The 2o Peiramatiko Geniko Lykeio Athinon participated in the 3rd international meeting of our Comenius Project “I.T.E.R.” that took place in Bucharest, Romania from the 22nd to the 26th of March 2012. Our school was represented by Ms. Despoina Kyriakaki, project coordinator for Greece, Mr. Yiannis Kapetanakis, member of our team and five students. Below you will find how our students describe their experience from this trip.
Eleni Koutsikou
These five days in Romania were an amazing experience for me! I was really excited because I was travelling abroad for the first time. When we were at the airport I couldn’t believe that I was actually going to Bucharest. I only believed it when the plane landed at the Romanian airport. After that I was looking forward to meeting the girl that was hosting me. When I met Alexandra, she turned out to be a wonderful girl, with a great sense of humor and we ended up good friends after all. We spent a lot of time together, we went to lots of different places and we had a wonderful time. It was something new for me to be with so many children from different countries. I believe I made some good friendships and I’ll keep in touch with them. Except for the children that I met, I have to admit that I loved Bucharest as well as Bran and Brasov. Everything was fantastic! The buildings, the parks, the tram, even the buses… I definitely want to go again some time! I believe that I gained plenty of experiences, new friendships and I broadened my horizons.
Alexandros Palamaras
On February 3, 2012 my teacher , Ms. Despoina Kyriakaki said to me that on the 22nd of March I was to go to Bucharest in Romania with the Comenius program. I had never traveled abroad before, so I was very glad and excited…
On the 22nd of March, we started our trip from the airport of Athens; Ms. Despoina Kyriakaki and Mr. Yiannis Kapetanakis, our teachers, my four classmates, and I. The first day of our voyage was free for us and our hosts. In the afternoon, my host, Florin, and I went to his dance school. On Friday morning we visited their school. We attended a special ceremony by the Romanian children who honored all the countries. After this ceremony, Ms. Despoina Kyriakaki, Martina Olchawa, Myrto Charvalia and I presented our maps for our country, Greece. In the afternoon Florin and I went to a huge park which I really loved. On Saturday, we woke up really early in the morning and we made a one-day excursion. At first we went to the house of Dracula, in Transylvania. There, we bought a lot of souvenirs. After that we visited a local restaurant to eat. We tasted a lot of Romanian dishes, which I really loved. At the end of this trip we went to Brasov. It was a really beautiful city. We were so tired!!! On Sunday morning we made a visit to the museum of science and history of Bucharest. The rest of the day we were free to do whatever we wanted. In the afternoon, Florin and I visited the HUGE shopping center of Bucharest, Afi Palace. I will never forget the greatest game of the world, the Lasermax. Monday was the most moving day of our voyage in Romania. Florin and I took a small walk around the city before my departure for Greece…
I will never forget my host, Florin, his brother, Mihai, his mother, Maura, and of course his father, Ionitsa. All of them were so kind to me, and I am really grateful for their hospitality. This trip was the most beautiful trip I have ever taken and I will never forget it!!!!! Of course, I will return to Romania in the summer!!!!!
Myrto Charvalia
Comenius programme? It goes without saying! It was one of the most exciting experiences I have ever had! I can admit that I was really happy from the beginning, but I could never imagine how enchanting this trip would turn out to be. My classmates and I not only had the chance to meet another civilisation, the Romanian one, but also to meet new people from different European countries. All pupils from Italy, Spain, France, Germany, Poland, Turkey and Romania communicated and exchanged experiences and interests. Some of them have already founded strong friendships, no matter what the differences in their ideologies are. Beautiful premises, sightseeing, breathtaking views, happiness and good weather contributed to the ideal excursion. Personally, I was surprised by the hospitality and the friendly attitude of the Romanians! Not only the pupils but also the people we met, in general, were all polite, kind and generous. Thus, if we mix these positive elements with our good mood and -of course- the tasty Romanian cuisine, we can get the perfect cocktail! I will never forget the Comenius programme. All pupils should be stimulated with a view to joining the group. Nobody will regret it!
Vassiliki Fika
I had been to other places in Europe before visiting Romania and this was a different experience from the others. In the previous ones, we only travelled as a Greek group who just went sightseeing and nothing else. We didn’t get into the process of learning the foreign country’s culture, observing the citizens’ everyday life, etc. I had the opportunity to do stuff like that in Romania, such as compare it with the Greeks’ lifestyle, traditions and many other things. I also made new friends and every now and then we get in touch, tell our stories and how we miss each other. I got many positive things from this trip, so now I am rolling back in time and bring to my mind all the good memories that will follow me in my whole life.
Martina Olchawa
Our trip to Bucharest lasted for 5 days. From the first day I met my host I liked her and her parents, too. They were very kind to me and they took good care of me. Her mother cooked delicious traditional Romanian food for me. In other words they treated me as if I were their second daughter. To tell you the truth I still cannot find the right words to describe this trip. Amazing, fantastic, nice! Those words aren’t even close to describing those 5 days in Bucharest. We met people from other countries and we even became good friends with some of them. Moreover, we visited the castle of Dracula in Brasov. We had a really great time there and of course, laughter and fun wasn’t missing. Another thing that made me fall in love with this country was the view, the mountains covered in snow and the rivers and the whole landscape. Everything was so beautiful we couldn’t stop taking pictures. I enjoyed that trip to Romania from the beginning to the end. In my opinion the most difficult thing was leaving, because no one of us wanted to. I am not embarrassed to say that I cried.
To sum up this was a big opportunity for me and the rest of the kids. I am really glad that I decided to join this project and I am looking forward to meeting the children who will visit our beautiful country, Greece in the beginning of next year. This was the most amazing experience of my life.