For Caoimhe Doyle, a student at Coolmine Community School in Clonsilla, Dublin, her trip to Russia was a rich experience

Our journey to Russia really began six months ago when our teacher, Bernard Sexton, informed our year group of the Russian Immersion Programme. We were all very surprised and excited to learn that four of us would have the opportunity to visit Yaroslavl in Russia, 250km north-east of Moscow. I was delighted to be given the opportunity to travel to such a fascinating, faraway country and to gain an insight into the life and culture of the Russian people.

For our two-week stay we were accommodated in Pribrezhniy (Paradise) guesthouse. We were looked after by Russian staff, who cooked for us, cleaned our rooms and organised trips. We sampled traditional Russian cuisine such as borsch (beetroot soup) and blini with semanta (Russian pancakes with sour cream).

We had intense Russian tuition at classes each morning. Each afternoon we either went out sightseeing or participated in Russian cultural activities such as Russian folk dance and pisanka (egg painting).

Our itinerary was full and interesting. In the Mayolika factory we saw ceramics being made and purchased souvenirs. Another of our excursions brought us to Rostov, where we learned about the famous black clay area and heard and saw the Rostov bells chime. Another day brought us on a tour of the Yaroslavl sights and we experienced the hustle and bustle of the Kostroma market and the contrasting peace and quiet of the cathedral, the monastery and the museums. Evenings were occupied with diary time, concert preparation, discos and free time.

In many ways, Russia is very different from Ireland. Not only is the weather there a lot colder, the housing is not as advanced. Poverty is more evident in rural Russia. Ireland is much more affluent. Many of us expected the course to be extremely intense but we were pleasantly surprised at the warmth of our Russian teachers and the friendly atmosphere of the guesthouse.

A highlight of our trip was the regular interaction with Russian students of our own age from the Provincial College in Yaroslavl. We exchanged gifts and saw their amazing planetarium. Together with them, we participated in a concert, where we performed Irish and Russian dances, produced a Russian play, sang Russian songs and gave recitals of English and Irish music. We had a lot of fun with our Russian counterparts and made many new Russian and English friends. I will always be grateful for the opportunity my friends and I were given to learn Russian, a rich and phonetically beautiful language, and one that I will hopefully continue to learn and enjoy.

Special thanks for such a fantastic learning experience must go to Bernard Sexton, Declan Connor and Brídín Gilroy.

•More on Russia in next week's Transition Times

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