Camp: Arenys de Mar

At the beginning of each academic year, GBU Barcelona organise a weekend away: "Campamento Inicio de Curso". The camp was being held at Arenys de Mar, a lovely little beach town on the Costa Brava. There were palm trees outside the house we were staying in, something that, although normal in Barcelona as well, still makes me feel like I'm constantly on holiday. The lovely views of the Mediterranean on one side and the hills dotted with white houses on the other also made me feel far away from the world of work and uni. 

The house was pretty big, and apparently used for children's holiday camps. There were two big dormitories - one for girls, one for boys - each decorated for children, with around twenty blue bunk beds which were ready for us with pillows and colourful blankets.

The dining room was also decorated with colourful pictures. These ones were graffiti style cartoon paintings of pirates with menacing speech bubbles warning diners to sit up straight as it's better for your spine. 

We played some amazing original team games, so I'm now expert at diving across rooms and sliding digestives biscuits down my face while wearing a plastic helmet. There was no definite winner, so after the tie-breaker was a prize ceremony. This, in typical Spanish style, began an hour after we were timetabled to go to bed, and spontaneously turned into a big dance competition/fiesta with everyone going slightly crazy. 

The following day my friend Indi was on wake up duty and had diligently brought along the appropriate equipment to aid her: a colourful plastic trumpet. This was to ensure that everyone who wanted to was able to attend the early morning dance class outside.

On the way home I enjoyed a blissful rest on the train, with forty-five minutes of constant holiday views of the sea and beaches out of the train window. The lady I was sitting next to couldn't understand why I kept swapping seats and taking pictures - I guess views in another country always seem more exciting than those at home!