Week 1 – Arriving, Settling In, and First Impressions in Crete 🇬🇷

My first week of my Erasmus stay on Crete started off with a lot of movement and exciting first impressions. On Sunday, we arrived around 16:00, picked up our rental cars, and drove to our Airbnb in the small village of Episkopi, just outside Heraklion. We are living there as a group of eight, which created a great atmosphere right from the beginning. After checking in, we explored the area a bit and got our first taste of the surroundings..

Monday 30.03.26

On Monday, the official program began. We got to know the team from MD Hellas and joined a city tour through Heraklion. We also met Makis, the boss of Twinsoft, which gave us an interesting first insight into the professional environment here. Of course, we also did a big grocery run to get everything we needed for our stay.

Tuesday 31.03.26

Tuesday marked our first day of work at Psifiakos Kosmos, a company that develops terminals for the hospitality industry. These systems help service staff and kitchen teams manage orders and workflows efficiently. During the first days, we focused mainly on testing and bug reporting to better understand the software. After work, MD Hellas organized a bowling evening, which was a great opportunity to bond with everyone.

Wednesday 01.04.26

Wednesday was another productive workday, but with a special twist: a strong Sahara sandstorm covered the island, creating a surreal atmosphere. Despite that, we continued testing and getting to know our colleagues.

Thursday/Friday 02.04.26 - 03.04.26

On Thursday and Friday, our tasks became more hands-on and creative. We worked on developing a template for a 10-inch tablet terminal, where we could contribute our own ideas and gain practical experience. After work, we spent time relaxing together—one evening we went out for dinner, and on Friday we visited a restaurant at Amoudara Beach followed by a club night that lasted until late.

Weekend 04.04.26 - 05.04.26

The weekend was all about relaxing and exploring. We chilled, went out to eat, and took a sightseeing tour around Heraklion.

Overall, the first week was a perfect mix of settling in, working, and exploring. I’m really looking forward to what the next weeks will bring!