Croatia by the Spanish students

 An unforgettable experience in Croatia 8-15                     October 2022, by teacher J. Cruz

Saturday 8

The trip to Croatia started early on Saturday evening for the Spanish team. We met at the city

center, by the Alameda train stop, and took the train to the airport. At the airport it all went

smoothly: we went through security, had an early Burger King dinner, and boarded the plane

in good timing.

Because the flight landed after midnight, we had booked a hotel near Zagreb airport, in

Velika Gorica, so after security we took a taxi and arrived at the accommodation. The rooms

were very clean and simple but comfortable enough. I had booked a van for the first two days

which I was going to rent on Sunday morning, and that would be the first adventure to

overcome.

Sunday 9

On Sunday morning, the students and the teacher Laura went to find a place for breakfast -

they ended up in a nearby hotel which looked good, while I made it back to the airport to rent

the van I’d booked earlier online. There was a fraud and the van company, AbbyCar, didn’t

exist. I complained via email, online comments and on the phone and, luckily, a helpful lady

from the online booking engine helped me get another reservation with a different company,

OK mobility, which was present at Zagreb airport with other tens of car rental companies. The

only problem was that the car I got was much smaller, with just enough capacity for seven

people, and also double as expensive, but I was happy to be able to eventually overcome

this first obstacle and start our little road trip. We had booked accommodation in Pula, in the

Istria peninsula, for Sunday and Monday nights, so I picked up the students and Laura and

off we went after managing the space in the best possible way and fitting everyone and

everyone’s luggage in.

Our first stop was at the “Smallest city on earth”, called Hum, which we really enjoyed - it was

small, just four or five streets, all made of stone and dating back from the early Middle Ages,

all atop a hill with beautiful views to the surrounding fields. We had homemade pasta for

lunch, as well as salad and dessert, and continued our trip to Pula, taking the toll highway or

otherwise we wouldn’t make it in time.

We eventually arrived at Pula while night was falling, and still had to explore a little bit in

order to find our accommodation. It was in the old part of town, housed inside a historic

building. The flat was a bit creepy when we first got into it, with super tall ceilings and old

windows and furniture, but it was clean and we had fun trying to scare each other and

actually succeeding in it. We had pizza for dinner - that is, everyone but me, I had some

vegetables which were very tasty too.

The building inside which was our apartment, in Pula historic center

Monday 10

This was the day we had to explore as much as possible the area where we were, and to go to all the places Romana, the Croatian coordinator, had suggested. We were lucky to have these two days before the beginning of the mobility and it was only a matter of luck that we could enjoy them - it was because of the flights that connect Malaga and Zagreb, which are only on Wednesdays and Saturdays - if we had taken the Wednesday flight, we wouldn’t have made it in time for the mobility, so we had to take an earlier one. I asked Romana what her suggestions were for these days and we did as many as we could - she really gave me good advice as all of the places impressed me, I can say Croatia is a really beautiful country.

We woke up early in the morning and had breakfast at a local bakery, before taking a guided tour of Pula which was interesting and made us learn about the rich history and present of the area. Out of the most remarkable for me were the Roman buildings, the ones standing in really good shape, especially the huge amphitheater, one of the six largest in the world. Being an English teacher, I also liked to learn that James Joyce lived there for six months, and to see the statue he has there currently, even though he didn’t seem to enjoy the place much. We saw some of the buildings built in communist style during the Tito era, and the tour ended on the castle atop the hill, where we took a little walk by circling it. After that, we went to the supermarket to buy food for that day’s lunch and dinner, as well as for breakfast, and then headed to Façana in order to catch the ferry for Brijuni island.

We had lunch at the beach in Façana and soon after boarded the boat to Brijuni. Brijuni islands is one of the seven National Parks of Croatia and the first one we visited during this trip. We rented bikes and had a blast for the two or three hours we spent on the island. There are hotels, Byzantine remains from the Middle Age and even earlier by the sea, and a protected animal park with zebras, ostriches, donkeys and other exotic animals, which live there in a semi-wild state. We returned on the 7 pm boat and took the car back to Pula, where the students cooked carbonara pasta.

Zebras on Brijuni National Park

Some of the students and teacher Laura cycling on Brijuni.

Tuesday 11

Verudela Canyon, south of Pula

We had to return the car to Zagreb airport in the evening, so we started the day early in order to see as much as possible. After breakfast at home, we set out for Verudela Canyon, which offers a picturesque view above the Adriatic sea, and even had some time to enjoy the nearby beach. This was one of the moments I most enjoyed during the whole trip, as I was able to swim for a little while and everyone could explore, get into the sea or sunbathe. We returned to wave farewell to the Pula accommodation and again arranged all the suitcases and bags with everyone inside the car.

Then we drove to Rovinj, parked in the blue zone and looked for a place to have lunch, which was thoroughly enjoyable too, even if it was a bit difficult to decide at first. Then we walked to the top of the old city of Rovinj, entered the cathedral and lingered a little bit with the wonderful views.

 Inside Rovinj cathedral

The rest of the day we had to drive back to Zagreb, return the car at the airport, and find the accommodation for that day, in Zagreb city center. Halfway between Rovinj and Zagreb we stopped at a gas station to refill the tank, and I was unpleasantly surprised when I had to pay €72 but got a receipt for €66. You see, during this time you could pay cash in euros in Croatia in most places - nevertheless, it was much more convenient to pay in their local currency, Kunas, because of the exchange rates and commission - I wasn’t really aware of that, so I learned it the hard way, and I started exchanging euros for kunas ever after that for the rest of the trip. Long story short, everyone came back to the airport to return the car, took a taxi to Zagreb city center, then found the apartments and checked in, had some dinner and went to bed early, in order to be up early the next day, when the mobility activities would start.

Wednesday 12 

Early in the morning, Laura and I managed to get all the necessary stuff for breakfast from nearby bakeries and markets: sweets, some bread and coffee. Then we got all our stuff and started walking towards the meeting point, near the central station. We got there in good timing and met all the other delegations, teachers and friends I hadn't seen since February when the mobility in Malaga had taken place. We were happy to be together again and got on the bus that would take us to Plitvice Lakes.

We were really lucky with the weather at Plitvice - all the forecasts had warned of wind and heavy rain but all we had was a soft drizzle at times and really good weather to do the walking routes around the beautiful lakes - this was the second Croatian National Park we visited on the trip, the first which was part of the mobility activities, which focused on Digital Photography.

We enjoyed the walks and the company in Plitvice, and finally headed back to the bus, which stopped after one hour for dinner at Burger King, and after two more hours we eventually arrived at Daruvar. There were some issues with our rooms initially (there were bugs in them), and those of us who didn’t change rooms that night, changed them the following day, early in the morning.

Thursday 13

This day, early in the morning, we had breakfast and a little after I talked to the people in reception of the main building to change rooms. We had been housed initially in a different building, beautiful and well preserved but far from the main building, as well as infested with bugs (can’t help but remember one of the discussions with the hotel manager, who asked me “don’t you have bugs in your country, sir?” “Sure we do, and the same bugs, but not inside hotel rooms!” was my reply) - that day we finally were moved to the main building.

The hotel and Daruvar were very interesting, as there were thermal waters and the place had been settled and used by the Romans. There was a fenced well and you could see the hot water steam going up.

Water well with steam in the morning air

All the activities were very carefully planned and interesting enough - I was impressed by the huge school and its facilities. The students did some activities on their own and we teachers had to teach a lesson about our country. Laura and I had prepared a lesson about some curiosities of Spain, its history and the Spanish language, followed by a quiz which had to be done on a mobile, and I think the Croatian students we taught to, who were not part of this project, learned and liked the lesson, at least this is what we were told afterwards. We had also taken a little present from Spain in the form of a wristband with the flags of Spain and Andalucia, which were given to the winners of the quiz.

Inside the classroom where we had to teach a lesson about Spain 

That day, we continued doing activities at school. We had some free time scheduled before the evening program, and I used my half an hour to bathe in the thermal waters of the hotel, a relaxing moment in the middle of a hectic day. In the evening we went back to school for the Farewell Event, where Croatian students sang and each country made a performance, either a dance or a song sung live. The teachers exchanged little gifts and shared a common dinner. A nice detail from our Croatian hosts is that they had selected a song from each country represented in the dinner to play before the performances - there were Eurovision songs, traditional and more modern music.

Farewell event

Friday 14 

Friday was full of collaborative activities focused on the topic of digital photography. Teachers learnt about an app which is useful to identify plants and followed guidelines divided in two teams - we had to take pictures following the instructions and then make a video or presentation with inventive titles and sentences. Our students were collaborating and attended training to make better photographs and then created posters: take a look at some of them.

Saturday 15

Our trip was coming to an end but before that, there were a few mobility activities left to do: the guided tour of Zagreb city centre and a visit to the Museum of Illusions. We got up early in the morning in order to have everything ready and be able to have breakfast before getting on the bus which would take us to Zagreb and then away to the airport. Before going down for breakfast, upon checking that I had too much free space in my small suitcase, I realized my jacket was missing. A really nice jacket, the best I have, which I had packed because of the cold weather, but hadn’t worn not even one little moment because of the good weather. I knew I had left it in the other building and went down to reception so that they let me go find it. It was hard, they said there was someone in the room but I insisted, they checked “again” and there was no one, so I hurried up and found the jacket where I’d left it on Wednesday night, hung in the closet. The cleaning lady in the other building was really helpful and kind, and spoke perfect English, I remember thinking she should be in a better job. Anyway, I was relieved to find my jacket and hurried back to the main building so as to have some coffee and a little breakfast.

We went to Zagreb by bus, and there, the first activity was the Museum of Illusions. Then we went on a guided tour of the old city center and were surprised by the cannon shot from atop of a castle, something that happens everyday in Zagreb. It was deafening! After having a quick lunch, the Turkish and the Spanish teams headed to the airport in good timing. We boarded our flight back to Malaga in time and arrived at the expected time. In all, it was an unforgettable experience which I am very grateful to have experienced!

Two of Zagreb’s most famous and impressive cultural sights.

Hi everyone!

I’m Laura, one of the teachers from the Spanish Delegation who has had the great opportunity to enjoy the Erasmus Exchange in Croatia!

This has been my second trip as part of the Project, and it has exceded my expectations. I was so glad to find such a beautiful country with lovely small towns and incredible natural landscapes.

I would like to highlight some of the activities and visits we have done.

First of all, I loved the small towns we went to: Hum, Pula, Fazana and Daruvar. They are a mixture of incredible monuments, narrow streets, great places with delicious gastronomy, and beaches with cristal clear water. Here you can see two group pictures in Pula:

I have to say that I and really fond of nature, so visiting Brijuni National Park and Plitvice Lakes National Park has left me speechless:

All the activities proposed have been so fulfilling and, I must confess, so much fun, especially the scavenger hunt we did in the Roman Forest Park of Daruvar. Of course, as you can see, we worked so hard to get a good final product:

Last but not least, I would like to thank the Croatian hosts for their warm welcome and stay, this could not have been posible without them. I would like to finish this text with a photo of the farewell dinner they prepared at school: delicious food, many surprises and presents, dancing and lots of fun; this was the perfect final touch for our week!

Erasmus + Project. Short term Exchange in Croatia.

Hi! My name is Carla Ferrer González, I´m from Spain, and I’m going to tell you about my experience in this Project.

In the Spanish team we were really lucky and we got to enjoy four days traveling around Croatia, it's the most beautiful country I’ve ever visited.

We went to many towns and villages, and the most characteristic thing about Croatia for me, were the landscapes, they were so green.

We also were really lucky about the sunsets, the ones we saw were really beautiful.

         One of my biggest interests is art, and we saw many historical architectural pieces all around Croatia. In Daruvar we went to a museum which I really enjoyed and to a photography gallery.

And the most important and amazing thing is all the people we had the opportunity to meet, everyone was really nice and kind, we all made friends with each other so easily and I'm so thankful that I got the opportunity to participate in this project.

I am Mauricio and I would like to tell you a little bit about my experience in Croatia. It was my first time traveling abroad with a school and it was better than I expected. We visited many parts of Croatia and everything was really beautiful. 

When we arrived in Daruvar, the people there were very friendly and helpful so our stay in that country was very comfortable. We visited and did a lot of fun activities at the school in Daruvar and I learned a lot about Croatian culture and behavior. 

I am very grateful that I was able to be part of the Erasmus+ Project, as it gives me a lot of new knowledge and opens my mind by learning a lot from foreign people.

 

This project has been one of the best experiences I've had, if not the best. It was the first time I left my country and it was surprising.

The places, the food, the people and the whole culture of Croatia is absolutely worth admiring.

Upon arrival we did a bit of sightseeing. After that we met our hosts with whom we did ice-breaking activities. Once we broke the ice we were able to develop all those activities related to technology and digital photography.

I hope to return to Croatia in the future. (By Juanma)

This was my first experience with Erasmus+

project, it was a lovely trip, where I met a

lot of friendly and interesting people and

visited many wonderful places.

Our 7 day trip started the 8th of October in

Malaga’s airport, then when we landed in

Zagreb, Croatia. The next day we rented a

mini-van and initiated our way to Pula, we

stopped in Hum, the world's smallest town,

with only 30 inhabitants, it was a beautiful

town. At noon that day we arrived in Pula,

where we spent 3 days. The 10th, we took a

free tour about Pula and its history, in the

afternoon we went to Fažana, to take a ferry

to Brijuni, a National Park, there were some

amazing sights and the cutest animals; the

same day we went back to Pula. The 11th we

visited a beach called “Hawaii Beach”, which

was gorgeous, then we had to go back to

Zagreb, a 5 hour car ride, with some stops;

the first one in Rovinj, a nice and quiet town

with lots of hills. At night we arrived in

Zagreb, we were very excited because the next

day we were going to get to know the other

teams.

The 12th we got to know our hosts and the

other countries, they all were very sociable,

with them we went to Plitvice Lakes, where we

walked like 8 kilometers and saw about 10 out

of 16 lakes, we enjoyed the nature, th company

and the little boat trips; we arrived to

Daruvar late at night. On the 13th, we visited

a photography museum, then some of the Croatian

students gave us a really interesting tour

about Daruvar, after we went to another museum

with lots of paintings and historic stuff and

next we went to the school, we had some

workshops and the countries exposed a

presentation about their city and culture.

Later that night we had the international

dinner, where all teams presented a

traditional dance or song and got our

diplomas. The next morning we went to the

school and did some more workshops about

digital photography, later that evening we got

time to spend with our hosts and get to know

them better. The 15th, our last day, we

traveled to Zagreb, and went to some museums

and touristic places of the city, such as the

“Illusion Museum” and the canyon. In

conclusion, it was a sensational, educative

and fun trip, I’d be glad to do something

similar again.

A model of the city of Pula (above); the Pula amphitheater (below)

Zebras in Brijuni national park