European Friends
Copyright © 2018
CONTENTS
About Us
Our Hometown
Christmas Traditions
School Life
Summer Destinations
Teams
About us
We are students from four European schools: 22nd Primary School of Chalkida, Escola dos 2º e 3º Ciclos de Aranguez,Setubal,Grigore Moisil’ National College, Bucharest and I.C.Giacomelli Senigallia Nord-Mercantini, Senigallia. We took part in the eTwinning project Young Journalists. We shared information, cooperated and created European Friends eMagazine! Enjoy reading!
HOMETOWNS
Chalkida, Greece
Setubal, Portugal
Bucharest, Romania
Senigallia, Italy
Chalkida, the city of “crazy waters”
by the Portuguese Team
Chalkida lies on the long narrow island of Evia, Greece’s second largest island. It is situated on the Euripus Strait at its narrowest point. It is the capital of the Island and it lies on both sides of Euripus Strait, with one part being on Evia Island and the other one on Central Greece. The city has 102000 inhabitants. It is only 80 km from Athens.
Its name comes from antiquity and derives from the Greek χαλκός (copper, bronze). Chalkida has been inhabited since the Paleolithic era. The earliest recorded mention of Chalcis is in the Iliad. It is also documented that the ships set for the Trojan War gathered at Aulis, nearby the city. Thanks to its strategic geographic position, the city has remained a crossroad of cultures and ideas over the centuries.
Chalkida is particularly famous for the tidal phenomenon that takes place in Evripos, the swift change of water direction every six hours, created by the Moon’s pull. During each change of direction, the water stops moving for about eight minutes. It may seem like a really small tide for those used to the Atlantic, but its behaviour is seen nowhere else on this planet.
Chalkida is full of history and sights and places of interest. The fortress overlooking the city is a great place to visit from where you can enjoy some wonderful views. There are many other interesting sights and attractions to see and enjoy such as the Red House which is the landmark of the city. There are a number of lovely beaches for swimming such as Agios Minas, Rodies and Asteria.
Winters are mild and summers are hot. On average, the warmest month is July and the coolest month is February. December is the wettest month and July is the driest month.
Interesting places to visit
The Archaeological Museum of Chalkida – You’ll find column capitals, funerary steles and statues from the Roman era.
Historic buildings – Among the beautiful old buildings you’ll find in Chalkida are the Red House, built in 1884; the House of Statues, constructed in 1891; the Town Hall, a mixture of baroque and Italian eclecticism; the Kriezoti mansion and the Karakostas manor.
The mosques – Of the eleven mosques that used to be dotted around the city only the one on Kotsou Street remains. The Emir Zade mosque was built in the first years following the Turkish conquest. There’s a fine collection of Byzantine mosaics and ceramics.
Let’s visit Chalkida!
Setubal,Portugal
Location, festivals and traditional food
by the Romanian Team
Location
The city of Setubal is located on the northern bank of the Sado River estuary, approximately 48 kilometers south of Portugal’s capital, Lisbon. It is also the seat of the Setubal District.
Festivals
The Setubal Music Festival is in its eighth edition. Every year are coming 1500 young people.
The people that invent the Festival welcome lots of outstanding artists from far away.
In this Festival the Portuguese Symphony Orchestra sings beautiful songs.
Traditional Food
The fish in Portugal is consumed very often. Balinhos de bacalhau are usually made of mixture of potatoes, bachalcau, eggs, parsley and onion. They are served as an appetizer.
Bucharest, “Little Paris”
by the Italian Team
Bucharest is the capital of Romania: it was mentioned in an official document the first time in 1459.It has six-hundred years history.
It was founded in the fifteenth century by a man called Bucur.He was a shepherd, or a prince,or an outlaw or a hunter, according to different legends.His origins are uncertain.
The name of the capital comes from this man..
Bucharest has a nickname too!! It’s called ” The little Paris ” Do you know why? In it you can see an elegant architecture, so it looks like Paris. Its monuments are a mix of historical, communist-era and modern.
The first road in Bucharest was the Wooden Road that is now the VIctory Road; the Xenofon street is the only staired street .It’s near the Carol Park that was inaugurated in 1906.
Bucharest is the largest city and the most important cultural, industrial and financial centre of Romania.It’s in the south part of the nation, on the banks of the Dambovita River, not far from the Danube River that is also the Bulgarian border.
The Dambovita River flows to the Arges River, a tributary of the Several Lakes ( Lake Herastran, Lake Floreasca, Lake Tei and Lake Colentina).
In the centre of Bucharest, the capital of Romania, there is a small artificial lake: it’s the Lake Cismigiu.
All around it there are the Cismigiu Gardens where in the past poets and writers went to meet.
Now they are the most famous recreational place for people .Opened in 1847, they are based on the plans of a German architect, Carl Meyer.
Bucharest has an urban area of 2.412.530 residents; it’s the sixth largest city in Europe and one of the main transportation hubs of Eastern Europe.
Bucharest is divided in six areas governed by a local mayor. The city has big convention facilities, educational institutes, cultural venues, traditional ” shopping arcades ” and recreational areas.
The city is full of historical buildings! The Palace of Parliament is in the centre of the capital and it’s the largest administrative building in the world!It housesthe Senate, the Chamber of Deputies, three museums!
The Vacaresti Nature Park is a wetland with 90 bird species, reptiles, amphibians, invertebrates and otters , a protected species.
The Arch of Triumph is in the nothern part of Bucharest: it was inaugurated in 1936. On 1st December militar parades take place under it.
What a nice city!!
A Poem about Bucharest
by the Italian Team
The Little Paris.
In the east of Europe there’s a marvellous city..
If you don’t know it..what a pity!
Its name is Bucharest
and it’s the capital of Romania.
Where is it?
On the banks of the River Dambovita,
near the River Danube.
What can you see in it?
The Palace of Parliament,
The Arch of Triumph,
The Vacaresti Nature Park…
What else?
Lots of historical monuments
and a staired street too!!
The Little Paris is a perfect city for tourists and for you!
Is it one of the nicest cities in the world?
Maybe…go and see!!
Senigallia: More Than Just A Beach Town!
by the Greek Team
Senigallia is a beach town in Central Italy. Its name comes from ‘Sena Gallica’, the colony the Romans founded after their victory over the Senones. Therefore, the name Senigallia is of Latin origin.
Senigallia is in the province of Ancona, only 30 kilometres from the city of Ancona. The region is called Marche a name dating back to the Middle Ages. The area has got kilometers of beaches since it is on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. The town is built on a plain with hills and mountains surrounding it. One can see the Appennine Mountains when in Senigallia. The port of the town is at the mouth of the River Misa, the main river of the area with two bridges.
44.700 people live in Senigallia. The majority of them are Italian. However, people from other countries and their families go to live in Senigallia every year. Most of them are Albanian, Romanian, Moroccans and Pakistanis. The people of Senigallia used to be farmers. However, nowadays most of them work in the tourist sector as waiters, cooks, receptionists and shop owners since Senigallia is a popular tourist destination.
Winters in Senigallia are mild. It rarely snows. Summers are hot with the temperature reaching 42 C. Therefore thousands of tourists enjoy the sun and the sea on ‘Velvet Beach’, a long, beautiful, sandy beach awarded with the blue flag.
Apart from lying on ‘Velvet Beach’ or enjoying your meal in one of the town’s restaurants there are places of interest to visit starting with Fenice, an archaeological area with ruins of Roman houses. You cannot miss Rocca Roveresca, an old fortress built by the Romans. It used to be the house of the family that ruled Senigallia in Renaissance times. Nowadays art exhibitions and musical events take place there. Another sight which is worth visiting is Portici Ercolani, a row of arcades in the old town that hosted the trade fair. There are also three squares to visit in Senigallia; Cathedral Square which is a particularly large square, Duke Square with its fountain and Foro Annonario, a round square. Last but not least, Rotonda, a round and white building overlooking the sea.
There are so many good reasons to visit Senigallia!
Interesting Facts about Senigallia
Senigallia is twinned with three famous European cities; Chester in the UK, Lorrach in Germany and Sens in France.
People in Senigallia use their bikes to go to work.
Senigallia is famous for Saint Agostino Fair taking place in August. You can find everything there!
The most famous summer event is Summer Jumboree dedicated to the American decade of the 50s. People from all over the world visit Senigallia, dress like Americans did in the 60s, sing, dance and taste American food.
CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS
Greece
Portugal
Romania
Italy
Letters to Santa from Evangelia Ropaka on Vimeo.
Christmas in Greece
by the Italian Team
People in Greece used to start Christmas decorations on December 6, Saint Nicholas Day.
Many years ago they decoreted a boat with many lights! Nowadays people decorate a tree, such as in many other European countries.
Greek women, mums and grandmas make sweets: melamakaroma and kourabiedes.
On Christmas Eve children get up early and go from house to house singing Christmas Carols such as on the New Year Day.
A lot of people go to the 5 o’clock service on December 25.On Christmas Day they eat roast pork or stuffed turkey.
When it’s the New Year Day people have dinner eating ” VASILOPITIA”, a special cake with a coin hidden in it.
The lucky one who finds it will be lucky all the year. On this day kids get presents!
People celebrate Saint Basil’s Day on January 1.
Another Greek tradition is that of “KALIKTZARY”: troublesome goblins during the twelve days of Christmas have fun playing tricks on people.
They leave on the day of Epiphany.
Christmas in Portugal
Christmas in Portugal
by the Greek Team
Christmas Decorations
In Portugal people decorate streets and homes with Christmas lights. On December 8, Virgin Mary’s Day, they decorate their houses with Christmas trees and the Nativity Scene which they call ‘Presepio’. There are different kinds of ‘presepios’. Some of them have dozens of members. However, most families have one with the holy family and the animals.
Christmas Food and Desserts
On Christmas Eve families get together and have dinner. Portuguese people call their traditional Christmas meal Consoada. It consists of codfish with green vegetables and boiled potatoes.
After dining some people go to church to attend the Mass of the rooster service which is called Missa do Gallo in Portuguese. After the service people return home and have a meal which traditionally consists of roasted turkey, goat or lamb. The menu includes delicious desserts such as Lampreia de ovos (a sweet made with lots of eggs), arrozdoce(rice pudding), Rabanadas (French toast) and filhos which are fried dough desserts sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon.
Christmas Presents
At midnight, on December 24, Santa Claus or Baby Jesus brings children their presents and puts them under the Christmas tree. Sometimes children find their gifts near their shoes beside the fireplace.
Bolo Rei -Three Kings Bread
Bolo Rei is a traditional sweet Portuguese people eat on January 6 to celebrate the day of the Three Wise Men. Bolo Rei is not actually a cake but sweet bread with dried fruit, walnuts and almonds. They put a bean and a coin in it. The person who finds the bean is expected to buy the Bolo Rei for the following year. The one who finds the coin is blessed with good luck throughout the year.
What follows is a comparison between the Greek Vasilopita and the Portuguese BoloRei.
Vasilopita vs Bolo Rei
|
Vasilopita |
Bolo Rei |
|
| Type of Dessert | cake | sweet bread |
| Decorations | icing sugar, almonds | dried fruit, walnuts and almonds |
| Day of the year | New Year’s Eve | January 6 |
| Celebration | Saint Basil’s Day | Three Wise Men Day |
| Little surprises in the desserts | A coin | A bean and a coin |
| Meaning of the little surprises | Coin =Good luck | Bean :Who buys the next Bolo Rei
Coin : Who is blessed with good luck |
Christmas in Romania
by the Portuguese Team
At the beginning of December streets and houses are decorated with Christmas lights and a Christmas tree.
In Romania, Christmas celebrations start on the 6th December and finish on the 7th January. On the 6th December, they celebrate Sfantul Nicolae’s Day (St Nicholas). On the evening of the 5th December, children clean their shoes or boots and leave them by the door and hope that Sfantul Nicolae will leave them some small presents!
They celebrate St. Ignatius’s Day on the 20th December. It is traditional that families that have pigs kill one on this day. The meat from the pig is used in the Christmas meals.
On Christmas Eve, children sing carols from house to house and they get sweets, fruit, traditional cakes called ‘cozonaci’ and sometimes money.
In Romanian, Merry Christmas is ‘Crăciun Fericit’. In Romania Santa Claus is known as ‘Moş Crăciun’ (Old Man Christmas), and ‘Moş Gerilă’ (Old Man Frost).
For Christmas they eat Roast Gammon and Pork Chops; ‘Sarmale’ cabbage leaves stuffed with ground pork and served with polenta; ‘Cozonac’ a sweet sponge cake with nuts and cocoa filling; Romanian doughnuts called ‘gogosi’ and cheesecakes.
On New Year’s Day, children wish people a Happy New Year while carrying around a special bouquet called a ‘Sorcova’. Is made with a twig of an apple or pear tree and it’s decorated with flowers made from colored paper.
Christmas in Italy
Christmas in Italy
by the Romanian Team
Did you know that…?
The Christmas season lasts for 3 weeks in Italy. It goes from December 17 to January 6.
During this time children go from home to home singing carols and playing songs on shepherd pipes, while they’re wearing shepherd’s sandals and hats.
On Christmas Eve, it’s common that no meat and no dairy is eaten. Instead, they eat a light seafood meal and then people go to the Midnight Mass service. When they return from Mass, if it’s cold, they have a slice of Italian Christmas Cake called ‘Panettone’ , witch is like a dry fruity sponge cake.
Epiphany is also important in Italy. On Epiphany night, children believe that an old lady called ‘Befana’ brings presents to them.
In parts on northern Italy, the Three Kings might bring the presents rather than Befana.
On Christmas day, ‘Babbo Natale’(Santa Claus) brings small gifts to children, but the main day for present giving is on Epiphany.
SCHOOL LIFE
22nd Primary School of Chalkida
Escola dos 2º e 3º Ciclos de Aranguez,Setubal
‘Grigore Moisil’ National College, Bucharest
I.C.Giacomelli Senigallia Nord-Mercantini, Senigallia
School Life in Greece, Portugal, Romania and Italy: A study
School life in Greece
A poster by the Romanian Team
based on the video below
Our School on Biteable.
School life in Portugal
by the Italian Team
The school of Aranguez is in the south of Portugal: it was built in 1984.
It has five blocks and a large outdoor.There are sports facilities too! In the block A there are : the teacher’s room, the ICT room, the library, the headmistress’s office and the auditorium.
In the outdoor area there is an interesting place: the “Borboletarium” where butterflies live and grow.
You can see also the vegetable garden, the playground, the football pitch, the basketball yard and the sports pavillion.In the other three blocks there are laboratories, the art and music classrooms and the normal classrooms for everyday lessons.In the block B there is the canteen and the cafeteria becouse students have lunch at school.Their school subjects are: Language, English, History, Geography, Maths, Science, Art, ICT, Music, P.E., R.E. and Citizenschip.
During the school year students have some English activities such as Halloween and Christmas parties, Valentine’s Day and the English tea party.What a marvellous, interesting and fun school!
Lessons start at 9:00 a.m. and finish at 18:30 p.m. Students are 740 and they have some different clubs:Sports, Healty food, Choir, Scratch, Robotics, Chess..
In Portugal in the primary basic education there are 3 cycles from 6 to 14 aged.In the first cycle students are from 6 to 9 years old.
A day in the life of a 5th grader
A video by the Greek Team based on the article below
I wake up every morning at 6 AM but I stay in the bed for another half an hour: I enjoy stealing more morning sleep and hiding in my pillow fortress.
After some mandatory chores like washing, breakfast or feeding the cat, I finally head to the school. It starts early in the morning, at 7:30 AM, and I have to leave no later than 7 o’clock.
I don’t like being late but sometimes it happens as the Bucharest traffic is not at all easy. Fortunately my teachers understand the situation and I never get an absence just because I was 5 minutes later.
We have classes all morning until 13.20(Monday and Friday) and until 12.20 (Tuesday and Thursday). At Wednesday we have Maths courses and stay at school until 3.20 PM.
Every class is fifty minutes long and between two classes there is a break of 10 minutes. Even short, we love these breaks as we are talking between us, playing games, running in the school yard or just eating a sandwich. Sometimes we have lunch at the school restaurant but not very often as the breaks are so short! It costs 10 lei(~2.5€).
After school I go home (sometimes walking, sometimes by bus, sometimes with my mother) and arrive around 2 PM, on a regular 6 hours school day.
I take the lunch around 2:30 PM and half an hour later, around 3 o’clock, I start doing homework. It’s a lenghty process and quite boring sometimes, so I will not describe it. I admit, I’m not very efficient with it and I could certainly get it done way faster, but I choose to focus on every little detail that I have to learn. It also doesn’t help when maths or biology is combined with loud music … but that’s more funny in this way.
I finish my homework at around 6 PM, sometimes even later, and then I have dinner.
After dinner, I sometimes read a book, listen to (more) music, browse the internet, or watch TV.
Before I go to sleep at 9.30 PM, I make a short shower, I brush my teeth and then I go to bed for a new day at school.
School life in Cesanella Primary School Italy
by the Portuguese Team
In Cesanella Primary School there are eight classes and about 130 students, each class has from 15 up to 25 students and four teachers. Students wear school uniforms – a checkered overall, white and pink for girls, white and blue for boys. There are twelve classrooms, a library, an art lab, a gym, a garden, a vegetable garden and a large open area. There isn’t a school canteen because students have lunch at home.
The school year starts at mid-September and ends in the first week of June. During the school year, there are some breaks: the Christmas holidays, the Easter holidays and other holidays throughout the year. Lessons start at 8:20 and finish at 13:00. Students go to school from Monday to Saturday only in the morning. On Saturdays, lessons end at 12 o’clock. There is a break time from 10:30 up to 10:50 time. During the break time, students can play, eat a snack and enjoy themselves in the garden if the weather is nice. In a week they have 27 lessons hours. Their subjects are Italian, History, Geography, English, Maths, Music, Art, Science, Religion, P.E.. Students receive a school report twice a year: in February and in June.
The school has very interesting projects: on Wednesdays, students eat only fruit during the break time. They also respect nature and have the waste separation. Another interesting Project is the BULLYING DAY: every year in February, every student wear something blue, that is a symbol to beat United this problem. They read, watch videos and talk about the subject.
They often go on school visits: they go to the theatre, to see monuments or to visit other towns. At the end of the school year, all the students of the school go on a trip together. They go to a lake or on mountains and have a picnic. They have lots of fun together!
At Christmas, they make a big tree and the crib, every student brings something to make them. They also make some special events for Christmas.
They have a big party at Carnival. At the end of May, they have a great feast in the school garden. Parents help them to prepare something good to eat with the products of the vegetable garden and in the afternoon they eat all together. They sell the products. And the money is used to buy school material for all the students. At the end of May, they also have the SPORTS DAY!During this day they have team matches.
At the end of the school year, in June, they have a big party with teachers and parents: they sing, dance and sell the products of the vegetable garden.
We really enjoyed this school. You are very lucky!
SUMMER DESTINATIONS
Ithaca, Greece by the Portuguese Team
Sintra, Portugal by the Greek Team
Mamaia Beach, Romania by the Italian Team
Amalfi Coast, Italy by the Romanian Team
Mamaia Beach
by the Italian Team
Mamaia beach is one of the most popular resorts on the Romanian Black Sea. It is situated in the north – east part of Costanta .It lies on a strip of 8 Km in length between the Black Sea and lake Siutghiol. Mamaia is a sand beach.
It’s a district of Costanta. It has almost no full-time residents because people arrive at Mamaia beach in June and leave in September . .
There are many 4-5 star hotels, camping sites and private clubs, restaurants, and discos.
The first hotel was built in 1906, but it was destroyed by a fire. So another hotel was built in 1935.
There is a refreshment zone for adults and children ; there is an aquatic park and a cableway where tourists go up to admire the landscape
At Mamaia beach during the summer there are music and dancing events. The climate is very mild with warm summers and fresh winters; in summer the temperature is between 25° and 30°. The sea water stays warm until mid autumn.
Time for fun!!!!
Amalfi Coast
by the Romanian Team
Italy’s Sun-Kissed Amalfi Coast
Guess the missing words!
Amalfi Coast is a blend of both natural and cultural wonders. It includes dramatic coastline with terraced vineyards, 1. …………, and pastures. Amalfi communities often cluster along cliffs, add their own 2 . ………… charm to the natural beauty of the coast.
Kind climate, abundant 3. …………, and natural beauty have drawn people to this coast for many centuries, and the Greeks, Romans, Normans, Saracens, Arab-Sicilians, and many others have left their mark.
Today Amalfi is a 4. …………center, but in the 11th and 12th centuries the city centered the Amalfi Maritime Republic and was a naval power. Until the 1800s the coast’s steep terrain meant that overland access to the region was possible only by 5. …………. However, the Amalfi Coast has changed irreversibly since then. One of the most enjoyable things to do while visit the coast is to simply find a 6. …………where you can enjoy the atmosphere of the place.
8 letters (plural) – an area of land where fruit trees are grown
11 letters – (of a place or building) visually attractive
9 letters (plural) – a useful/valuable possession or quality of a region, country or person
7 letters – someone who visits a place for pleasure and interest, usually on vacation
4 letters – an animal used especially for transporting goods
4 letters – a particular place
Greek Team
Alexandra Papadimitriou
Charoula Kostopoulou
Dimitris Angelou
Giorgos Kalogridis
Ioannis Angelou
Ioannis Synnefias
Irene Dimou
Kassandra Trakada
Maira Papageorgiou
Marinos Synnefias
Marios Theodorou
Mela Matsouka
Nikos Efthymiadis
Paraskevi Karvouni
Stefanos Skourtis
Vangelis Chatzistamou
Teacher : Evangelia Ropaka
Portuguese Team
Ana Frazão
Beatriz Duarte
Carolina Palma
Daniela Brandão
Duarte Batista
Filipe Aldeias
Francisco Silva
João Sousa
Margarida Segurado
Maria Pereira
Matilde Cruz
Rafael Lopes
Rodrigo Saldanha
Tiago Carvalho
Teacher : Solange Delicado
Romanian Team
Ada Voinea
Andrei Gînju
Bianca Bivolaru
Catinca Orlescu
Clara Bobosatu
Daria Pampu-Romanescu
David Cecăreanu
Ioan Stefan
Ioana Stănoiu
Laura Mărmureanu
Medeea Alexandru
Rares Constantin
Tiberiu Bogoi
Timeea Constantinescu
Victoria Pătan
Teacher : Ana -Maria Ghioc
Italian Team
Abdul Ali Hamar
Beatrice Pistelli
Chiara Barcaglioni
Davide Marchetti
Davide Tarsi
El Khalil Kadja
Elena Santarelli
Emili Jiulia
Francesco Tranquilli
Gaia Bartolacci
Gaia Giacometti
Giacomo Mattioli
Giorgio Mirashi
Giulia Luzietti
Giulia Pesaresi
Luca Gregorini
Sofia Belardinelli
Valentino Api
Teacher : Amina Mondaini
Published: Jun 1, 2018
Latest Revision: Jun 1, 2018
Ourboox Unique Identifier: OB-490177
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