Viva España: A Love Letter to Spain
The Reasons We Travel
We travel for many reasons…to escape cold winters, to get away from the hustle and bustle, and also to reconnect with friends and family (or ourselves). Sometimes we travel just…to travel.
Wanderlust is a Personal Thing
For me, the perfect trip involves Spain – a country I first visited when I was nine, when my parents took me along on an Easter vacation to visit my college‑age brother, who was studying in Madrid. Something happened when we landed in Madrid, and I heard a new language being spoken and observed a culture so different from my own. I fell in love with everything – the food, people, and most of all, the language. I knew, even at that young age, that my future would include Spain.
And I was right. I started studying Spanish that summer (we’re talking 1981) and basically haven’t stopped. I went on to teach Spanish for years. I’ve taken 19 trips to Spain, and now visit Spain as a travel writer.
When I tell people about my love affair with Spain, their first reply is almost always, “I wish I knew how to speak another language. I should have stuck with it in school…”. Sound familiar? Maybe someone once told you that learning a language was important…but you ignored them, and now you regret it.
I’m here to tell you it’s not too late to start learning another language or pick up where you left off. Even former language instructors look for ways to practice. For example, last year, I set out to find an immersion program in Spain. But, I didn’t want to sit in a classroom, be part of a group, or worse – surrounded by 19‑year‑olds on a gap year. I wanted language instruction on my schedule and my terms.
I found all of this (and more) with a company called Language & Luxury. Language and Luxury exemplifies the growing trend of “experiential travel,” where people travel not just to get away, but to have meaningful experiences. At Language & Luxury, their specialty is private language immersions in cities worldwide. These immersions take place within the culture and include tours and experiences led in the target language, so one can engage in typical “tourist activities” while practicing the language. In addition, the company can also arrange stays in luxurious hotels so participants can have an experience that’s as luxurious and relaxing as it is enriching. I did a Language & Luxury Immersion in Seville and Madrid last fall, and I’m excited to share my experience.
Getting Started With My Language Immersion Journey
The first thing you should know about a trip with Language & Luxury is that they’ll take care of you – from planning your immersion ahead of time with one of their Destination Specialists to the private transfer waiting for you upon arrival.
An Inside Look at My Week in Seville
I arrived in Seville and was greeted at the airport by a driver from Language & Luxury, who took me to the Eme Catedral Hotel. This stunning hotel is in an even more stunning location, directly across from the Catedral de Sevilla, the third‑largest cathedral in the world. In addition to its perfect location, the elegant hotel offered so much more – an attentive staff, several restaurants, a rooftop bar and pool, a workout facility, and a world‑class spa. My suite was incredible, with cathedral views from two patios. All week, church bells lulled me to sleep and woke me up—truly magical.
Since my lessons started on Monday, I spent Sunday exploring Seville on my own. This included a food tour with Eating Europe that highlighted non‑touristy restaurants for an authentic taste of local cuisine. A food tour on the first day of a trip gives you a lay of the land and ideas for restaurants to try later in the week.
Prior to arriving in Seville for my immersion, I knew my daily schedule – two hours of private instruction (starting at 9:00 a.m., since I’m an early bird) and cultural excursions lined up in the afternoons. The Destination Specialist at Language & Luxury had arranged my instruction and daily cultural activities. She also suggested activities and restaurants for my free time, which was just as important as the guided lessons and tours. All these extras helped me experience the culture, live like a local, and, best of all…speak Spanish!
The best part of my experience was that my instructor, Carmen, met me at my hotel every day. We established this on the first day when we worked out how and where I wanted to work on my Spanish. Since I love walking, we decided my instruction would consist of two‑hour walking tours each day. Others choose spots like cafes, parks, and hotel lobbies. It’s entirely up to each person.
Lessons with Carmen took me to local spots in Sevilla and allowed me to engage in real conversations while learning about the city. As the days passed, Carmen and I realized we shared an interest in local legends, ghost stories, and health & wellness topics. (In case you’re interested, I can now tell you about the Aksashic Records in Spanish or English.)
After daily lessons, I took private cultural tours with an expert guide named Daniel. We visited the Cathedral of Seville and the Royal Alcázar of Seville. Another day, we toured a section of Sevilla called Triana, where I toured markets, shopped for gorgeous local ceramics, and enjoyed tapas in one of Sevilla’s popular neighborhoods. The highlight was a visit to the Flamenco Museum for an authentic flamenco show. Daniel was full of interesting stories and facts about Seville and life in Spain. I learned about celebrations in Sevilla, including Holy Week (Semana Santa), the Feria de Abril (April Fair), flamenco traditions, and more. During my free days, I pursued personal interests, including a round of golf at the Real Club de Golf Sevilla. Another day, I toured a radio station and spoke with local journalists – an experience arranged by a local L&L partner.
After a week in Seville, I was ready to head to Madrid for more Spanish speaking and learning.
On the Road to Madrid
Getting to Madrid from Sevilla was easy, thanks to the high‑speed AVE train that connects the cities in less than three hours. Train travel in Europe is affordable, clean, luxurious, and often much easier than air travel. The business‑class seat I reserved on the train was spacious and quiet—perfect for getting work done.
Once in Madrid, I stayed at my friends’ house for the first part of my week and transferred to the hotel L&L had arranged for me mid‑week. Language & Luxury participants can choose their own accommodations or have L&L set them up…I chose a mix of both.
Since I again had a free day before my language lessons began on Monday, I had Sunday free to attend the Madrid Open Golf Tournament. (Because when you’re a golfer and there’s a tournament while you’re in town, why not, right?) This is just one example of how one can “live like a local” and enrich the week's experiences. Another day, I played a round at a local club called RACE and discovered that golf within the vicinity of Madrid is growing in popularity. There are over 20 courses to choose from, making golf a great add‑on to a trip to Madrid.
Important sidenote: Both golf experiences gave me a great excuse to wear my new Carkella Fairway Fedora. Wallaroo’s Carkella line is a hit with golfers, as it features a magnetic brim for ball markers.
Week Two, More Spanish & Culture and a Second City to Explore
My schedule in Madrid had a similar cadence to Sevilla, which helped me adjust to the new surroundings. On Monday, I met Jennifer, my instructor, at the NH Palacio de Tepa, the luxurious hotel where I would stay later that week. After an introductory chat, Jennifer and I agreed to do walking tours of Madrid, stopping at various cultural spots.
Again, I paired my private lessons with cultural experiences led by Alesandro, my personal guide for the week. This time, my cultural experiences included a wine, Manchego cheese, and Spanish jamón tasting, tours of authentic Spanish restaurants not known to tourists, a stroll through Retiro Park, a walk through Madrid’s literary quarter, and a visit to one of Madrid’s many art galleries, Fundación Mapfre.
Benefits of a Language Immersion
Towards the end of my two‑week immersion, during coffee with my instructor, it dawned on me that I hadn’t spoken a word of English with Jennifer since the first day of our instruction. As a former teacher, I knew (and would tell people) that immersion is absolutely the best way to improve one’s language. But there I was, realizing it for myself. Amazing!
Armed with that revelation, I encourage you to pursue your language dreams – large or small – and find a program that works for you. Personally, I’m a super fan of Language & Luxury for their customizable one‑to‑one private instruction and cultural experiences, beautiful accommodations, personalized attention from the start, and the positive energy of everyone I encountered through the program. I left wanting to do another tour. And in full disclosure, I was so impressed by the company that I wanted to be a part of it. I’m happy to say I’m now a Spain Destination Specialist. (And please know… I’d be spreading the word about this amazing opportunity to learn a language and grow as a person, even if I didn’t work there!)
The Bottom Line?
If you’re like me and have an affinity toward a country or language, I advise you to visit…as often as you can! And when you go…go all in. Learn the language and embrace the culture. It makes the journey all the better.
There are plenty of ways to learn another language - look for options that align with your life because, like anything, the better a program fits your lifestyle, the more likely you are to stick with it. Language & Luxury is a great place to start, but there are many ways to learn another language…All you have to do is take the first step and start exploring.
¡VAMOS! (Let’s go!)
And, as you travel the world in search of new languages, people, and ideas, don’t forget…
It’s a sunny life. Wear your hat.
