Exchange to Romania 2019 with the Alexandru Ceusianu Gimnasiul and the Lucian Blaga Highschool both in Reghin.
On Tuesday the 9th April 2019 a group of 20 students and the accompanying teachers left for Romania from Eindhoven airport. We landed at about 8pm local time at Cluj-Napoca airport and then had a long journey by bus over very bumpy roads to arrive in Reghin at about 11.00pm. The hosts and their parents were waiting for us and welcomed us warmly, before leaving for their separate homes and families.
The hosts of the 10 students of H2A, all students of the Alexandru Ceusianu Gimnasiul, had the following programme prepared for us.
On Wednesday the 10th April we visited the school and had a History lesson in Romanian which was then translated simultaneously by the English teacher. We learned about WW2. Then we had a short break followed by an English lesson where the students had to choose the best puns and make stories in small groups. After this we walked to the town hall where we had a meeting with the town mayor and the students could ask her questions. Following the visit, we had a guided tour of the town and then went to the Ethnographic museum where we learnt about the daily lives of the Romanian people as it was a number of years ago. We had a tasty lunch served and organised by the mums and then the students were free to roam around the outdoor historic buildings. The parents picked the students up and we met again in the evening at the Dogma restaurant and bar for a pub quiz and karaoke evening which was great fun.
On Thursday the 11th April the weather was a bit chilly and we had some rain in the morning when we visited the Irum tractor factory followed by the Remex furniture factory, which was owned by one of the fathers. Here we also had lunch and then we left for Tîrgu Mureș by bus, where we visited the cultural palace and then the Tg.-Mureș Zoo. We were lucky because the sun came out and everybody enjoyed a relaxing afternoon at the zoo. In the evening some of the students met up in the town at one of the pizza restaurants for some well-earned free time.
On Friday morning, the 12th April, we left by bus for the salt mines in Praid-Sovata where students could roam around the mines which have now been turned into recreation areas where people can enjoy different activities like climbing, gaming and nosing around the shops and kiosks. The healing salty air is well-known for its health-giving qualities and Romanians go to this place with the whole family to enjoy free time here. Afterwards we drove to Sovata for lunch and a look at the warm water springs at the lake. Then we headed home for our last evening with the host families. The students were invited for a final dinner at one of the restaurants in town which the parents had organised.
On Saturday morning, the 13th April we headed back to Cluj-Napoca airport and returned to Eindhoven, where the parents awaited our return. All in all, we had a very enjoyable and active trip and we can certainly look back on close friendships that were made and interesting experiences that were shared with fun and laughter. Thank you to all the accompanying teachers and the organisors for a successful exchange. It was great!
for pictures click here