Erasmus+, Project Children of a Green World – Meeting in Nafpaktos, Greece

The first day of Erasmus+ Project Children of a Green World started at Second Primary School of Nafpaktos with an Icebreaking activity where we had to get to know the other pupils. This was followed by presentations of each participating countries, tour of the school facility and a workshop on traditional Greek dance. In the afternoon, we had a picnic with tasting of wonderful traditional Greek food. Afterwards, we moved to a local park where another programme took place: recycling competition and archery. In the evening, we went to a local tavern to enjoy dinner with other teachers and pupils.
We loved every part of the programme and we are looking forward to another activities.

On the second day of our stay we started with a trip to KOTRONIS Packaging, a company that produces plastic packaging. We watched a presentation about plastics and their recycling, we saw how plastic packagings for various products are made (cheese, yoghurt, cereals…) and also visited the warehouse where all the produced packagings are stored and transported. All plastic products of this company are 100% recyclable and every product that uses this company’s packaging has a label and certification on it.
Then, we went back to our partner school and started working on a glossary of environmental terms (in the language of each country involved in this project). After finishing the glossary, we had few hours of free time where we went swimming and relaxing/sunbathing on the beach.
After this free time, we walked to the Venetian Nafpaktos Castle, where we had a spectacular view of the whole Nafpaktos. We also went out for dinner right afterwards, where everyone had a delicious pizza from a local restaurant.

The third day’s programme started with a presentation of the school’s garden, where we saw different kinds of vegetables and herbs. Afterwards, we watched a documentary called A Day in a Life of the Earth, followed by a short discussion.
The next activity was an Upcycling Workshop where we planted basil into jars which we decorated with upcycled things. The aim of this activity was to spread awareness that some things don’t have to be thrown away and can be reused or maybe even used in a different way.
This activity was followed by lunch at a local restaurant. Apart from a minor accident in the form of a broken chair (by David) everything was perfect.
For the last programme of the day we took the bus to the Rio-Antirio Bridge, which has been there for almost 20 years, and had a short presentation about its construction.
We still had some free time in the late afternoon, so we split into two groups. Part of us went to see the local castle again and the other part walked around the town.

The fourth day, we went to the local library where we had the opportunity to watch a presentation about its history and all free time activities that are held there. The presentation was followed by a podcast with local ancestors about the fact when they have first heard the word “recycling” and if they recycled or otherwise helped the environment in their youth. Afterwards, we had a quiz to test our knowledge about recycling and a tour of the library itself.
After the tour, we went to Nafpaktos Town Hall to meet with the municipality, from whom we received a beautiful glass plaque.
In the late afternoon, we were invited to the End of the School Year Ceremony where we saw many performances related to recycling and environmental protection. The performances were followed by Erasmus+ partners certificate awards and various Greek dances. We really enjoyed the atmosphere of the Greek night.

The fifth day started with a visit to Zelios Botanical Garden, where we had a guided tour. We saw and smelled many local flowers and herbs. After the tour, we had a hike through nearby forest to the river (Evinos River) and back, which was followed by lunch at a local restaurant and relaxing on the beach.In the evening, we met up again with the other participants of the project and drove together to a nearby village for a delicious dinner. We had a great time with other participants, ate Greek national meals, played volleyball and had the opportunity to dance Greek, Turkish or Latvian dances.

On the last day, we had a daily excursion to the archaeological site and museum of Delphi, a place with a rich heritage. We walked landscapes and paths that ancient Greeks used to walk in the 6th century B.C., when Delphi was a religious centre. Inside, we saw many ruins, Ancient Market, Treasury of the Athenians, Ancient Theatre, Ancient Gymnasium, Temple of Apollo, Sphinx of Naxos, marble and teracotta statues and much more.
According to a myth, Zeus sent two eagles from two ends of the universe. These eagles met above the Mount Parnassos and made the sanctuary of Delphi a symbol of unity and centre of the universe.
After amazing six days full of gained experience, exchanged ideas and fun, we had to say goodbye and headed home. We are looking forward to the next LTT in Latvia.