Our friends from the Ukraine came to visit us in April. Eleven young people and three group leaders stayed from the 10^th to the 19^th in England taking part in a project to learn about English and British culture.

The project was divided in three main parts. The first part was a week in London, capital of the United Kingdom. Six days packed with activities and visits in which the young people get to know each other, lived together and created a team atmosphere.

The first day, after picking them up in the airport, we went to visit the Olympic Park and the biggest shopping mall in Europe, Westfield. Next day we did one of the most common activities tourists in London do: the hop-on hop-off bus. It is great to get an overview of the city and the main buildings. After that we went to Harrods and then back to the centre to go on a ride on the Thames.

On Thursday we headed out to Tower Bridge and from there we walked along the south bank of the river, visiting spots like the Shakespeare Theatre, Borough Market and the Tate Modern Museum. After a quick look to St Paul’s Cathedral we went to Piccadilly and Leicester Square to have dinner, followed by an evening walk around China Town and Covent Garden, where we enjoyed a street music show. Next day we had to get up early to go and watch the change of the guards at Buckingham Palace and after that we passed through Westminster Abbey, the Houses of Parliament and Downing Street. During the free time after lunch, some of us went to visit the National Gallery, others went shopping and others just relaxed with a cup of tea.

The weekend started with a sunny Saturday, museum day. We went to visit the Natural History Museum, Albert and Victoria Museum and the Science Museum, all three are placed next door. After that we went to Hyde Park and then back to the accommodation. On Sunday we spent the day in the British Museum, probably the biggest museum about ancient cultures in the world.

The second part of the project was a day visit to Cambridge. The city with one of the most famous universities in the world is charming and has a lot of hidden secrets. For example, the Mathematical Bridge or the Corpus Clock, a part from King’s Hall or St Mary’s Church. In the evening we arrived to Norwich and had the typical English meal fish and chips with views to the city and the sunset.

The third and last part of the project was in Norwich. We were staying in a beautiful house just some feet away from the beach, in order to enjoy the Norfolk coast, one of the more beautiful in England. On Tuesday we had a ride on a boat along the Norfolk Broads. The young people had the opportunity to drive the boat themselves and that was really exciting. On the afternoon we went to visit a couple of beaches: Sea Palling and Horsey, where we could watch a group of grey seals. After that we to have a proper traditional English meal in Stonehouse Carvery and went bowling with the young people of our Youth Club from the Phoenix Centre. On Wednesday, the last full day, we visited Norwich, our fine city. We had a walk along the river, went in the Cathedral and visited the famous market and the forum.

On Thursday we had a walk on the beach after packing the suitcases and then a ride to the airport. It was a really intense week and the young people had the opportunity of socialising with one another, take pictures, learn about our history and culture and improve their English. We are very happy with the outcomes of this project.