Erasmus + Project

"KNOW THE WORLD, KNOW YOURSELF"

FRIENDSHIP

ABOVE

ALL 

 STUDENTS FROM SCHOOL IN SANOK, GAGGIO MONTANO, MAZARA DEL VALLO, MILIZAC, PUERTOLLANO

“If you live to be a hundred,

I want to live to be a hundred minus one day 

so I never have to live without you.” 

-Winne the Pooh

Content

Chapter I ..................................................... 8-1 Sanok

Chapter II ................................................ 14-19 Sanok

Chapter III ................................... 20-25 Puertollano

Chapter IV .................................... 26-31 Puertollano

Chapter V .............................................. 32-38 Mizilac

Chapter VI ............................................ 39-45 Mizilac

Chapter VII .......................... 46-50 Gaggio Montano

Chapter VIII ......................... 51-55 Gaggio Montano

Chapter IX ........................... 56-60 Mazara Del Vallo

Chapter X ............................ 61-65 Mazara Del Vallo

I

    Stephanie and Paul have been friends for a couple of years now. They live close by to one another; you could count the number of houses between them on the fingers of one hand. They went to the same school and even shared the same desk. They really enjoyed spending time with each other. They would spend a lot of time together, and their favourite place to hang-out was a tree, a linden which stood in the middle of the meadow.

    One day they decided, as they usually did, to go to the linden. Paul was already under the tree, waiting for Stephanie, but she wasn’t coming. He was waiting for a long time, so he decided to check if everything was alright, by going to her house. The door to Stephanie’s house was opened by her parents

- Good morning Paul, what are you doing here? - asked Stephanie’s parents

- Good morning. Is Stephanie at home?

-Yes, she is, please, come inside. - They replied. 

And so, he did. He ran into the girl’s room, which was on the second floor. Stephanie was sitting on the floor, next to her chest. In her hand, there was an old book.

- Stephanie? Is everything OK? - asked Paul

- Paul! Good thinking to come here! Come, you have to look at this!

    Paul was really surprised with Stephanie’s behaviour; he needed answers.

- Paul, I’ll have to explain from the begging. I found this chest in a closet in the loft. Look what I found inside - a diary! It belonged to Emmy Wilson, my great-great-grandmother. Inside there were old photos, stamps and this – a map! What do you think, where does it lead? - said Stephanie

- We have to check this out. Show that map to me! -exclaimed Paul, taking the map away from the girl. He sat next to Stephanie a started following the trail marked on the old paper.

- Look, this map leads to our linden tree! That’s impossible…

- We must see what the meaning of this is Paul! Take anything we might need and let’s go. - said the girl in a very sure voice. 

    Paul went through his friend’s cupboards and took a flashlight, pocket knife, water and some rope. Stephanie came back with a backpack into which they packed all of their equipment.

- You have to promise me, that you won’t tell anyone about this! Even if we find nothing there, nobody can know. I have a feeling that it’s something important. - Stephanie said in a tone that made Paul a bit afraid.

- You are right. You can trust me, I won’t tell anyone, I promise. - replied Paul, feeling a sense of relief, seeing that his friend calmed down.

They arrived at the meadow after a very quick walk. They headed straight for the linden.

- The map says, that the “treasure” is next to the tree. We have to dig it up! - said Paul, not moving his eyes from the piece of paper.

- I took a shovel with us! You start. - exclaimed Stephanie.

After 15 minutes Paul gave the shovel to Stephanie and then she started digging for a good couple of minutes. Suddenly, they both hear a metallic bang.

- Paul, look! We found it! We found the treasure!

The boy got up and ran to her, with the rope in his hands to get the treasure out of the hole. What they unearthed was an enormous chest which made them speechless. After a while, Stephanie took the pocket knife out of the backpack and used it as a lockpick to open the chest. What they found inside made them gasp in awe. The chest was filled with antique jewellery, beautiful chaplets, shiny rings, golden watches. It all looked incredibly valuable.

- I cannot believe that we have been lying under this linden for so long, not knowing what treasure was underneath it! - exclaimed Paul, the precious jewels glowing in his eyes. 

Both of them started taking the gold out of the chest. After they calmed down, Stephanie looked at her friend and said:

- No one can know about this; we will hide it in my loft, in the closet, where I found the map. It’s late, we have to go back home. Meet me here, at 4pm. We’ll work out what to do next.

II

The sun shone wonderfully and the afternoon was getting more interesting as it went on. Stephanie went outside to open the garage and take her bike. The gentle wind moved the girl’s hair as to delicately brush her face. The meadow covered in green disrupted by the colours of flowers encouraged the need for adventure. The girl moved towards the place where she was supposed to meet Paul. When the boy arrived, he had a worried look on his face. Stephanie knew that he was thinking about his move.

- Paul, listen, I know that you are worried about you moving out. I thought about it all night and came to the conclusion that we

should sell the treasure.

- What? Really? 

Paul was shocked by this idea

- There are many, many people who would be interested in buying these antiques for a hefty sum. We’ll take it to the newspaper! People find these kinds of things interesting.

- “Two friends find old treasure”, sounds like a great headline.

- But Stephanie, yesterday you said that no one could know about this and today you want to tell the whole world about it? This belonged to your great-great-grandmother. Why would you want to sell it? – Stephanie smiled.

- Friendship over-all...! Anyway, we can leave something for ourselves, so we can always remember this.

 Paul reluctantly agreed with this idea. The concept was perfect. 

- The only problem was to find out, what a fair price would be -he said.

- If we lived in Cracow or Warsaw, it would be easy to find an expert and he could help us find out how much these antiques are worth. There are many museums and archaeologists in those cities.

- But if the newspapers start writing about this chest, maybe someone rich will get interested in these jewels and trinkets. We will get a lot of money and Paul won’t have to move. Why do grownups have to complicate life so much? – thought Stephanie.

- Now, when our friendship is blooming and a chest overflowing with treasure was found, your father got a job offer in a different city – said Stephanie – Long distance friendship, is that even possible? It will never be the same, just like our linden, raspberry juice, film club and shared secrets. - Stephanie regretted

A tear shone in Stephanie’s eye.

- Maybe we shouldn’t sell the treasure. Maybe that will bring misfortune? – the girl asked. 

Stephanie was getting more upset by the second and she was totally lost. She wished she would be able to see Paul every day.

- Why do people even have to work? – she thought in a loop.

Paul’s parents didn’t want to leave this city but they didn’t see any

other way. They loved it and have always lived here. They knew its inhabitants. Unfortunately, everything was pointing to the conclusion that it wouldn’t be easy to change their mind and even the treasure wouldn’t be able to help the two friends in doing so. Deep in thought, Paul and Stephanie decided to go home, since it was getting late and the sun was very low above the horizon.

III

         That night was terrible. Both of them could not sleep at all because the idea of becoming ‘experienced detectives’ got stuck in their minds. They did not want to get rid of that precious treasure because they need it to avoid Paul’s unexpected move.

The morning came and she sun was trying to shine brighter than ever. However, the sky was fully covered with grey clouds that entirely covered the beautiful rays of sunshine that were visible yesterday. Stephanie and Paul met again at their “secret corner” under the linden in order to devise a plan.

They started to have a debate on what to do with the treasure and they concluded that they will go from factory to factory in order to flatter Paul’s father’s skills and competences to stop Paul’s move from happening, which would only bring loneliness. What is more, sadness would be the only hug they would get from each other.

After having traversed endless paths from factory to factory,

a business man -who owned a factory with an outstanding reputation-, listened to their worries. He felt sorry about the little boy, so he offered Paul’s father a contract in order to check if those kids were telling the truth.

Stephanie and Paul could not stop staring at that man. A couple of minutes later, the man stood up and left the room. Stephanie and Paul were really thankful for that job offer and they went back Paul’s house to tell Paul’s father such good news.

- Dad, do you know what? You have the opportunity to work! – claimed Paul.

- What are you talking about, Paul? – asked Federico.

- Yes dad, I am telling you that you have the opportunity to get a job here. Listen carefully, daddy. You have to be at the red and yellow factory that is on the other side of the linden tree, tomorrow morning at 8am. A generous man called Marcelo will be waiting for you there - said the boy.

- That is incredible! Paul, how did you learn about this job offer? Let me tell you something, young boy. You will get in trouble if you are pulling my leg, alright? – Federico said to his son.

Paul’s father was not sure about all of this.

- Stephanie, you should go home now because your parents might be worried about you. It is very late – said Paul.

Meanwhile, Stephanie kept on thinking about the treasure since she did not know what to do with it. On one hand, she did not have to sell it anymore to avoid Paul’s family moving. On the other hand, something inside her stopped her from getting rid of the jewels, the old pieces of paper and the old map. She had a hunch that the adventure had just begun.

- The best is yet to come! – she said to herself time and time again.

Stephanie thought that the place where the treasure was hidden by her great-great-grandmother meant something. Is it chance or fate?

- Fate! – she shouted out loud.

-Where does my great-great-grandmother want to take me? What do those precious jewels want to tell me? – she asked to herself.

- Stephanie hid the treasure in the loft at her house, except the old map which included the paths to find a magic world with her best friend, Paul.

It should be pointed out that Paul’s father eventually got the job and he soon started to be prominent in the factory because of his skills and the effort he made every day at work. In result, he earned huge 

amounts of money.

The friendship between Paul and Stephanie became stronger and stronger. They are friends, ‘family’, detectives, researchers and scientists thanks to their thinking heads. Friendship is wonderful.

The two little adventurers set an example through this story. Both will follow the flashes of light that comes from that old map in order to find out the real reason for that 

GREAT ADVENTURE!

IV

 Thanks to Paul’s dad, who was a scientist, they found out that in the map you could see a second path if you flash ultraviolet light on back of the map. The path led to a magic forest. In order to enter, they had to pass a test - kill two monsters.

They were scared but also excited because of the adventure they were about to start. They didn’t know how long it will take or if they will come back; the only thing they knew is that they will find where Emily (Stephanie’s great-great-grandmother) was hiding, no matter what. The first creature to defeat was a phantom, whose power was to make everyone suffer their worst nightmare. Stephanie´s nightmare was losing her friend, Paul, so every time she ran into him, he disappeared. She wept; she wanted to be with her friend. She could not imagine her life without her best friend Paul. It was very sad.

But Paul was next to her, he could see that she was crying. He had to help her, so he thought: “I have to make her think about something 

happy. I've got it!" 

One of their happiest moments together, was when they met, so Paul started telling Stephanie about that great moment, taking her hand, and suddenly... she opened her eyes; she could see that her friend was next to her... he had saved her!

But the phantom didn’t like that, because it was scared of what was going to happen. Fire started to appear everywhere and flames wrapped the phantom until the full monster became gunpowder. 

Paul and Stephanie had defeated the phantom and they were so happy, but the fire didn’t stop. It surrounded them and it took a strange shape, it was being transformed into another monster; it became a fire wolf!

At that moment, a Genie appeared in the dark forest asking a question: 

- How can I help you? – the Genie asked.

Stephanie and Paul answered at the same time:

- I need you to help us beat a monster – the children said.

- I grant you five powers, now I will give you one for the ghost you are going to meet. Once you need the others, I will appear and I will give it to you.  Look guys, this is a ghostbuster, to make it work you have to endure five minutes watching and listening to its nightmares, then you only have to press a button and the machine will absorb the enemy – the Genie said.

And the Genie disappeared.

- Aaaaaahhhh, what's this?! – Stephanie said.

- I don’t know!!!! – Paul claimed.

- Is it a machine? – she asked.

- I don’t know... – he replied.

- We can go around and see… What's in there? –she asked.

- This is our friend...THOMAS!!! –he shouted out loud.

- Yes, he is!!! –she said.

- Thomas can you hear us? – he asked.

- Yes, I can!!! Ahhhhhhh! Where am I? – Thomas asked.

- You are with us… - Stephanie said.

- And you are in the machine with us… - Paul added.

- Oh no!!! – Thomas said.

- What’s wrong Thomas? – she asked.

- I have an idea how to exit!!! – Thomas claimed.

- Tell us, please! – Paul said.

- We should break the machine! – Stephanie suggested.

- Yes, but how can we break the machine? – Paul asked.      

Thomas found a button and decided to press it. Suddenly, the machine turned on and started to emit lights, weird noises and some movements. The door opened. 

V

They arrived in a dark cave where the fire wolf had passed because they could see burns left by his hot paws and the light being emitted by his flames deep in the cave.

 They walked to the bottom of the cave with the genius machine, until they faced the fire wolf. They endured five minutes watching it and listening to its nightmares then they pressed the button. The fire wolf had been absorbed by the machine.

 They were walking when suddenly they saw a light and a lot of animals painted on the walls.

Paul recognised the paintings; they were the ones of the Lascaux cave.

- Look! we’re in the Lascaux cave! said Paul

- Really, are you sure? asked Thomas

- Yes, I’ve already been here with my parents. It’s in France, more precisely in Dordogne, not far from Perigueux.

- What shall we do now? How do we get out? - asked Stephanie.

     At that moment, Paul stumbled and saw that there was a kind of little black chest hidden in a hollow in the wall, under the rock paintings.

     In this little chest was a map wrapped in a gold bracelet.

 - Cool! One more puzzle to solve! - exclaimed Stephanie.

- And how are we going to get out of here? - asked Thomas

     Paul unrolled the map, which turned out to be a map of the cave. It had a exit route drawn on it. On the back of the map there were many inscriptions including one of the symbols from the fresco painted in the cave, the symbol of the auroch.

- Maybe you should press one of the aurochs in the cave - Thomas said.

     Stephanie pressed on one of the aurochs and all of them teleported out of the cave.

They could see the light of day again, big buildings and a lot of people around them. They also heard engine noises and smelled exhaust fumes.

     They saw great beams of iron and some vegetation too...They raised their heads and saw the Eiffel Tower.

    They walked under the Eiffel Tower with the aim of finding their way back home.

 Paul suggested calling the genie to ask him for help.

Stephanie and Thomas thought it was a good idea. Thomas began calling the genie. All of a sudden, night fell and the Eiffel Tower lit up.

     The genie magically arrived in a cloud of blue smoke and asked them to join him at the top of the Eiffel Tower.

He flew to the top to admire the view while waiting for them.

Up there they could board a helicopter which would take them home.

    The three friends had two options to go up: the lift or the stairs. They agreed to go up with the lift.

But Paul unintentionally shoved Thomas, who pressed the red button. 

   The lift stopped and the three of them fell to the floor.

They got up and pressed the button of the top floor but the lift did not release. Then they pressed the call button and the genie answered them.

- Help us, please. We’re stuck in the lift! Claimed Stephanie.

- I’m going to fix it. Do you want to use one of the powers I promised you, replied the genius?

- It’s not a power that will help us, said Thomas.

- Let’s try anyway! told Paul

- We should try the teleportation power, proposed Stephanie.

- Do you know how to use it? asked Paul

- All three of you have to snap your fingers at the same time and then press the black button that will appear, explained the genie.

VI

 The three of them tried to snap their fingers but Thomas didn’t know how!!!….

 - What if we try clapping our hands to see if it works? Said Stephanie

- But it didn't work. On the other hand, the elevator started to go up and down without stopping. It finally stopped and they teleported with the elevator.

     They were scared and wondered where they were. There were no more lights, it was getting cold in the elevator, and suddenly Thomas fainted.

    Paul looked at his phone and the GPS said that they were no longer

in Paris and that there had been a change in time. Paul didn't believe it, he tried to open the doors and saw that the sun was shining,          meanwhile it was night in Paris. They noticed that they were on ice and were surrounded by penguins and elephant seals.                      

 - OOOoooh, the penguins look like the ones I saw on the first map belonging to my great-great-grandmother! - Stephanie exclaimed

     As soon as Thomas heard about penguins and the map, he woke up.

 - Maybe we've solved one of the puzzles - said Paul.

- Maybe we'll find another treasure? - said Stephanie.

     Stephanie took the map out of her pocket and they saw a compass drawn on it that pointed southwest, so they looked in that direction and saw a cave dug into the ice.

- Oh, but I know where we are - announced Thomas. We are in the

Kerguelen Islands!

- But how do you know that?

- I saw a report on the Kerguelen Islands on television, we are not far from Antarctica. That explains why it is so cold!

They then headed to the cave to see if there were any clues to return home.

As they were walking there, they saw a penguin with a ring bound piece of paper attached to its wing.                                                                

They jumped on him and grabbed the paper and the ring around it.

 The piece of paper had this message:

Go into the cave, find a special rock

It looks like a penguin, don’t be in shock

One puts on the ring, it’s not of common stock

Another wears the bracelet, don’t forget to make it lock

The third shall snap their fingers, and you might get heat shock.

The three of them went to the cave, but an elephant seal blocked their path. In order to get through, they asked the genie for help, and he gave them fish.

Paul lured the elephant seal to the sea with fish which he threw into the water. Meanwhile, Stephanie and Thomas entered the cave and Paul joined them. They searched for the penguin-shaped rock.

Thomas put the ring on his finger because he couldn't snap his fingers, Stephanie put the bracelet on her wrist and Paul snapped his fingers.

The ring began to shine, the bracelet shone, and they teleported again.

They landed with their heads in hot sand. Paul got his head out of the sand first; he saw palm trees in front of him and behind him a turquoise blue sea.

The others lifted their heads, and they saw a plane in the sky carrying a banner decorated with palm trees and written 

"Welcome to Reunion Island"

VII

Paul, Thomas and Stephanie started exploring the island, they walked through long white beaches, after they dove in the sea to admire the Corsican barrier full of sea turtles, parrot fish and giant manta rays. 

When they got back on land, they began to climb the steep slope that led to the Piton de la Fournaise volcano.  

After walking for an hour, they saw the incandescent lava flows. They climbed the rocks, with so much effort, up to the crater. 

On the top they were afraid because the incandescent lava stones hit them and the heat was unbearable, so they decided to call the genie to help.

  Immediately the genie arrived and took them to a safer place with his private helicopter. 

    The trio found themselves on the top of a high tower from which they could admire wonderful buildings, sidewalks covered by arcades, bell towers, catholic churches, domes and luxurious roof gardens. 

- Where are we? - Stephanie asked

- I don’t know, but I think in the centre of an ancient city. - Thomas answered. 

-If we go down the steps of the tower maybe we will understand where we are. - Paul said

Stephanie, Thomas and Paul decided to go down. 

They began to get off the seemingly never-ending steps. 

Thomas counted them – there were 498 steps! 

As soon as they left the tower, they saw a sign that said:

- ”Torre degli Asinelli” ... that’s where they were 

...the city of Bologna!!!!

VIII

    While they were reading the sign, they saw a rolled-up sheet of paper behind it. They unrolled the scroll and found a map showing churches and squares, but also subterraneous tunnels and canals full of water.

At the same time, they tried to orient themselves and understand which direction to take. A girl stopped to observe them. The trio raised their eyes and looked at her, 

- Hi, I’m Martina, I live in the centre of Bologna. How can I help you? - the girl answerd

- Hello Martina, nice to meet you. We found a map which leads to treasure, but we cannot understand it. Since you are from Bologna, 

do you recognize some place in the city? - Paul said.

- Hello, welcome Martina. Try to read the map. – Stephanie said 

Stephany tried to spread the map more with her hands and gave it to her.   

- I study architecture, right nearby, at the University of Bologna, I know all the monuments and areas of the city very well. May I take a look at it. - Martina said

Immediately Martina recognized the Maggiore square, The Montagnola Gardens, the cloister of San Giovanni in Monte, then on the hill, just outside the city, the sanctuary of San Luca. 

Right in the meadow, in front of sanctuary, the treasure was marked! 

- You can take the bus and get to Porta Zaragoza, then get off and walk, under the arcades, to the sanctuary. The bus runs every ten minutes and stops here in front of the tower. - Martina said

- Martina can you come with us? We don’t know the city at all and we are a bit scared. - Thomas said

- If you come with us you will help us and then we will divide the loot with you. - Paul said

- Okay, I’ll take you. I’m going to buy bus tickets. - Martina said

- Very well. Let’s go. - Stephanie said

All together they took the bus and arrived in a few minutes at the door, then they began to climb toward the hill. 

As soon as they arrived, they looked the point in the meadow indicated 

by the map and.....

IX

It was raining heavily and they could not find the exact point indicated on the map. They were worried and did not know what to do. Martina soon realized they had to invoke the Madonna and Child that were inside the Sanctuary. She was sure it would stop the rain. The four friends entered the Sanctuary, knelt and prayed silently. Suddenly it stopped raining. A ray of sunlight appeared and illuminated a point on the map.

They all rushed to the place indicated and began to dig until they found a cylindrical case with a parchment inside. There were three drawings on it: a female head with three legs in the form of a triangle, a mountain of fire and a dancing satyr.

- What are they? - Stephanie asked
- I Know. It’s Sicily. - Martina answered                                                        

Martina understands that these are symbols of Sicily because she often goes there on holiday. She tells her friends that Sicily is far and does not know how to get there. Then Thomas   suggests asking the Genie to help again. They all agree and snap their fingers. The Genie soon arrives wrapped in a blue smoke.

- Can you take us to Sicily? - they asked.

A magic carpet appeared, the four friends sat on it and after gliding over the Boot (that's how Italy is called) they found themselves in a clearing. They were asking each other where to go when they met a young man called Salvatore. Perhaps he was the right person who could give them the direction to the first place indicated on the map.  They showed him the map.

Salvatore, who was a speleologist and a tourist guide, told them the way to the Grotta dei Ladroni also known as the "Snow Cave" which was a "nivera" in the past. People used to collect and press the snow there, where it was kept icy till the summer, and sold.    

People made the famous and delicious Sicilian granita with it. The four friends followed a path inside a birch forest until they came to the entrance of the cave.                                                                                    

There they found a small but picturesque steep set of stairs carved into the rock that led them into a large cavity called the "Hall of Thieves" in which a mysterious gem of great powers was hidden.

They soon began searching for the gem. Martina tripped over a boulder and suddenly the cave was enveloped in a blinding light that dazzled and lifted them off the ground.

X

    As soon as they opened their eyes, they realized that they were no longer inside the cave but in a narrow alley of an unknown city, where incomprehensible words   spread through the air like the cool wind at dusk of a hot day. It was the muezzin’s calling to prayer. The four friends began to walk side by side through the alleys and courtyards, among colourful awnings, majolica and blue entrance doors. Everything reflected the persistence of the Islamic urban tradition in this quarter.  The air was filled with the scent of spices and orange blossoms.

Suddenly the alley opened onto a splendid square, beautiful and

the silent, surrounded by Baroque buildings: The Bishop's Palace, the Seminary, the Diocesan Museum and the Cathedral. In the centre of the square there was the statue of San Vito, the patron saint of the city of Mazara del Vallo. Hamdi and Vito, two kids who were playing in the square, offered to guide them.

    They read the map and immediately understood that the place indicated was the Satyr Museum in Plebiscito Square. The group thus headed straight for the museum where they could admire the statue of the Dancing Satyr, which was drawn on the map. They also saw many Hellenistic, Punic, Roman and medieval objects found and recovered in the Sicilian Channel: amphorae, anchors and parts of bronze statues. Everything there attested to the richness of the Sicilian culture.

During the visit Stefanie was intrigued by the bronze fragment of an elephant's paw, she got near it and saw a small scroll of parchment inside it. She took it, called her friends, opened   and read it:

True friendship is

a priceless treasure

which overcomes

boundaries and barriers

brings together people in the name of love.

Carmen

                                                                                                                  16th November 1820

Stefanie was amazed and remembered she had heard these words many times. Her mother and her grandmother used to repeat them. They were right: nothing compares to friendship. She had just found out the real reason for this 

GREAT ADVENTURE!

"KNOW THE WORLD, KNOW YOURSELF"

Elementary School nr 6 Sanok, Poland