Living is travelling

The Erasmus Project was developed with the aim to connect up European cultures by making  students encounter new lifestyles and mind sets. This year English is the project language together with the language of music which enables expression without words and lets us read into other people’s souls.

The first exchange was to Portugal, precisely to the north of the country. During most of our experience we were hosted by local families in a city called Barcelos. They were very friendly and hospitable and tried to please us in everything we needed, from food to every other kind of necessity.

The school we were attending in Barcelos is a very modern structure and complete from every point of view. There are all kinds of facilities, like gyms, the library, outdoor spaces and plenty of classrooms, available for students to use as they wish even after classes and in the afternoon. It is a great school system that gives freedom and at the same time teaches responsibility to students.

During the week, we spent plenty of time touring by bus from city to city, from Barcelos to Braga, to Viana do Castelo, to Porto and Lisbon, which are all splendid places with a lot to offer and to see, like the Byzantine Templo-Monumento de Santa Luzia, which crowns the city of Viana do Castelo and its breathtaking view over the sea.

Braga was probably the most interesting from an artistic point of view with its examples of classical art, such as the church of Bom Jesus do Monte and its particular high symmetrical stairs which were also rather confusing because they gave us the impression that we would never reach the bottom.

However, Porto was surely the city we visited the most. There, we went on a boat cruise along the river to the home of Porto wine and to the beach, where the view of the ocean gave us an indescribable feeling of infinity and freedom. Moreover, as the project was related to music, a visit to Casa dà Musica was a must. We just expected to visit a simple theatre but we were surprised to discover that the entire modern building is designed to favour the acoustics and the light and that every single detail is there for a reason, even the smallest. Thanks to the superb guide, we learnt almost everything there was to know about Casa dà Musica, where modernity and classical music are perfectly combined to offer unforgettable concerts to the public.

Nevertheless, the best part of the entire experience in Portugal was, without doubt,touring all day with the students from the other countries, which made us feel like a huge family for one week. Only thinking about the fact that we now have friends all over Europe is such a unique feeling of union. Despite having returned to our own countries, the memories of the fun and splendid moments we spent together will never fade away and we still keep in touch with each other, looking forward to meet again one day. This is not the end...

                                                                                                      Stefania Franzè III AL