Feeling Grateful

What an insanely jam-packed last few days we’ve had here in Lisboa! We kicked off the weekend with tours of the historic downtown in 6-person Tuktuks (or motorized rickshaws) which were the perfect way to see Portugal’s bustling (and hilly) capital. Our amazing Tuktuk drivers were well-versed in the long history of this city, from the arrival of the Phoenicians to the fall of the dictatorship. 

Over lunch, students were free to explore the al fresco culinary scene of the Baixa neighborhood, where many enjoyed the fresh and tasty seafood options, followed by lots and lots of gelado. In the afternoon, we toured the Lisbon Story Center, a multimedia exhibit that traces the history of Lisbon over the last two millennia. We learned about how the city changed under the Moors and about the devastation of the 1755 Earthquake that left one-third of Lisbon’s population dead and much of the city in ruins. Students also tasted Portugal’s most famous pastry, pastel de nata (a custard tart topped with cinnamon and sugar). 

On Sunday, we visited the National Tile Museum. After diving deep into the cultural and historical significance of Portugal’s tiles (called azulejos), students had the opportunity to paint their own in a workshop led by an expert tile preservationist. Back at the dorm, the entire group bonded while watching a beloved French-Portuguese film called The Gilded Cage about the Portuguese community in Paris. 

Monday we were back in the classroom and were joined by two excellent guest speakers - one was a policy advisor for the British Ambassador to Portugal who spoke on the impact of Brexit and the other was an American Foreign Service Officer to Portugal who spoke on her life and career in diplomacy. 

Then it was time for our first big excursion outside of Lisbon to the quaint coastal town of Setúbal on Tuesday. We started the day wandering Mercado do Livramento, one of Portugal’s oldest markets. The smell of fresh fish was heavy in the air as students carefully selected the fruits, pastries, cheeses, and breads they wanted to take home and did their best communicating with the locals in Portuguese. Later, we checked out the shopping quarter and had a surprise dish for lunch: cuttlefish! While this was not a favorite for most students, many were pleasantly pleased with its flavor and texture and were proud of themselves for trying something new. 

The day ended with an activity that proved to be almost unanimously the favorite of the trip so far: dolphin watching! We were fortunate enough to see at least six dolphins swimming next to our boat and flapping in the crystal clear water. As we took in the spectacular views of the hilly coastline and pristine beaches under clear skies, each of us were reminded of how lucky we felt to be in Portugal in the middle of a pandemic, surrounded by new friends, and growing more and more each day in our knowledge of ourselves and of the world.