The first mobility with students in Turkey occurred in the city of Keşan, from the 8th to the 12th of April 2024.

Sunday the 7th was a travelling day! For some students from Portugal, it was the first time they had travelled by plane and the first time they had travelled so far from home. The Turkish students from Didim also had a very long trip, by car

There was a certain nervousness and anticipation about meeting their host families in person and for the Portuguese, getting to know a very different culture. The Portuguese students said that the day of the trip was one of the most incredible, as they had the opportunity to see other countries from the sky and the city of Istanbul, "the views were breathtaking" according to Marcos. They never thought that one day they would be able to visit Turkey, and yet there they were! It was a unique experience. They were so anxious that they hardly slept the night before the trip, they said that to this day they couldn't believe that they had lived this unique experience and that it was certainly the best trip they had made with the school so far.

Monday was the first day that all the students were together. Early in the morning, they attended a ceremony in honour of the police for their service, followed by a visit to the Regional Directorate of Education, where the group was welcomed by the Director. There was time to talk about the project and exchange souvenirs. Afterwards, students and teachers went to the Keşan Museum, where they took part in a guided tour, learning more about the history and customs of the city/region and its inhabitants. After the visit the group went to school

 where the headmistress was waiting. 

After the welcoming the programme's activities began. Some ice-breaking games were played to introduce the students. One of the ice-breaking activities consisted of dancing, with each country giving an example of a traditional dance that everyone would then perform.

Once the school activities were over, all the students took the opportunity to get out of their comfort zone and discover a bit more of the city. The group went for a walk and ended up visiting the city's parks and shopping centres. The day ended with the feeling that travelling to Keşan would be a great experience.

On Tuesday morning, the students presented their work on the endemic species and extinct animals of each country. Through their work, they learnt more about the fauna and flora of Portugal and Turkey. Afterwards, the creative aspect was put into practice, as they carried out an activity where they were supposed to make art, combining the use of natural and recyclable materials. The rest of the day was free, so the students went with their Turkish friends to see a bit more of the city. In the shopping centre, the students were challenged to pick up the ice cream that was held out to them by the sales assistant who, with various manoeuvres, managed to evade the hands that wanted the ice cream! During this tour of the city, the students saw some monuments. This day was very important for creating bonds.

Wednesday was a very special day in Turkey, celebrating the end of the Ramadan fast. "Ramadan" means "to burn" and translates as the act of a believer freeing himself from sins. It is celebrated in the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, the date varies according to the appearance of the first new moon of the tenth month and symbolises the end of the previous one, which is considered sacred in Islamic culture. These festivities are marked by the Muslim community all over the world, which is equivalent to nearly 1.8 billion people, who as a general rule, fast for 30 days. The end of the Ramadan fast called "Eid al-Fitr" is in this country called "Bayramı".

On this day the activities were linked to the experience of culture, it was a day that the students spent with their families celebrating.

On the penultimate day, the students completed multiple challenges and carried out an experimental activity on the greenhouse effect and how it happens. Also on this day, the students planted trees and put nests in the trees in the garden around the school.

The students also said that this day was marked by farewell, as it was the last night they spent with their families.

One of the mobility participants had the extraordinary opportunity to attend a Turkish wedding party, where she was able to see a little more of the country's culture and tradition. She said that the wedding was outdoors and that anyone could attend the party and dance with the guests.

On their last day in Keşan, the students met at the school one last time, already missing the families who had welcomed them and whom they had said goodbye to that morning. They held a Kahoot about the project and evaluated their mobility experience. After lunch, the mobility participation certificates were awarded and, to remember them later, a photo was taken of all the students and teachers who took part. When it was time to say goodbye, everyone was a little emotional about leaving the students who had welcomed them with open arms, and whom they had grown close to throughout the trip.

That day the visiting groups started their way back home. The group from Didim, went by car to their home city and the group from Portugal travelled to Istanbul, having the extraordinary opportunity to visit the city by night, including the Blue Mosque, one of the most famous and visited in Turkey, built in 1616.

Saturday was the day to return to Portugal, for the Portuguese group and all said goodbye to Turkey with an incredible experience in their hearts!

Padlet of the LTT