One of the coordinators of our project, English teacher Eva Pousa, has been interviewed on Ourense’s local TV station, Telemiño, to describe the positive impact that Postcrossing is having on the school community.
You can see her account of the project in the video below (in Spanish)
Thank you so much, Eva, for such an enlightening explanation and our special thanks to Telemiño for helping us to spread this project!
On the occasion of a visit to Ourense’s Main Theatre, our Very Young Postcrossers have
done some sightseeing around the old town and have discovered some of its most
emblematic spots.
First stop:
Ourense’s tourist office
Visiting the
tourist office was a must. We were very kindly received by members of the staff
who showed us the premises and gave us some city maps to follow directions and
locate the places explored.
Second stop: Padre
Feijoo Gardens
These beautiful
gardens are located right next to the tourist office. We took a photo in front
of the statue of the Padre Feijoo, the eighteenth-century scholar after whom
our school is named.
We loved this
statue showing an elf flying on a gigantic owl, a monument that pays homage to
fantasy literature and comic characters.
Fourth stop: Saint
Eufemia Church
Another compulsory
stop on our way to the theatre was Saint Eufemia Church, a beautiful temple
with an impressive Baroque façade. The church is partly unfinished; it has a
newly built tower from 1989 and lacks the other that had been planned.
Fifth stop: Rúa da Paz
Before getting to
the theatre, we passed by Saint Martin’s Cathedral to contemplate its grandeur.
Once in the theatre, we enjoyed a fantastic performance; we were really excited
because, for most of us, it was the first visit to a theatre!
Sixth stop: Ourense's Main Theatre Ourense's Main Theatre was the core of our walking tour!
We were welcomed
by Olga Mojón, the theatre manager, who is responsible for the personnel,
financial and administrative aspects of this institution.
Ms. Mojón also showed us the most important parts of this beautiful building:
the auditorium with its main seating area, balconies and boxes.
We could also contemplate the theatre's impressive ceiling, with breathtaking paintings by one of the most renowned painters in Ourense, Xaime Quesada (1937-2007)
And, of course, we had the change to get on the stage and feel the magic of being actors and actresses for a day!
We are very grateful with the theatre staff for the warmth and kindness with which they welcomed us! It was an unforgettable visit!! Last stop: Our
classroom
Back in the
school, we traced the route followed on the map we had been given in the
tourist office.
We've had such a great time!! Thank you, teachers!!
If you want to find out more about this tour, visit the students' classroom blog.
Hope you have enjoyed Easter holidays and that you have recharged your batteries for the coming (and last) term!
This third term opens with a postcard sent to Germany, more specifically to Hohenmemmingen, a town located in the region of Baden-Wuerttemberg, in the southwestern part of the country, 1569 km away!
One of our secondary school students, Kirsy, has written a postcard featuring three landmarks in Carballiño, a prosperous town near Ourense of which you can find more information in this entry.
Kirsy has done some research on Hohenmemmingen and has shared her findings in the previous entry.
Postcard 27 (sent
to Hohenmemmingen, Germany) features three landmarks in O Carballiño, a town that, as
was noted in a previous entry, is located 30 kilometres from Ourense.
You can find
detailed information about the first landmark, Veracruz Temple, in that very
same entry.
The second
emblematic place is O Carballiño is its thermal spa resort, near the Arenteiro
River and surrounded by beautiful green areas. Its waters contain healing
properties; they are particularly beneficial to treat digestive problems.
...Güssenberg Castle, a ruined castle just 8 miles away. It was built
around 1346, during the High Middle Ages and much of the curtain wall and keep
remain.
We have received a wonderful postcard from Myanmar, also known as Burma, a sovereign state in Southeast Asia bordered by
Bangladesh, India, China, Laos and Thailand.
It is the second largest lake in Myanmar with an estimated surface area of
44.9 square miles (116 km2), and one of the highest at an elevation of 2,900
feet (880 m). During the dry season, the average water depth is 7 feet (2.1 m),
with the deepest point being 12 feet (3.7 m), but during the rainy season this
can increase by 5 feet (1.5 m).
INLE LAKE IS FAMOUS FOR...
...being home to over twenty species of snails and nine
species of fish found nowhere else in the world.
...becoming the Myanmar's
first designated place of World Network of Biosphere Reserves. It was one of 20
places added at the Unesco's 27th Man and the Biosphere (MAB) International
Coordinating Council (ICC) meeting.
...for its floating villages, gardens and markets and the
unique way of life of the local Intha people, with their functioning
communities based entirely on the water.
The village of Nampan is an excellent example of a
traditional Inle Lake village, with its wooden houses all built on stilts. In
the village you will find hand-made cheroot (traditional local cigar) factories
and the oldest pagoda on the lake, the Alodaw Pauk Pagoda, a large
gem-encrusted golden shrine. There are also several good, affordable
restaurants here.
Just to the north of the village, you will find
floating gardens where the Intha people grow a variety of vegetables and
flowers, both for their own consumption and to export around the country. This
method of agriculture is another unique aspect of life on the lake, as the
villagers harness nature to develop these gardens over many generations.
Located on the eastern shore of Inle Lake, half of
Maing Thauk village is on the lake and half is on land, with the two parts
linked by a long wooden bridge. Here you will find a bustling market and,
further up the side of the mountain, the Maing Thauk Forest Monastery, from
where you can see lovely views over lake. Maing Thauk can be reached either as
part of a boat tour or by bicycle from Nyaung Shwe.
Ywama is another good example of a traditional Inle
Lake settlement, and is most famous for its floating market. It also has
various handicraft workshops, a monastery and a pagoda. Beautiful as it is,
this village has become a focal point of tourism on Inle Lake, and can
sometimes get very crowded – if you want to avoid the crowds, get there early
in the morning. There are a number of excellent restaurants to be found on the
canal to Ywama village, serving traditional Shan food, as well as other Chinese
and Myanmar dishes.
The village of Indein (also spelt Inn Thein, and
meaning ‘shallow lake’) is most famous for its crumbling and atmospheric groups
of ancient pagodas, some of which are now being restored. These include Nyaung
Oak, immediately behind the village, with its carvings of mythical creatures,
and Shwe Inn Thein Paya, which can be found at the top of a covered stairway
leading up the hill; this features many hundreds of densely packed stupas to be
explored – both ruined and restored. From Shwe Inthein Paya you can also see
some wonderful views across the lake. Inthein village also has a vibrant
market.
Nga Hpe Kyaung Monastery, Inthar Heritage House and Cats!
Nga Hpe Kyaung monastery, located on the lake, is
constructed from wood and features a beautiful meditation hall. It was famous
for its jumping cats; the local monks trained them to jump through hoops. This
practice has now stopped, however – due to the cats becoming arthritic and/or
because they thought it was an unfair practice. The monks were always honest
enough to say it was only done for the tourists!
But cat lovers are well catered for on Inle Lake; the
Inthar Heritage House, a beautiful structure located in the middle of the lake
and built from reclaimed wood, is a restaurant, art gallery and cat sanctuary.
The Burmese Cat preservation project has carried out a breeding program to
reintroduce these elegant felines to Myanmar.
This pagoda is one of the holiest sites in Shan State,
and is visited by Buddhist worshippers from all around Myanmar. The shrine
itself is huge and features five ancient golden Buddhas, and next to it can be
found a large golden barge, a replica of the one said to have been used by King
Alaung Sithu to travel around the country.
The Phaung Daw U Pagoda festival takes place in
October and features the passage of four revered Buddha images around the
villages of Inle Lake on the barge, taking 18 days to complete their journey.
There are also rowing competitions between the villages, using the renowned
local leg rowing style.
LIFESTYLE
If you want to find out more about Inle Lake in Myanmar, watch the video
below. It’s inspiring!
