The Spanish Exchange group at Austin Friars recently returned from this year's trip, where they spent time in Bilbao in the Basque Country.

The pupils were paired with local families and strengthened their understanding of Augustinian values through one of our partner schools, Colegio Urdaneta.

The sun was shining for some of their trip (cloudy and cool from Monday–Thursday but amazing high 20s at the weekend!), and the pupils took part in a host of exciting activities including surf and paddleboard lessons, a football match in the Athletic Stadium, visits to San Sebastián, a boat trip along the river, a visit to amazing caves and a wild animal rescue park, the Guggenheim Museum and more.

The group spent their final day discovering the history of the the Spanish Civil War bombing of Guernica in 1937. They visited The Peace Museum and an air raid shelter, viewed the Basque Assembly House and its iconic oak tree (the symbol of Basque democracy), and enjoyed 'chocolate con churros'.

Here are some quotes from a few of the Friars pupils:

"I would have liked to stay a bit longer."

"An experience of a life time."

"Forever memories."

"We made new friends."

"It was exciting to see how others live."

"It was fun and exciting."

"You have a Basque family you can always come to."

"We learnt new things."

"It’s been a helpful experience listening to Spanish."

"Delicious food and friends for life and the sea … beautiful."

We now look forward to next year's French Exchange!