After a year of planning, the LHS Portuguese and Spanish clubs have announced that there will be a combined trip to both Portugal and Spain. The trip will be during the 2016 April vacation, and this the first time LHS will be going to Portugal.

The trip is through Educational Tours, a company that the school has used for many other trips in the past. It is the largest and most recognized student travel company.

Mrs. [Meyleen Sierra, Spanish teacher and one of the organizers of the trip, said that Educational Tours is highly reliable, even saying that the company has offices in the locations of the tours.

Educational Tours offers students and adults going on the trip the guaranteed lowest price. For students, the cost of the trip will be $3,185 ($221 per month) and for adults it is $3,610 ($252 per month). It should be noted that this price includes on-tour transportation, accommodations, meals, tour directors, sightseeing tours, and even entrances to some attractions.

The tour will start off in Lisbon, Portugal. The students will stay in the capital of Portugal for two days, where they will be seeing some of the most beautiful historical spots, like the Castelo de São Jorge and Mosteiro dos Jeronimos.

The students will also visit Cascais and even attend a Fado event while in Lisbon. After, the students will travel to Evora and then continue on to the Algarve, Portugal’s southern end. On day six, the students will travel to Seville and Costa del Sol, Spain. On day eight, the trip will continue to Granada, where the students will take in the stunning foreign architecture. On day nine and ten, students will be going to Valencia, and also will be traveling to the last spot, Barcelona. There, the students will not only be able to sightsee, but will also attend a Flamenco Evening.

“There’s hands-on activities,” Mrs. Sierra added about the trip in addition to the many locations students will visit.

Sierra also shares that Educational Tours offers breakfast and dinner, but students are responsible for their own lunches. She also said that there will be some fundraisers coming up to offset the costs of the trip, like for the buses. So far, there needs to be a minimum of 20 students by the end of the month and there will be more informational meetings regarding the trip for students and parents soon.

“It is a trip that requires a lot of planning,” Sierra admitted.

Sierra also mentions that, in addition to herself, Senhora Fernandes and Senhora Renta will be the other chaperones going on the trip. Sierra adds that Fernandes has more experience traveling and therefore will provide insight into the European culture.

“This trip is going to be an unforgettable experience,” Fernandes told me.

Sign ups for the trip have begun and students have until the end of the month to sign up. Students can see either Senhora Sierra or Senhora Fernandes for more information regarding the trip next April vacation.