VISIT TO ITALY (4 - 10 MAY 2010)

The third meeting of the project took place in Reggio Emilia – Italy – from 5^th to 10^thmay 2010.

20 teachers and 16 students from the partner countries participated in the project working sessions that were carried out at “A. Motti” hotel and catering school, at times working together, at times separately.

Traditional clothes, dances and songs from the various countries were presented and comments and curiosities were exchanged among the partners.

In the morning of Friday 7^th all participants were welcomed by a Mayor’s representative in the famous “Sala del Tricolore”, where Italy’s flag was created in January 1797, and could have a look at the main sights in town (Prampolini Square, the Cathedral, the Ghiara Sanctuary and the Municipal Theatre). In the afternoon, while teachers were busy showing recipe books with local specialities, the Comenius students gathered in the school’s Kitchen Lab and, guided by the skilled chef Vincenzo, created a delicious 4 course international menu that we could all taste together at dinner, served by some third class Waiting Skills students, trained by our maitre Gaetano.

On Saturday 8^th students were involved in volleyball and football tournaments at school, whereas teachers spent the whole day visiting Ravenna with its beautiful monuments and famous mosaics.

On Sunday 9^th teachers and students together reached Castelnuovo Ne’ Monti, a nice small town in the Pennines, where they could have a look at the majestic Pietra di Bismantova (the most characteristic mountain in the area, with vertical walls about 300m high), and visit a place where Parmigiano Reggiano cheese is produced and stored for maturation. After a brief stop at the Poiano Springs, we reached the school’s Folklore Museum, where hundreds of items and tools belonging to farm life tradition could be admired and where we could have a good time eating, singing and dancing all together.

The meeting was ended in the evening with a farewell party at school to which even the host families took part and that was enlivened by the participation of dancers from a local Liscio school.

We all spent great days together, the experience was extremely positive for teachers, students and families as well.