From Poland to Barcelona

In October 2011 our Primary School no. 2 in Mszana Dolna invited our friends from Catalonia, Hungary and Italy to Mszana Dolna in Poland. In April 2012 we were invited to Spain. Hungarian, Italian, Polish teachers and Polish students came to Barcelona for 5 days. There was also our mayor with us, who helped us to communicate in Spanish and met the mayor of Les Corts district of Barcelona. Our adventure in Catalonia and Barcelona started on Sunday in the airport of Katowice Pyrzowice . The plane flight from Poland to Barcelona went on during the beautiful weather so our students had the chance to watch amazing steep mountain slopes of the Alps covered with snow. Later we admired the picturesque seacoast of the Mediterranean sea. We reached our hotel in the Barcelona centre without any problems, using convenient couches and buses. Then we were warmly welcome by Catalonian teachers and parents. Our Polish students stayed at homes of some Catalonian parents for 5 days. This way our children had the opportunity to familiarize themselves with same customs, traditions and the way of life of Catalonian people and to practice English language in action. The whole 5 days of our stay in Catalonian capital Barcelona were full of sensations and we were very excited. Catalonian teachers organized our stay there very intensely and attractively. During our stay in Barcelona we had some meetings with Catalonian, Hungarian and Italian teachers and also with Catalonian parents. We took part in some arts, music and English lessons. We watched some traditional folk dances, drums parades and culture shows at school, and attended the show called “human tower”. The other day we went for a long walk among St. Jordi stalls in Rambla Catalunya and we tasted traditional Catalonian food like “Paella” with “frutti di mare”. We also visited 2000 year old “old town” of Barcelona together with its Gothic Quarter and the old cathedral – Santa Maria del Mar. The tradition of Comenius programme and meetings is planting “trees of friendship”, so our children together with Catalonian children planted the tree on the school playground. We also took a walk around the great harbor and port of Barcelona. Another day we walked along the “modernism route” created by unforgettable Gaudi- his masterpieces we will always remember. So we visited Casa Batllo and Casa Atmeller La Pedrera and also admired Sagrada Familia and Guell Park together with the panorama of the whole Barcelona from the top of Guell Park. We were the visitors in one of the best state secondary schools in Ses Corts district and we were invited to the Town Hall by the mayor of Les Corts district. The mayor had a very cordial and touching meeting with us, with our mayor and with our Polish students. Then he handed in some souvenirs to the Italian, Hungarian and Polish head teachers. On Friday, full of positive sensations but sad because we had to leave our Catalonian and Comenius friends, we came back to Poland by Wizzair plane. We were talking all the time, remembering the wonderful time in Barcelona, all friendly people and fantastic atmosphere. Soon we were landing in our country and Poland gave us a warm welcome with beautiful and sunny weather. Jerzy Karczewski Teacher of English

Barcelona's experience

The Comenius trip in Barcelona began on 23rd April in the morning. We were so excited when Celia and Mari, our Catalan friends, came to our hotel to take us and the Polish partners to go to Lavinia School. That was a special day for our catalan friends: Saint George's day, the patron of Barcelona and everything commemorated this Saint. First there was a rehersal made by the pupils about the legend of St. George killing the dragon to save the Princess, then we had a breakfast with some special cakes for St. George's day and finally we went to the Rambla Catalunya where there were stalls selling roses (symbol of St. George) and books about St. George. This celebration, in Catalunya, replaces St. Valentine's day and boys give roses to the girls. After lunch in the school canteen we went to visit the Town Hall of Les Corts, the district where Lavinia school is situated. The building was ancient and magnificent and the mayor of Les Corts, who is also the Deputy Mayor of Barcelona, welcomed us and was very kind and warm with us. After a break in a Liberty Style cafeteria, we came back to school to watch some typical catalan dances and the show with the human tower. On Tuesday we had the tour of Barcelona: we saw the Sagrada Familia, the Pedrera and Casa Batllò by Gaudì and we walked Passeig De Gratia, a residential and elegant route. At least we visited the stunning Parc Guell designed by Gaudì. On Wednesday we went to school to take part in some English and Music lessons, then we visited a High School located in an ancient hospital nearby and we went to see the stadium of Barcelona. In the afternoon we visited the ancient gothic district with the help of a guide and finally we had “tapas” in a typical restaurant in the city centre. On Thursday it was sunny, we visited the kindergarten school and we had the Comenius meeting. After in the morning we walked on “la Rambla”, we visited a typical market of fresh food and we reached the harbour, then Barceloneta, the beech of Barcelona. There we had a good lunch and enjoyed it very much. What a pity!!! our trip was finishing, we had to come back to the hotel to get ready for the last party. In the evening we had appointment at school to see a show of typical catalan dances and fireworks. Then the dinner in a beautiful restaurant in Plaza de Espana. We were happy to be there together and to have met special people, such “friends”, but we were also sad to leave and finish this Comenius meeting. I have no words to say how I was touched. I can only thank my Comenius friends that have given me the opportunity to know and enter the culture and history of their countries, to exchange work experiences and mainly to love them, to appreciate all they did for us and make me feel part of an important, special, unique project. I think the goal of union by UE has been reached: we weren't Italians, Catalans, Hungarians and Polish but we were European citizens speaking, well or not, English. Thank you Rosy from Istituto Comprensivo di Vietri di Potenza

Our Italian experience

Our italian experience, barcelona

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My Polish experience from Hungary

I am grateful to my good fortune for having the opportunity to visit Poland within the Comenius program. Since my childhood I have had and image of the legendary Polish-Hungarian friendship my Father used to tell me about many times. Though he has never got to Poland, I have always desired to travel there. Why? First of all, I wanted to feel these ties closely paying tribute to the memory of my Father.
The painful events of the recent past – the fatal accident of President Katsinski, his family and escort, as well as the reopening wound in connection with the tragedy, the Katyń massacre – strengthened my wish to get to know the people who have suffered all these.
Finally, I also wanted to learn about the mentality of the nation that presented the world with John Paul II.
I definitely got the answers during the series of varied programs for the week organized by our host partners. It is hard to put the experiences I’ve been possessing since October 2011 into words still I try to do so.
The Polish land is majestic. The mountains and rivers inspire the soul to an endless flight. I felt myself at home there like I did by the south range of the Carpathians in Transylvania. The houses and farms growing on the hillsides and slopes are the witnesses of a firm union of man and nature. They reflect harmony and order. I hope the Polish people shall have the strength to preserve it even in this changing world.
We could meet the respect for traditions and national history everywhere. These terms are not out of date but they do live in the present. Cracow is magnificent and elevating. The atmosphere of the Wawel Hill and the Cathedral gave me a life-long experience. So Wadowice did. Being a Roman Catholic person, I was fascinated by the deep religiousness of the Polish people. We were given the proof of this at every moment.
Yet, it was actually the school that convinced me about the Polish patriotism. I could see the consistent way of how these people protect and hand their national worth down to the younger generation. If I had to summarize my impressions I would use the following terms: faith and morality, organization, harmony, balance, freedom and order, classical values, diligence ad consistency, respect and discipline, experiences, joy, modesty. I did not meet any ostentation, extremes or exhibitionism but I saw strength and self-respect.
Being a Catholic, a music-lover and a nature-worshipper, one of my greatest experiences was the worship and memorial service dedicated to John Paul II. at the hill chapel. In spite of the linguistic difficulties I could feel for the message of the poems and songs told and sung by the children there.
Last but not least I must appreciate the cuisine and hospitality of our kind partners.

Many thanks for all,

Horváth Márta
music teacher

Hungary from Barcelona

Hungary from barcelona

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Italian's experience

Copia di my comenius experience

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From Barbara

Harmony of friendship, from Poland

Jerzy

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Jerzy1

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My experiences in Poland, from Hungary

The most important what I can do is saying thank you as a parent for the opportunity for the journey. I had extraordinary experiences. The airport offered us excitements, too. I gained a lot of experiences during the five days as a kindergarten teacher, too. I learnt several things about the history of Poland. The trip to Kraków, the sightseeing gave opportunities for it. I liked the historical side of the city very much. The tour to the mountains was very great. The mountains are overwhelmed me. We saw an open-air mass on the top of the mountain. The mass was about pope John Paul II. The magical temper of the common singing absolutely gripped me.
Thank you for we would visiting a Polish kindergarten, too. It was fantastic to get insight into the Polish people’s traditions, we could live together with them their everydays a little bit, too.
Thank you for the nice, friendly welcome and the magnificent hosting.

Czetterné Pék Mónika
the head of the parent-teacher association in
Simon István Street Primary School

A memorable week in Italy, from Hungary

In March, 2011 I had the chance to visit our Comenius partners in Italy. It was the first time I had been to Italy. I had never flown by airplane before so I was really scared of the airflight. But the journey was smooth in clear weather. We landed in Naples then we took the train to get to Vietri di Potenza.
When we arrived in Vietri some friends were waiting for us and took us to the school. Here we were received by our Italian friends with a fascinating programme. Students of the school showed some music and dance performances and we were received by the headmaster and the mayor as well. During these few days we had the opportunity to visit Basilicata region to see Matera, the remains of a Greek temple, a monastry, the nearby villages, Metaponto. For me Matera was the most brilliant sight to see during that week. And of course the schools of Vietri and Savoia welcomed us. The students and the teachers of both schools did their best to make our staying useful, memorable and interesting. Even the smallest children performed a cute tale and sang beautiful songs for us. We could taste the traditional meals of Italy, and its pasta! I love it! The last day we were at the mayor’s residence and spent a nice evening together in a restaurant.
During that week we could feel the harmony of these four cultures. We talked a lot, exhanged our opinions and went through a lot of memorable experiences together. I hope we can continue this relationship in the future as well.
Anita Móricz Némethné, teacher

Our trip to Poland from hungarian students

We had the opportunity to travel to Poland in part of the Comenius programme with our teachers. We couldn’t wait the day we set off. We were delighted to see another culture and meet our friends face to face.
We have never travelled by airplane before. The journey took an hour to Krakow from Vienna. After arriving in Krakow we travelled to Mszana Dolna. We were friendly received by our Polish friends. We spent five days with our hosting families, they were very kind to us, helped us and made our staying wonderful. In the school there was a reception for us with different, interesting performances with the students of the school. We visited Krakow to see the old buildings and its churches; we visited the birthplace of John Paul II, the former pope. We took part in a mass in a mountain under the sky. The last day we were in the library of the town and we were received by the mayor of the town. We made a lot of friends and our hosting families organized us different other programmes. They were great and the families were fantastic! We could taste the traditional Polish dishes, too.
It was a great pleasure to get to know another culture, to make friends. We are looking forward the next year when they will come to Hungary and we will be able to show them our culture, our town and a bit of Hungary.
Hanna, Fanni and Zoli (students)

Italian students and the teacher of Savoia di Lucania school

Hungary is a landlocked state bounded by Slovakia, Ukraine, Romania, Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia and Austria. It is mostly flat, with low mountains in the north. Lake Balaton, a popular tourist destination, is the largest lake in central Europe. The ancestors of the Hungarians were the Magyar tribes, who moved into the Carpathian Basin in 896. Hungary became a Christian kingdom in 1000, after the crowning of Stephen I (later St. Stephen, patron of Hungary). The Hungarian language is very different from its neighbours and is near to Finnish and Estonian. Originally, the Hungarian capital, Budapest, consisted of two separate cities: Buda and Pest. The town that straddles the River Danube, is rich in history and culture and is famous for its curative springs. The republic has a unicameral Parliament (or National Assembly) made up of 386 members, elected every four years. Hungary has some limited natural resources (bauxite, coal and natural gas) and fertile land for agriculture. Hungarian wines are sold throughout Europe. Among the main exports of the country there are the electrical and electronic equipment, machinery, foodstuffs and chemicals. Hungary is a country of great musical traditions, folk music which has inspired many famous composers such as Liszt, Bartók and Kodály. Among the other celebrities there are Albert Szent-Györgyi, the discoverer of vitamin C, the writer and Nobel Prize winner Imre Kertesz and the director and Oscar winner István Szabó.
The name Szombathely is from Hungarian szombat, "Saturday" and holy, "place", referring to the fact that medieval markets were held on Saturday every week. The German name Steinamanger means "stones on a field" (Stein am Anger), and it refers to the ruins of the Roman city Savaria. There is another theory for the name Steinamanger. Some historians think the German name refers to the earthquake of 458 which destroyed the city. The Latin name Savaria or Sabaria comes from Sibaris, the Latin name for the stream Gyöngyös. The root of the word is the Proto-Indo-European word seu, meaning "wet". Other languages: in Austrian Zöbern, a variation of its Latin name, in Croatian Sambotel, in Slovene Sombotel. Szombathely is the oldest city in Hungary. It was founded in 45 AD under the name of Colonia Claudia Savariensum (Claudius' Colony of Savarians) and it was the capital of the Pannonia Superior province of the Roman Empire. It lays close to the important "Amber Road" trade route. Visiting the association of Roman legionaries we wore real armours of the old legionaries: it was nice to find a little of Italian history. The city also had an imperial residence, a public bath and an amphitheatre. Remains of a mithraeum were discovered in 2008. The Emperor Constantine visited Savaria several times. He ended the persecution of Christians, including the Bishop St. Quirinus, St. Rutilus and St. Irenaeus. The emperor reorganised the colonies and made Savaria the capital of the province Pannonia Prima. This was a period of prosperity for Savaria, its population grew, new buildings were erected, mainly theatres and churches. St. Martin of Tours was born here. Visiting Savaria we ate the typical food of St. Martin, two croissants joined in pair that two friends have to divide eating them. It is the symbol of friendship just like the mantle of St. Martin. At the feast of St. Martin we drew the ducks and we ate the soup with boiled duck. After the death of the Emperor Valentinian III the Huns invaded Pannonia and Attila's armies occupied Savaria between 441 and 445. During a demonstration of Magyar arms at school, we tried the archery, it was exciting. The city was destroyed by an earthquake in 456. During the Ottoman occupation of Hungary the Ottomans invaded the area twice, first in 1664, when they were defeated at the nearby town Szentgotthárd, and later in 1683, when they wanted to occupy Vienna but were defeated, and pillaged many towns on their way back; but the city walls protected Szombathely both times. After the country was freed from Ottoman rule, peaceful times came, until Prince Rákóczi's rebellion against the Habsburgs came in the early 18th century. During the rebellion the city supported the prince, but was occupied by the Habsburg armies in 1704. It was freed in November 1705 but was occupied again in the beginning of 1706. In the next few years it was occupied a few more times by both armies. In June 1710, more than 2000 people lost their lives in a plague, and on May 3, 1716 the city was destroyed by a fire. New settlers came to replace the dead population, most of them were Germans, and the city had a German majority for a long time. The city began to prosper again, with the support of Ferenc Zichy, the Bishop of Győr a gymnasium was built in 1772, and the Diocese of Szombathely was founded in 1777 by Maria Theresa. The new bishop of Szombathely, János Szily rebuilt the cathedral, the episcopal palace and the school (opened in 1793). In 1809 Napoleon's armies occupied the city and held it for 110 days, then there was short battle on the main square. In 1817, 2⁄3 of the city was destroyed by a fire. In 1813 a cholera epidemic claimed many lives. During the revolution in 1848-49 Szombathely supported the revolution, but there were no fights in the area, because the city remained under Habsburg rule. The years after the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867 brought prosperity. In 1885 the nearby villages Ó-Perint and Szentmárton were annexed to the city. In the 1890s, when Gyula Éhen was the mayor, the city developed a lot. Roads were paved, the city was canalized, the tram line was built between the rail station, the downtown and the Calvary Church. Charles IV, in his attempt to get the throne of Hungary back, was greeted with enthusiasm in Szombathely, but he failed. Between the world wars Szombathely prospered, lots of schools were founded, and between 1926 and 1929 the Transdanubian region's most modern hospital was built. During World War II, as with many other towns in the region, Szombathely became part of the logistical military infrastructure supporting Axis forces. Soviet forces came in control of Szombathely on 29 March 1945. After the war the city grew, absorbing many nearby villages (Gyöngyöshermán, Gyöngyösszőlős, Herény, Kámon, Olad, Szentkirály, Zanat and Zarkaháza). During the revolution in 1956 it was occupied by the Soviet army. In the 1970s the city was industrialized, many factories were built. In the 1980s the city prospered, several new buildings were built, including the County Library, public indoor swimming pools, a gallery. In 2006 the refurbishing of the city centre's main square was completed, with financial assistance from EU funds.

Aurora's experience from Vietri di Potenza

What Comenius has meant for me...
Our partners in Italy (from 21 March to 24 March 2011)

Comenius is an experience of cultural exchanges among foreign countries. Sure, it’s a good experience because we can improve our English, speaking with people who speaks it everyday.
Comenius promote many objectives: good education, relation with other people and particularly knowledge of different cultures.
Our school (Istituto Comprensivo di Vietri di Potenza) got some funds by the LLP agency to carry out a Comenius project with Spain, Poland and Hungary.
This project has helped me to understand how it is important to communicate with other people speaking a different language.
Of course the Comenius project consists of several exchanges: e-mails, postcards and journeys in the foreign countries. Last year we went to Hungary and to Poland and our partners came to Italy. I would like to tell you something about this coming.
Polish students were hosted in our homes and the teachers were hosted in a hotel. I had “the honour” to host a Polish girl, Martina. When the Polish kids arrived, we went to take them at the station. The kids were very tired and they went to the bed at once.The day after we got up, we dressed and my Polish friend gave me some presents: a bracelet and a very nice book on the characteristics of Poland. Then we went to school. My house is not far from the school so we went to school walking. At school I introduced the Polish girl to my friends. All the Polish kids assisted a few lessons in Italian and they taught us some Polish words. We had lunch in the school canteen. In the afternoon we organized a party to welcome our friends. We sang one of the most famous song: “Volare” of “Domenico Modugno”. Then the dancing group “IG Dance Machine” danced a hip-hop dance and the primary school sang “Imagine”, a song of “John Lennon”, finally the school of Savoia di Lucania danced a folk dance. As any deserving party there was something to eat. In fact in the school canteen our mother had arramged very long tables full of local products. Then we went home. The day after we went to Matera. When we arrived there it was rather cold but we started to visit its “Sassi” that are very ancient houses built in the rock. Our guide, who was speaking in English, brought us visiting the nicest houses, the ravine below the Sassi and a church with a lot of frescoes. We had lunch in a typical restaurant. In the afternoon we left Matera but we stopped to Metaponto to visit the temples. We spent a lot of time there and we took a lot of photos all together. It was very late and we were very tired so we went to Vietri. The next day we went to visit Savoia di Lucania and Sant’Angelo Le Fratte, two small villages nearby. In Savoia there is the branch school of Vietri and it organized the spring party. The Polish sudents planted a tree and received a gift, then they joined to the math games. After meeting the mayor of Savoia, we visited the church. Then we had lunch in the school canteen. In Sant’Angelo Le Fratte, we visited a manufacturing factory and then the church of San Michele Arcangelo. At night we had a big party in the little square of Savoia. Some students of the secondary school danced a medieval ballade wearing such ancient and magnificent customs. At the end there was a big cake decorated with the flags of each country of the project. The next day was the greetings day, the last day of the Comenius Project. So, we had a party in the monastery of Vietri. It was a very happy day, full of fun and emotions. Some mothers had arranged long tables in the courtyard of the monastery with a lot of food. After the lunch, we visited the convent inside and then everybody danced. At the end of the party we saw a football match. After the match, we came back home and in the evening we had a pizza. The next morning we woke up early and we accompained our friends near the school where they had to left. After the greetings they left and we felt alone and sad because this wonderful experience was ended.

Italian experiences

From Italy to Poland

16- 21 October 2011



It was an autumn day when I left Italy to go to Poland with my five pupils, my three fellow teachers, my headmaster and the head of the secretary’s office. The first contact with the Polish land was at Cracow, an ancient, romantic city full of charm and history. We quickly catched the typical atmosphere of the town at the twilight.
The day after, early in the morning, our dear George came to our hotel to meet us. It was a touching moment.
He brought us to Mzana Dolna where he had booked a delicious and warm mountain chalet for us. We spent the first morning visiting a typical wooden church in that area and a railway museum.
St. Maria Magdalena's church in Kasina, in baroque style, contained such beautiful frescoes and a magnificent wooden organ. In the hall of the church there was a little museum of traditional handcraft products.
In the afternoon we went to the welcome party in the school gym of Mzana Dolna. There were reharsals, songs, dancing, welcome speeches and...good food! We felt at home.
In the evening, at the hotel, we met our Comenius friends from Spain and Ungary. We were very happy: our dream to harmonize the different cultures was becoming a reality!
The second day began early in the morning, we would visit Cracow! The tour of Cracow started from the Jewish district, one of the most ancient in Cracow, with its little houses and sloping roofs. Then we visited the Wawel Castle, an ancient fortress inhabited by the kings of Poland. Its history was accurately described by a touristic guide speaking English who showed us the Wawel cathedral, the Dragon cave and the Vistula river too. Then the guide led us to the church where the Pope St. John Paul prayed during his stay in the archibishop palace in Cracow and we could pray in the same seat of the Pope.
Walking throught Cracow we reached the main Market Square, we visited the church of St. Mary and had a look to the Town Hall Tower, then we got the Florian's Gate and the ancient wall. In the afternoon we had lunch in a typical Polish restaurant decorated with colourful flowers according to the Polish folk tradition.
On wednesday morning we went to the Snieznica Mountain for a Mass in the wood. It was very touching and there was a moving atmosphere. In the afternoon we went to Wadowice, the birthplace of St. John Paul II where we visited the Basilica of St. Mary's Revelation and the home of Karol Wojtyla containing his documents, manuscripts and works. Coming back to Mzana Dolna we stopped to Kalwaria Zebrzydowska where there are the Stations of the Cross and a Sanctuary where Karol Wojtyla prayed when he was a child.
In the evening there was a barbecue party outdoor the hotel, we danced and enjoyed very much.
On last day we visited the most important cultural centres in Mzana Dolna: the primary and secondary school, a special kindergarten school, a sport centre and a secondary technical school.
In the afternoon, after Comenius meeting, there was the visit of a magnificent cistercian monastery nearby, surrounded by the mountains.
In the evening we had dinner in an elegant restaurant in Mzana Dolna, we danced up to midnight and at the end we greeted our fantastic friends. What incredible experience!
That has been our journey but beside that one we travelled on the thread of our feelings and emotions: we proved the Polish hospitality, the Polish warmth, the Polish friendship; we discovered the Polish culture and history, we understood the Polish pride, we felt the Polish spirituality and simplicity. We felt very well. Thank you Polish friends.
The teacher
Rosa Villani

Some Polish experiences

Unforgettable italian experience

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Martina italian adventure

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