Sunday, March 29, 2009
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Our second day
After having spent the whole morning going round the museums of Thessaloniki in the afternoon we had free time for seeing the seafront and the shopping areas of the city.
We all had lunch in the city and then spent the afternoon just sightseeing a little.
Down on the seafront most of the students and Guillem decided to take the bus home early as they were tired. Jordi and I stayed around enjoying the sun and the sea for a while longer with the Polish teachers and some of their students.
The funny part was that when we finally decided to go back to the hotel by bus we got the bus just in front of the national theatre and at the next stop all of our students and Guillem got on the bus as well. They had been waiting at the bus stop all that time for the bus while we had been having fun down by the sea.
We all had lunch in the city and then spent the afternoon just sightseeing a little.
Down on the seafront most of the students and Guillem decided to take the bus home early as they were tired. Jordi and I stayed around enjoying the sun and the sea for a while longer with the Polish teachers and some of their students.
The funny part was that when we finally decided to go back to the hotel by bus we got the bus just in front of the national theatre and at the next stop all of our students and Guillem got on the bus as well. They had been waiting at the bus stop all that time for the bus while we had been having fun down by the sea.
Our first day
Breakfast on our first day, we were all up and ready at 8 am, which for us was actually 7 am as there is one hour's time difference here in Thessaloniki. It was also good as we had only gone to bed four hours before, more or less.
Anyway we found the dining room and sat down to coffee and croissants. The first person I saw as I walked in was one of the German students Rico. "Hey Nico, how are you?" I said, " no it's Rico, " he answered. Damn! As we were eating all the other countries slowly started to arrive. The germans, the Polish etc. etc. It was fun to see familiar faces come in through the door.
Eventually the other teachers also arrived and we were able to greet old friends and introduce them all to Jordi.
Soon we were all on the buses again and travelling through the streets of Thessaloniki on a guided tour. We picked up a guide and were told all about the city as we drove around. Soon we headed up towards what we were told is the old part of the city, the part of the city inside the old city walls. Here we stopped and got off the bus to admire the view. Before carrying Jordi down we all decided not to tell any jokes!
The view was spectacular from the point just outside the walls. We could see all across the bay and even to Mount Olympus on the other side, something that you can't often see.
The different groups were still a little wary of each other and were only talking in their own groups. While we were there I started talking to one boy from Cyprus, Marios, and as he said he is a Barça fan I called over Gemma and introduced him to her... because she is a Real Madrid fan. Slowly some of the students started talking to others and when group photos were taken we all got a little mixed up, which was good.
Our tour continued with a visit to the waterfront and the White tower. This, they said, is perhaps the most emblematic of the tourist attractions in the city. It is a tower built during the time of Ottoman rule and was used as a prison and for torturing the local people. They told us the tower was painted white to hide the marks of the blood.
More group photos.
After the tower we went of to see a church, I can't remember the name at the moment, in the centre of the city. A very spectacular building inside it was really nice to see, and also nice to see inside that the students were already talking between themselves.
It was beautiful weather and very pleasant down by the sea. The afternoon was reserved for project activities and Nikos had told us that we would have something to eat at his school at about four in the afternoon as the students' parents were bringing in food for everyone. This sounded a little late to most of us so we got the driver to drop us near the hotel and most of us got something to eat from places around there, kebabs were very popular.
Anyway we found the dining room and sat down to coffee and croissants. The first person I saw as I walked in was one of the German students Rico. "Hey Nico, how are you?" I said, " no it's Rico, " he answered. Damn! As we were eating all the other countries slowly started to arrive. The germans, the Polish etc. etc. It was fun to see familiar faces come in through the door.
Eventually the other teachers also arrived and we were able to greet old friends and introduce them all to Jordi.
Soon we were all on the buses again and travelling through the streets of Thessaloniki on a guided tour. We picked up a guide and were told all about the city as we drove around. Soon we headed up towards what we were told is the old part of the city, the part of the city inside the old city walls. Here we stopped and got off the bus to admire the view. Before carrying Jordi down we all decided not to tell any jokes!
The view was spectacular from the point just outside the walls. We could see all across the bay and even to Mount Olympus on the other side, something that you can't often see.
The different groups were still a little wary of each other and were only talking in their own groups. While we were there I started talking to one boy from Cyprus, Marios, and as he said he is a Barça fan I called over Gemma and introduced him to her... because she is a Real Madrid fan. Slowly some of the students started talking to others and when group photos were taken we all got a little mixed up, which was good.
Our tour continued with a visit to the waterfront and the White tower. This, they said, is perhaps the most emblematic of the tourist attractions in the city. It is a tower built during the time of Ottoman rule and was used as a prison and for torturing the local people. They told us the tower was painted white to hide the marks of the blood.
More group photos.
After the tower we went of to see a church, I can't remember the name at the moment, in the centre of the city. A very spectacular building inside it was really nice to see, and also nice to see inside that the students were already talking between themselves.
It was beautiful weather and very pleasant down by the sea. The afternoon was reserved for project activities and Nikos had told us that we would have something to eat at his school at about four in the afternoon as the students' parents were bringing in food for everyone. This sounded a little late to most of us so we got the driver to drop us near the hotel and most of us got something to eat from places around there, kebabs were very popular.
Flying out to Greece
We had got there in really good time and so had a lot of it to kill at the airport. Most of the students went off to look around the airport and Guillem, Jordi and I went for a cup of coffee.
We were soon joined by Abraham, Marcel and Fran and we sat talking and looking at things and people. Then Abraham decided to get out his supper and feed everyone. He had these marvellous maccarons, carefully prepared and wrapped up which we were all able to enjoy.
I am not sure he finished them all, but nearly.
At six O'clock we checked in and went through to air side. We again had a lot of time to waste, which we spent looking around... well we did. Guillem was on the phone for most of the time.
We flew first to Zurich, a really short flight, and then we had to change planes and take a second one from Zurich to Thessaloniki. We expected about an hour at changeover but in the end we were only there for ten minutes before someone came to take Jordi through to the plane and we all had to board.
On the plane I sat near Maite as Ferran had told me she had screamed at take off on the first flight and I wanted to film her if she did it again. This film is on the video camera and I will post it later, but no, she didn't scream. Ferran spent most of his time reading a magazine that talked about how to pick up girls, the most homework I have ever seen him do.
We arrived with no problems in Thessaloniki to find it at 3 degrees, very cold for us. Outside the airport as Nikos had arranged we had a bus waiting for us. Again no adaptation so again we had to manhandle Jordi onto it ourselves. It was at this moment that Jordi, as we were half way up the stairs, decided to crack a joke. Something about "this would even be fun with a whisky and coke..." and we all started laughing. We were laughing so much we almost dropped him!
We got to the hotel, were dropped off, and again getting Jordi off the bus this time Guillem said something stupid and we all started giggling and laughing... this time we didn't drop Jordi but half pulled his trousers off. This was the start of a difficult habit.
We walked around lost at this bleak, dark hotel that had no visible entrance (well it did but it was a building site) and no bell or anything. Finally Thomas, our bus driver, rescued us and took us in to the reception area. It is a conference hotel and has several different buildings.
We registered and said hi to some of the German students who were leaning on their balcony and calling to us... impressive as this was three in the morning.
Finally we all got to our rooms and... went to sleep? Noooooo. Gemma couldn't close the door on her room and we had to get the man from reception to show her how to do it. Then... well anyway eventually we did get to sleep.
We were soon joined by Abraham, Marcel and Fran and we sat talking and looking at things and people. Then Abraham decided to get out his supper and feed everyone. He had these marvellous maccarons, carefully prepared and wrapped up which we were all able to enjoy.
I am not sure he finished them all, but nearly.
At six O'clock we checked in and went through to air side. We again had a lot of time to waste, which we spent looking around... well we did. Guillem was on the phone for most of the time.
We flew first to Zurich, a really short flight, and then we had to change planes and take a second one from Zurich to Thessaloniki. We expected about an hour at changeover but in the end we were only there for ten minutes before someone came to take Jordi through to the plane and we all had to board.
On the plane I sat near Maite as Ferran had told me she had screamed at take off on the first flight and I wanted to film her if she did it again. This film is on the video camera and I will post it later, but no, she didn't scream. Ferran spent most of his time reading a magazine that talked about how to pick up girls, the most homework I have ever seen him do.
We arrived with no problems in Thessaloniki to find it at 3 degrees, very cold for us. Outside the airport as Nikos had arranged we had a bus waiting for us. Again no adaptation so again we had to manhandle Jordi onto it ourselves. It was at this moment that Jordi, as we were half way up the stairs, decided to crack a joke. Something about "this would even be fun with a whisky and coke..." and we all started laughing. We were laughing so much we almost dropped him!
We got to the hotel, were dropped off, and again getting Jordi off the bus this time Guillem said something stupid and we all started giggling and laughing... this time we didn't drop Jordi but half pulled his trousers off. This was the start of a difficult habit.
We walked around lost at this bleak, dark hotel that had no visible entrance (well it did but it was a building site) and no bell or anything. Finally Thomas, our bus driver, rescued us and took us in to the reception area. It is a conference hotel and has several different buildings.
We registered and said hi to some of the German students who were leaning on their balcony and calling to us... impressive as this was three in the morning.
Finally we all got to our rooms and... went to sleep? Noooooo. Gemma couldn't close the door on her room and we had to get the man from reception to show her how to do it. Then... well anyway eventually we did get to sleep.
Our second day, in the morning museums
The morning of our second day was spent visiting the two main museums of Thessaloniki, we went to the Archaelogical museum first and then the the Byzantine museum.
The Archaelogical museum
The Byzantine museum
We had an official English speaking guide for both of the museums and followed the tour round both of them. Photos were not allowed so we can't put many here.
The museums were both very impressive, the archaelogical one because it traced the history of the city of Thessaloniki from its origins and the Byzantine one because of all the beautiful artwork that is in the museum.
By this time on the second day we could see that our students were already talking to a lot of the other students.
The Archaelogical museum
The Byzantine museum
We had an official English speaking guide for both of the museums and followed the tour round both of them. Photos were not allowed so we can't put many here.
The museums were both very impressive, the archaelogical one because it traced the history of the city of Thessaloniki from its origins and the Byzantine one because of all the beautiful artwork that is in the museum.
By this time on the second day we could see that our students were already talking to a lot of the other students.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Train to Barcelona
So here started our journey to Thessaloniki in Greece, one O'clock in the station in Tortosa.
Everyone got there on time and we all left on time. A triumph of organisation, but then this was the easy part.
The only small problem we had was getting Jordi on the train as Tortosa has no provision for people in a chair so we had to lift him onto the train, as Guillem likes to say about me lifting him up the steps "his eyes were bulging out of his head". Then we found that his chair wouldn't go through the door to the carriage so he was stuck in the door area. Still the rest of it was uneventful.
At Barcelona Sants we were met by Francesc's brother Marc, an old students of mine too, who now lives just next to the station. This was nice and as he said, it was better than spending the morning sat on the sofa.
The shuttle train from Sants to the airport was great, brand new and totally adapted to people in a wheelchair. We arrived at the airport on time and then Jordi got told off for smoking in the airport!
Everyone got there on time and we all left on time. A triumph of organisation, but then this was the easy part.
The only small problem we had was getting Jordi on the train as Tortosa has no provision for people in a chair so we had to lift him onto the train, as Guillem likes to say about me lifting him up the steps "his eyes were bulging out of his head". Then we found that his chair wouldn't go through the door to the carriage so he was stuck in the door area. Still the rest of it was uneventful.
At Barcelona Sants we were met by Francesc's brother Marc, an old students of mine too, who now lives just next to the station. This was nice and as he said, it was better than spending the morning sat on the sofa.
The shuttle train from Sants to the airport was great, brand new and totally adapted to people in a wheelchair. We arrived at the airport on time and then Jordi got told off for smoking in the airport!
Thursday, March 12, 2009
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