The Elon women's soccer team is spending spring break in Portugal as part of Elon's commitment to diversity and global engagement for its students. Throughout the week, we will bring photos and stories from the time abroad.
DAY ONE
By Jordan Green
We landed in Lisbon, Portugal at 7:55 am this morning. We were greeted by our bus driver, who kindly led us to our bus. We made our first stop at our hotel, which is called the Sana Metropolitan Hotel. Upon arrival at the hotel, we quickly changed and got ready for a tour of downtown Lisbon, followed by lunch at a spot of our choice. It was so cool to walk around downtown Lisbon and get a feel for the city. A small group and I decided to have lunch at Nosolo Italia. We had a delicious caprese sandwich with fresh juice. I love all fruits, so when I saw they had fresh juice on the menu, I got excited. The juice I ordered consisted of mango, pineapples, and strawberries.
After we ate lunch, we had about an hour to walk around downtown Lisbon. We occupied this time by shopping. We went to a variety of different stores and noticed that the prices here in Europe were cheaper than the United States. This is dangerous because it led me to rationalize buying things, which I certainly didn’t need due to the cheaper price.
We then came back to the hotel and checked into our rooms. We had about an hour of downtime before we left for a bus tour around the entire city of Lisbon. While on this tour, we stopped to see and go inside the Church of São Miguel. The church was as beautiful in person as it looks in the pictures. We also made a stop at a bakery called Pastéis de Belém, where we got to try the famous custard tart, pastéis de nata. This bakery sells an average of 25,000 pastéis de nata each day, and they are open every day of the year.
On our tour around the city, we saw all the important monuments. To name a few, we went to see the Belém Tower and 25th April Bridge. In our Portugal class we had learned about the history of each of these, so I found it very fascinating to see both in person. I stopped at a gelato place located right next to the Monument to the Discoveries. I got snickers gelato. It was the best gelato I have ever had. My goal is to get gelato every day on this trip. After seeing the Monument of Discoveries, we drove by Christiano Ronaldo's penthouse that he owns in Lisbon. Following this tour, we wrapped up our day with a team dinner at the hotel. We had an awesome first day and are looking forward to the rest of the week here in Portugal!
Day Two
By Amy Ollendorff
We got a classic European breakfast in the hotel to start the day before taking the bus to the town of Sintra, Portugal. The city itself is an important cultural and geographic landmark. It was built on a mountain right on the coast, so it helps protect the capital city of Lisbon from heavy weather and storms coming in from the ocean. It was also a destination of travel for other countries’ wealthy aristocrats in the 16th century, leading to many beautiful estates being built there as well.
We first stopped at an old Moorish castle and hiked up quite a few stairs to the outlook towers so that we could take in a beautiful panoramic view of all of Sintra. We were even able to see the Atlantic Ocean! Then, we took the bus up the crowded streets of the city to the next palace of the day, a popular destination called Pena Palace. It was a bright yellow and red palace with beautiful colored tiles built in the 1500s by King Ferdinand II in a combination of the Romantic and Manueline style. We were able to walk through the palace and see how the royal family lived back then and what their daily lives would have looked like, as all the furniture was original and left there from when the royals had to flee due to an uprising in the country. We saw extravagantly decorated dining halls and personalized bedrooms for the king and queen, where they had extremely short beds because we learned that they actually slept sitting up. The rich history of the area was such a treasure to learn about.
The team then got to walk around the town of Sintra to find lunch and do some wandering. We got delicious pizza and pasta at a street side restaurant and then of course we had to stop for some gelato. I got a custard tart flavor, which was a classic Portuguese flavor, and hazelnut. It definitely hit the spot after a busy day of sightseeing! We also got to try some more region-specific desserts, such as queijadas, which are curd cheese and cinnamon tarts, and travesseiros, which are pastries filled with almond cream and muted with sugar. I thought both were delicious! We all had such a great time learning more about the history of Portugal and just getting to take in the vibrant culture of the area.
Day Three
By Rachel Buckle
We started off the morning bright and early with breakfast at the hotel before packing our bags and loading the bus for the day. We headed to Benfica’s campus where we would have our first training of the trip. The coaching staff seemed a little bit intimidating at first, but after our warmup, they were cracking jokes with us while also introducing us to some new drills and ways to see the game. Their training session was very organized, based on possession, competitiveness, and a drive to get to goal.
Every single game we played, they made sure that we were tallying the score out loud (they go to the negatives in most of their drills which was new), communicating, passing and moving quickly, and getting to goal efficiently. One of my favorite games was at the end: we had two teams spread out around the outside of the field, and then three members from each team would go chase after a ball that get sent into the grid and try to go to goal. The best part is that you could pass to the other players on the outside to bring them into the game, so at some points nearly everyone was involved one round of the game. It was a fun and a competitive environment, and we really enjoyed getting to learn from them.
Once practice was over, we got lunch on their campus which consisted of veal, rice, vegetables, soup, fruit, and bread. One of the most noticeable things about their cafeteria was how catered it was to the students/players nutrition so that they could best perform on the pitch. After lunch, we received a tour of some of their facilities which were incredible. They have multiple fields and stadiums, gyms, and a covered field to as the guide said was to “keep the students from playing too much FIFA in their rooms.” It was a great way to start the day before packing the bus for a four hour drive up to Porto. We had a discussion-based class on the bus which was fun to hear about people’s stories so far on the trip, and then we took a quick stop to use the bathroom at a gas station/market which had delicious pastries.
The chocolate muffins were a fan favorite, but we also tried the coconut brioche pastry which ended up being phenomenal. When we finally got to Porto, we got ready for team dinner at a local restaurant and enjoyed some team bonding. We were served many different unique dishes, and everyone’s favorite was shocker… the chocolate cake for dessert. It was definitely a busy travel day, but a lot of fun spent with the team!
DAY FOUR
By Jenna Abousaab
On our fourth day of exploring Portugal, we had a great time touring the city of Porto, and we played our first game of the trip! We woke up in the early morning and headed down to the hotel restaurant for breakfast. Full of all kinds of fruits, breads, pastries, protein options, and more, it was a great start to our mornings. After breakfast, we got ready to explore Porto. We drove towards the city with our tour guide pointing out historical facts and explanations from inside the coach, which was a great opportunity to learn about the city’s historical significance.
We stopped to take a group picture next to the well-known blue Porto letters in center city and the views were gorgeous. We then moved further into the center city of Porto, where we walked through the streets and alleyways, stopping for photos with the beautiful sites. The city exceeded our expectations, especially after touring the São Bento Railway Station. We learned that inside this train station is 20,000 handmade tiles that tell different stories. It was an incredible experience to learn about these historical facts while seeing them in real life.
We then returned to the hotel, and we picked a lunch spot for the day. We chose an Italian restaurant, eating from a variety of pastas, pizzas, sandwiches, and lasagnas. The appetizers were just as tasty, and we had a great time connecting with the Portuguese staff, enhancing our own Portuguese in ways Duolingo can’t!
Following lunch, we geared up for GAMEDAY! It was such an amazing opportunity to play against Valadares Gaia FC, a professional women’s soccer team in Portugal’s top-tier division. Their hospitality was incredible, and they made us as visitors feel so welcome. They created a competitive environment on the field that allowed each of us players to experience first-handedly what playing at the next level is like. We took away valuable tools that allowed us to enhance our game on both an individual level and as a team. This part of the trip really brought the team together because not only have we been bonding off the field, but to work together on the field in a new country strengthened our chemistry and trust in one another. It was a great reminder of how our sport brings us together in ways we don’t think about, and how genuinely grateful we are to be able to share our love for the game with one another. Without a doubt, I can say that leaving Portugal, I’m taking so many lessons home with me that I did not have coming here, and I’m sure the team can say the same. It’s been such a great experience and it’s only day four, so we can’t wait for what’s to come in these next few days!
DAY FIVE
By Kerri Coffman
Today started off with an exciting change in the itinerary plans…Jenn and Jeffrey, along with our two tour guides, Jon and Ruis, worked all day yesterday to give us one more full day in Porto. This morning, we got to travel to Livraria Lello, a famous library in the city. It’s nicknamed the Harry Potter library, as this was where J.K. Rowling was inspired to write the series. She also wrote some of it here, and the fountain statue nearby was the inspiration for the Gryffindor house logo. Even for non-Harry Potter connoisseurs, this library was definitely a sight to see! The library had a large variety of books, including lots of classics, in both English and Portuguese. After looking through the library, we split up in small groups to explore around for a bit. My group visited jewelry shops, pastry shops, and souvenir shops. I bought a beautiful hand-painted tile of Porto. Walking around the city and exploring the colorful streets was so much fun, we felt like we could spend hours there and never get bored.
After exploring the city, we set off on a relaxing boat cruise on the Douro River. While cruising down the river, we were able to see the beautiful parts of Porto along the river - colorful buildings, architecture, and riverboats. Personally, this was my favorite meal experience during the trip so far. Meal times are really important in Portuguese culture because they are valued as a time to socialize with friends and family. Our team embodied this aspect of their culture well during the cruise because we were able to relax, enjoy our lunch, and spend time with each other. Some people even got to try Francesinha, which is Porto’s most famous sandwich. It consists of layers of meat, cheese, bread and a fried egg in a special sauce. Others enjoyed chicken, pork, or fish with sides of vegetables, fries, or rice. We ended the meal which some chocolate mousse and espresso - so yummy!
After our boat cruise, we headed over to Cave Farreira Port House. Once there, we learned about the history of their winery and their wine making process for Port wines. Our guide taught us the difference between white, ruby, tawny, and vintage port wines. We also learned that true port wine only comes from the Douro Valley, which is east of the Douro River (where we had our boat cruise)! She took us through the wine cellar and explained the effects of Portuguese oak wood on the fermentation process. They choose to keep some types of wine in larger barrels to slow down oxidation and preserve the flavors of the grapes. We saw one barrel that held just over 72,000 liters of wine! At the end of the tour, we had the option to taste two of their port wines, one white and one tawny. Since these were dessert wines, I was surprised by the difference in flavor because it was much sweeter. Learning the history of Port wine was a very valuable cultural experience for our team! We returned to the hotel and had the rest of the evening to go enjoy Porto and find a spot for dinner on our own. My group chose a delicious spot along the Duoro River. We are so thankful that we were able to spend another night in Porto!
DAY SIX
By Lydia Totten
After a great two day experience in Porto we have packed up our things again and headed back to Lisbon to finish the rest of our trip! We started off our three hour bus drive by diving into critical questions encompassing the dimensions of physical wellness, financial wellness, and both social and community wellness as we navigated the areas of Porto. These discussion questions allowed us to reflect on not only our time in this city, but make connections between Portuguese culture and American culture.
After finishing class time on the bus we stopped in town called Nazaré that is right by the ocean. Despite the less than ideal weather conditions, we were afforded the opportunity to view an expansive beach with colossal waves crashing against the shore. In this town we were allotted free time to grab lunch, and those who were lucky enough got to get some gelato too! We wrapped up our day by attending a team dinner at A Mourisca restaurant.
The restaurant had a wide collection of European professional soccer team scarves which really added to our athletic element of the trip. The dinner consisted of either pork cutlets, cod fish Montoya style, or a simple spaghetti dish, all very good! We’re excited to finish off the last of days in Lisbon! Tchau!
DAY SEVEN
By Anna Hamner
Today, we arose early and eager to go to our surf lesson. We ate breakfast at the hotel and departed for the beach. The surf shop was a cute little shop on the boardwalk facing the Atlantic. We shared laughs as we struggled to get our wetsuits on and prepare for the surfing. Our instructors were all very kind and knew how to teach us although almost all of us were starting with very little experience. The water was not as cold as we had expected it to be but the current was strong. The instructors helped us catch the waves but unfortunately couldn’t help us from falling. Although difficult, I was able to catch a couple of waves without falling off of my board. This might’ve been my favorite part of the trip so far. Hang 10! To add to a fun morning, the weather couldn’t have been more perfect.
After surfing, we rinsed off in freezing cold water on the board walk and got changed. We then had the option to go back to the hotel to shower and have lunch there or continue to explore Lisbon. My group decided to head straight to the city center to make the most out of our last day. We walked around a bit until lunch. For lunch, we had amazing Italian food right by the water. Dishes included pizza with buffalo mozzarella and prosciutto, Cannelloni, and garlic bread. We did some shopping with a side of gelato and headed back to the hotel to get ready for the game. I purchased a jacket and sweatshirt which I am excited to wear around campus.
We left for the Benfica vs. Chaves game at the Estádio do Sport Lisboa e Benfica with enough time to grab some local food at street vendors outside of the stadium. I got a sandwich with a variety of different meats such as ham and beef. It was really good! A lot of the team also purchased scarves outside of the stadium. They came in handy to wave around with the rest of the crowd to participate in stadium traditions. First sight of the stadium was crazy, as it was much larger than I had thought. We learned that over 55,000 people attended the game. We were lucky enough to see 3 penalty saves from the opposing goalkeeper. Although this was not in favor of Benfica it was really cool for me as a goalkeeper to see some heroic goalkeeping. It also made the game intense and exciting. It was so interesting to see the energy in the stadium itself. It is apparent that soccer is a huge part of Portuguese culture and really brings the people together. I don’t think that atmosphere could compare to anything in the US. When the final whistle blew with a Benfica win over Chaves (1-0) it took a while to get out of the stadium with the amount of people in attendance. We had the rest of the night free to pack and prepare for departure tomorrow.
Although we had many fun memories, this was my favorite day with surfing and the game. I will always remember this trip for all the fun memories and I’m so grateful to have experienced Portuguese culture with my best friends. I would just like to say thank you to everyone who has made this fun experience possible. Obrigada!