This year I had the opportunity to participate in a 4-week experience abroad in Derry, northern Ireland, as I won a scholarship, funded by the European Union.
I left in April.
I shared this experience with 14 other boys, all from my school, with whom I found myself very well, and 8 professors, who alternated each week.
We all lived together in a hostel, with other people, all foreign.
Furthermore, every week a chef came to us who prepared local specialties and themed dinners (such as Indian).
In Derry we had several tutors, who took care of the shopping, of our workplaces or organized weekend trips.
In addition to working, of course, we also visited the city and did many activities together.
In fact, the first week, for example, we did not work, but we did some training activities at an academy to improve our local knowledge and language skills.
One of the trips I will never forget was in Dublin, which we did on Easter Sunday.
This experience was really beautiful, because I had the opportunity to meet new people, get in touch with a different culture from my own, use the English language every day and live in a city that was not easy, which was further useful for my personal growth.
I was really lucky to be able to participate in this project too!
The city has become infamous for the violent misfortunes at the time of the Troubles (the tensions between the Catholic and Protestant populations) that culminated in the massacre renamed Bloody Sunday (January 30, 1972): during a peaceful demonstration for civil rights and the access to public offices the Protestant police fired on the helpless crowd killing 13 Catholic civilians.
In spite of its sad history, Derry is a really suggestive town with its pastel-colored houses from which stand out the church spiers and the steep streets of the historic center enclosed in the splendid medieval walls.
In the last decades it has been revitalized giving rise to a cultural and social rebirth that makes it interesting and full of attractions, even though in some areas of the city such as the Bogside (the site of the clashes) one can still breathe a gloomy atmosphere marked by the horrors of past.
In any case, Derry is one of the most beautiful cities in Ireland.
The city walls are particularly famous.
One of the most famous cathedrals is the Gothic-style St. Columb's Cathedral.
The Double Bastion is, instead, a terrace armed with cannons used during the siege of 1688 which opens up an impressive overall view of the Bogside.
Exactly in the heart of the center is The Diamond, the city's main square.
The Guildhall is a bizarre neo-Gothic church with stained glass windows that illustrate the history of the city.
Overlooking Donegal County Hills and on the banks of the Foyle River, the modern 4-star Everglades Hotel offers free on-site parking, a bar and an award-winning restaurant.
The property is a 5-minute drive from central Derry.
In the Hotel the so-called “Afternoon Tea” is very famous, which usually took place around 13.00, during which guests were offered tea, coffee and small pastry products.
During my stay in Derry, I worked in this hotel together with two other boys and I mainly took care of the restaurant and the bar.
In fact, I removed the buffet after breakfast, cleaned the room and the cutlery, prepared the products for the Afternoon Tea and served the guests during lunch.
The whole staff was really very kind and willing to teach us things.
Moreover, we often joked together.
One of the typical dishes I tasted in Derry was the famous Fish & Chips, which is basically fish with chips, all fried in oil.
I left in April.
I shared this experience with 14 other boys, all from my school, with whom I found myself very well, and 8 professors, who alternated each week.
We all lived together in a hostel, with other people, all foreign.
Furthermore, every week a chef came to us who prepared local specialties and themed dinners (such as Indian).
In Derry we had several tutors, who took care of the shopping, of our workplaces or organized weekend trips.
In addition to working, of course, we also visited the city and did many activities together.
In fact, the first week, for example, we did not work, but we did some training activities at an academy to improve our local knowledge and language skills.
One of the trips I will never forget was in Dublin, which we did on Easter Sunday.
This experience was really beautiful, because I had the opportunity to meet new people, get in touch with a different culture from my own, use the English language every day and live in a city that was not easy, which was further useful for my personal growth.
I was really lucky to be able to participate in this project too!
The city has become infamous for the violent misfortunes at the time of the Troubles (the tensions between the Catholic and Protestant populations) that culminated in the massacre renamed Bloody Sunday (January 30, 1972): during a peaceful demonstration for civil rights and the access to public offices the Protestant police fired on the helpless crowd killing 13 Catholic civilians.
In spite of its sad history, Derry is a really suggestive town with its pastel-colored houses from which stand out the church spiers and the steep streets of the historic center enclosed in the splendid medieval walls.
In the last decades it has been revitalized giving rise to a cultural and social rebirth that makes it interesting and full of attractions, even though in some areas of the city such as the Bogside (the site of the clashes) one can still breathe a gloomy atmosphere marked by the horrors of past.
In any case, Derry is one of the most beautiful cities in Ireland.
The city walls are particularly famous.
One of the most famous cathedrals is the Gothic-style St. Columb's Cathedral.
The Double Bastion is, instead, a terrace armed with cannons used during the siege of 1688 which opens up an impressive overall view of the Bogside.
Exactly in the heart of the center is The Diamond, the city's main square.
The Guildhall is a bizarre neo-Gothic church with stained glass windows that illustrate the history of the city.
Overlooking Donegal County Hills and on the banks of the Foyle River, the modern 4-star Everglades Hotel offers free on-site parking, a bar and an award-winning restaurant.
The property is a 5-minute drive from central Derry.
In the Hotel the so-called “Afternoon Tea” is very famous, which usually took place around 13.00, during which guests were offered tea, coffee and small pastry products.
During my stay in Derry, I worked in this hotel together with two other boys and I mainly took care of the restaurant and the bar.
In fact, I removed the buffet after breakfast, cleaned the room and the cutlery, prepared the products for the Afternoon Tea and served the guests during lunch.
The whole staff was really very kind and willing to teach us things.
Moreover, we often joked together.
One of the typical dishes I tasted in Derry was the famous Fish & Chips, which is basically fish with chips, all fried in oil.