Our last project adventure started on the 26th of April, when all the partners arrived to Łódź.
27th April
In the morning, as usual, it was really pleasant to meet all the friends coming from each Country! After breakfast, according to the planning, our Polish captains, Anna and Agata, led us to the 42 Primary School to make a tour of the school, a big, old, bright building, where the students showed us their presentations on each Country. It was very funny to watch the work prepared by them, masterfully guided by their teachers! We tasted some typical dishes in a sort of bulgarian restaurant enlivened by traditional dances; then we saw a nice sketch set in a travel agency about a trip to Turkey, appreciating all the aspects of its culture, history, nature…, Suddenly we found ourselves in Verona- Italy, where a modern Juliet had to choose among different suitors; we had a taste of a good “bruschetta” and a great Tiramisù! With the eyes, the mouth and the head full of different sensations and emotions, we moved to Greece, greeted by Zeus and other gods, who danced the Sirtaki and offered us delicious snacks. Moreover in the set dedicated to Lithuania students taught us information on its history and, in the one dedicated to Poland, we met some of the most important figures in Polish history, such as Chopin, Marie Curie, Lech Wałęsa, John Paul II and others. It was really a great work!
Along the bright halls of the school, we could appreciate the final exhibition of all the museums.
After lunch at school, while kids were involved in sport activities, we had the final project meeting about the last activities: the summary of the project, the evaluation forms both for students and parents, the final obligations to be sent to the own national agencies …
In the afternoon we had a guided visit to The Museum of the Canal “Dętka” of Łódź, an unusual museum located in a part of the underground sewerage system planned in the beginnings of the 20th century by the English engineer William Lindley in order to wash the sewage system in the city center. We walked through the red brick corridor of the canal under the ground and we could see some archival photographs and documents relating to the construction of Łódź’s canals.
Next there was a guided tour along Piotrkowska Street, the main street in Łódź , a promenade more than 4 km long; there we found out the origin and the meaning of the name of the city ,-boat-, maybe because in the past that was a swampy area .
Along the street we could see beautiful old houses, industrialists’ palaces and villas, churches and memorials, including the Gallery of Great Citizens of Łódź, bronze statues depicting such as the "Founders of industrial Lodz", the “Artus Rubistein’s piano”, the “Chair of Jaracz" , the “Julian Tuwim’s bench”, the “Lamplighter”… and the Monument of Łódź ,citizens of Millenium Change, in the shape of thousands of setts with cast iron tables commemorating the names of donators.
That street, preserving original 19th century urban architecture, combine examples of Art Nouveau, eclecticism and other styles; the Alley of fame, designed to celebrate the long tradition of film making in Łódź and the historical evidence of Jewish presence in the city, really shows its original, living soul and its unique character, crossed by old trambus and riskshaws…
28th April
Boarding on a trambus, we went to The Museum of the Factory, the Manufaktura, the shopping and entertainment centre, located in the former Israel Poznanski’s factory complex. We had a look to the big area, that include a market place, restaurants, shops, a cinema, a theatre …. and museums. We had a guided tour to The Museum of Faktory, a small but perfectly formed museum in which we could see the history of the Manufaktura complex, through four working looms, a steam engine model, various dioramas and even a small cinema showing black and white factory scenes.
In a really fine restaurant we tasted some Polish traditional dishes. The Museum of the City of Łódź, located in the Neo-Baroque former residence of the big manufacturer Izrael Kalmanowicz Poznański, showed us the life and times of his family and the history, the people, the culture of this important industrial city from the end of the 19th century to the outbreak of World War II, through the recreations of daily life from kitchen interiors to sections of streets. We also saw many fine objects and rooms dedicated to many of the city's former inhabitants, including the Łódź's unofficial Arthur Rubinstein Museum (the only one in the world).
29th April
On Wednesday, we had an all day trip to the medieval town of Toruń, one of the oldest cities in Poland, where the famous astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus was born.
It luckily escaped substantial destruction in World War II, so its beautiful Old Town was designated as UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The city is famous for having preserved almost intact its medieval spatial layout and many Gothic buildings, all made of bricks.
A very funny experience was trying to stand upright along the sloping wall of the tower at the entrance of the Old Town!
Visiting The Museum of Nicolaus Copernicus, located in two Gothic tenement houses, we discovered the everyday life of Toruń citizens and the life and work of Copernicus, the interiors of burghers' houses representative of a popular dwelling-warehouse, common in the 15th/16th century, the model of medieval Toruń and the gingerbread making.
In fact we could visit the exhibition presenting the history of famous Toruń gingerbread craft, which had its origins in the 14thcentury, the workshop of a gingerbread master, sitting at his desk and recording on wax boards stocks necessary for making honey and spice dough and, overall, we also made our own gingerbreads using replicas of old gingerbread wooden baking trays!!! Such a satisfaction for everyone to bake its own!
From the past to the universe… Of course we also visited the Copernicus Observatory and Planetarium and watched the astronomical show “Eight planets”.
30th April
Back to the past! Walking through the street of the Open Air Museum of Łódź Wooden Architecture, we found ourselves in the early 1800s. This is an open-air museum dedicated to the wooden architecture that dominated the streets of Łódź in its early years, behind the Central Museum of Textiles. The museum is arranged along two “streets”. In it we could see older wooden houses, a church, a summer villa, a wooden tram stop… and modern houses built to host the workers needed for the city’s booming manufacturers; the homes often included workshops where trades-people like weavers could work. Unfortunately, many wooden buildings were destroyed during World War II.
We also had a quick look to The Central Museum of Textile, a complex called the White Factory, built by the family of Ludwik Geyer. This is considered one of the most beautiful and unique monuments of industrial architecture in Poland.
Later we had another great and unforgettable experience, especially for students, but not also for them!
We went to visit The Museum of Animation SE MA FOR, the place devoted to the technique and history of animation. Apart from dolls or stage designs, the museum will also feature interactive elements explaining the arcanes of stop motion animation. We could see the exhibition prepared to present the whole production process of a doll animated film. It’s feature dolls of the characters from the stories of Teddy Floppy-ear, penguin Pik Pok, Three Bears and others, as well as fragments of stage design of the Academy Award winner “Peter and the Wolf” and movie equipment. After the information, the guides made us be able to become co-creators of our “personal movie”, in a set created only for us… wow!
That beautiful day ended with a special show at school. Our project coordinator, Olympia, made us move with her leave-taking words, because that was our last meeting… but the sadness has also given way to the fun: two entertainers involved adults and children in a series of musical games and activities giving us moments of pure, simple joy, all together, in a sort of family celebration, because in these two years we grew up together and expanded our great, unique, wonderful “European family”.
In the evening, an elegant farewell party marked the last step of this adventure.
What I will take with me in my heart, in my memories, in my eyes?
I will take the warmth, the smiles, the friendship and the love of my colleagues…the smiles, the freshness, the immediacy, the enthusiasm and the wonder of children… the colors, the smells and the flavours of a land wounded by the atrocities of the war, but proud and culturally vibrant, capable of rebuilding its future, of recreating the “promise land” that in the past made it the third most important city in Poland, the Polish Manchester, the city where people can realize their dreams...
1st May
The last day we missed our Italian friends who had to leave but we had a very nice walk around the OPEN AIR MUSEUM OF WOODEN ARCHITECTURE and THE PRIEST’S MILL (KSIĘŻY MŁYN). We also passed by the cinema school of Poland and the cinematographic museum. Everything was very interesting. Finally we had our OPEN AIR GRILL PARTY IN JAŚMINÓWKA, a very nice place where we danced and enjoyed ourselves. A very nice moment was when each one of us wrote a wish and put it in a balloon. The moment when we all left our balloons to fly high up into the sky was unforgettable.
Our polish hosts were magnificent!!!!
After two years of collaboration we all felt close to each other and we felt very sorry at the time we had to say goodbye. I am sure we will have some opportunity to collaborate again in the future!
27th April
In the morning, as usual, it was really pleasant to meet all the friends coming from each Country! After breakfast, according to the planning, our Polish captains, Anna and Agata, led us to the 42 Primary School to make a tour of the school, a big, old, bright building, where the students showed us their presentations on each Country. It was very funny to watch the work prepared by them, masterfully guided by their teachers! We tasted some typical dishes in a sort of bulgarian restaurant enlivened by traditional dances; then we saw a nice sketch set in a travel agency about a trip to Turkey, appreciating all the aspects of its culture, history, nature…, Suddenly we found ourselves in Verona- Italy, where a modern Juliet had to choose among different suitors; we had a taste of a good “bruschetta” and a great Tiramisù! With the eyes, the mouth and the head full of different sensations and emotions, we moved to Greece, greeted by Zeus and other gods, who danced the Sirtaki and offered us delicious snacks. Moreover in the set dedicated to Lithuania students taught us information on its history and, in the one dedicated to Poland, we met some of the most important figures in Polish history, such as Chopin, Marie Curie, Lech Wałęsa, John Paul II and others. It was really a great work!
Along the bright halls of the school, we could appreciate the final exhibition of all the museums.
After lunch at school, while kids were involved in sport activities, we had the final project meeting about the last activities: the summary of the project, the evaluation forms both for students and parents, the final obligations to be sent to the own national agencies …
In the afternoon we had a guided visit to The Museum of the Canal “Dętka” of Łódź, an unusual museum located in a part of the underground sewerage system planned in the beginnings of the 20th century by the English engineer William Lindley in order to wash the sewage system in the city center. We walked through the red brick corridor of the canal under the ground and we could see some archival photographs and documents relating to the construction of Łódź’s canals.
Next there was a guided tour along Piotrkowska Street, the main street in Łódź , a promenade more than 4 km long; there we found out the origin and the meaning of the name of the city ,-boat-, maybe because in the past that was a swampy area .
Along the street we could see beautiful old houses, industrialists’ palaces and villas, churches and memorials, including the Gallery of Great Citizens of Łódź, bronze statues depicting such as the "Founders of industrial Lodz", the “Artus Rubistein’s piano”, the “Chair of Jaracz" , the “Julian Tuwim’s bench”, the “Lamplighter”… and the Monument of Łódź ,citizens of Millenium Change, in the shape of thousands of setts with cast iron tables commemorating the names of donators.
That street, preserving original 19th century urban architecture, combine examples of Art Nouveau, eclecticism and other styles; the Alley of fame, designed to celebrate the long tradition of film making in Łódź and the historical evidence of Jewish presence in the city, really shows its original, living soul and its unique character, crossed by old trambus and riskshaws…
28th April
Boarding on a trambus, we went to The Museum of the Factory, the Manufaktura, the shopping and entertainment centre, located in the former Israel Poznanski’s factory complex. We had a look to the big area, that include a market place, restaurants, shops, a cinema, a theatre …. and museums. We had a guided tour to The Museum of Faktory, a small but perfectly formed museum in which we could see the history of the Manufaktura complex, through four working looms, a steam engine model, various dioramas and even a small cinema showing black and white factory scenes.
In a really fine restaurant we tasted some Polish traditional dishes. The Museum of the City of Łódź, located in the Neo-Baroque former residence of the big manufacturer Izrael Kalmanowicz Poznański, showed us the life and times of his family and the history, the people, the culture of this important industrial city from the end of the 19th century to the outbreak of World War II, through the recreations of daily life from kitchen interiors to sections of streets. We also saw many fine objects and rooms dedicated to many of the city's former inhabitants, including the Łódź's unofficial Arthur Rubinstein Museum (the only one in the world).
29th April
On Wednesday, we had an all day trip to the medieval town of Toruń, one of the oldest cities in Poland, where the famous astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus was born.
It luckily escaped substantial destruction in World War II, so its beautiful Old Town was designated as UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The city is famous for having preserved almost intact its medieval spatial layout and many Gothic buildings, all made of bricks.
A very funny experience was trying to stand upright along the sloping wall of the tower at the entrance of the Old Town!
Visiting The Museum of Nicolaus Copernicus, located in two Gothic tenement houses, we discovered the everyday life of Toruń citizens and the life and work of Copernicus, the interiors of burghers' houses representative of a popular dwelling-warehouse, common in the 15th/16th century, the model of medieval Toruń and the gingerbread making.
In fact we could visit the exhibition presenting the history of famous Toruń gingerbread craft, which had its origins in the 14thcentury, the workshop of a gingerbread master, sitting at his desk and recording on wax boards stocks necessary for making honey and spice dough and, overall, we also made our own gingerbreads using replicas of old gingerbread wooden baking trays!!! Such a satisfaction for everyone to bake its own!
From the past to the universe… Of course we also visited the Copernicus Observatory and Planetarium and watched the astronomical show “Eight planets”.
30th April
Back to the past! Walking through the street of the Open Air Museum of Łódź Wooden Architecture, we found ourselves in the early 1800s. This is an open-air museum dedicated to the wooden architecture that dominated the streets of Łódź in its early years, behind the Central Museum of Textiles. The museum is arranged along two “streets”. In it we could see older wooden houses, a church, a summer villa, a wooden tram stop… and modern houses built to host the workers needed for the city’s booming manufacturers; the homes often included workshops where trades-people like weavers could work. Unfortunately, many wooden buildings were destroyed during World War II.
We also had a quick look to The Central Museum of Textile, a complex called the White Factory, built by the family of Ludwik Geyer. This is considered one of the most beautiful and unique monuments of industrial architecture in Poland.
Later we had another great and unforgettable experience, especially for students, but not also for them!
We went to visit The Museum of Animation SE MA FOR, the place devoted to the technique and history of animation. Apart from dolls or stage designs, the museum will also feature interactive elements explaining the arcanes of stop motion animation. We could see the exhibition prepared to present the whole production process of a doll animated film. It’s feature dolls of the characters from the stories of Teddy Floppy-ear, penguin Pik Pok, Three Bears and others, as well as fragments of stage design of the Academy Award winner “Peter and the Wolf” and movie equipment. After the information, the guides made us be able to become co-creators of our “personal movie”, in a set created only for us… wow!
That beautiful day ended with a special show at school. Our project coordinator, Olympia, made us move with her leave-taking words, because that was our last meeting… but the sadness has also given way to the fun: two entertainers involved adults and children in a series of musical games and activities giving us moments of pure, simple joy, all together, in a sort of family celebration, because in these two years we grew up together and expanded our great, unique, wonderful “European family”.
In the evening, an elegant farewell party marked the last step of this adventure.
What I will take with me in my heart, in my memories, in my eyes?
I will take the warmth, the smiles, the friendship and the love of my colleagues…the smiles, the freshness, the immediacy, the enthusiasm and the wonder of children… the colors, the smells and the flavours of a land wounded by the atrocities of the war, but proud and culturally vibrant, capable of rebuilding its future, of recreating the “promise land” that in the past made it the third most important city in Poland, the Polish Manchester, the city where people can realize their dreams...
1st May
The last day we missed our Italian friends who had to leave but we had a very nice walk around the OPEN AIR MUSEUM OF WOODEN ARCHITECTURE and THE PRIEST’S MILL (KSIĘŻY MŁYN). We also passed by the cinema school of Poland and the cinematographic museum. Everything was very interesting. Finally we had our OPEN AIR GRILL PARTY IN JAŚMINÓWKA, a very nice place where we danced and enjoyed ourselves. A very nice moment was when each one of us wrote a wish and put it in a balloon. The moment when we all left our balloons to fly high up into the sky was unforgettable.
Our polish hosts were magnificent!!!!
After two years of collaboration we all felt close to each other and we felt very sorry at the time we had to say goodbye. I am sure we will have some opportunity to collaborate again in the future!
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