LINK #101

LINK NOVEMBER 1st 2017

N°101

November Editor: Ola Kaczurba

Designer: Majka Dokudowicz

Cover Photo: Sofiene Lahdheri

LINK

#LINKEXPLORE

CONTENT 5 6 14 16

EVS, K.A.NE.

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Travel

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Travel Travel My pre travel checklist Cheap traveling Lessons I learnt from travelling Travel Photographer Great train routes to travel How is one travelling leading me to another?

Traveling without leaving home Traveling with travel literature Travel Posters Travel in couple Travel experience The City of the Hundred Dwarves Photo Report Interview with an EVS volunteer My Sending Organization

Contact About us Youth Center - program First Trip Favourite place in my country Favourite place in the world Dream Trip Mariam Sassi Yana Volkova Mariam Sassi Sofiene Lahdheri Mina Duma Mirella Ka Ola Kaczurba Joana Ganilho Marques Majka Dokudowicz Bilal Zegoud OphĂŠlie Cottier Anna Szlendak Sofiene Lahdheri Gordana Scepanovic Ola Kaczurba OphĂŠlie Cottier

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Travel

K.A.NE. Staff members of KA.NE.: Filaretos Vourkos Fotini Arapi Jelena Scepanovic Nantiana Koutiva Vyron Giannakopoulos EVS: Anna Szlendak Gordana Scepanovic Joana Ganilho Marques Mariam Sassi Majka Dokudowicz Mehdi Jaffar Mina Duma Mirella Karadzhova Ola Kaczurba OphĂŠlie Cottier Paquita Couppey Sheila GĂłmez Sofiene Lahdheri Yana Volkova ACT Volunteers: Bilal Zegoud Janae-Amira Jussa

@kane.kalamata

WHO ARE WE?

ANNA

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OLA

Kalimera! I am Ania and I come from Poland. I will be working for KANE and running Photography and Ukulele workshops. I studied photography in the Institute of Journalism of the University of Warsaw and worked for press photo agencies when I lived in my country. I enjoy every form of photography, I use both digital and film camera, I also create my own pinhole cameras.

Besides, I am totally addicted to travel.

Hello there! I’m Ola but you can call me Alex. I’m 18 and I have just finished high school. I come from capitol of Poland – Warsaw.

I love chocolate, breathtaking harmonies, good guitar riffs, totally crazy hairstyles and classic rock. I’m a dancer therefore I will be teaching contemporary/jazz dance and polish in the Youth Centre.Also, I will be helping with therapeutic riding in a horse centre.

See you around!

JOANA

OPHELIE

GORDANA

Hello ! My name is Joana, I’m 29 years old and I’m from Lisbon, Portugal. I studied fine arts, art education and museology and I just arrived Kalamata for a 12 months EVS project. I’ve worked for a lot of time in bookshops and I love to read. I like quiet places where I can be in touch with nature. I’m a curious person and I’m always better if I have a cup of tea with me.

Bonjour ! My name is Ophélie, I come from France.

I am in Kalamata for 11 months and volunteer at the Day Care Center for children with autism. Living abroad is a wonderful opportunity to meet fascinating people and to learn about cultures. It allows to become independent, open-minded and to avoid ethnocentrism. I can’t wait to discover the greek way of life and to visit the country. I’m also excited about tasting the food (of course !). I like to exchange and discovering so… see you soon around Kalamata !

Hello! I am Gordana Šcepanovic from Croatia. I am here because I want to try different way of life, improve my English and to learn all I have been offered during this EVS project. I like to dance very much and I will contribute to this project with my dance or language classes and of course with volunteering in the horse riding center. This is a great opportunity and I know that the time spent here will be very important for me.

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PAQUITA

JAE

YANA

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Hi ! My name is Paquita, I'm 26 years old and I'm from Marseille in France. I will stay here for eleven months. My mission will be to work in the therapeutic horse-riding and in the KEFIAP Center to assist people with disabilities. I just finished my studies in the Art-thérapy and I'm very enthusiast to begin my EVS. This will be a great experience for me :)

I’m not the best at introductions, but here goes nothing. I’m Jae, I’m nineteen years old and have lived in Liverpool, United Kingdom almost my entire life. My journey with K.A.N.E in Kalamata is centred around a project that’s going to help the migrants and promote the migrant crisis in Greece. For me this is an adventure of self discovery, testing my limits and finding out what I’m capable of. Bring it on Kalamata!

I am Yana from Ukraine. For 5 years I was studying architecture in university and I fond of everything about it as well as about natural building. Before coming here I was working as a project coordinator of the workcamps and as freelance graphic designer for different social festivals and non-governmental organizations. The last 4 years I’ve been travelling to different places in Europe such as eco-villages and rural areas helping people and promoting volunteering for peace. All kind of arts, nature, voluntarism, and travel - my biggest passions in life.

MARIAM

Stepping out of your comfort zone and trying new things is the best way to grow, and this is what EVS is all about. My name is Mariam, I am 24 and I come from Tunisia. Passionate by traveling, arts, adventures as well as meeting new people and discovering new traditions, places and cultures. I decided to leave all of my normal steady life in Tunisia to come seek inspiration and explore a new way of living in Greece, in the beautiful city of Kalamàta. I would use all of my knowledge and dig even deeper to give the best of me, but also try to learn everything I can from other volunteers, from locals and daily life experience, either languages, dancing, music instrument, sports etc.

MINA

MAJKA

I’m Mina and I’m 28 years old free spirit. I don’t like routine and I think that everything that seems interesting is worth trying. I’m fascinating about human interaction and being part of K.A.NE. gives me the opportunity to meet and work with many beautiful people. I am fascinated about sciencefiction and superheroes, and I guess that shaped me into an idealist who believes that there is beauty and courage in everything, no matter how small.

Therefore, our duty as human beings is to highlight it.

Hello! I’m Majka, I’m 27 and I’m coming from Poland.

I grew up in Warsaw, but the last 8 years I was living in Poznan, Wrocław and Thessaloniki. I’m a printmaker and graphic designer, I’ve finish Academy of Fine Arts and I’ve participate in more than 50 exhibitions worldwide. In Kalamata I will work in the office and I will also create my own projects.

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SHEILA

mirella

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Hello, my name is Sheila, I am from Valencia, Spain. I am graduate in Environmental Sciences.

I am passionate about nature and protection of animals. I like to travel and to know other cultures and new people. I will be in Kalamata for 3 months people with disabilities in KEFIAP Center. Before I participated in different Youth Exchanges and Erasmus+ program during my study-project. I think is an excellent opportunity to learn and improve a foreign language and to acquire competences for personal and professional development. I am happy to know you!!

Hello, Earth-citizens!

I’m Mirella Ka. and the Universe is my best friend.

I was born on the Black Sea Coast in Bulgaria, but now only my base camp is in Burgas, as my nomadic nature always brings me to different places.

As I love always trying new things and activities, I’ve been through variety of experiences - in art & communication field, in tourism, in aviation... I love to share my experiences as a traveler, as a volunteer, as an adventurer, as a discoverer of diverse interesting events, as an activist, as an Earth-citizen in my blog - Let’s humanize.

I came to Kalamata, because I felt in love with the description of the “ARTivist” project and after several tries to learn Greek, I hope this one will be the most successful one!

SOFIENE

MEHDI

BILAL

Taking a decision to leave everything what you have and take a deep plunge into something unknown is never an easy one. I took such a decision, left my job and decided to take one-in-a- lifetime opportunity to do my EVS in Greece. My name is Sofiene, I’ am 26 and I am from a tiny country in North Africa called Tunisia. I am a photographer, videographer, graphic designer and I am here to share my experience and knowledge as well as expand it and acquire new skills. I’m social, open minded and always curious about different cultures and meeting beautiful people.

There are at least as many things to know as there are humans and countries. EVS enables the possibility to know much more about our World. Καλημερα, Hello, my name is Mehdi, I am 24 and I come from France. Passionate about Life and Nature, my biggest motivation is to learn from other cultures, from people, from life. I decided to quit my job there too, so I could catch the opportunity to experience something unique in Greece, in Kalamata, and all the Greek cities I will have the chance to see. I will bring you all I have, and I will learn from everyone all I can.

My name is Bilal, I am 25, I am Moroccan but I come from Belgium more precisely from Brussels. I study tourism. I am passioned by boxing and fitness. I will be in Kalamata for 6 months working with Refugees.

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K.A.NE.

FILARETOS

jelena

NANTIANA

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Hello, I am Filaretos Vourkos. For the last 10 years I am working in the field of Non-formal education as a volunteer, youth worker and youth trainer. 6 years ago,I decided to create the Youth Centre of Kalamata, in order to initiate youth work in Kalamata and promote active citizenship as factor for change.

Hi, I’m Jelena Scepanovic, an EVS coordinator in K.A.NE. and a volunteer of the Youth center. I came from Montenegro in 2012 as an EVS volunteer. I really liked the idea of the Youth center and the work that KANE does, so I decided to stay and be part of it.

My name is Nantiana! I’m 23 years old. I live in Kalamata! I was living for 5 years in Patras! I was studying there greek philology and now I’m teaching greek to the youth center in Kalamata.

fotini

VYRON

Hi my name is Fotini Arapi and I am project manager in K.A.NE. organization and responsible, among other things, for all sending motilities (sending EVS volunteers, participants in training courses, interns, etc). Apart from my work in K.A.NE., I also volunteer in the Youth Centre of Kalamata, a volunteer initiative managed by a team of local volunteers. I am very proud of and I love the Youth Centre, its dynamic atmosphere, and most of all, its natural inclusiveness that allows everybody to feel “at home” there. See you around :-D

I would describe Vyron as an imaginative fast learning and inventive generalist with a passion for remarkable food and the great outdoors. That’s enough talking about myself in third person. Hello, I am Vyron Giannakopoulos, I consider myself a curious and open-minded person. I have studied the science of Geography and as the newest member of K.A.NE. I am here to help by managing the creative projects of EVS volunteers, planning events, creating new projects and doing anything that will add value to our organisation. In my free time I like exploring new places and learning new things. But feel free to contact me on any issue if you need help. Namaste

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T R AV EL FIRST TRIP Mina - Constanta, Romania The first place that I visited and I enjoyed very much is Constanta, Romania. Constanta is the entry point to the Black Sea coast; moreover, it is a place with a long and interesting past, attested by its many Roman vestiges, historic buildings, facades and mosques that adds colors the Old City Centre. Its historical monuments, ancient ruins, grand Casino, museums and proximity to beach resorts make it the focal point of Black Sea coast tourism.

Ola – Scotland My first big trip was to Scotland with my parents and older sister, when I was about 8. I was absolutely amazed by numerous castles, beautiful nature and folklore. And, of course, fish & chips on every corner!! I think I would never get rid of the smell of whisky from countless distilleries we wisited.

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Gordana – Barcelona Beautiful city, the great buildings of Antoni Gaudi, flamenco spirit and kind people make me want to live there.

Joana – Wolfenbüttel, Germany It was in 2001, I was then 13 years old and I went to Germany to sing with a choir in EuroTreff Festival. That was the trip that taught me what travelling means.

It was also my first international experience with non-formal education, although I didn’t realize it at the time.

Jae – Paris The first place I have very distinct memories of visiting is the beautiful city of Paris. my grandfather moved here when I was very young which meant occasionally we'd visit over Christmas.

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Mariam – Egypt As my parents are also passionate by travelling, the first place I ever visited was Egypt, and I was about 3 years old. Apart of the pictures I have I don't remember well that trip, but I have been to Egypt again some years later.

Mirella – France I would mention not the chronologically first, but the first memorable trip that I had – it was during my first year in the highschool, I was studying intensively French and my biggest dream for then was to taste “La France”.

The very first minutes when we entered Strasbourg and we get off the bus, I started kissing the ground.

Bilal – Belgium, Europe I made my first trip backpacking across Europe - it is not too exotic and it is very easy to move.

When it came time to do some kind of itinerary, we decided to include Belgium between Paris and Amsterdam. To be honest, at the beginning it was not the destination that excited me the most, but in the end it was my favorite place 18

Sheila - Italy Travel to Italy with the Erasmus+ program of the university where I did my studies. This was my first trip that helped me to renew myself as a person, to open my mind and to interact with many people for a year, sharing housing, room, bath, food and small trips to Naples, Florence, Rome, Venice that made it unforgettable.

Ophelie – North Germany On December 2008 I went to the north of Germany on a language exchange. I will never forget the magic of the Winter Markets in Germany. Joy in children eyes, sound of Christmas songs, happy atmosphere.

The Hannover Winter Market was a delight for my eyes and my taste buds: hot chocolate, smell of mulled wine, ginger and German specialties…

Majka – Prague Prague! Well not the first travel in my life, but my first travel during my studies, 8 years ago. Fast decision on Thursday, hitch-hiking on Friday, sleeping in student dormitory in Stefan's place (we found him on CouchSurfing and we are still in touch!) Some beers, city exploring, and the weirdest hitch-hiking ride back - laying down on the back of the truck on Sunday.

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T R AV EL Favourite place in my country Mina – Vama Veche, Romania Vama Veche, a village in Constanţa County, Romania, on the Black Sea coast, near the border with Bulgaria. Even in Communist times it had the reputation of a non-mainstream tourist destination, which has only grown since 1989. Since people started to go to Vama Veche, accommodations consist of tents or rooms rented from peasants.

Ophelie – Vosges mountains, France Vosges mountains, where I come from, where I grew up, where I’m recovering. Nothing makes me happier than being on the summit looking around and seeing only mountains and lakes, feeling the wind on my skin and hearing the music of the cow’s bells.

As a family tradition, every year we meet there to eat specialties -baked potatoes with smoke meat, onions; and hike.

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Ola – Warmia, Poland Voivodeships of Warmia I Mazury is full of very postcard-like, green arias with multiple lakes and ponds. It’s a calm place where you can feel closeness of Mother Nature.

Gordana – Durmitor, Montenegro Durmitor is a mountain and national park in Montenegro that adorns untouched nature. Being in such an environment makes you feel peace and happiness.

That is true distressing therapy.

Joana – Ocean in Lisbon, Portugal I like the sea in Portugal. I like to face the Atlantic, to smell its scent, to fear it during the storms and to swim during lazy summer day. Doesn’t matter where life will lead me, to see Tagus meeting the Ocean in Lisbon will always feel like home.

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Majka – Łódz, Poland Łódz, and to be more specific Book Art Museum. For 20 years the museum has been a kind of squat, unique in the whole world, due to the constant threat of eviction. It has no right to be inside the former villa of Henryk Grohman. But here it is with unique artsits books collection and working typographic machines.

Jae – Manchester Excluding my hometown, my favourite place within my country has to be Manchester city. Being less than an hour away, by car or train, I spend a lot of my time here. Many of my friends are from Manchester or close and almost all my memories of the city are happy ones, it's like a second home to me.

Mariam – Sidi Bou Said, Tunisia This in not Santorini, this is Sidi Bou Said, it is in Tunisia, more specifically in the north of Tunis, the capital.

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Mirella – Beglika, Bulgaria It’s hard to conclude which is my favorite place in Bulgaria, as we have so many different “Nature gifts”: small and big rivers, touristic and wild beaches, hot springs with mineral water in the winter, so many and beautiful mountains. But still I think my favorite place is Beglika in the Mountain Rodopi where I lived in a tent for a month last summer as a volunteer to build a green Festival.

Sheila – Playa De Venecia My favorite place in Spain is Playa De Venecia Grao De Gandia in Valencia. It’s near River Riveting and about two-minute walk from my house, so I frequently go there to relax and think.

Yana – Carpathian Mountains The second-longest mountain range in Europe, stretching in an arc from the Czech Republic in the northwest through Slovakia, Poland, Hungary, Serbia, Austria, Ukraine and Romania.

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T R AV EL Favorite place in the world Mina – Niš, Serbia Niš is the third largest city in Serbia, and one of the oldest cities in all of Europe. It was founded in 279 BC and was occupied by the Romans and later on, by the Ottomans. Traces of the city’s history can be found everywhere, the Roman ruins in the fortress, the Ottoman’s Skull Tower, or the remains of a Nazi concentration camp. Nowadays, Niš has a youthful vibe, due to the university population.

Ophelie – Nydalasjön, Umeå, Sweden This lake is magic through the seasons. A place full of memories: nights I waited for 3 hours around the fire at -10°C for northern lights and seeing them for the first time, walking-skiing on it, seeing it melting little by little, discovering a new place in Spring, kayaking there, enjoying the heat while friends where swimming and spending bright nights there…

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Ola – Ales Stenar, Scania, Sweden Swedish Stonehenge? Why not! 59 large (67 meters long!!) boulders dug in the ground outlining oval ship around V/VIth century amazed me. I felt in love with Sweden in that place.

Gordana – Giethoorn, Netherlands It is so peaceful, so different and has such a simple beauty that it hardly seems real – splendid village along small canals pass next to old but pretty farmhouses

Joana – Taizé, France There is one place that gave me hope in time of need. It was my first trip on my own, it was winter and I just turned 18. Many years passed since then, but what I brought from Taizé (France) is still intact.

Mariam - Paris Paris la vie, Paris l'amour... Even though Paris is not the same as before, I still love this city more than any other city in the world.

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Jae – Liverpool My favourite place in the world is my hometown, Liverpool. Even as I travel the globe it'll always be hard to find somewhere that feels more like home than Liverpool.

It is where I grew up and even if I live on the other side of the planet it will always be special to me.

Mirella – France Ok, I will say again France! I’m still exploring this country and I’m impressed how diverse it can be in its different regions in so many aspects – the kitchen, the customs, the folklore, the people, even the different accents (and until now I’ve visited only metropolitan France – in western Europe), the overseas territories are still in my list!

Bilal – Marocco Morocco embodies perfectly the oriental charm. Its ancient Cherifian palaces surrounded by magnificent gardens, its medinas and even its souks from which rise volutes of unknown scents seem to come out of the tales of Thousand and One Nights.

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Sheila – Mediterranean Nowadays my favourite places in the world are Greece, Italy and Spain. I was living one year in Italy and is very nice place to visit in your life - great environmental and cultural wealth. Greece is a very lovely place to live, good food, nice people. Spain, I love for its good food, architecture and very beautiful landscapes.

Majka – Gavdos Island, Greece Gavdos has been identified as a possible site of the mythical Ogygia where Kalypso held Odysseus prisoner. It's a southernmost point of Europe, where less than 50 people live permanently. It's also one of few places in Greece that free camping is allowed!

Yana - Monti Sibilinni, Italy It’s Italian National Park located across the regions of Marche and Umbria consisting of variety of different landscapes like mountains, rivers, forests etc.

Also, you may enjoy flora and fauna diverting on every step.

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T R AV EL DREAM TRIP Mina – Valley of the Kings Valley of the Kings is situated on the west bank of the Nile, opposite to Thebes (currently Luxor). This Egyptian valley is the burial place of most pharaohs of Egypt of the New Kingdom, from the 16th to 11th century BC. This it is one of the most remarkable archaeological destinations in the world.

Ophelie – Lofoten, Norway This is Lofoten, Norway. Visiting the fjord is my dream trip - In the winter for the northern lights and the real winter but also during summer for hiking. I am attracted to these huge mountains surrounded by the water and by the wildness.

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Ola – Greenland You may think „who would want to go to that cold cold place?” I do! I love snow and I love cold temperature besides, I’m absolutely amazed by the architecture and colorfulness.

This place is totally on my bucket list!

Gordana - The Great Ocean Road The Great Ocean Road is an Australian National Heritage-the world's largest war memorial. You can see the towering 12 Apostles, pristine rainforest and misty waterfalls, get up close to native wildlife which leaves breathless.

Jae – New Delhi While I’m part Indian, I don't know a lot about the culture or the country. visiting New Delhi would not only be a great experience but it'd give me the opportunity to learn more about myself and where I come from.

Mariam – LA It will may seem cliché but, I would love to go to Los Angeles!

Living the American dream! Not to live there, but to spend some time and discover the Hollywood lifestyle from a nearer sight.

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Mirella – Africa and South America I want to go to every place possible in Africa and South America. And not just visiting them, by staying for a while as a volunteer, because I believe it’s the best way to experience and explore a place – by meeting locals, co-operating with them and exchange with them all that can be exchanged.

Bilal – Archipelago of 115 Islands Made of granite and coral origin, Seychelles lends itself to several forms of travel. Their islands with sandy beaches are enameled with friendly guesthouses, hotels nestled under the palms of coconut palms, villas with natural materials and impeccable comfort. .

Sheila – Amazonia I always wanted to make an adventurous expedition in the middle of the jungle in the bosom of nature. I want to see different animal species, exotic plants and amazing landscapes.

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Yana - Fakahina, French Polynesia Fakahina is a small atoll in the west of the Tuamotu group in French Polynesia. It’s an island with extraordinary shape inhibited with 155 villagers.

Joana For sure there are still many places where I would like to go.

But for me, travelling is more than just visit places. It’s a break that you take from the world you know. It’s about losing sight of shore. It’s a journey that you make inside yourself, and that starts in the moment you decide to leave: a journey to see more clearly.

Majka – Iceland Volcanoes, geysers, waterfalls, hot springs, black sand beaches, aurora sounds like a dream trip to me! Iceland, uninhabited in almost 80%, consists of plateaus, mountain peaks, and fertile lowlands. Iceland even has the world's newest island, Surtsey, formed in a volcanic eruption in 1963.

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T R AV EL My Pre-travel Checklist

Even with the best intentions, there never seems to be enough time before you fly to get everything done. Sound familiar? Check out our ultimate checklist to help make sure you have everything you need for a year abroad.

1. Know Your Destination Do your research on each location at least a month or two before you go. First, understand what visa you need and how soon you must obtain it, as well as what other documents you may need to show. Some places require proof that you will leave the country upon your visa expiration date.

Before plotting out your must-sees and must-eats, read up on the essentials.

Know how public transportation runs.

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Find out how and where to exchange money.

Read up on seasonal weather patterns.

Investigate food and water safety.

The list goes on – but, these are ultimately the things that will make or break your trip.

Beyond relying on traditional travel guides and resources, join online groups for travelers and expats. For me, Facebook groups have proven invaluable for making connections, and staying informed about vital news and events happening in specific locations.

2. Organize Your Paperwork Triple-check expiration dates on your passports and visas. Note the address and phone number for each of your accommodations (you'll often need this at customs), as well as emergency contact info, including your country's nearest embassy or consulate.

I recommend emailing yourself and/or a trusted friend or family member copies of your essential documents, including your passport, visa, and travel insurance.

You can also use a protected cloud service, just be sure to encrypt these files with a password.

3. Check Your Personal Health & Safety Check with a travel doctor at least one to two months before your trip, to obtain all necessary vaccinations and medications.

If you're on prescription medications, check with your doctor to see how those prescriptions can be refilled on the road if necessary. It might also be worth checking that you won’t have any issues at foreign customs with these medications.

Sometimes you’ll require a certificate to prove that they are prescribed for you.

Put together a small, packable first-aid kit. The necessities for this kit will vary by your location. A few extras I always bring along are non-refrigerated probiotics for immune and digestive support, and some high-quality unrefined sea salt – which can be used to make an excellent electrolyte solution, alongside a sugar source (like honey), and citrus juice.

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4. Get Insured Buying travel insurance is one of the most important ways to prepare for your trip. Make sure you read through the policy wording to see what’s covered and what’s not so there aren’t any surprises.

The key benefits to look for are overseas medical expenses, cancellation, and cover for your tech and bags. Match up your trip with the benefit limits so you can travel confidently.

It’s a good idea to buy travel insurance as soon as you start booking your trip, so you can protect yourself against unforeseen situations that the policy covers.

5. Prepare Your Money & Banking Notify your bank and credit card companies of your travel plans, and note their emergency contact info in case your card is lost or compromised.

Get a card without ATM or international fees.

Sort out your bills, and cancel or suspend accounts that you won't be using – like internet, cable, phone, and subscription services.

6. Stay Connected Organize your electronics and all accompanying cords in secure compartments that are easily accessible to you, but not to the potential pickpocket. There are various locks you can get to attach to any style of bag. Depending on your level of adventure, it may be necessary to get waterproof cases for laptops, handheld devices, and camera equipment.

Don't forget adaptors and chargers, and always have a backup. I have two different universal adaptors – inevitably one will work better than the other on any given outlet.

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Make sure your smartphone is unlocked before getting a SIM card in your new destination. For some human connection, set up an account with Skype or WhatsApp to stay in touch with your loved ones.

7. Sort Out Your Luggage Consider every aspect of your travel, and how you'll feel most secure and comfortable lugging your stuff around. Backpacks are typically better for mobility, while a suitcase allows for tidier organization.

I made the mistake of trying to be a backpacker, when I realized a suitcase was far better for my needs. Everyone is different – so do your research to find the right size and specs for you and your adventure!

8. Do a Practice Run Try living out of your luggage for one week, and see what you can and can't live without. You'll likely realize your survival is not dependent on that extra pair of shorts. Minimizing not only takes a load off your shoulders, but off your mind as well.

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T R AV EL CHEAP TRAVELING

- I simply don’t have enough money to travel.

- Eh? STAY FOR FREE There are many services that connect travelers with locals who are willing to let them stay with them for FREE. Using this sites you will never have to pay for accommodation. By meeting people through such services you can meet amazing people and become friends! Also it’s a good chance to explore the city with locals.

Couchsurfing 36

Be Welcome Hospitality Club Global Freeloaders Airbnb - with this web site you have to pay money, but if you will be stubborn and lucky you can find very very cheap options.

Wanna try something different?

Can I camp in your garden? Sounds weird, isn’t it? But actually, you can just simply camp in somebody’s garden by using the website Camp in My Garden you can find host and for very small amount of money you can set up your tent and use some facilities. Also sometimes hist can provide you with the tent or camping van.

Farm Stay Accommodation If you like to wake up with natural alarms such us the loud voice of a rooster, the barking of dogs, the singing of birds. Farm Stay Accommodation Farm stays allow you to stay on working farms, learn how a farm works, possibly get involved in the workings of the farm Monastery Stays Around the World (CNN) Accommodation in these monasteries is often very spartan, containing no more than a bed and desk, with simple meals prepared by the monks and nuns. Monasteries are very family friendly and quiet. Most simply ask for donations or are free, some ask for money.

STAY AND VOLUNTEER If you want to do something useful while traveling here are some website that will help you! You have to pay to get to the farm, but once you are there, everything else is covered!

WWOOFing Opportunities on Organic Farms, or Willing Workers 37

on Organic Farms, is a hospitality service operated by a loose network of national organizations that facilitate homestays on organic farms.You have to pay to get to the farm, but once you are there, everything else is covered!

Global Ecovillage Network (GEN) Ecovillages network where you can come and volunteer - instead you get accommodation and food, living in the community that respects nature and living in harmony with it.

Workaway Service that allow you to find a host and volunteer for free, it can be different kind of job such as art gallery, farm, hostel etc. etc. Instead you get accomodation and food Workcamps with SCI (Service Civil International) One of first NGO’s with the great history that started organizing workcamps for piece.

Two weeks workcamp is a great opportunity to help local community and meet people from all around the world. You pay for your trip to place of the workcamp -- the rest is for free -- food, accommodation, acrivities. the POOSH.org Is initiative that created a database of places where people are building sustainable houses and need some help in it!

FOOD There are many option how to eat cheap and it depends on your appetite of course. It can be local markets, food sales, food sharing, dumsterdiving, NGO who provides food. There some of options that may be interesting for you if you want to meet with local and explore home made food (these options not always super cheap, but helps you a lot to learn more about the culture of the country): Eat With A Local Meal Sharing Colunching 38

SHARE A RIDE! BlaBlaCar My favorite BlaBlaCar connects drivers and passengers willing to travel together between cities and share the cost of the journey.

Hitchhike A free way to get around destinations that is relatively safe and quite common in many parts of the world. It’s all about luck and of course you need to know some basics of safety.

Buses There many buses that you can get a trip for 1 euro they are Polski Bus, Flixbus, Megabus and many more.

Budget Airlines Such as Aegean Airlines, WizzAir, RyanAir, Pegasus etc. You can use SkyScanner to find the best option for your trip!

EXPLORE THE CITY WITH LOCALS FOR FREE Free walking tours — Want to learn about the city, get your bearings, and see the major sights? Take a free walking tour. You can find them in 90% of the major cities in Europe, and there are also a few in large Asian cities, South America, New York, Australia, and New Zealand. To find these tours, ask the local tourist office, your hostel staff (or just walk into a hostel and ask about them), or Google “Free walking tour (city name).”

Tips: A lot of information about local trips, cheap places, interesting spots you can find on this website www. spottedbylocals.com A lot of good tips about cheap trips and many resourses -- www.nomadicmatt.com YANA VOLKOVA 39

T R AV EL Lessons I learnt from travelling

Here are 20 lessons I learnt from travelling. Of course these certainly aren’t all the lessons. I could write a novel on everything I have learned and all the advice I could give. I have obtained more knowledge in these last 9 months than I have in all my time in college and high school.

1. Clothes can be worn again….and again….and again….without washing. But you really need to stay on top of washing your towel because that can start smelling really badly really quickly.

2. You don’t have to go out every night.

3. It’s amazing what you can do with instant noodles.

4. The world is small - you will run into travelers you've met again.

5. McDonalds is great for internet.

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6. Traveling will slow you down. You will eat slower, walk slower, learn to appreciate good conversations with people. There are so many amazing things in this world you can miss if you don't take the time to look.

7. A good traveling companion is rare and should be cherished.

9. Follow the advice of other backpackers but in the end follow your instincts and your gut. After all, you are the one that will have to live with your decisions in the end.

10. Earplugs are a life saver.

11. You will spend more than you budgeted - get over it.

12. Don't cheap out on a warm sleeping bag if you are planning on camping in cold places. It’s really hard to get a good night sleep when you are shivering.

13. Splurge every now and then on things that make you feel good about yourself (hair cuts, nice shampoo, pedicures).

14. Always double check the hostel/hotel showers for your stuff before you leave or it will be gone forever. Oh and always double check that all caps are secure on your toiletries to prevent serious leakage in your bag.

15. Markets are often the cheapest and best places to buy souvenirs. Never, ever go in those tacky shops in every city. You will pay too much.

16. Utilize free walking tours and the people that work at your hostels. Make them your best friend.

17. Food at the supermarket is a great way to spend remaining money you have before you go on to the next country.

18. Teaching myself the Cyrillic alphabet before I went to Greece was a lifesaver.

19. Always make sure you know how to say hello, goodbye, yes, no, please, and thank you as a bare minimum in each country you visit, regardless of how much English is spoken there.

20. Try your best to have a map with you to get to your next hostel if you are in a non-English speaking country.

Everyone has their addictions to something. Mine is with traveling.

MARIAM SASSI 41

T R AV EL Travel Photographer's Secret

A photograph can say more than a thousand words, but it can also say very little.

While few travellers hit the proverbial road without a camera these days, be that an iPhone or a complete SLR system with a bag full of lenses, tripods and accessories, there is a vast difference between taking photos – even excellent photos – and being a good travel photographer.

Browse a top-quality travel magazine and, even if you can’t quite put your finger on what it is, you’ll be able to tell good travel photography from the rest.

There are many things to consider when photographing: It helps to know who your audience is, and to decide before stepping out the door the kinds of images you hope to capture.

Mastering light and composition is of course crucial, but there are already countless guides to help with that.

Choosing your equipment with care matters too, as does your creative flair: it’s always good to find unique angles and perspectives.

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So what’s the missing ingredient?

The key is telling a compelling story.

Although stand-alone images can be extremely powerful, capturing the same scene or event from different perspectives is almost always even more so. The aim is generally to draw the viewer in, to create a sense of curiosity and wonder, and to provide enough context to make him or her feel present in the scene.

To achieve this, you need more than a series of ever-so-good photographs taken from the same perspective: you need to mix it up. To achieve a good balance, aim for each of the following: 1. Overview Shots Step back, zoom out, provide context and setting for the story you are telling. Try to capture the atmosphere of the scene. For a different view, gaining some altitude can completely transform a picture.

2. Action Shots If you are telling a story, something needs to happen. Try to capture something that helps define your experience, whether it is a group of women laughing, fishermen pulling up a net or a kayaker battling the rapids. This is a great time to get upclose and personal – try using a wide-angle lens.

3. Detail Shots Portraits, close-ups, patterns. Look for interesting details that capture your attention, but that may not be immediately visible. Sometime, of course, the distinctions are not that clear-cut – an action scene might also provide a good overview, or it might work well as a portrait. As long as all three subjects are present in your story you are good to go. Good luck and have fun!

SOFIENE LAHDHERI 43

T R AV EL Great train routes to travel in Europe 1. Rauma Line from Dombås to Åndalsnes (Norway) Norway is famous for having wonderful unspoiled nature.

Going with this train will let you admire gorgeous sites of the Nordic country. You can see the emerald green River Rauma, the rocky peaks and the green valleys. The train passes the Troll Wall, that is the tallest vertical rock in Europe, and the routes elevation varies from 4 m to 659 m above sea level.

Alongside with the fact that you can admire sensational views, the train stops at several destination hiking trails, so be sure to wear hiking shoes.

Distance & time: 114km, 1.5 hours Best time: mid-summer Route: Dombås to Åndalsnes 2. West Highland Line, Fort William to Mallaig (Scotland) If you’re a Harry Potter fan, this is the European route that suits you the best because the Glenfinnan viaduct was used by the Hogwarts Express. Most of the journey is along rugged highlands and isolated lochs, flashes of coastline, Britain’s highest mountain, Ben Nevis.

Distance & time: 68km, 1.5 hours Route: Fort William to Mallaig 44

3. Cinque Terre between Levanto and La Spezia (Italy) Even if it’s a short route, this section of railway gives you the opportunity to observe the five Italian Riviera villages of the Cinque Terre.The five colourful, rustic villages that give the name of the route are offering amazing sideseeings of cliffs tumbling into the picturepostcard turquoise Ligurian Sea, bucolic vineyards and olive groves.

Distance & time: 20km,40 minutes Best: spring to autumn Route: Levanto to La Spezia

4. Munich to Innsbruck via G a r m i s c h - P a r t e n k i rc h e n (Germany & Austria) If you have the chance, don’t miss the chance to go on this beautiful route between Munich and Innsbruck. You can see glittering lakes, Germany’s highest mountain, Zugspitze and also the glorious mountainous landscapes along the Mittenwaldbahn between Garmisch-Partenkirchen and Innsbruck. Another attraction that you wouldn’t want to miss the white castle, Schloss Ambras from Innsbruck.

Distance & time: 157km, 3 hours Route: Munich to Innsbruck 45

5. TGV Paris to Nice, France This amazing ride is all about that famous South-of-France color and light. You can see the purple lavender fields to Côte d’Azur and can enjoy the way in which the golden sunlight magically bathes everything.

Only two hours away from Paris, you can see the sunflower and lavender fields of Provence.

Right after, you get to the French Riviera, that is a dreamy coastline of beaches, picturesque villages, and brown beach bodies.

Distance & time: 975 km, 6 hours

6. Bernina Express, Switzerland The Bernina Express route passes stunning nature, tunnels, bridges and beautiful villages. It’s large panoramic windows offer the advantage to see the the glaciers, lakes, peaks, and villages of Switzerland’s High Alps. The mountains are glorious, either covered in snow in winter or in lush meadows in spring and summer, and the train’s passage along the Landwasser viaduct is breathtaking.

Distance & time: 123km, 4 hours Best: April Route: Chur or St. Moritz to Tirano 46

7. Balkan Express, Montenegro–Serbia Te Balkan Express is a beautiful route because along the way you will pass Lake Skadar, the biggest lake in the Balkans and some of Montenegro’s truly astonishing mountains in Biogradska Gora national park.

You also go through the gently rolling hills of southern Serbia and Zlatibor national park.In Belgrade you’ll get to see one of the several hundred floating bars along the Sava and Danube rivers.

Route: Belgrade (Serbia) – Bar (Montenegro) Duration: 10 hours, 550 km 8. Madrid and Oviedo, Spain This is one of the beloved train trips by the travelers. The railway starts from the capital and crosses the small Spanish villages that offer a classic southern European countryside atmosphere. In Asturias the ride becomes especially stunning, as the train rises to the Picos de Europa mountains.

Route: Madrid-Oviedo Duration: 5 hours, 450 km

MINA DUMA 47

T R AV EL How is one travelling leading me to another?

Two years ago I discovered volunteering abroad. I’ve been freshly returned in my home country Bulgaria after a summer job in France. I felt very curious to discover what living in a new land is and I didn’t feel like going back to any of my previous occupations – writing for a media; graphic designing; PR-ing for a theatre; organizing exhibitions; translating for French hunters.

All those are very interesting occupations, but I was searching for something completely new as an experience, as an emotion. Then I decided to join a NGO in England, where to live in an international community with between 30 and 50 other volunteers, where we were sharing everything – daily life tasks, activities, costs, lessons, studies and living spaces. The main purpose of that organization was preparing and sending volunteers to development projects in Southern Africa and India. It’s there that I first heard about EVS and here am I in Kalamata now, 2 years later.

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Volunteering for this organization was an exchange agreement – they assure me a job and instead of money I receive food, accommodation, Development Instructor’s studies (in the frame of the Program “Fighting with the Poor”) and opportunity to take part in different activities in and out of England. I spent there around a year and a half and that lead me for a week in Dublin to make promotion. I spent amazing time during Africa Day, meeting so many different African nationalities, who take part of the Irish community. Then I went twice in Denmark to volunteer for a sister-NGO and experienced meetings, stories and things that I have never done before. Like meeting refugees from Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq, Palestine, Shri Lanka and Nepal… people who had recently crossed the borders for the sake of their lives.

One ordinary day while I was volunteering in the English promotion office of the organization, an interesting nomad person, born in the Netherlands, but living in Bulgaria, contacted me for more info. We had a nice chat so decided to stay in contact via Facebook.

This was a destiny-changing contact, because several months later, I read a post, shared by the same person, describing a volunteering project in Crete, Greece. The shared video was showing a beautiful Earthen-house, constructed entirely by natural materials – clay, shells, recycled tires and bottles. So, I left a comment that I admire such an inspirational project! Later during the day I received an answer by the owner of the project, saying: “There are still places for volunteers. Welcome to join!”

It’s amazing how just a simple Facebook post brought me to one of the best volunteering experiences and travels in my life until then! I invited my best friend to join me and we spent five amazing weeks on the beautiful, extraordinary Crete with lovable weather, gorgeous landscapes and splendid beaches! But when going there, I even couldn’t imagine that this trip will later bring me to another one – which is already the craziest one in my life until now!

The guy who was running the Cretan project told me about an opportunity to become 49

a volunteer in Nepal, helping in Earth-bag building construction in order for locals to recover from the apocalyptic earthquake from 2 years ago. I even didn’t need 5 min. to realize I want to join such an adventure. While I was Skyping with the NGO, they told me: “In Katmandu water from the tap is poisonous, so never even brush the teeth with it… the air is so polluted, so make sure you are wearing a mask…be careful where and what you eat, because for an European stomach to escape diarrhea in Asia is impossible, but anyway in the village there is no other option than dal-bat (rice with lentils)…take a water-filter or purifying tablets, because in the village there will be only spring water…and take really warm clothes and a good sleeping bag, because in Nepal there is no heating system, so in February you will be freezing. Are you still sure you wannna come?” … My answer was: “I’m happy that I booked my ticket before this conversation.”

But then it wasn’t at all as scary as it sounds for the ears of a Westerner and I’m even not a proper Westerner, because I’m coming from the Balkans! So in Nepal I experienced a totally different culture, customs, beliefs, way of living and way of seeing life, that even for one second I couldn’t be bored. During these 2 months in Nepal, in the village, where we were building the Library, I discovered a life without internet, without phone, with rare usage of electricity, with fire cooking, outdoors shower taking, non-stop rice & lentils diet, amazing moments of playing, dancing, singing and drawing with the locals. I joined a Sacred Hindu ritual for Sivataratri and the world-wide famous Holi – the Festival of the Colors. I did a spontaneous trekking through the Himalayas until Annapurna base camp (4130 m.)

I could conclude that travelling by volunteering is my best way to discover and explore both places and people, to collect impressions and to experience moments.

Mirella Ka 50

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T R AV EL travel without leaving home You have no money, feel comfortable enough in your armchair but really feel like discovering new place? Thank God and humanity for the Internet!

Have you ever imagined how one, virtual space can consist everything?

Literally… everything! And travelling is no exception.

Maps This may not be the most sensory experience but isn’t it just amazing to plan your dream trip, walk streets of different country and imagine sounds, smell and colors of the place? Virtual and tangible ones work as good. I was always this person that would stuck a rug map of the world on my wall and imagine all those adventures, places, people I would meet. I would plan every detail, every road, put stickers and colorful lines on maps.

Nowadays this is even simpler. Not only you can see a real-life image of the place but even walk the streets in a 3D-like “street view”. How lucky are we to live in the century, when by one click you can actually see what is happening on completely different part of the world!

Online travelling Have I already said that the Internet is an amazing place? I think I did. Why? There are actually web pages offering online trips and travels like Trans-Siberian train voyage.

Many well-known cultural places offer virtual tours, also, many Youtubers create “travel vlogs” showing places they visited and they adventure abroad. That’s always a good idea if you want to make a quick break from anything you are doing right now.

In case you want to admire beautiful landscapes, I highly recommend visiting 360gigapixels.com where you can choose a place, sit comfortably and enjoy gift of mother nature in 360°.

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Virtual reality Another blessing from XXIst century! Why do we even bother looking around in real life, when technology is close at hand? Currently leading tech-brands offer variety of virtual reality product allowing simple people, like you and me, enjoy things we don’t have on can’t reach in very good quality and, as a name suggest, realistic. Having one of those fancy glasses you are able to travel across whole universe (including other planets and galaxies) as well as visit fine arts museums, see historic events in a real-time, have a roller-coaster ride or simply walk the streets of New York. There are no limits. Best part? You don’t have to leave your couch… as long as batteries live.

Book There is always the best option. Warm tea, comfortable sweater and favorite book. Nothing feels better than being drowned inside a good novel.

GlobeIn This is an amazing project for those who want to experience other cultures. Idea is simple – themed package filled with typical food, clothes, books, photos etc. arrives right to your door. This may not be the cheapest way - $35 + shipping for 3 months- but it’s completely Fair Trade and gives income for craftswomen, who usually are homeless or unemployed. Every month, different part of the world. Doesn’t sound bad at all!

OLA KACZURBA 53

T R AV EL TRAVELING WITH TRAVEL LITERATURE

There are people who travel to go out of their personal space; others to go out of themselves – to see the world, or to see in the world their own home.

There are people who travel to meet people and there are others who travel to know themselves – to get lost in the world or to find themselves there.

There are people who travel to breathe and others to lose their breath – some travel to make the best of their time and others to forget what time is.

And in the meantime, a few write about that.

Throughout the centuries, people have done it; in letters, diaries, travel journals, memoirs and stories that they turn into fiction. Some of them became in time part of what we call today Travel Literature.

Pausanias – We start in Greece Pausanias was one of the first travel memoirists that we know about: he was Greek and lived in the 2nd century AD. As a geographer, he traveled around Asia Minor, Macedonia, Egypt, Jerusalem and Italy; he was also one of the firsts to write of seeing the ruins of Troy. In Greece, more than a topographical record, Pausanias searched for a cultural geography. His Description of Greece is composed by 10 books, each 54

one focus on one region. The descriptions of the architectural monuments and artistic objects are plain and accurate, as confirmed by the extant remains, but also reviled the mythological and historical foundations of the society that produced them. He paid particular attention to religious art and architecture and he preferred the old to the contemporary – he was charmed by the representation of gods, holly relics and sacred or mysterious objects. The nature is approached mainly though the topography, but we can also find brief notes about Greek landscape.

It was like that in Midle Age In China, Travel Literature becomes famous during the Song Dynasty (960-1279) in the form of travel record literature. Although mainly written by poets, their texts also incorporated geographical and topographical information, and often presented philosophical and moral arguments. Su Shi (1037-1101), Fab Chengda (1126-1193) and later Xu Xiake (1587-1641) are just examples.

This genre was also fairly common in medieval Arabic Literature; it gives a view of the many cultures of the extensive Islamic World. Ibn Battutah is probably the most known of his time, with the work A Gift to Those Who Contemplate the Wonders of Cities and The Marvels of Travelling.

In Europe, this period was marked by the beginning of the Crusades. It’s just natural that the writings of that time were impregnated with its ideology. Gerald of Wales (1146-1223) is an example, with his writings about Welsh and Norman culture. It was also during this period that we find one of the first records of traveling by the sake of travelling. Petrarch (1304-1374) wrote about his journey to Mount Ventoux just to enjoy the view, while making allegorical comparisons between the climbing and his own moral development in life.

Age of Discovery – notes from Portugal But we needed to wait until the 15th century to see a flourishment of this genre, as Europe turned itself to the Ocean to discovered new worlds. Portugal was the first to face the unknown and its travel literature was profoundly shaped by it. A pragmatic kind of travel literature – the logbooks – appeared in order to keep record of the different maritime routs, focus on sailing, topography, navigational orientation and the journey on board. Two of the most fundamental texts of this kind are the Report of Vasco da Gama First Voyage to India, by Álvaro Velho, as well as the Letter to King Manuel I on the discovery of Brazil, by Pedro Vaz de Caminha, both from the beginning of the 16th century.

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On the other hand, overland explorers found exotic places and unfamiliar cultures.

Combining documentary and narrative processes, they drop the pragmatism on behalf of a more social approach that revealed as much about the faraway lands as it did about the observers themselves and their own society. Some of these documents are testimonies of the first contacts between different civilizations, as A Treatise of China (1570), by Frei Gaspar da Cruz, or Letters from Tibet (1624-30),

by Jesuit António de Andrade, the first European to reach Tibet.

Also fiction literature was influenced by those travel writings – back then and until today. The Lusiads (1556), by Luís Vaz de Camões is still one of the major literature works produced in Portugal; The Return of the Caravels (1988), by Lobo Antunes, or The Tale of the Unknown Island (1997)¸by Saramago, are two examples of contemporary literature that bear that influence.

A global World – tourism as education A major boost to Literature in general, as well as to spread any written document, was the invention of the printing press. By then, the world started to be already deeply connected: Gil Vicente’s works in Portugal were influenced by Petrarch’s works, produced 150 years before in Italy.

Travelers also benefit from it, since they were able to reach wider audiences than ever before. Furthermore, traveling itself became safer and trendier, and the upper class youth started to travel as an educational rite of passage, to learn about culture and the roots of western civilization. In many of those Grand Tours the traveler kept a diary – some of them were later transformed into fiction. Goethe's Italian Journeys (1816) and Stevenson's An Inland Voyage (1878) are two of the most known examples of it.

Nature is also a subject itself in Travel Literature since the 18th century. Naturalists often kept diaries to support their observations, not only with notes but also with illustrations, combining science, natural history and travel. Darwin's The Voyage of the Beagle (1839) is one of the most popular examples.

TELL ME WHO IS YOUR (TRAVEL) COMPANY AND I'LL TELL YOU WHO YOU ARE1 As the times changes, the way we travel also changes – as well as the way we write it. There are trendy authors in contemporary Travel Literature: John Krakauer with his Into the Wild, or Che Guevara, with his Motorcycle Diaries – Notes on a Latin 1 I borrowed a Portuguese saying with a small adaptation (the travel parenthesis), meaning more or less the same as the English expression "birds of a feather flock together” 56

America Journey. There are mandatory authors on the subject: Paul Theroux, Bruce Chatwin, Gonçalo Cadilhe. There are also extraordinary authors who sometimes write about travels: Bill Bryson or Alain the Botton. And then, there are the authors who shape each reader (or traveler).

Botton, The Art of Travel, taught me that we travel to know ourselves, we travel to live happier. Kerouac, On the road, was a cathartic experience about what dreams are and what it takes to find yourself. Pamuk and Banville, Istanbul: Memories and the city and Prague Pictures, made me wander in two cities which my mom always told me I would fall in love with. Carey, Wrong about Japan, with an amazing translation to Portuguese by Carlos Vaz Marques, showed me a new Japan very different from what I learn and loved with Kawabata – and he also taught me about this difficult exercise of understanding those who lived next to us all our lives, in the end knowing and understanding can be too very different things. With Alexandra Lucas Coelho, Vai Brasil [Go Brazil], I revisited my own love about my language and its specificities.

Jacinto Lucas Pires, Livro Usado Numa Viagem ao Japão [Book used in a journey to Japan], taught me that we can also relax while travelling, the art of wandering and what we can see with it.

I travel for the same reason I read: to know more; to meet the stranger that we all hold inside; to be able to come back home – and sometimes to understand what home is; to see more clearly. I travel with those I share my journeys with – and those with whom I learn what travelling means. And because I don’t write about it, I borrow words from literature, I borrow poems, I borrow descriptions, I borrow whole books.

I borrow them so they can give back the places where I found myself and to carry me to those where I could never loose myself in.

JOANA GANILHO MARQUES 57

T R AV EL TRAVEL POSTERS

Ryszard Kaja and his posters

Ryszard Kaja was born 1962, in Pozam, Poland. He is a painter, stage designer, costume designer and poster artist. He studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Poznan in 1984, and earned a degree in painting under Norbert Skupniewicz. His father is the poster designer Zbigniew Kaja and his mother is the ceramicist and painter Stefania Kaja. He has designed more than 150 theater, ballet, opera, television, and film sets in Poland and abroad, including France, Germany, Brazil, Argentina, Israel, and Egypt. Except of that he's now working on the series of posters called "POLAND" which will include 120 posters featuring less well known towns and destinations within Poland.

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The series started with a poster of Wrocław - city that the artist is currently living in. It's an ongoing series. What is interesting and distinctive about it is the fact, that cities, to become presented on his posters, don't need to be pretty or famous.

Kaja is often choosing small cites, villages or industrial areas (Gdansk, Bełchatów). Why? First of all this series is not a commercial order. It's his personal project. He's picking the places he visited, that have some personal meaning for him. This way, he's presenting both Poland and himself. But also, what is important, he's not afraid to show them as they are. 'What I want to depict through my posters is the everyday, the ordinary, the unusual.' He's inspired by Czech writer – Harbal – in terms of searching for small stories, looking behind the corner, trying to find beauty in filth. The aim of his posters is to portray Poland as it is not as we (Polish people) would like to see it. To show the full story - not only the pretty part of it - and to discover it's unexpected beauty.

As I mentioned before, all of the places Kaja is presenting us on his posters he visited. I am an avid traveler – I spend at least five or six months in the year traveling. Everywhere I go, I look for the different and the small, and that is what I record in my notebook – he said. He takes his inspiration from trips, notes, photographs, small fragments of reality around him. He keeps some pieces of newspaper, tickets, etc. I use everything: pen, pencil, ink, color ink, gouache, coffee grounds, tea, ash—everything that’s around me …. Artists try to be international, trendy, cool. I am a little outsider. I have my world and it is a very Polish world.

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His Polish world you can see in the posters too. Aside from presenting the places Kaja is also presenting a history of polish poster. He's using different aesthetics: some of the posters are more in art deco style (check Płock poster, it's a city with an art deco museum as well), some are based on social realism aesthetic (Legnica city was turned the town into the largest Soviet garrison during the cold war), some are more contemporary (Tatry – polish mountain poster, made by means of only triangles and transparency).

Although we can find in the series as well big cites like Warsaw or Kraków but they are presented in not typical way. Warsaw is presented with Palace of Culture and Science – one of the most well know but at the same time controversial building of Poland. In his works he uses the traditions, customs, crafts, locality. Kaja also created the posters for different regions of Poland as well as some presenting Poland itself – Vistula river, moose in the forest, bottle of vodka, herring and pickled cucumber or the tradition of All Saints' Day - to light candles and visit the graves of deceased relatives. What is common for all of them, is a specific atmosphere of subjective truths and the power of smart details. His posters are like nontraditional postcards from amazing and hidden places in Poland.

MAJKA DOKUDOWICZ 60

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T R AV EL TRAVEL IN COUPLE

Just the evocation of this city is immediately reminiscent of sun, relaxation and sandy beaches. Go to the beach in Palma de Mallorca.

Well, let's start with the beaches before taking you to the places of interest Palma de Mallorca. Let's go to Cala Mayor, which is 6 km west of Palma de Mallorca.

This charming sandy beach is protected from the wind by the Marivent palace and its rocky promontory. Here the water is clear and bathing a real moment of sweetness. East of Palma de Marjoque this time is the beach of Palma el Arenal where the water is also transparent and is a perfect place to relax before going for a walk through Palma de Mallorca.

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Have a fun day swimming and snorkeling on the beautiful coast of Majorca on this 6.5-hour catamaran cruise! You will enjoy a breathtaking view on the shore of Majorca, the main of the Balearic Islands, and have had several opportunities for swimming and snorkeling in the Mediterranean Sea. On the northern course, sail along Pollensa Bay towards Formentor beach, and stop for a delicious buffet breakfast. On the eastern route, depart from Colonia Sant Jordi and stop on the beautiful beaches of Es Trenc and Es Cargol, where have lunch and dinner a buffet.

BILAL ZEGOUD 63

T R AV EL PERSONAL EXPIRIENCE - SWEEDEN

Skiing on Nydala lake

Two years ago I moved in Sweden for six months. I will share with you my view of the country through my daily life but also through my travels.

I lived in Umeå, 600km up to Stockholm and 420 km down to the artic circle. In 2015, Umeå hosted 80.000 inhabitants, 36.000 of them were students. The town is seen as one of the most creative and innovative of Sweden. Its cultural heritage includes architecture, art (visual and auditive), sculpture, haute couture…The Vasterbotten museum (about the history and the culture of the Västerbottens region with also photography expositions), the Bildmuseet (all forms of art), the Guitar museum are some of the places dedicated to culture and art in the city. In 2014 Umeå was the european capital of Culture. The red heart was its symbol because if Sweden of a human being Umeå would stand at the heart.

From my personal experience in Umeå, I will introduce you to Sweden. This is my point of view, it might be different for someone else. I will try to be as objective as possible but I must warned you: I really liked the swedish way of life and the country in general.

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I. The daily life Winter I arrived in Umeå in January, as the city takes place on the north of Sweden, I discovered the dark days. The sun came around 9 and went back around 14:39, I saw the sun around 5 hours a day in January, then 7h to 10h in February, 10 to 13h a day in March. In January/ February the average temperature is -9,5°c, -4,6°C in March, 1,2°C in April. I experienced the real winter, the snow from January to April, the frozen lakes, ice on the roads. The best part of the winter are nothern lights but you have to be brave and patient to wait, sometimes for hours, outside hoping for a sky without clouds.

Spring From Mai to June I enjoyed the swedish spring time. On the 1th of May the sunrise was at 4:16 in the morning and went down at 20:57, the bright nights were starting ! From the 3th of June we saw the sun more than 20h/day ! In May the average temperature was 7,6°C and in June it was 13,5°C. I saw the Swede enjoying the spring by putting flowers everywhere (on bikes, houses…). I took part in events like Valborg the 30th April/1st of May, a event from Vikings’ culture. This is a huge fest for everybody. I also took part to Midsummer the most typically swedish tradition: celebrate the summer and the coming holidays all together by dancing around maypole.

ice on the roads

Sculpture contest

Nothern light

Unfrozen Nydala lake 65

Habits Selective sorting is really important in Sweden, you can find different trash cans for the different types of wastes everywhere. In Umeå they were using the heat of the wastes’ combustion as heating system!

The solidarity is also part of the swedish daily life: I remember in all public spaces the doors Bright night on the 21th of June opens automatically or have button on the wall to allow people with disabilities to open them. I also remember that cars always stop for pedestrians and bike riders. In a general point of view swedish people are introverted but really kind people. They are always ready to give a hand if you ask for help or if you seem to need help!

Bicycles are very popular among Swede even during winter on snow and ice. Swede from Maypole for Midsummer kids to elderly are going outside even though it is snowing, freezing or raining.

The parties were starting at 18 o’clock and the clubs closed at 2 o’clock. In Sweden everybody bring its own drinks for the evening and keep it.

The sale of alcohol is restricted: there are special shops called « Systembolaget » who are the only ones allowed, by the state, for selling alcohol (stronger than 3,5%). The are open on week days The only place where you can buy and on Saturdays only from 10 to 14 o’clock. alcohol The most popular way to « smoke » in Sweden is to put, between lips and tooth, a little bag of tabacco. Nobody is smoking inside.

Fika is a social institution. It’s mean more or less « to have coffee » at work but also at the university or during free time. This a break with a coffee and pastries. The most famous sweet is the cinnamon bun. Another point that seems to be a social institution is decoration, as the famous Popular Tabacco

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IKEA, there are a lot of home decor shops.

I discovered new sport : the floorball which is like hockey but not on ice and Brännboll which looks like Baseball but with different rules. At Umeå University every year, in May, there is a huge 2 days event called Brännbollsyran : the only tournament of Brännboll around the word (I took part to it) during the days and at night a music festival in the middle of the campus.

The food I tried the swedish meat balls of course but also semla speciality of Shrove Tuesday and the smelly but good tasting « surströmming » (ferment hareng).

Semla or semlör II. Travels around Sweden During my 6 months there I took every opportunities to travel around Sweden and discovering new places.

Jokkmokk Is a town around the artic circle in the north of Sweden (but it is also known as the name of chairs at IKEA). I went there on February for the winter market of the indigenous Sami people, a community who lived in Lapland-Artic and subartic regions (Norway, Sweden, Finland and Kola peninsula in Russia). I saw traditional dances, reindeers and tasted typical food of the Sami culture.

Lapland Kiruna is a town up to the artic circle, the northern of Sweden. It is known for its mine, space research institute, and untouched wilderness. I tried and enjoyed dogsledding there.

Typical Fika

Semla or semlör

Jokkmokk

Jokkmokk 67

Abisko Abisko National Park is located near to the border with Norway. I went there twice : once in March and once in May. I enjoyed the snow up to my knees each time! There are hiking trails, ski resorts, the train which links Stockholm to Narvik (Norway) pass through the Park. In June you can admire the midnight sun in Abisko.

Dog sledding - Lapland

Jukkasjärvi and the ice hotel a hotel, a church and a bar litterally made of ice from December to April. Is it possible to visit it during the day and of course you can stay for the night (but it is expensive)! Every year the design is new. No need to describe it, picture are talking for themself!

Inside a typical "tent" in Lapland

Church of Kiruna - Lapland

May partially frozen lake - Abisko 68

the ice hotel

the ice hotel

March frozen lake - Abisko

the ice hotel

Then, during the spring I went to the south of Sweden: Stockholm Capital of Sweden but also known as the Capital of Scandinavia and the greener european Capital. Stockholm is a lovely place to experiment. It has the energy and the thousand possibilities of a capital with a calm way of life. Water, nature and art are everywhere, the public transports are efficient, the colorful houses are lovely! I particularly enjoyed the old city and going through the different island which are making the city. I appreciated the Moderna museet and also the Opera.

Göteborg known as the Venice of the North is the second largest city of the country. It takes place on the west coast of Sweden. Volvo was founded in Göteborg, a museum is dedicated to the brand. The port of Göteborg is the largest of the Nordics countries. I enjoyed the architecture, the water all around the city, the parks and its numerous museums !

Stockholm

Stockholm

Göteborg

I enjoyed the time I lived in Sweden, the beauty of its nature, the ecological way of life, the kindness of its inhabitants, the charming way of life, the magic of each season, the diversity of the art and the cultural heritage!

OPHÉLIE COTTIER

Göteborg 69

T R AV EL The City of the Hundred Dwarves

There is a city in Poland called Wroclaw, where more than 300 hundred dwarves live hidden in streets, shop windows, in shadow of churches… These lovely small statues are not only nice touristic attraction. The dwarves started off as an artistic anti-communist statement and continue to be a commentary on the city’s life today.

Everything started in 80’s during communist era. The period of Polish history marked with censorship, oppressive regime and empty shelves in supermarkets. On the walls in Wroclaw started to appear drawings of smiling dwarf in a hat and with a flower in the hand.

It was the Orange Alternative movement who grabbed cans of spray to paint and drew dwarves where anti-communist graffiti had been white-washed. The first drawings 70

appeared in late August 1982 as a creation of Waldemar Frydrych, as an effort to fight the absurdity of the political system. The actions of the group, with members dressing up as dwarves with orange pointy hats, were intended to communicate that the oppressive system was itself surreal.

Comunism is gone for a long time, but Wroclaw have loved dwarves so much that they stayed in the city for good and now they are one of the symbols of the city. They took the streets in the form of figurines. The first statue of ‘Papa Dwarf’ was placed on Swidnicka Street to commemorate the movement and the location where the group had organised its activities. Since then many more appeared in the city and their number is constantly rising, currently reaching more than 300. Even though the political context has changed, many of the figurines still reflect issues relevant to the city’s inhabitants.

If you will be in Wroclaw with mobile app and a map you can take part in the Dwarf Hunting, wander around the city trying to spot as many dwarves as possible.

ANIA SZLENDAK 71

PHOTO REPORT TRAVEL

Dubai

Paris

Italy 72

Barcelona

Amsterdam

Tunisia 73

Austria

Munich 74

SOFIENE LAHDHERI

i n t e rv i e w w i t h a n E VS V O L U N T E ER I N T ERV I E W W I T H O P H E L I E

Can you make a little presentation of yourself?

My name is Ophélie, I’m 23 years old. I come from the east part of France, a mountainous region called “Les Vosges”. My mottos are “People who want achieve their goals provide themselves with the means to success, the others are finding excuses” and “When you really want to achieve something you do it, you don’t only speak about it”.

How it happens that you are here?

I have the intention, for years, to spend a year abroad as a volunteer after my studies.

So, after my graduation, I applied all over the world for voluntary projects related to 75

my field. I need to live meaningful adventures before having a long-term job and settling into a routine. Moreover, after an Erasmus Semester in Sweden, 2 years ago, I experimented the power of living abroad and being out of the comfort zone. This experience is blossoming thanks to the sharing with people from a different culture and with other habits. It helps to become more tolerant, open-minded and to avoid ethnocentrism. Going abroad is also to me a unique opportunity to gain confidence, to come out of my shell, be humanely enriched and to improve my English.

What are you doing here in Kalamata?

I applied in Kalamata to volunteer at the Day center for children and adolescents with Autism (you will learn more about my project in my article in this LINK “My personal project”).

Have you ever been a volunteer before?

I already volunteered before but mostly for short periods: international sports events in my hometown, a week in the North of France (near to the Jungle of Calais) with refugees and also for few months weekly I volunteer with a child with autism.

What did you study?

I studied psychology during the last past 5 years.

What are your feelings about volunteering?

Volunteerism is a wonderful way to help the other by also acquire a lot of skills. I’m finding amazing the nonformal exchanges: you give but you also receive a lot, you share with people, you feel useful... Helping the other is one of my main goal in life, I’m finding amazing to start my career by volunteering! I see the European Voluntary Service (EVS) as the opportunity for all young Europeans to understand what the European Union is. After an EVS project, I think we become ambassadors of the huge potential of the EU: cultural wealth, the numerous possibilities to learn from the other European countries, the opportunities we have to work all together to make great things...

How were your first days here? What is the hardest about adaptation?

As I wrote in the previous LINK my first days here were synonyms of dizziness.

The hardest was not being able to understand or read anything because the Greek language is all new for me! However, as soon as I arrived, I experiment the kindness 76

of the Greeks and of the other volunteers. I like the landscapes of Kalamata with mountains and sea and also its streets with the smell of delicious food!

How is it to live with so many people?

What are the advantages or disadvantages?

Haha, both good and difficult questions! This is not easy to live with 11 people...The most important thing to keep in mind is to respect each other “that one’s personal freedom ends where another’s begins”. We learn to compromise, tolerance.

I discovered the different way of life.

Communication is the key, I’m learning not thinking, not doing for the other but speak to them instead.

There are also advantages of living with flatmates: every time you walk in the flat is an opportunity to share, to speak, to laugh!

What do you like to do in your free time? Do you have any hobby?

I like to spend time with my friends, my family and my godson. Here during my free time I’m visiting Kalamata, I’m writing for my personal blog and I taste Greek food.

I don’t really have hobbies…

Do you have any plans for the future?

Professionally, for the future, I would like to work as a psychologist with refugees and also in child welfare services (both for French and asylum seekers minors). This is why I came here: to improve my English and become fluent in English. I would like also traveling again: it means spending at least 3 months in a new country.

These are my plans at the moment but I know life is full of surprises. Nothing is written on stone and I like this idea! I will let the wind blowing me away…

Thank you, Ophelie!

GORDANA SCEPANOVIC 77

MY SENDING ORGANISATION BONA FIDES Bona Fides is a 14 years old public benefit organization whose mission is to involve local community with events and actions by actively building and supporting groups of inhabitants and local leaders by teaching local officers how to conduct an open and effective dialogue with by conducting seminars and enabling young people to gain new experience through volunteering.

What they do:  organize local neighborhood initiatives that act for the benefit of their local communities;  provide legal, organizational and substantive support to local leaders;  educate inhabitants about their rights so that they will be able to use them effectively while cooperating with local authorities and other subjects;  educate local officers how to carry out an open and effective dialogue with inhabitants and non-governmental organizations, prepare projects of law acts and motions, whose purpose is to improve the standard of living and quality of life, make authorities more transparent and ensure better cooperation with citizens;  encourage personal development through involvement of volunteers in activities conducted in Bona Fides with the support of experienced employees and members of the association;  within European Voluntary Service (EVS) they send young volunteers to Europe, and host volunteers from various parts of Europe.

OLA KACZURBA 78

MY PROJECT day care center I will volunteer in Kalamata for 11 months.

My EVS project is in parternship with three organizations. As my EVS just starting now, I can only share non exhaustive lists of my activities.

The Day Center for Children and Adolescents with Autism - ΚΕΝΤΡΟ ΗΜΕΡΑΣ The volunteerism at ΚΕΝΤΡΟ ΗΜΕΡΑΣ is my main project, the reason I came to Kalamata. This is a unique place in town where children and adolescents with autism can participate in specialized educational and therapeutic processes. I volunteer at this place 4 days a week. Here some example of my activites : the maintenance and the safekeeping of part and material, the participation in the therapeutic processes, raising the public’s awareness on the importance of the center… I am collaborating with the skilled workers of the center (occupational therapist, psychologist, speech therapist, social worker, special physicians, administrative officier) and with local volunteers.

NGO K.A.NE. Social Youth Development I will contribute to the blog of the EVS Volunteers in Kalamata but also to the present bi-monthly magazine. I will help the organization to inform the youngsters of Kalamata about EVS. I will take part to the different events organized by k.A.N.E during the followings months. I am also giving french lessons at the Youth Center, to share, in a non formal way, the french daily language and my outlook on the french culture and habits…

I-PEICC Peuple et Culture I will write articles and make a video at the end of my project to help them promoting intercultural exchanges and European mobility.

I also came here for my professional project, which is improving my English and acquiering knowledge about interculturalism and psychological consequences of migration.

OPHÉLIE COTTIER 79

LINK NOVEMBER 1 st 2017

The volunteers responsible for this publication are hosted in Greece in the framework of the European Erasmus+ programme, KA1/youth - European Voluntary Service.

This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication [communication] reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.