A new Comenius Project named „Join hands and hug Europe „ started in Vilkaviskis Primary school this September. The partnership consists of six European countries-Croatia(the coordinating country), Italy, Poland, The Czech Republic, Turkey and Lithuania. It‘s the first Comenius Project in our region where not only teachers of a primary education are involved in the mobilities but the students as well. The first meeting was organized on the 26th-30th of September in Vezzano Ligure, Italy. The coordinating teachers, the members of Project teams and school headteachers took part in the meeting. Our school was represented by Irada Miltiniene, our English teacher, our brave and smart fourth year students Miglena Mikuckaite and Juste Bunikyte and me, the headteacher of this primary school.
Italy welcomed us with evegreen cedras, proudly looking palm-trees, ripening bunches of grapes and olives. The Vezzano Primary school is situated in the same way as our own –in several different buildings in different places. We were met with sonorous Italian songs performed by talented Italian students and their Music teachers. The first days of our arrival were dedicated to present our schools and countries, plan the forthcoming activities as well as enjoy the first achieved results. We also looked around the neighbourhoods and came to know the Italian culture, traditions and cuisine. We visited the town of Serzana and the famous castle of marquize Malaspina. The first record on the castle dates back to the twelfth century. It was visited by Dante Alighieri, who supposedly envisioned the descending circles of Hell, that inspired the corresponding part of his Divine Comedy. According to the legend, Dante saw the great funnel-shaped cave lying below, surrounded by a series of ledges with the slopes converging to the stream.
On Thursday we went to the paradise on Earth, the Cinque Terre, which is a rugged portion of coast on the Italian Riviera. Clear as crystal the Ligurian Sea water, pebble beaches and rocky dot landscape, lovely villages left an indelible impression on each of our hearts.
When we came back to Vezzano Ligure, we had the last project meeting, a wonderful dinner together, exchanged our contacts and said goodbye to each other. The next April everybody is coming here, to Lithuania, to the Primary school in Vilkaviskis.
