After our first guest visit as part of the OPTIME project (“Orientados al patrimonio cultural y la inclusión desde una mirada europea”) in Reggio di Calabria, the second exchange meeting took place at the end of March, this time in Poio/ Galicia in north-western Spain – particularly well known for the cathedral in its capital Santiago de Compostela as the destination of the Camino de Santiago (Way of St. James). Once again, seven students from each of the partner schools and their teachers took advantage of this very enriching opportunity to get to know the culture of the host country and each other better through personal encounters. Using video presentations on the subject of ‘Intangible Cultural Heritage’, the participants were able to gain an insight into regional cultural heritage that is in danger of disappearing, such as dance, instrument making, fabric printing and dyeing processes and traditional customs. In addition to visiting Roman archaeological sites, museums and universities, the very rich cultural program also included a visit to the famous pilgrimage church Catedral de Santiago de Compostela, with its particularly impressive exterior. But there was also plenty of opportunity to try out the regional cuisine. After the great week spent together in a very intensive linguistic exchange, it was once again very difficult for everyone involved to say goodbye; there will be a reunion at the Bernoulli Gymnasium at the end of September – preparations for an unforgettable week in Vienna are already in full swing!
Markus Kraushofer
Athanasia Siegl-Hadjiioannou
