During my last high school spring break, I took a trip to Spain and England to celebrate my high school graduation and eighteenth birthday. My parents, aunt, grandma, cousin, and I took a flight on Iberia Airlines to the airport in Madrid, Spain. We left LAX ( Los Angeles Airport) and arrived 12 hours later in Spain. We took a shuttle from the airport to our hotel, Senator Gran Via Hotel, located on Calle Gran Via. The hotel was in a great location overlooking one of the main streets in Spain and just a small walk to the Puerta Del Sol, which was a town square filled with street performers and local people, and surrounded by many shops and cafes.
Our first day there, we walked around and explored the surroundings. We went to a small cafe to eat, where we tried paella and jamon iberico, Spain's famous dishes. The second day we took a tour of the city on the Madrid City Tours Bus, ran by the agency of Pullmantur. It was amazing to see all of the history and widely known buildings. On the third day we took a bus out to the city of Toledo and El Escorial, a palace and monestary. Toledo was a beatiful medieval city, with gorgeous buildings and stone walkways. El Escorial was a monestary and a palace owned by the old king of the town, and was made in the 16th century. It had amazing artifacts owned by Philip II. On the third day, we took another bus out to the cities of Avila and Segovia, where we found spectacular palaces and gothic cathedrals built in the 1400s and even a small church built before christ! There, I ate the best Greek food I have ever tasted!
The history in Spain fascinated me, and made me realize that there is so much more in the world than my own little world in Southern California. I want to explore more of these ancient wonders and experience the world up close.
On the fourth day of Spain, we took a shuttle back to the airport in Madrid, and took a 3 hour flight on Iberia Airlines to the Heathrow Airport in England. When we arrived we took "the tube" or underground train to Victoria Station where our small hotel was located near. We stayed at the Comfort Inn Victoria. It was a very small cozy hotel next to a pub and a cafe. The first day, we explored London, and we walked around the streets and stopped at a pub to have fish and chips, which were delicious! On the second day, we took the double decker bus to take a tour around the city and see all of the history of London. On the third day, we took a very long walk up to see Big Ben and Parliament and West Minister Abbey. Both of those places were wonderful and so glorious.
If I could I would relive this trip a thousand times. It was the one of the highlights of my life. It really opened my eyes to the things outside of America and gave me a better perspective on the world and all its beauty.
Dear Reader: This page may contain affiliate links which may earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. Our independent journalism is not influenced by any advertiser or commercial initiative unless it is clearly marked as sponsored content. As travel products change, please be sure to reconfirm all details and stay up to date with current events to ensure a safe and successful trip.
