Portuñol

As an unofficial member of the Portuñol track, I felt it necessary to visit Portugal to complete my understanding of the Spanish language and culture. We had a few days between the end of our time in Argentina and the beginning of our classes in Spain, so a few of us decided to head to Lisbon, Portugal for a few days. We spent three days there and I have to admit that I’ve fallen in love with Portugal. I’m convinced that I’ve found a hidden gem and I've added Lisbon to my list of favorite cities of the world.


Flying into Lisbon gives you a good sense of what you have awaiting you in Portugal. The first thing you notice is the enormous number of white buildings and an even larger number of buildings with red-tile roofs. Once I got into the city I quickly starting making mental comparisons with San Francisco. The city is full of steep hills and winding roads. Lisbon is set against a back drop of beautiful hills and a dark blue ocean which carries a refreshingly cool breeze through the city.


I loved wandering the narrow cobblestone streets as we soaked up the sounds, smells, and music of Lisboa. We caught ourselves standing outside a tiny little restaurant tucked between the narrow streets of a quaint and seemingly ancient little neighborhood. Inside two men lifted the spirits of a dozen people with a guitar and a beautiful voice echoing the sounds of a romantic language. Nearby, two men sat on a small bench, echoing the words of the singer as they played their air guitars, they had had one too many drinks, but it made for an enjoyable and unforgettable night.


We also visited a number of the major historical sites of Lisbon and its surrounding area. We enjoyed eating (a few too many) Pasteis de Belem, a famous pastry in Lisbon. On our last day, we rented a car and experienced a short, but exciting road-trip. We drove out to three small historical towns on the outskirts of the city: Estoril, Cascais and Sintra. Two first two are beach towns which once boasted having Portuguese kings bath in their waters. Sintra is tucked into the forested hills outside of Lisbon and is the host to one of the most impressive palaces in Europe, the Palace of Pena. It was clearly influenced by the Moors, who ruled the Iberian Peninsula for several centuries. We also visited Cabo de Roca, the most western point of Europe, "where the land ends and the water begins."







Despite not being a Spanish speaking country, I felt that this short trip to Portugal, the sister country of Spain, helped me better understand the Iberian Peninsula, Spain, and the relations between the two countries that share this large peninsula.