Aphrodite's guests
Cyprus - the island where the froth of the waves once gave birth
to Aphrodite. Cypriotic hospitality and November days like
summer: The Philips European Hellenic School of Nicosia hosting
the annual meeting of the Comenius partnership project "Multiculturalism".
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Professor
Philippos Constantinou, President of the Philips College, and Dr.
Eleni Constantinou - Chrysostomidou, Headmaster of the Philips European
Hellenic School
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In
the course of 3 work sessions which were held first in the rooms
of Philips School, then on the premises of nearby Philips College from
November 6th to 8th, 2007, results of the current project work were
presented and new undertakings and dates for further meetings were
agreed upon - a task which turned out to be not easy.
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Coordinator Giovanni Florian with students from Francfort and Nicosia and the delegation from Luebeck.
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A big thank you goes to the conference host, Eleana Mourouzi , and the management of both school and college.
Not only while having conference sessions, during which students of
Philips School turned each coffee break into a culinary experience,
but also when
sightseeing or going out for evening activities did our hosts not only
fully meet our expectations but went far beyond:
The historic museum and the collection of icons, initiated by
Archbishop Makarios III, the mosque near Larnaka, and last but not
least, the traditional Cypriotic meze will always stay in our memories.
Multiculturalism needs to be lived and experienced: visiting the occupied Turkish-Cypriotic
section of Nicosia rounded off our impressions, and the multitude of
languages spoken at the conference and in the more informal
activities were proof of what inter-cultural communication and
enrichment can live up to.
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Students of Philips European Hellenic School
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Staying
in hotels near the ancient city centre the visiting Comenius
partners - from Luebeck: coordinator Susan Wessin, headmaster Peter
Flittiger, and Winfried Harz - found easy access to the treasures of
the historic centre - not to forget the new perspectives gained from
the viewing platform of the Ledra tower department store.
Most delegations used the free day after arriving for excursions
in rented cars, following excellent roads and , obviously,
driving on the left, via Limassol to
Paphos, getting a multitude of impressions of the various phases
of Cypriotic history: the Greeks, Romans, Crusaders, Venetians,
Osmans, and finally the British; they all left their characteristic
marks behind.
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Kolossi Tower near Limassol, built in 1454 by the Grand Commander of the order of St. John of Jerusalem
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World famous mosaic floors, Paphos (3rd century AD)
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Bathing in the sea at Aphrodite's rock is supposed to be rejuvenating - maybe there is indeed some truth in the ancient legend!
Winfried Harz
14.11.2007
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| Photos: © W. Harz/S. Wessin
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