Catalonia-Terrassa

Monday

We started the second half of the year with a visit to Spain. Our mobility kicked off on Sunday, when, after a long travel day, we finally arrived in the city of Terrassa, which is near the Catalan city of Barcelona.

Monday, February 11, 2025 was very eventful. We started the day by getting to know the artist Pep Panxut, who performed a dance accompanied by music and talented drummers. Then, each country presented its culture and traditions through presentations in Canva. After a break in the park, where we had a snack and watched parrots, we split into three groups and participated in various workshops. I took part in soap-making, which was a lot of fun! Afterwards, we had lunch with host families. In the afternoon, we headed back to school and were divided into groups for the "Track Game for Terrassa," a fun game to explore the city where we completed 12 challenges. At the end of the day, we tasted churros, a traditional Spanish treat (without the teachers). After a day full of activities, we returned to our host families. (Ester Maťugová, 8th grade)

In the second group, we focused on the traditional Catalan dance called "Bastoners." This dance is rhythmic and performed with wooden sticks. Our goal was to tap the sticks on the ground, one against the other, and then follow further instructions from the teacher with our dance partner. (Hugo Maslan, 8th grade)

Tuesday

This morning, we took a bus for a day trip to Barcelona, where we first visited the famous temple - Sagrada Familia. The guide introduced us to its history, explained the symbolism of the building, and using tablets, we completed a short questionnaire about what we had learned. After the tour, we had an hour-long lunch break. In front of the famous Barcelona Cathedral, we split into international teams. Our Catalan friends served as guides, showing us the most significant landmarks in the city center. We returned to Terrassa by metro, and in the evening, we had our own program with our host families. (Sára Dudášiková, 8th grade) 

Wednesday

In the morning, we were divided into different workshops, such as robotics, dance, and soap-making. I focused on soap-making, and I learned a lot. Right after that, we walked to a large stadium, where field hockey coaches were waiting for us. After a short lecture, we learned the rules of the game and started practicing the proper technique. Then, we had a tournament, which we really enjoyed, and we took home the "good feeling of winning" prize. Later, we visited the Technical Museum in Terrassa. The evening program was bowling with our Spanish friends, which we enjoyed the most of all. (Simona Paľová, 9th grade)

Thursday

Tento deň sme odštartovali krásnou túrou po prírodnom parku Sant Llorenc del Munt, kde sme mohli vidieť aj románsky kláštor. Obklopovali nás duby, borovice a vôňou nás prilákal rozmarín. Pani sprievodkyňa nám porozprávala rôzne zaujímavé informácie o živočíchoch aj o nebezpečných ázijských sršňoch. Po rýchlom oddychu sme sa išli zabaviť a zatancovať si s ostanými. Na parkete sme po retro diskotéke ukázali kúsok nášho národa v ľudovom tanci a speve. Inšpirovali sme tým aj ostatných. Škoda, že zábava bola len necelé dve hodiny. (Nataša Matušáková, 9. B)  

Friday

First thing in the morning, we started making a mosaic at school. Once we finished it, we had to write a "review" about how we liked Spain, and then we received certificates. Right after that, we had a break, after which we went to the "Human Tower" workshop. In this workshop, they explained how this tradition works, and we tried to make a tower with two human levels. Afterward, we had lunch, and our group of Slovaks and Spaniards went to the beach in Barcelona. There, we took a boat ride and played beach volleyball. After this fun, we returned to our Spanish host families. On Saturday morning, we had an early departure to the airport. Farewells with the families, thanking everyone, and then returning home. We thank the Elementary School Lokca, the teachers, and the Erasmus+ program for an amazing week full of experiences and activities that we will remember for a long time! We say goodbye in Catalan: Adéu Terrassa i Espanya! (Peter Tomčík, 9th grade)