Day 6: June 26, 2025

Today is the day we say "Au revoir" to France. After intense yet delightful days in France, both in Paris and Provence, we let Juanma, our skillful and agreeable driver, take us to Barcelona. On the way we stop in Collioure, south eastern France, and we meet the Mediterranean sea for the first time. The students are so excited about the sea! Who could blame them, they do not get much of it back home. Collioure is this beautiful coastal town, embedded between the rocks and the sea, one the most scenic places you can find yourself at. Perfect spot to gaze at the horizon while sitting at the beach, enjoying the the gentle breeze, soaking on the same atmosphere that was inspired poets and artists. And that's exactly what the group did! After this relaxed stop we hopped on the coach to continue our way to Barcelona. On the way there, our group learnt that, thanks to the Schengen treaty, we in Europe can cross borders between countries without having to stop or get our documents checked. No hard borders, I don't even need my passport to move within Europe! They also learnt a few things about Barcelona and Cataluña. As a pastime, I prepared a trivia quizz with a few questions about France, of the places we visited and things we did, and it was a lot of fun and very competitive. Congrats to the winning team, who went by the name "Winners love winning". They deservedly got some Spanish nougats as a reward for winning the game. Once in Barcelona, we had amazing tapas. Tortilla de patatas, croquetas, patatas bravas, pincho de pollo, all the classics! At the end of the day, we were driven to the hotel by Juanma, who after 3 days with us finished his job, and our students were so cute, offering him a bracelet as a souvenir of the days spent together and a thanking letter signed by all. Thank you very much, muchas gracias Juanma!