AIMS COMENIUS PROJECTThessaloniki

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8-13 February 2015

By Andrei, Ariana & Adriana

WE LEFT BUCHAREST ON SUNDAY AT 12.30 O’CLOCK AND AFTER A SHORT FLIGHT WE ARRIVED IN GREECE. WE MET THE HOSTING FAMILIES AT EGNATIA PALACE HOTEL IN THESSALONIKI AND SPENT A LOVELY AFTERNOON WITH OUR NEW FRIENDS.

MY GREEK PARTNER, ATHINA AND HER MOTHER CAME TO PICK ME UP FROM THE HOTEL. WE WENT TO THE SEASHORE.

EVEN IF THE WEATHER WAS COLD AND CLOUDY I ENJOYED THE WALK VERY MUCH.

Ariana, Sunday

I SAW THE WHITE TOWER WHICH IS THE SYMBOL OF THE CITY.THE WHITE TOWER OF THESSALONIKI ( LEFKOS PYRGOS), IS A MONUMENT AND MUSEUM ON THE WATERFRONT OF THE CITY OF THESSALONIKI, CAPITAL OF THE REGION OF MACEDONIA IN NORTHERN GREECE. LATER ON WE HAD TRADITIONAL GREEK FOOD AT A RESTAURANT NEARBY. ATHINA’S FRIEND JOINED US. WE WENT TO A CAFETERIA FOR THE DESSERT. I CAN’T REMEMBER ITS NAME BUT IT WAS DELICIOUS. AROUND SEVEN WE ARRIVED AT HOME WHERE I MET ATHINA’S YOUNGER SISTER, ALEXANDRA. IN THE EVENING ATHINA AND I WENT DOWN TOWN TO A COFFEE SHOP WHERE I MET HER FRIENDS AND A ITALIAN GIRL, DORA. WE TALKED OVER A JUICE FOR AN HOUR. THEY WERE VERY NICE AND FUNNY. AT 9:30 P.M. ATHINA’S FATHER DROVE US HOME. IT WAS A LOVELY DAY.

Adriana,Sunday

After we had landed ,we went to Egnatia Palace Hotel to meet our hosting families. From there,they drove us home.     I ,Adriana, firstly went home,unpacked my luggage and later I went out with my host, Elena, and some of her friends to a coffee  shop and then to a restaurant to eat something traditional. We also walked a lot on the streets of Thessaloniki.

Andrei,Sunday

After we got to Greece by plane, we got to the Egnatia Palace Hotel, the place were we each met our host families. There, Dimitris and his mom picked me up by car and took me to their house. During this short trip, we talked and got to know each other a bit.

After getting to their home and meeting Dimitris’s dad and brother, we all went to a restaurant where Dimitris’s mother has been going since she was a student. There I got to try out a different way of eating, starting with a sweeeet salad and continuing with cheese and forest fruit jam.

After that, I, Dimitris and his brother, Kostis, went for a walk around the area. (Missing photos of that time period)

Ooops

THE SECOND DAY, AT SCHOOL, WE INTRODUCED OURSELVES. THE GREEK STUDENTS HAD PREPARED A SLIDE ABOUT EACH COUNTRY PARTICIPATING IN THE PROJECT. THEY PRESENTED A SHOW. THEY SANG SONGS ABOUT WORLD PEACE.

Monday

THEN WE WERE DIVIDED INTO SIX TEAMS. EACH TEAM BUILT UP A MOSAIC FLAG AND SOLVED SOME MATHS PROBLEMS.

AT 2 O’CLOCK WE HAD LUNCH AT A RESTAURANT NEAR THE SCHOOL. THEN WE HAD A CITY TOUR BY BUS. WE DISCOVERED A BEAUTIFUL CITY!

WE WENT TO THE HISTORICAL CENTER OF THE CITY WHERE WE HAD A MATH QUIZ (TREASURE HUNT). IT WAS DIFFICULT BUT ENTERTAINING. AFTER A HOT CHOCOLATE EVERYBODY WENT HOME.

THE THIRD DAY WE VISITED VERGINA WHICH IS A SMALL TOWN IN NORTHERN GREECE, LOCATED IN THE CENTRAL MACEDONIA. THE TOWN BECAME INTERNATIONALLY FAMOUS IN 1977, WHEN THE GREEK ARCHEOLOGIST MANOLIS ANDRONIKOS UNEARTHED THE BURIAL SITE OF THE KINGS OF MACEDON, INCLUDING THE TOMB OF PHILIP II, FATHER OF ALEXANDER THE GREAT.

Tuesday

After we visited the Royal Tomb we travelled to Mieza to visit the remains of Aristotle’s fabled school. When Alexander was thirteen years old, his father, Philip II, invited Aristotle to come to Mieza as the young prince’s tutor. Philip developed the area known as “the Nymphaeion” near the ancient city of Mieza, in a tranquil setting of lush vegetation, fresh water springs and caves full of stalagmites and stalactites. The school was called “The Peripatos” (‘the Walk’). It was a two-story L-shaped building linked by staircases, built along the face of the rock incorporating the many caves in the area. The school’s facilities were set up to harmonize and blend in with the environment. At this school, in the beautiful woodland setting dedicated to the Nymphs, Aristotle taught and educated Alexander and other scions of Macedonian royal houses.

AFTER LUNCH WE HUNG AROUND FOR A WHILE AND THEN WE WENT HOME.

WEDNESDAYThe first thing we visited on Wednesday was the Archeological

Museum. There, we, sadly, didn’t get to see the whole museum, but we got to see some golden artifacts , which, in our opinion, is more interesting than what you see at most museums.

At the Byzantine Museum we saw many, many mosaics and Byzantine artifacts. But what was unique to this museum is the fact that we got to see their mosaic maintenance workshop.

Colorful stones for mosaics!

And then we visited the White Tower Museum, where we took some gorgeous photos of the city and sea.

Then we ate lunch and went to the treasure hunt. After hours of walking through the town, discovering some interesting monuments of the city of Thessalonki, we went to a cathedral and ended the day.

THURSDAY

The first thing we did was visiting a cement factory where we saw a few inventions of the Ancient Greeks .Those people were smart! They had a holly water dispenser and a automatic theatre!

That day’s lunch was a special one, since it was the goodbye party. Every family cooked 2 dishes and brought them to the school, where the party took place.

That night, many of the participants of the AIMS project went to a club, where we had lots of fun. Most of us were wearing a costume or o mask or a hat, because of the special Greek celebration that took place that day.

We had lots of great fun, and we won’t forget this very special week.

Bye!