Romanian students impressions about the Comenius mobility in Italy, March 2013

1. Our Impressions about the Comenius Mobility in
Italy
March 2013
First of all I want to say that the Comenius mobility in Italy in which I take part as a
member of the Romanian team was a unique and unforgettable experience.
When I arrived there, all the people have received us warmly, however, the biggest emotion I
felt when I met my partner. She came at the hotel together her grandparents, who were such
wonderful people.
In the following days we visited the school, met its teachers and many other pupils who
made us feel like at home.
I have visited the Vatican Museum where I have seen the famous Sistine Chapel and where
I have admired Michelangelo’s paintings.
Another very famous tourist attraction that long time I wanted to visit was the Colosseum.
It was really amazing.
In addition, we have visited the Trevi Fountain, where I have thrown a penny and I have
put a wish. I will not tell you the wish, it’s secret, in order to be accomplished, you know.
An interesting place that we have visited was also the Ostia Antica ruins. Not far away, we
have admired the seaport.
Italy is a country full of tourist attractions and that’s why I can say it worth visiting at
least once in a lifetime.
The workshops realized within the project, the classes we have attended, the picnic in the
schoolyard and the hospitality of the school staff will remain in my mond for a long time, I’m sure.
Bianca Costache, Romania

2. Hello, my name is Stoiculescu Stefan Alexander, and I am one of the lucky ones
who had the opportunity to be part of the Comenius project and to travel to Italy, one
of the most beautiful European countries. I have to tell you the experience of knowing
a such beautiful country with ancient traditions and history. Let’s start from the
beginning, knowing that we traveled by plane I had emotions because I have never
flown before, but when I saw the state of the enthusiasm of the group, all the
emotions were gone.
The flight went perfectly and without unpleasant surprises. We landed in Rome
where we were welcomed by the coordinator of the project and we went to meet with
our future hosts.
In Italy I was fascinated by the ancient monuments such as the Roman period
ruins of Ostia, the Colosseum, Trevi Fountain. I also was surprised by their educational
system, participating in a Math class and a Spanish class, too. I personally was very
surprised by the size and cleanliness of parks, playgrounds for children, Italian food.
And for the picture to be complete, one day, while we were visiting the Vatican
managed, I was lost with Mrs. Tudor from the group, so we lost the paintings created
by Michelangelo on the Sistine Chapel.
What could I say about Lorenzo’s family? I could say that it was a very
welcoming family and very understanding with me all the period spent there. Lorenzo’s
parents were knowing very well English and, although Lorenzo was sometimes speaking
English a bit hard, with the help of his computer, we got along extremely well.
I really liked the pupils of the school where we were when they presented to us
the musical Pinocchio because when dancing looked like professionals and simple
replicas were understood by all.
The separation of Lorenzo was the hardest because I liked there and if it was
possible, I would have been there now eating pasta and playing football. I will continue
to keep in touch with my friend Lorenzo, but I still have emotions that I want to make
a good impression when he will came to Romania in 2014, so to change that impression
created over time about our country.
In closing I want to say that it can’t be told in words how beautiful is Rome and I
can say that is worth visiting it at least once in life.

3. ALEX, Romania
I have heard Italy is a great country and I wanted to see it and this project
made my wish true.
At our leaving we were very nervous to meet our partners from Italy. In the
plane was an amazing experience. When we arrived in Italy at airport we were very
tired and we were waiting for Hope. Finally, we went at hotel where we waited for
our host partners. In a short time they came to take us to our new homes. For me
came just Sara’s mother because she was at school. Since I saw her the first time
I noticed she’s a happy person, like the most of Italians. We went to my new
home. She showed it to me. Soon after that we went to take Sara. She seemed a
nice girl. We went at a shop and they bought me a big icecream.
Next day we ate their traditional food and I liked it. Their school is very big
and the Italians like doing sport. They learn differently than us and at school they
have more freedom than us; I don’t know if this is a good thing or not. In Rome I
got tired but I liked Fontana di Trevi, where’s a shop with the best icecreams. The
Colosseum was a very beautiful objective we visited. I enjoyed Vatican, Rome and
everything I saw.
The Italians are kind, friendly and I’d like to meet them again. Also, they
seem older than they really are. They are catholic but this didn’t change something
between us.
Also, I think this project helped us to speak English better and to become
better in IT. I learned many things about other cultures and customs. We talked to
pupils, teachers and parents and saw their opnions about many and different
things. When we arrived back in Romania our classmates found out what we saw
and noticed in Italy and they were interested. A good thing we learned in this

4. project was not picking up a living thing and we made works of art from what we
found died on the ground.
I think this project is very good and educational for every country. I learned
many things this week and I congratulate the teachers for this beautiful project.
Negoescu Bianca, Romania
I think of when I say italy I say pizza, pasta, fry potatoes but now I have
learned that in this country there are wonderful people who welcome you with open
arms.
The best moment was when I got home to my partner and I met her family.
When I got to school I was very impressed by the fact that a lot of kids have treated
us with hospitality. I attended their classes, but it was really not many enough to
figure out that their matter is not so different as ours but much easier.
We visited Porziano Castle, which loved me because I was able to create with
little things a true playground in miniature. I visited many tourist attractions
including the Colosseum, Trajan’s Column, Fontana di Trevi, Piazza di Spain,
Vatican, Ostia ruins, but the most I liked was Trevi Fountain where I put a desire
and ate a very tasty icecream.
Besides these wonderful places, we have been to the sea where I liked very
much and I took lots of pictures.
The separation of people where I stayed was very hard for me because they
were our families for a week. These seven days were very beautiful but they quickly
passed.
All these were possible by this Comenius project. I am proud to be a member of
the team and to have such friendly European partners.
Bianca Sîrbu, Romania

5. Rome, one of the attractions of Europe, looked happy for a week and for us.
Our project partner school was an art school. We observed that students were
more relaxed than us during the courses. I attended a concert held in our honor,
then host parents in the schoolyard waiting for us with Italian dishes that we were
very pleased.
My new friend, Diego, played in the play Pinocchio. He is a great guy and has a wonderful family.
The show was held in a special room, like an amphitheater, which I would love to have it in our school, too.
In the park "Castle Porziano" I made some arrangements of stones and dead leaves. At the Vatican,
the crowd struck me first and the museum impressed me through the works of art, stained glass and
frescoes.
Touring Rome, we arrived at the Coloseum, where I got a reminder this miniature.
Our teachers were guide for us, and they were spoiled us all the time.
On the penultimate day, we visited the ruins of "Ostia Antica", which in antiquity was the port that
served Rome.

6. We had a full program: an exchange with another school, new knowledge, visiting some of the
most important attractions in Rome.
I'm glad I had the chance to be in the Comenius project team as this project enriched my
knowledge about Europe and I learned that friends can keep close even if from a distance.
Safta David
Italy is a country that I always have dreamed to see. This multilateral Comenius
project Comenius helped me to fulfill my dream. In addition, I flew by plane for first
time. The experience by plane was unbelievable.
The family where I have stayed was so kind and my partner, Thomas, has
impressed me since the first day with his behavior. I have felt since the first moment
that we will understand well even if they were Catholic. His parents brought us to
school every day.
Their school was one of arts and they had, not only usual classrooms, but also a
hall which seems to be a small theatre, where our gifted Italian pupil partners have
acted in English language the adaptation of a play after the well-known story
“Pinochio”. I noticed that some teachers were allowing sometimes their pupils to do
what they want, but I don’t know if this is a good thing or not. Instead, most children
play an instrument and practice a sport. I spoke with the pupils in English language
that helped me to develop the capacity to communicate in this language.
Every day we were leaving from school by bus to more destinations. We saw
many historical sights that improved a lot our general culture such as: Vatican
Museum, Colosseum, Fontana di Trevi, Piazza di Spagna, Piazza di Venezia. We went
to the park “Castel Porziano”, where each team of pupils from all the participating
countries of the project (Spain, Italy, Romania, Poland, Latvia, Turkey) achieved some
artworks and made poems about the creations. Ostia Antica and its seaport also
fascinated me. But outside these wonderful sights, the most impressed me the very
large parks.

7. After seven days of admiring the beauties of Rome and doing Comenius project
activities together, I left regretfully to my house and these things remained in my
memory. I will always think with pleasure at these days spent in Italy. This mobility
has determined me to say that Italians are some wonderful people. I want to thank to
all teachers involved in this multilateral Comenius project, which submitted much
heart for ongoing and for the chance they gave it to me to participate.
Octavian Cononov
This project is wonderful because with the help this project I learned many
things using IT and I learned better English. The visited Italian school seemed me to be
a bit different than the schools in Romania. For example, in Italy the grade seven is
very good, instead in Romania ten is very good.
The teachers, children and parents from there are wonderful. I thought I would
be able to have problems because I am orthodox and they are catolics, but it was not
true. They are like us.
“Say No to the Picking of a Living Thing” was always the motto with which we
were guided to make artworks. It was very beautiful when I was in nature, in the forest,
to search every leaf, every twig to make an artwork.
First I would want to tell to Mrs. Raffaela Puglia a big “Thank You” for all the
activities. During that mobility week, the first day, I was very excited because I talked
to Luca, my host partner, and all the other partners face to face.
The second day I saw at school many things. I ate tipical Italian food (it was
very good). The third day I saw a natural park where together with my Romanian team,
I made an artwork that we entitled “A Playing Place”.
The fourth day I saw Vatican Museums. It was lovely. That day I went shopping
with my friends and I ate tipical Italian food. The fifth day I made the tour of Rome.
Rome is very beautiful. I saw Coloseum and many other buildings. That day I took a
T-shirt with “I love Rome”. The sixth day I went in Ostia to see some ruins and the

8. port. The last day all partners joined at hotel for saying “Good bye”. The host parents
took us to the airport by their own cars.
For me, this experience was very beautiful. And now I am waiting for my
partner to come here in my country. I miss all my project partners.
Tavi Florescu
On Monday I was so happy when I met my Comenius partner from
Italy. I stayed with his family and I ate a lot of pizza. He had such
hospitable parents.
On Tuesday we went to his school where I participed at his classes
and I ate Lasagna, Pizza, Spaghetti and a lot of food prepared by the
parents of the pupils involved in the Comenius project “The Voices
from the Land”.
On Wednesday we visited “Presidential Estate of Castel
Porziano”, an amazing park were we created artworks using materials
from nature. After that, we came back to school to compose poems and
to recite them on a stage, and later we went to Leonori Orchestra for a
wonderful concert.
On Thursday we went to Vatican for a documentary visit to its
museums. It was a beautiful experience. I am grateful to the Italian
coordinator and headmaster for including this visit in our Comenius
mobility in Rome.
On Friday we visited more places, such as: Coloseum, Fori
Imperiali, Piazza Venezia, Fontana di Trevi, Piazza Navona, Piazza di
Spagna, and tasted a good Italian icecream.

9. On Saturday we visited Ostia Antica and Ostia Antica Port.
On Sunday we come back home, after an interesting Comenius
project, ready to tell about it to all pupils and teachers in my school.
Victor Vasile