School exchange – Netherlands – Part two
Following a very successful week in Slovenia in January, it was now time for a visit to the Netherlands as part of the school exchange between Het Goese Lyceum and Gimnazija Vič.
Thrilled to see our exchange partners after more than two months, the Slovenian students arrived at Goes in the evening of 17th April, having landed at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport a few hours earlier.
In the days that followed, we were able to experience much of the country, discovering it with the unique perspective provided by the company of our hosts, who, for a week, took on the role of tourist guides.
We got to enjoy the charm of the quaint Dutch towns of Goes and Middelburg and the bustling metropolitan life of Amsterdam, where we walked along the city’s lively canals and admired world-famous artworks in the Rijksmuseum. Another memorable experience was a visit to the Drowned Land of Saeftinghe, which will surely be remembered for all the unintentional mud sliding and the laughter that followed, and a tour of a part of the Deltawerken, a project protecting much of the Netherlands from the sea, where the brilliance of Dutch engineering was on full display.
The bonds that had been forged in Slovenia were strengthened and unforgettable memories were made by the time of our departure. As the exchange came to an end, some of us were already discussing when we would be able to see each other again, showing the value and the potential of an exchange like this.
Mark Šilar