Palma is in Full Swing!

Buenos dias from the students and staff at ciee Palma de Mallorca! We're in full swing here with cultural events, classes, food, friends, and plenty of fun. Thanks for stopping by! 

On Tuesday, students met for their first day of class at Sa Riera, on the city campus of the Universitat de les Illes Balears with their biology teacher: Bea. They quickly learned that Bea's German and Spanish roots lay the foundation for high expectations in the classroom while making content fun, interactive, and directly related to their fieldwork experiences. After class, students participated in a city-wide gymkana--a Spanish scavenger hunt--in search of six different cultural and historal landmarks within the city of Palma. Each student group finished the entire hunt, with some groups taking more time than others to take in the landmarks along their route. :P

Wednesday marked the first excursion trip for the students to the small island of Cabrera, an uninhabited island about an hourlong boat ride away from the main island: Mallorca. Take a peek at the photos above this post (and video below) to see a surprise the boat's captain gave us: a trip to the "blue cave," where students jumped off the boat into some of the bluest water many of us had ever seen, with plenty of sea life to explore through their snorkeling equipment. Bea guided the trip and helped students find and identify native plants, animals, and geologic formations. Sea cucumbers, crustaceans including shrimp and crabs, native birds, tropical fish, and jellyfish (careful--they sting!) were just some of the many living creatures students experienced both in the water and on the coast. The bus ride home exposed students to some of the smaller pueblas that surround our host city of Palma. 

Today and yesterday students are back in class with Bea debriefing Wednesday's excusion and continuing their classwork in marine biology, with time to get started on their final group projects. Students also are participating in their first Spanish/Catalan classes with Maria Teresa and Sergio, their language teachers. After class, we'll be heading to the Bellver Castle, a unique castle just outside of the city center that offers a bird's eye view of the city and port. We took the public bus--a first for these students--and we expect some great photos! 

Thanks, again, for reading; keep an eye on our blog for the rest of our three weeks to get a sneak peek into all the amazing and educational experiences that these students will be taking part in... This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! 

Until next time,

Joel