Oviedo – the capital of Asturias was very impressive and stately for me. So many statues and old buildings prove the old history of the city. Especially the Cathedral and many squares are certainly worth seeing for tourists.
In this photo you see “The Fat Lady”, which represents me the reality of our life. But the friends, who are standing in front of the statue – were the most important part of our successful trip!
This picture I want to share with you: lovely mountains. Finland is so flat, so it was amazing to look at the high mountains there and those serpentine roads. It was my first visit to Croatia, but maybe some day I´ll return to see the beautiful country. The whole trip was memorable: the small monastery, beautiful landscape and carnival time. This all was something special to me, because in Finland we haven´t that kind of things and traditions. I hope all the best for you everyone, it was nice to take part of our project.
Speeches of Patrizia and Marie
Two years before I didn`t know you, but now I have lot of wonderful memories with all of you. I am glad that I started to study English language right in this project, thanks Eeva. When I look at this very poor-quality picture, I remember our last night in Mieres and the speeches of Patrizia and Marie. Especially Patrizia, I can still feel in my skin her heartfelt speech. She found right words to tell how wonderful trip we have traveled in these two years. I absolutely agreed with her and I still do. And I think that all we do. Marie’s sensitive speech supplemented this moment.
We all, my new friends, made this wonderful project, without you this wouldn’ be the same. I remember too our treasure hunt in Croatia, Spain and of course in Finland, these were so funny, exciting and little bit difficult for me, because my English. Unforgettable night was in Mieres, when we listened to Miners choral singing , I almost cried. And another unforgettable was the Carnival night in Rijeka, we had so fun and we saw a very amazing and big parade.
Love, Ella
Grundtvig project in the spring exhibition, article in the local newpaper
Posters of the mobilities
PowerPoint presentation at the exhibition
One day we arrived at Krk island. We’ve heard that the island is very beautiful and also very popular, crowded with tourists. We don’t know about that – we saw only one tourist 😉
Krk island and its narrow streets were really unique, the atmosphere and buildings were something you don’t see every day. No wonder that the famous travel book, Lonely Planet, wrote that Krk island is among the fifteen places worth seeing in the world.
Furthermore, the restaurant we visited was really cosy, full of atmosphere. The fireplace and the octopus made in four different ways are still in our memories.
One of the highlights of all our mobilities is the Treasure Hunt. It is a really good way to make ourselves familiar with each other. It is also the best way to see all the places – both normal tourist places and those which only the local people know.
In May we had met in Estonia and Latvia, so it was easier to do Croatian Treasure Hunt. Do you remember what we were doing in this task?
“One for all and all for one”.
The Three Musketeers, Photo made by D’Artagnan (Elena).
This Picture is very important to me. It sums up what these meetings have given me: friends all over Europe. In the picture we are going to the beer factory which was, of course, one of my favourite places in Belgium.
Belgium took me by surprise. I did not know just about anything about Belgium before the trip. We were able to explore the grandest places and see the variety of the landscape. We got to know culture like Celtic dance, which was wonderful. The last day’s guided visit to Brussels crowned it all. This is a country I have to return to some day.
I had a clear vision at the beginning of this project, I wanted to discover Croatia. I didn’t know a lot about Croatia. I knew Croatia had hard times in the 90’s and nowadays it’s a very famous place to spend a holiday. I was ready for an adventure.
I was surprised about the agenda. There were many interesting places and events to discover in five days. Everything was well organised, without any rush. Five days with a big group of international students without any problems with the timetable is almost a miracle. The organizers did a great job.
We had such a good group, everyone was involved and ready to learn. Students and teachers from Dante school were great hosts, we got a lot of specific information and personal opinions. The information was very useful especially during Rijeka Carnival.
I felt so relaxed in Rijeka, it was almost like being at home. Everybody was so friendly and helpful. I got many friends during the visit. Learning English was just a minor part of this meeting. We were having fun and eating well with my new friends, that was the best part of this mobility. That’s the way I like to study!
I have nothing but great memories from Croatia. I am happy to have so many friends in Rijeka. Let this friendship never end 🙂
Our first mobility meeting took place in Baltia in May. We started our trip in Tallinn. Our first treasure hunt in Old town was an exciting experience. We started from Raekoja plats and walked around the old town. We saw many historical places such as Niguliste Church, Vapaduse väljak (Freedom Square), Toompea Hill and Palace, Pikk Hermann and so on. Our first common evening in medieval restaurant Olde Hansa was quite a unique experience. There we met all our foreign friends and had opportunity to discuss with them.
After Tallinn our visit to Rapla was also very interesting. There we saw a modern high school and local workshops. After this visit we started a bus trip to Riga. In historical, beautiful Riga we saw also a wonderful old town and many many attractions. One of the highlights was a visit to Latvian Parliament. The weather had also changed from very cold and windy weather to sunshine. The summer had come!
This picture has been taken in Jurmala. Many of us travelled by train to Jurmala. Jurmala is a resort town and we were told that while Latvia was a part of the Soviet Union Jurmala was a favorite holiday-resort and tourist destination for high-level Communist Party officials. Many villas and hotels have remained, some have fallen into disrepair. Nowadays they are very popular and people are eager to repair them. The most important tourist attraction is the long beach facing the Gulf of Riga. We walked along the beach and one of us was very brave and tried to swim in very cold water 🙂
Thank you, our Estonian and Latvian friends, for the memorable days we had with you.
It was exciting to start to think and plan for the visit of our new European friends here in Huittinen. We had already got a taste of the gathering from Estonia and Latvia. What could we offer? What could rival the spirit of the Old Town of Tallinn or beautiful architecture of Riga, not to mention the fabulous sandy beach of Jurmala? I have to admit that even though this is not a competition, I felt a little pressure. What is there to see in Huittinen? I might have thought about it more critically than the other members of our group, probably due to the fact that I wasn’t born here and I do not necessarily feel that kind of love to Huittinen as my home that would make my eyes shining, when introducing the uniqueness of our municipality.
So, what to show to you? The Church? What is so unique in our church that is so great that our visitors will be delighted? After all, it is certainly beautiful, but the fact is that every single town has its own church, and how might one expect people from different religions in general to see it as interesting or even beautiful? I wonder how many of us even here in Huittinen go there, so isn’t it a kind of fraud … to be proud to introduce the building, which most people, at least of my age, are alienated from and do not feel their own?
Here we were, in the middle of our fields, frantically wondering how we would spend the three rainy autumn days in an interesting way? We were hit by luck! We heard that The Crazy Night of Huittinen would fall on the same weekend when you come. At least people are on the move and even stores are going to keep their doors open later. Furthermore, when it is added with a tour in Rauma and sauna in Säkylä … would it be there????
All my fears and my doubts fell off as soon as I met you on Thursday evening when you arrived! There were no longer the guests and hosts, just friends who wanted sincerely, without prejudice to enjoy each other’s company. You were ready to accept everything offered. Even that sauna and swimming in the icy water, to which nothing in the world would have been able to take me if you all hadn’t wanted to experience it.
As soon as you arrived, there was conveyed a feeling of togetherness, immediacy, the desire to get to know our culture and our customs.
We did not offer you a great hotel and magnificent old buildings, no major shopping paradises. We offered darkness and silence. And ourselves. Your receptivity took off at least my reservations and got me to know the kind of immediacy that one often has to search only.
I wonder why we want to meet each other? The answer is obvious. That isn’t organized excursions or fine settings, but the people. People from all over Europe. People who are externally different from each other, but basically the same everywhere. We all breathe the same air, we eat, we sleep, we love … And now we are studying a common language, so that we are able to speak and to understand each other better. It does not matter where we meet, what kind of program we have in these meetings, at what kind of restaurant we eat and where we sleep. Only thing that matters is that we meet each other and learn to understand each other, each other’s cultures and ways of life. We’ll create experiences together.
I had to pick one photo for this entry. On Facebook there are hundreds of them, some of them are my favorites. But it would have been unfair to choose some other picture than this one of the whole group. In this picture, there is all that why that meeting in Huittinen has received so much praise. You. You made those three days memorable. I can hardly wait for February and seeing you again, the next event to make memories. See you all soon!
Regards, Satu
A report of the mobility and the project in Finnish in the local newspaper Lauttakylä published in Huittinen, Finland.
You can see a large, readable version of the article by clicking on the thumbnail. (In Finnish)
ACTIVE LANGUAGE 