Goodbye Dublin

Today is the departure day. The time flies and after a month the suitcases are full of friends, experiences, adventures, more knowledge, and some presents.
We have a long day ahead, the airport, the flight, the bus and we will finally arrive to Pamplona, tired, but happy. Happy for the good memories and happy to be at home again with the family, friends and eating "real and good" food.

Conclusions by Carlos

This month I've had a great time here in Ireland. I have met a lot of people from different countries. The activity leaders from the residence were very kind with us. The evening activities were all very good. The classes were great because I have learned a lot of things that I didn't know before coming here. I think this has been a great month and I don't mind coming back.

Conclusions by Borja

This trip has been incredible and really fun, we have done a lot of different things and activities, we were all the day busy with a lot of different activities and speaking English all the time. I've enjoyed a lot this trip and I have had a really good time.

Conclusions by Alex

Ireland has been a different experience. It has been unlike anything we've lived.
The first days were really hard, we didn't know anybody and we seemed to be alone, but we carried on and we have finally seen that it is not such a bad thing and we have really had fun and enjoyed.
We have learnt a lot from Irish culture and about Ireland. We've also learnt how to live-more or less- on our own, without our parents taking care of us for a month. Of course, we've learnt English, and what is more important, we have practiced our English, and we have used everyday English more than the English from the books, the real English that it is used in the street.
Personally, I think this is an experience everybody should have and enjoy

Killiney

This is finishing, today is our last full day in Dublin, so in Ireland, and yesterday as a farewell party, we went to Killiney Hill, again with Miguel and Gloria.
The evening  wasn't very hot, so it was perfect to walk. The people from Blackrock went to Rathdown to meet the rest of the group there, and from the college we walked to the hill. The views from the top, spectacular, we could see all Dublin city from there and also Bray. We had a picnic there, and we took lots of pictures. After a while, we started our way down back to Rathdown, and when we arrived the boys showed to the other part of the group, the facilities where they have spent this month.
We had a good time and we are going to have a good memory from this excursion.

The group and Dublin in the background

Paronamic view of Bray

Dundrum

Another visit that we did, although we went in two different days, was to Dundrum a big shopping center in Dublin. To get there we took the tram, the LUAS, and after 8 stops we were there, and we had time to see shops, buy a few things, and some even to go to the cinema to see a movie in English, Despicable me 2.
There are also some restaurants, so after having dinner, and with some less money and a few bags, the visit was over.

Bray-Greystones

Finally yesterday, as I promised to the boys in Rathdown, we went to a beautiful place, thanks to Miguel, and Gloria (the Spanish teachers in the Spanish camp for Irish in Rathdown whose students do the integration programme with the Spanish students) that showed us this wonderful walk.
We took the train to go to Bray, where our evening trip started, we walked along the beach until we reached the bottom of hill with its cross on the top, that was our objective. The way up was sharped, but with more or less time and more or less effort we could get to the top, impressive views were waiting fot us, we coukd see all Bray.
We continued our walk towards Greystones, to get to a point where we could see Greystones, and these views were amazing too.
Going down, we took the cliff walk to go back to Bray, all the way was above the rail track and easier than the first part, and we came back to the starting point.
I think that all of us we slept really well after that.
It really was a lovely evening.

Impressions by Borja

I'm having a really good time here in Ireland, despite the beginning was dificult because we didn't know anyone, we started making friends, doing many trips to Dublin in the afternoons, and at the weekend we are doing really interesting and beautiful trips too.
Although the clases are boring we are enjoying Ireland a lot, and we are having a really good weather and I hope it continues like this.

Three weeks-One week

Well, the time flies, only one week left.
Today two boys left and now  they are in the plane flying back home.
They had mixed feelings, they wanted to go because they miss their families, homes and the food, but also they wanted to stay because they were happy here.
We hope you have a lovely flight!

Some projects

At the same time that the group learn English and have fun in the different activities, they also make projects about different aspects od Irish culture, here some of the projects they have already done.

Afternoon in the beach

After a sunny and hot week, what were we going to do on Friday afternoon? Enjoy the good weather and have a swim in the sea. The place chosen was the Forty Foot, a bathing place. It was such a lovely day that we weren't the only ones having that idea, the place was packed, but we found a place near it where we could spend a good aftetnoon.
The group was brave and they tried the cold water of the North sea, goose pimples when they came out really revealed that the water was really cold, so they have another thing to tell their grandchildren.

Visit to Dublin

Yesterday, finally with all the group, we could go to Dublin. It was a lovely hot day and after walking around the city for a while, I gave them the opportunity of doing some shopping, but that wasn't enough they wanted to have dinner out, so McDonalds was the place choosen. I think they really had a good afternoon and that they are looking forward to going out again, if the weather continues like this (sunny and hot) the next visit will be to a town on the seaside, with our tanned skin, nobody is going to believe we have been in Ireland!

First days by Carlos

I'm having a great time in Ireland. I have made new friends from Russia and Italy.
I'm very happy in the residence because we do a lot of activities. In the evening we have disco and karaoke so all of us have a great time. The classes are a litttle bit boring but in the break I can talk so it doesn't matter.

First week

Well, after a week I can say that all the group is fine and they are quite happy.

The beginning was hard, like all the beginnings when you are far from home, more or less everyone was happy with their accomodation, although there are always some fears, and things which you are not very happy with. The food is different, the meals are at a different hour, they drive on the left and we are not used to look to the right when we cross the roads, and of course, the language, but they are here to improve it!

One of the biggest problems was how to get to the school by bus on Monday. After having asked the families all where on time and ready for the activities or lessons.
Sports and lessons are held in the morning or in the afternoon, depending on the programme, and they also mixed with trips to know more about the country and the culture.

They are trying hard to speak in English and to improve, and they now know people from Spain, Italy, Russia and of course from Ireland.

The contact they have with Irish is through different people, activity leaders, teachers, the families if they are staying in a family, and the ones in the residence, they also have contact with Irish teenagers. Every day they have an activity in which they have to speak with Irish teenagers that are learning Spanish (they take turns of 15 minutes to speak in English and in Spanish).

Although they complaint a little bit about different things, they are fine and they having fun and enjoying the experience and at the same time, improving their skills in English.

First days by Alex

This is different. We have to adapt to this new country, new accomodation and people. No one said that this was going to be easy, and personally, I thought it was going to be hard. But it's harder than I thought.
However, we are doing a big effort in order to have a good month. The first two-three days, we didn't know anybody, so it was tough. But after those days we met people from Zaragoza and Italy, so we started to talk to other people and we started enjoying the experience in this residence.
The weather isn't as bad as I thought, it's not raining all the time and the food is quite nice.
The lessons are fine, the three hours aren't long at all and the level is right.
We've got plenty of activities to do, so we are not bored at anytime!
I hope I continue enjoying the experience.