SECOND STUDENTS EXCHANGE - Redon

For the third stage of the project « Think Global, Act Local », the participants discovered the quaint small town of Redon, in Brittany, France and the EREA Jean Bart, located in the old harbour. During five days, the delegations – two teachers and four students – from Greece, Romania, Macedonia and Turkey have had the opportunity to taste traditional balanced meals and to take part in various activities, such as cooking, biking, canoeing, kayaking, on the theme of « Oudoor Learning ».

The first day, the school welcomed the guests with a fresh drink ; the perfect occasion to break the ice, to talk about the journey to Redon and to introduce that week’s busy program. Later in the morning, the delegations received a cooking lesson at the workshop, by one of the school’s teacher and chef. They learnt how to cook traditional Breton dishes, such as wheat flour and buckwheat galettes and Far Breton. The chef even agreed to share some of his personal cooking tips.

The participants made several sugary galettes, which were promptly eaten, as appetisers. After lunch, all the school walked to the theatre in the city centre to attend an audio performance of the Year 8 class about sound. In the evening, the students joined the EREA’s students in the dormitories and played board games with them, even watched a movie in English.

The second day started with a healthy diet training, with the help of the EREA’s teachers and the school’s nurse. This educational activity was followed by a tour of the Medieval city of Redon in English, the occasion to discover some of the most famous landmarks, like the 223 miles canal connecting Nantes to Brest or the exterior of the XI th century abbatial church. For lunch, the participants exchanged views on the subject of nutrition, while enjoying a delicious meal prepared by the educational restaurant’s cooking teachers and students. Afterwards, the teams went to La Gacilly and visited its well known annual photographic exhibition. This year’s theme was the environment, a fitting subject for the ERASMUS project. Then, the guests were welcomed to the Redon Town hall. There, the deputy mayor made a speech about the relevance of the ERASMUS program and the importance of international exchanges.

The following day, the delegations went to the Mont Saint Michel, a UNESCO world heritage centre. Amusingly, some voracious seagulls enjoyed a healthy picnic by stealing the sandwiches right fromthe hands of the visitors ; apparently, good nutritious food is for everyone.

The fourth day embraced the « Outdoor Learning » theme of this trip. Located in a conservation area, the Ile-aux-Pies (Magpie Island) offers an astounding background for outdoor activities. By riding mountain bikes in the morning and canoeing and kayaking in the afternoon, the students and their teachers pushed themselves, proving that outdoor learning was indeed possible and tremendously entertaining.In the evening, everyone enjoyed a hearty Breton dinner, served by the students of the school ; an excellent way to end this athletic day on a sweet note.

To conclude this busy week, the guests visited once again the workshop, to learn the last cooking tips from the chef to make a perfect Far Breton. The students also made a beautiful poster, celebrating the ERASMUS project and their various cultures, as well as powerpoint presentations that summarised what they had done, and learnt, during their stay. Finally, the students and the teachers who took part in the ERASMUS project had to say goodbye. It was a rich and very interesting week, which no doubt strengthened the already strong links between all the participants and made everyone impatient for the next step of this collaborative adventure.