The Craiova meeting - impressions (a teacher's point of view)

 

The trip of the Polish delegation from XI LO in Krakow to Craiova in Romania began, just like every trip in the Erasmus + project. The airport in Krakow in the early morning, three students and two teachers of XI LO were ready for departure. After passing the check-in, it turned out that our plane to Warsaw would not take off because of the fog and we would definitely not be able to fly from Warsaw to Bucharest. Panic at first! "We have to get to the meeting!" Fortunately, a nice lady at the LOT ticket office found a solution and we flew via ... Vienna. Finally, we never landed in Bucharest at 2 p.m., as it had been planned, but at 11 p.m. Then just 4 more hours on the bus and we could go to sleep in our comfy hotel beds at 3 am.

 

Really sleepy, but in excellent moods, we went to the Constantin Brâncuși College of Technology and Arts, our partner school. Constantin Brâncuși, the greatest student of this school, was a world-renowned sculptor, so the College prides itself on many of his school-time works exhibited in the meticulously prepared school museum. We were warmly welcomed by the School Headmaster, teachers, and pupils. The ice-breaking workshop - which has become the tradition of our project – allowed us to get to know each other and start talking. At lunchtime, we had the opportunity to try some delicious Romanian dishes. During our stay, we would be tasting dishes from Romanian cuisine many times, for example, the traditional and toothsome sarmale. In the evening we had a city tour, unfortunately in the rain. We saw the Town Hall and the Palace of Constantin Mihail, who in 1939 hosted Ignacy Mościcki and the Polish government in exile, and where the Museum of Art is currently located. Also, beautiful squares, the Botanical Garden and the Metropolitan Cathedral of Saint Demetrius. We learned about the tragic earthquake of 1977, with the power of more than 7 on the Richter scale, which had destroyed a very large part of the city. Late in the evening we had dinner at the hotel - huge portions of delicious food and a well-deserved rest.

 

On Tuesday and Wednesday, the students worked with commitment during the workshops, which concerned the socio-economic situation in our countries and the development of soft skills. But no day of the visit could pass without pleasure. On Tuesday morning we were able to connect with the Polish and Italian project teams during a video conference. It was very nice for those students who stayed at home to join the international group virtually for a while. The greatest attraction awaited us in the evening - a Romanian evening at school! It included an exhibition of beautiful national costumes, music, and food. The hosts did their best to show us their country and culture. The students brought a lot of homemade jams, cheeses, meats, and marinades. We were encouraged to help ourselves with these delicacies. Then everyone danced to Romanian music, and the students, unwilling to part, continued their party at the hotel.

 

On Thursday, fortunately, the weather improved, because we were going for a trip to the Horezu monastery. In the morning we got on a bus and set off north, towards the Carpathian arch. In Horezu, we had the opportunity to visit a pottery workshop, where we saw how traditional local ceramics are made with a characteristic cockerel motif. Near the small town, on the hill, there is a beautiful white seventeenth-century monastery, a masterpiece of the Brâncovenesc style. On the walls of the church, there are beautiful decorative paintings, everywhere a wealth of details, a wonderful green garden, and all-encompassing peace. The trip really worked well for the students, and on the way back the coach was buzzing with conversations in English.

On Friday, we had to say goodbye to the hospitable Craiova. In the morning there was an official farewell ceremony in the Town Hall and everyone was presented with the certificate of participation. Then, a visit to the museum of art and a walk to the Romanescu Park. Some last-minute shopping and of course common dinner. Thank you, Cristina, Alexandra, and Ana. Thank you, the Romanian Students!

 See you in March in Spain!

Monika Bartos

(a Polish teacher)