Before coming to Portugal, I did a little research on what to expect when I arrived. This is my first time in Europe, so I researched things that differed from the United States, food to eat, and things to do in both Lisbon and Porto. When we arrived, I automatically noticed how diverse the area was with people from all over the world speaking all different languages. I also was very relieved that it seems like most people speak English or enough English for them to make sense of what I am saying. One of the most impressive things that differ from America is the architecture of the buildings. Most of the buildings seem old and historic and I love how they all match in some ways. In addition, the tiles add a special touch to the buildings and they are very unique to the area. The food so far has been wonderful. I?ve had both dishes local to Portugal and other dishes from all around the World. I?ve had many bakery items, including the traditional pastry, Pastel De Nata. I have fallen in love with them and they pair perfectly with a coffee.?
In addition to spending time in Lisbon, we also visited a coastal town, Sintra, and farming land. The coastal town was beautiful and I enjoyed seeing the beach and the rough Atlantic Ocean. If it wasn?t so chilly near the water, I would have loved to spend more time there. In Sintra, we took a tour of an estate that offered amazing scenery of the area. The buildings, towers, chapel, well, and underground tunnels were all gorgeous and I truly felt like I was seeing a piece of history. It is unlike anything else I would see in the U.S. I enjoyed that Sintra seemed less busy than Lisbon and it reminded me more of an area locals might even visit. Finally, we visited both a cork farm and an olive tree farm that produced olive oil. It was very interesting listening to both of the owners and seeing their passion for their crafts. They each put in hard work to produce their products, and I loved getting to learn more about each business. At the olive tree farm, we got to see every part of the production process from growing to sorting and producing the olive oil to warehousing to shipping. We even got to try samples of the olive oil.?
So far, my Portugal experience has been wonderful and I cannot wait for the rest of our trip!?