Seventeen students from Oleszyce in Poland came to Úbeda for a three-week internship. They worked as farmers, cooks, and agricultural machine mechanics. All of our trainees really enjoyed their internships and learned a lot from their tutors.

The farmers worked in an olive grove and learned how to use new tools, such as a rotary tiller.

The cooks learnt how to make typical Spanish seafood dishes and even had the chance to show their tutors some traditional Polish dishes in return!

The agricultural machine mechanics repaired engines and agricultural machine components, and changed oils and filters. Some of them learned more about the production of olive oil since many of the machines they repaired are used in the olive harvest.

In their free time, they learned more about Spanish culture. They visited the synagogue of water in the centre of Úbeda and saw the impressive mikveh, the ritual bath of purification. They also took part in an olive oil tasting and learnt how to distinguish good olive oil from bad. Finally, they enjoyed trying Spanish food at tapas night and taking part in a churros workshop.

Furthermore, they had lots of opportunities to explore Andalusia. They visited Cordoba, where they saw many beautiful sights, such as the Roman bridge, Puerta del Puente, and the Jewish quarter, and visited the most famous attraction in Cordoba, the Mosque-Cathedral. They also visited Cazorla, a small town in the province of Jaen. They admired the beautiful views of olive groves from the castillo de la Iruela and saw the river Cerezuelo which runs under the Church of Santa Maria in the centre of Cazorla. Finally, they visited Malaga, where they saw the Alcazaba and the beach, before walking up to a viewpoint to get great views of the city.

The trainees also had Spanish lessons and were able to learn vocabulary and phrases in Spanish that were relevant to their professional field. They put these into practice in daily life in Úbeda.

We hope our trainees had an amazing time in Úbeda and learnt a lot from their experience here!