Portugese Folklorica and Calderada

While staying at the Quinta de Sao Pedro, a field station in Almada and enjoying the time away from the city life, we had so much fun learning how to dance portugese dances such as Rancho Folclorico, Malhao, and Gira. As a group and in various circles, we skipped and trotted and swirled to the steps and lively music. With partners and alone, we jumped and jammed to the traditional music in Portugal. 

In addition to dancing like the portugese do, we learned how to cook calderada, a traditional portugese seafood stew and arroz doce for dessert, translated to sweet rice and very similar to rice pudding. We spent the day alongside grannies who did their best to help us practice our portugese because they did not speak any english while they taught us every step we needed to follow in the recipes. Although not yet proficient in portugese dance or cooking, we had so much fun with the locals and always learning.