After the summer break we once again met up with our project partners in Cologne Germany.
Our school was represented by two sixth grade pupils Petra and Dora, three teachers Natasha, Jasna and Jagoda, pedagogue-educator Lada and headmistess Antonela.

Taking advantage of our free time before the arrival of the other groups we made a quick trip around the city. Kolnu or Cologne is the fourth largest city in Germany. It is located in the northern province of Vestafal on the river Rhine.

The historical core of the city was impressive featured by a cathedral built in Gothic style. The building of the cathedral went on for 600 years from the 13th to 19th century. It is one of the world’s biggest churches, 145m long and 87m wide with a tower 157m high. Just looking at the cathedral makes one sigh in wonder at its grandness. The grandness is visible not only from the outside but from the inside as well.  Services are held every hour lasting about 20 minutes. Before the end of the service, the priest instructs the churchgoers to vacate the premises and the doors once again open to a new group.

In 1996 the cathedral was put on UNESCO’s list of protected World Heritage Sites.
After our inspection of the cathedral, we went for a stroll around the city centre.

The following morning  we went on a trip to Betzdorf  to the school of our project partners. When we arrived  the children and teachers greeted us warmly and we were welcomed and entertained by the  performance of the school orchestra and choir.

The high school we visited is attented by 1,400 pupils. After the music programme we were shown around the school and some of the classrooms. In the science, chemistry and biology classrooms the pupils and their teachers demonstrated experiments for us which were interesting. This was followed by a visit to the sports gym where a game of ‘Ringtennis’ was played. During the game of Ringtennis, other pupils demonstrated their skills at climbing one of the walls similar to rock climbing. Amidst all the fun and demonstrations, the coordinators of this project  were called for a meeting discussing and putting together activities for the next mobilization in Varnu, Bulgaria.

After our tour of the school ‘The International Table’ was prepared for everyone’s enjoyment. Presented was a wide variety of delicious delicacies from all the different countries-: Greek cheese, tomatoes and olives, traditional Romanian bread, marmalade and tomato chutney, Bulgarian cheeses and cheese spreads, Spanish smoked ham, olives and olive oil, English savory biscuits and tarts, Italian cheese with honey, Polish smoked sausages and salami, cooked German sausage, traditional wedding biscuits and cakes from Cyprus .Last but not least the famous smoked ham ‘ prsuto’ and home made bread from the Croatian region of Drnis.

This was followed by a school concert featuring  the performance of the school’s orchestra, a play about German legends and myths, several dance numbers, another play about European myths and legends, several songs by the school’s rock band and a few presentations by the pupils of the different countries participating in this EU project. Gifts were exchanged and warm greetings were offered to all the assembled guests by both the school principal and the Mayor.

 The afternoon entertainment was taken care of by the parents of the pupils. They marked the occasion by baking home made cakes and cookies. It was a lovely sight. Unfortunately we couldn’t try out all that was displayed in front of us so we took pleasure in taking only photographs.

On the third day we were shown around Koln by a tour guide. Historical stories about the Cathedral, the City Square, City Council, the oldest perfume store, churches, the river Rhine and the philharmonic orchestra were fascinating.

 We spent the afternoon at the Odyseum. There, children and adults can learn about the exciting side of science and technology through fun and games. We did and so should you if you ever happen to visit.

On day four, the organizers took us to Bonn, only 30 minutes from Koln by train. The city of Bonn, situated on the Rhine River was settled by the Romans in the 1stcentury B.C. It was the capital of Western Germany from the end of World War II until 1990. After the fall of the Berlin wall, Berlin became the new capital. Nevertheless, Bonn remains the home to a number of federal government bodies. It also has a great historical and cultural tradition, being the birth place of  L.V Beethoven, one of the most famous composers in history.

Having prepared our audio equipment, we went on a tour of the German Museum of History. We were fascinated with the many interesting facts we learnt about modern Germany. The modern setting of the museum was interesting for both older and younger visitors. Two hours passed by so quickly.

After our little expedition into the past, we were returned to the present by a lovely cruise along the Rhine River. Our destination was Konnigswinter, a town and summer resort not far from Bonn and Drachenfels. On the very top is Dragon’s Hill, which according to legend was the place where Sigfried killed the dragon. We arrived by train to the lookout point. The view from there was breathtaking and we took in the wonderful sights of Bonn, the Rhine River and all the surrounding area. Even though we were 30 km away from Koln, we could still see the Cathedral in Koln.

For the duration of our stay in Germany, we never forgot about our main goal. The importance of the exchange of ideas and experiences. This is a special partnership promoting skills for specific project themes such as social skills and social interaction, team work, planning, the use of a foreign language, being motivated to learn more, promoting Croatian ideas and most important creating a positive vibe between all interacting partners.