Dear administration of don Quijote,

I just felt like writing a thankful letter to the school for the wonderful time I had in the residence Duque de Liria 6. It was like a real family and very welcoming. The food was great and I really miss living in the residence. Especially I would like to compliment Irina who has been taking care of me when I was ill. She was always working very hard and was trying to please everyone. She was being like a real mother to me and she taught me how to cook Ukrainian food because my grandfather was Ukrainian. Now that I have moved to an apartment in moncloa I have been missing the hygienic standards of the residence where it was even possible to walk through the apartment bare foot.

Thank you very much for all your work. I have had a very good time so far.

Marleen

• Read more about enforex_pages_landing_block_6b5b7131-f303-4c01-a9b3-62c3929820e3

There´s no telling if the fires are still smoldering in Valencia, but I can say first hand it was a great show. And if you missed Las Fallas this year, you should start planning for 2011.

All of Valencia was dedicated to Las Fallas week: no school for university students and professionals were scarce. Tourists, concerts and firecrackers - there were an abundance of.

I joined a group of don Quijote Valencia students and trekked all over town taking pictures and speaking with the locals about Las Fallas. There seemed to be two camps - one side loved the noise and chaos - the other skipped town or were dragged downtown by friends and family.

I will agree at times the noise could be deafening but the visual show was fantastic. The image (right) was one of several streets that had an extravagant promenade ending with an even more impressive Falla (below).

Las Fallas has now been officially checked off of my list. Make this Valencian fiesta a priority on yours!

Cheers!

• Read more about enforex_pages_landing_block_7050de0a-d6e7-4094-b3dd-9f4db998dc24

The New York Times reported yesterday about the success of Spain´s high speed rail lines - AVE for Alta Velocidad, opened in 2008 - highlighting the 6 hour car ride between Madrid and Barcelona that´s cut down to 2 hr 38 min with Renfe - Spain´s national train operator.

Other lines connect Madrid with Sevilla and Malaga while a Barcelona to Paris line is in the works. Environmentally, Spain is on board with the rest of the Europe Union to reduce their carbon dioxide emissions by 20% over the next 10 years by utilizing more rail lines and cutting back on air traffic.

The AVE tickets cost as much as a plane ride - about €120 to €200 one way or $160 to $300 - but booking in advance can land you a good deal.

Cheers!

• Read more about enforex_pages_landing_block_adccb495-475a-42b9-9dcb-c64aae70031c

Recently, a New York chef and new dad, Daniel Angerer, was running out of room in his freezer to store his wife's breast milk. Instead of throwing out the excess he decided to use some of the milk to make cheese at his restaurant!

He served the delicate delicacy to his clients and posted the recipe to his blog! He reportedly got hundreds of phone calls demanding more of the cheese. It's said to have a sweet taste.

And while I haven't run across a breast milk region of Spain, all 17 regions do produce unique cheese flavors. Manchego cheese from La Mancha, the home of don Quijote, is probably the most well known.

Pair a nice bottle of Rioja, a hunk of mild and salty manchego and a warm baguette before your siesta and enjoy.

Cheers!

• Read more about enforex_pages_landing_block_084b5f72-64de-4a90-95cb-4c99382113e0

It´s not unusual for snow to fall this late in the year but yesterday Barcelona was blanketed in the white stuff.

Any Spanish snowmen out there?

Cheers!

• Read more about enforex_pages_landing_block_d4811769-cd93-44f0-99e4-f8c7f32f9e60

Monday, March 8th, at 10AM and 12PM, matinee shows of the music from Don Quijote de la Mancha will be performed at the Teatro Liceo, Salamanca. This is a great opportunity for tourists, or anyone with the morning off. The Liceo was part of the cultural development in Salamanca that contributed to winning the 2002 European City of Culture honor.

The title of the show caught my attention but regardless of what´s playing at the Liceo it´s a treat to see something at the theatre.

Only a 2 minute walk from the Plaza Mayor, check out the Liceo next Monday!

Cheers!!

• Read more about enforex_pages_landing_block_79f63df4-4b2c-4c35-a91c-8ef3b3e20c89

If you sign up before March 30th, we will give you 15% off the regular Summer Camp price!

Do something that will set you apart from your other friends and have some fun in Europe this summer. Kids and teens from 5 to 18 years old have the opportunity to enroll in intense Spanish courses with don Quijote for a summer vacation abroad.

You´ll be mixed with kids from 42 different countries while you hang out in some of the hottest cities in Spain. Summer Camp programs are available in 7 different locations in Spain: Barcelona, Salamanca, Marbella, Sevilla, Madrid, Granada and Valencia. Nearly 500 million people speak Spanish today - don´t be left out.

With spring approaching summer can only on be on the horizon...

Hope to see you around!

Cheers!

• Read more about enforex_pages_landing_block_43f869ec-98eb-4eed-9092-f93de5db577d

Geared towards gifted Spanish students, don Quijote schools will participate in sponsoring the 2010 annual adventure with Ruta Quetzal BBVA to Spain and Mexico. The Ruta Quetzal BBVA excursion will fuse cultural experiences on a mission to explore Spain´s Camino de Santiago and the Mayan ruins of the Yucatan Peninsula. The trip will bridge the gap between Spain and Latin America and connect exceptional students from Spain, Portugal, Brazil, South America, and Central America.

If you are you a student, with superior Spanish ability, are from one of the participating countries or currently studying in Spain and were born in 1993 or 1994 you are eligible to apply.

Check out the homepage for details Ruta Quetzal BBVA 2010.

Cheers!

• Read more about enforex_pages_landing_block_8bb933e3-50a6-40d4-a8cd-17603c42abde

If you can´t make it to Carnaval in Brazil in South America, or Tenerife or Cadiz don´t lose heart. Because if you´re near Madrid or Salamanca you might be interested in catching a bus out to Ciudad Rodrigo for their Carnaval! Bull fights, costume parades, and a running of the bulls will be the main cultural attractions. Check with your local FB party organizer for details on how to get yourself out there.

A few sites to get you pumped up and informed: YouTube clip 1, YouTube clip 2, YouTube clip3,

Ciudad Rodrigo Carnaval, Ciudad Rodrigo.net

Cheers!

• Read more about enforex_pages_landing_block_3a2b3e16-fdb9-4a73-b992-43ee9a502c7e

Perhaps you´ve seen this type of headline before, maybe substituted for a language other than Spanish. The fact remains that Spanish is one of the worlds most widely spoken languages. And if you can read this you already have 1 of the top 3 languages spoken worlwide, the first one being Mandarin Chinese...

Find the time for yourself to study abroad with don Quijote in Spain or Latin America (Mexico, Central Am.or South Am.) and make this fictional anecdote your own!

Do something you´ll love, travel, and come stay with us at one of our schools and return to home or work with a skill.

Cheers!

• Read more about enforex_pages_landing_block_e2f3065c-69b8-4100-9088-15d59d393f88