Agrigento, Summer University 2012
Fifty participants from all corners of Europe – Spain, Russia, Ukraine, Serbia, Netherlands, Germany, Poland, Denmark, Slovenia, Slovakia, Hungary, the Czech Republic, above eighty applications for this Summer University, more than three months of organisers’ hard work, and we arrived in the Kingdom of SEAcily.
Akragas is the ancient name of Agrigento, one of the oldest cities in the Mediterranean. There is a UNESCO world heritage site called
the Valley of the Temples that we had the chance to see. We immersed ourselves in Sicilian culture and tasted the traditional Sicilian food. That way we have been in the centre of promotion of Agrigento’s culture Stoai. The municipality and the mayors of Realmonte and Siculiana welcomed the young European guests. The student association of Raffadali spent the evening with us in the restaurant and then in the foam party.
Except for the cultural visits, we visited the places with beautiful nature like Taormina, the world-famous luxury resort, Scala dei Turchi beach, the unique complex of completely white rocks, national park Torre Salsa.
Moreover, the goal of our Summer University is the study of Italian language. That way our group was divided according to the level: beginner and intermediate. The lessons were very lively and interesting. We have studied the true Italian language by “italiani veri”. The greatest opportunity that was given to us by the organisers was the stage in the net of Agrigento’s hotel.
Of course, every AEGEE event or Summer University has parties – many of them… Among them we had the foam party, the beach parties and the biggest party at Ferragosto Night with the night swimming. I should add that the warmest sea that I have been in in my life is the sea of Sicily. I think the temperature was the same as the body temperature.
“Akragas in the Kingdom of SEAcily”, this is the truth.
Written by Svetlana Zatyupa, AEGEE-Moskva