Saturday 21st February:  We went by bus to Warsaw airport. At 12 a.m. we reached our destination. We showed our passports at passport control and then we went through security. About 3 p.m. our plane took off. Two hours later, at 5 p.m. local time, we landed in Riga. Next, we went by bus to Birzai to our hotel. When we arrived, our partners from Lithuania and Italy welcomed us. In the evening, having our luggage unpacked, we went for a short walk.

 

Sunday: After we had had breakfast, we decided to go sightseeing around the town. We went along a frozen lake and we admired old buildings. We were all delighted by what we saw. Later, when other groups came to the hotel, we went once again for a walk, but this time its main aim was to get to know one another better.

 

Monday: First, we went to the Lithuanian school where we were shown around. After that, we had some integration activities and we visited a local museum. Later, in the evening we had dinner in a pizzeria.

 

Tuesday: The day started in the school hall where each group showed a PowerPoint presentation about their country.  Next, we visited  the museum of horse-drawn carts. Other attractions included baking our own loaves of bread and tasting traditional Lithuanian dishes which were all delicious. In the evening, we returned to the hotel full of new impressions.

 

Wednesday: Together with other groups we went to a regional park to learn more about Birze. It turned out that this region is known as „the Land of collapsing ground”. The region is characterized by big cave complexes underground that collapse if there is too much pressure on top of them. While collapsing they create sinkholes that can be found everywhere around the region. We found out that the pressure created by cars or even cows is strong enough to create a pit. We could see one of the sinkholes while we were visiting the park, the so-called 'Cow's Cave'.  The pit was formed while a cow was being buried there. Next we headed for the lecture about various methods of learning English. The teacher showed us the most effective way of learning which consists in using Oxford Online Dictionary. Then we attended IT classes. We were supposed to fill in Excel spreadsheet with the information about our countries. After wehad finished the teachers gave us different addresses that  we had to find using GPS. Having successfully performed the task, we were given free time for the rest of the day.

 

Thursday: A trip to Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania. After a few hours of travelling and meeting a guide, we started to sightsee the old town. The guide informed us that the city is inhabited by a lot of  Poles. We were told that our countrymen have their own schools and newspapers. We also found out that in Vilnius one can find information boards in both Polish and Lithuanian. After seeing the most beautiful monuments in Vilnius, we went to eat dinner in

a restaurant. It was one of the best dishes we had eaten in Lithuania. Later, we had three hours of free time to go shopping or to go sightseeing the old town. After saiyng good bye to the guide, we went back to the hotel.

 

Friday: After breakfast a bus took us to school for Kaziukas Fair. It was an event during which Lithuanian teenagers were selling handmade  wooden stuff like candlesticks or spoons. We were also able to buy many types of cakes. Later, some students dressed in traditional costumes performed some traditional Lithuanian dances.  It was really amazing because we could dance with them and learn some steps. Then  we took part in a quiz and we had a lot of fun. Since every team consisted of people from different countries, the chances to win were equal. When the winner of the quiz was announced, a farewell party started. It was

3 hours of dancing and playing together. At 11 p.m. we were finally back at the hotel, tired but happy as it was a really fantastic day.

Saturday, 28th February: We woke up early and packed our luggage. Then we went to the airport in Riga by bus. Since we had 6 hours left to our flight, we decided to go sightseeing the city. Riga is beautiful and clean. At 6 p.m. we got on board our plane to Poland. After arrival we went to Gliwice by bus. At noon everyone was in their own home.