Day 10 in Harstad

Day trip Harstad - Sortland - Harstad

Today we were going with the Hurtigruten, the coastal steamer, from Harstad to Risøyhamn (short stop) and then to our destination at Sortland. The name of the ship was "Richard With". We were leaving Harstad harbour at 08:30, and we arrived at Sortland at 12:30.

From Sortland we went by bus for approx. 2 hours to Harstad, passing the southern part of the Gullesfiord, then nearby Lødingen and all the way along the Tjeldsundet up to Harstad and finally to Borkenes.

The evening was at the host families, going early to bed. Early Monday morning the students from Escola Massana went to Evenes Airport flying down to Oslo and then home to Barcelona.

Day 9 in Harstad

1.

 

We woke up this morning and it was snowing. It's Saturday and we have had free time, no planned activities from the school. Majen, Frida and Maria with their guests and I have decided it could be a good idea to go to the Harstad ice ring, but we couldn't go there. 

We decided to think about other activities. Majen thought it could be a good idea to go to his oncle's  farm , it didn't sounds right at first, but we have had a quite good time there.  We have had a lot of fun  making a ''snow man'' as we used to do when we were younger. 

I have to confess it has been a fantastic day for all of us!!! 

 

 

2.

 

 

 

At eight o'clock it was sunny, but after ten it started to snow and in a few minutes everything in Central Harstad was painted in white. It has been absolutely impossible to be indoors and we went for a walk around Folkeparken. We had a nice two hours walk with Torun and the three of us had a cup of coffee in a "gapahuk?" (lean-tos) where a couple with three little girls were having lunch after playing for a while with the snow.
 



Day 8 in Harstad

Today we finished the rest of the snow sculptures and we made a big drawing of the final sculpture for the exhibition. We had a final meeting (vernissage) outside with everyone who participated in the project, were we looked back at all the work we did.

We also had a visit of the local television news channel and the local newspaper. You may see us on NRK1 for Friday 21 February here (at the end of the 15 mins report "Nordnytt"). The web reports in the local newspaper, Harstad Tidende, are here and here. After the vernissage we made a lot of photos. Some of them you may see on Stangnes' own website, here and here.

After school we met at the active events fun parks with the whole class; and we played pool, paintball and did other fun activities.

Day 7 in Harstad

This morning we have already started the snow sculptures, we were very excited about doing them and how this new material, the snow, will work. Eventually, it was not as hard as we thought and we really enjoyed to do them. They are not going to be as we have planned in the sketches and in the clay models, but they are in fact quiet similar. We hope to have enough time tomorrow to finish them.

But that was not all, after watching a classical animation Norwegian film, we could see the Northen Lights! They were like a dream for most of us, they were really incredible and we are going to remember them for ever.

Day 6 in Harstad

Today we have had our last Norwegian language class, we've learned some words and some useful sentences like: "Hva vil de ha å spise?" and we have also learned how to say the time and about some norwegian typical food.

Afterwards each group has finished their sculpture models made by clay; most of the groups have done two different models, but a few just have had time to do one. Once all the clay models have been finished, we have had to present them to the other groups and tell them why we had done it that way and if it was inspired by something in special and we have also decided which one we thought would be the best one to make in snow.  Everyone have had great ideas and we really  think all of them are going to be great snow sculptures.

Day 5 in Harstad

Today some people are still working on the drawings and some started working on the clay. 

We also have been bowling today,  the whole class had fun cheering on each other.Tomorrow everyone will be working with the clay before starting working with the snow sculptures.

Day 4 in Harstad

Today was the first day at school and Barcelona students started our Norwegian lessons. We were divided in diferent groups for the sculptures planning, and we have done sketches of how they are going to be.

After choosing two ideas we had science and we did DNA structures with a plastic thread and a band. It was really exciting!

Day 3 in Harstad

Today we have been in a farm called Olaåsen here in Harstad. On the farm there were horses and sheep, the horses are typical norwegian. They are called fjording and nordlandshest.

The students from Barcelona tried sledging and learning about the aboriginal people of Norway, the Sami people.

We were in a Lavvu, that is a kind of tent which the Sami people used as a kind of house when they where travelling with reindeer packs. The students also tried eating reindeer meat. The food was cooked over a fireplace inside the Lavvu. A woman of the Sami people taught the students about her culture and showed some objects e.g. a knife made from the horns of a reindeer and her shoes made out of reindeer skin.

   

Day 2 in Harstad

This day with a nice sun and some few degrees above zero was settled at Trondenes, a few kilometres outside the town centre near the old church. We met our Norwegian students at the local historical centre. Here we watched the historical exhibitions, and we got a taste of Norwegians cakes (“the world’s best”) and waffles. Thank you to Trygve for a nice meal!!

“the world’s best”




From Trondenes we walked into town, and met at the Gallery North Norway. The woman in charge, Roanne, started in castellano, she actually had lived for one year in Barcelona.

We spent the evening with our hosts.

Day 1 in Harstad

The airplane from Oslo arrived at Evenes airport outside Harstad on schedule. Most of the Massana students were met by our Norwegian hosts at the airport and in few minutes they went to their new “homes” for the next ten days.

Countdown for the exchange: 1 day !

Today we received snow for the snow project. We neede several lorries to carry the snow inot the school yard. Then it was just to start filling the cubes with snow. Tomorrow we will remove the “shutterings” and start making two new snow blocks.

The local newspaper also visited us, and they made a video report with a happy teacher.

Have a look here.

Now we just need the Massana sculptors to help us forming these cubes into funny sculptures. 

Countdown for the exchange: 2 days!

Today has been a sunny day with temperatures above zero! We are just looking south into the sun to see if there’s a plane coming soon!

If you by now do not know where you are going on Friday, here is a map showing you:

Evenes Airport is at the bottom centre of the map.

Countdown for the exchange: 3 days !

It's not long until we're picking you up at the airport now. We can't believe it's only three days until you arrive! The weather here is quite good today, with a light breeze, partly cloudy with sun. It's above zero degrees, nice temperature in the sun, but a little cold when it's cloudy. Therefore, bring the warmest clothing you have. We have a full program set for your arrival and the time you will spend here. Once again, we can't wait to meet you all!

(Photo: one of last year's snow sculptures!)

Countdown for the exchange: 4 days !

The Norwegians are good skiers and love staying out in nature!  It might be no big matter in Spanish or Catalan television channels, but "whole" Norway is watching the winter Olympic Games in Sochi expecting many Norwegian gold medals. We started well with two gold medals in Cross country skiing and another in Biathlon (skiing + shooting).

On your first Sunday you will have the opportunity to try Nordic Cross Country Skiing. We will stay at a farm close to our best skiing area. At the farm you also will see and feed 15 horses, 20 sheep going out all winter, and 5 hens.

You will also get to know a lavvu, which is a traditional Sami temporal dwelling, a sort of tent similar to the Native American Tipi. This one is big enough for 50 people, and the utter surface is made of wood. Inside the lavvu we will make a fire and make hot dogs and something to drink. It will be nice warm temperature inside.

Countdown for the exchange: 7 days!

Now it's only a week until you arrive! Everyone is very excited. Today it started to snow, and we never thought that was going to happen before your arrival! We'll just see how long it lasts.

We started the day with Scenography and costume. It is a new task we started with where we will create masks with optional theme. Here is the mask one of us have started creating:

Later, Sandra and Miriam had a presentation of two norwegian writers, Jonas Lie and Arne Garborg.

Greetings from 3SFA

P.S; it just stopped snowing.

Countdown for the exchange: 8 days!

The Saami Day

The Sami National Day is marked on February 6th each year among  the Sami people. It's a common national day for the aboriginal peoples in Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia. In Sami language it is called Sámi álbmotbeaivi. The day is referred to as "Sami Day" and "Sami folk day". Liberal parties was adopted by Sami Conference demands in 1992, and The Sami National Day was celebrated for the first time in 1993.

The celebration consists of dressing up in the Sami people national outfit, in Norwegian called "kofte", in Sami called "gákti". And  it also consists of raising the Sami flag, making speeches and singing the Sami national song.

Countdown for the exchange: 9 days!

Today was the day when we were going to know the names of our Barcelonan guests.  The expectation and the excitement were at a high level. Finally we should know who we should host in Harstad, and with whom we should stay in Barcelona. 

The names were brought to light at the parent’s meeting in the evening. Everyone felt relieved and happy when we at last got the name of our exchange partner.  The next few days we are pleased to wait for the arrival of our guests.

Countdown for the exchange: 10 days !!

The time has passed quickly, and now there are only 10 days until you arrive!  Everyone is excited and we look very forward to gathering.  In the meantime, we are planning schedule for the days you are here, such as activities, trips, assignments, accommodation and how to communicate. Otherwise the school days go as normal.  We hope you are just as excited as we are.

Greetings from one of your Norwegian friends in Harstad!