From March 20 to March 28, Sam Barlow students traveled to Portugal and Spain. The trip, arranged by EF Tours, visited Lisbon, Évora, Seville, Córdoba, and Madrid, stopping at key landmarks and historical monuments for the complete experience.
“It was very beautiful and a trip of a lifetime! We went to a lot of cathedrals, castles, and little towns. We had a lot of time to walk around, shop, and get food,” shares sophomore traveler Kora Chard.
The trip was originally advertised to Sam Barlow Spanish students, but was open to any student regardless of Spanish knowledge level. Mr. Garrison, Barlow’s Spanish 1-2 and 3-4 teacher, led the trip, along with Mr. Ingolia, the metals teacher. They were both accompanied by their wives. Additionally, some parents went with their children as chaperones. Beyond the Barlow community, the tour was organized and arranged by EF Tour Director Rodrigo Cabral.
“I’m the group leader, and I build the trip beforehand. Then I travel with my three chaperones and 23 travelers. Once we reach the Tour Director—our native guide with us every step of the way, start to finish—he and I work in tandem throughout the tour, carrying out the plan and logistics. It makes it pretty much seamless for the travelers, with them never getting lost, having to look for a hotel, find transportation, review how safe areas are, etc. They can focus on exploring and having fun,” says Mr. Garrison.
Travelers reported an overwhelmingly positive experience in Spain and Portugal. After long flights from PDX to New York, to Paris, and finally to Lisbon, the trip kicked off with a visit to Portugal’s famous Praça do Comércio, where travelers saw the Rua Augusta Arch and explored the city. Also in Portugal, travelers visited the Tower of Belém, the Padrao dos Descobrimentos, the Jerónimos Monastery, and the Castle of São Jorge, which Hager shared was the highlight of his trip.
“Lisbon, while hot, was beautiful and had some very interesting stores,” sophomore Violet Christiansen summarized. “And they really like anchovies there.”
After Lisbon, the group moved on to Évora for a tour with a local guide to see the Chapel of Bones, first-century Roman ruins, and the Cathedral of Évora, which inspired the fictional wizarding school, Hogwarts.
“I really liked going to Évora. It was our first travel day on the tour bus, and we stopped in Évora. My friends and I went to the top of the castle, and it was the best experience ever. It was gorgeous, and that was probably one of the best days on the trip,” Chard says.
The travelers said goodbye to Portugal and stayed in Seville, Spain, to see the Real Alcázar, the oldest active palace in Europe, and the Cathedral of Seville, a massive Gothic-style cathedral where travelers could climb its 35 floors of ramps to reach the top of its bell tower. “My favorite place we went to was the Seville Cathedral because it was a big, beautiful building that had a lot of shiny details,” shared sophomore traveler Lauren Davis. As a traveler myself, these were my favorite stops. The Real Alcázar had breathtaking details and gorgeous gardens, and the Cathedral of Seville was so big I could’ve spent an entire day just wandering through it and appreciating its history. Also in Seville, students took a Flamenco dance lesson and watched a Flamenco show.
The group stopped in Córdoba to visit the Mezquita-Catedral and see its iconic red-and-white horseshoe arches before finishing in Madrid, Spain. Madrid was a group favorite place for its Royal Palace, which the group toured the inside of. Travelers strolled through Retiro Park and had lunch in Mercado de San Miguel, across from Plaza Mayor. The last day in Spain concluded with free time to explore the Prado Museum.
“I think and thoroughly believe that this was an amazing life-altering experience, and I 100% recommend it [international travel] to anyone with the means to do it,” shares Christiansen.
“It’s a very enlightening experience that allows you to grow as a person,” agrees Davis.
Mr. Garrison explains that a sense of growth is common for people who travel internationally. “A strong benefit to traveling internationally is plain old perspective; having your eyes opened to such a different world can be quite life-changing. Of course, you can learn about things like this on the internet, but that’s no match for living it,” he says. “The highlights depend on each student’s perspective. Some liked the architecture, others the history, the people, the food, or the church built from human bones.”
Chard says her highlight was, “Getting closer with my friends and making new ones. It genuinely fills me with so much joy every time I think about the trip and my new friends. Creating stronger bonds is the best thing I got from this trip.”
Similarly, Davis says, “The highlight of my trip was the late-night talks we had because it was a nice experience that made me feel close to a nice group of girls.”
“My highlight of the trip was being with my friends and seeing super cool architecture!” says an anonymous traveler.
Mr. Garrison says, “As for me? I loved the kids’ reactions and Southern Spain, since it was my first time in that region.”
Overall, Barlow students reported a fun, life-changing experience, and overwhelmingly positive reviews of EF Tours. “I would highly recommend high schoolers travel internationally, and EF Tours is the best touring company to go with,” says sophomore traveler Carson Hager.
“There are infinite ways to travel abroad, but doing it through Barlow is an added bonus because it’s your Bruin peers. Many who signed up were already friends, but many made new friends along the way, including some friends from Springwater and Gresham High School who came along with us,” Mr. Garrison says. “I was very proud of the group I led… They represented our school and nation as well as I could have ever expected.”
Mr. Garrison advises students to be on the lookout for more travel opportunities. “As a matter of fact, Spring Break of 2028, there will be another trip to Costa Rica. More details soon, but stay tuned…”
