Dream Trip: Sketches of Spain

From exploring 600-year-old wine caves in La Rioja to marveling at the ultramodern architecture of the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, the Flying Longhorns’ “Sketches of Spain” trip was all about contrasts.

In addition to highlighting old and new, the trip also juxtaposed contemplation and excitement during 12 days in April and May. In Laguardia, a tiny village in northern Spain, the travelers toured a 12th-century church. On Easter Sunday in bustling Madrid, they were swept up in huge crowds gathered for religious processions.

In Madrid, the group checked into the same historic hotel where the city’s matadors still prepare for bullfights. The Longhorns were able to mingle with the matadors as they suited up in flamboyant traditional garb. The group’s relatively small size enabled other up-close-and-personal experiences, too. A flamenco dancer who performed for the group in Madrid twirled within a hair’s breadth of the travelers, says trip host and Texas Exes marketing director Jamie Puryear, BJ ’98, Life Member.
Later in the trip, they relaxed at Pamplona’s Café Iruña, the setting for much of Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises.

One highlight for travelers, said Puryear, was an unusual meeting in Burgos. Michelle Moriarty, BS ’08, Life Member, now a professional beach volleyball player in California, was living in Burgos at the time. She saw an ad for the trip in her copy of The Alcalde and realized the group would be passing through her town, so she contacted the Texas Exes and arranged to meet. Moriarty enjoyed connecting with other alumni over a meal and several winery tours.

“It’s so nice to know that no matter where I am in the world, I will never be far from the great support system of the Texas Exes,” Moriarty said.

For a list of upcoming Flying Longhorns trips, visit TexasExes.org/Travel.