Very impressed this morning – everyone down in time for breakfast! Unfortunately the rain also put in an appearance, so wet weather gear was needed. We started off with a Metro journey across Barcelona – Abi was not impressed with the way the carriage snaked around the corners like a bendy bus! Our first stop was the Poble Espanyol which is a collection of buildings in various architectural styles from all corners of Spain. The main attraction for the group was the collection of shops and restaurants housed in the buildings. The Year 11’s are facing up to the task of communicating, and the younger year groups are being brave too! The weather started to brighten up after lunch, so we continued up the hill to the Olympic Stadium. We were able to go inside and have a look at the stadium (and shelter when the rain came back). A few minutes walk further on Mr Warren took us inside the Museum of the Olympics and of Sport. We spent a good hour looking around at an incredibly varied set of exhibits – Michael Jordan’s basketball shoes, Cassius Clay’s boxing gloves, a set of skis from the 1930’s that Mr Hudson may remember using – and an impressive searchable media library of past Olympic events. Funny how all the students coped with the technology! Our own physical prowess was able to be tested in the last section – interactive technology meant we could measure our ability to jump – well done Anna-Leigh, you were definitely the best – and measure our reaction times – Mrs Vanderplank is still smiling because she beat Mr Warren! After leaving the museum we saved our legs and used the funicular railway to go back down Montjuic hill and then back onto the Metro to the other side of Barcelona to the Parc Guell. Mr Warren does like his hills! But then we wouldn’t have had such marvellous views of the Sagrada Familia and the sea when the sun finally came out. Gaudi utilised mosaics and fantastical structures to create some wonderful landscaping. A final Metro journey back to centre for dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe, rubbing shoulders with a guitar belonging to Lenny Kravitz, and a hat of Madonna’s. A little shopping and back to the hotel to rest and prepare for the next day’s plans….
