Greece

1st day On Monday, after the breakfast in the hotel we went by bus for

a meeting with the local mayor of Galatsi – district of Athens where the school is situated. During the meeting we were welcomed ceremonially by the authorities. We explored the building carefully, especially the first floor which is made of the ancient stone, remains of the old buildings which were found while digging the foundations. We also took some photos together with the local authorities. Then, we went to school – our Comenius partner, where we were welcomed again very kindly by the teachers and students with the beautiful dances and some national songs. In the background we could watch the multimedia presentation of monuments in Athens and around it. After the performance, we had some free time for coffee and other little pleasures. After that, all the teachers met together to work out some Comenius tasks. Meanwhile students spent pleasurable time playing on the school playground and integrating with other students. Around 1 p.m. we ate a traditional Greek dinner, prepared by students’ parents.

After the dinner we went to one of the Greek wineries and had a chance to see all the tools which are used during the wine production, not only at present but also in the past. We saw the whole process of the wine production and some elements the taste and colour of wine depend on. After that we visited the Marathon Museum where we were presented with the history of marathon running and we learnt a lot about the Battle of Marathon. In the museum we saw some marble statues, pictures, medal copies and many other reminders of the first modern marathon running winners. We were walking around the Marathon lands, taking some pictures of the sport stadium. In the evening we ate supper in the tavern and we had a chance to see again beautiful Greek dances. Around midnight we came back to the hotel.

2nd day On Tuesday, after the breakfast, around

8.30 we set off for a walk to Acropolis which is situated on a hill in the centre of Athens. We learnt there about the history of the place and some events that had happened there in the past. Furthermore, we saw beautiful remains of the Temple of Poseidon, Athena and Caryatids which have survived for almost 2500 years. When we reached the hilltop we were surprised by all the breathtaking views and the panorama of Athens. We could also see the Theatre of Dionysus located on the south slope of the Acropolis.  

After that we went to see the ancient market – Agora, where the socio-political life of ancient Greeks took place. Next, we followed the tracks of the ancient market, just like Aristotle and Plato had travelled in the past. We had a possibility to discover the cultural centre of the ancient times – the protection from the sun and heat, the shopping centre and the place for leading philosophical disputes.  After such a pleasurable time full of interesting places and stories we came back to our hotel and ate the dinner. Around 2.30 p.m. we continued sightseeing and went to the Acropolis Museum where we admired sculptures, amphoras and other objects which had been found during excavations of Acropolis. We also saw Caryatids and the remains of the outside ancient walls.  After that, we walked around Plaka - the old historical neighbourhood of Athens. It is built on the top of the residential areas, around the slopes of Acropolis. In this place tourists usually rest and relax in the numerous restaurants or cafes and do shopping in souvenir shops. In the evening we admired a port of Pireus. In one of the taverns we spent pleasurable time eating supper and looking at Mediterranean.

3rd day On Wednesday, after the breakfast we started

a long journey to Delphi, both anarchaeological site and a modern town, to look through the history of the Oracle of Delphi – Pythia. The oracle sometimes gave ambiguous prophecies, which were very often incomprehensible because of the literal and figurative meaning. Climbing the hill we could see how the ancient people were trying to get prophecies from the oracle. We also saw the ancient market situated beyond the town, which was a good strategic point, the remains of the Temple of Athena and the ancient theatres – stadiums.

Soon after, we visited the Museum in Delphi with a lot of interesting archaeological objects and ancient relics. Around 4 p.m. we ate dinner and went to see a little village of Arachova and then we saw a monument in Distomo where in the past Germans killed many Greek people. The way back was very long, most of us were so tired that we slept in the bus. However, we were very happy and full of positive emotions after the journey to Delphi.

4th day On Thursday morning we went by bus to the nearby Museum of

Archaeology which has gathered archaeological relicts from Greece since the prehistoric times to the late antique. Apart from some monuments and sculptures of gods we could see also objects of everyday use, coins, amphoras and the prototype of the first watch. On the way to the Museum we visited the Parliament and we saw people taking part in the national strike against some changes in regulations. Then we had a short walk along the commercial street and we saw the whole commercial area. Meanwhile we had two hours for some shopping and for sightseeing. At 3.30 p.m. we ate a traditional Greek dinner in the local restaurants.

Around 7 p.m. we went towards Sunio Cap where we saw the Temple of Poseidon and we admired the beautiful sunset of Aegean Sea. At the end of the day, after seeing such beautiful, breathtaking places and views, we were incredibly tired. We came back to the hotel at 10 p.m.      

5th day Since Friday early morning we have been very excited because of the

one day cruise. After the breakfast, around 8 a.m. we arrived at the Port of Piraeus.

The first point of our cruise was Hydra - a very beautiful island, full of interesting places. What surprised us mostly was the fact that there were no cars on the island. People usually use donkeys when they want to Ravel. The next point of the journey was Poros, quite a big island where we spent almost two hour. We visited the Temple of Poseidon and saw beautiful buildings, not only old but also the modern ones. Then we came back on our ship to eat dinner and taste some delicious traditional Greek food again. The last part of the journey was the departure for another island – Aegina. We saw the Orthodox Church and the amazing Temple of Aphaia. We discovered that Aegina is famous from pistachios. During the way back to the hotel we sailed in a very pleasant atmosphere with traditional Greek music and dances. We arrived at the hotel at 8.30 p.m. and were very sad to say goodbye to our Comenius friends and very sorry to leave Greece. However, the memories will stay in our hearths for a long time.