Bom dia from Portugal

Bom dia and greetings from Portugal!

Our students and Program Leaders have flown in to Lisbon from all over the U.S.A. and we are so excited to have three weeks to spend with them in beautiful Portugal. We were greeted at the airport by our amazing local staff and have been go, go, go since then.

On our first day we had a short orientation, followed by an amazing dinner at a restaurant on the beach in the beautiful area of Cascais. We took photos and made plans for when we could return to go swimming. We also celebrated one of our students, Evelina, who had a birthday on Sunday!

On Monday, our first full day, we spent some time getting familiar with the program and its expections and got a tour of our accommodation and the surrounding area. We are staying in dorms at a hospitality college with views of the beach and the town of Estoril. Near to our housing site is a store, similar to Target, called Continente, a gas station, and a McDonald's, all of which have been a lifesaver for the students as they get acclimated. We also have access to the campus which has a volleyball court, a cafe, and a wonderful cafeteria that has provided some of our meals.

Our first afternoon out we visited Belém, an area along the Tagus River. The students had a chance to explore and try the famous pastel de nata, a traditional and delicious Portuguese egg custard tart.

This morning (Tuesday, July 9th) some students went running along the beach with Program Leader, Alyson. Despite the long days, many of them are eager to explore all that our local site has to offer. Today they will all have their first class, an introduction to aquatic ecosystems, with their Portuguese instructors who themselves are marine biologists. Later today we will go to the beach for swimming and beach games! We will also celebrate the birthday of our participant, Jay!

It's only the third day and already we are feeling more comfortable and confident in the group. We can't wait to keep you all updated!

Until then,

obrigada!