The Camino de Santiago runs along our very street in Burgos, carrying pilgrims towards Compostela. This April, we welcomed a traveller of a different kind, one whose journey was measured not in kilometres but in words.
I am Alberto, and together with Marisol I am a host teacher with the Spanish Homestay Immersion Program (SHIP) in Burgos. We open our home to learners and build every class, walk and excursion around the person in front of us.
Our latest guest arrived from the UK with five years of Spanish behind her and a clear goal ahead. This is the story of her week with us, from her arrival to her farewell.
Meet Moyra, a Lifelong Learner From the UK
Moyra is a British learner who has been studying Spanish for around five years, both as a personal passion and as a mental challenge. In London she meets friends from her classes to visit exhibitions and discuss them entirely in Spanish.
She came to us with a solid B1 level and a very specific aim. She wanted to understand natural, fast-paced Spanish and hold longer, more meaningful conversations.
Friendly, sociable and highly motivated, she was a joy to host from the very first moment.
A Sunday Arrival on the Pilgrim Path
Moyra arrived at the Burgos bus station on a Sunday afternoon, where we were waiting to welcome her home.
There was no better way to begin than stepping straight onto the Camino de Santiago, since the famous route runs along our very street. We took a gentle first walk together along the pilgrim path.
By the time we sat down for dinner, the immersion had already begun, naturally and entirely in Spanish.
Lessons Shaped Around Her Goals
Our morning classes at home focused on Moyra’s biggest challenges: the differences between the Pretérito Imperfecto, Indefinido and Perfecto, ser versus estar, and useful verbal structures like ir a, tener que and estar with gerund.
We worked with the Gramática Básica del Estudiante de Español and even explored the subjunctive through Spanish songs.
Moyra took careful notes, asked thoughtful questions and made a real effort to speak accurately from day one.
Discovering Burgos, Street by Street
After class on Monday, we explored the neighbourhood and strolled along the Paseo de la Quinta towards the Fuentes Blancas park, crossing paths with plenty of pilgrims, which delighted her.
In the evening we walked through the heart of Burgos: the Plaza de San Juan, the old city gates and walls, the castle, the Plaza Mayor, the Consulado del Mar and the Casa del Cordón.
Standing before the statue of El Cid Campeador, Moyra was already narrating the day in Spanish.
The Museum of Human Evolution and a Night of Pinchos
Tuesday morning took us to the Museum of Human Evolution, where Moyra was amazed by the sheer antiquity of the discoveries made at the Atapuerca sites nearby.
In the afternoon we stepped inside the magnificent Burgos Cathedral, having prepared the visit in class with a short video that morning.
The day ended with a lively pinchos dinner through the city centre, one of her favourite evenings of the whole week.
Atapuerca: Touching a Million Years of History
On Wednesday we ventured to CAREX, the Centre for Experimental Archaeology, followed by lunch in San Juan de Ortega, a historic stop on the Camino de Santiago.
Then came the highlight: the Atapuerca archaeological sites, a UNESCO World Heritage treasure where some of Europe’s oldest human remains were found.
Back home that evening, Moyra swapped archaeology for gastronomy and learnt to cook a proper Spanish tortilla de patata.
The Ruta de Las Merindades: Waterfalls and Hidden Villages
Thursday was devoted entirely to Las Merindades, a stunning green region north of Burgos. We began at the Pozo Azul in Covanera, the largest underwater river cave in the world.
We wandered through the charming village of Valdelateja and admired its waterfall, then reached Orbaneja del Castillo, where the cascade tumbles right through the centre of the village.
The day closed with the dramatic Ebro Canyon and Pesquera de Ebro, its old façades decorated with noble coats of arms. Moyra loved every green landscape.
A Farewell at the Cartuja de Miraflores
On her final morning we reviewed the verbal structures we had studied and sang our way through the subjunctive one last time.
Before saying goodbye, we visited the beautiful Cartuja de Miraflores in the Fuentes Blancas park and shared a farewell lunch at a bar nearby.
We accompanied her to the bus station, from where she travelled to Bilbao for her flight home, telling us how much she had loved her days with us.
How Far Moyra Came in One Week
Moyra’s progress was visible day by day. She followed conversations and explanations with growing ease, barely used English at all, and even requested a museum catalogue in Spanish.
Her vocabulary expanded noticeably, and she kept her London friends updated in Spanish about everything we were doing, turning her whole trip into practice.
She left Burgos with stronger past tenses, sharper listening skills and the confidence she had come looking for.
Ready to Start Your Own Spanish Journey?
Moyra’s story shows what happens when you stop only studying Spanish and start living it, through real conversations, real history and a home where the language never sleeps.
Our Spanish Homestay Immersion Program (SHIP) welcomes learners of every age, profession and goal into the homes of host teachers across Spain. You could become the protagonist of our next story.
Speak Spanish. Live the culture. Discover a new chapter of your life in Spain.
You can explore more real immersion journeys here:
👉 SHIP Stories of Our Previous Students
For personalised guidance and programme details, contact:
Mónica Romero Founder and Director
📞 Phone / WhatsApp: +44 7903 867 894
📧 Email: monicaromero@spanishexpress.co.uk
