SATURDAY 24TH MARCH
This trip to Slovenia has changed our lives, it was an unique experience, something that we are never going to forget. But everything has an end and today, Saturday 24th of March we are on the bus from Slovenia to Venice where we are going to take the plane to Lisbon and then another bus to our home, Badajoz. It’s 8:00 am and I’m at school with Nika (my host) and her mum, we are sad because we know what’s going to happen in 30 minutes. So, we decide to go with our friends to laugh and remember things about the whole week for the last time.
It all started on Sunday when we got off the bus, it was snowing, I was a little bit nervous because of the family but they were very friendly so i felt like at home. Then, on Monday we went to visit Ljubljana and we started a snowball fight to meet people from other countries.
On Tuesday, we had the Olympic Games and my team won the gold medal. In the afternoon, we went bowling and I also won!
On Wednesday we went to the Slovenian Olympic Center and then, I went with my family to Bled Lake. It was amazing, I’d never seen such a beautiful place before.
On Thursday, we went to the Sky Jumping Championship at Planica. After that, we went to a traditional-food restaurant in the middle of the mountains where we started a snowball fight again. We had a lot of fun and we saw amazing places there.
But Friday arrived, we knew that it was our last day together. I went to the Musej Ilusizij (Illusion Museum) with some friends. At night, the teachers from Slovenia prepared a party for us where we had a great time together. Finally, Nika invited our friends to our home. Tomas, a Portuguese boy, composed a song about the project with words in the five different languages. So, we sang and laughed all together.
Marvin, a Slovenian boy, went home first because he had a bulgarian boy and they had to leave before than Spanish and Portuguese students. So he hugged me and it was the first time that I realised this time together had an end.
When I opened my eyes we were on the bus and the Slovenian students were running after us. I was sad but at the same time I was lucky because I had the opportunity to meet those, amazing, crazy and friendly people that I won’t forget. I hope I will be able see them again and spend another week together.
Marvin, a Slovenian boy, went home first because he had a bulgarian boy and they had to leave before than Spanish and Portuguese students. So he hugged me and it was the first time that I realised this time together had an end.
When I opened my eyes we were on the bus and the Slovenian students were running after us. I was sad but at the same time I was lucky because I had the opportunity to meet those, amazing, crazy and friendly people that I won’t forget. I hope I will be able see them again and spend another week together.
María del Arco Alpoim, 4ºB
Wednesday 21st of March of 2018
Today I woke up at 7 am to go to the school, we had a trip to go to "Slovenski Olimpijski Izobrazevalni Center" which is a Olympic Games Center where there is displayed the medals from Slovene athletes.
When I arrived to the school, there weren´t a lot of people, so I started playing a game with Ana (my host), Tjasa and two Bulgarians. The game consisted on putting a foot next to the other players (just one foot) making a circle, then taking three steps back (big or small steps back) and the point is that you have to step the other players with only being able to take three steps and the other players can go backwards another three steps. It was really fun.
When the others finally came the school, we went to the Olympic Games center walking. The walk was nice because it wasn't a really cold day and we walked through some kind of wood and then we were in the city.
When we arrived to the Olympic Games center, we had a talk about the Olympic Games and Slovene athletes. We could see some stuffed toys from other Olympics Games and some torchs. We played round a bit
.
After the talk we went back to the school to have lunch, I don't remember what we had, I just remember it wasn't really good.
During the evening, I went to the Citypark Mall with Tjasa, Desy (a Bulgarian girl) and Ana. We spend the entire evening there. First we played air hockey, which turned out with me being the winner. We bought a banana and Nutella smoothie and we looked around some shops, but at the end we went to play more games in the Arcade, we played air hockey again and we played electronic basketball. I had a great time.
I miss everyone, I wish the Erasmus + project would have lasted more.
Lucía Santos Murillo. Badajoz, Spain.
My Trip to Slovenia
Normal day, I wake up early in the morning. I take a shower and I have breakfast. I go to High school, just like every day. However, this time is different, I don’t bring a backpack and I’m not thinking about exams or homework. I have by my side a suitcase and I am thinking about my destiny, going to Slovenia. I still remember it as if it was yesterday.
I am writing this to share with you, my reader, some of my experiences in this wonderful country. Before coming many people told me it was going to really cold. It was not that cold, during my trip in Slovenia the only day I was really cold was when we visited the capital, my legs were freezing. Spain can be very hot or cold. We are prepared for the incredible hotness of the Iberian Summer, however we are not that prepared for cold. In Slovenia, when I entered a house, a wave of hot air passed through my body, warming up every inch of my body. That was not only in houses, it was also in the school. I was dazed when I saw all the children wearing slippers inside the classrooms. I wish we could do that in my high school.
Everyone I met at Slovenia was really nice. People seemed very joyful, friendly and a bit crazy. The family received me with a big bear hug and gave me everything I needed so that I felt as comfortable as possible, as in my own house. The friends I made (not only Slovenians, also the Bulgarians and Portuguese) were very interested in everything I said and do and we talked a lot about our countries and about ourselves. I am sorry to say that the food was awful. In my opinion traditional Slovenian food does not taste very good, however I had the opportunity to eat spaghetti, pizza, Chinese food and a lot of meat. The rest of the meals were fairly bad, specially the food that was served in the canteen of the school.
Another thing that I was keen on was the center of Ljubljana. It had wide streets and open squares, the buildings were beautiful and, in the center, there was a castle from which we could observe the entire city and play with the snow. It was not a very big city with lots of things to do; it was just a nice place to hang out with friends and walk for a while.
Without a shadow of a doubt, the best thing of the entire trip was the snow. We went to a mountain to watch the highest ski jump track in the world and then we head to a restaurant in the heart of a frozen forest. Snow surrounded us completely so we started throwing snowballs everywhere. We had a lot of fun playing with the snow, making a snowman and using a sled to slide all the way to the bus. A Bulgarian friend and I decided to go down the highest slope of the path. We were having a lot of fun until we went so fast that I could not control the sled. We almost crashed with a tree but, apart from that, we were OK.
To sum up, I will just say that it was an amazing trip and I will never forget the time I spent doing sport, talking or singing with the people in Slovenia. Yes, singing, for some reason most of the Slovenians I met played instruments or sang very well. Moreover, the girl I was staying with knew the lyrics of songs in Spanish; however, she did not know what they meant. I have got more funny stories and interesting things that will be in my memory forever.
Nasib Singh Cachadiña
PLANICA, A SNOW PARADISE
Imagine travelling to a snow valley that is like you are on a film, that what Planica is. In my opinion, Planica was the most entertaining part of the entire trip. Snow was everywhere you could jump into it like jumping into a swimming pool. When we arrived, we saw a ski jumping competition, where a world record was broken, that was amazing. The atmosphere was perfect, everyone throwing snowballs at the same time they were watching the competition. We had a really good time when we were going to the restaurant and we were throwing snowballs to everyone. Food was not okay but we ate it anyway. After having a lunch, we went to fight in the snow, we spent a really good day, the best day. When we came back someone had a sleigh, Nayra and me decided to rode it. The sleigh started to go faster and faster and we thought we were going to die. It was amazing. Then we came back by bus also we went there by bus, we were all wet. I wish to come back to Planica again with all of you guys, we miss you all and I hope we will see each other again.
By Alejandro Pantoja
2nd DAY IN SLOVENIA
On Tuesday, I woke up at 8 in the morning and I had cereals for breakfast. My host woke up at 8:40, so I had to run to not be late. We arrived at the school at 9 in the morning. At school, we had some special Olympic games. The teachers made six groups. We did activities like skating with socks, dunk a badminton shuttle in a hoop, take a partner on a mat ... The activities were done in turn of three groups. Who was first got three points, the second, two points, and the third, one point, so the teams were adding points. When we did all the tests, the professors counted points and gave medals to the three teams with the highest score. My team was third.
At 12:30 in the morning we ate at school. I think we ate tomato soup, breaded fillets and russian salad.
We had some free time so we went to the gym and played voleyball. That was the first time people from all the countries started to talk.
From 14:00 to 15:30 we had a talk about mountaineering and we did some activities about that.
Later, we went to the bowling alley with some students.
I had a great time this day. especially when we went to the bowling alley because I had never been in one.
This trip has been unforgettable because I have met very special people, new cultures and made new friends, not only from other countries, but I have also become more friends with the people of Spain. I have also been able to perfect my English.
I am very grateful to have been part of this project and I am very excited that next year they will come to Spain.
Nayra Fernández Gallego.
MY EXPERIENCE IN SLOVENIA
My teacher came to my classroom, and he talked us about an Erasmus project with other European countries. He didn´t tell us more information, but I was so excited. After that I was waiting for more news anxiously. Then he proposed us some different stuff to do. I did it with my best friends. For us all this process was incredible.
After some months, it was “the day”. The raffle´s day. I was very nervous, for me it was very important. First, the boys were chosen; now it was the turn for us (the girls). And which was the surprise for me? I had one of the winner’s numbers! All people was congratulating me, I couldn´t believe it. My family and friends were excited as me.
I met the other winners, we made a fantastic group. We prepared our presentations and we also talked with our host families. It was an unforgettable process, we were very happy.
And… finally it was the 18 of March!! We take off from Lisbon and landed in Venezia. I had a mixture of feelings, (happiness, nervous, excitement...) and after 12 hours of travelling we arrived! It was snowing and cold. But from the first moment, I felt as I was at my house.
The host family was incredible.
They showed me my room and gave me some beautiful presents. What I was living was better than what I imagined.
The week started very well. We went on a walk the first day, around the village. It seems that we were on a film, because it was snowing and beautiful. Then we met the other teenagers. It was great!
The rest of the week was fantastic. I experienced new emotions, I tried new things, and I saw wonderful places… But the most important thing I learnt was, the importance of be open minded, be grateful and to have empathy.
It has been a magic experience that I will never forget.
Sara.
MY EXPERIENCE ERASMUS PLUS. BOMBARRAL. PORTUGAL
My story (as I like to call my life) is already composed of many chapters,
I would not know how to say exactly how many, I do not want to count them because it would lose its meaning. This week I added another chapter to my story, and it's one of the ones I like the most. I like all the characters that intervene, I like how it is told and I like all the locations. I learned a lot this week. And I have done one of the most important things for me, I have met beautiful people both outside and inside, friends. When I found out that almost everyone was older than me I got a little scared because I'm not used to talking to people older than my age, but little by little I realized that age is just a number that specifies the year in which you were born, nothing more. When I spoke with them, it was as if English was not a problem. I felt that I could tell them everything and that they would listen to me. It is nice to meet people who smile so much, who listen so much, who hug so much. The day that everyone was surfing, and that I stayed on the beach watching them have such a good time, I thought about many things. It was there when I realized how similar we are despite how far we live. We are lucky to have many possibilities to be able to communicate thanks to new technologies. I wish to continue having contact with them for much longer.
It seems like a lie but I made very few pictures. I did not feel the need to photograph anything, in spite of how great everything was, I suppose I thought it was not necessary to take pictures of something I knew I would always remember. Surely I do not see people like Jana or Martin I remember the day we went to Lisbon and we started singing songs from my favourite movie” The sound of music”. It seemed like a magical moment. Jana has a super nice voice and she showed it several times. Again and that makes me sad, but I can remember how well I had with them these days.
I do not remember very well what day it was that Milene, Patricia, Raquel and I went to visit "The Buddha eden"I had a great time that day, that park was all tranquility. There were all kinds of trees, plants, fish and everything was full of figures related to Buddhism and sculptures of Buddhas.
The family that hosted me was very kind, I was very grateful they were so nice. As the one that welcomed Raquel and mine were cousins, apart from very good friends, we stayed almost every afternoon and sometimes we dined together. We watched movies, played board games, or talked. For dinner they gave us typical dishes like "Francesinhas", cod with cream or delicious desserts.
The first day, at dinner, I sat with Bernardo, Tomas (pappytomi), Joao, Jana, Pia, Raquel, Valle and Clara. It was fun. We started to get to know each other a bit and we laughed a lot. I really liked that night. The day of Lisbon was one of the best, apart from that I love this city, we visited many things and I really liked the experience of the hyppobus.
The day of Óbidos I liked it a lot too. I had never been there and it seemed like a beautiful city.
But I have to say that one of the best things that have happened to me in this experience is to know all the Spanish people. We have created something special that only we could describe. The family that we represent in the theatre the first day, has turned out to be really a family (although without divorce or hate, of course). Knowing that I take real friends is in itself a gift. So to you my Spanish family, thanks for everything.
Thank you for this oportunity.
My Erasmus Experience
By Raquel Giménez
In this essay I will talk about everything I felt during the week that I had the privilege to spend in Portugal, living with Portuguese families.
The first contact took place when the girl with whom I was staying sent me an e-mail. In it, basically she introduced herself by telling me his name (Milene) and his tastes. At first glance it seemed very good to me, even if it was a few years older than me (all the Portuguese were between sixteen and eighteen). When I found out about this I felt a little uneasy, luckily I stayed with a girl and not a boy.
As the days went by, nerves were taking over me. I asked many things to Milene, most were about her family, her house and his tastes. She had a little brother, which did not displease me. What made me more nervous was knowing that no other member of his family could speak English.
Finally the day to leave came. We left the door of our High Schol at seven in the morning on Monday, April 16. The journey lasted for three hours, in which I met a little more my Spanish companions, especially two of the three Carlos (Carlos Criado was in another car). From the beginning, they looked very nice, people I could trust or seek support if there was a problem. This was important to spend a week away from home. When we arrived we were all nervous, we saw the Portuguese looking at us and, at least I was wondering what they would be feeling.
This first day we talked with almost everyone, Portuguese, Slovenian and some other Bulgarian. Then we made the presentations. I think our presentation was the funniest, everyone laughed. We represented a typical Portuguese family in a slightly comical way. We visited the school, and it was amazing, they had a lot of things there: from the classrooms, the canteen, the library, to sports facilities such as a huge gym, a swimming pool or a golf course. We ate in the canteen that day and although the food was not as good as the house, it was acceptable and much better than that of my old school. In the afternoon we did "ice-breaking activities", such as climbing wall, tightrope and rappelling. When we went home we were taken to a huge lake with swans, peacocks ... Very nice to eat and spend the day there. The house was cozy, her parents and brother very friendly, although Milene was the translator between them and me. Once alone with her, we spoke more quietly, although shy was very kind and a very interesting girl. He liked Harry Potter like me and he also played an instrument like me. With the family I was fine and comfortable every day.
I will explain briefly the activities that we did the rest of the days: on Tuesday we made routes by beaches and we visited Óbidos.
On Wednesday we stayed at the school where an Olympic fencer gave us a talk, and we did some Olympic games with a parade at the beginning and all. That day was great, because in addition, I met more people with whom I had spoken almost nothing (especially Portuguese). On Thursday we went on a trip to Lisbon, climbed a tower and visited the city, but for me the most impressive thing was, it was the water bus in which we did a touristic visit.
The last day I played what I had been waiting for all week: surfing. I was super excited, and rightly so, I had a great time with the table and all my new friends. We must admit that it is difficult (more than I expected) but the important thing is that we had a good time together, time flew by.
In general it has been an unforgettable experience, full of adventures, of fears to overcome, and full of new friendships with which I keep in touch to never lose them. I have learned things that I had no idea from Portugal, our neighbouring country, for example about food (take pasta without tomato), about their way of being (in general very similar to us), even about different languages ( except Bulgarian). We have also taught them things from Spain, although it will be much better when they come here. Finally I cannot forget the strong ties that I have established with the rest of Spaniards (with some more than others), and the best part of that is that they do not go far, that we will continue together and the group we have created will never dissolve, at least for me.
ERASMUS+
First day: Six o’clock in the morning. I woke up a bit nervous and very excited. I was about to start a new experience in my life. I arrived to my high school and met with my friends. They were feeling the same as me. I said goodbye to my mother, I got on the van and we left Badajoz. The trip wasn’t very long and we arrived to Bombarral around ten o’clock. Finally, the moment we were waiting for arrived. Our hosts were there and they greeted us. At first, it was a bit difficult for me and for the rest of my partners to relate with them but throughout the afternoon, thanks to the ‘ice-breaking activities’ and my group, we started to become closer. Then each one moved to their hosts’ houses and met their families. In the evening, we went back to the school to have dinner with all the Erasmus+ people. When I went to bed, I talked with my parents, which were as excited as me and they felt relief when I told them that everything was OK.
Second day: My host and I went to the school and we received the instructions for the activities we were going to do that day. That day, there as more confidence between us and the other Erasmus groups, so we mixed in the bus and talked with other people apart from our Portuguese hosts. We travelled some landscapes which were near Bombarral and were walked through some routes there. While that, I met the Slovenian people and we got on well rapidly. We watched two beaches along the routes and we took a lot of pictures. In the afternoon, we visited a village to rest there and visit it. At five o’clock, we arrived Bombarral and went to our houses. In the evening, I had dinner with the whole family of my host, including the grandmother, which I met during the meal. 
Third day: I woke up excited again. That day we were going to organise an ‘Olympic Games competition’ between the different countries that were participating in the Erasmus+ project. My friends and I joined together to choose in which sport we were going to take part. One of my friends chose basketball like me, but we were in different teams. Afterwards, we were carried to the gym, where the Portuguese people made a show with some dances and a parade. My host was one of the staff members of the show and he had to carry the Portuguese flag. Also, they simulated the Olympics race with the fire torch. Then, the games started. I had to play against my friend, and after a tough match, he won. He ended up in first place and I ended up in the second place, winning a silver medal. Some hours later, I went back home and I relaxed during the rest of the afternoon. Then, some of my host’s friends went home and stayed there after dinner. They were very friendly and funny and they behaved very well with me. Before going to bed, I told to my parents everything that happened during the day and they were glad because I won a medal.
Forth day: That day, we travelled to Lisbon by bus. We spent the whole day there, walking around the city and visiting some places. We got on a special vehicle called ‘hippotrip’ which was an amphibian vehicle that could go by land and by sea. First, we did a tour around the city and there was a tourist guide called Gonzalo that came with us. He was explaining us everything that we were seeing and telling some curiosities. He was very funny and he made several jokes along the trip. He liked us (Spanish people), because every time he made a joke, we laughed and clapped our hands, making him to laugh too. Then, we went into the water and we sailed across the Tajo River. After that, we went back to the land and left the vehicle. We had lunch and then we visited a mall and some shops. I found a man dressed like Alien, from the film series and I took a picture with him. Afterwards, I bought some magnets for me and for my family. Finally, we went back to Bombarral and rested in our homes.
Fifth day: The day we were waiting for. In the morning, we stayed in the high school talking ad playing round there with our Erasmus friends. Also, we received a certificate and I took a picture with my host and with my group.We had lunch and after that, we went to Peniche to do a different activity: learn surfing. We arrived to a surfing school in Peniche and we met the sport instructors, which gave us all the materials and equipment that we needed. Then, we went to the beach and they told us how to stand up on the table. My host was one of the instructors, so he taught me how to do it. At first, I didn’t achieved anything but after practising, I was able to stand up on the table twice. The surfing course was short and we it ended, we turned back home. In the evening went to a restaurant to have dinner and then we went to a party in one of the hosts’ house. There, we played some games and some of them singed several songs. It was a great day. However, I was a bit sad because I had to say goodbye to the Slovenian and Bulgarian people, which returned to their countries before us.
Sixth day: The farewell. It was clear that during breakfast there was present a sad atmosphere in my host’s home because I had to go. Besides, that day was a cloudy and rainy day. We went to our teachers’ hotel where they were waiting for us. When all of us arrived, we took a picture and then we said goodbye, but with the promise to see them again in the future. We got on the van and we left Bombarral. During the trip, we were talking about our experience and we all cried a little but we were very happy for all the thing that we had done and the new friends that we did there. Finally, we arrived to Badajoz and my mother was waiting for me. We hugged each other and I remained talking about the Erasmus until we reached home. However, the real end came when I laid on my bed and I felt that I was back home, with a lot of new memories and feelings inside me. It was an unforgettable experience.
