Common story written by the partners from eTwinning project :

       "The adventures of little Charles"

    Made by Loredana Proteasa

       Blue Flower Kindergarten

         Bucharest, Romania

                Once upon a time there was a boy, his name was Charles, who lived in a country full of sun, with blue sea, called Portugal….The boy loved playing by the sea on the beach, watching the fishing boats and big ships heading out to sea... and the boy dreamed about going on a big trip, getting to know the world, other children, other nationalities... I dreamed of being a boat captain. One day on the beach he lay down looking at the sky, the seagulls flying over the sea... and fell asleep...

     Anabela Sequeira

Kindergarten Vila Boa sala 0K

Barcelos -Portugal

        Suddenly the blue sky of Portugal filled up with colorful balloons! Charles opened his eyes. He  couldn’t believe it !! All over the sky there were hot air balloons!!In their cabins were kids waving at him !Strange  words came to his ears… 

      ‘’Γειά! Salut! Buna! Merhaba! Ciao! Sveiki!’’

        Ola! said Charles and the journey began!!  

         Evi Dimou

2nd Kindergarten

  Chanion 

Chania, Crete, Greece

    The balloons all landed on the beach. The children got out of the balloons and introduced themselves to each other. Nestoras, Maria Adrianna, Sophia, Giannis Dorothea were some of their names. After they got to know each other, Charles had an idea and told them to swim in the sea. When they finished the bath, Giannis had an other idea "to make a big sand castle together". They all did it and it was wonderful.

Kiriaki Gousi 

2nd Kindergarten of Grevena   

Greece

       Then they decided to continue their journey. "I want to come with you too," said Charles. "How nice you are coming," said the children. The balloons rose again into the sky, the wind blew and they began to travel. They arrived in Athens and landed on the Acropolis. Nearby was an ice cream seller with his cart. "Let's go buy some ice cream" they said all with one voice. "We don't have any money" said Charles. The ice cream man heard the dialogue and said "It's okay I'll treat you" "Wow" they all said together.

Maria Doumou 

2nd Kindergarten of Grevena      

Greece

     After cooling down they entered the balloons again and continued their journey. A strong wind was blowing and the balloons were traveling over mountains and seas. Then they arrived at Grevena/  They landed at the ski center in Vasilitsa. “Let” s go play” they all said together.  They made a ski sled, aboard and together they built a big snowman. 

Panagiota Ntalla 

2nd Kindergarten of Grevena

 Greece       

       Lithuania, the white, cold, snowy city of Rokiškis. Charles asked his friends where to find more friends. Friends told me that you can sculpt your friends out of snow. Give them names. Everyone decided together to get more friends. He clapped his hands and lifted his friends out of the snow. However, friends were temporary, because when they warm up, friends, they will melt..

However, Charles had to travel further to meet his other friends. Said goodbye to Lithuanian children and teacher Austra and left.

Austra Marmokiene

 Kindergarten Pumpurėlis

Rokiškis, Lithuania 

      Carried on the wings of the wind, the colorful balloons arrived above a beautiful town called Beclean. The city is in Romania. It was winter here, everything was covered in fluffy white snow.

A boy and a blonde girl, named Vasilića and Ana, were sledding on the hill. What great joy it was! All the children were blushing, the sleds were sliding downhill one after another. Their shouts of joy could be heard all over the hill,  under the pale winter sun.

Lup Crina Gabriela, 

Centrul Școlar de Educație Incluzivă

 Beclean, România

     Vasilică and Ana called the children up the hill. They gave them sleds and skis, they had a competition on the slope.

After so much play, the children were called in a house where a fire was burning in the stove. They served pies and hot tea and warmed themselves by the fire.

Then they climbed into the colorful balloons and let themselves be carried by the wind in the adventure of knowledge.

Cirlejan Anica

Centrul Scolar de Educație Incluzivă

Beclean, Romania

        The balloons soared high into the sky, and on their way of getting to know each other, they landed in Spermezeu, a beautiful town located at the foot of the mountain. Here, the villagers faithfully keep the customs and traditions of the place, and the children enjoy listening to stories from past times.

          The children are actively involved in what represents the life of their native village, carrying on the legacy they received, that's why they had a special pleasure to present to their friends from other countries as well as to Ana and Vasilica a part of what the Romanian village represents. 

          They visited a traditional house museum, observed objects used by their grandparents and great-grandparents, observed popular costumes and accessories worn by women and men, sang together and listened to local stories.

         Happy and excited by what they saw and heard, the children got into the balloons and continued on their way.

Strungaru Maria Valeria

G.P.N Spermezeu, Romania    

    The balloons arrived in Tyrnavos, a small town in Greece. They landed in the yard of a kindergarten in the town. The children welcomed them, got to know each other and led them to a nearby river, Pinios. They saw fish, frogs and they all fished in the river together. The children were excited. They grilled and ate the fish they caught. Then they returned to the school yard and played with the ball, hide and seek. Charles asked the children if they wanted to come with them on the trip. The children enthusiastically accepted and climbed into the hot air balloons. The journey continued…

Papadopoulou Olga, 

2nd Kindergarten of Tyrnavos, 

Greece

    While flying with the balloon, they came to a very beautiful place. I wonder where we came? they asked each other. Then they saw the sign for Turkey. They saw beautiful houses painted white with blue doors and windows. The trees were decorated like brides. Everywhere was bright with decorated and illuminated ornamental pumpkins.There was a sweet smell of kebab. A brother called out, "COME, COME, COME FOR TURKISH KEBAB."We ate kebab there with our friends Ayşe, Mehmet, Fatma... who welcomed us. We played a lot of games on the beach. Then we boarded our balloon to get to know different places.

Ülkü ÇAKAR 

 SÜTANA KİZİLAY Kindergarten 

 TÜRKİYE 

        Charles boarded his balloon and took off again for a new adventure, new places and meeting new friends. The journey had begun again. This expedition's route was ORDU, a seaside province of Turkey. Serap teacher and students welcomed him in the army. They all went to eat together first. They introduced their local dishes, Charles liked the minced meat pita the most. Then they all went up to Boztepe by cable car. Ordu province and the sea were under his feet.         They visited small shopping shops and bought gifts of authentic items. When Charles saw that paragliding was done here, he wanted to do it too. They had so much fun. They drank tea in the samovar to relieve fatigue.

        Then they all went to the city center together. Here they got on the bus that would take them to the Çambaşı plateau rock center. They ate hazelnuts and drank lemonade on the bus. They had a fun trip. They skied and played snowball at the ski resort. There were many places to visit, but it was time to go. Teacher Serap and her students took Charles back to his balloon with a beautiful gift basket and sent him off to his new journey. 

Serap KURT MUTLU 

ÜNYE KINDERGARTEN

ÜNYE - ORDU/ TÜRKİYE

         Charles went to Trabzon, the pearl of the Black Sea, with his balloon. Teacher Elif and her students welcomed him there. They all went to the Atatürk mansion together. They watched Trabzon from there. It was time to eat. They went to Akçaabat to eat meatballs. After the meal, they walked by the seaside and went to visit the Hagia Sophia Museum. Then they got on the bus to go to the Sumela Monastery. The children sang songs on the bus, there were many songs. they had fun. When they arrived at the monastery it was foggy and cold. They put on their raincoats and walked up the monastery road. The children liked the Monastery very much. They were very tired. When they sat down to rest, they were welcomed with a Horon show, and the children accompanied the play.         

            Then they toured the inside of the Monastery. It was time to return. They set out towards the bus. It was time to part. Charles thanked teacher Elif and her students for this beautiful day, got on his balloon and left.

Elif Yavuz AYDIN 

 ÜNYE KINDERGARTEN 

ÜNYE- ORDU,  TÜRKİYE

        Charles wants to fly somewhere else, but suddenly there comes a big wind and blows his balloon back to Lithuania in the city of Plungė. His balloon was cracked. He was searching for people who could help him and met children from kindergarten who were walking to the park. He decided to go with them.  In the park he saw Oginskio palace, he liked it very much. Then he pleased the teacher for help repairing his air balloon. The teacher found the man who repaired it. Charles was so happy that he could fly again. So he flies in the air and his journey continues.

MONIKA DOMARKIENĖ 

Plungės lopšelis- darželis “ Nykštukas”  

LITHUANIA

        The pupils via hot-air balloons traveled to Samos, an island famous for the crystal clear blue sea which entails a variety of distinctive fish. The temperature that day was high and the children decided to go swimming. 

On their way back, they noticed a cute dog named “Cookie”. After giving it food and water, they spent their time petting it and cheering it up as it was all alone. A wooden house under a shaded tree and a custom-made woolen ball were the gifts students gave it to play.

Nina Krokou, 

Eva Neranzi 

Despoina Tzabla

1rst Kindergarden school of Samos,   

Greece

        Charles remembered how happy he was in Romania, how pleasant it was to play with snow and what beautiful places he visited there, so he closed his eyes and made his wish to fly to Romania again.  The balloon landed at the foot of the mountain, in a hilly area. Charles looks around him and doesn't understand. The hill was covered with many flowers, and the landscape was dreamy. Several children happily ran and flew kites. Charles didn't know where he was. Where was all the snow? Had he not arrived in Romania? The children saw the balloon with which Charles had landed and walked curiously towards him.

-Hi! What's your name?  Where do you come from with this balloon?

-My name is Charles and I come from Portugal. We embarked on a balloon trip through several countries. I visited Greece, Romania, Turkey, Lithuania and made many friends. I really liked it in Romania and I wanted to go back, but I think I got lost. I'm definitely not in Romania because I can't see the snow!

        The children smiled happily and told him that he was in Romania, in

 the city of Ramnicu Valcea. The winter season was over, and spring had brought to Romania beautiful flowers, butterflies of all colors, warmth and lots of sun. They showed him the city that could be seen from the top of the hill. The children told him that they were students at Lizuca Kindergarten and that they were very good friends.

The children invited Charles to a picnic organized by them, then had fun until the evening flying kites on the hill and playing all kinds of games learned in kindergarten.

Maria Ancuța Popa

Grădinița Lizuca/

Seminarul Teologic Ortodox        

“Sfântul Nicolae”, 

Rm. Vâlcea, Romania

         Charles and the children from Grădinita Lizuca became friends. Charles wanted  to learn as much as possible about Romania. The children talked to the teacher and took Charles to the village of Peter's grandparents, a very friendly little boy. There, time seemed to stand still: they were disconnected from phones, computers, internet games. They stayed outside all day, ran on the plains, listened to the crystal clear voice of the springs, laughed and enjoyed spending quality time together.  Petru's grandmother made them donuts, and they ate in the courtyard of the house, at a round wooden table. They quenched their thirst with a glass of cherry syrup, picked by grandfather. Charles happily thanked them for the experience and told them that it is much nicer to play in nature than on the computer. He went on his journey, promising to tell other children about life in the country.

Stan Larisa - Giorgiana, 

Seminarul Teologic Ortodox 

“Sfântul Nicolae”, 

Grădinița Lizuca, 

Rm. Vâlcea, Romania

        And so, Charles continued his journey, floating in his colorful hot air balloon above the skies. As he ascended over the picturesque landscapes of Romania, memories of the adventures he had shared with his new friends danced in his mind. Charles' hot air balloon descended slowly into a small village in Greece. As Charles explored the village in Greece, he stumbled upon a group of children. He looked carefully and then saw a small lamb injured in its leg, looking pitiful. The lamb had been hurt while playing in the fields and now couldn't walk properly. Charles felt saddened. He approached the lamb and petted it, trying to comfort it. Then, he remembered a story his grandmother had told him about helping others in need. With determination in his eyes, Charles decided to help the injured lamb with the help of his new friends. Bringing fresh water and soft grass from the nearby meadow, they fed and cared for it. Soon, the lamb's eyes sparkled with gratitude. 

        Charles smiled, knowing that even the smallest acts of kindness can make a big difference in someone's life. And as the sun began to set, casting a golden light on the village, Charles felt a warm sense of contentment, knowing he had helped a friend in need.

Eleni Galani,  

Kindergarten of Pyrgetos,

 Greece

            Balloons floating through the wind brought the children to İstanbul

Maiden’s tower in the middle of the deep blue see looking breathtaking.

With their friends from Turkey they went for a ferry tour on Bosphorus

And gave simit [bagels] to the seogulls.

As the day ends, the exhausted children said goodbye to their friends in İstanbul and their balloon took of for new adventures.

KUBRA ERSOY 

HURRIYET  KINDERGARTEN,    

ISTANBUL, TURKYE 

        After a while, Charles arrived in a field full with dandelions. The view was great! He meet a group of children who were looking for something. Some of them were looking in the grass, another part were looking in the bushes or in the trees. They were noisy, happy and eager to find something there. Charles aproached and asked one of them: 

-Hello! I am Charles! What are you looking for there?

-Hello! I am Ilan! Our kindergarten teacher organised an Easter Egg Hunting. Me and my friends from Cozia Kindergarten are looking for chocolate eggs.

-That is great! Can I join you?

-Sure, Charles! You can search for as many chocolate eggs as you can find! The more you get, your chanses to win the big price are bigger! 

-What is the big price for this Easter Egg Hunting?

-It is a mistery box!

        Charles and his new friends started to search for chocolate eggs. It was so much fun! Finally, the children started to number their chocolate eggs. The big surprise was that Charles won! So, he went to open his mistery box. It was the biggest surprise ever: a real rabbit! It was adorable! A fluffy white one! They gave the rabbit some carrots and play together! Charles was so happy! After a while he realised that it was late and he had to fly further in his baloon! So, he said good bye to all the children from Râmnicu Vâlcea and the journey continuated.

Răduță Alina 

Gradinita  P. P. Cozia

Ramnicu Valcea, Romania  

        While taking off for the trip, Charles wanted to go to the city of Izmir in Turkey, where his grandmother and grandfather once lived, because they had always said that they loved Izmir very much, and Charles had always dreamed of what Izmir was like. Charles came to a holiday village called Alaçatı, it was very beautiful, its historical houses, beaches and nature attracted Charles' attention. While Charles was walking around, he saw a large group of children and went over to them. Chatting with the children here, Charles learned that they came on a trip from Turkey's Bingöl province and that they were Bingöl Sütana Kızılay kindergarten students. He started exploring Alaçatı with them, but he didn't have much time, he had to go now.

Kübra ABASİYÜN 

Sütana Kızılay Kindergarten    

TÜRKİYE 

        They set out without knowing what they would see where they went. The next journey was to the province of Malatya in Turkey. Malatya was like the meeting point of civilizations. The first palace settlement in the world was here. This place, called Arslantepe, was fascinating. Then they went to Levent Canyon and its glass terrace in Akçadağ district. Looking at the valley from here gave him peace and happiness. There were so many places to visit in Malatya... Next was the historical district of Battalgazi, the famous Silahtar Pasha caravanserai, which hosted many travelers in its time. Especially, Malatya was not a place to visit the museums and get enough. This journey taught him many good things. Let's see what's next?

MİHRİCAN ÖZEN

ASPUZU KİNDERGARDEN

MALATYA /TURKEY

        When they came to Bingöl province in the east of Malatya, CHarles screamed with joy. What are those floating islands!! They landed on the Floating Islands with their balloons to get a closer look. While they were chatting about this being a wonder of nature, they heard the sound of folklore

 music and when they looked in the direction where the sound came from, they saw people resembling eagles flying over hard rocks in the mountains. It was an Eagle Game unique to Bingöl. They enjoyed watching it very much. Then, they all went to eat mastuva, one of Bingöl's most famous dishes. 

            After filling their stomachs, they drank their tea in the peaceful atmosphere of Çır Waterfall and Çevrimpınar Stream, then went to Kos thermal springs and relieved their tiredness in the hot waters. As a gift for this joyful day, all the children were given the famous honey, which is the first in Turkey and second in the world in terms of taste.

Sibel TAŞ

Sütana Kızılay Kindergarten

TURKIYE   

            Charles boarded his balloon and went to Nevşehir Ürgüp, where the unique beauties of Turkey are located. When Charles went there, he noticed that there were other balloons in the sky. People were coming here and riding on balloons. He saw the fairy chimneys, which are the natural beauties of Ürgüp. On this day when the weather was very nice, he went out to explore the surroundings. Then, let's see where he would get on his balloon and go.

Leyla AYDAR 

SÜTANA KIZILAY Kindergarten

 TÜRKİYE

        When Charles left Türkiye, his hot air balloon took him again back to Romania. But this time, he came to another wonderful town of Romania. His new place to visit now is Petreşti in Dambovita County. Here, Charles met with his new friends who were playing in the garden of the kindergarten. There were too many children who were playing but Charles became the best friend of Diana in a very short time. They all played together in the garden. Pitchfork, wheel, rope, catch the ball were just some of the games that they played together. After so many games, they were hungry and they went to eat something. Diana took Charles to their home and they ate Papanasi with cheese and jam which her mother cooked for them. After they were full, Charles wanted to continue his journey and he got on his hot air balloon and continued his journey for a new page in his life.

Atena ILIE

        Charles' hot air balloon landed in the yard of the Floare albastra kindergarten, in Bucharest, Romania. The preschoolers welcomed the traveler Charles with open arms and invited him to spend a day with them at the kindergarten. Charles learned a few words in Romanian, played beautiful games and listened to traditional Romanian stories.

Monica Hussain

Blue Flower Kindergarten

Bucharest, Romania

        The most beautiful game that Charkes learned from the preschoolers of the Blue Flower Kindergarten was If you live happily. The children made a big circle, they also sang and they played together with happiness and joy.

Dana Constantin

Blue Flower Kindergarten

Bucharest, Romania

After all the playing, the children were hungry, so the cooks prepared a very tasty meal for them and invited everyone to the table. Charles ate the delicious mamaliga with cheese and cream and sarmalute in cabbage.

Camelia Tudosie

Blue Flower Kindergarten

Bucharest, Romania

            After the hearty meal, the children have went for a bus ride. They visited the Vacaresti Delta, a natural oasis in the south of Bucharest. They observed the plants and birds that live there and enjoyed the fresh air that surrounds them,

Daniela Roșu

Blue Flower Kindergarten

Bucharest, Romania

        The next day, the preschoolers showed Charles the wonderful places in Bucharest. He was delighted with the City of Knowledge  where they explored science in a fun way for and The House of Experiments where they had interactive science fun.

Mariana Timos

Blue Flower Kindergarten

Bucharest, Romania

        Next on the list was the "Grigore Antipa" National Museum of Natural History from Bucharest, where Charles and the preschoolers from our kindergarten  had an exciting journey into the world of animals,  they discovered interesting exhibits and unknown information about the animals.

Ioana Carina Badea

Blue Flower Kindergarten

Bucharest, Romania

        After the wonderful days spent by Charles in Bucharest, Romania, together with his new friends, he started to miss his native places, his family and friends, so he decided to leave, together with the hot air balloon, which accompanied him on this special trip. Chales visited many countries and beautiful places, He made new friends for life. Now he returns to his country,Portugal,  loaded with stories to tell to his colleagues, friends and family.  Once he arrives home, Charles will use the accumulated information and lived experiences, which helped him grow and develop, to write the most creative and original story about the adventure he lived. Charles is a creative child and his story will help other children to imagine and create special adventures.

Loredana Proteasa

Blue Flower Kindergarten

Bucharest, Romania

Creativity for children above borders!

                              Creativity makes the difference!

Take a chance! Be  creative!