BGMC Passport
Passport to Spain
It's me, Buddy Barrel,
getting ready to fly off to Spain. Are you ready for a virtual world trip? Print your BGMC Passport below and get ready
to travel!
I have lots of great info below you can use to prepare for the trip. Be sure and print out the downloads and place them in your BGMC Passport Binder.
Do you know where Spain is located on a map or globe? Find the country below on the map I provided.
Are you ready for flight? 1-2-3, away we go!
Left: Map of Spain
Left: Spain Flag
Maritza
Maritza looked out the apartment window,
down onto the street five floors below. She waved at a couple of kids from the
building across the street. "Buenos
dias (good morning)!" they shouted up. Maritza answered them, but
more quietly, because her brother, Juan, was still sleeping. Of course, living
in a small apartment in a bustling city, Maritza and Juan and their parents
have learned to sleep through plenty of noise!
Time for School...then Home...then School
Maritza and her brother live near their school and walk together. Classes start at 9:00, then they go home for lunch at 12:30. They go back to school at 3:30 and stay until 5:00. School is out in July and August, and most families take vacations then. Kids in Spain go to school until they are 16. If they have good grades, they can then do two more years of school and go on to college. Or, they can do two years of training to learn a skill.
Let's Eat!
It's a little chilly this morning as Maritza sits down to eat el desayuno (breakfast), so she's happy Mom has made some hot chocolate. Breakfast is bread and jam, and sometimes churros, a deep-fried batter sprinkled with sugar.
Lunch, called la comida, is the big meal of the day, eaten in the early afternoon. Mom makes a wonderful cocido Madrileño, a stew made with different meats and vegetables. She serves the main course with a salad and fresh bread and fruit.
When relatives or friends come over, she often makes paella, (pah-EH-yah) a dish with rice and seafood or meats. The family eats la cena (supper) quite late-around 9:00. Supper is usually soup and an omelet.
Cruces de Mayo
Maritza is very excited this month, for her family is going to visit their grandparents in Córdoba, a city in the southern region of Spain called Andalusia. What makes this trip exciting is that they will participate in the city's largest celebration, the Cruces de Mayo (Crosses of May).
This festival, held soon after Easter, celebrates the coming of spring and the triumph of life over death. Towns in the southern region of Spain hold contests to see which neighborhood can make the most beautiful cross by decorating it with fresh flowers.
[Open the Winnie Newsletter below for the full story.]
