Today Marc and Sophie arrive at Strimoniko and the first thing they notice is the pretty stone building of the Primary School.
The pupils are getting ready for an environmental excursion to a nearby lake and they decide to join them.
-“Let’s discover the fabulous wildlife of Lake Kerkini! Who know we might find a trace of the dove, there are so many birds there. They travel far south to find warmth during the cold months of the winter”, Marc says to Sophie.
When they reach Lithotopos where the dam of the lake is they both say full of enthousiasm “What an exciting place to be!. Let’s go horse-riding by the lake!”
-“Have you ever thought the idea of birdwatching?” a teacher asks Marc and Sophie.
They admire all the different birds: large flocks of ducks, eagles, pygmy cormorants, Dalmatian pelicans, flamingos and so many others.
-“Look at their colourful feathers, listen to their beautiful singing it’s magical!” the teacher says quietly. “We are proud of the National Park of Kerkini Lake. It is a flyway of migratory birds from the Hungarian steppes to the Balkan region, the Black sea, and the Aegean Sea”.
She goes on saying: -“The inhabitants of Strimoniko and of the people in the nearby villages work in the fields. They are farmers and Strimon river waters their fields that’s why it is so important to keep it clean. Also Marc and Sophie as you can see people here love boating! Some of them are fishermen who do that for living, others just want to admire the beauty of the landscape” .
Marc and Sophie jump into a small boat and feel so excited. They can now admire the pink flamingos from such a close distance!
-“Hey look! They’re so pretty!” the children feel so happy they are smiling the whole time.
One student says: - “ Today is the “Environment Day” and it is a custom that all schools in the area meet to keep the lake clear of any rubbish. There will be many activities around the lake and our most favourite is the Treasure Hunt, the team that gets the most hidden messages wins!”.
-“Maybe we can find a secret message that can help us discover where the dove of peace is. We should be optimistic Marc!”
After an hour Sophie goes near Marc and has a bright smile on her face.
-“Hurray! I think I have found something! She reads the message aloud:”Children now go to your next stop: that is an island close to Athens”.
So they spent the rest of the day with the other children and in the evening they jump into a bigger boat and follow the flow of the Strimon river. They would now travel across the Aegean Sea and reach Salamina the next day.
Greetings to you all from the students of the 6th Grade!
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