Sunday, 20.11.2022 – Departure for Turkey
In the early hours of the morning, we will meet at the bus stop in front of the school. We headed to Zagreb airport and arrived in Istanbul at 13:00 Turkish time. In the evening we had a flight to Adana. We arrived there at 20:10, where we were met by a van which took us to Mersin. There we were met by our families, who then took us to their homes. A few hours after us, the students from Sora, Italy, arrived and we met them the next day.
Monday, 21/11/2022 – School visit, demonstration of learning with animals
In the morning we went to school. We were greeted by the pupils and finally met the children from the Italian school. We visited the school, their classrooms, took part in a maths lesson where the pupils did maths with the help of fish and spent a school break together. Around midday, the pupils’ parents surprised us with a traditional Turkish lunch. We then played Turkish games and went home. In the evening we had dinner together.
Tuesday 22/11/2022 – Cappadocia
Our first trip to Turkey. Early in the morning, we set off by bus to Cappadocia, four hours away. This region is famous for its towns and villages, where there are no ordinary houses – until recently people lived in houses carved out of the rocks. We visited a few towns, a goldsmith’s or jeweller’s shop where a special stone called zultanite (a stone that changes colour in different light) is worked, and a valley of pigeons. Pigeons used to play a very important role – they were the carriers of messages. As we were getting hungry, we went to the Evranos restaurant, which was very interesting as it was in a cave. Being real gourmets, we decided to try the dish for which this restaurant is famous – a kind of stew prepared in a special way in a pottery dish. After lunch we had a look at the rocks of different shapes, followed by a long drive back and dinner at the Borsa Tantuni restaurant. We had tantunes and for dessert künefe with Turkish ice cream. We collapsed into our beds full of impressions and full stomachs.
Wednesday 23/11/2022 – Introduction to learning with animals, tour of Mersin
We started the day at the school, making a traditional Turkish toy, and attended a lesson involving bunnies. Then we went on a tour around Mersin. First we went for a fish feast and then we went for a boat ride. We drove to an island with a castle about which an interesting legend circulates – the king hid his beautiful daughter on it to protect her from a snake. After the tour we went to the sandy beach where we had some free time. The day was coming to an end, so it was time to go back to our families.
Thursday, 24 Nov 2022 – Tarsus
We went on a tour of Tarsus. We visited the mosque, walked the streets and explored the bazaar. We visited a shop selling traditional sweets and nuts. We were able to buy them there. Then we had lunch by the famous river, which was a similar colour to our Soca. Tarsus is also very famous for its waterfalls, which were particularly beautiful at that time because it rained and there was a lot of water. After that we drove to the biggest bazaar in Mersin. There everyone spent a few Turkish lira and bough souvenier to take home.
Friday, 25/11/2022: Farewell from new friends
In the morning we visited the school, where we first had a lecture on the positive effects of animals on learning, followed by a farewell ceremony. The students from Italy headed to the airport in the afternoon, as they had a flight home the same day, and we spent the afternoon with our families, with whom we spent the week. In the evening, we all gathered for a farewell dinner at the Hatay meze restaurant by the sea.
Saturday, 26/11/2022 – Departure home
All good things come to an end and so it’s time to say goodbye. After saying goodbye to our new friends, their families, the school and Mersin, we arrived in Adana around midday, where we waited for our flight to Istanbul. We arrived there in the afternoon. We passed the time at the airport by wandering around the various shops, of which there were many. At 19:00 we took off for Zagreb. Due to the two-hour time difference, we arrived in Zagreb at 19:10. We then had to travel from Zagreb to Rogatec. Late in the evening we finally arrived home and after a long time we fell asleep in our beds.
