Combining his interests in world history, poetry, the Spanish language and cycling, Zane Grenoble ’19 traveled to southern Spain to retrace the path of Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar’s victories over the moors during the Reconquista. Grenoble, traveling alone, cycled roughly 200 miles from Albarracín and to Albufera over nine days following Vivar’s conquest.

Vivar, also known as El Cid, is the protagonist of the famous Spanish epic poem “El Cantar de Mio Cid.” Grenoble prepared for the trip by reading the epic in both English and Spanish and writing a collection of poems in response to the text. He documented the journey in both written and photo journals, which he will use to create a presentation summarizing the expedition.

“I loved the trip,” Grenoble said. “It combined many of my different interests and allowed me to study the Reconquista firsthand.”

“They are an invaluable way for students to study in depth something they are passionate about.”