Ralleio participants: Katerina Christodoulou (Coordinator), Nikos Panagiotopoulos ( Member of the Pedagogical Team), Anthi Kouti (Class B2), Evgenia-Symela Armeni (Class C1), Theodora Gounari (Class C1). Ralleio team reached Reykiavik via Brussels in the afternoon of Saturday 21/9/2019.

22/9/2019: We met outside Menntaskóllin í Reykjavík and we roamed the city centre using specially designed worksheets on Wikiloc application. After lunch, we walked to a geothermal pool where we relaxed in the hot water and were offered towels with the ROOTS logo, a present by the Coordinator of the partnership Ms Johanna Arnorsdottir.

23/9/2019: We were formally received by the Director and the Assistant Director of Menntaskóllin í Reykjavík at the main hall of the school, where Johanna also presented the detailed program of the days to follow and answered students’ and teachers’ questions. All students then attended classes with their hosts, answered the baseline study questionnaire and were shown around the “school village”. Teachers attended a meeting regarding the organization of the mobilities to follow and other practical matters. After lunch, we went to Laugardalslaug sports complex where we participated in orienteering activities through worksheets on Wikiloc. The day ended with bathing in the geothermal pool of the complex.

24/9/2019: We drove to the start of the hiking path from Dyradalur to Sleggjubeinsskarð, where we were guided to a geothermal power plant. The hiking through the 14-km path took almost 4 hours. We then drove to Hveragerði where the hut- outdoor classroom of Menntaskolinn i Reykjavik is located. We stayed there for the next two nights.

25/9/2019: The day started with an 11-km hike though the canyons of Grensdalur and Reykjadalur, areas of high geothermal activity. During the hike, the participants had the opportunity to bathe in natural geothermal pools and boil eggs in the hotter springs.

26/9/2019: After breakfast and cleaning, we left the hut and drove to Gullfoss waterfalls. We were dropped at two different starting points and hiked our way to the majestic waterfalls in two different groups. We then visited Geysir park and ended our tour of the Golden Circle at Þingvellir National Park where we were professionally guided and walked over the tectonic gap between Eurasia and America. We reached Reykjavík late in the afternoon and in the evening both students and teachers enjoyed farewell dinners.

27/9/2019: We left for the airport after breakfast and returned via London to Athens at 4.00 am on Saturday.

We would like to thank and congratulate our Icelandic partners and friends for their warm hospitality and the impeccable organization of the week’s activities. It was literally a trip to remember!