In recent years, I have heard from more and more of my friends about the unforgettable experiences and positive memories they gained through the Erasmus program. This motivated me to apply as well, and after a successful application, I traveled to the Portuguese capital, Lisbon, for this semester.
I’ve been here for almost two months now, and I can confidently say that I made a very good decision. People here are much more open and friendly. No one rushes, there’s no constant hurry-everyone is usually late everywhere. The whole country and its people radiate a “don’t worry, it’ll all work out somehow” attitude. I haven’t met a single stressed local yet; I’m not even sure they know the meaning of the word.
The city itself is stunning, and it’s no wonder it attracts so many tourists. The narrow, winding streets of the old town, the iconic trams, the seaside, the Belém Tower, the Christ the King statue, and the 25th of April Bridge all show what a beautiful place I get to spend my semester in.
The weather here and in Hungary are like night and day. It’s almost November, yet I’m still wearing shorts and T-shirts. It has only rained three times since I arrived.
Public transport in Lisbon, however, can be full of surprises. The timetable serves more as a general guide-sometimes the buses come, sometimes they don’t. The metro may be 20 minutes late, or sometimes it arrives early and that’s how you end up missing it. It took me a while to get used to it, but by now I’ve figured out how the system works.
Fortunately, it’s easy to travel from the capital to other parts of Portugal. I’ve had the chance to spend a weekend in Porto, four days in the Azores, and several trips along the western coast.
At university, I’ve taken professional and technical subjects. Since I’m also completing my courses from home in parallel, it’s not easy to manage everything and keep track of deadlines. Nevertheless, I’ve managed to handle it so far.
Overall, I’m having a great time in Lisbon, and I can wholeheartedly recommend the city to anyone, even just as a tourist. To my fellow students, I would also encourage taking advantage of Erasmus or similar international study opportunities-you definitely won’t regret it.
Ábel Balla, Kaposvár Group 3