I am having a fantastic time in Italy and we are still in the middle of the week....I feel that this week is one of the greatest in my life because all the parents and kids have been very kind to us and they are really nice and hospitable. All the sights are amazing and there are so many things that we have to see that I cannot wait. Tomorrow is the trip to Rome and I think that it will be very interesting to visit one of the most glorious cities in the world. Yorgos
It's fun working together! The most interesting lesson was when we used the interactive whiteboard!!! We did experiments on it, we played music, we did exercises in English through games! Wonderful!
This is our Power Point presentation about our culture made into a video. We tried to present what has influenced us and how it is expressed: our ancient heritage and history, the sea, the landscape, the weather, our religion, our traditions.
This is a Greek-Italian class! The students from I.T.A.S.S. "Elena di Savoia" and some students from 1st Geniko Lykeio Vrilission are doing experiments in the Chemistry lab! We enjoyed this European lesson very much. It was a new experience.
It was interesting and fun when we had this video conference. The students of I.T.A.S.S. "Elena di Savoia" were eager to know how their classmates had been spending their time in Vrilissia. Everybody wanted to talk! The Greek students talked to the Italian students in L' Aquila, the Head teachers exchanged greetings. We were really close to each other!
While our Italian friends were in Greece, we grabbed at the chance to show them the Athens OlympicComplex. The stadium was renovated and new sports facilities were built for the 2004 Olympic Games that were held in Athens. The Olympic Complex is situated in Maroussi, a suburb of Athens very near Vrilissia.
An event was organised there by the Ministry of Culture to honour the Greek athletes who took part in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China (places 1 - 8). Many school students were invited to be there to see the Olympic champions, talk to them and get their autographs. We were there, too!!!
We had the chance to talk to Pigi Devetzi, who got the bronze medal in athletics (triple jump) and Nikos Kaklamanakis, who finished 8th in windsurfing and we were photographed with them. We also took autographs from members of the men's basketball team (5th place), water polo ( 7th) and rowing (2nd place).
Here is a video made of photos we took on that day.
We had the chance to visit a lot of interesting places around Athens and Peloponnese. First, we walked around the centre of Athens, we went up Acropolis and admired the monuments and the view from up there, we watched the 'tsoliades' at Syntagma Square and we had 'souvlaki' in Monastiraki. Finally, we went up the steps to Lycabettus hill - that was exhausting!- but we were rewarded with the magnificent view of Athens at night. It was a strange feeling for us the Greeks to be like tourists in our own city, as some of us had never been to the places we visited before...
On another day, we went on a whole day trip to Mycenae, Nafplion and Epidaurus. On the way, we stopped at the Corinth Canal. In Mycenae we visited the archeological site and Atreus Tomb and imagined how people lived in prehistoric times. Then, we travelled to Nafplion, the first capital of modern Greece. The view from the venetian castle was breathtaking! We walked down the 999 steps to the town, but they were 934 - we counted them! The best part of the trip was the ancient theatre of Epidaurus. Christina recited the hymn to love, which the chorus sang in Sophocles' Antigone. Then Yorgos, Ismini and Yolanda led by Ms Eva Nantsi acted parts of the tragedy! Many other students were part of the chorus. It was improvisation on the spot and it was great!
We had a great time together and we tried to show our Italian friends the way we enjoy ourselves. So we had dinner all together, we heard Greek music and we taught them how to dance syrtaki, tsifteteli and other Greek dances so that they could join us.
One of the many things that happened during the visit of our Italian friends in Greece and I will never forget is the day in Allou Fun Park. That day we all had a lot of fun despite the fact that I became dizzy and I nearly threw up. We enjoyed many rides, for example top spin, crazy mouse, the pirate boat, worm e.t.c. The funniest moment was when me, Ismini and Mara got wet in La Isla,a place where we rode a small train over water. I hope I will have another chance to have such a lot of fun again. Yorgos
8 days full of happiness…8 days full of joy… 8 days full of good and exciting moments.
It was an experience which will UNFORGETTABLE! From the moment you came in Greece I felt that something new and striking would happen, and so it was. When I saw Federico, my partner, for the first time I said that we could have a great time together. As soon as he stepped into my house he was a family member just. ……….everything passed so quickly……..BUT there is only one event that will remain stuck in my mind: that’s our trip to Nafplio, Mycenae. A day full of WALKING around. The most exhausting experience was that in Nafplio where we went down the 999 steps of the Palamidi Palace…OMG!
Ending, I would like to inform you that I’m not coming in Italy…unfortunately… I will not see your faces in the near future…we will not have such a great time we had in Greece….BUT… hopefully there is a possibility for me to come in Summer for a week.
The temple of Poseidon on Cape Sounion is one of the most beautiful spots in Attica. The view from up there is breathtaking as the temple is situated on the headland surrounded on three sides by the blue sea. You can easily understand why ancient Greeks chose this place to worship the god of the sea.
We drove our Italian guests along the coast of the Saronic Gulf to admire the panorama from the top. The pleasure of the eyes was followed by the pleasure of a traditional seafood meal at a nearby seaside tavern.
