Day 7

Hi everyone, we had a really funny day today- if only you could have seen us!

In the morning we went to visit a museum and found out about the local history, it was a real eye opener. There were lots of monuments and things dedicated to the second world war. When we explained that we too have things like this and asked why there are so many, we were told that one third of the whole country had been killed in two days during WW2.

In the afternoon we went to visit a doll museum which had lots of miniature dolls. For 2Lats (which is about £3) you could get dressed up as one of the dolls- Miss Bell could hardly contain her excitement! At first Miss Hepworth was reluctant- however when she saw what Miss Bell looked like, she had to join in the fun! Many tears of joy were shed at the sight of Miss Bell and Miss Hepworth looking ridiculous!

At the end of the day we were invited to a party. It was so much fun- our Latvian friends know how to have a good time. There was food, a live band, singing and dancing. A perfect way to end our visit.

Not long now before we are home. Can't wait to see you all.

Day 5

Went to visit our Latvian school today- we thought it would be similar to Lithuania because the countries are so close- however we were wrong- they are very different. The Latvian school was in the middle of the countryside, unlike the other school which is in a town. Considering there are only 90 pupils it was a very large building (about the size of a secondary school). They used to have many more pupils, but now most people have moved to the main towns.

The building itself used to be a monastery. The monks who inhabited it fled he countryside over 100 years ago when the Russian rulers didn't support religion. There is a legend that they hid all of the monastery treasures somewhere in the monastery before fleeing- but no one has found anything. We did look- and think that they have possibly been hidden down the well. Miss Hepworth wanted Miss Bell to investigate this theory but she politely declined.

On entry to the school we were greeted by a lady dressed as a bumble bee- this made us laugh and we wondered if she might be distant relative of Miss Gibson. The children entertained us with songs and dances and Miss Hepworth was asked to dance for a change. We then played traditional games- one involving being pushed around in a wheel barrow. After pushing Miss Hepworth the young man had to stop for a rest. Hopefully Miss Bell won't display the photos at school.

Missing everybody. See you all soon. X

Hello Everyone. ~Yesterday we had a great time. We arrived at school at 8.00am. We took a bus to a historical mount, which once was home to castle. There were lots of steps. (175) Miss Bell stuggled toget to the top but, of course, Miss Hepworth ran ahead!!! Obviously her training for the Olympics has paid off! The views from the top were fantastic. We then went to a park which had lots of statues from the Soviet Union. It was very interesting to learn about the history of Lithuania and how it was once part of the Soviet Union. After that we took the long bus journey back to the hotel and got changed for our evening meal. We met at a local restaurant and had a HUGE meal. We thought it would never end!! Fried bread chips with garlic for starters, a huge dumpling with sausage inside for seconds, steak and chips next and then that was topped with a chocolate cake! Interesting yet surprisingly nice!

Today was very interesting too. We visited a beatutiful castle in Trakai. We bought some things for school and then took a bus journey to Vilnius, which is Lithuania's capital. We saw a wonderful beautiful cathedral. Then we climbed to the top of Gediminas Tower. Of course Miss Hepworth Raced to the top again and Miss Bell was left crawling on her hands and knees. Gediminas was a knight who founded Vilnius, He looks very scary! We then wandered around the old town which is also very beautiful.

Finally, after a very long day, we took the extremley long bus journey to Latvia. It was very bumpy and Miss Bell and Miss Hepworth were like nodding dogs. We have just arrived in Latvia and hope to get an early night, ready for tomorrow. I hope you're not missing us too much.

Lots of love Miss Bell and Miss Hepworth.

Photographs from the school

1. Everyone outside the school

2. Children from the Primary School performing a traditional song

Inside the primary school building.

Scouts performing a tradional song and dance.

Day 2: Monday

Today we went into our partner school. It is very different from Benedict Biscop. They have three separate buildings: one building for primary children, one for secondary children and one for pupils who need extra support. It was very interesting walking around the primary school as it was very large and had two floors. There were a few display boards, but most of the classes didn't have a lot of work on display. The youngest children in the school were 6 years old. They started at 8am and only stayed at school for 4 hours a day! Most of the children seemed to be learning from text books that covered a variety of different subjects, although we did see some children making Father's day gifts.
The local area is very nice and we enjoyed touring around it as the weather is really hot. It is hard to believe that they only became an independent country, for the second time, less than 30 years ago - making Miss Hepworth and Miss Bell older than the country itself!
We have just came back from the school again - we went for a traditional performance evening. Miss Bell is very tired as she was asked to dance on several occasions however Miss Hepworth wasnt asked to dance even once (which meant that she had to take the pictures - much to her delight!).
Tomorrow we are going to national park and a popular resort. Hopefully we will be able to buy lots of souveniers and Year 6 aren't missing us too much!

Love Miss Hepworth and Miss Bell x

Day 1 Sunday

Arrived at Kauna really late so we went staright to bed when we got to hotel. Hotel was very nice and room was very spacious. Miss Hepworth had trouble getting Miss Bell down for breakfast because Miss Bell managed to get locked inside of her bathroom. Hopefully this will be the only mishap of the trip. Breakfast was nice but very unusual..... hotdogs, tuna and vegetables!! Miss Hepworth was brave and tried an "Omlette" which in fact it was a lemon and ricotta pancake!! She loved it. After breakfast we went in search of the bus station as we had to travel to Alytus in the afternoon. (the town of our partner school) The weather is fantastic. Very hot. This made the short bus journey to Alytus very uncomfortable however the scenery was gorgeous. We have just arrived and met our Italian friends. Tomorrow we have an early start and will be visitng the local schools. We hope every one has a good day in school. Love Miss Bell and Miss Hepworth.