Welsh pupils hit top notes in Switzerland
Published: 15 July 2011
Last week 42 Welsh pupils from Creigiau primary school were invited by airline Helvetic Airways on a three day trip to Switzerland to learn about Swiss traditions and heritage, and to meet their young counterparts at their Swiss partner school.
The Creigiau primary school choir was invited to Cardiff Airport back in March 2011 to participate in an event to celebrate the launch of a new, four times a week direct link between Cardiff and Zurich, and the pupils sang in Welsh and English to welcome passengers on the first arriving flight.
As a token of their appreciation, airline Helvetic Airways invited the pupils on a visit to Switzerland. The children were taken on a trip to see the spectacular Swiss Alps; sampled the Swiss Education centre at the village of Einsiedeln; took a trip to the district of Rafz and enjoyed a hearty barbecue of "wurscht" sausages with pupils from Götzen primary school, before performing in Welsh and Swiss German at a prestigious and high quality concert.
Tobias Pogorevc, CFO of Helvetic Airways, said of the trip: “It was extraordinary and amazing to hear the children singing in Welsh and Swiss German on the Hoch Ybrig Mountains, and rewarding to see joy and enthusiasm on the pupils’ faces throughout their eventful trip to Zurich and the surrounding areas.
We received a very warm Welsh welcome by the pupils on our arrival to Cardiff for the first time, and we wanted to repay them by showing off our beautiful country to the young generation of Wales, further strengthening the relationship between the two idyllic countries.
Ruth Thomas-Lehmann, Honorary Consul of Switzerland to Wales, who helped set up the initial twinning link between the two schools added: "I’m pleased that both children from Wales and Switzerland benefited from such cultural and educational experiences during the visit, which was made possible by Helvetic Airways's imaginative and generous gesture"
Helvetic Airways operates a direct service to and from Cardiff to Zurich four times a week throughout the summer season on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. For more information and to book flights visit www.helvetic.com.
