magazine

Meteors on the Move
Vive La France! Viva Espana!
In the summer of 2015, 28 students and five chaperones from De La Salle
enjoyed the experience of a lifetime as they traveled to France and Spain as
part of the Explorica Educational Tour program.
The Meteors began their excursion in Madrid, Spain where they visited
Parque El Retiro, the Reina Sofia (Pablo Picasso Museum) and the home
stadium of the Real Madrid soccer club (Estadio Santiago Bernabeu) among
other destinations.
Another of the Meteors’
experiences in Madrid
was an enjoyable
evening of Flamenco
dancing. Not only did
the students watch the
professional dancers,
they also participated
in the historic form of
dancing.
Sixto Avila ’16 participates in a Flamenco
dance during a dinner in Madrid.
During the walking tour
of Madrid, the Meteors
also visited the Plaza
de Espana, where they saw a statue dedicated to famous Spanish author
Miguel Cervantes, author of “Don Quijote.”
Following their time in Madrid, the Meteors headed for Barcelona. Among
the highlights of Barcelona were attending a neighborhood festival as well
as visiting the Camp Nou soccer stadium that is home to FC Barcelona.
After spending a full day enjoying everything that Barcelona offered, the
De La Salle contingent was on the road to Paris.
The Meteors spent their first day walking around the French capital before
The De La Salle traveling party visits the statue dedicated to Spanish author
Miguel Cervantes, who wrote Don Quixote de la Mancha, at the Plaza de
Espana in Madrid.
spending their second day on a guided tour that included stops at the Arc de
Triomphe, Champs-Elysees and Eiffel Tower. The group also visited the home
of the famous French soccer club, Paris-Saint Germain, as well as the Locks of
Love Bridge.
The final day in Paris was highlighted by a visit to the world’s largest art museum,
the Louvre, as well as a boat cruise down the Seine River. While in the Louvre,
the Meteors saw the Mona Lisa as well as many other wonderful paintings and
sculptures.
“Our trip to Spain and France was amazing,” De La Salle faculty member
Antonio Maldonado said. “We had an outstanding group of students who not
only were well behaved and respectful, but they were engaging and not afraid to
indulge in the European culture.
“We visited many famous places and ate some delicious food. In addition, this
was the first year where as a group we decided what additional sites and areas of
interest we wanted to visit that were not in the itinerary.
“All in all, the tour was fun and exciting and we can’t wait to go back.”
Gabino Coss ’15 and De La Salle Spanish instructors
Antonio Maldonado and Francisco Martinez ’98 enjoy an
amazing view of the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
8 Academics
The Meteors pose for a photo next to the field at Madrid’s Estadio Santiago Bernabeu.