Tandem Placement at Gomirje

Ever since I met Manja in Rijeka where she became my Tandem partner, I was looking forward to visiting her in Croatia. Finally, on 15 September I arrived in Gomirje, her hometown. On the train ride from Zagreb to Gomirje I became aware of just how beautiful the nature of that region is, how breathtaking the view of the fields, mountains, rivers and forests. Gomirje reminded me of the village where I grew up.
Upon arrival I was welcomed by her sister and the kind hospitality of her family. I met other members of her organisation ‘Gomirje u srcu’ and joined them for a meeting. They discussed current issues and future plans and I spent most of my time shadowing Manja and observing the ways in which her organization operates. I noticed how easygoing and relaxed the atmosphere was and how great of a team they are.

The next day Manja took me to the monastery of Gomirje where I could witness, firsthand, the heritage we previously discussed. It provided an opportunity for her to tell me more about the history of Gomirje and their unusual past.

On the third day I went with Manja and some other members of her organization to Kamacnik Canyon. Kamacnik is a beautiful natural park with a 3.2 km long walking trail, wooden bridges, ice-cold spring water and a luscious forest. We had another meeting there in a nearby local restaurant where we ate a strudel. We discussed our relations with our ECOCs and the types of projects we are currently working on. Later that day we went to the local football match which was a great team-building experience.

In the evening we had the most important conversation concerning our collaboration and we came up with an incredible new idea for our project. We can not share all the details just yet, but we hope to present it when we meet in Leeuwarden.

All in all, I had an amazing time in Gomirje thanks to Manja’s impressive hospitality and kindness. I look forward to seeing her in Novi Sad in October where we will have an opportunity to discuss our plans more thoroughly. As this was an opportunity for me to see how her organisation functions and what are the challenges they face, she will come to Novi Sad, meet the members of my team and see our mode of operating.