OUR BORDER WITH PORTUGAL AND ITS STORIES

 

These holidays days, we'd like you to have a wider

knowledge about our location and the importance 

that it has always haD for historical reasons.

Ready to read? 😄

We live beside one of the oldest and most stable borders in Europe. Since Portugal was born in the 12^th century, the Troncoso stream marks its most northern borderline. On the other side it is Padrenda and although it has been a point under surveillance, we have always been very close to our neighbours.

Indeed, instead of the fact that authorities have always wanted to watch and tax the movements across the border, it was always kept a close relationship. Here the border doesn´t show natural obstacles and culture and language are very similar between Galician and Portuguese people.

The human relationship was never stopped because of the border and, in fact, much of our population here in Padrenda has its roots in Portugal and also exchanges from one to the other side have allowed to overcome the worst situations. For instance, while the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) many of those who were persecuted could run away through the border line and after war, poverty was less significant here thanks to the colonial Portuguese products: bananas, coffee, sugar cane... which arrived this area across Padrenda as smuggling merchandises, of course. Some years later, the circumstances forced to hide the pass, not for products but for people, when many Portuguese escaped from their enrolment for colonial war in Angola or Mozambique.

By the 21^st century circumstances have changed, democracy has been recovered and both countries are integrated in the EU, so the border does not separate us any longer, but it remains well signalised along the beautiful way that the international road is.

Sadly, the route was again closed because of the pandemic during several weeks in 2020 and 2021 too. There is a hope for 2022 that things get really better and the contact between Galicia and Portugal will not be closed again.

These are some pics for you to have a look at:

This is the Troncoso stream border

in 1924

Signposts

and the beautiful international road

Border checkpoints (now close as we are EU members) 

Padrenda from the Portuguese side

CHRISTMAS IN POLAND

Our exchange mates from Poland want you to know how they celebrate Xmas, both at school and at home. 

Here we have 2 links where they are sharing this information with us. 

Celebrations at school

Polish Xmas traditions

What about you? Would you like to tell them how you celebrate Xmas at home?

THIS IS MY SCHOOL: AUTUMN CELEBRATIONS

 Hi readers,

Today we are posting some interesting activities we have been doing during autumn. It's another way of sharing with you what we do here, at CPI PADRENDA CRESPOS.  

It isn't just about books...😁 

 

Samaín, closer to those people who are always with us

On Friday 29th October we celebrated Samaín in our school. This is an autumn celebration where we remember our Celtic roots.

It is  traditional in Galicia to pick a pumpkin, to make a hole in it and decorate it. So we organized a contest about Samaín pumpkins: all students took out their imagination and the result was colourful and funny!

I

Once you take it home, don't forget to introduce a candle in your pumpkin and place it on a crossroad, at a home door or a dark street.

Magosto: enjoying autumn outside

One of the dates we like the most is the celebration of Magosto, this academic course on 12th November. There is a tradition in our region to go to a forest, make a bonfire and celebrate the end of the harvest time by enjoying the autumn fruits. 

Magosto is time for us to play popular games, make picnics and roast chestnusts on bonfire ashes. 

We can't go back home after Magosto without painting our faces with ashes, singing our best songs and playing music, with the Galician bagpipe and tambourines ahead.

 

25th November, we want the end of Violence against women

Education also concerns values,  among them equality and respect, so we organized on last 25th November different activities to commemorate the International day for the elimination of violence against women. 

We collected books, wrote flyers and banners, we are all involved, not only inside but outside the school.

 

Hope you feel free to ask or comment about these activities! 😊

WHAT DO YOU LIKE DOING FOR FUN?

Now we have seen each others' faces 😁, we think it'd be great to share some info about your hobbies and what you like doing in your free time 🎷🎧🎤🏃🏄🏊🏇🏀⛱⛳📷💻🍄 

We would like you to write a reply to this post telling your exchange mates what you enjoy doing for fun (what is it?, when do you do it?, who do you do it with?, how often do you try it?...) 

 How about uploading a photo too? 

COME ON!!!j We are looking forward to reading you!! 💪 👏

Our friends from Poland have sent us this link. CLICK ON IT and you would find great information about their hobbies.

Our Polish friends' hobbies

NICE TO MEET YOU!

 

Hi everyone! 

Time to know each other 👏👏 Though we can't do it face-to face 😢, technology can help us.

Students in Padrenda (Galicia) 

 

 

 

 

 

and students in Nowy Dwór Gdański (Poland)...

 

 

  

There we go!!

Hope you have enjoyed recording these videos and you also have fun with the final result 😀.

 

 Videos from Poland

VIDEOS FROM PADRENDA