Goodbourn and Mr Stingemore for giving up their time to run such a meticulously planned and jam-packed trip, that will certainly live long in the memories of all who had the pleasure of attending.