Transylvanian salty flavour - the Salt Mine in Turda

by Martyna Kocurek and Marcelina Ścierska
Gimnazjum nr 2 im. św. Walentego w Bieruniu

     Can you imagine Transylvania 13 million years ago? Climate was very warm and wet and the region was covered by the sea. Then climate got drier and drier, the disappearing sea left salt behind - the salt still remains. People tried to extract sodium chloride as long ago as in Roman times, but it was not earlier than in 17th century, when the salt mine in Turda was open. The salt mine functioned till 1932. Later it was used for storage of cheese or bombproof shelter during World War II. In 1992 it became a tourist attraction – one of the largest and oldest mines in Europe. We were lucky to visit it during our last project meeting.

Squares of Budapest

St. Stephen's Square

by Katarzyna Spyra, Daria Lach
Gimnazjum nr 2 im. św. Walentego w Bieruniu

     It’s easy to find the answer for the question: which square is the most important in Cracow? - as its name suggests: the Main Square. In Madrid the answer is more complicated. Writing the articles about the squares in Cracow and Madrid we took into account Plaza Mayor and Puerta del Sol you can read about it here:

Squares of Madrid and Cracow

During our journey to Romania we stopped in Budapest and decided to focus on the squares once again, we were wondering which square in Hungarian capital city is the most significant. But as in Madrid the answer turned out to be tricky. There are a few candidates for the title of the most crucial place in Budapest so it’s not easy to create the ranking. In the article we present you a few places, we have visited, and their different functions.

The people of Krakow in times of terror 1939-1945-1956

By: Filippa Kajrup

In Poland there is a museum called Muzeum Historyczne Miasta Krakowa. There are several different exhibitions. During the World War 2, Gestapo's headquarters was located in Krakow, at Pomorska street. Today it is a place for national memories and also the most important point in the exhibition we went to:  The People of Krakow In Times of Terror 1939-1945-1956. This exhibition told us about the interesting, but also the very terrible history of the city. Where the Polish people fought for freedom and justice.

EUROPEAN WEDDINGS CURIOSITIES: Weddings in a few European countries. Customs and traditions.

Through the e-book we're presenting, we'd like to invite you, reader, to find out about some of the most relevant or amazing details which make the wedding celebrations in each of the participating countries in this project so unique and, yet, so close to each other.
 

A mysterious animal

  by Bartłomiej Blacha and Karol Danielczyk from Bieruń, Poland

On the third day of our trip to Sicily we went to a very nice beach in Mondello. We put on our swimming costumes and started taking pictures. Suddenly, we saw a strange animal lying on the sand. It was quite small, just a few centimeters long, transparent with some blue elements. We didn’t know what it was. Our teacher warned us: “You’d better not touch this animal, please, be careful”, but it was too late. We had already touched it!

Christmas in Poland

Martyna Skoczylas

Gimnazjum nr 2 im. św. Walentego w Bieruniu

Christmas is the most charming holiday in Poland, but there is a large variety of traditions in particular parts of our country. 

Who is she?

Martyna Skoczylas, Martyna Kocurek
Gimnazjum nr 2 im. św. Walentego w Bieruniu

She is 1,75 meters tall. She has got blue eyes and brown hair. She was born on 4th June, 1975. She raises six children: three biological and three adopted.

Do you recognize her?

The blue pages

Sonia Krzykawska, Sara Miernik
Gimnazjum nr 2 im. św. Walentego w Bieruniu

Sonia, Sara (students):
We belong to the generation that have grown up with computers. We set up the e-mail account when we were 9 years old, nevertheless none of us checks it on a daily basis. We sometimes use it to send a bigger attachment or a more formal mail.

Sport in Bieruń

Bartłomiej Blacha
Gimnazjum nr 2 im. św. Walentego w Bieruniu


I love sport especially swimming and skiing, so I was glad when I heard that international sports activities would be among main issues of the project. I took part in some of them during the mobility in Bieruń. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much time for sport due to a variety of project tasks. We have managed to use only the sports hall. Yet our town has got a wide range of places where you can do sport.

A dream detector

Karol Danielczyk,
Gimnazjum nr 2 im. św. Walentego w Bieruniu

“Did you have a dream detector?” children asked, hugging the volunteers. The volunteers brought them lots of boxes just before Christmas. Children are founding the toys they have been dreaming about.

 

Short film about Poland

Film made by the Swedish delegates when visiting Poland in May 2015. Please follow the youtube link for viewing, the file is to big to upload here on the blog.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vA9qES8HhXY&feature=youtu.be

Exploring Spain

Can you remember a movie published by Spanish team at our blog in February? It showed the talk about Poland prepared by a Galician speaker Weronika Urbanik-Pęk for IES de Catabois students in Ferrol. Now, you are invited to watch video material from a twin meeting which took place in Bieruń. We were pleased to host the same speaker Weronika. She presented us a very interesting speech about Spain and Galicia. The information provided by Weronika was useful during our visit to Ferrol.

Enjoy the movie in the link below:
Weronika's talk in Bieruń

  

Visit in Spanish family

     We came to Spain for our project meeting on the 21st of March 2015. We, Daria and Marysia, could stay in a Spanish family, because Noa, an ex-student of IES de Catabois school invited us to her house. She gave us her room and we could sleep in her double bed. It was exciting experience for us.

Enjoy interviews!

You are invited to listen or to watch a few interviews conducted and recorded by students participating in our meeting in Bieruń. 

The links below include conversations with people chosen by students. Enjoy all the talks!

1. Charlotte Gustafsson - a teacher of Swedish and English and a coordinator of Swedish team. The interview has been prepared by: Bartek Blacha (P), Felicia Lindblad (S), Amelie Johansson (S), Mario García (E), Rares Ilies (R), Daniel Seoane (E), Şura Dinç (T), Sara Miernik (P) and Oliwia Długoń (P).

Our Trip to Poland

It was a fantastic journey!  This project, Erasmus +, has helped us to meet people from other countries and improve our English level. 

                             Outside the school.
 
We left from our school on Friday 22nd at 7.30 pm. We arrived at Santiago’s airport at 8.30 pm. We took the plane after doing the control and we got to Madrid at 11 pm. We slept at Viky’s hostel, but we only slept more or less half an hour.

THE DROWNER'S RUN

by Sara Miernik, Gimnazjum nr 2 im. św. Walentego w Bieruniu


Every year at the beginning of January there is a huge charity festival in Poland. It is called the Grand Finale of Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity. Without any doubts, it has become the biggest money collection event in our country. The day of Finale is very joyful with lots of free concerts and feasts. About 120 000 volunteers help to raise the money, which are spent for medical equipment and for supporting different medical national programmes.

SAINT VALENTINE IN BIERUN

by Bartłomiej Blacha, Gimnazjum nr 2 im. św. Walentego w Bieruniu

Christmas went by and shops’ windows will be soon full of heart - shaped outline, doves, and the figure of the winged Cupid. The 14^th February is coming! Valentine’s Day customs developed in England, but nowadays they are spread to many countries around the world. On the 14th of February small gifts and flowers are given not only by people falling in love with each other. We remember about our friends, parents or children. It’s surprising that, according to the U.S. Greeting Card Association, teachers become the people receiving the most valentines!