Day 16

Today, Wednesday September 28, was my last day with my Irish friends.

I got up much earlier than usual to get ready and say goodbye to my father and brothers and also to have everything ready. But before getting out of the House Emma gifted me a rugby t-shirt which I loved it.

 Emma and I went to school as we would catch a bus there to go to Dublin's airport. I met up with all my mates and we got on the bus. After about three hours we arrived at the airport and Ms. Fogarty and our friends helped us get situated and check in our bags. After that, we sadly had to say goodbye to all the Irish people with whom we had stayed and learned many things.

After a while, we went to security and then to the duty free area where we ate until we had to go to the gate. We waited for a bus that would take us to our boarding gate and after a few minutes we were able to go through and get on the plane. Inside we realized that the stewardess who attended us on the way out and who took a picture with us was also on the plane, so we greeted him. After a few hours on the flight we arrived in Bilbao where we took a bus to go to the bus station. Since we had to wait until 8:00 p.m. to catch the last bus, we divided into groups and each one went one way. We ate in a bar in the area until we had to go back to the station and catch the last bus of the day.

On the way back we were talking about our entire experience in Ireland until we arrived to Logroño where we said goodbye and each one went home with his family to rest.

It was a wonderful experience and I really enjoyed it. Everyone has been very nice and friendly and I have made many friends.

Also I wanted to thank my host family who has treated me very well and has made the days that I was very entertaining.

 Day 15

Today, Tuesday, September 27, would be my last full day with my host family. We took the bus and it took us half an hour to get to the institute. We were waiting to catch the bus that would take us to the university to have our gym class. We were a little late in arriving but nothing happened. We were there for an hour boxing until we had to go back.

When we arrived, we went to home economics class but we had to leave as we would have a talk about cyber bullying.

When we left we went to the second recess and I met my classmates. Some came drenched because It had rained and they had hiking but they were fine.

After recess I had chemistry and wood technology class. When it was over, Emma and I left and took our bus to go home.

That afternoon Emma and I got ready to make a potato omelette for dinner and they told me that they liked it.

Before going to sleep, I finished packing my suitcase and said goodbye to my mother since she had to work and I wouldn't see her the next day.

 Day 14

Today, Monday, September 26, we went back to school to start our day with English class and then, in Spanish class, we took a walk around the town and bought some food with our classmates. After the first break we went to the Young social innovation class in which they showed us some videos so that we could think of an innovative idea. When it finished we went to the home economics class in which we were cooking typical foods from other countries in groups. My group and I cooked a potato omelette.

After the last break, we had a sign language class, in which we learned some basic things to communicate.

Finally we had a computer animation class and when it was over Emma and I went back home as I had to start packing my things.

Day 13

 Today, Sunday September 24, was a pretty quiet day. I woke up later than usual as there was nothing planned.

So I had a leisurely breakfast and around noon my mother offered me to go and see her youngest son, Noah, at his rugby match, which I accepted.

We were talking on the way in the car about Irish and Spanish customs and traditions until we reached the rugby field and saw how Noah played.

When the game was over, my mother and I drove back but first we stopped at a supermarket to buy some food and she bought me some gluten-free products to try as they were very good. She was right, I enjoyed them.

After that, we went back home to rest and prepare everything for the next day.

Day 12

 Today, Saturday September 23rd, after having breakfast, Emma's father, her and I, se went to the car as they had an excursion scheduled.

It took us about an hour to get to the place which was a very famous castle in Ireland near the city of Cork, Blarney Castle.

We saw some beautiful gardens and later, we went up to the top of the castle to kiss a very famous stone of the place. They say that if you kiss that stone you will get the gift of eloquence.

After hanging around the castle for a while we got back in the car and drove into town to see a traditional Irish market and where my dad let Emma and I go shopping for a couple of hours.

We were looking and buying in some stores until we got back to the car since there was no more to look at. After another hour of return, we arrived home to rest.

 Day 11

Today, Friday, September 23, we went to the bus to go to class and enter the musical class, where, like the previous days, we were learning some dance steps. After that, we had math and geography, but the teacher didn't show up so we went with a substitute to the hurling field where we walked around and picked some berries. 

After a few more classes, the school hours ended but we had to stay two more hours to practice for the musical so we spent an hour in there with our classmates and, the second hour they let us go out through the town since we were not going to participate in the musical so we walked around a bit and bought food and then went back to school and waited for our Irish parterns.

When they finished, each one went back to their corresponding house and, a while later, some of us went to see another night of Irish music and dancing in a village.

 Day 10

Today, Thursday September 22, we went back to class by bus to start our day. The first thing in the morning, we had to go to the musical class, in which we were dancing and singing for the musical that our Irish classmates will have in November.

Then, we went to English class and continued with poetry. When it was over we went to have lunch since we would have a barista course and two workers from a cafe in Dublin taught us how to make coffee. After a while, our course ended so we went to the religion class and finally to the support class, in which we made an essay in which we had to cheer on our soccer team in a match since we were losing .

In the afternoon, I accompanied Emma, ​​her mother and her brother shopping and also so that Emma could ask in a pharmacy for her Job experience week, in which they will have to work somewhere and the teachers will judge them. Lastly, we bought a hot chocolate before heading home.

Day 9

Today, Wednesday, September 21, we did something special. There was a Ploghing Championship and the institute had organized an excursion to that place, which we would go for the entire TY year and another year. We had to get up early to catch a bus that would take us to the huge place. It took us about 3 hours to get there and when they explained to us what time we should return to the parking lot, some fellow Erasmus students and I went inside to explore the place. We were able to see animals such as sheep and cows being sold at auctions, the tractors ploghing the fields, and we were also able to play some of the competition and technology games that were on offer. 

When we got hungry and started to get tired we ate in some food stall and chatted while we rested. After a few more turns around the place and some purchases, we had to go back to the parking lot because we were going to be late.

We got on the bus and after another three hours back we got to the village and from there Emma's father picked us up and we went back home to then go to Emma's rugby training. When it finished we went back home.

 Day 8

Today, Tuesday September 20, I got on the bus with my Irish sister to go to class since today we would have to take a bus for the gym.

When we arrived, they explained to us the guidelines that we should follow to get on the correct bus and then we got on.

It took us about an hour to get there and we met our instructor who, that day, would teach us some cardio with weights.

When it finished we were all very tired but we had to go back to school for the next classes.

After another hour of return, we arrived at the institute and entered since we would go to the home economics class, where we would talk about foods from other countries and think of something that we could do in the next class.

After some classes like chemistry and wood technology, we finished school and we decided to meet all of the Erasmus mates to be around the town for a while until we had to leave but, before going home, we were at a friend's house for dinner. We had some pizza and talked for a while. Later, they came to pick up Emma and me to go home.

 Day 7

Today, Monday, September 19, I woke to go to the institute with my partner and meet my classmates to start my first class, English. They taught us some resources of poetry and, when it was over, we went to the Spanish class where the teacher told us to go out to the field where the students taught us some basic tricks for hurling and Gaelic football.

We stayed there for a while until we had to go to home economics class, where Emma explained that that day we were going to cook pasta bolognese and then eat it for lunch. It turned out pretty good honestly.

For the last class we had computer animation but since there weren't enough computers we were watching our classmates' work.

In the afternoon I went to see Emma at training and then we went to the institute where, that night, some students from the school were playing Irish music.

We were listening to the music, dancing and they even gave us biscuits and tea until it was over.

Day 6 

Today, Sunday, September 18, I decided to take the day off and relax in the morning to rest for a while since I had nothing planned. I spent a few hours reviewing all of my notes until at noon my father and brother offered me to accompany them to the supermarket and I accepted.

When we arrived we started to buy groceries until I ran into Emma who works there and she just had finished her shift so she took me to a cafe near the place and we could have a hot chocolate together and talk about these last days we had spent together.

After a while, we returned home and I was preparing my backpack for the next day until they called me for family dinner.

We talked until we finished and went to bed.

 

 Day 5

Today, Saturday the 17th of september, we had an excursion planned. We took the bus and headed to the city of Limerick, where we first stopped to see the Milk Market. We were able to see a wide variety of food for sale and even we could try some of the food. An hour later, we all met to go to King John's Castle where we could see all its history and creation as well as some objects and remains from those times. We visited its towers and reached the top to  contemplate the views. When we got out, we went back to the bus that took us to the city and we went to the nearest shopping center to eat and to buy whatever we wanted or needed.

They let us for a couple of hours until we got back on the bus and it drove us back to the institute so we could be picked up by our corresponding families.

On the way back in the car I was told that Emma had a rugby match so I decided to go and see her and cheer her on.

When it was over, we went home.

 

 Day 4

Today, Friday 16, we did something different. 

We got up a little earlier so we could catch the bus that would take us to the Cliffs of Moher. As soon as we arrived they explained to us what we were going to see and we entered into a museum with beautiful photos and exhibitions of the place. We took some photos and left the place to go to a tower on a cliff and see the views. 

We finished seeing the place and headed to the beach, where they gave us our wetsuits and surfboards so we could learn. We were trying to surf for two hours until we had to drop everything and go back but first we went for some ice cream. 

When we got back from the place, Emma and I headed home. And when we finished dinner, my host mother and Emma showed me a fox that cames every night, her uncle's horse and cow, his geese and cats, and her grandfather's house, which they explained to me that it was a traditional Irish house and was created in the 18th century. Finally we went home and rested for the next day.

 Day 3

Today, Thursday 15, was my second day at the Scoil Pól institute in Ireland. I got up and went back with Emma to the bus that would take us to school.

When we arrived, I  met with my classmates and then I went to the musical class, in which they explained to us that this year, the TY year students will have to do a high school musical in November. So they taught us some dance steps and the lyrics of the title song and asked us about who will audition for singing and dancing for the lead roles. The next class was English in which they taught us poetic resources but half of the class our classmates were singing the song for the musical. After recess we headed to mathematics, where we were solving equations in our notebook. After the next class, religion, we went to English support, but instead of teaching, a classmate sang the song from the musical for the fifth time in the day.

When school ended, all the Erasmus participants decided to meet up to hang out in the town, go to the nearby hurling field and sit in the stands to talk, and also, go to a nearby park to jump down a zip line.

When everyone had to leave, Emma and I went back home and a few hours later we decided to go to Maeve and Sophie's training where Andrea and Enea were also there and we took a picture together with the whole team which, later it was published. They also taught me the basics of the sport.

   

 

Day 2

Today, Wednesday 14, was my first day at the Scoil Pól institute with Emma and my colleagues from the Erasmus project.

I took a bus with Emma that drove us to the institute in half an hour to start our day.

My first class was called wood technology in which they told me that they have been doing it for three years in a row. I was able to take some photos. When it finished, we left that class and went to geography, in which they were going to show us a documentary but they called us all so that the director together with some teachers would welcome us. We went back to class and after the first recess we went to junk cotoure, it was a subject of design and creation of clothes. In chemistry class we were doing a PowerPoint about retinal detachment so that we could present it the next day. In Spanish class our classmates and Ms Fogarty decided to teach us Kilfinane, the town, through a game. When it was over, we went to our last class which was again about junk cotoure, and we helped our classmates with their design making paper flowers.

After class, Emma and I headed to the bus so we could go home.

 

Day 1

 Today was the day I would go to Irland for a scholarship. 

I got up at 7:30 am so i could get prepared for the long trip that was waiting for me. After getting everything ready, I went to the bus station to get the first bus of the day. There, I met my exchange partners who would be besides me along the journey. It took 2 hours until we arrived to the Bilbao's bus station.

Once we got in there we searched for our bus to the airport and, when it arrived we got in and waited to reach to it. We arrived and while we were waiting for the plane we decided to eat our lunch. Then, we went to the check-in, security and finally to the boarding gates. We got in the airplane and flew across the sky for almost two hours just so we could meet our exchange parterns. 

When we reached Dublin's airport our partners welcomed us and we got on the bus so we could go to have dinner together. We started to know and get along with each other. Once se finished, we hopped on the bus again to finally drive us to the school where our families were waiting for us. 

                      (our first dinner together)