Iker Espinosa Bujardon · 2025-2026
Arrival
The journey began on June 27th, when we took a taxi at 5:00 a.m. to get to the airport. Once there, we checked in our luggage and boarded the plane. It was a fairly calm flight that lasted around two hours. After arriving at Charles de Gaulle Airport, we took a bus to Rouen. After walking for about an hour with our suitcases, we finally arrived at what would be our home for the next month.
First impressions
The first few days were very hot, but that did not stop us from enjoying the city. During the first week we had not started our internship yet, so we spent our time almost as if we were on holiday. We would wake up, go shopping, walk around the city, discover new places and relax.
The first thing that surprised me was the schedule. People in Rouen do everything much earlier than we were used to. They have breakfast, lunch and dinner earlier, and most shops also close quite early. It felt strange at first, but we gradually got used to it.
Another thing we really liked was the city's architecture. Most of Rouen is very beautiful, except for some streets on the outskirts. Depending on the area, you can find Gothic, Norman medieval or Renaissance buildings. This gave each neighbourhood its own personality and made it feel like we were discovering a new part of the city every time we went for a walk.
Overall, our first impressions were very positive. Even though we had to adapt to a new city and different customs, we felt comfortable from the very beginning and were looking forward to starting our
internship.
Internship
We completed our internship at an educational campus where the three types of French upper secondary education are taught: general, technological and vocational. I was very surprised by the size of the campus because I had always studied in much smaller public schools. It was a very large campus with several buildings and workshops, mainly intended for upper secondary students.
Our working hours were from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. During our stay, we took part in the CanSat project, which consists of building a small satellite the size of a soft drink can and programming its different components so that it works properly during its descent.
Since this project normally takes several months to complete and we were only there for one month, we could not finish it. However, we learned how to use tools such as Tinkercad and Arduino, and we programmed different sensors in C++, including the GPS, the accelerometer, the temperature sensor and the pressure sensor.
Most of the time we worked independently. The teachers did not speak English and we did not speak French, so we often communicated using Google Translate. Even so, we met a few students who spoke English, and thanks to them communication became much easier and we became good friends.
Free time
Although we did not visit other cities, we made the most of our free time by exploring Rouen. During the afternoons and weekends, we walked around most of the historic city centre and visited some of its best-known landmarks, such as Rouen Cathedral, the Gros-Horloge and Place du Vieux-Marché.
My favourite place was Place du Vieux-Marché. It is a lively square surrounded by restaurants, cafés and traditional buildings, making it one of the nicest places in the city to walk around or simply relax.
When we were not working, we spent our time walking around the city, shopping and discovering new places. We also had the opportunity to try some traditional French food. I would especially recommend the French pastries, which really impressed us with their quality, as well as the wide variety of delicious cheeses.
Conclusion
Overall, this Erasmus experience was very positive. It allowed me to discover a new culture, become more independent and spend a month living in another country. It also gave me the opportunity to apply and improve my knowledge in a different environment from the one I was used to.
Besides everything I learned during the internship, I will always remember Rouen, the people I met and all the moments I shared with my classmates. Without a doubt, I would recommend this experience to any student who has the opportunity to take part in it.