Visit to Peebles

Visit to Peebles
Arthur's Seat - Edinburgh

Two teachers and students from Italy and Finland and two teachers and four students from Germany spent some memorable and busy days in Peebles, Scotland The theme for the visit was music and the highlight was an international concert together with the very Scottish Ceilidh event with a variety of Scottish country dances. For us teachers it was great to see how well our music was appreciated and the eagerness that we ?foreigners? tried to learn the dances.

Students were hosted by local families (to whom a big thank you) and teachers in B & B accommodation giving everyone a chance to experience Scottish life.

The music teachers had prepared a wonderful combination of both national folksongs and more international songs and the students sang both all together, and individually as country representatives. We also heard two local young violinists who played really well.

The accompanying co-ordinators had a slightly different day schedules compared to the music teachers. There were project discussions, a demonstration video conference meeting with Kelso High School and visits to classes in the English and Modern Languages Departments.

There was also time for sightseeing and culture as well as exploring the surrounding countryside eg on the drive to Melrose, a Borders town further down the beautiful Tweed Valley from Peebles. The students? hosts had arranged their guests a variety of activities in the evenings and on Saturday ranging from bowling and karaoke singing to horse riding and driving on the hills. As Saturday was free from school everyone could pretty much choose what they wanted to do either with or without their hosts, something for each taste, like shopping, culture, museums, even golf. All the delicious meals with our hosts would demand a chapter of its own, but it is probably enough to say that some weight was gained and all the stereotyped rubbish about British food lacking taste can be completely forgotten, at least in Scotland.

For the Finns this trip was the first taste of spring with flowers and singing migratory birds when their own country was still covered with snow and lakes remained frozen.

This trip was the third in succession during the first year of our three-year Comenius project showing again how important it is also for students to meet, make friends and learn to know each other?s customs . A big thank you to our hosts!