Report

09. 10. 2012, Tuesday

The foreigner groups were met by their Bulgarian partners – teachers, students and host families. The mood was raised, bright and very optimistic about the impending activities concerning the project.

 

10. 10. 2012, Wednesday

At 8:45 the foreign groups, including teachers and students, were welcomed at the gate of SOU “Ivan Vazov”, Sopot by the Headmistress of the school Radostina Georgieva, assistant headmasters Ivelina Dusova and Neliyan Nedkov, school coordinator of the project Iliya Petkov, other teachers and a lot of students. The guests were treated with bread and salt by students, dressed in Bulgarian traditional costumes, according to the Bulgarian custom. The school folklore group performed Bulgarian dances and songs which made a good impact and rose up the spirits of everybody. After entering the school, the students were taken to the school library. There were held ice-breaking and introduction games. Later the students had a traditional dances lesson and a volleyball game. Meanwhile the teachers were taken to tour around the school. The specially equipped project room with the big Comenius poster made very good impression. After that work sessions were held. The following decisions and conclusions were made:

 

1. The dates of the remaining meetings:

Osijek - 26.02 - 02.03.2013

Ankara - 07-12.04.2013

Zagreb - 13-19.05.2013

 

2. Tasks:

a) Self-evaluation - done by Christmas;

b) Presentation of survey about national parks - done by meeting in Osijek - presented in Osijek;

c) Prepare some hints gathered from students concerning dictionary names of fauna and flora - by meeting in Osijek.

 

3. Activities at schools:

• Excursion to national parks (if not done yet) to collect photos;

• Exhibition of photos at school;

• School competition about national parks (information poster and range of knowledge given to students much time before);

• Lectures about national parks or biodiversity;

• Publications of articles about project.

 

 

After a lunch at the school canteen the whole group was taken to the municipality of Sopot Ritual Hall where the students from all the 7 schools presented presentations with topic “The People & the Park”. Mr. Iliya Petkov presented some of the most interesting facts and curiosities of Bulgaria. When the presentations have over the entire group did a memorial photo in front of the Ivan Vazov’s monument at the central square of Sopot. It was time for sightseeing Sopot. We visited Ivan Vasov’s house, the church and the craft house, where the teachers were treated with rose liquor and rose jam. Later a Disco party was held which made everybody to relax and enjoy after the long working day.

 

11. 10. 2012, Thursday

Early in the morning we started our excursion to the city of Veliko Tarnovo – the medieval capital of Bulgaria. On the way we visited the ethnographic complex “Etara” near the city of Gabrovo. It was a very attractive place for the foreign groups as they could see, feel, touch and taste the Bulgarian atmosphere as it was 2 centuries ago. Later we visited the Tsarevets fortress – the home of the Bulgarian kings and patriarchs. There was some free time for lunch and shopping and also admiring the typical and strange architecture of Veliko Tarnovo. On the way back we stopped at the Shipka monument.

 

12. 10. 2012, Friday

The events this day started with a tough but short journey to eco-path “Byala Reka” (White River) near the town of Kalofer. The eco-path is a part of the Central Balkan National Park and its specially designed bridges and steps allow the tourist not without efforts but in a comfortable and safe way to observe the beautiful landscape of the gorge, the beach forest and the mountain peaks. Numerous info tables show the richness of the biodiversity of the Central Balkan National Park.

Later we visited a sustainable trout fish farm and had a lunch there. After lunch we spent some time in the town of Karlovo just enough for sightseeing, shopping and strolling in this historical and beautiful Bulgarian town.

At the evening there were farewell dinners at the host families for students and at a restaurant for the teachers.

 

13. 10. 2012, Saturday

The 5th Comenius multilateral meeting for the “National Parks of Europe” project has come to an end. All the groups started their journeys back home not without emotions, good memories and satisfaction of the job done so far.