The Romanian mobility within the Erasmus+ JARDIN project brought together students from France, Poland and Romania for eleven days of shared learning, gardening and cultural discovery in Târgu-Jiu. From the very first day, the programme combined environmental education, culinary traditions and meaningful human connections.

A Warm Welcome and a Shared Celebration

The mobility began on a particularly fitting note, coinciding with the traditional celebrations of Children’s Day. This gave participants an early opportunity to meet one another, share a festive atmosphere and lay the foundations for the friendships that would grow over the following days.

Discovering the Educational Garden

At the heart of the project lay a visit to the pedagogical garden created and maintained by students of the Centrul Școlar pentru Educație Incluzivă Târgu-Jiu. This living space, dedicated to learning and environmental awareness, embodied the core values of the JARDIN project: cooperation, sustainability and youth engagement. The day continued outdoors with group activities and cooperative games designed to strengthen intercultural exchange between the French, Polish and Romanian participants.

Culinary Traditions and Community Spirit

Students discovered the secrets of sarmale, one of Romania’s most iconic dishes, learning each step of its preparation together. They also prepared tartines, delighting everyone’s taste buds along the way. Later, a visit to a rehabilitation centre for adults with disabilities gave participants the chance to plant cabbages and flowers, contributing to the beauty of the space while learning about gardens as places of encounter, learning and inclusion.

Heritage, Art and Natural Landscapes

The programme also offered a rich immersion into Romanian culture and history. Participants shared a memorable moment with the local community, discovering regional traditions firsthand, and finally tasted the sarmale they had prepared the day before — a true culinary reward, passed down through generations. An afternoon visit to the birthplace of sculptor Constantin Brâncuși offered insight into the life and work of one of the pioneers of modern sculpture. The group later travelled along the spectacular Transalpina, one of the country’s most beautiful mountain roads, deepening their appreciation of Romania’s natural heritage.

A Memorable Closing Celebration

The mobility concluded with an official closing ceremony marking the end of an intense and rewarding Erasmus+ experience — eleven days on-site, not to mention the memorable train journey undertaken by students from the Lycée de Quintin at the very start of the adventure. As tradition dictates, the final day was filled with speeches of thanks, reflections on the activities completed, and shared impressions among participants — all rounded off with a slice of the now-traditional Erasmus cake.

These eleven days gave students from Szkoła Podstawowa w Idzbarku the opportunity to discover Romanian culture, live a unique intercultural experience, build new friendships and develop skills that will stay with them long after their return.

A heartfelt thank you to our Romanian partners at the Centrul Școlar pentru Educație Incluzivă Târgu-Jiu for their warm welcome, to all participants for their enthusiasm, and to the accompanying staff who helped make this project a success.