Florian Saliou from France (European Solidarity Corps volunteer)

Hey, my name is Floriane, I'm 21 years old and I've been volunteering in Dadia for 6 months now as part of the European Solidarity Corps project.

I would like to tell you how I discovered Greek culture through my experience in Greek dances and this helped me to integrate into the village.

I didn't really know what to expect when I arrived here, but the first thing that surprised me was the welcome and friendliness of the people in the village, even when you're a foreigner and don't speak the same language.

Although I don't speak Greek, I was really interested in meeting the people. That's why I started taking part in two activities: aerobics and traditional dance.

I think this was the best decision I could have made as it allowed me to make a lot of contacts with the locals and even though it's difficult to communicate as we don't speak the same language, I got really attached to them!

I would never have thought of doing this kind of activity in my life, especially dancing, as it's not at all something that comes naturally to me, so it was a real challenge that took me out of my comfort zone. And despite the fact that it took a few lessons for me to get the steps right and that I still make some mistakes, all the dancers of the local club AKRITAS were very patient and encouraging with me.

This activity allowed me to immerse into Greek culture and I was able to discover the beauty of traditional music and the celebrations that accompany it.

I’ m really grateful for everything I've learnt, for having realised the importance of preserving all these magnificent traditions. The connection with Greek culture also made me even more curious about mine, and although it is already a very important part of my life, I want to reconnect with it even more (Breton culture).