The Italian students in Poland
In September 2004 a group of 8
Italian girls and their teacher Georgio Telloli visited our country.
This was the second part of the exchange projects. The first one was organized
in May 2004, when Polish students visited the region of Tuscany.
During
the exchange visits the students could improve their English, make friends and
see the most beautiful places, where the schools are situated.
The group came by train and we all met at the railway station at 10.30. After 26 hours of tiring journey they were finally in Poland. They spent the rest of the day with the families. They talked a lot and had fun together.
In the morning, we all met at school at 9 a.m. The Headmaster, Mr Zbigniew Kalandyk, greeted our guests and wished them good stay in our country.
Then, the Italian group could see our school, which is much smaller than theirs but very cosy.
We went to the computer laboratory to work in groups on the Power Point presentation about our countries.
To see the presentation click the link below.
Next, we enjoyed playing volleyball in our gym.
In the afternoon, there was a barbaque in the hunters’ cottage situated near the forest. Apart from the students and their teachers there were also representatives of our local government and school. We all spent great time there, eating sausages, dancing and chatting.
On the third day we set out for a three-day trip early in the morning. Our first stop was in Wieliczka. There is a wonderful salt mine, with chapels, churches, statues and even corridors made of salt. We were 130 m under the ground. Our guests could listen to stories about mine legendary characters: Treasurer, Princess Kinga, and the work of miners.
Then, we went to Cracow – one of the most beautiful cities in Poland. We saw the Wawel which consists of Castle, Cathedral, Sigmund Bell, Royal tombs and Museum. Firstly, we entered the Catherdal, where we could see a unique collection of historical monuments, wonderful chapels with tombs of Polish kings and saints. We climbed up to a tower, where the Sigmund Bell is located. This is the largest Polish bell that weighs 11 tons, and it rings only for important Church festivals or national celebrations. We also visited the Royal Rooms, where our friends from Italy could see lots of art objects from their region.
In the evening we saw the Main Market Square with the Cloth Hall. After dinner, we had a 30 minutes ride in the horse-drawn carriages around the Old Town. Cracow by night was marvellous!
After breakfast we packed our luggage and went to Auschwitz. We had an English speaking guide there who told us lots of interesting things about Auschwitz and Birkenau camps. It was very moving to see all those barracks and remains and to hear the stories about thousands of people killed in the crematories. On the other hand, we were happy to stand a chance to experience the history.
On the way to Zakopane we stopped in the town called Wadowice. We saw the house where John Paul II was born and ate his favourite cake – ‘kremowka’. After another 2 hours on the road, we finally reached our last stop. We ate dinner in a nice hotel in Poronin and then went to Zakopane. We took a rail up to Gubalowka hill, from which one can see a fantastic view of the highest ranges of the Tatra Mountains.
It was a quite cold evening so we went down to the town’s most famous street – Krupowki. This main street is about 1 km long and it is closed for cars. Lots of people visit restaurants, shops and pubs situated along this street or take walks around. It is lovely!
After breakfast we went to Kuznice, where a cable railway station is situated. We wanted to go up to the top of Kasprowy, which is located in the highest part of the Tatra Mountains. Unfortunately, we had to wait for four hours in the queue, because it was a sunny Saturday and lots of tourists came there. After all, it was worth it. We could admire wonderful mountains, lakes and also Zakopane standing on 1985 meters.
Then, we spent some time in the town again and came back to Niechobrz.
This day was aimed at students’ relaxation and time they spent with the families. Some students went to Solina lake in the Bieszczady Mountains, others went to rocky mountains situated 40 km from Niechobrz.
In the evening the families and Italian students met to have a bonfire.
In the morning we saw a beautiful Palace of Lancut. We took a walk in the wonderful gardens and visited the coach-house. The Palace is a magnificent aristocratic residence. Originally, this early Baroque palace sited within fortifications was raised for Cracow Voivode Stanislaw Lubomirski in the years 1629-1641. The residence also comprises a winter garden, stables, coach-house and a little romantic castle in the park. It is also famous for its rare collection of horse-drawn carriages. Thousands of tourists visit this place every year.
After that we arrived in Rzeszow, where the students had an opportunity to see the city center and buy some presents for their parents.
In the evening there was a farewell party, which was very sad because the Italian students did not want to go home as they had great time in Poland. Their visit to Poland resulted in splendid relationships and friendship with one another so the students found it very hard to part.
All is well that ends well. After the excellent week spent together, time full of joy and fun we all met again at the railway station but this time to say ‘goodbye’. Everybody was in sorrow and crying. However, we all promised to stay in touch and keep contact. We hope we will meet again one day