Erasmus Diary in Cyprus 1-7 May 2022

At about 6 in the afternoon we came back to the airport and after the checks, we had dinner at the Kulinariat Restaurant and then left on time for Cyprus where we arrived at Larnaca Airport at about 00:40, there a minibus took us in about one hour to Limassol where we stayed for that night at the Kapetanios Odyssia Hotel.

Our Erasmus experience in Cyprus started on the 1st of May when we arrived at Fontanarossa Airport Catania at 7:30 in the morning, together with our headteacher Mrs. Sciuto, because our flight was scheduled for 10:25 a.m. After Mrs. Lazzaroni and Mrs. La Rosa gave us our boarding passes and their suitcases were on board, we said goodbye to our families and went to check in. After passing the checks we used our free time by having breakfast and at 10:25 our flight operated by Austrian Airlines left on time, offering us a really pleasant flight thanks to the kindness of the hostesses and the steward of that company.

The site was characterised by the presence of many mosaics located within the house of Dionysus that closely resembled those of Piazza Armerina. Each mosaic was fascinating because it told a different myth. In the third room, we saw the mosaic "The Four Seasons" consisting of nine smaller panels. The panels with anthropomorphic representations are: centrally, an unidentifiable figure (probably Dionysus), and in the four corners, the personifications of the Four Seasons. Summer and spring are represented in the upper corners, while winter and autumn are in the lower corners. We also saw many other Mosaics but probably what struck me most was that of Narcissus, in fact, in the mosaic you can see depicted Narcissus while mirrored in the river and its reflection on the river. After having listened to the guide who kindly showed us the story of each mosaic and after a lunch break, we went to see, before returning to school, the enormous rock where legend says Venus/Aphrodite, the goddess of love, emerged naked from the water.

On May 4th we went to the traditional village of Lefkara, known for its lace-making. After visiting the church of Santa Croce, we moved in the direction of the capital Nicosia called in the Cypriot language Lefkosia, the only divided capital in the world, situated in the centre of Cyprus but it is considered a rich cultural hub. There, off the bus, beneath a blinding sun, we had the opportunity to visit the historical evidence of past centuries and the heterogeneous foreign dominations that occupied the island: from the massive Venetian walls of the sixteenth century, the imposing Famagusta Gate to the museum of the Ottoman house, up to recent history with the Liberty Monument in 1973 to commemorate the release from prison in 1959 of EOKA fighters. It shows a statue of liberty overseeing two EOKA heroes tugging on chains in order to open prison gates and release Greek Cypriot prisoners, peasants and clergy, from British colonial rule. And above all the so-called Green Line, is the Nicosia border between the Greek Cypriot side and the occupied part of Cyprus. It was created on the 30th of December 1963, the agreement of the Greeks, Turks and British when the first inter-communal riots began on the island. It was formed in order to stop the escalation of tension between the Greek Cypriots and the Turkish Cypriots. It was given the Green Line because General Peter Young had drawn it with a green pencil on the map, but at that time the green line was not extended to the whole island but only in the capital&nbsp; The line was for us a concrete testimony of the dramatic recent history of the island: what may sound like a historical anachronism to us is here a current reality. But Nicosia is also a tourist capital, full of fine shops and clubs. After lunch and shopping for souvenirs, we got back on the bus. On the way back we stopped at Governor's beach, a stunning beach with dark sand and white rocks which resemble chalk, located between Limassol and Larnaca. A little tired but happy we went back to our guests' homes.

Pencils border

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Edited by: Daniela Maria Lazzaroni teacher coordinator Alessandra Edge cl. 4 Ac Serena Amantia cl. 2 As Ilenia Torresino cl. 4 Bc Lucrezia Privitera cl. 4 As Nicole Augeri cl 5 Cs Santi Fisichella cl. 4 Cc

On the first day in Limassol we went to school with our luggage because we were hosted by students’ families. We arrived there at 08:30 in order to attend the Welcome Ceremony. As soon as we arrived, they took us to the Auditorium and there some students gave a short presentation about the school and then performed by singing and dancing traditional Cypriot songs.

Serena amantia classe 2 C Scientifico

santi fisichella classe 4 C classico

We arrived in Vienna at about 12:30 and after only 15 minutes we were on board the CAT or the City Airport Train and after about 20 minutes we were in Vienna city centre, the wonderful Imperial City.&nbsp; We had lunch in a very cosy restaurant where we tasted some typical food of the place. Then, we walked around the city and also, we visited St. Stephen's Cathedral, the symbol of Vienna;&nbsp;it is the most important Gothic structure in Austria, even if we entered just to take a few photos; then we went to the Café Sacher where in 1832 the young Franz Sacher invented the famous Sacher-Torte for a special occasion at the court of Prince Metternich, who had requested a desert for that night. Today the original Sacher-Torte is still handmade using Franz Sacher’s original recipe. There, our headteacher had the awesome idea of buying the classic typical Viennese cake so that we could taste it.

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Erasmus Diary in Cyprus from 1st May 2022 to 7th May 2022

Human Out Migration in Europe (HOME) 2020-1-FR01-KA229-079855_6

Lucrezia Privitera Classe 4 A scientifico

The second day was a very important day for all of us: each team had to give a presentation on migration in their country. Despite being nervous to present in front of so many people, we were all able to do our best, and it ended up being a success. After a break, in which we ate and socialised with each other in the big schoolyard, we were supposed to assist to a lecture by Mr. N. Nicolaidis European Parliament Office in Cyprus, but unfortunately, we were told that he was tested positive for the coronavirus, so he couldn't be with us, but the teachers immediately found a way to use the time. Firstly we commented on a map which traced the migration flows of each country and then some teams introduced us to their school, explaining its strengths and how lessons work. After that, we went home to have lunch, and in the afternoon, we got ready for a pool party at the home of one of the students. There we ate traditional food and had fun till night.

Afterwards, they showed us the week's program and took us out to the courtyard for a short break. During the break, we met the other Cypriot guys who took us on a tour of the school, and we also met the other foreign students from Germany, France, Spain, and Hungary. Then we went to the computer room, where we played an interactive web that simulated the life of a refugee.

At the end of this activity, we moved to the gym and there divided into teams of students of different nationalities, we played some sports, such as volleyball, dodgeball, basketball and others. All was organised by the Cypriot teacher Andreas Skinas.

The last morning we went to school at 8.15 as per school hours and then the activities scheduled at 9.00 began in the auditorium.&nbsp; It was a conference on immigration and emigration from the island of Cyprus, facilitated by its strategic position. This presentation, made by a public information officer of UNHCR, was also enriched by the testimony of an African boy who has been a student for about six years in the host school. During his story, he explained to us the various phases of his journey and how the two receptions were facilitated by the fact that he was a minor (now twenty years old) and how many migrants, for this reason, pretended to be younger. After the meeting, the various students went home in the saddler farewell party scheduled for the evening, and we Italians, equipped with those overflowing suitcases that accompanied us on this adventure, returned to the hotel where we spent the afternoon in the pool and the preparations for the imminent departure. In the evening, fragrant and embellished we returned to school where a table laden with traditional foods and four braziers were waiting for us with our hosts and their gifts for us. Exhausted by the dances and with a full stomach, we finally greeted each other among tears and hugs. That's how the countdown began in view of their trip to Italy, between promises of pasta dishes and pizzas that never ended up ready to wait for them.

nicole augeri classe 5 c Scientifico

Thursday 5th May was dedicated to the visit of the city of Paphos. During the visit, we got to see a real Greek archaeological site that took us back centuries ago. However, before getting to the heart of the day in the early morning we went to see a wonderful Greek theatre extensively restored over the decades that was nestled between the sea and the mountain and managed to visit the ruins of the temples now destroyed but better described Greek culture.

Ilenia Torresino classe 4 B classico

After a short bus trip, we went to another site where we had witnessed a short singing demonstration by a guy from Cyprus who showed us how the acoustics of the Odeon worked thanks to the help of a guide. The Odeon is a small theatre of the second century, which was extensively restored after its discovery. Today it is used in the summer for musical and theatrical performances. Inside there is also a white lighthouse, built in 1888 when Cyprus was under British administration. This light-house is the most impressive of all light-houses known on the island and is situated on a peninsula known as Paphos Point.&nbsp;

On May 7th we arrived at Larnaca Airport around 4.30am. After passing the checks, we headed for breakfast at Costa Caffè and the Austrian Airlines flight departed on time at 6.25am. As scheduled, we arrived at the Vienna airport at 8:25 am and to entertain ourselves before the next flight we went shopping, and then we had lunch around 1.15 pm at the Johann Strauss Restaurant. Finally, at 3.15 pm the plane left, and after this wonderful educational trip brought us back home, that is Catania where we arrived as scheduled at 5.15 pm.

Warp blue

At 1.15 p.m. we retired to our hosts' homes to have lunch and prepare for the trip. At 5:30 we went to Enaerios pier, from which our visit to the city of Limassol began. We saw the zoo, the library, the town hall, and the art gallery while walking through the most famous streets. Due to the limited time available, we did not linger much in our stops and at 8 we went to have dinner in a restaurant together, students and teachers.

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