Europe's Iberian Adventure
Palacio Real (Royal Palace)
The 2009 edition of Eurotrip was a customized trip for Burnaby North students. Based on previous experiences by the teacher-leaders, a trip to experience some of the best sites Spain has to offer was planned.
The trip itinerary included: Madrid, Granada, Costa del Sol, Morocco, Gibraltar, Seville, and Lisbon. After Landing in Madrid, we stayed two days in Spain's Capital. The highlight of Madrid is the Palacio Real (Royal Palace), built by Bourbon King Philip V. This palace boasts 2000 rooms and was the seat of the most powerful court at one time. The Palace is decorated with priceless frescoes and chandeliers. Construction started in 1738. The dining room is massive and daunting. The tapestries, paintings, and sculptures are all so impressive.
El Escorial and Valley of the Fallen
About 45 km northwest of Madrid is El Escorial. It is regarded by the Spaniards as the "eighth wonder of the world. It was the royal city created by Philip II. It functions as a monastery, royal palace, museum, and school. It is the king’s deathbed and the tombs of the majority of past kings and queens of Spain. This enormous Renaissance palace consists of 16 courtyards, 2,673 windows, 1,250 doors, 86 staircases, and 88 fountains.
A short distance from El Escorial is the Valle de los Caídos (Valley of the Fallen). It lies at the foot of the Guadarrama Mountains. As you approach this monument, you will see the 150m (500ft) cross made of concrete. This site was created by General Franco in 1940 to commemorate all the lives lost during the Spanish Civil War. It was built by the prisoners of the civil war and was a controversial site. General Franco lies buried at the Valley of the Fallen. Within a year of Burnaby North's Eurotrip, this site was closed for "renovations". It remains closed today because of the falling rocks within the memorial. When we visited inside, we could see the water damage on the frescoes that were painted in the ceiling.
A short distance from El Escorial is the Valle de los Caídos (Valley of the Fallen). It lies at the foot of the Guadarrama Mountains. As you approach this monument, you will see the 150m (500ft) cross made of concrete. This site was created by General Franco in 1940 to commemorate all the lives lost during the Spanish Civil War. It was built by the prisoners of the civil war and was a controversial site. General Franco lies buried at the Valley of the Fallen. Within a year of Burnaby North's Eurotrip, this site was closed for "renovations". It remains closed today because of the falling rocks within the memorial. When we visited inside, we could see the water damage on the frescoes that were painted in the ceiling.