When Beckie travelled from Missouri, USA, with her two granddaughters, Katie and Ollie, she wanted their time in Spain to be much more than a traditional family holiday. Katie and Ollie are first cousins, and the three of them were looking for a personalised experience combining Spanish conversation, cultural discovery and sightseeing in Barcelona. They…
Some people carry a language around for a decade like a book they never quite finish. They know the grammar, they recognise the words, yet the conversations always seem to belong to someone else. Then one summer they decide to close the book and live the story instead. I am Mónica, founder of Spanish Express…
During Holy Week last year, I watched two people standing in front of the same Easter procession. One filmed it for a few seconds and moved on. The other, an elderly neighbor, quietly wiped away tears. Both saw the same tradition, yet only one of them understood what it meant. That difference is what this…
Ask anyone in Es Mercadal which weekend matters most, and you will get the same answer without hesitation. Sant Martí is Es Mercadal’s patron saint festival, celebrated on the third weekend of July in the centre of Menorca with horse parades, music, traditional ceremonies, and village-wide gatherings. For the rest of the year, Es Mercadal…
Punta Nati Lighthouse is a 19-meter lighthouse on the wild northwestern coast of Menorca, built in 1912 after a shipwreck and still active today as a navigational aid. The first thing you feel at Punta Nati is the wind. Before you see the tower, before you even step out of the car, the Tramontana pushes…
UNESCO is the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, created in 1945 to promote peace through international cooperation in education, science, culture, and communication. Few labels can change the destiny of a place as quickly as a UNESCO plaque: overnight, a quiet town or historic centre stops being only local and becomes something all…
Enricana Cala Morell is the chic terrace restaurant by the entrance to Cala Morell cove in Menorca, known for Japanese and Mediterranean fusion dishes, and it is one of the extra experiences I love adding to the Spanish Homestay Immersion Program (SHIP) by Spanish Express whenever the season allows. Last week, a close friend and…
My beach bag weighs more on Son Saura days than on any other day of the summer. I pack lunch, plenty of water, fruit, and an umbrella, because this unspoiled bay on the south coast of Ciutadella gives you nothing but sand, pines, and a turquoise sea. Honestly, that is the deal, and it is…
When I walk students down toward the coast in the early morning, I always tell them the same thing. Menorca is not loud. It does not shout for your attention the way other places do. Instead, it asks you to slow down, to listen to the wind, and to notice the small stone walls running…
A geologist reads the ground the way the rest of us read a book. For Harriet, an island built from ancient rock and prehistoric stone monuments was the perfect place to finally find her voice in Spanish. I am Mónica, founder and director of Spanish Express and a host teacher with our Spanish Homestay Immersion…
