I went on a wonderful trip to Turin with my Italian and French friends, so I really want to tell you about it day by day!
But… first of all
Myself <3Hi! My name is Eline, I am 17 years old and I’m a French student in an agricultural high school.
Last year, my class hosted some Italian students, so this year the Italian students invited the Euro section class to come to their school in Turin. I like animals, especially horses, and I love cars and Formula 1, so one of the goal of the trip was to see a Ferrari! I also really enjoy traveling around the world, so I was very happy because it was my first time in Italy!
But we’re not here to talk about me, so… let’s talk about this famous trip!
The preparation
During the preparation, we had a Facetime call with the Italian students to meet everyone and to ask them some questions about Turin and their hobbies.
My English teacher gave us the topic of the trip, which is : Smart Tourism.
So we started talking about that, and we learned that Turin is the European Capital of Smart Tourism.
Then our teacher told us that we were going to Turin for 8 days and that we would take the bus on February 9th from Clermont-Ferrand.
It was finally departure day!
I met up with my friends and our teachers at the bus station in Clermont-Ferrand to finally leave for Turin andLet's go Turin ! see my Italian friends again !
We took the bus in the morning, so we were already tired, and as you can imagine, we slept during most of the ride!
The bus stopped for lunch, so it was time to walk around a bit and eat before arriving in Italy.
We drove through the mountains, and the view was amazing!
To cross the Italian border, we had to go through the Fréjus Tunnel, which felt endless! But finally, we crossed into Italy!
When we arrived in Turin, the two Italian teachers welcomed us and guided us to our hotel, the Campus Sanpaolo.
Then we had a little free time to settle in. We were paired up in our rooms, which were really nice, with two beds, a TV, and a bathroom.
After this free time, we took a short walk to explore the area around the hotel. Then we went to the restaurant next to the hotel to eat our first Italian dinner!
Today is the day! Yes, I’m going to see my Italian friends again, so I’m very excited!
So we took the bus to go to Majorana High School and meet everyone.Majorana high school
We were all so happy to see each other again! It was hug time, and I really enjoyed it!
During the day, we started with some ice-breaking activities because we didn’t know each other very well yet.
After that, we visited the high school, and some classes gave us presentations about their specialties, so we learned a lot of new things. We visited the laboratory, where they showed us scientific experiments. Then we went to the computer room, where they explained how they use AI. Finally, we had a presentation about smart tourism and about the importance of trees in cities for creating cool areas and supporting the well-being of the ecosystem.
At the end of the day, we did an activity about sustainable means of transportation that are good for the environment. There were walking, biking, bus, train, electric cars, and many others.
After that, some French and Italian students did an interview about the Erasmus+ experience.
In the evening, we went downtown to see the city and the streets of Turin. It was very beautiful, and I really enjoyed it. I also bought a pair of earrings and a ring in a magnificent Italian jewelry store!
After that, we looked for a restaurant, and once we got there, we took some time before returning to the hotel.
We started by talking about a phone app that tells us when the markets in Turin are open.
After that, we went to the Mercato Centrale of Turin, where we were divided into teams to search for well-known spots inside the market. Before starting the activity, we were warned about potential pickpockets around the Mercato.
At lunchtime, the Italian students had to return to their high school because they had exams in the afternoon…
After eating, an Italian teacher took us to the city center, where students from the school showed us the important monuments and explained the history of the city. It was very interesting, but also very tiring because we walked all day. Still, it was a great experience!
After a long day of walking, we went to a pizzeria to enjoy a well-deserved meal!
It's already day 4... Egyptian museum
This day was marked by a visit to the second-largest Egyptian museum in the world, located in Turin.
We went to the museum, which is situated in the city center of Turin.
We even had the chance to enjoy a guided tour in French, which was very nice!
The museum is truly incredible, and we were able to learn a lot thanks to our guide’s explanations. Between the statues, the mummies, and the scrolls, I didn’t know where to look first.
The museum visit was one of my favorite moments of the whole trip, even though the Italian students couldn’t come with us…
I even managed to buy a souvenir for my little brother, who loves Egypt and mummies!
In the evening, we had some free time and we were supposed to meet at a church. Unfortunately, I went to the wrong one—there are too many churches in Turin! So we got lost in the streets of the city before finally finding our way back and meeting up with everyone.
After this little adventure, we finally went to eat!
This morning, we took a walk in Turin with Pierre Carlo Devoti, who guided us throughout the morning. He brought us to a place where he talked about Fiat Mirafiori, and then we went to Cascina Roccafranca, which is a community center where anyone in the city can go to do activities, eat, or even study if they want.
Pierre Carlo Devoti told us about this place, and then he asked us what activities we thought could be added to improve it. After that, we did a short interview where we asked his son some questions.Different places in Turin
That afternoon, we went to a rather special place…
This time, we were accompanied by our Italian friends!
We visited an old factory that had been completely renovated. After walking and taking the bus, we discovered that this former factory now serves as a church! It was very impressive to see how they had transformed the factory’s chimneys into a religious space. The interior was also very modern! But that’s not all — the building has also been turned into a skate park where children can come with scooters, bikes, rollerblades, and even soccer or basketballs, since there are goals and hoops. We even saw a group playing frisbee!
After the visit, we went back to the hotel to get ready before going bowling with our Italian friends!
The goal of the evening: make a strike!
So we headed to the bowling alley and ate gigantic and delicious pizzas there! After the meal, we went to the VIP area of the bowling alley to play a few games.
First game : no strike…
Second game : victory — and a strike!
It was by far the best moment of the whole trip! We had an amazing time all together!
Oh, and by the way… still no Ferrari, unfortunately…
The highlight of the day was a visit to a beef cattle farm. The farmer also produced honey in addition to the meat from his cattle. So we visited the farm and then played a little game…
We were all given different roles: some people were rich, others poor, some were intelligent, etc.
The goal was to make us aware of inequalities when it comes to access to food.
After this activity, we finally got to enjoy a meal prepared by the farmers!
We then walked back before taking a bus to the hotel to rest.
And still no Ferrari…
An other incredible breakfast !( yes I enjoyed the breakfast )
That day, we walked around Turin with some of our Italian friends. We went to the beautiful Valentino Park to see the squirrels, which are very common in the city.
We also had the chance to eat Italian ice cream before heading up to a stunning viewpoint that allowed us to see the whole city with the snow-capped mountains in the background. It was truly magnificent.
We then went to eat, and it was time for goodbyes… We hugged, and then they left.
After this emotional moment, we went to a shopping mall with a racetrack on the roof!
We did some shopping before eating at a restaurant inside the mall.
We left our room and the hotel, and headed toward the bus stop.
Since we arrived very early, we waited in a small shop before getting on the bus to go back to France. The journey was very quiet because we were all very sad…
When we arrived in Clermont-Ferrand, our parents came to pick us up.
The end
In conclusion, I leave with my head full of memories, and I am really happy that Erasmus+ allowed us to have this experience. I hope to see my Italian friends again because I already miss them…
I think we will all remember this exchange, and it will remain one of the most beautiful moments of our lives!
Through this project, I improved my language and digital skills while bridging cultural and technological gaps.
This Erasmus+ exchange has inspired me to travel, meet new friends, and learn new languages and cultures. I hope I will be able to take part in another Erasmus+ exchange next year.
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