"I remember the first time we all got together in Sweden. They placed us in groups and told us to make flags that represented our countries. The next day our groups were asked to make a play based on our flags. It was really funny to work with drama with everyone. I think that is a good way to get to know everyone better. The day after that we went down to the House of Culture in Haninge and showed everyone our plays. It was funny to see what everyone had done and see how creative they had been.

I also remember the fire-disco in Finland, well who doesn't remember it... It was really cool how they had planned everything, the music the fire work and the dance. It is a thing I'll never forget!

But I think that what I will remember the most form all the years are all the people. I'll never forget you all!"

"I think it was the third day when we took the private bus from Grundarfjordur and drove around the neighbourhood.. The teachers divided us into groups and each group got an envelope containing words that every group had to take a picture of.

But I forgot to take a picture of the nice doggy. Such a shame. But I found some seashells at the beach and a baby crab. I still have that little crab in my room. I don't know how it survived the flight in my purse. And the weather that day was amazing. The sunshine came out of the clouds and the wind was nice. Just the day was excellent."

"My best memory was from Kajaani when we were in the sauna with Pekka and my friends, me, Jonatan, Oskar and Gavin. The sauna was nice and after a while we wanted to have more fun and we decided to go out in and jump into the hole in the ice. It was very cold but we enjoyed it and when we came up from the lake we ran directly into the sauna again to get warm again. Everyone got close to each other and we have built up a nice relationship in these past 3 years. I didn't expect that this project was going to get this fun but I've got some nice memories from these years."

Taha Buyukavsar

"My best memory during the project was to explore the new countries we visited. Especially the trip to Finland. The thing about Finland was that I was so found of the surroundings, while having a good time with my friends. Speaking of which, the trip made my relations a lot better with my own classmates, it really gets you closer to each others. Since we were in northern Finland, there was a lot of forest, which is my favourite environment. Also it was during winter time, and we were given the opportunity to swim in a hole in the ice, followed by a nice time in their sauna."

Jonatan Walegard

"An exchange of students between various countries is important not only for the students but for the teachers. When you visit new schools you get many new ideas and new perspectives.

In Kajaani we visited a vocational school with students studying art, scenography, carpentry, music etc. You could see beautiful exhibitions of the students work everywhere and the students were very calm and focused. We met music students who had just arrived from a one month tour in Ireland and this tour was a part of their curriculum.

In Grundarfjordur we saw a very modern school where students studied individually using computers of their own in a large study hall. Students who lived far away could follow the lesson via TV transmissions of the lessons. We were impressed by the calm atmosphere in the study hall.

We were also impressed and inspired by Berglind, Hrafnhildur and Solrun who wore various kinds of beautiful Icelandic knitwear during our stay In Grundarfjordur. So when we arrived home we decided to start a Knitting club for teachers!"

Eva Ingelstedt

The last year of the Saga project we went to Iceland. Since this was an exchange between the countries we had to make something to bring with us. We decided to do a musical, a sort of remake of Mamma Mia. We thought of this because ABBA is a Swedish band and we wanted to bring something typically Swedish. But we didn't want to do our play exactly like the movie so we rewrote it and made it take place in the time of the Vikings. The play was hilarious to work with and the songs were very fun to sing.

When in Iceland we were to play it but when we came to the first song the music stopped working. But after a while it was working again and we could do our play. It was so much fun to play it in Iceland and the audience was wonderful.

Madeleine Malmberg

"One of the days in Finland we had the honour and privilege to experience a fire dance right in the middle of the Finnish forest. Our friends from Finland had it all planned out; they had shuffled away the snow so it made a big square, around the square they had put up big speakers and pyrotechnics. First we watched a little show with a couple of Finnish girls, they were dancing and stuff in the square to some fabulous music while fire spurted from the sides. Then, one after one, we all joined them in the square. Everybody was there, even the teachers, and there was an amazing feeling of fellowship. We were dancing and laughing, surrounded by fire and smoke and devoured by the beat of the music. It felt like all of us were a massive aura of happiness, our souls joined as one while the music took control over our bodies and lifted us to a whole different level, a higher level, something beyond the earthly life that it was. That was one of the best days in the whole project."

Bella Muminovic

"The trip to Iceland has been a marvellous experience with lots of memories. One of them was the bus trip when the students took photos of the Icelandic landscape. I remember how they all jumped out of the bus and climbed the snowy mountains. On one top I suddenly saw Taha waving happily to us all.

We were all very moved by the Icelandic landscape. It felt like an explosion of freedom..."

Grazyna Canevall

Ice reflections from an Iceland cave

The descent started as a Jules Verne trip to the centre of the earth. We walked from a humid, stormy and chilly outdoor environment to an icy, slippery and wet indoor location. It was quite adventurous for all participants. The path ended in a huge cathedral covered with water grinded walls and ceilings, ice cones and stalactites.

We sat quietly with candles playing with shadows on ceiling and walls. We felt as spectators of the creation of the earth. It took only 15 minutes, until it was time to ascend to the beautiful Icelandic landscape.

A solemn and different break during a fantastic week organized by the Icelanders and financed by the Nordic cooperation.

Lena Forsblad

My favourite memory is probably when all gathered in the "theatre" and checked on everyone's work. The most fun was probably Icelanders film about a superhero who saved some people from zombies, and something, it was fun anyway. Then it was the drama groups turn and they did an Abba theatre. Such a shame that the music fucked up in the beginning. But it ended well and was really great. All that that happened in Sweden, Finland and Iceland is great memories.

Peace out.

Oskar Bodell