Saturday 15th May

A day for parting! All but the English left for home. The English were left behind to experience concentrated culture. The children stayed with their hosts and either went swimming or to the zoo or visiting other children to "bond". The staff were given a wonderful trip along the Polish border and into Poland. At one point we came across a very strange trio of musicians in a derelict old church. Who would have expected to find a didgeridoo band rehearsing in such an isolated spot? Wonders never cease!

Friday 14th May

After gathering together at school we all marched down to the Town Hall where a tall darkly-suited gentleman was waiting to receive us. He was the mayor of the town and the reception hall was beautifully bedecked with fine wooden furnishings. The mayor spoke very good English but he preferred to talk to the whole group in Czech.

He talked a little about the town and about the project. After his welcome speech some of the Czech girls played some recorder pieces from the elevated section of the room.

Outside it was raining; but this would be perfect for what was about to happen. We walked for a few minutes down to a small green area in the lower part of the town. The mayor had had three holes prepared for the planting of three new trees in commemoration of the Comenius project.

This wasn't time for long speeches so we grabbed the three trees, birch, maple and hornbeam and placed them in the holes. The middle one was given a rather special present. Under its roots was placed a sealed bottle containing coins and messages from each of the partner countries. Perhaps when the tree keels over and dies in a couple of hundred years someone might find the bottle and investigate its contents.

So the mayor was thanked and he went back to his work and to a dry pair of shoes! The rest of us walked to the cinema where the musical performance would be taking place. There was first a rehearsal for the performers whilst the few non-performers wrestled with the hot drinks machine. Soon the performance was ready to start. The orchestra played Yellow Submarine and another Beatles tune. The Czechs gave dancing displays, belly dancing from the younger ones and something a little more classical from the older ones. The Slovak girls sang songs and one of them gave us a wonderful solo performance accompanied by her teacher on piano. The Finnish team also sang for us.

The morning was not over yet because it was time to visit the plastics moulding company, Isolit-Bravo. We were shown around the injection moulding department where we saw parts of Skoda cars being made. the highlight, however, was the white plastic highchair seat for young children which was something we could all relate to. They were being shoved into boxes with Ikea labels all over them. Interestingly, later we were to encounter some of these deployed for real in a couple of restaurants. Deep fat fryers bound for the Netherlands were also piled high.

In the assembly department we saw the fryers being packaged up. There were also some ingenious motorised wheelbarrows and many of the children got to give each other rides round the assembly and packaging area.

Lunch was in the factory canteen with some of the workers eating at the same time. We were made to feel very welcome and the lunch was very nice. Thank you Isolit-Bravo!

Back to school and a free afternoon. Some of us went shopping in the town whilst others just chilled, catching up with some of the uneaten cakes which had decorated the tables all week or grabbing some computer time. The weather was improving a little and the evening was drier.

Children went back to their hosts for a last night together whilst the adults met in the Black Bear for a goodbye meal.

Thursday 13th May

This morning the children were divided into two groups. For half of the morning, each group did artwork for display at the final assembly, or practised their music for it. For the other half, they walked through the town to a factory where wooden garden furniture is prepared and assembled. Teachers accompanied this trip and also put up the display in the town cinema.

The factory belongs to the husband of a teacher at the school, so he knew all about us and had prepared a warm welcome. We were given t-shirts and refreshments, shown the processes of the factory from start to finish, and then the children were invited to do some manufacturing themselves. They hammered and glued and used electric screwdrivers for all they were worth, making parts of small stools which were patented here, while teachers watched in admiration, taking photos. The best surprise of all was that while we were having our refreshments afterwards, we were presented with a wrapped stools for our schools which our own children had put together. How cool is that?

The weather was again kinder than forecast, so after lunch at school and a short break--time for teachers to update blogs and check the latest flight situation--we were able to set off by coach again for Tvrz Bouda, an underground fortification constructed in the 1930s for defence against Germany, but never used as such. Apparently it was used during the Cold War by the Russians.

This trip involved climbing what the English would call a mountain (nearly 1000 m above sea level) but the Czechs regard as just a hill. There is a wonderful view from the top as far as Poland, but we saw nothing because of the low cloud base. Then began a long descending hike to the fortifications, and a walk for an hour through the maze of tunnels underground, where it was cold (4.5 degrees). The guide was an enthusiast who felt he had to tell us everything! My impression was that I would have hated to live and work in such an environment as a soldier.

After surfacing and eating our packed tea we continued our descent, this time about 7 km to Těchonín where Hugh and Chris, two of the English party, have been staying. The track was muddy in places and steep in others, but now we enjoyed some spectacular views en route in Alpine-type country before rejoining our bus for the short ride back to school and hosts, tired but happy.

Wednesday 12th May

The Morning of Unusual Sports
The morning was a bit cloudy and Valeria thought it would be good to start right away at the sports field just behind the school building because the weather report had promised some showers. The sports ground had nice decorations in white paint. There was also the word COMENIUS in big letters.








The children were divided into four groups. Each group was of mixed nationality. The first game was dodgeball where the members of one group tried to hit a member of the other team by throwing the ball. What enthusiasm and accuracy in throwing!

The second game was named Finnball. The meaning in this game was to hit a ball with a baseball bat and the members on the field were to collect the ball and throw it back to the home base. During this time the whole of the other team would run around two cones. They got a point if all the members had passed the cone before the person in the home base had received the ball back from the field and shouted "Stop". After all the members had had a turn of hitting the ball, the teams changed their task. A lot of running gave red cheeks.





We were lucky; no rain the whole time. All were thirsty and glad to have something to drink, with delicious cake made early in the morning by one of the host mothers. After this the teams played crocker (a game played with a football but with runners and wickets as in English cricket) and bumball (a game played on all fours like handball except you can´t stand up). The children were quick like small spiders. The enjoyment, fun and the international co-operation was just gorgeous.

Afternoon trip to Litomyšl
Chicken with pasta and soup for lunch tasted very well. After that we took our siesta and at 13.30 was our bus ready to go to Litomyšl, that is the birthplace of Czech composer Bedřich Smetana. We have done this 40 km trip in about an hour. Some of us were a little bit tired and slept in the bus. The non-sleepers watched some of us, how to sleep. The weather has cooperated with our fatigue. It's raining, men­!








We arrived in Litomyšl at about 3.00 p.m. We visited the chateau complex which was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1999. We saw the exquisite interiors of the castle, especially the baroque castle theatre, in the amphitheatre, in the castle park and Smetana's house, all offer varied programmes of concerts and theatrical performances. In 1994 the meeting of the seven Central European presidents took place at the castle.









There are original coulisses in the baroque castle theatre. It was built for the rich and also for ordinary people. They still play in this theatre. Opposite the castle is a brewery, where Bedřich Smetana was born as a son of a brewer.

There are large rooms in the castle with original wood-floor, made in different kinds of designs, which were in every room different. The owner and nobility entered this castle and all of the rooms already riding their horses. There is also a big collection of porcelain, pianos and great pictures with horses, war scenes and hunting scenes. There were also portraits of the owners, art pictures from holidays, a lot of lounge rooms – the blue one, the green one, saloon for ladies, etc.

After this visit we were in centre for shopping for an hour and we left the city at about 17.15. We turned back and the adults had a very nice dinner in the school. The meal was prepared by a school cook. Great surprise was an evening belly dance by the teachers (photos not allowed). Four ladies danced some prepared dances for our Comenius group.




We really enjoyed this day and the evening.

Tuesday 11th May

Today we boarded a bus which took us to a nearby town called Letohrad. Even though the weather report promised rain we were treated to bright sunshine from the beginning. Just beyond Letohrad was a very special place, Zampach Arboretum.

The arboretum was not just a place for caring for trees but it also cared for a special group of people. Zampach is also an institution which cares for people with special needs. It provides them with accommodation and training in self-sufficiency by allowing them to take care of the trees, a few horses and a donkey.

On arrival we were shown an introductory presentation and then we walked around the grounds following the worksheet which was prepared for us. The Turkish team was by far the best at this. Well done.

The arboretum was at the foot of a large, forest-covered hill. At the top of the hill stood a castle, but we didn't have time to visit it, unfortunately. The surrounding countryside was beautiful and bathed in a golden light. Large deer were seen dashing across distant fields.

After the arboretum we went back to Letohrad and stopped at a museum of old craft. There were old farm machines and workshop tools covering a variety of metal and wood crafts. Unfortunately we were not allowed to take any photographs inside the museum.

Lunch was in the restaurant at the museum. Some of us had the typical Czech menu with dumplings.

After lunch the coach took us to a flooded section of the river above the Pastviny Dam. Here we were able to hire pedalos or a rowing boat for an hour of fun on the water. It did rain a little but we were not bothered at all.

Last stop before returning to school was the dam itself. The dam was fairly tall but the volume of water coming out of the bottom was fairly small. The river itself is no more than a few metres wide and it is not very deep. The amount of electricity generated must be quite small.

Monday 10th May

The day began early with everyone arriving at the school in Jablonné before 8 a.m. We were all warmly welcomed by staff and children. However, the elements were not so friendly and umbrellas were the order of the day, for the short walk to school at least. Soon we were given the morning´s instructions and divided into groups for a tour of the school building. After a refreshment break the children were sorted into two groups. One group went off to start rehearsing the week´s musical production whilst the other group went off to do an art activity based on the "Comenius Tree". At about 10 a.m. the whole school was assembled outside, the weather having improved enough, to sing two songs together with their guests. The first song was Queen´s "Friends will be Friends". Not many people knew this song well enough but we all gave it a good try. The second song was better known and much better performed. It was "We Are The World", made famous by Michael Jackson over 25 years ago. Both songs were chosen for their lyrics which reflected the spirit of the Comenius project. After the singing it was time for speeches. Each team leader was handed the microphone to say a few words to the assembled body. The Czech team leader translated where necessary. Turkey was first to brave the microphone, followed by the Slovaks, the British and finally the Finns.

After this there were visits to lessons for the children and any adults wishing to see more of the classes.
Lunch was provided in the canteen. We had a nice soup and a fish dish with mashed potatoes. Dessert was mixed fruit in syrup. Lunch was followed by tours of the town of Jablonné.

We were shown the plastics factory, Isolit-Bravo, the river Orlici, the old town bridge, the town square including the old Black Bear hotel, the Town Hall, the mayor´s house, a museum, pizzeria and other beautiful buildings. The old church, with its 300 year old spire, was the highlight of the tour.










The priest, Father Pavel, was very kind and he explained about the history of the church. He even let us investigate the old pipe organ and some people, including a certain music teacher, even got to play it! Even better than this was the trip up the steep and creaky wooden steps to the bell tower.















Father Pavel even let us ring the bells whilst standing only a metre and a half from tons of swinging metal. What the people of the town thought about the impromptu bell ringing we do not know.
Refreshment was provided at the museum in the town square: then back to school for more artwork and more music before finishing at 6 p.m.






In the evening the children went home with their hosts and some of the teachers got together for a cycle ride around the outskirts of the town. To be absolutely fair it has to be mentioned that the weather in the afternoon had become warm, dry and sunny for the whole of our tour and for the duration of the early evening before sunset. One piece of worrying news was that an internal flight from Prague to Brno had to be cancelled due to volcanic ash. We will undoubtedly be spending the week studying the sky very closely!

Sunday 9th May

The English party, hosteled in the Stare Mesto or Old Town, went in search of breakfast on a sunny morning in the Czech capital but found that, despite the large numbers of people converging on the area from where the city´s marathon (15000 entries) was shortly to start, restaurant owners were having their usual Sunday lie-in; even the market stall holders were only just beginning to set up. We eventually found an Italian cafe open and enjoyed a continental breakfast amidst the runners warming up.

We returned to our hotel to meet Radka, a friend of one of our pupils, who had come up to the capital solely to act as our guide, without expecting to find the way to Wenceslas Square, where we were to meet the Finnish party, blocked by the race. We had to dash beneath the cordon and between the runners in order to progress, and did so under the eye of the Czech TV camera broadcasting the action. The rather intimidating-looking Czech police ignored us--school parties have a strange immunity at times! So we were able to march up the square, actually a long, broad, tree-lined street full of surprisingly English stores like M & S, to meet the Finns beneath the famous statue in front of the Museum. With them was the Czech teacher Petr, who was acting as their guide.

Cordial greetings were exchanged and the decision taken to get day travel tickets and catch a tram to the tower commonly known as the Mini-Eiffel. But neither Petr nor Radka had bargained on the marathon, and the tram had to be abandoned once we realised the right number was taking us in the wrong direction!

A long day´s walking ensued; but if you are ever going to walk all day round a European capital, choose Prague in the spring. The forecast rain held off, live bands played for the runners on what seemed every street corner, and on roads with more segways than cars running, we made our way with cameras clicking frequently through this most scenic of cities. Children not usually moved by British architecture were commenting on the beauty of the buildings, by turns colourful, grand, classically-proportioned and wonderfully decorated, some with murals, some with statues, and most with lovely examples of stonework. We walked up the hill (some took the cable car) to the imitation-Eiffel Tower at the top, followed by 299 steps for those who wanted the best view--more cameras clicking, accompanied by gasps which may have been in astonishment at the panorama unfolding, or may simply have been due to shortage of breath.

Even greater beauties lay in store for us than the view of spires, treetops, red-tiled roofs and the Vltava curving between the magnificent riverside buildings could afford. After a light but leisurely meal we made our way down to the still high castle and cathedral. Just when you might have thought you could not see a more attractive set of large buildings anywhere, you turned a corner and each new street seem to surpass the ones before. Cobbled streets, the absence of traffic, steep and narrow alleys disappearing down towards the river, incredibly-detailed carving and artwork on the walls, ornate iron fountains--and still we had not arrived at the jewels in the crown! I had to replace my camera batteries by the time we arrived at the castle, with a quartet playing classical music nearby and the blue-uniformed guards changing conveniently for us just after we showed up.

The castle is hugely impressive. Parts are in daily use as government offices, yet tourists wander freely around in both senses of the word, posing for photos and tossing coins into the fountain and the well. We had already seen more civic beauty than most cities could afford in their entirety, when we entered St. Vitus´ Cathedral, which simply took our breath away. One glory followed another in quick succession: the stained glass windows--I had never seen such an accumulation of colours tumbling over and into each other in patterns of vitality and passion--the huge arches, the ornately decorated tombs, the magnificent paintings, the beautiful statues and the quiet sacred corners. It was a very moving experience just to be here. Our time in the Czech republic had barely begun, and already it felt like a great privilege to be part of it.

Our first visit to Prague was nearing its close and it was time for us to collect our suitcases and to take the tram to the railway station. Meanwhile Petr was off to the airport to meet the Turkish team and to bring them to the airport too. Eventually three nationalities and our Czech guide were on the train for the one hour fifty minute journey to the nearest mainline station to our destination. The team from Slovakia and a fleet of cars was waiting for us. Jablonné was only thirty kilometres away so, although it was quite late, it was not unbearably so.

Fourth International Project Meeting - Czech Republic. 10th - 15th May 2010

The final project meeting is taking place in Jablonné nad Orlici in the Czech Republic. The team from Finland began their journey as early as 3 a.m. on the Saturday morning (8/5/2010). The team from England also started on the Saturday but much later. Both teams stayed in hotels in Prague and met up on Sunday morning for a joint tour of the city.

The Turkish and Slovak teams were making their preparations to travel on the Sunday.

The kids write on Thursday just before the journey:


Only two days to the departure to Czech Republic.
I am excited because this is my first trip by plane.
The flight departs on Saturday at six in the morning from Oulu airport.
I hope that the week will be awesome.

I'm very excited about the trip and I'm happy because I can go to Czech Republic
with one of my best friends. I have talked a lot with our lady of the house,
Veronika. I’m not scared of anything, because my friend is there with me. I
think it is amazing to have moss growing on itself!!! I will wake up on
Saturday at half past three. I can't wait!

I'm really excited about the trip. It's amazing and really great that I can go
to this trip and my best friend will come too! :)
We have to hope that the weather is going to be better, because now it's quite
rainy... My lady of the house is really nice. I will wake up at half past three
on Saturday, because the flight is going to leave at six o’clock from Oulu.
The trip is maybe the best thing of this year.. .:)

I am so excited about the trip that my hands are shaking already. I’m really
looking forward to meeting Simka. I can’t wait to taste some new foods. I hope
that I won’t forget any important items in Finland. I also hope that the
weather will be good in Prague.


I’m looking forward to visiting Prague and Jablonne. I am very excited about the
journey.
I hope that I will get some new friends. I’m going to pack my bags on Thursday.
I’m looking forward to meeting Simona. I hope that the weather will be great.
I'm looking forward to tasting Czech food.


I’m a little bit excited but happy. I haven't packed yet. So I need to pack my
bag.
The flight takes off at 6.00 so I have to wake up at 4.00 on Saturday. I think
the flight goes well and we will arrive at Prague in time. So we are waiting
for the journey here in Finland.



I feel good before the journey and I am really looking forward to it. I am not
excited but I am happy and happy. I think I have to wake up at six every
morning in Jablonne, BUT I am very happy.
I have packed my clothes and other things.

Hello dear friends!

Busy days before the journey to Czech. We are eagerly waiting for the departure, wishing that the volcanic ashcloud doesn't hinder it. Janne and I are sipping the English Chai tea and remembering Ian and the rest of the Comenius group. We wanted you also to see our pictures from our trip to Turkey and feel the warmth and friendliness once again.