Four studens from Bulgaria spent 7 days on Erasmus+ in Ortona, Italy /11.03.2019-16.03.2019/.These are their thoughts on the place they loved so much.

From: Ralitsa IlievaWe arrived in Ortona in March when the weather was very good. With its lovely green spaces and beautiful view to the Adriatic sea, its warm and welcoming atmosphere. I fell in love with the city from the very beginning. I knew that this would be one of the best experiences I have ever had.

My Erasmus+ experience

When I entered ISTITUTO COMPRENSIVO “FRANCHESCO PAOLO TOSTI” for the first time and looked around, I was surprised at how warming and interesting the school was and, thanks to this, I never felt like a foreigner.

Indeed, I met many students from different countries. They helped me open my mind by sharing different ideas and cultures and from them I learned how to see things from a different perspective. Erasmus+ Project offers a great opportunity to all students- participants to meet people.

In Bulgaria, the place where I live we do not have societies, so taking part in their events and activities was an entirely new experience for me.

Apart from the fun activities, I really enjoyed the events and lessons that took place during that week. Visiting famous places as Aragon castle and The Musical Museum of the Abruzzi, with its Archive "Francesco Paolo Tosti".

During the period of living in Italy, I did not feel sick at home thanks to events organized in the city and at school which helped to create a fantastic festive atmosphere.

I also had the chance to take part in some activities, such as making fresco- an ancient painting technique for the decoration of wall surfaces, situated in a small and beautiful town Treglio. It is also very well-known as the "Open-Air Gallery" because many facades of townhouses have been decorated with lovely frescoes.

Italian people were always friendly in shops and public spaces and tended to help you every time you needed something. Nobody showed impatience with me at the beginning if I had any difficulties with English.

I will never forget this experience and the friends I made during this days, because everyone has left me something.

2.The Exchange Experience Changed My LifeFrom: Manuela Baltova

I was an “exchange student.” But I didn’t believe the power of being in an exchange program until last March, when I participated in the Erasmus+ Exchange in Italy.

After my own experience, I now believe that exchange students can help change some of the assumptions and preconceived ideas in their societies because people are more likely to accept the change from within their society rather than from the outside. That is why I strongly believe that an exchange experience is one of the most powerful ways to promote human beings and different ways of thinking.

I’d like to share a couple of the hundreds of experiences I had while in Ortona, Italy that continue to amaze me.

When I came to Ortona, I saw a beautiful place of living with very friendly people. Everything there such as buildings, the city streets, food and nature was new to me and it impressed me a lot!

These are just a few of my expressions. There are too many to list. But through all the diverse community service activities, my time at school, with my host family and with new friends, I have seen different faces of Italy. From beautiful nature and landscape of Ortona and its region and historical sightseeing to new experience of living in a family with different culture and language.

Being thousands of miles from home was not always easy. Like everything in life, my experience had its ups but also its downs. The hard times helped me grow up and move away from my comfort zone to gain maturity and independence.

Every time I think about my host family, friends or teachers, I feel very emotional. They did so much for me. My host family gave me a place in their hearts and minds. My teachers and friends have volunteered to help me in everything, whenever I did not understand something that was common knowledge to the other students.

The new Italian friends I was with tried to make my experience enjoyable and taught me all I needed to know.

I know I was one of the lucky few to live overseas for a week, but I also know that too few people know about my story and those of the thousands of other young people who are part of exchange programs every year. The lessons I learned will stay with me forever and my belief in cultural exchange will never leave me. This is how we can really learn about others.

3. My Experiences of Exchange Program in Italy

From: Kristiana MomchilovaTo be honest, one of the main reasons I chose to participate in Erasmus+ was for its excellent exchange programs with 5 partner schools in 5 countries around the world.

To me, Italy is a land of inspiration. Beauty lies in everything, from the Italian language to the sophisticated art forms, but this beauty is not obvious on the surface. One must carefully observe and learn about Italy to fully appreciate it. In Ortona I learnt a lot of interesting facts about Italy and its culture.

1. I discovered more about their food such as Mozzarella: Italian cheese balls, originally made from buffalo milk. Lasagna: layered pasta dish with tomato, mozzarella cheese and mince meat filling. Gelato: ice-cream is an Italian invention Calzone: is simply a folded up pizza. There are delicious sweet cakes in Italy, like the Panettone (a yeast cake with raisins). Italians love sports. Cycling, Skiing, Soccer and Motor Racing are just some of the sports Italians have very strong interest in and good teams of sportsmen and women.

2. Most young people learn to speak English, French or German at school in Italy.The pronunciation is soft and very melodic and so is still used in opera and is popular by young musicians.

These are just two among tons of examples showing the uniqueness, creativity and inspiration the Italian culture.

As exchange students in Italy, we got a chance to grasp the creativity of Italian Art, Music and History artifacts.

Inspiration came from not only the language, the art, and the classes, but also from the people I met. A young Italian couple who has two children hosted me in Ortona for several days. Since they have kids they could not travel, even though they both love travelling and learning about new cultures. Instead, they host visitors from around the world who come to Italy to exchange culture and ideas. Spending a wonderful time eating, talking with them and their friends, and playing with their kids made me think about my family in Bulgaria. It is a great idea to host international guests.

In a few words, this is how I remember Italy: beautiful natural scenery, mesmerizing old streets and houses, unique and exciting culture, and delicious food. And yes, the slogan of its tourism industry is absolutely correct: Endless discovery. There is one thing I took from Italy that I know will go with me for a very long time: Inspiration.

4. Three things I learnt on my Erasmus+ experience

From:Andrea BoyanovaI caught up with some of my friends about the lessons they learned from her Erasmus+ experience and how it helped them in learning.

I`m glad about the opportunity to take part in an Erasmus+ placement.

"I had the chance of going on the education exchange program in March, 2019 to Ortona a deep-water port town dominated by a striking castle. Magical. But let me tell you a few more of the things I learnt whilst on the program, that continue to influence me positively today and help me to use my skills today.

1) I learnt that language and culture are definitely not barriers to making friends and building contacts

Probably one of the Erasmus+ program’s most celebrated and spoken-about advantages is the fact that its alumni leave with a network of lifelong friends, learn a new language, and experience a new culture. But what if I said, prior to Erasmus, that I was already that person with friends from all over the world, experience of different cultures – I’m Bulgarian, lives in a small village of Benkovski. On the Erasmus+ program, I was forced to communicate in languages I wasn’t so fluent in. Whilst hard at first, I eventually learned to hone into that vulnerability and simply accept it for what it is – getting out of my comfort zone. One of the outcomes of this could be noticed in my communication style - my lack of vocabulary made me go to the essential in what I’m trying to say.

2) I embraced vulnerability and discovered a new side of me

The vulnerability I felt on the experience, coupled with being surrounded by so many people in the same situation made me discover a different side of me. Despite my seemingly out-going personality, there is a part of me that is quite shy and introvert. During my Erasmus+ experience I learnt to listen to those parts of myself, in a way I was detached from past labelling, etiquettes, responsibilities, cultural rules, norms and morals such as I had known them– and so what I was left with was just ‘me’ – all of me.

3) I discovered a lot of new things

Because of this community feeling among Erasmus+ students and the awesome welcoming attitude of our host Italian compatriots, we ended up travelling and visiting our local area. The students from the ‘home’ country took us around their home place and showed us the famous sightseeing nearby. All of it kept the special impressions in our mind.

So there you have it, the three things I learnt whilst on the Erasmus+ program 2019, about Ortona, Italy.