We had an amazing experience in Greece during the exchange week! A lot was planned for us during that week: tastings, city tour, factory visits, a party, some soft skill trainings… . It was exhausting but worth it! Celine, Margot and I made a lot of new memories during our short but nice visit to Volos. We could get a taste of the local food and drinks of Greece (souvlaki, gyros, local olive oil, wine…).
Because of a strike at Charleroi airport during our departure to Thessaloniki, we didn’t really get the chance to eat something (other than a really bad Ryanair lasagne), so our first activity in Volos was to find something nice to eat. We stumbled upon a small Souvlaki shop just near our bus station. It had this cosy terrace where we could eat our dinner with a nice view.
The most memorable thing of the entire journey was the hospitality of our hosts. Food, drink, snacks, Netflix, shower, even keys to the apartment were offered to us just to insure us that we felt welcome at their home. They even got us departure gifts. If you'd have to describe Greek people, you couldn't find enough words. Kind, enthusiastic, funny, optimistic, open… .
A nice warm sun was all I felt when I opened the door of the apartment during the first day. The climate in Greece was much nicer than in Belgium (which is not that difficult). I even got some sunburns during my stay!
We visited numerous factories were we had the possibility to explore the entire production process of different kinds of products (flour, pasta, juices, dairy, vineyard). We were a tough crowd. We asked a lot of questions ranging from production details to environmental impacts of the waste products. It was a real eyeopener for me personally. We also received a goody bag in each factory so that was nice!
About the soft skill training: two of our new trainers gave their first training to us. ‘Active listening and body language’. They did a great job. It’s nice to receive additional trainings like these because during our education we don’t get to learn these kinds of things. It also is a nice addition to your resumé!
To summarize: Great experience, great food, great people, nice drinks, interesting visits and trainings. Certainly something that I will never forget!
