LTT in Alfaro

Project Meeting in Alfaro, Spain.

From 7th to 12th May 2023, Erasmus+ teams from our partner schools came to Alfaro and visited our School La Salle-El Pilar to participate in the 6th and last project meeting of the Erasmus+ project “Climate And Threats on Cultural Heritage”. The Spanish school welcomed 29 students and 11 teachers from the Serbian, Italian, Turkish, Polish and Slovak partner schools, who spent the project week learning about our city, its natural and cultural heritage, and participating in environmental activities with our students who were really excited to be part of such an outstanding school event.

At the official opening event of the project meeting, Rubén Bermejo, the project coordinator, welcomed the delegations from the Turkish, Italian, Slovak, Serbian and Polish partner schools. After welcoming speeches by the main coordinator and the head teacher, the Spanish students gave a presentation about Alfaro and their region. and summary video of all the previous LTTs was shown. The welcome event was topped with all the students and teachers singing our 'anthem’ (’Another trip round the world’ Pink Floyd’s classic adaptation)

After a short visit to our schoool facilities and the ice-breaking games, all the group headed for the Town Hall where the Mayor was waiting for them to offer them a warm welcome and to express his gratitude for the visit and the hard work all the partners had put in the project. Everyone was given a present from the Mayor and he, in return, was also given several gifts from the visiting delegations.

The first day was meant for Alfaro activities only: a visit to local Graccurris Roman museum with an English guide and Graccurris Roman archeological site, They also visited San Miguel collegiate and the world famous stork colony and they took a group picture from the church viewpoint. There was also time for a project activity at our school: Preparing the posters about Energy Saving,  Renewable Energy Sources and Wastewater Usage.

During the project week, the guests also visited (with English guides at all times) the institutional winery and olive oil mill ‘La Grajera’ managed by the regional government of La Rioja and Las Bardenas Reales desert, which is a semi-desert area with soils made up of clay, chalk and sandstone and have been eroded by water and wind creating surprising shapes, The Erasmus group also took a trip to Zaragoza to visit the Basilica of El Pilar, Seo cathedral, the Muslim Palace of La Aljafería and the four Roman museums: the forum, the river port, the Roman baths and the theatre.

On the last day they could see one of the most important and better preserved Celtiberian settlements in Spain, Contrebia Leucade, a city carved into sheer rock after visiting the interpretation museum of this spectacular city. In the afternoon, all the teams went on a guided tour to the Nature Reserve of 'Sotos of the Ebro river’ in Alfaro, a great place for walking and bird-watching. The day ended with a surprising and very much enjoyed visit to Alfaro’s bullring, where the Spanish coordinator explained what the running of the bulls and bullfighting are about.

The final event of the project week was a farewell dinner and the award ceremony of the Erasmus+ diplomas, followed by a live flamenco concert and a student ball which was the perfect moment to say good-bye hoping to meet soon again in the future.