Discovering Coimbra: Our Erasmus+ journey

Julene and Zila are two learners from Institut Cavall Bernat and thanks to Erasmus+ they spent one month in Coimbra, to do an internship in their fields of study: Pastry & Bakery and Restaurant and Catering. Here’s their perspective on their mobility!

Julene

My name is Julene, and I’m from Barcelona, Spain. I did my Erasmus+ in Coimbra, Portugal for a Month (May 28th to June 28th). 

It was a really rewarding experience because it made me think, reflect and become more independent, and it actually went well! 

I met some amazing people, event though there weren’t many people (due to the short length of my stay) and we were all Erasmus students and neighbors. Still, we shared some really beautiful moments together! 

During my stay, I had the chance to travel outside Coimbra. One weekend, I went to Lisbon by myself to see a small part of the city, although the main reason for my trip was a very special concert for me. I’m really grateful for living it through that experience. 

I also went to Porto with a few friends, and we managed to see almost the whole city, all day long. It was beautiful, and sharing those moments with them made it even more special! In Coimbra, I had some lovely experiences. I visited incredible and iconic places, that are absolutely worth photographing. 

As for my internship experience, it was in a bakery (because I studied pastry), and the people were very friendly and kind. However, they barely spoke any English. 

I came to Portugal knowing that I’d need to adapt to the language (luckily, Portuguese and Spanish are very similar languages) but still, I was expecting to practice my English and, in the end, that didn’t happen, with most people, except for a few, we spoke Spanish-Portuguese. 

Portuguese people are friendly, but not that much. That’s probably something i missed from Spain. In many other European countries, locals have the same energy and warmth as in Spain, and that might be that one thing I found slightly lacking. 

Overall, I’d definitely do this again. Even though I missed my home, my country, my job, and my people, it was such an enriching experience! In fact, it even felt a bit too short. 

Thank you so much to everyone who made it possible. 

Zila

About a month ago, I woke up to finish packing my bags and catch a plane to Porto, ending up in Coimbra. I couldn’t believe what was happening, but now I remember it with great fondness and nostalgia. I remember the beautiful cities, full of life, tiles, and cream cakes. 

I have to say that it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made, and that if I hadn’t made this decision, it wouldn’t have affected my academic life at all. I’m sure you’re wondering why. I’ll tell you: it has helped me improve personally and perhaps a little academically. During my stay in Coimbra, I faced new situations: living with someone who was not part of my family, a different schedule, communicating in another language… At first, I didn’t fully realize that I was on my own, but little by little I got used to it. I had to learn to step out of my comfort zone. I made friends with Spanish people. Not only that, but I wish they had been Portuguese, but things happen for a reason, and I’m very grateful to have made more friends, who also helped me when I needed it. 

Academically, I’m not going to lie: it was strange. I started doing the most basic things in my internship, which I thought was normal, but what I didn’t know was that I was going to spend my entire stay doing the most basic things over and over again. But like everything else, I got used to it. I didn’t learn anything new, but I could say that I became faster at those basic things, and now I dare say that I can do them with my eyes closed. 

I am eternally grateful for having made this decision, and also for having had the opportunity to experience new feelings and situations. Now I value my abilities and my worth as a person, friend, and worker more.