Two months in Spain
My Erasmus+ Experience in Alicante, Spain
This spring, I had the wonderful opportunity to take part in a student exchange program through Erasmus+. Together with my friend, we went to Alicante, a city on the southeastern coast of Spain. We stayed there for two months and worked in a local café. It was an unforgettable experience that gave us not only professional skills but also cultural knowledge, new friends, and lots of great memories.
Our Arrival and First Impressions
We arrived in Alicante on March 15 in the morning. Alicante is not a very big city — it has about 300,000 people. But that is what made it so comfortable. Everything is close, and the city feels cozy and calm. We lived in an apartment on the 14th floor with an amazing view of the sea and the beach. Every day we watched beautiful sunrises and sunsets.
Our Workplace
We worked at a café called "My Coffee," which was not far from the city center. Our working hours were in two shifts: from 9 to 12 in the morning and from 6 to 9 in the evening. From the very first day, our coworkers were kind and friendly. They helped us learn everything. Our tasks included serving customers, taking orders, making coffee, keeping the café clean, and working with the cash register. Even though there were many responsibilities, we quickly learned and started doing our job well.
One funny thing was that, after we started working there, more customers began to visit the café. Our coworkers even noticed it and joked that we brought good luck. We had many regular customers, and even outside work, some of them greeted us on the streets.
During our stay, we improved our Spanish a lot. We learned many new words at work and while talking to locals. We also practiced with Duolingo. Our coworkers often told us that our Spanish was getting better. We also spoke English at work, especially with tourists from different countries. Many Ukrainian and Finnish customers came to the café, and we helped them with their orders in English.
Spanish Culture and Traditions
Spain has some traditions that were new and interesting for us. For example, siesta — a long break in the afternoon when many shops close. Also, on Sundays, most shops are closed, and there are no 24/7 stores like in some other countries.
We were lucky to be in Spain during Easter. It is a big holiday there, and people organize parades in the streets. It was beautiful and very emotional.
Food and Favorite Places
Spanish food is very tasty. One day, we also decided to try something new and went to a Georgian restaurant. We had khinkali, grilled chicken, mushrooms, and a drink called tarragon. It was all delicious.
Near our home, there was a small restaurant that became our favorite. The workers there became our friends, and they knew us as regular customers.
One day, we bought a Ukrainian cake from a local shop that sells Ukrainian products and brought it to work to share with our Spanish coworkers. It was something new for them, and they really liked it.
Free Time Activities
In our free time, we did many interesting things. We went to the gym 2–3 times a week. The gym was close to our home, had great equipment, and a nice view. Next to the gym, there was a healthy food restaurant where we often had smoothies after workouts.
We visited the Archaeological Museum of Alicante. It was interesting and well organized. We learned a lot about the history of the city. The only minus was that some texts were only in Spanish, and we couldn’t film videos inside.
Alicante has many beaches. Near our home, there was a quiet beach where we often went to relax and swim. The water was a little cold, but we enjoyed the sun and even got a nice tan.
Trip to Madrid
We also took a trip to Madrid. It was my friend’s dream to visit the Lululemon store and buy new sports clothes. About a week before, we booked our train tickets and accommodation with the help of our friend from work. In Madrid, we visited famous places like Plaza Mayor, La Puerta de Alcalá, and the shopping street Gran Vía. We also visited the big department store El Corte Inglés, where we saw luxury brands like Dior and Louis Vuitton.
We went to a Japanese restaurant and had sushi, which was very tasty. We used Spanish to order food in a café, and we were proud of that. We also visited the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, where we explored the Real Madrid museum and the stadium itself. Madrid was beautiful but too big for us, and it doesn’t have a beach like Alicante, so we liked Alicante more.
Trip to Benidorm
We also went to Benidorm, a city about 60 kilometers from Alicante. We had a small problem with the train, but in the end, everything was fine. Benidorm is known for its beaches and nightlife, and it’s popular with young people.
Shopping time
Shopping in Spain was fun. There are many stores that we don’t have in Finland or Ukraine. Alicante has a great shopping center close to our home, and the city center has two El Corte Inglés stores with a big selection.
People and Atmosphere
People in Alicante are very friendly, helpful, and social. Many of them have dogs — it seems like every Spanish person owns a dog! We felt very welcome in the city.
Our time in Alicante was full of unforgettable moments. We got nice experience, improved our Spanish and English, made new friends, and explored Spanish culture. We faced some funny and unexpected situations but always stayed positive. Alicante became our second home, and we will always remember this amazing time with warm feelings. This Erasmus+ exchange gave us more than we ever expected, and we are very thankful for this opportunity.
