Spring break in Chicago!

 Long before the mid term break was set to take place, I proposed the idea that while we were out this far across the world, and while the Erasmus funding was there to lend a helping hand, we should make the most of the mid term break. My proposal was that we take a trip to Chicago!

Chicago is a city located in the US state of Illinois. Chicago is famed for its bold architecture and skyline with notable buildings such as the John Hancock centre and the Willis Tower which was formerly known as the Sears tower. The city is home to over two and a half million people and the city itself is known as the windy city.

Chicago was not chosen at random, however. The city is home to what has previously been named the World’s top restaurant. This restaurant is Chicago’s only three Michelin starred restaurant and it is known for its mind bending gastronomic feats such as balloons of sugar, tomatoes that aren’t tomatoes and taste like strawberries as well s desserts that are plated right in front of you on the very table you are sitting at.

The restaurant which opened under famed chef Grant Achatz in the year 2005, offers three unique experiences; the Kitchen table experience, the gallery experience and the Salon experience. Chef Achatz has trained under some of the world’s top chefs such as chef Thomas Keller the chef Patron of both the French Laundry and Per se, among others. And chef Achatz has also staged at establishments such as El Bulli which was a restaurant in Spain which is accredited with being the creator of modern molecular gastronomy. Chef Achatz was for some time known as the chef with no taste as he unfortunately was diagnosed with stage four tongue cancer. He however went for experimental treatment and made a full recovery, also regaining his taste. The inspiration for going to Alinea came after watching an episode about it on the hit Netflix series, the Chef’s Table.  

Other things we got up to while in Chicago were seeing the infamous bean sculpture as well as the World’s biggest Starbucks. The trip was excellent and the meal was one of a kind!

Enjoying the high life in Barcelona!

A few months have passed by since I arrived in Barcelona. I have really begun to start enjoying life in Barcelona with the beautiful sunny & warm weather that we be lucky to get in the summer months of Ireland. Most of the time midweek is spent in the college while I normally like to travel around the city centre during the weekends & when I don’t have many assignments due for the following week. It didn’t take too long to get settled into Barcelona once I had an idea of the modules I was studying, the transport system when I want to travel as I am living on campus grounds which I am delighted with. I have a supermarket which I found convenient when I needed to buy a few essential items for the room. 

A few weeks have passed, and I’ve been informed that my family were travelling over to see me in Barcelona. Met them at the airport after their flight was delayed with bad weather back in Ireland. I brought them to the metro stations from the airport to the hotel we are staying at. The hotel itself is up the road from a metro station which they were delighted with. Brought them on the 2 bus tours around the city. Took them to the Marina & the Fresh Food Market which was their highlight and even took them to my university & was able to bring them into my accommodation which they loved as well as I am. The time flew by so fast that I even brought them to the airport before their return flight to Ireland. 

One of my favourite moments of Barcelona though has occurred when I went to a shopping centre along the Marina where I spotted a Ferrari and the staff asked if I wanted to drive one, I told them that I’ll get back to them on that and that was a few months ago. After a full week of assignments due & I felt like I earned the spin in the Ferrari. Finished College for that week and told them that I’ll drive one. Booked me in for 5pm so I had to wait around which I didn’t mind as I spent most of it just looking out to the sea before getting into a Ferrari F430. I couldn’t believe it; I couldn’t believe I was about to drive a 4.3L V8 Ferrari along the Barceloneta Beach for 20 minutes. Had an instructor with me as I have also never driven on the right-hand side before. Once I got on the road, I felt like I was on a motoring show driving around and it was one of the best experiences I had since arriving in Barcelona. It was a truly remarkable experience and one that I will never forget!

While I spend the weekends going out and about when I don’t have many assignments due, I would also spend a bit of time in the social area at my accommodation where I usually play some of the games offered in the accommodation which are usually a bit of fun as it had been a great way of getting to know the other students that are living there as well. 

I can’t write about the study in Barcelona without mentioning some of the culinary modules I’m studying, well mainly World Cuisine as that’s the practical module. This module is about cooking popular dishes from different countries around the world. This is a group-based class where we’re split into 3 small groups and each week one student out of the groups is a head chef similar to a previous module that I completed in 2nd Year back home. As I finish up this last blog entry, I have to say this year abroad was an amazing experience that I got to do. From doing work placement in Edinburgh to studying in Barcelona, they have both been amazing experiences in their own ways. Here’s to finishing up in Barcelona & to get ready for the exams. 

Oscar Fitzgerald

Time is flying by in Barcelona!

This has been a journey for me in every aspect. I have learned a lot while studying here in Barcelona. I got the opportunity to visit different historical sites and join in different celebrations.

I took this picture on my walks and at first I didn’t know what it was but then I saw it in the different angle, and I figured out that it is a matchbox with a lit up matchstick. Barcelona is famous for having these structures around the city. It makes every turn much more interesting. 

In the middle week I have been able to improve in my Spanish language. I can speak a bit fluently. I rented a room in an apartment owned by this lady that only speaks Spanish, so it has been a struggle, but she is very understanding and helps me with the pronunciation. At first it was hard to deal with the classes because I needed to get used the system they had and getting used to the grading system. I was struggling with some subjects, but I was able to improve on them. It was a bit of a struggle with back-to-back assignments almost every week. I have learned to manage my time better due to this. I have learned the streets a bit better as in when I walk around I am able to identify where I am and what places I can go.

During the Easter break my mom came to Barcelona to visit me. I was so happy to see her. It was the first time that my mum has visited Barcelona, so I was excited to show her around. I did the most I could with the short period of time I had with her because she was only visiting for 4 days. We took a bus tour around Barcelona seeing the sites, I showed her around the shopping districts, I also took her to some restaurants to try the tapas here. 

I take daily walks around the city and the area where my accommodation is located. The time has flown so quickly, I feel like I haven’t been in Barcelona long enough, but I do miss Ireland a bit and hanging out with my friends and family. I have learned so many dishes from different countries and the techniques used for them. I have learned how to make Greek, Italian, French, Nordic, Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Moroccan, Mexican, South East Asian, Middle Eastern and Peruvian Cuisines. All different but some have some similarities.

   

Here are some of the dishes that me and my group made that are from the Middle East. It consists of hummus, Baba ghanoush, falafel, pita bread, Kibbe and Kataifi. 

The exam period is almost here. I only have six exams to worry about and they are separated into 2-week periods my last exam is on the 19th of May and my first is on the 8th of May. This semester had been fun and interesting. I meet new students from different countries, and I learned new skills to improve myself. I made friends with local students and international students. In all I had fun, and I enjoyed the whole

A very busy March in France

Bonjour!!!

I am busy!!! but my favourite event of the past few weeks was our restaurant experience.

To begin in March we started a restaurant simulation called experience where we were put into groups of 6/7 and had to start up a restaurant from scratch for a week. This was very fun from start to finish but a little challenging. We had a number of themes to choose from and the class chose to do the theme is the Michelin Green star. We had to find local suppliers, ethnic tradesmen and eco conscious ingredients, recipes and cooking methods. I found this really interesting because we even had to advertise our restaurant to attract customers. The restaurant was a small place of 40 covers a night and we did our best to fill the seats each night with our advertising. 

We made an Instagram and posted videos of the team and our concept to attract people. We chose the concept of “roots”, having a wide variety of cultures in my group we thought a fusion would work best.

Focusing on the positive sustainable actions in each other’s countries. This part was what our customers found most attractive with our group being from Egypt, Indonesia, Vietnam, China, America and of course Ireland. We all added little aspects from our cultures in our dishes to pay tribute to our own countries.

Doing this taught me about the amount of effort it takes into building a successful business, from fiche techniques, menu and dish calculations and where and how to place your money to make a profit and to circle back to the green star products that represent it and how.

It was so much fun and gave me the opportunity to get to know my classmates better, it was like an icebreaker where we all got to be more comfortable with each other.

We also had a week of service were we became front of house for the other teams. Having to polish cutlery and plates, set the dining rooms vacuum the restaurant, iron table cloths. It was very enlightening seeing the kitchen “from the other side”. What i found most difficult was actually interacting with the guest, having to check up on them see if the have enough bread and water if they need more drinks, its not like in the kitchen when you service the food you’re done with the table. In France before dessert they like to eat cheese, it kept slipping my mind to ask them if they want cheese before i fire desserts, and the kitchen was not happy but i did eventually learn on the third night…

Learning from the French chefs as well was another experience in itself with their precision and patience they have such great techniques that I can now implement into my career.  March was eventful and busy, but now it’s time to study and practice for my exams.

Wish me luck.

Lots of love from Ecully,

Sarah :))

Settling in Barcelona!

 Barcelona is a coastal city on the north-east of Spain & is the capital & largest city of the Catalonian community. This city has a population of 1.6 million and the suburban area has a population of 4.8 million.

After spending the last semester in Edinburgh and a month back in Ireland for Christmas while getting prepared for International Study period where I’d be travelling to Barcelona for the 2nd Semester at the end of January.

I arrived in Barcelona on the 24th January after a few hours of travelling from buses and getting on the wrong metro before looking at Google Maps telling me to go the other way down the line towards the Agora accommodation. Got off that metro in Mundet and saw the University as soon as I got off felt delighted, saw on the maps that the accommodation was across from the campus.

University Accommodation

I checked myself in and got myself comfortable after an early morning flight and a few hours of travelling to the metro stations from bus stops with 2 suitcases and a rucksack and stayed in the room for a few hours as I felt tired and felt like relaxing after the morning of travelling.

On the 25th January I went to the University for induction at around 10am where I was introduced to David Ibarra the International University Officer with the other international students and was given an overview of the college as well the rules and regulations towards the college.

After all that was done, we were split into groups for ice breaker games which I thought were a good way of getting to know who could be on the Culinary Arts. After the ice breaker games, I was given a briefing on the Culinary Course followed by a tour of the campus building.

After the induction, I went into the Catalunya City Centre and began exploring the centre including a stop for food in a Tapas bar which I never had before. I will admit was an amazing experience as I couldn’t travel to Spain without having Tapas at least once and for more of it to come during this semester.

Tapas

Once the Tapas was finished, I went travelling around sightseeing and had to get a few college essentials as well.

After all the sightseeing and as it was getting dark, I went back to the Metro and headed back to the accommodation.

Over the weekend before the semester starts, I went back to Catalunya as well as getting settled into the accommodation and is very convenient. As well as going on a City Bus tour around the main attractions and amazing architecture around the area. As well as some nice artwork on the various streets.

I am starting to get settled into Barcelona and looking forward to seeing to what the city has to offer and hopefully enjoy it as much as I enjoyed the time I had in Edinburgh.

Oscar Fitzgerald

Studying in Barcelona!

Outside the university

Welcome to my blog. My name is Bruno Silva. I’m in year 3 of the Bachelor (Honours) in Culinary Arts. On My second semester I’ll be studying abroad. I chose to study in Barcelona, Spain.

At first, I was nervous coming to Spain. I never been to Spain and with the Erasmus I got the chance to visit, live and study in Spain.

It was confusing at first, when I left the airport I didn’t know where to turn to, what transport to take or where to go. After a while I discovered where to go. The mobile phone is a great device when trying to locate the right transport.

Bento box - best Japanese food ever!

In all honesty, I didn’t know how to speak Spanish, I never learned how to. It was a bit of a challenge for me at the beginning. It didn’t help that the women that I rented a room from didn’t know any English. In a way I started to learn Spanish with her. I cheat a little by using my first language which is Portuguese. The languages are similar but different.

I arrived in Barcelona a few days early, I went a little bit of sightseeing and also went to learn a bit about the public transport here. I found out that the metro is the easiest and quickest mode of transport near me.

It was easy to locate the campus because the entrance is right outside the metro stop.

 

La Sagrada Familia

Well that will be it for my first blog entry, I can’t wait what I’ll be doing for this year and all the new dishes that I’ll learn while living in Barcelona.

Write again soon,

Bruno Silva

2 months in Ecully, France

Hello its Sarah again but this time I'm in France, specifically Ecully! This is for the study portion of my placement and i am studying in Institut Paul Bocuse. I sadly have nothing greatly interesting to report, being busy already with assignments. However I have met so many interesting people who are also in the Erasmus program from all over the world, from Indonesia, Malta, Italy, Vietnam, China, Switzerland, Mexico and America. Having such a wide range of cultures is something I didn’t expect as much, they have all thought me so much already, about ingredients I haven’t heard of, cooking methods and traditions.

I went on a little trip starting in Lyon, eating at different restaurants and mainly looking at the French architecture . Food in Lyon is very diverse yet still paying tribute to traditional French dishes. Next, I went to Paris obviously, being in Paris I wanted to embrace my sweet tooth trying all the different pastries and chocolates. Also having amazing architecture similar to Lyon but more glamourous. I had a great time in Paris but it is hugely crowed, there is people everywhere so I don’t think I will be returning anytime soon!

I’m having a great time in France, having settled in and learning a little French from those around meI'm doing much better than how things started. Next post will be more eventful I have a few things planned  for March!

Thanks for reading, Sarah :)

My Experience In Portugal

 

This is Panos again writing  from Portimão Portugal. My experience in the country so far has been amazing. Since I was studying in Barcelona during the previous semester, I decided to fly straight to Portugal a few days before the beginning of my work placement in Portimão and explore the country´s capital city Lisbon. This is my first-time visiting Portugal and I wasn´t sure what to expect, but Lisbon definitely exceeded my expectations. The city has a population of half a million people and is full of life all year round. It is a quite popular city and attracts a lot of tourists, even in quiet months like January and February. Because the city relies on tourism, the level of English fluency is very good and people are very open and friendly. There are many points of interest to visit such as the earthquake museum, the coach museum, the statue of Christ, the tower of Belem and monasteries. Portugal is the place that gave birth to the famous dessert Pastel De Nata. A delicious puff pastry-based baked custard that it is found in most bakeries and has many different variations. Naturally, that was the very first thing I tried on my first day out.

Pastel de nata

 Since my place of work is in Portimão, I had to take the bus there. It was a three-and-a-half-hour trip but it gave me the opportunity to observe the landscape of Portugal so I enjoyed it a lot. Portimão is a small city that is found in the Algarve region. It has a population of 55.000 people but according to the people I have spoken to, that number exceeds 250.000 people during the tourist season. Because the city has to rely on tourism, there are plenty of restaurants, bars and travel agencies in the city. Most of them hibernating and waiting for the tourist season to begin. My first week at Numa restaurant was very interesting. I spent a lot of time observing what my senior chefs are doing and learning about the menu and the ethos of the restaurant. My first real day at work was on Valentines-day where I was responsible for the starters and snacks during service. We were fully-booked and we were very busy but we worked well and didn´t feel under pressure. I really enjoyed it and I am I can´t wait for more.

                                                                Scallop tartar (lime, orange, avocado)

                                                                Melosa pudding (cinnamon, tangerine, basil) 

Until the next time….

Induction trip to Niagara Falls

As part of the international exchange student orientation, we went on a trip to Niagara falls on January 28^th with the Humber international office’s co-ordinating team. We left our residence at 8am and arrived at Niagara Falls Table rock which is a superb viewing point of the falls. The views were spectacular. We then went to the Sheraton where we ate lunch. The whole trip was complimentary of the college, and it allowed all of the International exchange students to have the chance to get to know each other better, and of course get to see some of Canada’s most famous spots, without the financial burden of trying to get there by ourselves. After lunch we were given a period of free time from 12.30pm to 3.30pm.

We took the free time opportunity to see what Niagara had to offer. I took the opportunity to taste some of the which Niagara is famous for, whereby they make wine from frozen grapes. There are over 120 independent wineries in Niagara, many of which make Riesling ice wine. I also got to see the many casinos that are in Niagara. I took the opportunity during the free time period to meet a friend of mine who I worked with at Camp Wayne for Boys in the Summer of 2022 as he is studying at the University of Niagara. Overall it was a great day and we were back at our residence at 5:45pm.

While I was at the Falls I learned many interesting facts about it. For example, it is over twelve thousand years old and is a result of glaciation. The region of Niagara is home to some 330,000 people. The Falls can be accessed from both the United States and Canada. The Falls are regarded as one of the World’s most beautiful attractions, and I certainly enjoyed seeing them.

Build Up to Christmas in Edinburgh

 With Christmas fast approaching, Edinburgh’s famous Christmas markets were beginning to take shape in early December. My last day of work was Sunday 4th December and I allowed myself an extra week in Edinburgh to explore the Christmas markets and what they had to offer. After the clocks went back its gets dark here very early, and right now the sun sets around 4 o clock every day, meaning the Christmas lights are at full blast before dinnertime. The markets were fun to look around, definitely puts Winterval to shame anyway, but the minus 4 degrees temperature wasn’t exactly ideal. After taking a ride on the big wheel and trying to get some warmth from a mulled wine, I called it a day before I froze to death.

The weekend after I came back to Edinburgh from my weekend at home, my friends came over to visit. It was lovely to be able to show them around the city and of course, bring them to a few pubs. We took a walk through Old Town and took lots of pictures, we fit right in with all the tourists that’s for sure. One of the nights I brought them to an arcade bar and we played mini golf and bowling, it got very competitive but of course I won, I couldn’t have them show me up in my new stomping grounds. We found some lovely spots for breakfast and coffee in the morning and I took them to BABA, where I work, for dinner. We were spoiled by everyone in the restaurant and got lots of freebies, we almost had to be rolled out after dinner. It was a very nice feeling for me to be able to show off the restaurant and display the high level of quality food I was capable of making in my new workplace, they were all blown away. Unfortunately for the lads, when they arrived home they all came down with a dose of COVID bar one, and myself thank god. Not a great end to their little holiday but at least they got it after and not before!!!!!!

My last day few days of work in BABA were quite emotional to say the least, its amazing how quickly bonds and friendships are formed in such a big workplace. I got everyone in work to sign a chef jacket for me before my final day and there were some lovely messages on it, I wish I could I share a picture of it but theres a few bits on it that might not look so great on a college blog……….

My dad flew over to spend my last weekend in Edinburgh with me and I’m due to fly back with him during the week. I also took him into work for my final meal there and again, we were spoiled rotten. I really cant speak highly enough of the team in BABA, it was an absolute joy to work there from start to finish and I’ve made friends I know I’ll have for life. 

This definitely isn’t the end of my story in Edinburgh, 

Until next time………. James