Ciucă Alexandra - Elena Grade 12 H National College “Zinca Golescu” Pitești I don’t even know how to start this letter. It’s just so much that needs to be told, but I’ll try my best to capture only the essentials about this departure. When I was selected as one of the students that would go to Italy along with the “Women Power - Raising Awareness” project, I couldn’t contain my happiness. Literally, I ran to my mom yelling that after two years spent in lockdown because of the COVID-19 pandemic I will go out of the country with the Erasmus+ project. And, there I was. Sitting in a plane on my way to Bari, Italy. Yes, we arrived in Bari then we took a car that made us, let’s say, rather dizzy, to Vieste. Arriving at the hotel, we let the luggage in our rooms and explored the city for a bit. The scenery was breathtaking, with all the palm trees, sandy beaches, the clear sea, beautiful architecture and so much more. What also surprised me about the city was how little people there were on the streets! Can’t say that it was a problem though, since we felt safer and it was very quiet and peaceful. That’s a short presentation about the ride and arrival in Vieste. Now, I’m going to talk a bit about the food, the activities and the people I met. So, the food… I was clearly wrong for thinking that the extreme love for pasta and pizza in Italy was just a stereotype. Don’t get me wrong, the food was amazing but… at one point it got boring. What didn’t get boring though was the ice cream; it was the most delicious dessert I’ve tasted in my entire life. Another honourable mention would be the croissants we had at breakfast which were filled with either vanilla or chocolate cream. Next on the list are the activities. They were really fun and entertaining and we could get to know the other students more through them and learn new things about women’s rights or ways to prevent violence. My personal favourites were the trip to Grotte di Castellana and Alberobello and the “My body, my choice” poster where all the teams participated in the making of it. Lastly, I’m going to talk about the people I met along the way. I will start with the Romanian team since I experienced this trip with them from day one. I’m very happy that we got closer to each other, which would’ve probably never
happened if it weren’t for the Erasmus+ project, especially this departure. The Italian students were also very friendly and made sure that we felt welcomed and always tried to entertain us. The other students, more exactly the Turkish, Polish and Czech teams, were also the sweetest and most caring people that I’ve ever met and I won’t ever forget them. I’ll try my best to keep in contact with every one of them since the bond we grew together is very unique. In the end I must say that this has been one of the best experiences that I’ve ever had and that I recommend the Erasmus+ project with all my heart because it helps you grow as a person and accumulate new knowledge and skills. It definitely helped me become more outgoing and more implicated in different activities which I’m going to be forever grateful for. Neață Irina, Grade 12H Since I signed up to take part in this amazing project, I was dreaming about being able to participate to the mobility in Italy. When I found out that I was selected, I was over the moon! Before I start writing my impressions, I want to mention that it was the first time visiting a foreign country, therefore I set a lot of expectations for this trip! First and foremost, let me tell you that everything turned out way better than I had expected! From the first moment that I arrived in Vieste, I was absolutely mesmerized by the location. It truly felt like a dream strolling down the narrow streets while gazing at the buildings around and their mesmerizing architecture style, not to mention the breathtaking scenery! Besides the stunning location, Italy is also well-known for its delicious cuisine. Thanks to the Italian team, we had the chance to try local products such as olive oil and also other traditional dishes like panzerotti. Socializing with the other students from Italy, Czech Republic, Turkey and Poland was definitely the most memorable part of the project. Everybody was extremely outgoing and communicative, always willing to have a conversation with you. What I enjoyed the most was that the Italians were always making sure that everybody was having a great time during their stay in Vieste. Within the mobility, there were various activities and workshops in which we learnt about the importance of the feminism and why we still need to raise awareness
about this issue. Out of all, personally, I was deeply impressed by the speeches of the Polish and Turkish girls who touched on very sensitive topics. Overall, this Erasmus experience was undoubtedly the highlight of this year! I am so grateful that I had the opportunity to take part in this mobility where I met a lot of amazing people who made this cultural exchange unforgettable! Stanciu Delia-Andreea, Grade 11E I am honest when I say that I don’t know where or how to start, but I will try my best to put my thoughts about my experience in Italy on paper. I would like to start with Vieste. I have to admit that the trip from the Bari airport to the small and quiet Vieste was… let’s say not amazing because of the shape of the road, but the view was unmatched. I can tell you that there is nothing more beautiful than watching from the high coast how the moon is reflecting its light into the calm, clear sea. Another beauty of this trip were the small violet flowers from the side of the road and some energetic butterflies that were crossing from one side to the road to the other. As I said, the trip-not my favourite, but it was all worth it when we arrived at the hotel. We were welcomed by the Italian teacher who was more than happy to have us there. Before I go on and about the project itself I would like to talk a little about the Romanian team. I was nervous when I saw that out of six girls, I was the ‘outsider’. Knowing that the other girls knew eachother from school I thought that I was going to be left out or that they won’t see me as their friend, but to my surprise they included me quickly in their friendship and I felt like I knew them from day one. I’m very grateful for them, but I am grateful for the teachers as well because of how well they took care of us and because they didn’t act like teachers they acted like our friends. Now that I did set the scene I have 3 more things to talk about: the people, the places and the food. I want to start with the food, because, at first, I thought that eating pizza or pasta daily was just a stereotype, but I was wrong. I was pleased to experience eating in the school cafeteria and I was even more surprised that the food was delicious. We had some days when we ate out and again I was not disappointed. I
can say that, for a week, I have lived out of pizza and pasta, but guess what? I’m not mad about it. In fact it was the best thing ever. Moving on, when we arrived at the school, we were warmly welcomed by the students, who were all outside waiting for us. Then, we got to school tour which was followed with the tour of Vieste and let me tell you that we had the most charismatic and full of life guide, an Italian student. Despite the fact that it was a little bit difficult for the Italians to speak English because of their accent we managed to have beautiful conversations and we created strong friendships that I hope will last for a lifetime. But there were not only the Italians that we made friends with, but also the Czech, Polish and Turkish. So I would like to say a few things about each. I am going to start with the Turkish because they were absolute sweethearts. I loved their kindness, their openness to making friends and learning new things and I also appreciated their implication in the feminism actions. The Czech were funny and outgoing and they were very easy to make friends with. They were opened to any kind of conversation and were more than happy to tell you, honestly, anything. The Polish were very friendly as well, and they were glad to teach us some words in polish and we were surprised to see how similar they were with the Romanian ones. About the activities, well, I’m going to say that they were educational, interactive, fun and great for learning new things. The trips were what got me the most excited because I have never been to Italy before so it was a nice way to get to know the country and especially the Puglia region. To sum it up, I want to say that as a fist Erasmus experience it was far better that what I have expected and I would do it again and again and again. Would I recommend it? 100% because it is a once in a lifetime opportunity. Popescu Teodora Iulia, Grade 12 H When I decided to joy the Erasmus team, I was in the 9th grade. Unfortunately, only after 3 years I finally got to travel to another country in order to meet our partners and visit one of the cities. I can honestly tell it was worth the waiting. I was selected to participate in a departure to Italy, more exactly Puglia, Vieste, a city right next to the sea. I was very happy to find out I will go there with my classmates since we knew each other already and everything went easier. There
was also one girl who was not from our class but she was so lovely and she quickly gained everyone’s sympathy. We made a lot of great memories from the long journey to Italy and back and I am so grateful for the good time we had together. When it comes to the city, I loved everything about it from the specific houses to the people and the overall atmosphere. It can be described as special, quiet and picturesque. I couldn’t wait to discover all the beautiful spots of the city so I would always go for walks with my friend, Ila, even though our class master was mad at us couple of times for not sticking with the group. We learned our lesson, nonetheless. On a city tour with our teachers and international fellows, we reached a superb place that was surrounded by the sea and it had the view of the church and some high rocks with houses on top. My friend and I went back to that spot in our free time to enjoy our meals or take some pictures with the polaroid. The Italians were very welcoming and kind people. So were the rest of the countries that we met, such as Turkey, Poland and Czech Republic. We made a lot of friends and shared many memories and opinions on different subjects. In my point of view, this is one of the best parts when it comes to Erasmus departures. You get to meet and socialize with many other mentalities and cultures. We taught each other specific dances of our countries, different words and expressions and made tons of pictures and videos together. There was music all day and joyful faces surrounding you. I absolutely loved the time around those people. At the Italians school, we watched videos, presentations, learned something from them and also from each other regarding women rights internationally. One time we also made a campaign on stopping violence against women and we were separated in international groups. It was one of the most interesting activities we took part in. The students that took care of the organization were the most charismatic and sweet people ever. We met this very talented and dynamic boy who kept everybody on a high note and just made our days there so cheerful with his “one, two, three, come on girls tudududutuuuu…”. Our activities were interesting but I personally enjoyed the most our trips, such as the one to the cave, the winery and the boating even if it gave me really bad dizziness after three hours. If there was a true stereotype about Italians, it would be that they eat pizza and pasta on a daily basis. At the canteen, we received pasta almost every day apart from one when they gave us fish. Every dinner we had; we were taken to a pizzeria. If I think about it, in Italy I survived on pizza, pasta and croissants. That was at least 75% of my meals. And the ice cream… was the best I have tasted in
my entire life! I am so mad I couldn’t take some ice cream home because I would have bought every flavor! To sum up, my Erasmus experience is already on the list of the best ones from high-school. Not only did I make special memories but also, I learnt about women rights in a unique way. I totally recommend at least one experience of this type because believe me, I would repeat it if I had the chance. Tițulescu Alexia- Elena, 12 H Erasmus is one of those adventures that can't be forgotten because once you come back home you definitely won't feel the same as before. I'd like to start by saying that I was looking forward towards this experience very eagerly and it did live up to my expectations. In short, it was an experience that I will remember for the rest of my life. The Erasmus program is not only about learning but also about cultural exchange. For me, the chance to travel to a different country and meet people from such diverse backgrounds was the most attractive part of the program. Now for the real experience. The week was pretty eventful with different activities meant to teach us how to organize a campaign to raise awareness about violence against women. We were shown a couple of presentations, some more interesting than others, but in the end I was left with the knowledge of creating an impactful poster and the importance of it. The culturale part wasn't left out either since we had plenty of time to visit the region. The first day came with the city tour, followed by a boat trip in Baia Delle Zagare a few later. That wasn't all since on Thursday we payed a visit to Alberobello and Grotte di Castellana located just in Bari. The place would be nothing without the people, so now I’d like to say a few words about the students. The Romanian team was great and with every day passing we were getting closer and closer. Even though the Italians faced a few difficulties with speaking English, they all made sure we were feeling comfortable. The other teams were great as well. All of them were open and outgoing, always being in a good mood and ready for fun.
In the end I must say that I recommend the Erasmus experience to everybody because it changes you as person. Now I’m more open to change and I can embrace it rather than denying it. Ștefănescu Alexia Maria, Grade 12 H The first time I heard about this project, I didn't know anything about it, except that I had to sign up for it because everyone was doing it. I wasn't sure that I would be admitted, but I tried and succeeded. Now, after my first trip and many projects, I realized that Erasmus was for me the key that opened the door to a new universe in which I discovered myself, I learned more about the society in which I live, but also about other countries in Europe in an interactive way, communicating and making international friends using the English language. My first trip was in October 2022. A warm October where I almost touched the sun while flying to Italy, Bari, then in Vieste, a municipality in the province of Foggia, in the region of Puglia, Italy, with an area larger than Pitesti, but a population as in Mioveni. That's why I was pleasantly surprised when I discovered this town by foot along with my colleagues and teachers. I did not expect such beauties, being used to the term commune in my country, meaning and looking differently. The narrow streets leading to terraces above the sea were my favourites. I liked to discover the local restaurants, to taste all kinds of pasta and pizza until I had enough of them. Also walking on the beach with palm trees and cacti next to the rock that holds the legend of Pizzomundo, which I was deeply impressed by, was other favourite thing of mine. Thus, from a cultural point of view I have enriched myself with a lot of beautiful places from the walks through Puglia. Others fabulous experiences were in Grotte di Castellana, the town with smurf houses, Alberobello and the cruise on the Gargano coast. The Italian students were honorary hosts. They made us feel at ease, not like strangers. I made close friends with all the students from Italy, Turkey, Poland and the Czech Republic. The exchange of experience with these students was interesting, learning a lot about their customs and traditions, but also learning a few words. What amazed me was their high school that specialized in enogastronomy and hospitality, where students learned to become cooks, waiters, receptionists and managers in hotels.
When we sang on the way to a destination, when we stopped in the street and in the rain and danced or when we exchanged things from each other's country during the coffee break, were the moments that will remain in my mind as unique memories from Erasmus that will not be able to be replaced. This experience had a huge positive impact on my cultural, social and creative development. I did projects in which I supported women's rights and I was very proud to participate. I liked learning about how to create posters and banners for campaigns and projects. Also, I discovered spontaneous progress in improving my English language skills. Thus, the Erasmus experience helped me to accumulate both professional experience and memories that I will never forget. One of the first things I appreciate and love since high school is this Erasmus project. Erasmus journal Day 1 Welcoming speech School tour guided by students wearing uniforms Short Presentation of Italy and Vieste Campaign to support the Iranian girl called Mahsa Amini (cutting a strand of ourhair, Banners made by the Italians) Ice breaking activities (Italian dances) Lunch at school Tour of the city Dinner at the restaurant with all the teams Day 2 Workshop- students divided in international groups and creating a digital campaign Lunch and free time Walk along the beach and the Old Town Dinner with the international friends Day 3 A change of program Speed wheel- questions Dance Video from the Italians- speech about violence on women/ women power Lunch at school
Speech of a Psychologist representative of cooperative -how we can fight violence against women Teacher explains how school addresses violence against women Dinner with the students- original South Italy cuisine (panzerotto) Day 4 Cultural trip to Alberobello and Grotta di Castellana Lunch at a restaurant Day 5 A change of program The Wall of Action- Banner with women empowerment phrases Coffee break Video of the Erasmus experience Visit to a Winery Visit to an Olive oil factory Lunch at school Free time Farewell party at the hotel