Category: Trip

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Help Planning a Family Road Trip

One of my fondest memories growing up was taking family vacations to Colorado. It wasn’t the actual events of the trip that made the trips so much fun; it was all of the nonsense along the way. Sure I remember how amazed I was at the size of the mountains, how great the resorts were and I loved always getting souvenirs but that isn’t what made the vacation so great. All of the time I spent with my family on the road is what I remember and the memories made along the way. Now sure everyone may not be like me and they remember the destinations they went, the sights they saw and the activities they did. Regardless of what you remember, everyone will be planning a vacation in the near future so I thought I would put together a few tips. Here are some things to remember when planning your next family vacation:

Plan things to do in the Car
One thing you have to remember when taking a road trip is the amount of time you will be spending in the car. Do you have fun places to stop along the way or do you need to plan activities to help pass the time? If you are spending hours on the road at a time, think of fun games you can play with the people you are traveling. Think about games that do not require a board or pieces. Card games work out quite well if you have a box or something you can play your cards into. One thing that always passed the time for us was telling stories. Have you tried a book on tape yet? You will be amazed at how into a book on tape your family will get. Regardless of what you do, remember to plan activities for the car ride!

Study up on your Surroundings
If you are going to take a trip with your family and spend hours in a car, you might as well make it educational right? There are plenty of ways you can do this without having it be awful for the kids. Study up on your surroundings whether it be the history of even the geology of the areas you are driving through. People seem to remember things when they can associate facts with something they can actually see. Not only will it help pass the time it will help your children learn too.

Double check your Vehicle
There is nothing worse than having car trouble on your road trip. Being stuck on the side of the road or at a mechanic’s shop can delay or even make you miss planned activities. Make sure your car is in good shape, has a new oil change and is capable of handling the road on your trip whatever the conditions may be.

Plan for your Pet
Since they do not have the ability to plan themselves, make sure you plan for your pet. Where are you staying overnight? Are you staying in a hotel or campground? Do they accept pets? Also remember pets like familiar atmospheres so bring toys and a blanket from home so your pets have a something they are familiar with.

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Food Technology School Trips to Spain

School trips to Spain are an excellent experience for food technology students. The best way to learn about world cuisines is to visit the places where they are cooked, sample the local dishes and learn how to cook them from local chefs. Spain’s Catalonia and its regional capital Barcelona are, individually or together, top destinations: Catalonian cuisine is delicious but easy to learn, with different culinary approaches that will expand students’ repertoire in the kitchen.

Catalonia

Visiting Catalonia on food technology excursions allows students to learn about this fascinating region through its food. A highly qualified local chef will lead the group in demonstrations of how to cook important Catalonian dishes, including Paella, Spanish omelettes, Mediterranean salads and Catalan cream and Torrijas. Sampling the dishes at the end of the session is, of course, the reward for the students’ diligent learning.

To take breaks between learning sessions, students can also visit Catalonian food producers around the region on their school trips to Spain. One highlight is La Fageda, a yoghurt and dessert processing plant. Students can see some of the company’s five hundred cows and hear about how they are cared for, fed and milked, and then learn how the yoghurts are produced and packaged for sale. Other options include going to the regional capital of Barcelona, to the Nutrexpa Food Factory, Museu de la Xocolata and more.

Barcelona

Food technology school trips to Spain’s most vibrant city, Barcelona, take students to the urban heart of Catalonia. Under the guidance of a local chef, they will gain experience in how to combine savoury and sweet notes in popular Barcelona culinary styles and learn about the role of regional ingredients.

Students can also go on excursions that will broaden their awareness of food industries in Barcelona. The Nutrexpa Food Factory is the manufacturing centre for one of the leading pastry producers in the country, with nine brands. Visiting it on a guided tour will give food technology students an insight into large-scale manufacturing. They can also go to the Escriba Patisserie, which has spent the last century creating bread, cake and chocolate confections. The Patisserie has a showroom where students will be able to learn about the history of the company and its speciality, as well as the process used today. Last, but certainly not least, is the Museu de la Xocolata. Many students will find it a highlight of their school trips to Spain. It has a fascinating exhibit that covers the history of chocolate in South America and Spain’s role in bringing it to Europe, with examples of traditional machines used to make chocolate. There is also a collection of chocolate sculptures – and, needless to say, an excellent shop where students can buy locally produced chocolate.