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Check out this A4 (Landscape) designed by Anca Couasnon.

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Saturday

We kicked off the day with a traditional breakfast and started walking around the town and exploring what the beautiful sights had to offer.

We checked out the main attraction of Font Romeu, the emblematic Grand Hôtel and the statue of Christ-Roi. After that, we went to a nearby city called Puigcerda where first, we went to see a beautiful lake on which there were a lot of white swans and ducks . We explored the natural environment and observed the flora and fauna  and we made an inventory of biodiversity, BioBlitz. Thus we discovered the Mediterranean landscape  with palm trees, cyprus, araucaria, maquis, garriga.  After that we visited the city center where we discovered the specific architecture, with local colour. We were pleasantly  surprised to see the building materials from the surrounding area: wood, slate, metamorphic and sedimentary rocks.A very nice surprise was to find out that the city centre was not only filled with lots of colourful buildings, but also with an impressive  number of little shops selling anything from candy to hand made wooden art pieces.

After about two hours of strolling around the centre, the evening came and we sat down at a local tapas restaurant. We tried a lot of traditional food and chatted with our French friends all throughout the dinner.We learnt new words and phrases in English, French and Spanish.  It was a wonderful way to end an enriching day when we improved our ecological behaviour, respect for biodiversity,  and we changed our attitude about food. So, we learned about the relevance of foodmiles for the carbon footprint. For instance, our teachers advised us not to waste food by overfilling our plates at breakfast.

Another lesson we learned from our French partners in Font-Romeu was to use local food resources to encourage local and organic farming.

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Today was a day of changes. The first one: in just a 2- hour journey , we shifted the scenery from imposing mountains to welcoming seaside. In both we discovered a flora that doesn't exist in our country alongside the familiar species that we have grown up with and learned to respect and treasure. The second change happened during our visit to the aquarium located in Canet en Roussillon. In the following hours, we shifted our perceptions about the importance of protecting biodiversity. One million marine animals die each year from plastic waste alone. 100.000 marine animals die from getting entangled in plastic yearly. Fish, seabirds, sea turtles, marine mammals can become entangled or ingest plastic debris, causing suffocation, starvation and drowning. Gaining knowledge about the hundreds different life forms, we understood that this change must happen and it will with us. After this enlightening experience, the opportunity to create intercultural relationships with our French parteners was presented to us. Both parts took advantage of this, us by teaching them traditional games from our country and them by hosting a very welcoming picnic. After a day spent in the hot sun, we finished with a challenging discussion about the impact of our actions on the wild life that is a key element in the environment that we live in. Eating ice cream made us think about melting glaciers.

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Today was full of learning experiences. Early in the morning, we went on a trip to the Mont-Louis fortress located quite close to Colege Pierre du Coubertin, in the Pyrenees. Along with our French parteners, we were taken on a guided tour of the 17th century fortress, and even entered the citadel, the centre of the bastion. With our charismatic and humorous guide we embarked on a fascinating journey through the citadel's vast history, all the way back to its construction and design by Sébastien Le Prestre, Marquis de Vauban. We learned about the occupation of the Catalonia region by the French and the  tension between Spain and France in the 17th and 18th centuries that determined the building of this perfectly preserved bastion, which today serves as a military garrison where soldiers from all over Europe come to train. In order to better understand and retain what we had learned, our French partners organized a challenging and exciting treasure hunt, which involved us walking around the whole village near the citadel. But the treasures we found were unique and special: imposing architecture, monuments, statues and old markings on buildings.

After this tiresome search for glimpses of history, we enjoyed some traditional French dishes and had a passionate conversation with our French friends about alternative energy sources and ways countries can help the environment by implementing certain policies. We found out the French are one step ahead of the water crisis. They have vision, anticipate the potential effects and act preventively. The gardens are irrigated in a system organized on the basis of a subscription, with untreated, therefore cheaper water. We use the same source of water, both for irrigation and consumption, which is much more expensive. Also, we learned that the sheep graze itinerantly, in different areas, replacing the machines that cut the grass!

Half an hour later, we got familiar with various user of the solar power- another way to support sustainable development.

With more knowledge gained and satisfied with the personalized cake our French partners had prepared for us, we headed to the Four Solaire de Mont-Louis, an experimental solar furnace - a solar thermal energy facility that was built in 1949. The French chemist Félix Trombe and his team made an initial demonstration in 1946 to show the possibility of reaching high temperatures (3000°C!) very quickly using highly concentrated sunlight. The goal was to melt metals and extract very pure substances to make new and more effective refractory materials, and today, the aim is to install solar ovens in villages to cook pots, plates for eating bread, building materials, and melt any metal to make pots or tools. We learned how we can harness the potential of natural resources to improve our quality of life and protect nature at the same time.

But we didn't just engage in formal learning experiences! In the evening, we played bowling with our French friends and bonded for life. Also, we watched a tennis game together and supported the French tennis player Caroline Garcia. As a result of our combined passion, she  fortunately won the game and qualified in the second round of the Rolland Garros tournament

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Today was full of new discoveries. We started the day with a morning walk through the forest, where we discovered so many rare species of flora and fauna. We understood how powerful and diverse nature is and why we need to protect it at all costs.

Once we arrived at the school, we were surprised with a game about recycling that helped us to find more ways in which we can keep the planet clean and that taught us fun facts about the current situation regarding pollution.

After that, we applied the knowledge we acquired by working to finalize our sketches. We bonded with our partners by collaborating in acting out the sketches, to make sure we put on a memorable performance the following day.

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Today we finally got the chance to visit the school of Font-Romeu, Lycée Climatique et Sportif Pierre de Coubertin and meet the principal, M. Michaud.

First we had a tour of some classrooms, where we were able to see the colourful lockers of the kids and the walls covered in posters. There were some about ecology and recycling too! We also got to see some of the sport facilities, including swimming, climbing (which we were really eager to try), fencing, wrestling, a huge area for team sports and weight training rooms.

The tour was followed by a clean walk. We made teams and were equipped with gloves and garbage bags. We took all the trash we could see, the challenge starting outside the school and ending at the ski station. At the same time we had a relaxing walk in the beautiful forest where some of us saw a deer, a frequent occurrence for the inhabitants of this small town.

After a short lunch break, we played some ice breaking games in which we were paired, one Romanian and one French student, and we taught each other phrases in the other's language. Then we did a quick Quizlet in teams to learn more about Font-Romeu's history, tourist spots and traditional products. Before going back to the hotel, we got to finish and rehearse the sketches we had written on topics regarding ecology and pollution, together with our partner.

Later on,  we went to the homes of some of our friends to dine and spend the evening with them. The families were very friendly, the food was different yet delicious, the atmosphere was relaxed and we talked about our different cultures. For example, we chatted about traditions, history and captivating stories. After the dinner we had the chance to discover several places from around Font-Romeu. Also, when it got dark we went back inside and played a lot of games such as billiards and ping pong. It was a pleasant experience, we made beautiful memories and we strengthened our friendships.

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The last day started with a discussion about ecology from which we remember three main ideas, the fact that we must recycle as much as we can, that we must buy fewer things and also consume in a very efficient way. After that, the teachers proposed an activity in which we had to manufacture sponges from old socks and baskets from used paper. The explanations of the process were very clear, we received help when we were lost and we worked together as a team. After we finished, we were very happy and satisfied  with our results.

Then, we rehearsed one last time the sketches that we wrote and it all went well. The morning program made us really hungry, so we went to the school canteen and ate a delicious lunch and chatted with our French friends.

After the lunch break, we were invited to the library where we gave our hosts positive feedback and also some recommendations for future projects. We also received our certificates of attendance, which made us very proud.

The workshop that brought many smiles on our faces was the final show in which we presented the sketches that everyone worked on. Each pair talked about their character's point of view regarding our planet's problems that lead to pollution. This activity was prepared since February and met its purposes: to understand our impact on Earth's health as individuals and to deliver a message about the environment as teenagers.

The evening was closed by the last dinner in Font Romeu when we spent a few hours together with our  French friends and colleagues. We talked about how many activities we did in the last week and about how we would use them in order to make our planet a better place to live in and to make an actual difference in the world. Some games offered us more bonding time and a beautiful image at the end of our journey with amazing people and many experiences! One of the most heart-touching moments was the birthday celebration of our dear colleague Dana.

Our journey to and from Font Romeu, France included green transport to reduce the carbon footprint of each of us.

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Presentation of the solar furnace in Mont Louis

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Presentation of the solar furnace in Mont Louis

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L’histoire de notre territoire et l’énergie Solaire

Visite de la citadelle de Montlouis et chasse au trésor

Visite du Four Solaire de Mont Louis

Qu’avons-nous découverte et appris ?

Comment fonctionne un four solaire

Le four solaire se compose de : l’Héliostat (miroir mobile), d’un concentrateur (parabolique et fixe) et du Foyer (focalisation du feu thermique), et enfin d’un laboratoire. La chaleur atteint les 3000°.

Que peut-on faire avec un Four Solaire ?

v La poterie – elle cuit une 1ère fois à 980° pendant 2h30 puis on la laisse refroidir, réalise le bain d’émaillage, enfin vient la 2nd Cuisson à 1300° pendant 3h

v Du Bronze : on le fait fondre dans un Creuset à 1600°, on utilise une Louche en fonte pour le récupérer. On peut fabriquer des médailles.

v Les sifflets du Train Jaune on été remoulé à la demande de la SNCF

Les 3 Projets du Four Solaire en ce moment

ü Travailler le sable du Sahara (très fin et très rond – pas utilisable pour la construction : création d’une machine four à bascule rotatif (ancienne bétonnière) à pierre réfractaire qui transforme le grain en légèrement cassé et donc utilisable dans la construction

ü Lingot d’inox avec des chutes de cadrans de montres en Inox pour refaire des cadrans de montres

ü Os de mammifères (abattoirs) : enlève la matière organique, on obtient de l’Apatite : minéral à vertu filtrante naturelle contre les urines – permettre de préserver l’eau potable

Cuisiner avec le solaire :

§  Barbecue solaire à 250° : Inox en réflecteur qui permet une perte de puissance chaleur

§  Cuiseur solaire à effet de serre 120° : 2 vitres dessus et en face ; 1 plaque noire dessous et autour un isolant ; une marmite noir – mettre plein sud qui permet une cuisson à basse température

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Our school Collège Pierre de Coubertin in Font Romeu uses too much plastic for proms or  sporting events such as our annual cross-country race. We have become aware of the impact it has on the environment and we intend to replace plastic cups with eco-cups procuded locally.

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Our school Collège Pierre de Coubertin in Font Romeu uses too much plastic for proms or  sporting events such as our annual cross-country race. We have become aware of the impact it has on the environment and we intend to replace plastic cups with eco-cups procuded locally.