Europe

Monuments

Brandeburg Gate• WHERE? Berlin• WHEN? Completed in 1791• WHAT IS IT? It is a gate which

symbolized the division of Berlinduring the Cold War. It is 26 metreshigh and 65 meters wide.

• The most important part of it is the quadriga, a statue of a chariot with 4 horses. This statue was stolen by Napoleon as a sign of his win againstPrussia.

Belvedere Castle• WHERE? Vienna, Austria

• WHEN? Completed in 1723

• WHAT IS IT? It is a summer residence for prince Eugene of Savoy.It is a building consisting of two Baroque palaces: the Upper and the Lower Belvedere. Its gardens are huge and breathtaking.

• At the end of the 18° century, the Lower Belvedere became a safeplace for royals escaped from the French Revolutiont, for exampleLouis XVI.

• The Upper Belvedere became an Art Gallery, which is still open to publi. Here you can find very valuable artworks such as The Kiss by Klimt.

Plaza Mayor• WHERE? Madrid, Spain

• WHEN? 15° century

• WHAT IS IT? When Phillip II arrived in Madrid, he ordered the construction of this square.

• The Plaza was at first a place for the market, then itbecame the scene of several events, from bullfights to public executions. Nowadays it is used mainly for concerts and festivals. There are 237 balconies facingthe Plaza. It has a total of nine entrance ways.

St. Patrick’s Cathedral• WHERE? Dublin, Ireland

• WHEN? 1191

• WHAT IS IT? It is the tallest and the largest church in Ireland. It is the national cathedral for Ireland. It was built where St. Patrick is told to have baptized several non-Christians.

• It is also very famous for the Christmas celebrations , especially the chants.

• Nowadays the Cathedral is the location for many national ceremonies. For example ‘Ireland’s Rememberance Day’, which is a day dedicated to the memory of the Irish who died during the First World War.

Prague astronomical clock WHERE? Prague, Czech Republic

WHEN? 15° century

WHAT IS IT? It is a clock divided into 3 parts: 1.An astromical part which represents the position of the Sun and the Moon in the sky2.A religious part, composed by sculptures of the 12 Apostles moving every hour3.A calendar representing the months of the year.It is located on the tower of the Old Town Square

Basilica di San Marco• WHERE? Venice, Italy

• WHEN? 1117

• WHAT IS IT? It is the most important church in Venice. Originally it was the chapel of the doge, the head of the city.

• In the 13° century it was destroid by a big fire and it was rebuiltright away.

• It has 4 big domes, which were built in a bizantine style.

• The frontal facade was completed only in the 15° century.

Parthenon

• WHERE? Athens, Greece

• WHEN? 480 before Christ

• WHAT IS IT? It was built as a Greek templededicated to Athena, the goddess of knowledge and war.

• In history it had many functions, for example it wasused as a building to keep money safe.

• In the 4° century, it became a church dedicated to Mary. Later it was tranformed into a mosque.

• During several wars it was damaged and parts of itwere taken to build walls and military camps.

Mythology

Irish mythology

The Dagda• Portrayed as a father- figure,

chieftain and druid

• Associated with fertility, agriculture and strength

• He is said to have the control of time and seasons

Irish mythology

• Associated with fate

• Appears as a crow, flying above the battlefield

• Has the power to choose who would live and who would die during the battles

The Morrigan

Norse mythology

The Freyjia

• Associated with love, sex, beauty, fertility

• She has two daughters

• She cries tears of gold

Norse mythology

Thor

• Hammer-wielding god associated with tunder and lightning

• He bears at least fourteen names

• He rides a chariot pulled by two goats

Roman mythology

Neptune

• God of freshwater and sea

• He is represented with a trident which has the control of the sea

• Was also worshipped as a god of horses and horse-racing

Roman mythology

Bacchus

• God of agriculture, wine and fertility

• He was the last God to join the 12 Olympians

• He always carried a pinecone-topped staff

French mythology

Roland

• Was a military leader under Charlemagne

• His story is told in the poem called “Chanson de Roland”

• He is equiped with the olifant (signal horn) and with an unbreakable sword

Food

For Italy: Pasta

Pasta is the abbreviation of the italian word

“Pastasciutta”.

Pasta is a very simple and easy meal to

cook: you just need a large pot.

- Fill it with water and then heat it up.

- When it’s boiling add salt to the water

- Put the pasta in it.

Wait until it’s cooked and eat.

Pasta is a very simple meal that requires no

cooking skills at all. It has many different

varieties because of the different type of

pasta and the different kinds of sauces,

such as the Genovese “Pesto” and the

Roman “Carbonara”.

- Put the Pastasciutta in the

water only if the water is

boiling.

- Use proper sauce such as

“ragù” (Bolognese) or “pesto”

- Different types of pasta =

different cooking times

Check the correct timing

on the package!

- Don’t put the pasta in the water

without salt or if the water isn’t

boiling.

- Never use ketchup as a sauce.

Don’t mix pasta and ketchup!! ☺

- Wait until it’s cooked. Just wait

patiently. No need to rush!

- Don’t try to teach Italians how to

cook pasta!!

Dos and Don’ts with Pasta

For France: Saint Honorè

Saint Honorè It’s a cake that takes its

name from the patron saint of pastry

makers: Saint Honoré or Honoratus.

This classic French dessert is a circle of

puff pastry at its base with a ring of

profiteroles on the outer edge and baked

small cream puffs dipped in caramelized

sugar.

This base is traditionally filled with

crème chiboust (pastry cream ) and

finished with whipped cream.

For Ireland: Boxty

Boxty is a traditional Irish potato pancake. Its

name is probably derived from the Irish “arán

bocht tí”, meaning “poor-house bread”.

The most popular version of this dish consists of

finely grated raw potatoes and mashed

potatoes with flour, baking soda, buttermilk and

eggs.

After the Great Famine (1845- 1852) due to the

intensive work on the field, there were only low

quality waterish potatoes that couldn’t be boiled.

This dish is important because it was one of the

few ways to eat potatoes at that time.

Boxty and popular culture

Boxty is seen as a part of the local culture.

It has inspired folk rhymes such as:

“Boxty on the griddle,

And Boxty on the pan;

The wee one in the middle

Is for Mary Ann.

Boxty on the griddle,

boxty on the pan,

If you can’t bake boxty

sure you‘ll never get a man.

Boxty on the griddle,

Boxty on the pan,

if you don’t eat boxty,

You’ll never get a man.”

For Austria: Apfelstrudel

Apfelstrudel is a popular pastry in Austria and in many

countries in Europe that once belonged to the Austro-

Hungarian empire.

Apfelstrudel consists of an oblong strudel pastry jacket

with an apple filling inside. The filling is made of

grated cooking apples sugar, cinnamon, raisins, and

bread crumbs.

The filling is spread over the dough and then the

strudel is rolled, making a swirl pattern when the

strudel is cut across. Perhaps this is the origin of the

name which means whorl or whirlpool.

Spain: Paella

Paella is a Valencian rice dish with

ancient roots that originated in its modern

form in the mid-19th on the east coast of

Spain adjacent to the city of Valencia.

Valencians often made casseroles of rice

for family gatherings and religious feasts,

thus establishing the custom of eating

rice in Spain.

Valencian paella consists of white rice,

green beans, meat (chicken and rabbit),

white beans, snails, and seasoning such

as saffron and rosemary.

The Paella

Paella is a convivial rite to share with

friends and family, especially on

Sundays and feast days. All gather in joy

around the large “paella”, the typical

large iron skillet with two side handles,

from which the dish gets its name.

The paella is a dish with humble origins.

However, due to its importance in the

Spanish culture there are many legends

about the way it was created.

One famous legend has that the origin of this

dish is to be attributed to the host of an inn in

southern Spain, where one day a beautiful

princess stopped. Struck by the beauty of the

girl, the host wanted to personally cook a

sensational dish for her. Therefore he mixed

in a saucepan all the fresh and tasty

ingredients he had available: rice,

vegetables from his garden, meat, poultry,

seafood, wine and olive oil. When the

princess asked him the name of this delicious

dish, not knowing what to say, the man simply

exclaimed ”

pa ella!” (in Spanish: "for her").

Historical Figures

Homer

• One of the most famous poets of the ClassicalAge

• His masterpieces are Odyssey and Iliad

• He describes the Troian War which involvedGreece and part of the Turkey

Giulio Cesare

• Roman politician, general, and notable author of Latin prose.

• He played a critical role in the events that led to the demise of the Roman Republic and the rise of the Roman Empire.

Pablo Picasso

• Painter

• he is known for co-founding the Cubist movement

• his most famous works are Les Demoiselles d'Avignon (1907), and Guernica (1937)r.

Angela Merkel

• Chancellor of Germany

• Leader of the Christian Democratic Union

• One of the most influent personalities at the time

Franz Kafka

• One of the major novelists of the 20th

century

• His works fuse elements of realism and the fantastic

• His best known works include The Metamorphosis, The Trial and The Castle

Oscar Wilde

• He is one of the most popular playwrights of the early 1890s.

• He wrote a large numbers of novels, letters and plays

• He was imprisoned for being homosexual and died very young

Mozart

• He was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical Era

• He composed more than 600 works

• He is the most popular of the classical composers

• He influenced people like Beethoven and Haydn

Thank you!