Impressions of the Turkish Group about Comenius Trip To Athens

2. AYŞE ÖZLEM
It was a great trip for me
Thank you so much for your hospitality
I got happy to see that your and our culture is so
close to each other
Thank you for your close interest

3. GÜLHAN BALCI
My most specific impression in Greece trip was the similarity
between The Turkish and Greek cuisine,
All of the foods seem alike both in ingredients and cooking
Also the music and the folk dances are similar to each other
The Greek teachers welcomed us very warmly
The students came closer and socialized more
Greece also resembles to our Aegean Coast with its nature
I am pleased with the trip and project
Thanks to those who contributed to it

4. HASAN SEVINC
When we arrived at the Airport of Athens, we were welcomed warmly. The Greek team,
especially Athina, with the German and Polish team welcomed us very warmly sincerely. The
hotel’s central location and the similarity of between its region and our historical peninsula
made us very happy.
On the second day, The Acropolis Temple and its museum were excellent and amusing.
Greece has a deep-rooted culture. In the tavern, the food and the music were very good
The greeting at the school was very warm. Especially the sweets we tasted, the principal’s,
teachers’ and the students’ warm welcome, the shows of the students and of course those
delicious food were perfect.
Moreover, the tour to the island, the sun, the sea and its historical fabric was fantastic, the
fish we tasted there was very delicious
We loved the Poseidon Temple, the view was unforgettable, but the time was short
We have a historical and cultural similarity with Greece and a deep-rooted friendship
between people; Greek people are very warm-blooded, and friendly
I thank to all the teachers especially Athina and Christianna; I am very happy to be in this
project.
I hope to see those friends again; of course the German and the Polis team were very good
people; I hope to see them again

5. ISKENDER ER
 Greece trip was my first time abroad. First of all it was exciting to see a different
country and meet a new culture. We arrived at Greece after a good flight. It was
important for me that we were welcomed very warmly and I could see around from
the bus. As a Social Studies teacher the first thing that took my attention was that
there were large fields for agriculture between the airport and the city; because in
Istanbul you cannot even the the soil. At our first night even if we had difficulty
with the cuisine; then we got used to it and I saw that it is more or less with Turkish
cuisine
 On Tuesday, our visit to Acropolis was very good. I had the chance to see all around
Athens. I saw that Acropolis and Parthenon Temple gives the inheritance of
humanity from thousands of years ago. I can say that the problems between
countries do not affect people very much as the Greek team was very friendly; being
together in the same region and affected by the same culture made our
conversation easier. Our dinner meeting showed us that even if we come from
different countries we can have a good time with same songs
 On Wednesday, I was excited as it was the day for presentations of four different
countries. I understood that Greece and Turkey have small differences. The Show of
students was worth watching. When we went to school the welcome and the sweets
were very nice. It is like our saying ‘Eat sweet, speak sweet’. When we entered the
hall, the preparation was very good. The tables were well organized and perfect
foods were waiting for us. Especially the honey Athina tasted us was very good. It
made me happy the students’ singing and folk dances. I thank to Athina for ‘Horon’.
After the meeting Kifissia was very calm and beautiful. Especially I still remember
the taste of ice-cream ı ate there. The Greek students’ interest for us was pleasing.

6.  On Thursday, our trip to Hydra was the peak of our Greece trip. After the good
voyage to the island, The Hydra Island welcomed us with its unspoiled
architecture and the White houses in the middle of the blue sea. The barbuni
we ate was delicious. We walked up and down in the narrow streets. When we
were leaving, we felt sad. When we came to the port, leaving from the Greek
students was a bit difficult. It was very good to come closer with the people in
four days without knowing their language but with body language.
 On Friday while wandering around Plaka and shopping ı was both feeling sad
about leaving and happy about to going to my children. We said goodbye to the
German group and I looked around while going to Poseidon. After a delicious
dinner, Poseidon welcomed us; especially its view was perfect. We had little
time so we took photos of it.
 After our five-day-trip I understood that in spite of being from different
nationalities; we have many similarities between Greece and Turkey; so it made
easier for us to wander around without difficulties and have fun. I admired the
streets’ cleanliness. Our Greek coordinator Athina’s hospitality despite her
father’s illness was worth admiring. This trip enabled us to make friends from
different cultures. This was the purpose of the tour, anyway.

7. SADULLAH CATAK
 Within the Comenius Project, we flied to Greece on 20th April
2015. In the airport, the groups coming from Poseidon tour
welcomed us. As we knew most of the members of Greek,
German and Polish groups, it was an exciting welcome.
 In Greece, as it planned before, we visited places such as
Acropolis, Acropolis Museum, Gastronomy Museum, Agora,
Kifissia, Hydra Island and Poseidon. We took short trips to the
grocery, fish and meat, and gift bazaars of Athens. We went to
the school for one day for project presentations and attended
other activities there.
 Athens is a historical city. In most places we visited we ran into
ruins of historical cities. We found the opportunity to see the
effects of the battles between the civilisations in the past on the
concrete culture. Most of the historical places in Acropolis and
Acropolis Museum had been destroyed and reconstructed.
When we research the history of the world, we see how the wars
destroyed not only the humans but also the knowledge and
culture of humanity.

8.  I saw that our culture and Greek culture mostly resemble each other. Especially, we were
acquainted with most of the food names there. When we entered the tavern, the Greek
name for the night club, we danced and had fun. I didn’t use to know how our life styles,
our music and our cuisine resemble to each other.
 Hydra Island and our journey to there were really magnificent. The island’s air and the
sea were very clean. We enjoyed much from wandering around on the island and from
the food we tasted. While we were visiting the museum on the island, the kitchen goods,
the clothes, the furniture and the other things were really acquainted. Our students and
we really liked Hydra Island.
 The activities at school were very valuable for us. Each country presented the projects
they prepared. Our students had a chance to learn about the lives, daily routines and
their eating habits of other students. The students of the host school sang us songs. We
had fun. We had a chance to taste the home made food. I had been in a school of a
foreign country for the first time. The host teachers were lively, smiling and interested.
They gave local gifts to each guest.
 The project was very profitable for both the teachers and the students that participated in
it. Our students tried hard to communicate with the other students. They asked the thing
they wonder about them. They told about themselves. They tried to learn their language.
They had time with the friends that they thought they would never communicate with.
They had fun, they ate and they wandered around together. They sadly said good-bye to
each other in the end.

9. GÜLCAN YILMAZ
 I want to write my impressions about our trip to Greece first in detail then generally
 On our first day, we got off the plane and the other teams began to run towards us
and cried ‘Welcome’ in Turkish, and all of the teachers and students hugged us very
warmly; I wasn’t expecting such a nice welcome.
 We arrived at our hotel; it was in the center of the city, so we could walk around very
easily. At first as we were very hungry we tasted Souvlaki for the first time, and we
liked it because it is like our food ‘Döner’. Then we made a short discovery around
The Monastiraki Square, Agora, Plaka etc.
 On the second day, we visited Acropolis firstly with the help of the guide; so she told
us everything about it. We could see all around the city from Acropolis. As our
students knew something about the Myth of Athina and the temple; they were
willing to see the temple; they took lots of photos there.
 Then we visited the Acropolis museum, it had a magnificent building. The museum
had the original sculptors of the Acropolis. The students bought lots of souvenirs
from there; but they began to feel tired after some time.
 After the museum we visited Varvakios Market; it contained meat, fish fruit and
vegetable parts; the meat and the fish were sold outside the shops, it was very
strange for us. And the prices were almost the same as ours.
 We were very hungry when we arrived at the Gastronomy museum; there was an
exhibition at the entrance (dried fish symbolizing our life, kitchen utensils
symbolizing Greek cuisine and culture and baklava). Then the students prepared
Caciki (drink with youghurt and cucumber) and Greek salad; and they were served
with pasta; we ate them greedily as we were starving!

10.  Then we had a free time to rest for the night because we had a meeting in a Greek tavern. I
was very excited as I was going to a tavern for the first time in my life. We had a perfect
time there; I think music connects all kinds of people from everywhere; most of the people
began dancing and I was happy to see that some of the songs were the same as ours.
 On the third day I was very excited because we had presentations! At first, when we went
to IGME, the students sang songs for us; we enjoyed it very much. And the big event came;
we presented our films of our project ‘Daily Routines and Eating Habits’; The Turkish
group’s film was approved and I got very happy as an coordinator teacher.
 After the presentations, we visited the 12th Gymnasium Acharnae School. There was a
perfect welcome for us; everyone was waiting for us at the gate of the door with their
welcome cartoons in their hands. We tasted the sweets at the entrance; especially I loved
the rose sweet; and I liked the tradition to welcome guests with sweet. Then we visited the
laboratory of the school and watched the experiments of the students with our Chemistry
teacher.
 Next; we tasted Greek cuisine foods and at the same time we watched dance shows of the
Greek students; everything was wonderful. Some of the foods are the same as our Turkish
cuisine; for example moussaka and sweet called Revani.
 After the visit; we went to Kifissia (one of the richest places in the city) and drank coffees
there; we had a meeting about our project and prepared o to do list for the rest of the
project.
 On our fourth day, we went to a Greek island, Hydra, with a sea bus. When we arrived at
the island the weather was cloudy but then The Sun came out. At first we visited an old
building of artists living and studying there; then we visited a house of the person who
made the Greek revolution.
 In the afternoon, we sat at a tavern and ordered fish for the teachers and souvlaki for the
students; the food was delicious. After lunch, we wandered around the island and sat at a
café near the seashore; it was an uforgettable day for us.

11.  There was going to be a farewell meeting at the terrace of our hotel; but as
everybody was exhausted it was cancelled.
 On the fifth day; we said goodbye to the German team and went to The Poseidon
Temple. We talked about the myth of the place with the students. It had a
perfect view. I think it was one of the most beautiful views I had seen in my life.
On the way back, we used the road near the coast, so we saw the rivieara.
 When we came back to the city center, we wanted to see the Soldier change in
front of the Parliament Building in Syntagma Square. The soldiers were wearing
shoes each of which was three kilos.
 And on Saturday we said goodbye to that wonderful city and country.
 My general impression about our trip to Greece; first of all it is a very clean and
neat city, I never saw a litter on the ground. Also the toilets are always clean; this
is very important for me because it is the sign of a country’s contemporary level.
And the city is peaceful and not so much crowded as İstanbul in Turkey. There is
not so much traffic also, for this reason.
 The Greek people do not look for too much luxury, I think. As there were not so
many luxurious cars around the city. The car drivers do not drive too fast even if
there is no traffic jam.
 We have lots of similarities between Greece and Turkey; the people, the history,
historical places, weather, cuisine etc. I was happy to discover these similarities.
 The most important thing is that I loved the friendship and hospitality of Greek
people.
 The project enabled us to see the similarities and differences between the Greek,
German and Polish team. For instance, the German and the Polish team also
seem alike in many ways. Food is one of the best connections in countries, so it
helped us to come closer and know each other better.


12. THANK YOU
FOR
YOUR
HOSPITALITY
(TEŞEKKÜRLER!)