It?s hard to believe that we are already almost halfway through our wintermester in Portugal! We have spent the last few days in Lisbon, as well as visiting other surrounding cities, and on Sunday we head to Porto to finish off the rest of this program. Honestly, I wasn?t really sure what to expect coming to Portugal, but so far this experience has been beyond anything I could have ever imagined. The rich history, culture, and architecture is so beautiful to look at and learn about; I?ve been trying my best to soak it all in and remember every bit of it!
So far, we?ve been Lisbon, Sintra, Cascaish, Alentejo, and Bel?m, Portugal. I think that my favorite city so far has been Sintra. It literally felt like we traveled back in time. The whole city looked like a set from Game of Thrones! Sintra used to be the city that royalty would spend their summers in, therefore, there are beautiful castles to explore and admire. Another one of my favorite parts about this country is the coffee and pastries, especially the pastel de natas, which is the country?s most well-known dessert. So far, my first impressions of Portugal as a whole have been very positive, and I can?t wait to see more!
As for my first impressions of the program, I have thoroughly enjoyed all of our corporate visits so far. I was honestly expecting these visits to be similar to when we have guest lecturers in class on campus; sitting at a desk or table and watching a lengthy and possibly boring presentation. Instead, we were met with a cork farmer who gave us a tour of his farm and spoke passionately about his beliefs, an olive oil producer who surprised us each with a bottle of his award winning olive oil, and a baker who is carrying on his family?s business and showed us how to make my favorite pasterie, pastel de nata. All of the people we met have been so friendly, welcoming, and excited to share their passion with us.
Overall, this has been a great experience so far, and I can?t wait to explore and learn more!