Last day of activities in Altavilla - Sightseeing in Palermo and Farewell party

 11 November 2022 - On our last day in Sicily, we visited the Sicilian Capital Palermo. We started at the Botanical Gardens and continued sightseeing in the town centre. We had time to wander around the town and admired the buildings from different time periods and the rich historical sites and heritage. 

In the evening, the school, in collaboration with the Town Hall, invited us to a farewell party with wonderful food and an amazing Erasmus Cake. We had music and dances and some farewell tears too…

It has been a wonderful experience for all the participants, we have learned a lot of things and we have had a lot of fun as well.

This is a summary of our Erasmus Plus mobility in Sicily

Fourth day in Altavilla - Mazzamuto National Park and the Town Hall

 10 November 2022 - On Thursday we visited the Mazzamuto cave and the woods surrounding the cave. We took part in the Altavilla’s School project “Each child plants a tree”, so all of us planted a tree in the Mazzamuto area. We enjoyed the wonderful landscape and the rich flora of the island, which is threatened by forest fires in the summer.  Italian students explained about the plants and trees of this protected area.

After lunch, we visited the Town Hall and we met with the Mayor of Altavilla. We also visited an art exhibition of paintings done on tin, which was quite unique.

Third day in Altavilla - Learning about Sicilian Heritage and Collecting rubbish on the beach

 9 November 2022 - In the morning we met at the school and we learned about the UNESCO World Heritage Sicilian puppets. The “maestros” told us about how they are made and how to perform with them. We also saw a show, which was very interesting and entertaining.

Later, a local artist, Tommaso Provenzano, helped us create beautiful bookmarks that we could take home.

After that, we walked to a very well preserved Norman bridge called “Saracen Bridge”. Then, we went on walking until we reached the beach, where we stopped for lunch.

In the afternoon, we created international groups and we spent some time collecting rubbish on the beach. We worked hard and realised how much rubbish people leave behind…

In the evening, the host families took us on a boat ride to San Nicola. This was an exciting experience with amazing views of the Sicilian coast.

Second day in Altavilla - Students’ Presentations and visit to Cefalú

 8 November 2022 - On our second day in Altavilla, we visited the primary school in the town. Later we had the schools’ presentations, our students presented the activities done on Waste Management. They did a great job!.

They learned from the other schools about environmental problems affecting the waters and shores of Sicily and Lithuania.

In the afternoon, we visited Cefalú. A picturesque town near Palermo. We had a wonderful time wandering around and eating delicious “gelato”.

This is our presentation on the actions we have taken at school to improve sustainability around us:

First day of our mobility in Altavilla (Sicilia)- Opening ceremony and recycling workshop

 7 November 2022 - After receiving a very warm welcome from our host families yesterday; today, we have been welcomed by the school’s orchestra and traditional dances and we had a welcome ceremony in our honour. 

After a break we learned how to recycle paper creating a photo frame and coasters using the paper quilling technique. 

After lunch, they taught us the traditional dancing routines. We all tried, but it was more difficult than it looked.

Later we had a great evening with our new friends and host families.