Beaches, Cooking, and More! Student Takeover: Willa

On Tuesday morning, we loaded on a bus and drove to Montijo, Portugal for a beach cleanup! Even though it was chilly and a little rainy, we tried to pick up as much waste as possible and filled around 15 extra-large garbage bags. The shore was littered with small plastics, single-use packaging, and styrofoam - among many other items (we even found a mattress!). Afterward, the beach looked much cleaner.

We then participated in plastic awareness workshops led by Brigadier Do Mar to learn about ways to reuse the trash we found. The stations included making decorative masks, shelves, jewelry, and candles from waste found in the ocean. My favorite things I made were a unicorn mask and a keychain! Overall, the workshop really inspired me to get creative with my waste back at home.

The next day we got immersed in Portuguese food culture! Our day began with a trip to the local market, where we utilized our new language skills to communicate with vendors. The stands had everything from cuttlefish to pastel de nata, a delicious and classic Portuguese pastry.

After having some fresh snacks, we headed over to our cooking class! We made a fish stew, however, I am vegetarian so I had the tofu alternative. The stew was prepared in layers, with each ingredient being stacked in a big pot. Soon, the stew was cooked and ready to eat! Some were unsure of it, but most of us really enjoyed the meal! It was yet another amazing day in Portugal.