YES Croatian Experience

From November 12th till November 15th our Croatian students from Ekonomska i turistička school Daruvar hosted students from Italy, Turkey, Portugal, Spain and Estonia with the Erasmus+ project Yellow European Stars. First two days the students were in Rovinj, Pula, Opatija and Rijeka. The day after that, we went to Daruvar. In Daruvar they stayed with their host students and families. In the school the students had various workshops and got to spend some time getting to know Daruvar and the other students from the other countries. We finished our journey with a farewell dinner and a presentation of traditional Roman feast. We asked our students about their thoughts about this experience and here are the answers.

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Students blogs:

Leon Čaušić 1.E

 My experience with Erasums project was amazing and I enjoyed traveling and meeting so many new people. I can't wait to go on another Erasmus project. I love it so much. We went to so many places and visited Rovinj and Opatija we visited a beautiful hotel, also we were in few restaraunts. People that I met were so good especially I was hanging out the most with people from Italy and Spain. Last day was the best, we were all together in the swimming pool and went for dinner and everyone danced and took pictures, we were having so much fun, it was amazing, I am speechless. I can't wait to go on another Erasmus project.

Antonija Vondra 3.H

The first impression of YES project was great. Students and teachers were really kind and full of respect and love. Trip in Istria was great! Only problem was the weather. It was  raining for two days. Some of the students like that. For me there were too many activities. I did not like food the first day. I do not like fish that much. The Hotel Grand Park in Rovinj was really great, rooms were beautiful, for me the most beautiful I have ever seen. The hotel where we were sleeping was so nice. We should have had free spa and pool but unfortunately we could not go. Dinner was absolutely great. Arena Pula was beautiful but the most powerful city for me was Opatija. The student I hosted was really kind and good, we had a really good conversation and it was not boring at all. Being in this project for the first time was great. I am speechless, I love meeting new people and their cultures.

Greta Špančić 3.H

My first expirence with YES project was this November. I was a host to my friends from Portugal and there were people from Turkey, Estonia, Spain and Italy too. The names of girls that stayed at my home  were Mariana and Sofia and  I had a really great time with them! First day we went to Zagreb to pick them up and then we all together went to Rovinj. We stayed in a very nice hotel and we had a tour of another hotel, which is the most beautiful hotel in the city Rovinj. Next day we visited Opatija and Trsat Castle, our new friends liked it a lot. We came home to Pakrac and then fell asleep. The next day we went to school to meet each other and then we had a tour of Daruvar. We spent the afternoon together and then we went to the town where I live, Pakrac. Our new friends wanted to hang out more so we went to a cafe and had a really great time! Last day was Friday and we went to school where we played fun games in our gym. Later we went to a swimming pool and then they needed to go home. We were so sad but we were really thankful because our teachers and this new project put us all together! It was a great experience and I would like to do it again!

Dajana Vekić 1.A

The YES project is the first project I have participated in. Tuesday 12/11 The high school principal, teachers and several students headed from Daruvar to Zagreb. In Zagreb we greeted exchange students and teachers from Estonia, Turkey, Spain and Portugal. After that we continued our journey to Rovinj where we met with students from Italy. We took a short tour of Rovinj. We visited the exclusive Grand Hotel in Rovinj. After breakfast we continued our journey towards Pula. The plan was to visit Brijuni National Park, because of the bad weather conditions it was not possible. Our next destination was Rijeka, despite the weather we visited Trsat and returned to Daruvar in the late evening. The second part of the YES projects continued at the School of Economics and Tourism in Daruvar where students presented their countries and the high schools they attend. Since the students stayed in Croatia for several days, someone needed to accommodate them.  Beren, a student from Turkey, was staying with me. Yes project consisted of presentations by countries, health food workshop, PE lesson. YES projects ended on Friday with a farewell dinner and a scenic rendering of a Roman feast, and this was unfortunately the end of a wonderful adventure.

Antonio Toufar 3.G

The Yes project in Croatia was really fantastic. The team was great. It's always nice to meet new people, that is the best part of the project. But it's also really nice to see friends you met on the previous project and talk to them. In this project I hosted Heinrich he is a boy from Estonia and I've met him before. He is really nice, it was fun to spend time with him. The tasks at the school were fun and interesting. We have learned a lot about healthy eating and cuisine in other countries. But of course we preferred our free time to socialize. The last day we went to the pool and that was the most interesting part of the project. After the pool we had dinner as the end of a project, but also as the beginning of a new friendship.

Dorijan Horvat 3.G

YES Project was better than I expected! I met some good friends! I hope that there will be more projects like this in the future. Emir is a great person and we talked a lot! At the farewell dinner we were sad because everything was over!

Iva Polenus 2.H

November 13. 2019 we arrived in Daruvar with Erasmus + project. Each of us hosted someone from another country. That's what I liked the most because it's a huge opportunity to meet new people and make new friendships. We spent three days here. In those days we participated in workshops, we took foreigners around the town of Daruvar and showed them all what makes Daruvar so special, we took them to the pool and I liked that idea because we all had a lot of fun and we all managed to socialize with each other. I especially liked the last night because we were all relaxed and cheerful. There was also a lot of sadness because we had to part ways, but I think wherever someone we love goes, that someone will always be in our heart.

Ivan Šafar 1.H

I really enjoyed being part of Yellow European Stars. Beacuse this was my first year ever and it was soo much fun. I had the opportunity to meet the people from all around Europe and some of them even  became my friends. And I met some students who are in our school and they also became one of my friends. And I saw some of new places in my country that I heard of but I never got the opportunity to go and see them. It was a lot of fun being in this project and I hope that in the future I will be more and more involed in it.

Lara Zelenika 2.H

We started our trip to Zagreb at 06:30 am. In Zagreb we picked up students from Portugal, Spain, Turkey and Estonia and we went to Rovinj. We got to Rovinj at 04:00 pm and went sightseeing the town and then we made our way to the hotel with five stars. After the tour of that hotel we got to our hotel Eden.The next morning we went to Pula where we saw the amphitheater, and after that we went sightseeing Opatija where we ate lunch at restaurant Roko. After Opatija we went to Rijeka and after sightseeing Rijeka we went home. The next day we started with the tour around Daruvar and we had workshops and students presentations. In our free time we hung out with each other. Friday was our last day with each other, we had a PE class where we played games and after we had more presentations and Estonian team had an interesting workshop. In the afternoon we all went to the pool. Farewell dinner started at 06:00 pm and the main theme was the Roman feast, where the students from our school served the traditional Roman foods dressed as Romans. After the dinner we all danced, sang and had fun together. Some of us even cried because we really bonded with the students that we hosted. This was one wonderful and interesting experience and I would love to go through all of it again because I met so many beautiful people that became my friends that I hope to see again.

Laura Abdić 2.H

Everything nice lasts briefly, so this adventure went quickly too. This experience was the most wonderful to me so far. I have made great friends to keep in touch with. I liked that we went and saw a lot of things in my country. I didn't like the weather we had when we were on the coast, but it didn't stop us in our trip either. I found it interesting that we went to hotels because it was actually my own practice. In my town the activities were also interesting but the workshops were quite instructive. I liked that we had more free time, and that I myself was able to spend time with my friend who came from Italy and showed her the interesting things in Daruvar. I really liked it and hope there will be more experiences like this.

Jana Starčić 1.E

I had a girl from Turkey and it was very nice with her and the rest of the team. I liked going to Rovinj, the only thing we did not like is that it was raining when we were in Rovinj. I am so glad I got involved in this project and I advise everyone else to get involved in the project. And I hope one day I will get a chance to go to Turkey for a reason, because they saw how we live so I want to know how they live in Turkey.

Turkish team

Martina Stari 3.H

Project was from 12 November to 15 November 2019. I hosted a girl from Spain. First two days of project we picked them up in Zagreb and we went to Istria together. We came to Rovinj, had lunch and then we had a tour of the city after that we went to the Grand Park Hotel and at least to our hotel where we slept. The second day we went to Pula, Opatija and Trsat and we arrived in Daruvar. The third day we were in Daruvar and went to the Town Hall and we went sightseeing Daruvar then to school to have workshops and presentations.Last day we had PE lessons, presentations and farewell dinner. I really like this project and people who are involved in, all of us had a very good connection and now all of us are really good friends.

Italian team

Tea Major 2.H

On November the 12th we went to Rovinj with our school. Before that we had to pick up the students from Italy, Portugal, Spain, Turkey and Estonia in Zagreb. The trip was pretty long and exhausting. We got to Rovinj at 02:00 PM and had lunch at restaurant Maslina and it was a delicious plate full of all kinds of fish. After that we went sightseeing, but unfortunately we were stopped by the heavy rain. We got to our next stop, which was the five-star Grand Park Hotel. I would describe that hotel as a perfect harmony of minimalism and luxury. We ended our tour there and finally got to our hotel that was really pretty as well. The next day was reserved for Brijuni, but unfortunately, it was cancelled because of the rain, so we had to change our plans and go to Pula. In Pula, we went to see the great Amphitheater. It was colossal, Lara and I searched and touched every crack that could be seen. Right after Pula, Opatija and lunch were next on the schedule. Lunch was absolutely amazing. I ordered lasagna and it came in a traditional bowl or a pot. The rest of the group went sightseeing Opatija, but I wasn't feeling very well, so I skipped on that and went to the bus to rest. Trsat, the castle in Rijeka, was our next stop. It was very pretty, but cramped. It had a beautiful view on the sea and the city. We finally got to the bus and started going towards Daruvar and Pakrac. The next day we had to meet up at mayor's office. It was nothing special, because they were introducing Daruvar to us through a PowerPoint presentation, and I could see the students being bored. After that we all gathered and went to actually see Daruvar. Workshops and presentations were a lot of fun as well. The day after we had some more workshops that were interesting as well, but the best part of the day was the farewell dinner, because that is the time when everybody gets together and enjoys each others company. It gets pretty emotional during those dinners. Some of Croatian students, including myself, got a chance to dress up as Romans and serve some traditional Roman foods. At the end of the day I could say that I had a blast hanging out with all of those people from the project.

Estonian team

Tena Lovreković 1.H

I really enjoyed YES project. I met lots of wonderful people from Italy, Estonia, Portugal, Turkey and Spain.  We met int Zagreb where we picked them up and drove together to Rovinj where all of us had lunch together. At lunch I became friend with people from Turkey. After lunch we went to city tour and the tour of Grand Park Hotel, which I was surprised they let us in considering we were all wet from the heavy rain. After we went to the Hotel Eden were we slept and had supper. Next day we went to Pula and Opatija and after we had a break and then went home. On Thursday and Friday we had lots of different workshops on theme 'healthy lifestyle'. We learned lot about healthy lifestyle in other countries. On Friday night we had farewell dinner which was really emotional. Lots of us cried, but we also had a great time.  It was one of the best nights and memories in my life. I'm really happy that I am a part of that project.

Croatian team

prof. Vesna Šagovac

Erasmus + projects are something I would recommend to everyone. Many people think that being a part of the project means only traveling and having fun. Even though that certainly is a part of the project, there is so much more to it. You get to meet new people, some of them stay your friends, you get to learn a lot about different cultures and customs. The project is very important for students too. They have the opportunity to live with foreign families and they also are a part of many fun activities in school.  When it is time to say goodbye, it's often followed with teary eyes. But, there is always joy because we know we will meet in the next meeting.

Spanish team

Nina Černi 3.E

The first YES project meeting went great! From the beginning we all started to get to know each other. Everyone was kind and sociable. The first trip to Rovinj did not go very well. It was very rainy and we couldn't see the city peacefully, but I believe that this storm was also an experience for somebody. I really liked the trip to Pula and Opatija, it was sunny and we were finally able to do good photos. At the end of the blog I will put a few pictures. When we were traveling back to Daruvar, I was so tired and I was afraid I wouldn't have the strenght to communicate. It was better than I expected, when everyone started talking, that energy passed on to me. At workshops and presentations in school we learned about healthy living and eating healthy and I think that is a very important topic to talk about. In our spare time, we all hung out and talked about all sorts of topics. I think that was my favorite time. I have to comment the teachers, everyone was so kind and they tried to motivate and encourage us. I'm happy that we have such good teachers in the project. I met a lot of new people in this project and I'm still in touch with most of them. At a farewell dinner we saw how connected we all are and how we all really are one big family!

Portuguese team

Teo Talan 3.H

Yellow European Stars was a project that lasted from 12/11 to 15/11 and it was a really nice experience for me. First day we went to Zagreb to pick up the foreigin students and teachers, afther that we went to the Istrian town of Rovinj in which we visited the old town and the hotel Grand Park. The first day we slept over at the Hotel Eden where we had dinner. On the second day we went to the city of Pula, we saw the Pula Arena and had a little sightseeing of the city after which we traveled to the town of Opatija in which we had launch. After the launch we went to the nearby city of Rijeka and had a nice view of the city from the fortress of Trsat.

Ekonomska i turistička škola Daruvar