About me
Hi I’m Ailbhe. I’m from Dublin.My love for cooking started in secondary school however after school I didn’t go down that root I ended up becoming a healthcare assistant which worked in for 5 years, I felt like a change and decided to train to be a chef. I love travelling I have been to 4 continents out of 7, I like most forms of exercise and listening to music.
Hi I’m Ailbhe. I’m from Dublin.My love for cooking started in secondary school however after school I didn’t go down that root I ended up becoming a healthcare assistant which worked in for 5 years, I felt like a change and decided to train to be a chef. I love travelling I have been to 4 continents out of 7, I like most forms of exercise and listening to music.
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Getting ready for the trip
For the Erasmus I got prepared by going to the meetings so I knew exactly what was going on, the meetings answered all my questions regarding the my trip over to Spain. I was quite nervous coming over as I didn’t know the group very well as they are from 2nd year however I knew it would be okay especially as I am a very chatty person.
For the Erasmus I got prepared by going to the meetings so I knew exactly what was going on, the meetings answered all my questions regarding the my trip over to Spain. I was quite nervous coming over as I didn’t know the group very well as they are from 2nd year however I knew it would be okay especially as I am a very chatty person.
Accommodation
Before coming over I knew who I was sharing with and I knew that it would be a 2 bed apartment as I had been told on numerous occasions that we would be sharing a bathroom , kitchen and living area but would have are own room. However that was not the case when we arrived. I would not have minded if I was warned beforehand that I was sharing a room as I could of mentally prepared myself but I was not, I felt the communication was quite poor and would of definitely appreciated some warning. Thankfully Martin and Angel were able to fine me a room in a 5 bed apartment were there are 2 Spanish living as this was very short notice I stayed in the apartments were the rest of the group are staying for my first and then on Friday morning I moved to my new place before I started work. My room is fine with all the basics that I need, it’s not too loud and my roommates are very nice, the apartment has everything that you need kitchen, living area, bathroom. The location is great only a few minutes walk to all major places, like the train station, plaza major and only a 15 minutes to work it’s a very ideal location.
Before coming over I knew who I was sharing with and I knew that it would be a 2 bed apartment as I had been told on numerous occasions that we would be sharing a bathroom , kitchen and living area but would have are own room. However that was not the case when we arrived. I would not have minded if I was warned beforehand that I was sharing a room as I could of mentally prepared myself but I was not, I felt the communication was quite poor and would of definitely appreciated some warning. Thankfully Martin and Angel were able to fine me a room in a 5 bed apartment were there are 2 Spanish living as this was very short notice I stayed in the apartments were the rest of the group are staying for my first and then on Friday morning I moved to my new place before I started work. My room is fine with all the basics that I need, it’s not too loud and my roommates are very nice, the apartment has everything that you need kitchen, living area, bathroom. The location is great only a few minutes walk to all major places, like the train station, plaza major and only a 15 minutes to work it’s a very ideal location.
Work Place
I worked in a restaurant called 5 gusto. Martin and Pedro brought me to my restaurant were I met the owner and head chef Palmira and her sous chef Sandra. Sandra showed me around the kitchen which was very small however had everything. The restaurant did very traditional Spanish food just to another level as it is a Michelin plated restaurant. My day started most day at 12pm were we would pre for service, service usually began at 2 however sometimes earlier, during service I would usually plate the starters and desserts the main course was usually done by either Sandra or Palmira, we would usually finish at around 5 after cleaning down the kitchen. We would then start at 8:30pm for evening serve. This was a very challenging experience however I found it very rewarding and gain so much from this restaurant and the chefs I learnt from. Unfortunlay the day I arrived Sandra gave her notice and in Spain you must give 2 weeks notices its the law, this meant that my experience in the kitchen while she was there was not wonderful, clearly she was not happy and was taking out her frustration on me, so the environment in the kitchen was tease and very uncomfortable at times. When she left I definitely felt that the kitchen was a nicer environment to be in, however it was still challenging and I did have bad days but I felt that Palmira would fully explain things to me instead of half explaining things which happened numerous times when I learnt from Sandra.
I worked in a restaurant called 5 gusto. Martin and Pedro brought me to my restaurant were I met the owner and head chef Palmira and her sous chef Sandra. Sandra showed me around the kitchen which was very small however had everything. The restaurant did very traditional Spanish food just to another level as it is a Michelin plated restaurant. My day started most day at 12pm were we would pre for service, service usually began at 2 however sometimes earlier, during service I would usually plate the starters and desserts the main course was usually done by either Sandra or Palmira, we would usually finish at around 5 after cleaning down the kitchen. We would then start at 8:30pm for evening serve. This was a very challenging experience however I found it very rewarding and gain so much from this restaurant and the chefs I learnt from. Unfortunlay the day I arrived Sandra gave her notice and in Spain you must give 2 weeks notices its the law, this meant that my experience in the kitchen while she was there was not wonderful, clearly she was not happy and was taking out her frustration on me, so the environment in the kitchen was tease and very uncomfortable at times. When she left I definitely felt that the kitchen was a nicer environment to be in, however it was still challenging and I did have bad days but I felt that Palmira would fully explain things to me instead of half explaining things which happened numerous times when I learnt from Sandra.
Culture
Yes I felt I adjusted very well to the culture. I can understand a lot of Spanish as I have friends who live here and I visit the often. However I felt the working way in Spain is very hard to get use to the hours and days are long as we have a break in the middle of the day which makes it feel like 2 days in 1. The lifestyle in Spain is very different to the Irish lifestyle as everything is a lot later however I felt towards the last week I was getting into it.
Yes I felt I adjusted very well to the culture. I can understand a lot of Spanish as I have friends who live here and I visit the often. However I felt the working way in Spain is very hard to get use to the hours and days are long as we have a break in the middle of the day which makes it feel like 2 days in 1. The lifestyle in Spain is very different to the Irish lifestyle as everything is a lot later however I felt towards the last week I was getting into it.
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Freetime
On my free time I went to Salamanca, Leon and explored Valladolid. There is so much around Valladolid itself which was amazing as I love to travel. All the cities of Salamanca, Leon and Valladolid are quite small cities so was very easy to get around. Also we went on a group trip with everyone including the Swedish students to a asparagus farm, duck slater’s house and pacos cave which were all amazing experience to see! |
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What I have learned
There was a lot of highs and lows on this trip but overall it was a great experience. I do wish there was more support for us as at times I would of liked to just talk to someone on how challenging I was finding it especially as I felt I was just at the restaurant at the wrong time and if I was there when things weren't as tease I would have enjoyed myself a lot more. Thankfully for the others in the group we were able to become a support system for each other. This experience has shown me as long as I am confident within myself I can do anything. |
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Recommendation
The biggest tip I would give for the next group going to Valladolid would be to work hard however always remember you are only there for 3 weeks so learn as much as you can. A recommendation would be to not compare it to an Irish kitchen or other experiences you have had just live in the moment and enjoy. |