European Olympics
Meeting in Badajoz, Spain, 2019
Carolina Ribeiro (Sunday, 17th March)
This was the day of our arrival to the most desired place: the school of our spanish hosts. They all welcomed us very warmly and friendly. After each of us found their host, they took us to their homes so that we could meet the families and get used to the place. After an exhausting journey (and a desperate need to go to the toilet) came the time to rest and we could start this wonderful week full of energy.
Rafael Medeiros (Monday, 18th March)
Monday began with a Geometry class, where we participated in the painting of a rose of the winds. It was a pleasant moment because it created some complicity between the visitors and the students of the recipient country.
Then we were greeted with canes prepared by the students and the director of the school who introduced himself and welcomed us. Sweaters bearing the erasmus project logo were offered for sporting activities. Afterwards, the group visited the City Hall, where we met the mayor, who wished us a good stay in his historic city - Badajoz - There were also offers related to the ex libris of the city to promote to visitors information orientations of exploration of the city. We still had the opportunity to visit the castle of the city, where we received some informative and historical documents. Then we walked through the walls of the castle, we observed the highest tower that allowed, in times of war, to move the bodies of the enemies. At that moment, we remember the historical bravery of the city. After the photos to later remember this moment, we returned to school.
After lunch, at three o'clock in the afternoon, we had some free time that we had with moments of conviviality and of the town, especially on the other side of the Guadiana river. Gives historical and cultural sharing followed the conviviality with sporting activities and exchange of knowledge of several foreign languages. It was a very enriching moment and it brought us very close.
We return home at the end of the day, each to his host. In particular, I considered that the family that welcomed me was extremely kind. Also at home I shared intercultural knowledge with the whole family, offering a bit of my culture and learning a little of the customs and customs of another country.
At night I lay down in bed exhausted but with the feeling that the sharing, lived throughout the day, transformed my view on the importance of sharing cultures and experiences. I was grateful for the opportunity I will never forget.
Sara Carvalho (Tuesday, 19th March)
In the morning me and my host went to the High School, and I attended to a part of her first class. At 9'15 we went to the bus to go to Mérida, once we arrived we were all talking. After a short moment we visited a Roman Museum, and a man showed us the museum and explained to us the things that were there. Then we went to a Roman Theatre and Amphitheater, and it was really beautiful! We all took pictures. After this we went on a short train trip around the city, we were all laughing and talking with each other. For lunch, we went to a park and seated together. Then we were all very tired and slept on the bus, until we arrived to park where we watched a film about the nature around those areas. After, we went on a rout and we went back to Badajoz. In the evening we all met in a park, had dinner and it was really fun!
Bárbara Costa (Wednesday, 20th March, Olympic Day)
We started the day with a trip from Badajoz to the Guadiana River Park where, on arrival, we were greeted by students from the School of Sports.
Each group of students participating in the Erasmus program received the flag corresponding to their country as a form of representation and later we attended short presentation of music and dance, but then we met with our respective teams and started the games.
Each game had a duration of about 5 minutes where the scores of the teams were scored in order to awaken the competitive spirit.
Near the lunch hour, and after all the teams had participated in all the games, we witnessed a small speech of thanks by the Mayor and there was the delivery of the medals with the presence of two Olympic athletes and all the teachers included in the project.
We left for the school where we ended the afternoon with the Family Snack where all parents, students and teachers joined.
This day was very important, because sport is not only based on competition but it is a tool widely used as a form of social integration and the fact that we are in teams makes us need more of each other. The Olympic values were undoubtedly making us create more bonds of friendship.
Margarida Bastos (Thursday, 21st March)
Thursday in Spain, I woke up at 7:00 am, I went out and went to school, we arrived at school at 8:00 am, Irene had her first class, so I went to watch, the class ended around 9:30 am, after which we all met in front of the school to go by bus to a place to do activities.
We got there and the instructors told us a little history of that place and then explained what we were going to do there, we did orientation in twenty minutes and then we went to snack, then went to slide, rapel and two types of climbing, all this in the morning.
After these activities were over we went to lunch from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m., after that time we went to do activities again, like canoeing, paddle surfing and boat trip until 4:00 p.m. then we went to the bus to go to the school.
We arrived at school and stayed to combine some things for later, we went home to take a shower and some went to train that day, at 6:00 p.m we went to meet Mafalda and Clara to go all together for the bus stop, we found there Jaime and Tiago, and we all went together on the bus, we passed a University and left at the other stop towards the "El Faro" shopping center, I and the others went to see the stores and then we met Barbara and the other group that was with her, around 10:00 p.m some went to home dinner, but others had dined in a restaurant that was nearby.
This day was one of the ones I liked the most and I had fun.
The people there were all very nice, but of course I got more with some than with others, the family that welcomed me was 5 stars, always willing to help and always asked if I needed anything or if I was hungry, if I did not like some food they made sure I told them, but by chance this never happened, all the food there was good, the house had impeccable conditions, I really enjoyed being there, I made friends there and I loved to go back there to be able to be with them and that they also come here to Portugal.
João Cunha (Friday, 22nd March)
On Friday morning we went to attend the classes of our hosts and wait for the next activity that was the presentation of the work of each foreign country.
At the time of the presentations the Portuguese showed a video, the Bulgarians showed an oral presentation just as the Slovenes did, all about the host country, Spain.
After completing the oral presentations, questionnaires about the week were presented, which both students and teachers responded to.
And then the certificates were handed out and there was the farewell of the Bulgarians to return to their country.
At the end of this farewell the students stayed in the music room talking and waiting until the teachers gave us more instructions of what to do next.
After we made some games and we all went to their library where we were taught about the art and the past of the calligraphy and the writing in ink, where we had to write on a special sheet called papyrus using the knowledge we had received in the activities in the morning.
In the afternoon the students went all home to have lunch with the families and do their duties and to prepare for the evening.
In the evening the Spanish students decided to have a party for the foreign students. At around 8 pm we all went to the party and we all had a good time having fun until near midnight, when we all said goodbye and went back to our homes.
Ana Mil-Homens (Saturday, 23rd March)
Saturday was the day to say goodbye to our friends at 5:00am.
We will never forget the friends that we made in Spain... We arrived to Portugal at 7:00 am.
Saturday was definitely a sad day for everybody!