František´s Swedish diary

František says: "I wrote a diary about my trip to Sweden in May 19 - 25, 2008. I hope it will help visitors of this blog to know more about our project meeting.I think I will never forget this experience, it was really a great trip !"

František´s diary - Monday

Monday 19th May

It was a cold day and we were waiting for a Student Agency bus to take us to Brno and then to Copenhagen in Denmark. As the bus arrived to Prague , we met some students from Sweden who were going back home from their Czech trip. Some of them were wearing very strange clothes and behaved strangely. I think our thoughts about them started very similarly in our minds: Do common Swedish young people look like them? But we worried unnecessarily as we all found later !

Then travelling was unadventurous. We travelled over Germany at night and tried to sleep but I didn´t sleep a lot. During the breaks we practiced our dancing, it was fun!

František´s diary - Tuesday

Tuesday 20th May

We arrived to Danish borders early in the morning. The weather was different from Olomouc. It was sunny and warm here. We continued on the deck of a ferry which sailed to Denmark. Then we visited the Danish capital – Kopenhagen. It is an old city with many monuments but not as many as in Prague, I think. Houses were different, built of red bricks and even some buildings built of wood.

We continued by train to Kalmar in Sweden. Our host families, teachers and students waited for us. In the evening I talked to my host family for a long time. I stayed at a teacher called Justin in Bergkvara.

František´s diary - Wednesday

Wednesday 21st May

After breakfast we all went to Torsas school. We had a lesson about Home economics first. A male teacher told us about healthy food, vegetables ans things like this. Then we baked some swedish cakes called buns. I met two girls and we were baking together. Their names were Alexandra and Elizabeth. They were both 16 years old. I talked with them about things that I normally can´t talk about with any other person excerpt my twin brother! I mean mainly history.

After baking we went over Torsas school. This school has much more modern equipment than our school in Dub, especially their Music room! Then we had lunch at a school dining room. The lunch was delicious and I can say Swedish meals are good and healthy. Then we arrived to an island near town of Dalskär. We had a good time and I spoke with Elizabeth and Alexandra about Sweden, nature and history. I asked them and they answered me patiently.

Then I went to the forest with Justin. I talked with her and was surprised when I realised that all swedish pupils call their teachers by first names. After the walk we came back and we had a dinner.

František´s diary - Wednesday baking photos

František´s diary - Thursday

Thursday 22nd May

The day at school started with presentations prepared by swedish pupils. They were talking about their country, traditions and nature. I think they had good presentations. Then me and other two czech pupils had presentations about Czech republic and famouse Czechs. Between the presentations swedish students sang very nice songs.

After that we followed Alexandra who showed us classroom where Art is taught. After one o´clock we had delicious lunch as usually.

We arrived by traktor to Berkvara in early afternoon. We played some games with Swedish and Polish pupils who arrived a short time ago. It was very funny. Then we went to the cost of the Baltic sea and we ate some sausages. We looked for some shells in the sea. As we were going back I tried to learn some swedish sentence but it was too difficult for me. We talked a lot and enjoyed our English communication.

I helped Justin in the garden a bit. I think she was a little surprised I know quite lots of plant kinds.

František´s diary - Friday

Friday 23rd May

We and Swedish students showed ourselves some folk dances in the morning. They taught us their dances. Then Katka sang some songs. I think she was successful. We also sang Czech traditional songs with our teachers, it was fun. Tereza showed her step dance too.
After lunch we left for Kalmar which is an old city with lots of monuments. We bought some postcards and the other things. Some Swedish pupils went home, because the weekend started. We spent the whole afternoon by shopping and sightseeing, so as we came back to our hosts, we had dinner and then we went to bed.

František´s diary - Saturday

Saturday 24th May

Saturday was the last whole day which we spent with our Swedish friends. At the morning we went to Öland island, the second largest island in Sweden. There is very special nature which is a much different from typical Swedish nature. There are mostly swamps, bushes and steppes. We also played Swedish game called “kubb”. It was great fun. After the visit at Öland I went with Justin to Luteran church. The ritual was different of catholic one but some things were similar.

František´s diary - Sunday

Sunday 25^th May

On Sunday we left Sweden. Our hosts took us to railway station in Kalmar. Even I found out Swedish sentences like Jag heter Frantisek means I’m Frantisek or Hur mår du means How are you. It was good but late. In the railway station we said goodbye with our hosts. I think that Swedish are franker than Czechs. We changed addresses and we got some presents (I got kubb from Justin) from our Swedish friends. Then we left Sweden and we arrived to the Czech republic another day. What to say more? It was great in Sweden!