El Zócalo

The 7th grade Spanish students just finished a unit on Mexico City. We read a little about el Zócalo, the main plaza in Mexico City. The plaza represents the history of Mexico by mixing elements of Spanish, Mexican and Aztec culture. Take a look at these websites to learn more and see pictures of el Zócalo.
http://www.mexicocity.com.mx/zocal2.html
http://www.delange.org/Zocalo/Zocalo.htm

We’re on to Puerto Rico next!
Have a great weekend!

La Feria de abril

Beginning on Tuesday morning at 12:00 a.m. the city of Seville in southern Spain will be transformed into a fairground. The festival is called the Feria de abril and dates back to 1846. The Feria used to be a fair in which farmers met to trade cattle. Now it is a festival that draws visitors from all over the world. It also marks the beginning of the bullfighting season. There are tents set up in the city that are owned by families or businesses. These tents are called casetas and they are set up like dining rooms with tables and chairs. There’s also room for dancing! A popular dance performed at the Feria is Flamenco dancing. This is well-known throughout Spain. But there are also dances that are specific to Seville. They are called Sevillanas. People young and old perform these dances in the casetas or in the streets. There are also special costumes that people wear during Feria. Women and girls wear dresses that are called trajes de flamenca. They are dresses that are usually specially made. Look at this website to see some of the different styles (and prices) of these dresses: http://www.flamencoexport.com/lo-mas-vendido/trajes-de-flamenca-senora.htmlrt.com/lo-mas-vendido/trajes-de-flamenca-senora.html.

Here's Señorita Payne and one of her amigas at the Feria gate in 2004. The design of the gate changes a little every year.

Here's what the casetas look like inside.

Learn more about Feria by visiting these websites:

http://feriadesevilla.andalunet.com/

http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feria_de_Abril

Puerto Vallarta

I went to Puerto Vallarta last week during our vacation. One well-known attraction in Puerto Vallarta is its seaside promenade. There are many shops and restaurants along the promenade as well as a number of statues and sand sculptures. One of the most-recognized statues is The Seahorse.

"The Seahorse, a nine-foot-high bronze statue featuring a boy riding it, is arguably Vallarta’s most-recognized symbol and has the most complex history. Almost a decade before Rafael Zamarripa’s work became the first sculpture on the Malecon back in 1976, its identical twin stood at the south end of Los Muertos Beach. But due to the relentless force of people climbing on it and high waves and strong winds, it eventually toppled and was lost to the sea. Then, years after its doppelganger was installed on the downtown Malecon, the original mysteriously reappeared, only to be lost again in Kenna, re-found and then reinstalled yet again."

We had a great first week back, enjoy your weekend!

http://www.visitpuertovallarta.com/puertovallarta/entertainment/Culture/monumental-oceanfront-art.html

Las vacaciones

Going somewhere for Spring Break? If you're traveling to a Spanish-speaking country, here are some helpful vocabulary words for getting around:

• la maleta-suitcase


• el boleto-ticket


• el aeropuerto-airport


• el avión-airplane


• el pasaporte-passport


• el hotel-hotel


• la habitación-room


• la llave-key


• el aire acondicionado-air conditioning


• la piscina-pool


• la playa-beach


• la arena-sand


• el mar-sea


• la toalla-towel

Have a wonderful and safe Spring Break!

La Alhambra

This week the 8th grade students learned a little about la arquitectura árabe and its presence in southern Spain. The Alhambra was the last stronghold of the Moors when they were finally expelled from Spain in the fifteenth century after having controlled much of Spain for nearly seven centuries.

Click on the links below to learn more about the Alhambra.

http://www.alhambra.org/esp/index.asp?secc=/inicio&popup=1

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alhambra

La Sagrada Familia

The 8th grade students are studying Barcelona in class. They are adjusting to the Spanish accents that are a little different from what they are used to. One of the cultural highlights in the book was la Sagrada Familia. La Sagrada Familia is a cathedral in Barcelona on which construction began in 1882-and it still isn't finished! Antonio Gaudí was the master architect and worked on this project for more than forty years. Unfortunately, Gaudí died before construction was complete. It is expected that the cathedral will finally be finished in 2026, but it will probably take longer than that!

Check out these links to learn more about this unique cathedral:

http://www.sagradafamilia.org/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagrada_Fam%C3%ADlia

http://www.barcelona-tourist-guide.com/en/gaudi/sagrada-familia.html

Trivia Answers

Did you know the respuestas to last week's trivia questions? Let's see-¡a ver!

• The Running of the Bulls is held in which Spanish city located in the northern province of Navarra? Answer: Pamplona
• What Mediterranean seaport in southern Spain was the birthplace of Pablo Picasso? Answer: Málaga
• What is the name of the road that connected the Spanish missions in Mexico? Answer: El Camino Real

¿Qué tal? How'd you do??