Yo, I'm David Scaletchi, 18 years old, a Programming student from Loulé who plays both electric and acoustic guitar like it's a second language, and yes, I laugh way too hard at my own jokes. Hope you enjoy following my Erasmus adventure!
First Day Sunday 08/31/2025
The first day was a bit stressful but funny at the same time. We all arrived at Faro airport to go to Dublin, but due to bad weather, we couldn’t land and had to divert to Manchester, where we stayed on the plane for an hour without being allowed to get off. Since our flight had a layover from Dublin to Vilnius, we had to rush when we arrived from Manchester to Dublin because we were running a bit late. We arrived late and tired, so we just went for a short walk and then returned to our rooms and that was the first day.
Second Day Monday 09/01/2025
After the long journey, our first full day in Lithuania started with a quick stop at a small local shop called Iki, where we grabbed some breakfast. Later on, we headed to Maxima, a bigger supermarket, to pick up everything we’d need for the week ahead.
For lunch, we ate at the restaurant +++, and then spent some time walking around, taking in the city and its atmosphere. In the afternoon, we went back to the hotel to relax a bit and get ready for our first meeting with our new teacher, Eglė, at the workplace.
In the evening, we returned to the hotel briefly before going out again for dinner with all the teachers at Bernelių Užeiga, a cozy restaurant serving traditional Lithuanian food.
Third Day Tuesday 09/02/2025
On our second day, we had the whole day free to explore Vilnius, thanks to our teacher Eglė. We spent the day wandering through the city, visiting some beautiful old churches, stopping by a few interesting monuments, and hiking up to the Three Crosses for an incredible view over the city. It was a fun and memorable way to get a real feel for Vilnius.
At this moment Demétrio (Caça Ratou) told us his life story
Fourth day
Wednesday 09/03/2025
On our third day in Lithuania, we woke up early to get ready for our first full day at work. We left the hotel at 9:15 and arrived at LINESA around 10:00. At noon, we had lunch in the canteen and, after a one-hour break, continued working until 4:00 PM.
In the afternoon, we decided to make brigadeiros for everyone and deliver them to their rooms as a way of showing care to the rest of the group.
Fifth Day Thursday 09/04/2025
Today started earlier than usual we had to be at the internship on time, so it was up and out pretty quickly. Even with a small bus delay, we made it just in time.
Once there, we jumped back into the tasks we’d already been working on. The day went by smoothly, with good progress and no stress. After work, we headed back to rest a bit.
We were pretty tired by then, so we ended up not doing much for the rest of the day.
Sixth Day Friday 09/05/2025
Today we woke up a bit later because it had been agreed that we would work on our projects in the library that Professor Egle had reserved for us. However, on the way there, we realized we were heading to the wrong library so, unintentionally, we ended up doing a healthy 5 km morning walk. In the end, we found the correct one and continued our projects there.
coworker
my work partner thinking about our project!
Seventh Day Saturday 09/06/2025
This Saturday was a very promising day, as we were going to explore the city more thoroughly. We started the day by going to the Museum of Illusions. When we got there, we entered through the first entrance we saw, which happened to be the wrong one, and ended up standing around for about 15 minutes. But when we were leaving to head to the next place, we realised we had made a mistake, so we went in through the correct entrance.
The museum was fun, but I expected to see something different from other illusion museums. I felt it was quite similar to the ones that exist around the world.
After that, we continued to the National Museum, which was incredible. It was fascinating to see the origins of the city, the old buildings, clothing pieces, and items from people who lived in the past. There were huge tapestries, shields, and artillery weapons. The crowns, although restored, were still amazing. It was a massive place, full of astonishing wealth. And we can't forget the performance and music room, which was really cool.
Then it was time for lunch. We made a quick stop at McDonald's and continued to our next destination the old KGB prison. It was a scary place, with terrible conditions. I can't even imagine how someone could live there. It was truly horrible.
Still, it was interesting to experience what it felt like to be locked inside. The old weapons were absolutely fascinating, and so were the uniforms worn by the authorities.
And finally, the tower an amazing place. The climb is definitely worth it, as you're rewarded with a really beautiful view of the city.
At the end of the day, we headed back to our rooms, as it had been a long day and I ended up falling asleep early.
Eighth Day Sunday 09/07/2025
Today we woke up later because we had a free day. We spent the day relaxing, each one doing their own thing. Later, we decided to try some local fast food and ended up liking it, as it was much cheaper than other places.
On the way back, we stopped at a shop to buy some essentials for our rooms. It was a short day, but an important one to rest after the first week.
Nineth Day Monday 09/08/2025
And we started the second week by waking up early to go to our workplace, where we continued working on the projects that had been assigned to us. Lunch was a bit disappointing the day I ordered soup, it turned out to be quite bad, almost like water, which was unusual since the soups here are usually really tasty.
After work, we stopped by the shop near the bus stop to buy something we needed again, and then we headed back home.
Tenth Day Tuesday 09/09/2025
We started the day in a similar way to the one before same time, same routine to catch the bus and get to the workplace. The morning followed a pretty standard pattern, nothing out of the ordinary. But just before lunch, Eglė let us know that there was a room available where we could play ping pong. A few hours into the day, we got the chance to take a break and play a bit, and honestly, it was a lot of fun.
For lunch, we ended up going to Maxima because I wanted to eat something I liked. After eating, we headed back to work and carried on until the end of the day, then went home.
Dinner was once again at 7Fridays. I actually enjoyed the main dish, but the soup was another story. It was that cold pink soup made with a milk-based broth the kind most kids don’t really like. No one else at the table touched it. But since my family is originally from this region and I’m quite familiar with this type of traditional dish, I went ahead and ate it even though it wouldn’t be my first choice among soups.
Eleventh Day Wednesday 09/10/2025
We woke up around 9 a.m., taking advantage of the fact that we were working from home for the first time and didn’t need to go anywhere.
In the morning, we sat down as a group to talk about what to do next and how to continue the task we were given. I spent most of the day working on the project and didn’t do much else beyond that.
During the afternoon, Eric and I went to a perfume shop where I ended up buying a gift for my mom.
For lunch, we went out and had kebab, which has been a solid option lately.
Later in the afternoon, things calmed down. Everyone took some time to relax and do their own thing. It was a calm and easy-going end to the day.
Dinner at 7Fridays was a pleasant surprise. The food had definitely improved the bean and vegetable soup was flavorful and comforting, and the main dish hit the spot. After that, we headed back home and called it a night.
Twelfth Day Thursday 09/11/2025
We started the day around 9 a.m. After waking up, we had breakfast and then I joined my group so we could plan and organize what we were going to do today.
Once we had everything settled, we began working on the project. While the others decided to stop by a second-hand clothing store, I went straight to Maxima instead I wasn’t really in the mood for shopping. It actually turned out to be a good decision, because I managed to get the last jar of honey. After that, I went back to the hotel and continued working on the project.
By the time everyone returned, it was still lunchtime, so we took a break and played a game of Uno. It ended up being a lot of fun and brought some good laughs.
We stayed in until around 7 p.m., when we went out for dinner. The food wasn’t bad today at least the main dish. I didn’t really enjoy the soup, but to be fair, it wasn’t the worst either.
And that was our twelfth day.
Thirteenth Day Friday 09/12/2025
Today we all woke up feeling a bit lazy. The day was colder and cloudy, which didn’t really help us get out of bed. After about an hour, we had to leave the house because the cleaning lady was coming.
We went to the café next door, but it wasn’t really suitable for working on a laptop, so we ended up going back to the reception area and used the time to get some work done.
Later on, since the cleaning lady still wasn’t finished, we went to have lunch at Hesburger. When we got back, we had already completed our tasks for the day, so we decided to relax a bit and played some group games.
We only went out again around 7 p.m. to have dinner. After that, we came back home and ended the day in a calm and relaxed way.
Fourteenth Day Saturday 09/13/2025
This Saturday started off really well, waking up early to catch the train to Trakai. It was great because I hadn’t been on a train in a while, and I’ve always enjoyed the vibe inside. What made it even more special was the fact that the train had two floors, which was something different and cool.
When we arrived, we had to walk a bit to get to our destination. Along the way, we passed some slightly creepy buildings, but after that, the path started to get really beautiful. At one point, we even came across the “owner of the city” who was peacefully sleeping in his bed right there along the way!
After a while, we finally reached our destination, where we had to cross two small bridges since the castle is located in the middle of the lake. The castle itself was really interesting, as expected. The only downside is that most of it is no longer original, as it has been completely restored.
Still, the interior was impressive seeing the artifacts, the hunted animals, and the views from inside was incredible. When we entered the main building, it genuinely felt like stepping into a movie scene.
After visiting the castle, we stopped for lunch and ended up going to the first place we found, which offered more global and familiar food basic options. I ended up having a hamburger, and it was actually really good.
Next, we went to visit a church because our teacher had given us a challenge to find a statue of a priest. We even went inside the church, but we left shortly after since we didn’t want to disturb the mass.
After that, we stopped by a local shop for a quick snack and then headed to catch the train back to Vilnius. And that was our amazing day.
Fifteenth Day Monday 09/14/2025
We kicked off the day around 10 a.m., feeling pretty relaxed. Since we were in the mood to try something new for lunch, we set off in search of a different spot and ended up at a pizzeria. Definitely a good call. Who’s ever sad with a pizza in front of them?
After that, we went back home and played a few rounds of UNO. As usual, it didn’t take long for the drama to start especially when we switched to team mode. Let’s just say tensions were high, but all in good fun.
Since it was Sunday, there were tons of football matches on, so we spent the afternoon watching several games and just taking it easy.
In the evening, we went out again for dinner, this time to a restaurant we hadn’t tried before. The food was great, and surprisingly cheap for the quality.
Sixteenth Day Tuesday 09/15/2025
We woke up around 10 a.m. to a grey, rainy day. For me, the weather actually felt perfect a good excuse to stay inside and focus on getting some work done.
I spent the morning working on our project, and later moved on to the PowerPoint presentation our teachers had asked us to prepare. It was a quiet, focused day, and I managed to finish everything without any major issues.
In the evening, we went out for dinner at 7 Fridays. The food was good, which by now had become the norm. We started with a really tasty soup I actually enjoyed it quite a lot and the main course was decent. Nothing special, but it did the job.
After dinner, we headed back home and wrapped up a simple but productive day.
Seventeenth Day Wednesday 09/16/2025
That day, we woke up a bit late and had to rush, but we managed to arrive on time. It was an important day because we presented what we had done up until then, which allowed us to receive feedback and suggestions on how to improve our work.
Afterwards, we left early since we had a VR movie planned to watch. So, we had an early lunch and ended up eating kebab. Right after, we caught the bus to go see the movie.
About the movie, I thought it wasn’t anything special, but since it was in VR, the experience was quite different and more fun.
On the way back home, all the cars were carefully avoiding splashing pedestrians except one. Since I was on the left side of the crosswalk, I got completely soaked.
At the end of the day, we went out for dinner, but I didn’t do much else after that and fell asleep early.
Eighteenth Day Thursday 09/17/2025
Day 18 started early. We woke up a bit late, but still managed to catch the bus in time. Once we got to work, I began making the improvements our teacher had requested.
It was a rainy day, so there wasn’t much we could do outside. After lunch, we took the bus back home, and once I arrived, I continued working on the project, adding the changes the teacher had suggested.
At the end of the day, we went, as usual, to the same place for dinner. The food was good once again.
And that’s how the day ended less exciting, but just as important as the others.
Nineteenth Day Thursday 09/18/2025
The 19th day started early, as I was feeling motivated to work and that’s exactly what I did. I kept working on our project.
Later on, the cleaning lady knocked on the door, so we had to leave the apartment for a while. We used the time to grab some food and walk around a bit. When we came back, our room still wasn’t ready.
So I asked if anyone wanted to go for a walk, and my friend Demétrio said yes. It turned out to be a great idea we went to a park we hadn’t visited yet. It was a nice, green place with ducks and a peaceful atmosphere.
Along the way, we found a giant chess board, and believe it or not, Demétrio actually won a game! This was a big deal, considering he had lost interest in chess after being “humiliated” several times by me in previous matches.
Later in the afternoon, we headed back home after our roommates called to let us know the rooms had finally been cleaned.
And that was our day simple, spontaneous, and surprisingly fun.
Twentieth Day Friday 09/19/2025
The twentieth day was another simple one I wanted to focus on the project, so I started working on it early in the morning.
But for some reason, by the time lunch came around, I was feeling drained and ended up falling asleep. I only woke up just in time for dinner.
I wasn’t feeling great, and because of that, I completely forgot to take any pictures at least until the main course, which, to be fair, was actually quite good.
And that was the day. I think this one might earn the title of the worst day of the month.
Twenty-first Day Saturday 09/20/2025
And so our 21st day began — full of energy and motivation. We started by catching a train to Kaunas, a city a bit farther away. The trip took just over an hour.
When we arrived, there wasn’t much to see at first, but we headed toward our first location, which was in a nice park. The place had little robots mowing the grass, which was funny to watch.
We started with a microscope workshop, which turned out to be fun — even though in the final task, where we were supposed to find a micro-parasite, nothing showed up under the lens.
After that task, we had a short break — around 15 to 20 minutes — and some people took the opportunity to grab a quick snack.
Then we headed to the planetarium’s auditorium, which was really cool. Even though the presentation was in Lithuanian, it was still fun and interesting. Since the room was dark and we had to stay focused, I only managed to take a photo of the auditorium at the end.
And just like that, it was time for lunch.
For lunch, most of the group went to the McDonald's near the place we were at, but my friend Eric and I decided to go to a restaurant in the city center instead, so we could explore a bit more.
We ended up eating near the university, where there were several buildings for different courses. The weather was sunny, and there were various exhibitions happening around the area.
After lunch, we went back to the place we had been earlier and tried out some of the exhibitions they had there. We didn’t have much time left, though, since it was closing soon.
With about an hour to go before our train back, we took the chance to stop by the shopping mall for a bit. Then, we headed back to Vilnius and just like that, another Saturday came to an end.
Twenty-second Day Sunday 09/21/2025
Today, we didn’t wake up that early, and since it was almost lunchtime, I decided to stop by Maxima just to walk around a bit and kill some time. Meanwhile, one of our colleagues ordered pizza for everyone. When we got back, the pizza arrived, so that’s what we had for lunch. Later, I worked on the project while we followed the day’s football matches, but even so, it was a productive day.
Twenty-third Day Monday 09/22/2025
This Monday didn’t stray much from the usual pattern we woke up early and took the bus to our workplace. Since it was the last week, only a few small details were left that could improve our project. Afterwards, we stopped by Maxima, and I bought the yogurts I needed. Once home, I took the opportunity to review the project because I knew we would be presenting it again. In the evening, we went out for dinner as usual, and that was our simple and productive day.
Twenty-fourth Day Tuesday 09/23/2025
This Tuesday was amazing and amazing because it was different. As always, we woke up and caught the bus, but today was special. Instead of going to our usual room, we went to another one equipped for experiments. There, we made our soap bubbles, and it was super fun to see how the quality of the liquid changed depending on the quantities of the ingredients we added. In the end, we went outside to test them. When we finished, we returned to our room, worked a bit, and then went home to rest. At the end of the day, we had dinner, and that’s how the day ended.
Twenty-fifth Day Wednesday 09/24/2025
Today we woke up as usual and took the bus. It was the last day, so in the morning we finished the final details of the project. Afterwards, we went to have lunch at Domino’s, and when we got back, we prepared the room for the presentations and the farewell. Once the presentations were over, we tasted the cakes that our lovely teacher had brought, and that’s how our day ended with a small farewell.
Twenty-sixth Day Thursday 09/25/2025
Today I woke up early, and even though we were supposedly done with our projects, I enjoyed working on them so much that I kept improving them. Today was a lazy day, since everyone else woke up a bit late. At lunchtime, we decided to go to the kebab place next to our house. It was a really cold day, the kind that makes you want to stay home. In the evening, we went out for dinner at 7Fridays, which is in a different place, and that was our day.
Twenty-seventh Day Friday 09/26/2025
Today was a really cool day. We woke up early and went to our workplace, where a very kind man was waiting for us he was going to be our van driver for the rest of the day. We started by going to a car museum, but it was closed, which made us move on to the next destination also closed. So, we went instead to a super nice park with amazing greenery and beautiful natural scenery. After that, we visited an astronomical observatory, where we explored the museum they had there. It was interesting and we got to learn a lot of new things. We even tried out some modern microscopes with screens, where we could see tiny living organisms. That’s how our day went a bit disappointing that two of the places were closed, but still a great experience overall.
Twenty-eighth Day Saturday 09/27/2025
Today, we showed the city to the teacher, following the route that the other teachers had previously planned it was perfect, so we used the same one. We passed by some of the same monuments and got to know the new teacher better.
Twenty-ninth Day Saturday 09/28/2025
Today was the last day. We woke up early, got ready, and headed out to catch the bus to the airport. Since our flight had a layover, we stopped in Austria, where we spent quite some time at Vienna Airport, and at 5 p.m. we departed for Faro. That’s how our amazing month came to an end an unforgettable experience. I’m grateful to all the teachers; it was incredible, and even now I still keep in touch with Professor Egle. Thank you.