The document discusses landscapes and places in Spain, Turkey, Italy, and Romania that were visited or learned about through a Comenius exchange program. Some key highlights mentioned include the unique geography and history of Turkey, the fairy chimneys in Cappadocia, ancient ruins in Ephesus and Pergamon, and the rock formations in La Ciudad Encantada park in Spain. Students commented on enjoying learning about other cultures, making new friends abroad, and gaining confidence through the exchange experience. The program allowed them to visit beautiful places and appreciate multicultural perspectives.

1. SPAIN
LAND AND LANDSCAPE
This part of our project is a collection of places – landscapes: beauty and history!
Europe provides the planet’s majority of interesting historical past as well as gorgeous
landscapes and beautiful artwork selections, cultural values and archeological beauty.
This part of the world is exquisite which is beyond a match.
Our Turkish partners emphasized that Turkey is a unique country because of its
geographical location. Turkey is situated at the corner of Europe. The country straddles
the straits that divide Europe and Asia - the Dardanelles and the Bosporus - as well as the
Sea of Marmara. The enormous Asian part, known as Anatolian, shares borders on the
east and south with Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Iran, Iraq and Syria. As a result, traces
of centuries of history remain to be found. The region has been under the control of
many, including Mongols, Romans, Iranians, Arabs, Byzantines, Ottoman Turks,
Russians and Turks. The country is built on old and rich history, at the same time is a
member of modern world. Turkey represents a cultural mixture, a synthesis of east and
west, while it geographically bridges Europe and Asia. It combines natural beauties with
its 10,000 year-old heritage.
 We found out that Cappadocia is a picture drawn on the earth by nature, it is a
poem. It is situated in a region of exceptional natural wonders, in particular
characterized by fairy chimneys and a unique historical and cultural heritage.
Cappadocia contains several underground cities largely used by early Christians
as hiding places before Christianity became an accepted religion.
 We were fascinated by Pergamon that was an ancient Greek city in modern-day
Turkey. The Theater of Pergamon, one of the steepest theaters in the world, has
the capacity to include 10,000 people and had been constructed in the 3rd century
B.C.
 Mardin, one of the oldest settled areas in upper Mesopotamia, captured our
attention as it looks as an open air museum due to its historical architecture, most

2. of which uses the beige colored limestone rock which has been mined for
centuries in quarries around the area.
 The Roman ruins in Ephesus, in fact the largest collection in the eastern
Mediterranean, gave us some idea of the city’s original splendor. Ephesus is
believed to be the city of the Seven Sleepers. The story of the Seven Sleepers,
who are considered saints by Catholics and Orthodox Christians and whose story
is also mentioned in the Qur’an, tells that they were persecuted because of their
belief in God and that they slept in a cave near Ephesus for centuries.
 Kekova, a small uninhabited Turkish island of only 4.5 km² displays the sunken
ruins of Dolchiste/Dolikisthe, an ancient town which was destroyed by an
earthquake during the 2nd century. The Kekova region was declared a specially
protected area by Turkish Ministry of Environment and Forest in 1990 All kinds
of diving and swimming were prohibited and subject to special permits from
governmental offices.
 Side, constructed on a peninsula, a Hellenistic and Roman town contains an
important buildings – a 15,000 spectator theater. The difference between this
Roman theater and other antique theaters in the region is that it is not built against
a hillside. The 2 storey theater, built on a series of arches, is 20 m. high. Side has
colonnaded streets, a triumphal arch, a harbor, baths, fountains, cisterns,
aquaducts, temples and an agora.
From the Spanish presentation we learnt that Spanish territory also includes the Balearic
Islands in the Mediterranean, the Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean off the African
coast, and two autonomous cities in North Africa, Ceuta and Melilla, that border
Morocco plus Alborán Island, the Chafarinas Islands, Alhucemas Island and Perejil. A
global empire began which saw Spain become the strongest kingdom in Europe and the
leading world power for a century and a half and the largest overseas empire for three
centuries. It took the Romans nearly two centuries to complete the conquest of the Iberian
peninsula, though they had control of it for over six centuries. Roman rule was bound
together by law, language, and the Roman road. In the 8th century, nearly all of the

3. Iberian Peninsula was conquered by largely Moorish Muslim armies from North Africa.
Spain is full of charm and history.
 Teide National Park (Parque Nacional del Teide) is a national park located in
Tenerife (Canary Islands). It is centered around 3,718m Mount Teide, the highest
mountain of Spain and the islands of the Atlantic (it is the third largest volcano in
the world from its base). It was declared a National Park on 22 January 1954. The
park has an area of 18,990 hectares and was named a World Heritage Site by
UNESCO on June 29, 2007. The similarity between environmental conditions and
geological Teide National Park and the planet Mars have turned this spot volcanic
reference point for studies related to the red planet.
 La Ciudad Encantada The Ciudad Encantada ('Enchanted City') is a geological
site near the city of Cuenca, in Castile La Mancha, Spain in which the erosive
forces of weather and the waters of the nearby Júcar River have formed rocks into
distinctive and memorable shapes. On almost 200 hectares, the erosion gave free
rein to all its extravagance, with a strange result – a forest of rocks with fantastic
forms: monsters, animals, giants.
 Altamira cave is famous for its Upper Paleolithic cave paintings featuring
drawings and polychrome rock paintings of wild mammals and human hands. Its
special relevance comes from the fact that it was the first cave in which
prehistoric cave paintings were discovered. When the discovery was first made
public in 1880. The cave with its paintings has been declared a World Heritage
Site by UNESCO. Several painters were influenced by the Altamira cave
paintings. Picasso is often quoted as having declared "after Altamira, all is
decadence".
 St. James way is the pilgrimage route to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela
in Galicia in northwestern Spain, where tradition has it that the remains of the
apostle Saint James are buried. Legend holds that St. James's remains were
carried by boat from Jerusalem to northern Spain where he was buried on the site
of what is now the city of Santiago de Compostela. The Way of St. James has
existed for over a thousand years. It was one of the most important Christian
pilgrimages during medieval times, together with Rome and Jerusalem. The route

4. was declared the first European Cultural Route by the Council of Europe in
October 1987; it was also named one of UNESCO's World Heritage Sites. The
compostela is a certificate of accomplishment given to pilgrims on completing the
Way. To earn the compostela one needs to walk a minimum of 100 km or cycle at
least 200 km.
 The Segovia Cathedral is in late Gothic style and it was built between 1525 and
1577. Gothic vaults rise to 33 meters high and measures 50 meters wide and 105
long. The bell tower reaches almost 90 meters.
The Italian team marveled us with their presentation, too. The name Italia originally
applied only to a part of what is now Southern Italy. The Greeks gradually came to apply
the name ‘Italia’ to a larger region, but it was during the reign of Emperor Augustus (end
of the first century BC) that the term was expanded to cover the entire peninsula until the
Alps. Ancient Rome was at first a small agricultural community founded in the 8th
century BC, that grew over the course of the centuries into a colossal empire
encompassing the whole Mediterranean Sea, in which Ancient Greek and Roman cultures
merged into one civilization. National parks cover about five percent of the country. Italy,
as a country, seems to us a real museum.
 Alberobello is known as the Capital of the Trulli. The trullo is a fascinating
architectural feature of this area of Puglia, a building with conical roof made
without mortar. Alberobello has special status internationally - designated a
UNESCO world heritage site - because its collection of some 1,500 trulli in an
urban environment is unique.
 Pompeii is a partially buried Roman town-city near Naples. Pompeii was partially
destroyed and buried under 4 to 6 m (13 to 20 ft) of ash and pumice in the
eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79. Pompeii was lost for nearly 1700 years
before its rediscovery in 1748. Since then, its excavation has provided an
extraordinarily detailed insight into the life of a city during the Pax Romana.
Today, this UNESCO World Heritage Site is one of the most popular tourist
attractions of Italy.

5.  Venice is one of the most interesting and lovely places in the world. This
sanctuary on a lagoon is virtually the same as it was six hundred years ago, which
adds to the fascinating character. It is an engineering marvel, with marble
churches built atop ancient posts driven deep into the barene (mud banks) Acqua
alta (high water) has become a fact of life in Venice. The lagoon water level
occasionally rises above the level of the squares and streets, flooding them.
 Mount Vesuvius is best known for its eruption in AD 79 that led to the burying
and destruction of the Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum. It was
considered a divinity of the Genius type at the time of the eruption of 79 AD: it
appears under the inscribed name Vesuvius as a serpent in the decorative frescos
of many household shrines, surviving from Pompeii. The last major eruption was
in March 1944. The area around Vesuvius was officially declared a national park
on 5 June 1995. The summit of Vesuvius is open to visitors and there is a small
network of paths around the mountain that are maintained by the park authorities
on weekends.
 Amalfi coast is a mixture of history and nature, with a lot to discover: the
Cathedral of Amalfi, the villas in Ravello and the many churches. The Amalfi
coast features two wonderful places, the natural reserve of the ‘Ferriera’, and the
marine reserve of ‘Punta Campanella’. There are many traditional events on the
Amalfi coast: Saints days, and festivals and celebrations for everyone.
Europe is abundantly rich in natural attractions that contain old and valuable
constructions. The European continent is the second smallest continent in the world as
well as the sixth largest continent. It is very populated and it has an amazing array of
huge open spaces, some of which are remarkably unspoilt. Europe is considered as the
wealthiest continent of the world and it is the place where the western culture born. It is
also a place where the tourist from all over the world would like to visit at least one time
in their lifetime.
“When I first heard about this Comenius programme, my school got involved into, I was
very excited to be part of it because I was given the opportunity to meet other cultures.

6. During the stay in Spain we worked a lot on the project together with the other students
but we also had fun. After these activities we all came closer to each other.
But all good things end some time. Our return home was somehow our return back to real
life because the time we spent there was amazing, fantastic I might say. These
experiences made all of us better human beings. And now that all of this is over we all
have made friends outside our country’s borders and one day maybe we will find them in
front of us saying to us “Hi !” I am looking forward to doing a new project, maybe next
year, why not?”
Mihai
“The partner schools in this project are located in the following countries: Italy, Spain
and Turkey. At first, I must say, I was highly skeptical about it. Now, I’m very happy I
decided to participate in this project and I certainly would suggest to future student
generations to chase such an experience, if it’s possible.
Through this program I was given the opportunity to visit beautiful places, to meet nice
people, to make new friends, to discover new cultures, in a word to see new places and
new faces. I was in Melilla where we spent for a couple of days. I learned about their
habits and lifestyles. I learned to think and judge people and situations with multicultural
criteria. I learned to respect the particularities of the people we met there. I realized that
we are all humans first and only then Italian, Romanian, Turkish and Spanish. On my
return from this visit I knew that I had become more sensitive than I used to be.
Comenius mobilities are the most educational activities the European educational systems
can offer. It would be nice if I could work on a new project in the future.”
Dania
“My stay at the host family was something very interesting - they became my second
family. I have learnt to make Spanish traditional dishes, some I‘ll make for my family
when I get back. I liked the school, its friendly atmosphere, and the teachers who are
friendly to all students. I understood how important is to learn English. The project
helped me to improve speaking skills and to become more self-confident.”
Flaviu

7. “The exchange trip to Melilla – Spain which I was on has been very interesting for me. I
really think that it is an experience that everyone should have, because it is a fantastic
way to meet another culture and other people. I was pleasantly shocked when I learnt that
on that reduced territory three groups of people - Christians, Muslims and Jewish - can
friendly live together and contribute to the flourishing of this small piece of Spanidh land
on the African continent. I do not think that I will ever forget this journey and it will be a
very good memory. I also think the project about the beauties of our countries – Land and
Landscapes – was very good, and it was interesting to discuss topics related to this
subject and to admire the wonderful landscapes presented by our partners in the
Comenius exhibition. In conclusion, I liked Spanish food and the Spanish lifestyle.”
Alexandra