GRUNDTVIG projekti

Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country located in south-central Europe. It is a long peninsula shaped like a boot, surrounded on the west by the Tyrrhenian Sea and on the east by the Adriatic. It is bounded by France, Switzerland, Austria, and Slovenia to the north. The Apennine Mountains form the peninsula's backbone; the Alps form its northern boundary. To the south it consists of the entirety of the Italian Peninsula, Sicily, Sardinia — the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea — and many other smaller islands. The territory of Italy covers some 301,338 km2 (116,347 sq mi) and is influenced by a temperate seasonal climate. With 60.4 million inhabitants, it is the sixth most populous country in Europe, and the twenty-third most populous in the world. The independent states of San Marino and the Vatican City are enclaves within Italy, whilst Campione d'Italia is an Italian exclave in Switzerland.

  As a member of the European Community and NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization), Portugal plays a greater role in both European and world affairs than its size would suggest.

Palermo is the capital of Sicily and its largest city - stupendously sited in its own wide bay underneath the limestone bulk of Monte Pellegrino. The city is noted for its rich history, culture, architecture and gastronomy, playing an important role throughout much of its existence; it is over 2,700 years old. Palermo is located in the northwest of the island of Sicily, right by the Gulf of Palermo in the Tyrrhenian Sea.

  The Phoenicians founded Palermo as a trade port in 700 BC, and a long string of rulers followed. Carthage was the first to conquer it, followed by the Romans, who named it Panhormus. After the fall of the Roman Empire, the Vandals took over, followed by Arabian rulers who turned Sicily in to an emirate. Palermo transformed in to a magical city with mosques, minarets and markets.

  During the crusades, the city's wealth was discovered by the Normans who conquered the city, but continued building on the Arabian legacy of tolerance and enlightenment.

Thanks to its rich and varied history, Palermo and its surrounding areas are full of architectural treasures. There is a Norman cathedral, several Baroque churches, opulent palaces, Doric temples and converted mosques—just to name a few. San Giovanni degli Eremiti (St. John of the Hermits) is a church near the Palazzo dei Normanni. The church is notable for its brilliant red domes, which show clearly the persistence of Arab influences in Sicily at the time of its reconstruction in the 12th century.

  The Teatro Massimo (Greatest Theatre) is one of the largest theatres in Europe (7730 mq), a Neoclassical masterpiece started by Giovanni Battista Basile in 1875, and completed by his son, Ernesto, in 1897. Recently restored, it is now the lyrical temple of the city, staging the opera and ballet official season.

  Palermo cuisine is rustic but exciting mainly thanks to the influence from the many rulers of the island have had over the years. The Arabians introduced couscous and raisins, the Spanish brought hearth sausages and fried dishes.

Meat dishes are always popular. Many are traditionally made with lamb or goat but Palermo is renowned for its seafood. Grilled swordfish is popular. Smaller fish, especially snapper, is sometimes prepared in a vinegar and sugar sauce.

Carini is a town from 13 miles by rail WNW of Palermo. It has a population of 35,000.

  Carini is a medieval city and still has beautiful marble houses, and cobblestone streets. There are many historic churches but the largest must see site in Carini is the Castle of Carini. The Castle was started in 1075 and finished in 1090. Upon visiting the castle you will hear the horrid tale of the princess of the castle. Carini Castle was built by the first Norman feudatory Rodolfo Bonellosu a previous Arab construction. From an artistic and architectural medieval walls and go back to the twelfth century. Elements Arab / Norman can be seen in the second door of the Castle, where the arch ogive continued the momentum. Top is the shield of the family Abbate. The portals are surmounted by shields that are a symbol of the crane family Grua The others show three clods of earth, probably a symbol of Chiaramonte. The castle became famous as the scene of a tragic story: December 4 1563 Women Laura Lanza di Trabia Baroness of Carini, the wife of Don Vincenzo La Grua - Talamanca, was killed by his father for reasons of honor along with alleged lover Ludovico Vernagallo. A legend tells that on the anniversary of the crime would appear on a wall of the room where Laura was killed, the imprint of the left hand bloodied by Baroness killed.

Portugal is the country lying along the Atlantic coast of the Iberian Peninsula in south western Europe. It is bordered on the East and North by Spain, and on the West and South by the Atlantic Ocean. Occupying about 16 percent of the Iberian Peninsula, Portugal has a total area of 35 672 square miles, occupied by ten million people. Despite its small size, the country displays a great persity of geographic features, creating a contrast between plain areas and extremely mountainous zones.Until the 1970s, Portuguese overseas territories included the Cape Verde Islands, São Tomé and Príncipe, Portuguese Guinea, Angola and Mozambique (all in Africa), Macau (in Asia) and Timor (in Oceania). Of these, by the late 20th century, only Macau remained a Portuguese dependency, now under China’s dependance. As a member of the European Community and NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization), Portugal plays a greater role in both European and world affairs than its size would suggest.

Porto

Facing the big lodges of port wine to which it gave its name across the river Douro, Porto is Portugal´s second largest city and there is a certain feeling of rivalry towards Lisbon. But although its ancient roots have been preserved with pride, a modern and lively commerce makes it a thriving city and its traditional importance as an industrial center does not diminish the charm and character of its old quarters or even of the newer and busy avenues, shopping centers and quiet residential blocks. The Cathedral area deserves to be explored, with its various monuments, such as the Renaissance church of Santa Clara, and the densely populated quarter of Barredo, which appears not to have changed since medieval times.
The riverside quarter of Ribeira is also delightful, with narrow streets, typical houses and picturesque life-style: it has been recently restored and now includes fashionable restaurants and bars.
Porto affords many other attractions, monuments and museums, as well as a cultural agenda which has been steadily improving.
With a well-known gastronomy and hospitable population, it is also the starting point to explore the river Douro in an unforgettable journey upstream.

Gondomar

Located on the right bank of the River Douro at a mountainous zone cut by fertile valleys, Gondomar is an ancient town whose history goes back, according to legend, to the year of 610, when the Visigoth king Flavio Gundemario explored this region rich in gold mines. However, archaeological finds discovered at Mount Crasto, the county's highest point (129 metres, 423 ft.) and from where a magnificent panorama over Gondomar and Oporto may be enjoyed, indicate that the zone was inhabited from a much earlier period. Bathed by the River Douro along an extension of about 30 kilometres (19 miles), the county offers good conditions for fishing and water sports such as rowing or canoeing, besides pleasant fluvial beaches like the ones of Gramido, Marecos or Esposada. The bucolic scenery and riverside views along the marginal road which links Gondomar to Entre-os-Rios are also much appreciated by visitors; at some sites, such as Valbom, typical fising boats known as valboeiros may still be seen.
In terms of architectural patrimony, it is worth admiring the Mother Church of Gondomar, completed in 1727, the Baroque chapel of Our Lady of Lapa (18th century) and several manors and noble houses, such as the House of Montezelo (17th century), at Fânzeres, or the manor of Quinta da Bandeirinha, at Melres, from the same period and exhibiting a beautiful ceiling of Baroque woodwork.
The county is also renowned for the work of its goldsmiths, a tradition kept for centuries and probably due to the existence of gold mines in the region which were already explored by Visigoths and Celts. Filigrees in gold and silver are particularly admired, with their intricate design resembling lace which is attributed to the influence of the Moorish occupation. The gastronomy of Gondomar, traditionally a land of fishermen, specialises in lamprey and shad, cooked in several guises, but there are other typical dishes, such as arroz de mílharas (rice with fish roe) and turnip soup.

  Being located at the crossroads of Asia, Europe and Africa, makes Turkey one of the most geopolitically strategic countries of the world. Because of having the shortest inter-continent routes, it is also a unique bridge between Eastern and Western civilizations, as well as between different faiths. The center of major trade and migration routes, Turkey has Georgia, Armenia, Nachichevan and Iran to the east, Bulgaria and Greece to the west and Iraq and Syria to the south.

  Turkey is linked to the oceans through the Black Sea, the Aegean and the Mediterranean seas. The Black Sea opens up to the world through the Bosporus, the Dardanelles and the Marmara Sea.

  Turkey is a member of a variety of international organizations such as the United Nations, the Council of Europe, the North  Atlantic  Treaty  Organization   (NATO),   Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, World Trade Organization (WTO), Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC), the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization and the Economic Cooperation Organization, and it is also continuing accession negotiations for full EU membership.

  3% of the landmass is located in Europe and is called Thrace, the 97% in Asia is called Anatolia, and the total time difference between the easternmost and westernmost points is 76 minutes. Turkey has total land borders of 2,875 km and a coastline of 8,333 km. and 783,562 square kilometers The total population in 2010 is 76,500,000.

  Turkey, an elevated and mountainous country has all types and ages of geological formations, and with an average height of 1,132 meters it is even higher than Asia (1,010 meters), which is known as the highest continent.

  İzmir, historically Smyrna, is the third most populous city of Turkey and the country's largest port after İstanbul. It is located in the Gulf of İzmir, by the Aegean Sea. It is the capital of İzmir Province. The city of İzmir is composed of 9 metropolitan districts (Balçova, Bornova, Buca, Çiğli, Gaziemir, Güzelbahçe, Karşıyaka, Konak, and Narlıdere), each with its own distinct features and temperament. The total population in 2009 is 2,550,000. The total area of the nine districts is 855 km².

  İzmir has almost 3,500 years of urban past, and possibly that much more of advanced human settlement. It is Turkey's first port for exports and its free zone, a Turkish-U.S. joint-venture established in 1990, is the leader among the twenty in Turkey. Its workforce, and particularly its rising class of young professionals, concentrated either in the city or in its immediate vicinity (such as in Manisa), and under either larger companies or SMEs, affirm their name in an increasingly wider global scale and intensity.

  The city hosts an international arts festival during June and July, and the İzmir International Fair, one among the city's many fair and exhibition events, is held in the beginning of September every year.

  Once Izmir's summer resort, Buca is today part of the city. With a population of 407,526 in 2008, Buca is today a commercial and university district. The British Levantine merchants who ran businesses in Izmir from the late l8th century onward s built imposing mansions here. Not until the 1950s did Buca undergo radical change as various institutions moved into the mansions, whose extensive gardens are under conservation.