Portugal by the Croatian students

A great week in Almada between the sea and the ocean!
Obrigada Portugal!

Erasmus project to Portugal was great. We arrived and next day went to see Algarve. The view was beautiful. On Monday, we went to meet with students and teachers, from Portugal; and other countries included in project. Hosts were really friendly and everybody made us feel like we are at home. We even had class of Mandarin. I’ve never spoke or heard Mandarin, so I think it was good to learn something totally new to me. Our theme was “One week between the river and the sea”. We saw a lot of interesting beaches. The one I will remember the most will be one in Parque Natural de Arrábida. We also saw Almada and Lisbon. City’s have beautiful architecture. For me, it was really interesting when we visited Oceanário de Lisboa. It was great to learn about every ocean and sea part in the world. Beach cleaning in Costa da Caparica was useful activity because we helped clean some part of beach, and helped the environment. The last day, we had to make one decision about changing our habits, that are “bad” for environment. It made me realize how I use a lot of things that aren’t good for it. It definitely made me more conscious about my daily habits, and changing them.

Anja Jakić

This was my first trip to Portugal ever.  In general, I like their language, food, culture and that they have an ocean.  Of this mobility, I liked the Algarve, Cabo de San Vicente and Oceanario in Lisbon the most because I am a big fan of nature, ocean wildlife and sea.  Their nature really enchanted me.  I enjoyed every moment spent somewhere in nature and in the views of the ocean.  I find it interesting that high school and elementary school students have a school in one place, all together.  I also love the possibility of learning Mandarin and that they have a lot of interesting subjects in the school.  I would love that we have more optional subjects at our school so that we can learn other languages ​​or something else that interests us.  I also like the fact that the Portuguese are very relaxed and that they can dress for school as they want and there is no discrimination or prejudice.  As for food, I like fish dishes, so their diet suited me.  I noticed that they eat a lot of fruit in general and we had a rich selection for breakfast at the hotel.  The climate in Almada suited me very well because it was quite warm and it did not rain, as was said in the forecast.  If I had known it would be so warm in October, I would have brought more short-sleeved shirts.  My only regret is that I didn't swim in the ocean, but I will for sure another time.  I definitely plan to visit Portugal again because it's really worth a visit and you won't be disappointed.

Tea Bakeš

This mobility in Portugal was probably one of the trips I was looking forward to the most. Portugal was always the first on my list when it comes to places I want to visit. I’ve seen pictures and videos online and I’ve always admired it’s beauty and culture. I have to say that it is even more breathtaking in real life. A big part of this project were walks and tours of beautiful sights and views. At first it was a little bit difficult to get to know other people, but after a while we got to know each other better and all of the people I’ve met, or known from previous projects, have been extremely nice and friendly, and that is one of the main reasons why I like being a part of projects and mobilities. I would also like to thank the Portugal students and teacher for their kindness and friendliness. I truly enjoyed this project’s theme specifically and had lots of fun exploring the wonders of Portugal. I was impressed by how much I already know about water pollution and what causes it, but I have to say I have learned a lot of new ways to preserve it and protect it. Overall, I have to admit I was very surprised by how much this project has exceeded my expectations which were already high to begin with and I am very thankful that I got to be a part of this wonderful experience.

Ema Sarić

This was my first ERASMUS+ project in Lisbon, Portugal, our whole adventure started on Saturday 22.10. when we left for Lisbon. It was my first time flying on a plane. The experience was great and I would do it again. We arrived at the hotel in the evening, and we stayed there until the following Saturday. The first day we had a free day, so we decided to visit the Algarve, which was really beautiful and gave me very good memories of Portugal. It was supposed to rain, but the weather served us well and the whole week was actually sunny, which was great for us. From Monday to Friday, we also spent a lot of time at school for the various activities we had there.  Each of the activities was very interesting. I liked learning Mandarin the most. It was nice to meet a new culture and see a different way of life. I imagined Portugal in a totally different way, but despite that I was delighted. We only became friends with the whole team on Thursday and Friday, and I'm very sad besause of that. Of the whole trip to Portugal, my favorite day was Friday because we got permission to go to Lisbon by boat without our teachers, we all had a great time. The hosts were very nice and kind. The whole experience was great. I really liked the city and we visited a lot of sights and monuments. It was worth going. The food was excellent and I will definitely go to one of the ERASMUS+ courses again.  This opportunity was really great.

Ana-Maria Chadjim