later, lethargy had been replaced with excitement as we touched down to balmy conditions in Mallorca. The tour was up and running! There was no hanging about as we were bussed straight from the airport to the pool complex, which was to be our home-from-home for the next few days. We spent most of our time there, with a combination of fitness and tech- nical training, overseen by coaches, Mario and Tim, and matches against local clubs. The standard of the oppo- sition was high and the games were tough, but we made a clear improvement over the course of the tour and fin- ished off with a resounding win in our penultimate match. Ideally, we would have liked to finish off on a high note, but our last game was at dusk in an ice-cold outdoor pool and the conditions proved too much for us. Time at the hotel was limited but we did all enjoy the huge buffet breakfasts, taking the opportunity to load up for the hard training that lay ahead each day. We also enjoyed sunsets on the beach, accompanied by games of beach volleyball and football, and the hotel’s amazing ice cream bar. It was a great trip, with the chance to really improve our skills and fitness and to get to know boys in other years, which, as a new joiner in Year 9, was particularly valuable for me. Huge thanks to Miss Gent and Miss Goldsack and coaches, Tim and Mario for arranging the trip and ensur- ing we had such a good time. Special thanks also to Ms Palmer, who helped arrange the whole thing, and who we missed as she wasn’t able to join us on the tour. ◉ SPANISH TRIP – VALENCIA HARRISON KING & SAM NEVIN (YEAR 10) We arrived at Gatwick Airport bright and (very) early, looking forward to the trip ahead. Around two hours after boarding the plane, we touched down at Valencia Airport, adjusting to the pleasant Spanish weather by removing unnecessary layers. We then took the coach to meet the families we would be staying with for the next few days. We would be sleeping in their houses and having break- fasts and dinners with them, as well as communicating to the best of our ability and learning what it is like to live in the city. We (Sam and Harrison) stayed with Nana, a lovely, kind lady with a small and affectionate dog called Pitu. Nana cooked us delicious meals and encouraged us to speak as much Spanish as possible.
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THE ALLEYNIAN 712
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