QAHS partnered with our sister campus QACI (Creative Industries) for the lifetime opportunity to live and study in Spain for four weeks November-December 2024. Highlight walking tours in Madrid with students independently ordering their Spanish tapas during the first week, was followed by three weeks in Granada living with a Spanish family and engaging in a daily Lingua School language program. Granada, located in the south of Spain, is known as one of Europe's most charming cities and is home to 233 000 people. It is nestled in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains with Alhambra, the famous Moorish palace and fortress overseeing the township.
Immersion in the rich Spanish culture and the family bonds formed by students with their homestay families will remain lifelong memories as students take their language and culture learnings into their final year of Spanish language studies in the IB Diploma Programme.
QAHS share their special memories.
Daehan: For me, the Spain Study tour was more than just an opportunity to learn more about the language in a different country. Physically experiencing the bustling neighbourhoods, the lively culture, and the gothic architecture was one thing, but being part of a Spanish family was another. Cathy was like a second mother to me who made sure I started and ended the day with a smile. She would always wave goodbye at the doorstep when I left for school, and made sure I never went hungry, packing me several Jámon Iberico sandwiches for the day. Even though it was difficult to communicate with her when we first met, this language barrier quickly became a way in which we would strive to connect and understand each other. Every day I returned from school, we would watch Spanish TV or Netflix together, because she loved movies. My personal favourite was a reality show named 'Reaccion en Cadena,' where contestants would be given two words which relate to each other and a blank word with a single letter, and the objective is to guess the word. As the show played on TV, Cathy and I would be constantly discussing what this letter could potentially be. As Cathy was a professional guessing the word correctly and I was an amateur making up Spanish words to fill-in the blank, we found ourselves constantly laughing and creating unforgettable memories that we still talk about to this day over WhatsApp. When it was time to say goodbye, it really seemed 4 weeks wasn't enough. I think this was what made the Spain Tour so special.
Morgan: My personal favourite part of our Study Tour in Spain was the day trip to Seville, two and a half hours west of Granada. The renaissance and gothic styles of architecture scattered throughout the city complimented by the lively culture amongst it was incredible. We spent our lunch eating sandwiches with jamon de iberico and watching a woman dance the flamenco in front of a fountain. To end our day, we visited the Plaza de Espana just as the sun was setting - a memory I will never forget. There were many horses going past pulling carriages of people across the plaza, a reflection of Seville's history, with horses as a central part of their culture and economy. At the fringes of the plaza, each Spanish province has a tiled alcove dedicated to their individual history and culture. This day definitely highlighted the strength in identity that the Spanish culture was built on, making it a lovely experience.
Sophie: Despite long months of anticipation, the Spain Study Tour far surpassed all my expectations. It was quickly made clear that our understanding of Spanish culture and traditions from class was incomparable to the multitude of experiences and learnings we underwent during our immersion. Everyday excited us with an opportunity for new experiences! From 9am-12pm, we had language school with my favourite teacher, Encarní, who only spoke in Spanish. To my surprise, our classes was one of my highlights of the trips as we laughed and challenged ourselves with imaginative games such as giving each other tarot card readings or lively debates about whether climate change is real. After school, we typically went home for a quick siesta or explored the cafes and shops in the central plaza. In the afternoon, we adventured neighbouring towns and tried new things like churros con chocolate, watching the flamenco and relishing in the Christmas festivities. Whilst I of course love and missed my mother’s home cooking, I could not complain as my homestay mother María had introduced me to the whole new world of traditional ‘abuela’ dishes such as migas, paellas, lentejas and san jacobo snitzels – hearty meals, perfect for the cold winter days! Despite every moment being exhilarating and unforgettable, my favourite night was without a doubt our very last night in Madrid. Thanks to Ms Rebgetz’s find for our last dinner, we found ourselves dancing and singing all night at La Castafiore, a restaurant that offers a 4-course meal with lively operatic arias & zarzuelas. Here, our waiters left us in awe as they sang classic opera melodies and also our stomachs hurting from laughing – we even sang the Australian Anthem to the other Spaniards! It truly was the people, from Juan and Angel (our personal tour guides), our homestay families and Granada locals, which made my trip an unforgettable one.
Zia: The Spain trip was definitely a core memory for me and the overflow of photos in my phone storage can prove it. On the second flight, Dubai to Madrid, my Spanish speaking journey had already started. I was seated next to a friendly Spanish couple who practiced Spanish with me throughout the 9-hour flight. They even asked all the flight attendants to speak to me in Spanish! It was a great start to the trip, and it was only going to get better. In Granada- a town whose name means “pomegranate”- I lived with a lady called Olga and her daughter, Luna. They were such a lovely family to live with, considerate, and always made me feel at home. I happily recall nights where I stayed up with Olga watching movies and TV shows in full Spanish. She always laughed when she saw me pull out a notebook to write down any new vocab I heard and made delicious meals for me every day. She even taught me to make “Tortilla de patatas” a sort of omelette with sliced potatoes in it. Although I only lived there for three weeks, it felt like I had been there for my whole life! Especially being nicknamed hija (daughter) by her, Olga was like a second mum to me who I stay in contact with even to this day. When I wasn’t with my family, I was spending time with the other amazing tour students. Together, we explored the Arabic markets embedded throughout town, did karaoke on the bus, and shared many meals together. Beyond the gorgeous sights of Spain, what truly made this trip special were the people- the kindness of my host family, time spent with new friends, and a newfound confidence in speaking Spanish. Even now, as I scroll through my countless photos, Spain still feels like a distant dream that ended too soon.
Liyu: The Spain trip was truly unforgettable and one of the best experiences of my life. From the moment I arrived in Granada, I was immersed into the bright, vibrant architecture, culture and of course, the delicious food. I particularly enjoyed the taste of the fresh churros with chocolate in a cozy cafe with my friends and host family, or watching the flamenco dance. The name Granada means "pomegranate" in Spanish, and it was so fun to spot all the pomegranate designs we came across—from street poles to intricate patterns in the street designs. It felt like a little treasure hunt, adding to the charm and uniqueness of the city.
I think the most memorable part of my stay in Spain was spending time with my host family. In Granada, I stayed with a family of 3 and their adorable dog - David, Maica and their son Darrio and Lilo. Time to time their daughter, Sophie, would also visit and we would all spent quality time talking about trivial things like movies, sports or what it's like in Australia. During the weekends, they took me to see their far relatives, which also enhanced my immersion in Spain as I visited multiple homes and traditions.
My host family was the most welcoming and friendly group of people I've ever met. Although the language barrier was a challenge at first, they were incredibly patient, and it quickly became a fun way for us to bond. When they taught me Spanish, they also asked me to teach me some words in English, making our conversations enjoyable as we tried to guess what each other was saying.
After school ended, my friends and I would sometimes explore the city, buying hot Castañas (chestnuts) on the streets or picking warm clothes and pomegranate jewellery. But most days, we took siestas (naps) right before Maica made delicious lunch for all of us to enjoy. As for food, I definitely lucked out, especially because Darrio and Sophie were extremely talented cooks, and every meal felt like a treat. Saying goodbye was unexpectedly harder than I expected; I had felt so comfortable and welcomed there that it felt like my second home. 
Beyond just learning about the language, the trip taught me so much about Spanish history, traditions and the people. Every moment was so excited and unreal – from the rigorous hikes up to the stunning Alhambra to just walking through the bustling plazas. I still scroll through my phone time to time, excited to share my trip with anyone that will listen.
Vanessa Rebgetz
Principal
Spain Study Tour 2024 Coordinator and Supervisor