COMENIUS PROJECT

GREEN SKILLS FOR GLOBAL CHANGE

FLYING TO SLOVENIA
By Pilar Cifrin Casuso IES Santa Clara 1 H . Santander. Cantabria (SPAIN)

Many ours of !or"# $ro%e&ts# student dro$outs# ea'er to learn# efforts a(e really
$aid off allo!in' us to so! te) no )ore and no less
tan in Slo(enia.
*e %ourney be'an on May +1# !it te alar) set to
,-./ in te )ornin'# but is so!n# te desire to do
so)etin' one undred $er&ent )a"e )ore en%oyable te early )ornin's. *e $lane
left at 0-//# but left Bilbao forty )inutes late# )aybe tis !as %ust a sy)$to) of !at
!ould a$$en ne1t. 2it sto$s in Muni&# te four re$resentati(es of Santa Clara
students and t!o tea&ers Institute left te $lane# and let us ead. A3u&ena tea&er
and I for'ot a %a&"et and a )obile $one res$e&ti(ely. 2y )ention tis4 5or )e it is
a fa&t i'li't of te tri$# it e(en as so)e relationsi$ !it i)# be&ause aside fro)
studyin' te en(iron)ent# I li(ed fi(e days !itout )obile# fully sustainable !ay
(one of te bases of tis $ro%e&t)# and altou' )any $eo$le )ay find it i)$ossible# I
sur(i(ed and $assed !it flyin' &olors.
6n&e !e arri(ed in 7a'reb (Croatia ) be'an our ad(enture of )eetin' ne! $eo$le .
Neterlands and Portu'al %oined us on te road by bus to te s)all Slo(enian to!n
Crno)el% . It !as ten tat !e reali3ed !e
!ere not 'oin' far a)$le !it our En'lis#
but !e understood and !e understand # !e
did lau'# and in )y $oint of (ie! tis is te
)ain 'oal of learnin' lan'ua'es. After a
lon' our and a alf # $lus a lon' tri$ but
an1ious )ornin' # $ar"ed in te only s&ool
of te (illa'e# !ere tey !ere !aitin' for our osts. *e )ost &i(alrous and
a)iable osts !it !o) I a(e ad te $leasure of li(in' # in )y &ase . Most of us
!ere osted by "ids # !i& !e tou't !ould be a )a%or i)$edi)ent for issues of
trust and relationsi$# but !e !ere absolutely !ron' . *is $ro%e&t as also tau't us
to o$en our )inds # !e are youn' and if !e do not o$en it # ten !o !ill4 8es # I9(e
been )ore at o)e fi(e days and four ni'ts !it Andra3 # !o) I &alled )y
Slo(enian 'uy# !it any oter 'irl. 5riendsi$s brea" any taboo or !all. 2itout
'i(in' tis issue )ore bluntly # only de)onstrate te ability of addin' )y fa)ily tat
I !aited until 1:-./ $) to eat !it )e # as it is said in fa)ily.
*at day !as too lon'# so !e o$ted to )eet e(eryone else# be'innin' a )i1 of
nationalities (*ur"is# ;anis# 5ren&# Portu'uese# ;ut&# Slo(enian# S$anis) and
&ultures tat 'o on in boo)# and 'o !it te) to rest.
6n *ursday# May ++# be'an !it anoter early start#
lost ours of slee$ be'an to ta"e its toll# and e(en )ore
!it te day tri$ !e tro! us# but as I said# does not it&
li"e s&abies. It !as te )ost &ulturally ri& day in !i&
!e ad te $leasure of (isitin' bot te &a$ital of
Slo(enia# <%ubl%ana# as its ,+ ") of beautiful &oastline.
In te &ity &ondu&ted a 'uided tour trou' e(ery one of te $oints of interest in tis.
*is allo!s )e to re)e)ber )y )e)ory and )y e1$erien&e is not )u&# but I a)
tryin' to stress it
6n te ori3on# after te &ity# on to$ of te ill o(erloo"in' te =rad en(iron)ent#
i'li'ted te &allen'in' and )a%esti& $rofile <%ubl%ana Castle# rebuilt in te >?I
&entury on te ori'inal datin' ba&" to te nint &entury. Its sa$e is $enta'onal and
te )ain to!er is &alled te Belde(ere. It !as used as a $rison in te nineteent
&entury.
*e istori& &enter !as a)on' te footills of tis )ountain and te ban"s of ri(er
<%ubl%ani&a. As you !ere you tra(elin' tis old to!n# you found nu)erous i&oni&
land)ar"s in&ludin' te old Caf@ ?al(asor# a )eetin' of intelle&tuals durin' te
nineteent &entury# is no! te Central Par)a&yA or te Cur& of te Annun&iation#
BaroBue style by te )idCse(enteent )odernis) refle&ted in te ni&es and
$edi)ents tat adorn te fa&ade of $in" &olor# i'li'tin' its t!o sli) to!ers.
A fe! )eters a!ay is te Pla3a Preserno(# !i& ouses te i)$ressi(e *ri$e Brid'e
and te fa)ous Central )ar"et e)er'es. It !as tere tat en%oyed te alf our !e
ad free ti)e. A sort but intense (isit# !e re(ealed te dee$est se&rets of tis
)etro$olis.
2e returned to our dear faitful friend# a bus#
and be'an te %ourney to te &oast. 2en !e
arri(ed# after )ore tan a s)all na$# $er$le1ed
!it beauty. E(erytin' tey say te &oast of
tese &ountries nort of te Mediterranean is
only little and you &an &e&" for yourself.
2e $re$ared t!o (ery Slo(enia edu&ational a&ti(ities on te en(iron)ent and
es$e&ially about life. 5irst# !e (isited a beautiful arbor in !e too" a si$ bound-
D*e 5onda 5is 5ar)D. *is is a breeder of fis ()ainly bass) 2ild !it a 'reat
re$utation# sin&e due to te fantasti& &ondition and dee$ &lean !ater and stron'
&urrent# is te only re'ion of te Sea of Slo(enia !i& &an be tis ty$e of ser(ant.
But )ost i)$ortant of tis far) is fun&tionin'# and to e1$lain it# !e a(e an e1$ert
'uide# a fa&t for !i& !e !ere (ery fortunate# be&ause !e )ade nu)erous (isits and
less to as i' 'rou$s.
5irst of all# a sele&tion of youn' fis Considered suitable for your far) is. After *is
$ro&edure
*ey are reared in o$en &a'es in te )iddle of its freeCfloatin' reser(e and Allo!in'
te) to en%oy te Natural re$la&e)ent of fres !ater fro) te sea# te &ontinuous
)o(e)ent and lo!er salt &ontent of tis $art of te bay
*e s$e&i)ens are and fed e(ery day se(eral ti)es !it "it&en Di' standin'D and
literally E1$lained te 'uide# (ery &ostly and e1$ensi(e !or"# Bue e1$loitation )a"es
it uniBue. In Addition# 2e Also E1$lained *at te lo&ation of te far) *ey )ade it
(ery easy fis distribution to all $arts of Slo(enia# in&ludin' Austria and Italy.
*o e1$lain and )a"e us $ut on te role of tis elaborate !or"# 'a(e us te
o$$ortunity to see o! tey !ere fed fis and also to obser(e one fres fres fis#
and reali3e and differen&es !it tose !o nor)ally eat at our ouse fro) =od
"no!s !ere.
It !as a (ery enri&in' e1$erien&e and e(en )ore for us# youn' $eo$le rarely do te
$ur&ase# te only tin' !e &are about is to a(e our $lates on te table !itout
as"in' if you !ant to !ere it &a)e fro) tat !e eat. *e Co)enius $ro%e&t as
el$ed us reali3e tat !e )ust loo" beyond !at tey already )ade us !onder !y it
!or"s !en $lu''ed dryer or refle&t on te &an'es in te)$erature tat sould not
a$$en# not be&ause if it rains !e !ill &url your air# but by loo"in' at !at9s beind.
5ollo!in' te tour# and after returnin'
to &at& te bus# te ne1t sto$ !as one
of te )ost i)$ortant salt of Slo(enia.
6n&e tere# !e e1$e&ted a ne! 'uide#
tis $rodu&tion !or"er# !o e1$lained
te diffi&ult and $ainsta"in' $ro&ess of
obtainin' salt. *e $ro&ess is an old
te&nolo'y and in(ol(es e(a$oration $onds. Sallo! $onds tese !ater$roof are
e1&a(ated and &onne&ted to te sea by a sort &anal. A)$le s$a&e and sallo! de$t
allo! a &ertain (olu)e of !ater to absorb )ore sunli't. *e $ond is filled# ten te
&annel is &losed. *e sun e(a$orates te !ater. As te !ater e(a$orates# te salt is
la''in'# &reatin' an in&reasin'ly saline. E(entually# enou' !ater e(a$orates to lea(e
beind a layer of sea salt &rystals tat &an be &olle&ted.
*is )ay not see) su& a &o)$li&ated $ro&ess# as e)$asi3ed by te 'uide# te
!eater &an ruin days and days of e(a$oration. Ho!4 Si)$ly unti)ely rain. It is also
a (ery &ostly for e)$loyees# sin&e tis !ater )ust be )o(ed e(ery day# so !e !or"
tirelessly and li(e al)ost literally on te $rodu&er.
After )a"in' tis (isit# )y first tou't &arryin' a disa$$oint)ent !as# e)$asi3in'
!at I said earlier# none of us ad e(er !ondered !ere te salt &o)es tis
indis$ensable &ondi)ent at e(ery )eal# !e too" absolutely e(ery day. And you4
2it all tis# and a funCfilled tri$ ba&" son's# dan&es# !i& !as su$$osed to be
En'lis and a lot of ne! friends# !ere in Crno)el% at +.-//# $erfe&t ti)e to &at& te
bed and ea'er load batteries for te ne1t day.
5riday# +. May # and to (ary - early start . Is te best &o)fort4 *o tin" tat in S$ain
!ere in &lass . Class tat attended us# as !e s$ent te )ornin' (isitin' is s&ool and
en%oyin' tri'ono)etry and lo'arit)s in Slo(enian . A ne! e1$erien&e # different
edu&ational )etods # and abo(e all different ti)es. At 1/-// o9&lo&" in te )ornin'
!e !ere sittin' in te dinin' roo) eatin' &i&"en # so)etin' totally surreal ere#
and $erfe&tly understandable tere. Mi1ed &ultures # referrin' to te food# ne(er leads
to trouble.
Also# !e !ere lu&"y to &oin&ide !it 'raduation of students fro) last year# so !e
obser(e teir &usto)s# and abo(e all # is !ay of &on&lusion # I really li"e te S$anis
Afternoon free in tis &ase # !e de&ided to 'et to'eter # e(en 'raduates # and old a
$i&ni& by te ri(er # one of te best e1$erien&es. I re)e)ber eatin' # sin'in' and
dan&in' !it $eo$le I "ne! only t!o days a'o and !it te &onfiden&e of "no!in'
lifeti)e . Enbelie(able but true # a)a3in' as tey are. It !as a fun day# tis day of
your life tat you "no! you !ill ne(er for'et # days so!ed )e tat Co)enius is a
$ro%e&t for te en(iron)ent and sustainable de(elo$)ent issue is a $ro%e&t to learn
o! to learn .
;ay +,# te drea) as $assed te FEM $ase and is runnin'. But !at better !ay to
start a Saturday to a day of s$orts4 *e S$anis !ere bold and !e ai) to learn
re'ional dan&e# !ate(er it &ulturi3arse ... Altou' I do not tin" !e !ere (ery
a!are of !ere !e soa"ed. After a sto)$
anoter# !e a(e a &oreo'ra$y tat )u&
o$efully not insultin' te Slo(enian dan&e#
and $resent it to te !ole 'rou$. In
addition# oters si'ned u$ to $aint# and )ade an
a)a3in' dra!in' on one of te !alls of te
s&ool9s lo'o for tis $ro%e&t. Feally a)a3in'.
Afternoon fa)ily day $layin' for a little bit )ore about Slo(enia and its traditions. In
)y &ase I !as (ery lu&"y be&ause )y fa)ily o!ned (ineyards and ad te $leasure
to (isit te) . As I !as told# is (ery ty$i&al tat fa)ilies $rodu&e teir o!n !ine on
teir land . I &ould see te tree and its fruit # and e(en te &ellar !ere tey ad stored
!ine . Altou' no better !ine tan S$anis # Slo(enian !ine)a"ers are also 'ood .
After tis brief (isit# I !ent to a beautiful ri(er tat !as notin' )ore and notin'
less tan Croatian border. I &ould not el$ tin"in' of )y infinite Cantabria# !it its
beautiful ri(ers and 'reen forests . Endoubtedly# Slo(enia &ould be a se&ond
Cantabria.
Ho!e(er# te best of te day # ie # el$in' to finis it # it !as te final dinner .
*ea&ers and students all to'eter !e ad a 'reat e(enin' at a dis&o bar rented for us.
2e !ere able to try all "inds of Slo(enian dises and dan&ed nonCsto$ until )idni't.
Students !it $u$ils# tea&ers !it tea&ers# students tea&ers# all to'eter doin' te
&on'a and li)bo dan&in' . *rust and ra$$ort !ere beyond te li)its # I tin" !e all
!ent to slee$ !it bellya&e bot lau' . ;efinitely a $erfe&t endin' and a $erfe&t
fare!ell to a tour of te really !ort!ile.
I say tis be&ause te ne1t day# May +G# !e left at 11-./ a) to te air$ort in 7a'reb#
so !e only ad ti)e for one last brief fare!ell and a fe! tears fallin' un&ontrollably#
a !ill $ro(idin' for te %oy to a(e ad te o$$ortunity to li(e tis ad(enture and
anoter sad "no!in' tat tese )o)ents are uniBue and unre$eatable.
After tis sort tour trou'out te !ole tri$# I# in )y e1$erien&e# I &an only say tat
I ta"e a $ie&e of tis in&redible land# )ore $eo$le ... and es$e&ially $ro%e&ts su& as
Co)enius +/1, Bettin' ;e$osit a less teoreti&al and )ore $ra&ti&al edu&ation#
)a"in' it irresistible to all. Ho! )u& better if !e !ould ta"e e1a)$le ...