Bom dia (good morning)! We’ll be taking you through our entire day three in Portugal! Today is a jammed-packed day, with the very special and highly anticipated national soccer game against Denmark to end our day.
We’re currently staying in Costa de Caparica, which is super close to the beach and rocky piers! This town is usually full of surfers, as the waves are some of the best for surfing here in Portugal. After a relaxing start to our morning with the hotel breakfast buffet, we started our day off with some free time to explore the town, whether it was shopping at a local flea market, walking along the beach, or playing beach rugby. It was a beautiful and sunny morning, so it was a great start to our day.
Our first adventure for the day was learning how to make our own azulejo tiles, those iconic tiles you see all over Portugal. While the tiles didn’t originate in Portugal (origins of the tiles are from Islamic pottery and tile-making), it was in Portugal that the most expressive and original examples are found. The tiles tell us a story or represent something special or historic about the city. While we didn’t have time to make our own tiles through the entire process, we were able to design our own tiles using paint markers. Some used templates while others did freehand styles. Make space in your homes for a brand new azulejo!
After a short break for lunch in the center city, we met up with our local tour guide Federico. He told us a lot of interesting facts about parts of the area, and shared some information on sustainable energy and environmental impacts in Portugal. He said that 346/365 days of the year Portugal is using renewable energy. We also learned that Portugal produces many types of agriculture, with one major product being cork. Portugal is the largest producer of cork, and cork trees produce for 90 years, so there’s continuous planting and production.
Our next stop was Belém. Belém is a city that survived most damages from the earthquake of 1755. Belém translates to Bethlehem, and there are many iconic places to explore, including the Tower of Belém, Padrão dos Descobrimentos (which commemorates Portugal’s many famous explorers and adventurers), and a full size replica of a plane. We also visited the Jerónimos Monastery, where we got to look around at the beautiful architecture of the building and the stained class. We were able to try what the monastery is famous for: pasteis de nata, or as they call them, Pastéis de Belém. The original recipe was created by monks in the monastery, and now they are an iconic (and delicious) treat to eat in Portugal.
Finally, the highlight of the night was Portugal’s national soccer team’s match against Denmark. We were ten rows away from the field, so we got an amazing view. The energy in the crowd was incredible! Many of us came prepared with jerseys, scarves, and other team accessories. People were playing drums, shouting chants, singing, and waving the national flag the entire game. Portugal’s national team is captained by Cristiano Ronaldo, so it was so exciting to not only see him play but also score a goal for Portugal! With every goal the crowd erupted into cheers, and it was so energizing to be with the crowd. The game finished in overtime with Portugal winning 5-2!
Throughout the day we had some sudden rain showers, but we had a great time exploring the city and continuing to learn more about Portugal’s history. It was a super late night for us, but it was totally worth it. We’re looking forward to what’s in store for tomorrow in Cascais!
Obrigada (thank you!) – Sarah, Anna, Daisy