Hello friends! Long time no see here! At last, I’m back with some feedback from Greece and Croatia. Last week, with my friend Nohlan, we were in Athens, Zagreb and Split: the aim was to visit the cities, meet companies, discover all the neighborhoods, get a feel for the city and its vibe, to decide whether or not we were going to offer them to schools next year. These three destinations are already open for internships abroad for higher education students, but we’d like to tackle new destinations for our young high school students, and this is the first trip, before going before July to : Helsinki, Ljubljana, Budapest, Bratislava, Lisbon and Vienna! So, let’s get started with this heartfelt feedback!
Athens
It’s been 10 years since I last set foot in Athens, and I have to admit that the welcome from the cabs is as pleasant as ever: the first few moments and already a bit of a scam as we were dropped off by a guy who refused to take our card and charged us 67 francs for petrol. I was delighted. No, I’m just kidding, it pissed me off so I sent an e-mail with his number plate to the cab company to complain and ask for a refund: to be continued. And here’s my first piece of advice: take an UBER, never a cab. Over there, only cabs are on UBER, but at least it’s prepaid, so no one’s ripping you off.
The rest of the trip went pretty well, with some nice surprises. After passing through the Asian district (yes, there’s a real ChinaTown in Athens), we found ourselves in the Psyri district: the district of bars, brunches and nightlife. It’s ultra-stylish, everything’s been renovated, it’s beautiful, clean, and the atmosphere is really pleasant: we stroll here for breakfast, then in the evening to check out the quality of the beers – that’s very important too!
We also discovered the “bobo” district where our partner is located: it’s very nice, residential but with lots of little restaurants, atypical bars… welcome to Exarchia. The district is really lively, from morning to night, it’s very pleasant. It’s great to stroll around, and people speak Greek, English and lots of other languages! But it’s not touristy, it’s more of a bobo district, with expats and lots of life. The partner we met there tells us that it’s fairly recent, and that it’s THE up-and-coming district in Athens.
On the cultural front, of course the Acropolis, the Parthenon: it’s nice. But I still think it’s a pity that the explanations are rather light, with no path to guide us. We admire the monument, without really understanding it and placing it at the heart of its history. When I come to Athens, I have Disney’s Hercules in mind, and I want to find my way around, but unfortunately this is far from being the case. The explanations are succinct, and that’s a shame.
As far as nightlife is concerned, we tested for you the idea of hanging out in the city until 4am. After 2 a.m. there’s not much going on, but before that the city is still very lively! Be careful where you put your feet: we wanted to have a beer in an “underground” bar: it was a house of joy… In itself, nothing dangerous, but we were very surprised! Drinks and food prices all over the city are still very affordable, much cheaper than in France.
Athens, on the other hand, has come a long way, it’s pretty and very pleasant! The only downside is the incessant flow of cars: it’s not at all suited to cycling. But we love it, and we’re announcing it even before we propose it to the school: our BAC PRO partners will have the opportunity to do an internship in Greece next year.
Zagreb
Arrival in Zagreb late in the day. First surprise: unlike Athens, Zagreb has been completely renovated. Impressive! But we’re not visiting yet, so we decide to go to the Airbnb for a shower, and set off to explore the city from 7.30 pm. And … still as surprised as ever, it’s really magnificent: the buildings, but also the people, the … dogs. You get the impression that every dog in town has just come out of the groomer’s, which is pretty funny.
We stroll around downtown, store, look at restaurant menus: it stings. Prices have skyrocketed, and it’s very expensive. I’d say prices are similar to those in France, and even more expensive for restaurants and bars. The standard of living seems rather excellent, people are dressed in smart clothes, young people are wearing designer clothes.
We visited 3 hostels, and while they’re beautiful, they’re also very expensive. Impossible to cover costs. And negotiations are tough, despite the fact that we plan to send people in the low season. Even in Finland and Sweden, we’ve received better offers.
We really enjoyed Zagreb, but that doesn’t mean we’ll be opening it ERASMUS grants are clearly not enough to live on; it’s too expensive. Our students with the least means won’t be able to enjoy the city.
Split
We headed for Split by bus for 5 hours. Well, I wanted to play it green, but clearly it’s unbearable: it’s hot, it stinks, the drivers don’t speak English so it’s not so easy to communicate, but we get by. But I confess: I wouldn’t do it every day aha. Anyway, we arrive in Split at the end of the day: it’s by the sea, the weather’s great, the town center’s really cute… we head off to the Airbnb for a shower, before strolling the streets!
As in other cities, you visit a lot, wandering the streets, talking to people, listening to them, trying to feel the atmosphere of the city. It doesn’t take long to realize that the city is extremely well-suited to foreigners, and that it’s very touristy: everything is adapted to welcome us. You get the sense that the city is safe and problem-free: some houses are open, people sleep with their windows open even on the first floor, and there’s a party going on in the middle of the week. It’s a town with the tranquil atmosphere of a sunny seaside resort.
Prices are more affordable than in Zagreb – which I can’t explain at all – although it’s still expensive. Stores are open late. In short: it’s really nice. The small drawback of the city for our young people is that the hypercentre and the rest of the city are quite far apart; Split by the sea and the rest of the city don’t seem to match up.
After a terrace, and a few discussions, we decided that opening up the city might not be such a good idea: young people will soon be going round in circles. And the whole point is for them to enjoy themselves, not to stay concentrated in one place. In fact, apart from the seafront and a couple of streets in the city, the evenings seem pretty quiet and limited.
But I can’t recommend the city enough for a weekend with friends: you’ll have a blast! And the people are so friendly, it’s great to wander the streets, go everywhere, visit the city’s history and understand it: great memories!
To sum up, friends, all three cities are top-notch, and very pleasant and pretty. But we won’t be able to open Croatia; the ERASMUS grant system won’t cover all the costs, and it’ll be very complicated. In Greece, on the other hand, we already had Thessaloniki as a host family, so we’re now going to tackle the capital and open Athens as a youth hostel for groups of high-school students: and we can’t wait to let you discover it! The destination is already open to higher education students, and we’re delighted to be able to offer it to ASSP, CIEL, SN, PLP, SALES/COMMERCE, HOTEL INDUSTRY, BOULANGERIE, RESTAURATION trainees abroad…! And there’s no doubt more to come, as we finalize our plans, and from the start of the 2024 school year, young people will be able to set off on the assault on Greek culture. See you soon at International Horizons, and if in the meantime you’d like to go abroad for an internship, don’t hesitate to contact us, we’ll find you the perfect internship!