This year, from February 20th to February 26th of 2023, Portuguese students from Viana do Castelo visited the 53rd Lyceum of Athens as part of the Erasmus+ programme between Greece, Spain, Portugal, and Poland.
From the very first day, Portuguese students were welcomed with open arms. As part of a relaxing 'first day', Greek students accompanied them to their very first Greek experience; a coffee shop in which the students got to know each other by learning new words through 'broken telephone', chatting about each other's countries, and overall having fun.
On the second day, Portuguese students finally had the chance to visit our school. After a grand play by 10th grade students depicting the ancient myth of Europe and a speech by the principal of the school, we continued with some ice-breaking activities to get to know each other. A talk with the teachers, as well as a presentation about the Greek alphabet and Greek mythology by our students followed. The rest of the day involved a visit to the Acropolis, accompanied by a tour presented by our students in English. On that day, after the Erasmus activites, occured the most important event of them all: the Portuguese students' very first Greek souvlaki. We can guarantee they enjoyed it a lot (as well as the other coffee shop a few hours later).
The third day was the most relaxing. In the school, our activities began with some quizzes using the EdPuzzle and Kahoot applications. Following that, the students started working on their group projects. A set of mixed teams consisting of Greek and Portuguese students collaborated to make posters celebrating International Mother Language Day (February 21st). For lunch, 10th grade students organised a traditional Greek buffet at the school; from pastitsio to galactoboureko, the foreign students got an even better taste of the Greek cuisine. The rest of the day, the Greek students took them for the ultimate bonding activity; bowling.
On the fourth day, we visited the Stavros Niarchos Cultural Centre; More specifically, we toured the National Library of Greece. Inside we got to explore the differences between each country's library, as well as admire the beauty of the building and its rich collection of books. Portuguese students even managed to spot an excerpt from famed Portuguese poet Fernando Pessoa among the great works depicted in the library's decorations. After our tour and a wonderful view of the Centre's fountains dancing along to music, the students went off on another trip to Flisvos Marina, where they ate their lunch. The way back was an exciting trip using Greece's public transportation system. At night, the students attended the basketball game of one of our Greek students (our side won!).
The fifth day was the big day of the Carnival. But first, the students finished their activities by creating a digital tour guide of Greece, as well as a recipe book with Greek and Portuguese recipes; all translated into Greek, Portuguese, and English. Finally, we concluded with another two quizzes on Kahoot, as well as a presentation by one of our students where we learned about GSL (Greek Sign Language). The certificates of participation were also handed during that time. It was finally time for some fun; students dressed up, danced, and had fun with the rest of the school in a fun party. After the party, dinner at the city centre.
The sixth day consisted of a visit and tour of the Greek Parliament. The students received some souvenirs, as well as witnessed the Greek soldier march outside of the building. After the end of our activities, students ate lunch and dinner at the city centre, exploring Athens (and buying more souvenirs in the process).
The final day was hard to get through; everyone was hesitant to part ways, so we ate at a Greek tavern before the Portuguese group had to leave. There were tears, hugs, and lots of goodbyes. At the end of the day, this week is sure to be one of the most memorable experiences of 2023, as well as a chance to meet the people of Portugal and their lovely students. We would like to make sure you are aware that this experience was as important to us as it was to them; and we certainly hope they enjoyed it as much as we did.
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