Comenius Experience- hosting visitors
For me this experience was different from the one that I had in Portugal because at that time I knew what were the habits of Portuguese people. I wanted that my friend felt in my home like if he was in his home. When I went to the bus station in Vila Real do Santo Antonio I was excited because I didn’t know anything about Diogo and I didn’t know how that week was going to be.
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When we arrived home he was tired. During our time together that week we were like brothers because from the beginning to the end we had cumplicity with each other. I was really happy to meet him and also my family as he was and is very friendly.
But the last day was the saddest day of the week because we had tp say good bye and I spent good moments with them and I didn’t know if I were going to see them again. I hope that it wasn’t "good byes" but only "see you later" and so it has been because we stay in contact. Daniel Ortiz Vaz IES la Arboleda (Lepe, Spain) |
HOSTING IN LEPE: JOSÉ ANTONIO & HIS POLISH MATE
This is my experience on Comenius Project here in Spain when I received a Polish boy in my house .It was really funny because it was like having a brother for me. Moreover, I saw again many Greeks girls that I had missed a lot. It was really amazing and I would like to go back again to Greece or go to Portugal or even to Poland.
My granny would have been very proud of me! Speaking in English with Polish, Greeks and Portuguese; Amazing! It was such a good week! Last October, it was my first Comenius experience and I have to say that I am looking forward to doing it again. At least for me, only some years ago the idea of meeting new people from different countries to exchange experiences, it was only an adventure. Nowadays, I can see the power of travelling around the world and the need of having a universal way of communication. For 5 days we spoke about our high schools, about our students, our systems, our families...it was not just a professional trip, I felt among friends. From “La Arboleda”, we tried to show the best of Huelva and of all of us. I remember when we went "El Rocío" for lunch and I still see ourselves trying to explain to them how "romería festival" works and how we tried to sing a traditional song in Spanish for our mates. |
Next April, some of us will go to Poland. For sure we will find a lot of interesting meetings, customs, people… but I ask myself...Will I be prepared to sing in Polish? José Miguel Suárez Silva Physical Education teacher
IES la Arboleda (Lepe, Spain) |
When the groups of the other countries came to visit us, we decided to take them to one of the most wonderful sceneries of the province, the northern part. I am referring to the so called "La sierra".
After a long journey by bus, we arrived at the town of Aracena, where we visited the Cave of Wonders. I must thank the guide that took us through the maze of corridors, lakes and chambers and make a big effort to SPEAK IN ENGLISH. Yes, you can believe it. |
By doing so everybody felt comfortable and could understand the information about geological aspects of the area in order to admire the view. Needless to say that they tried the well known JAMÓN SERRANO and also learned about its production and varieties.
After this, we have lunch in Linares de la Sierra, one of the most picturesque towns in the province. It is really peaceful and surrounded by woods and nature. Finally, before going back to Lepe, we stopped at La Peña de Arias Montano. It was possible to enjoy the landscape in its purest essence after a nice day of conviviality. Mª Ángeles Capela
English teacher IES la Arboleda (Lepe, Spain) |
Participating in this project has been a great experience. I took part in the organization of the visit to Seville and I must say that both students and teachers involved in the activity were delighted. My two colleagues and I knew that our guests were really interested in visiting Seville. That is why we did our best and hired a tour-guide, as we wanted them to know as much as possible about the origins of the city and its main attractions. Not only they enjoyed the cathedral and the fantastic scenery of the city from the top of the Giralda Tower, but they also had the chance to taste Spanish tapas at a local restaurant in the city centre.
After having lunch, we had a walk to Maria Luisa Park, where we could share impressions and thoughts about differences and similarities between the countries involved in the project. It allowed us to strengthen relations between teachers and students.
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To sum up, I would like to say that I really liked the closing party organized at La Ermita, as families, teachers and students could taste traditional Spanish food such as paella, ham and Spanish omelette.
Rocío Villegas IES la Arboleda (Lepe, Spain) |