Blog of the 4th student exchange
DAY 1: Monday, 25th November 2019:
The journey from our small island to Athens was quite long. Although we are the closest partner (868 km), our journey took 17 hours. However, fatigue disappeared the moment we saw our hosts, welcoming us to Greece. It was wonderful to see some old friends again and meet future ones.
Monday morning was nice and sunny. We were welcomed at 10 Geniko Lykeio Kaisarianis school by the head mistress and then students presented their hometowns, seen from the minority’s point of view. We learned a lot about our towns and observed them from a different perspective.
After a small break and our first encounter with Greek cuisine students gathered in a gym to participate in an interesting and useful ice-breaking workshop based on trust.
There are Shooting range field and The National Resistance Museum in school’s vicinity in memory of the aggression and innocent victims of 1944.
Students went home to have lunch with their hosts and teachers met at Kaisariani square to try some delicious Greek specialties (suvlaki, salads, kofti, etc.).
In the afternoon students returned and we went to the centre to visit a fascinating Byzantine church of Virgin Mary, next to the Metropolitan church of Athens.
The students’ exchange meeting in Athens, the Cradle of Western Civilization, had a marvellous beginning.
Day 2: Tuesday, 26th November 2019
On Tuesday morning we started with visiting lessons. Students and teachers attended English, Maths and Chemistry lessons, all of which were really useful, informative and exciting. During the English lesson we were engaged in activities related to communication, videos and logical puzzles. The topic of the Maths lesson was Golden Ration, while students taking part in the Chemistry session got acquainted with the process of soap making and created their own ones.
After a short break we watched the promotional videos created by all partners followed by a creative and innovative Greek presentation that contributed to the already relaxed atmosphere of the meeting.
In the next activity students were divided into two groups to start working on the two main activities of the meeting: the debate and the presentations on the European Heritage Tours.
During the afternoon we went on a stroll across Athens to have a look Panathenaic Stadium, which hosted the first modern Olympics games. We continued our discovery in Basil & Elise Goulandris Foundation, which hosts a fascinating collection of Modern Greek Art as well as some masterpieces of European painters such as Van Gogh, Rodin, Monet, Cézanne, Gauguin, Picasso, Degas, etc. We were amazed by the wide variety of different styles and techniques and were surprised to learn that all these fantastic pieces of art have been provided by a private collector for public audience to see.
Written by the Hungarian team
Day 3: Wednesday, 27th November
It’s the third day of our fantastic mobility in Athens made memorable by the beauty of the location and the warmth of our hosts.
The morning meeting is set at 9 o’clock. The schedule is challenging. Our students’ daily task is to get divided in two groups and to organise and rehearse the debate on sustainable urbanization on the one hand, and to plan and outline their favorite tours across Cultural Heritage Sites on the other. Well for the latter the choice is pretty difficult given the richness and beauty of our sites. We’ll discover them on Friday! Meanwhile teachers have their own meeting to organise and schedule following activities.
Soon it’s time to leave, the ancient city is waiting for us. First destination is the newly opened Acropolis Museum, exactly in 2009. It has been the most important and visited museum in Greece ever since.
The original statues are preserved there.
The size of the museum is so large, and the artifacts so unique!
But now en marche towards the top of the hill where the Acropolis is erected.
Simply breathless. What a feeling to walk on those paving stones driven through by our ancestors ages ago!
Our students are delighted and impressed.
Such a day can’t end without other emotions. We have dinner in the centre of the city in a restaurant with a magic view. And what delicious local meals we are offered!
Written by the Italian team
Day 4: Thursday, 28th November
Thursday was the fourth day of our stay in Greece.
We spent it on a visit of the Delphi Archaeological Museum which is one of the principal museums of Greece and one of the most visited too. The museum mainly displays statues such as the famous Charioteer of Delphi, architectural elements e.g. the frieze of the Siphnian Treasury and the amazing Sphinx of Naxos.
Exploring the museum was like a travel in a time machine, deeply back of the centuries. We were enjoying the atmosphere of the antient times and discovering Greek history. Lots of photos taken during the trip will bring back the memories of the day.
We ended the day with a dinner which was a great occasion to appreciate the delicious Greek kitchen. Tired but happy to be in “the navel of the world” we went back to Athens late in the evening.
DAY 5: FRIDAY 29TH NOVEMBER
Our last day was sunny. In our minds still remained the wonderful memories of Delphi and its magic. We were eager to see the work which our students' teams were going to present.
After our teach meet, where all the future tasks for the Hungarian and Croatian mobilities had been discussed and set, we had a break.
During the recess, we were absolutely astonished when we heard firecrackers in the school yard and we saw a group of students in the roof of the next school surrounded by smoke and noise. This is the enthusiastic way Greek students celebrate their school trips.
The moment had come to watch the presentations and debate. The Unesco Heritage tours were interesting and profitable.
The debate topic "sustainable urban development is a myth " brought up lots of rich and updated ideas, which were very suitably framed by the speakers in a respectful atmosphere. The jury struggled to decide the best two speakers and the best team. Finally, the proposition team was the winner and the Greek student, George Stefanakos and the Hungarian student, Márton Fehér won the award for the best speakers. Well done both teams!
Afterwards, we had some free time to walk around the wonderful city of Athens. As it was black Friday, the streets were jammed with people picturing a colorful sight. A busy and lively city with thousands of years of history behind.
At six thirty fun was about to start with the farewell party in the Kaisariani Town Hall. We had the chance to enjoy delicious food and listen and dance to multicultural music. Everybody had a wonderful time. The Sirtaki dance was a great success and joined all the community together.
Eventually the time to say good bye came, our students and also the teachers felt the sorrow of the farewell. It had been so thrilling and interesting that without even noticing, time had flown. Cries and laughter mingled with lots and lots of hugs.
Thanks to everyone for this unforgettable experience and especially to the Greek team for their warm hospitality.
On the left the Opposition team.
In the middle the Proposition team.
On the right the jury.
Written by The Spanish Team