Get to know modern Spain through the complementary lenses of its two largest cities: Madrid, the stately hub, and Barcelona, the cosmopolitan port. Choose from fun, field-based seminars to improve your Spanish skills, build a photography portfolio, or learn about dynamic Spanish artists such as Goya, Dalí, and Picasso. Spend a weekend in the Pyrenées and take days trips to Segovia, Toledo, and the Mediterranean coast.
- Dates:
- July 1, 2012 - July 28, 2012
- Eligibility:
- Students completing grades 9-12
- Focus:
- Excel
- Typical Group:
- 40 Students, 7-8 Staff
- Duration:
- 4 week(s)
Overview
Spain is one of the most visited countries in the world, but the tourist’s eye rarely takes in the Spain that exists outside of the sun-soaked beaches, paella, and bullfights of popular imagination. Join us for a fun and unique insider’s engagement with this country, and broaden your horizons as you prepare for college with in-depth, field-based seminars. Whether you are an intermediate or advanced Spanish speaker looking to improve your speaking and comprehension, an intrepid explorer eager to sample new flavors in food and music, or an international art buff fascinated by the dazzling virtuosity of famous Spanish painters like El Greco and Dalí—get ready to spend your days discovering the hidden wonders of the Iberian peninsula through your exciting seminars and electives.
Photography students explore Segovia's Roman aqueduct.
Madrid: Located in the geographical center of Spain, high on the meseta beneath the backdrop of the craggy Guadarrama mountain range, Madrid has long been a social and creative hub, the nerve center that ties together Spain’s diverse regional communities. With a cultural heritage that ranges from the stately 18th century Royal Palace to what some would call its modern equivalent, Real Madrid’s Santiago Bernabeu soccer stadium, there are plenty of places to explore. At night the city is alive with tapas restaurants, the sound of guitars from flamenco tabernas, and the bright lights of theatre and movie house marquees. While here, we live in double rooms in the Colegio Mayor Chaminade, part of the Ciudad Universitaria, a short metro ride from the bustling Puerta del Sol, and the Prado, Reina Sofía, and Thyssen museums.
The Pyrenées: From Madrid, we travel by private bus to the Pyrenées and stay for two days in the miraculously preserved medieval village of Castellar de N’Hug. Castellar provides a refreshing break from city life and an abundance of opportunities to interact with local people, whether it be on the cobblestone streets, in the corner cafés, or on the town soccer field. Experienced guides lead us in a variety of activities ranging from aqua-trekking to traditional cooking and beginner-level spelunking.
Much of Spain's vernacular architecture displays a flair for the dramatic.
Barcelona: Europe’s largest city on the Mediterranean is a cosmopolitan gem. With a distinct regional character, Barcelona is known for its unique blend of pragmatism, style, flair, and civic-mindedness. Starting on the beach boardwalks of the Barceloneta, walk the narrow, lantern-lined streets of the Barrio Gótico, through the brilliant colors and riotous noises of the flower and bird kiosks on the pedestrian Ramblas. Then sit and enjoy a traditional pan amb tumaquets breakfast in front of the undulating, shimmering facade of Gaudí’s Battló House. The Picasso Museum, the recently opened Museum of Modern Art, Gaudí’s Sagrada Familia cathedral, and the Olympic Stadium in Montjuic all serve as invigorating city classrooms. As in Madrid, we stay in double rooms in a private residence hall near the center of the city.
Afternoons and weekends: Afternoon activities may include basketball at the Colegio Mayor with new Spanish friends, a trip to the Fundación Miró in Barcelona, a search for the most decadent chocolate y churros at a local chocolatería, or a frisbee game on the beach in Barcelona. The entire group gathers for a daily community meeting before dinner. After dinner, venture out again in the company of your instructors to see flamenco shows, classical guitar concerts, or movies, or enjoy your fellow students’ and leaders’ performances at an in-house coffeehouse.
Throughout the month, weekend excursions give you the opportunity to visit an even greater range of Spain’s vital historic and cultural landmarks. While day-trips vary from year to year, excursions may include marveling at the architectural wonders of Toledo and Segovia, hiking in the Sierra Guadarrama, riding on a cog railway through the Val de Nuria, and visiting the surreal Salvador Dalí’s museum in Figueres.
“Benny gained a great appreciation for the Spanish culture and people. His conversational Spanish improved enormously and he developed a love for photography. He also made many lasting friendships.”
-Phyllis and Mark Kesslen, Tenafly, NJ
Final Presentation: Finally, a culminating series of final night presentations—photography exhibits, skits performed in Spanish, readings, architectural tours and more—showcase to your fellow students the best of what you have learned in your seminars.
Highlights
- Meet Spanish students as you complete a cross-cultural scavenger hunt in Segovia.
- Attend a gallery opening during Madrid’s month-long FotoEspana photography gala.
- Go aqua-trekking in the rivers surrounding the medieval village of Castellar de N’Hug.
- Ride an aerial cable car to the secluded mountainside monastery of Montserrat.
- Workshop a Gaudí-inspired short story at a sidewalk café in Barcelona’s Born district.
What to Expect
You should come to the program with an open mind, excited about new experiences, and prepared to think critically and creatively while engaging in thoughtful discussion during your seminars. You should be enthusiastic about participating fully in a schedule packed with intellectual and physical activity, and be willing to challenge yourself to make the most of your time in Spain. Most of the day is filled with structured activities, but there are some opportunities to explore your surroundings and make your own discoveries. We expect you to behave in a mature and productive way at all times. Rules prohibiting drug, alcohol, and tobacco use, setting curfew times, and providing a safe and structured environment are in place, and are enforced.
At Putney we take pride in our reputation for careful, thorough planning and attention to detail. The descriptions of our programs are based on our experiences in previous summers and our plans for this summer. It is inevitable that some things described here will not happen exactly as presented. To get the most out of the Putney experience, participants need to be flexible in responding to unforeseen situations, and creative in taking advantage of unexpected opportunities. We expect Putney participants to share responsibility for the success of their experience.
Fees
Tuition: $7,990
* Indicates a course in which students are required to speak Spanish.
Itinerary
Click here to read last year’s program blog.
This program begins and ends at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, New York (group flight participants) or begins in Madrid and ends in Barcelona (non-group flight participants).
Departure • July 1. Join your group as we begin the Excel Madrid/Barcelona program. The group flight departs from JFK Airport where you meet with an Excel flight escort who accompanies you on the journey to Madrid.
Madrid • Spend two weeks living in Spain’s capital, near the Complutense University campus in a comfortable private student residence. Get to know Madrid through your field-based seminars and many afternoon and evening cultural activities. Take day trips to nearby Segovia and Toledo, and practice your Spanish with everyone you meet!
Pyrenees • Travel by private bus to the small medieval village of Castellar de N’Hug, high in the Pyrenees. For two days, experience life in a small town. Try your hand at a variety of activities, such as aqua-trekking, beginning-level spelunking, Catalan cooking classes, or playing in a soccer tournament with local students.
Students play a game of fútbol on the waters of the Mediterranean in Barcelona.
Barcelona • Descend from the mountains to embrace the bright lights and cosmopolitan bustle of Barcelona. For eleven days, explore Gaudí’s Modernist masterpieces, the cobblestone streets of the Gothic Quarter, and the beach boardwalks of this beautiful port city. Excursions to the monastery of Montserrat, the Dalí museum in Figueras, and smaller coastal towns help you uncover even more facets of this vibrant county.
Return • July 28. Fly with an Excel flight escort from Barcelona to JFK and continue to your final destination on a connecting flight.
“Sky (the director) and the rest of the staff were very eager to listen to our ideas, and do anything they could to make our experience better. I enjoyed the fact that we were not just sitting in classrooms learning, but were able to go out and explore the city, while learning and practicing. It was an honor to be able to learn from such amazing people.”
- Jessica Chasan, Plainview-Old Beth Page John F. Kennedy HS, Plainview, NY
This itinerary represents our best projection of the group’s schedule. However, we may implement changes designed to improve the quality of the program.
Destination
Background • Spain conjures up images of whitewashed villages, passionate flamenco dancers accompanied by lively guitar music, bullfights, and the clear blue waters of the Mediterranean. While this vision still holds true, it is just one perspective on a country surprisingly diverse in customs, architecture, cuisine, and even language. Visigoth, Celtic, Roman, and Moorish influences coexist and commingle to form a culture that encompasses the Alhambra in Granada, Frank Gehry’s Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, and Gaudí’s Sagrada Familia cathedral in Barcelona. Come find your inspiration in the unique combination of tradition and modernity that fostered past artistic giants Cervantes, Goya, Picasso, Dalí, and Gaudí, and has given rise to a new generation of talent such as Placido Domingo, Penelope Crúz, and Pedro Almodóvar.
Gaudí's Sagrada Familia Cathedral is a soaring work in progress.
Population • By European standards, Madrid is a relatively young city, having become home to Spain’s imperial court only a little more than 450 years ago. It has since grownfrom 25,000 inhabitants to the present day total of almost 3 million. Barcelona, at 1.5 million, is a bit smaller but markedly more cosmopolitan, wearing its reputation for being Spain’s “Gateway to Europe” as a badge of considerable honor.
Language • Castillian Spanish uses the second person plural vosotros form (as opposed to much of Latin America, which uses the more formal ustedes). Spaniards, on the whole, appreciate any attempts to speak the language and will gladly help you out with vocabulary and grammar. During your time in Barcelona, in addition to Spanish, you will also see and hear a good deal of Catalan, a related Romance language spoken in Catalunya and the Southern French Pyrenees region.
“The staff were amazing! They put so much effort into making this program fun and enjoyable for us students and I really appreciate that. They were outgoing, easy to connect with, and I enjoyed hanging out with them outside of the class setting during evening activities because of the great conversations we had.”
- Jade Talyor, George Mason High School, Falls Church, VA
Climate • The rain in Spain falls mainly…at other times. The term “sun-drenched” is no overstatement when it comes to Madrid and Barcelona in July. Temperatures can get up to the high 80′s/low 90′s during the day and rarely fall below 65 degrees at night. Madrid’s location on the high central plateau makes for a dry heat, whereas Barcelona is slightly cooler but more humid. Fortunately, Spanish architecture and the Spanish style of life are well adapted to the climate, with the traditional afternoon siesta falling during the hottest hours of the day, and a vibrant civic nightlife after the sun goes down.
Cuisine • Spain’s cuisine has gained well-deserved international recognition over the past decades, due to a proliferation of tapas-style restaurants and celebrity chefs such as Ferran Adrià. With an emphasis on high-quality simple ingredients, such as rice, olive oil, fresh seafood, manchego cheese, and delicious dry-cured jamon serrano, Spain accommodates a range of tastes – from the adventurous to those who prefer plainer fare. Sample some of the best olives you have ever tasted, or try the many variations of the potato and egg tortilla española. Given the urban setting of the Excel Madrid/Barcelona program, vegetarians, vegans, and others with dietary restrictions will have little difficulty finding plenty of great food to eat.
Spanish markets often have an impressive array of cured meats and cheeses.
Currency • Spain’s currency is the Euro. Banks are readily available for exchanging money or traveler’s checks, and ATM machines are plentiful.
Voltage • Spain uses 230V/50Hz current and type C plugs (two round pins). You should bring a universal plug adapter, and may need a voltage converter to run some US electronics.
The Excel Madrid/Barcelona program is directed by Patrick Noyes. If you have questions, are interested in receiving more detailed information, or would like to talk further about the program, please get in touch!
Patrick Noyes
Patrick Noyes: Georgetown University, B.A., Spanish. After living for five years in Spain, Patrick joined Putney ten years ago as leader of a Spain Language Learning program. He spent five summers with Excel in Spain, and has directed Excel at Amherst College, Excel China, and Excel Spain. Patrick oversees leader hiring, and has an unhealthy fascination with technology, which he tries to balance with healthier fascinations of camping, architecture, and arthouse Spanish Cinema.
How To Apply
Step 1: Log On.
If you are new to Putney Student Travel, visit our Online Application.
If you are a Putney Student Travel alumni family, use your existing account information to Log In.
Step 2: Hold A Space In The Program.
You can hold a space in a program by completing the Online Application Form and providing the $700 Application Deposit by Mastercard, Visa, or Discover Card through our secure online system or by sending a check to our office. Our admissions staff is also available to take credit card information over the phone. We will hold a space in a program for a reasonable time, pending completion of the full application process. See Step 3.
After March 15, to hold a space in a program an application must be accompanied by full payment made by check or wire transfer and the signed Agreement Form.
Step 3: Complete the Application Process.
Before we can make a final admissions decision, an application must be complete. In addition to the Application Form and Application Deposit described above, a complete application includes:
- Applicant Statement
- Two Teacher References
- Signed Agreement Form
These documents are available as part of our Online Application. We review a completed application within a few days, and notify families of our admissions decision by e-mail.
For a full description of eligibility, admissions policies, and terms of payment, please visit our Terms & Conditions.
