KA2 - EUCHI European Cultural Heritage and Identity
From Monday 16 May to Friday 20 May 2022 took place the final mobility to Greece of the program ERASMUS+ EUCHI (European Culture, Heritage & Identity). Greek, Italian, Romanian and Spanish students and teachers completed the visits, that aimed to discover their European Culture, Heritage & Identity.
On Monday May 16 2022 we welcomed the partners to our school. The day started with activities to consolidate team spirit, the best possible communication and building team spirit. Facilitator in the "ice breaker" was the actor, director and partner of the National Theater Mr. Phoivos Symeonidis.
The continuation included a game with questions about the countries of the participants and the answers to be given with mobile phones through the kahoot platform. The three winners won "medals" and all the participants got a souvenir bag with souvenirs from Greece.
After a short snack, followed a short visit to the Town Hall of Pallini, which was welcomed and toured the group by the mayor Mr. Zoutsos with the president of the school board Secondary education Mr. Liakopoulos. Deputy mayors Mr. Mourtziapis and Mrs. Diakakis were also present.
The day ended with lunch at Lavrio and a visit to the Temple of Poseidon at Cape Souni
On Tuesday 17 May 2022 a visit was made to the Acropolis of Athens, the important UNESCO World Heritage monument. We were guided to the Parthenon, the temple that the Athenians dedicated to the patron saint of their city, Athena Partheno, is the most brilliant creation of the Athenian democracy in the period of its great prime and the most perfect in terms of composition and execution from the buildings of the Holy Rock. We also saw the Erechtheion, an elegant building with a special character and architectural form with the Caryatids, located on the northern side of the Acropolis rock. We also toured the Propylaia, the Temple of Athena Nike, the Herodeion and the rest of the monuments. The Acropolis of the 5th c. e.g. best renders greatness, the power and wealth of Athens in its heyday, the "golden age" of Pericles.
Then we were guided to the Acropolis Museum. The museum is impressive in its architecture, design and presentation of exhibits, in the exhibits themselves, both the ancient ones and the modern copies of those that are missing!!! From the entrance to the courtyard and walking on the glass floor, we walked over the ruins of the ancient city! The transparent walls gave the opportunity to the visitor to have a visual contact with the Acropolis and the modern city of Athens. The interesting tours provided everyone with useful information.
After the meal there was a guided tour of the Ancient market, the Attalos's portico and the temple of Hephaestus in Theseio.
On Wednesday May 18 2022 the EUCHI team visited them in Delphi, the Omphalos (navel) of the universe according to the ancient Greeks, the place where the oracle of Apollo was and he advised the mighty men of the past. A religious center of antiquity, a symbol of unity of the ancient Greek world, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
In the afternoon of the same day, a visit was made to Nafpaktos, the Venetian port of Lepanto: a crossroads in the history of EUCHI partners. There in 1571 the Christian fleet (Spain, Venice, Rome, Savoy, Genoa and Greeks) fought against the Ottomans. The famous Spanish writer Miguel de Cervantes he was Commander of the "Marquis" and lost his arm.
On Thursday May 19 2022, on a walking tour around Athens we explored the most important landmarks of the city: Syntagma Square, Changing of the Guard, Zappeio Megaron, Monastiraki Square, visit to Plaka and Anafiotika, the Old University, Varvakeio Agora, Theater Square.
His tour ended at a traditional Greek tavern "Klimataria" located since 1927 in the historical center of the city of Athens, in Theater Square. We tasted authentic Greek cuisine and our guests got to know "rebetiko" by the musicians from "To Gnosto Trio": Tasos Giannoussis in Bouzouki-Song, Panagiotis Katsimanis on Guitar-Singing and Antonis Tzikas on Double Bass-Singing. Rebetiko has been on the UNESCO list since 2017 Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity as music and cultural expression directly connected to the song and dance that spread among urban populations of the lower and working classes in the early 20th century with origins in Asia Minor.
On the last day of the visit (May 20) a guided tour of the premises of the 2nd GEL Gerakas took place:
in the teachers' association room, the natural sciences and IT laboratories,
the counseling room and on the courts.
In the event hall, students in groups created posters of the things they liked
but they also didn't like them from the visit to Greece. At the same time, the participating teachers
in the program from the four countries held a meeting to evaluate the project.
Then the groups of students presented the posters with their impressions
and short videos of the program's actions were shown.
Then followed dances:
- a group of graduates of the 2nd GEL Gerakas danced Latin dances
- members of the Erasmus team danced "Fragosyriani" and
- everyone together in a big circle danced the "Syrtaki".
Then followed the awarding of commemorative participation diplomas and a meal with traditional Greek flavors, such as pastitsio, moussaka, meatballs, country salads, syrupy sweets and more, offered by the school's parents and guardians association. But there was no shortage of games, football in the yard.
So it was time to say goodbye.
Five days that the teams from the four countries
got to know each other better, worked together,
they created new friendships,
and learned about each other's culture
and their cultural heritage monuments.
Erasmus+ | 2nd Gerakas Senior High School
