Greece kick off English

  • KA229 Food for thoughts in Greece

    Between October 8 and 12, 2018, the second training meeting was held in accordance with the Erasmus project's program. Through this meeting we managed to discover the educational system of Greece, strengthen ties between our centers and prepare future exchanges of students.

    The program of activities and visits designed by the host center was very diverse. Here is a brief impression of it.

    Tuesday 9, visit to the school

    1st EPAL of Piraeus is a vocational secondary school. Almost 60 teachers work in 1st EPAL of Piraeus and almost 400 students aged between 15-19 attend school curriculum.

    The departments of technical and vocational courses that operate are Mechanical and Car Engineers-Air Conditioning, Electronics, Electrical, Structure, Financing and Management, Tourism, IT, Food Technology and Agricultural.

    The school mission is to cultivate a suitable environment that will facilitate the creative activity, will educate and prepare the next generation, in order to it satisfy the needs and the challenges of our modern time.

    The most remarkable thing that we observe is the great illusion and performance of this whole community to achieve its objectives. At the same time, we appreciate that there is a degree of collaboration with local companies.

    Another aspect to highlight is its social involvement, collaborating with the Tzaneio hospital by making blood donations and holding informative meetings on health issues.

    On the other hand, due to the current economic situation, a large number of its students have serious economic problems. This has meant that many teachers dedicate extra time to attend the needs of complementary training so that students can acquire better qualifications.

    Wednesday 10 Acropolis

    On the morning of Wednesday, we can visit the acropolis with a great cicerone: Sofocles the History teacher in 1st EPAL of Piraeus. It was a great luxury.

    The Acropolis of Athens is an ancient citadel located on a rocky outcrop above the city of Athens and contains the remains of several ancient buildings of great architectural and historic significance, the most famous being the Parthenon. Although the term acropolis is generic and there are many other acropolis in Greece, the significance of the Acropolis of Athens is such that it is commonly known as "The Acropolis" without qualification. During ancient times it was known also more properly as Cecropia, after the legendary serpent-man, Cecrops, the first Athenian king

    After lunch we dedicate ourselves to discover the different corners that surround the Acropolis; such as the National Museum of the Acropolis and the districts of Plaka and Monastiraki.

    Plaka is known as the neighborhood of the Gods due to the proximity to the Acropolis and today still retains part of its ancient legacy.

    Monastiraki is one of the most interesting and lively areas of Athens. Its name comes from the monastery of the homonymous square.

    Thursday 11, visit to Markou Vineyards

    On Thursday morning driving our way to the winery of Markou Vineyards we were totally unsuspicious... We thought we would only meet a family merely dealing with wine.

    Eventually we discovered that Markou family -with a history of 150 years in winemaking- is also intensively involved in modern and traditional dining and restaurants, educational visits, events and so much more! Today, the youngest generation of the family, five loved cousins, run five different companies.

    Business Acumen, as everyone runs the Company he/she has undertaken or founded! However, what is even more interesting is that each family member helps all the others and that all businesses complement each other and operate collaboratively. It is no exaggeration to say that Markou family has managed to create a miniature of the perfect society!

    The winery of "Vineyards Mark" exploits the production of 100 acres of private Mediterranean vineyard and 100 acres of private vineyard in Nemea Peloponnese.

    The varieties of grapes grown in the vineyards are Savvatiano (native of Attica), Agiorgitiko (native of Nemea), Assyrtiko, Rhoditis, Athiri, Moschofilero, Moschato, Malagousia, French Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah and the Italian Trebbiano.

    The winery is open to visitors who want to get to know the winemaking process closely. Near the Winery, in a highly aesthetic area, ideal for wine tastings and events, the Wine Museum with historical exhibits of the Family is hosted. One corner of memory, suitable for getting acquainted with the labels of the estate.

    Thursday evening, visit to mines of Laurion and the Sounio archaeological site

    After lunch we headed to Lavrio.

    The mines of Laurion, or Lavrion, are ancient mines located in southern Atticabetween Thoricus and Cape Sounion, approximately 50 kilometers south of Athens, in Greece. The mines are best known for producing silver, but they were also a source of copper and lead. A number of remnants of these mines (shafts, galleries, surface workshops) are still present in the region.

    The mines were exploited in prehistoric times as a source of copper and galena, a lead ore. In the classical period, mining in the area resumed. The Athenians used large numbers of slaves to mine the area, with the silver produced contributing significantly to the city's wealth. Abandoned in the 1st century BC, the mines were "rediscovered" in 1860 and mined for their lead by French and Greek companies until 1977.

    Returning to Athens, Temple of Poseidon

    The temple of Poseidon, the ancient Greek god of the sea, dominates the southernmost tip of Attica, where the horizon meets the Aegean Sea. Perched on the craggy rocks of Cape Sounio, the temple is enveloped in myth and historic facts dated from antiquity until the present times.

    Thanks for everything!

    The degree of satisfaction that we have achieved in this meeting has been enormous, being able to verify that the illusion, the effort and the commitment of all the members of the 1st EPAL center of Piraeus are the stigma of their educational philosophy.

    Clermont Ferrand our next meeting