Erasmus in Lisbon: Brazilian BBQ with Google translate I visited Lisbon for the first time in 2018 and was immediately super enthusiastic about the city and everything in it. Then the desire came to live in Lisbon for a longer period. At the beginning of 2020 I was told that I could leave for Lisbon in September. Tense months followed, because the travel situation was quite uncertain due to the COVID-19 crisis. In the middle of August I was finally allowed to leave and I immediately packed my bags. Living abroad for the first time is an exciting experience anyway, but the whole COVID-19 situation made me even more nervous. Spontaneous meeting During my first week in Lisbon, a friend and I attended a welcome dinner of an Erasmus organization in the city. After a very nice evening, we decided to go out with a group and we got talking to a Brazilian boy. Less than ten minutes later, we were invited to a barbecue at his home later that week. After some hesitation we decided to accept his offer, and luckily we did, because we had an unforgettable evening with these people. Let me put it this way: a Brazilian BBQ is not like anything we were used to. About Eva Name: Eva Mechelmans Studies: Communication Sciences Socials: Evas’s tips for Portugal Google Translate and mini meat When we got there, we were initially a bit surprised because all that was on the table were some vegetables, forks and glasses. There were no plates or other foods in sight. Apparently, it is typical in Brazil to barbecue for hours, continually serving small pieces of meat on a plate in the centre of the table. We spent the evening with our host's Brazilian friends, who didn't speak a word of English. They did have a great time when I tried to make myself understood using Google Translate. The evening was very entertaining and I still remember it with a big smile. This evening proved to me that sometimes spontaneous plans are the best plans. Pena Palace in a glow of white fog During such a long period abroad, you will of course experience all kinds of things. One day that lingered, was when two friends and I took the train to Sintra. It was one of our last days off, so we wanted to make the most of it. We planned to visit a palace, the Pena Palace. This palace is known for its beautiful colours and its spectacular views over Sintra. To get there, we first had to walk a few kilometres via a trail located in the forest. Once arrived in Sintra, it was raining and there was an extremely dense fog. Fortunately, that rain decreased after a while, but the fog got worse and worse. The trip through the forest was quite an experience, although the fog gave it a fairytale twist. When we arrived at the palace, slightly tired, all three of us laughed out loud when we noticed that we could only half see the castle through the fog. The situation got completely hilarious when we realized we couldn't see any of the view at all. The whole palace was shrouded in a white fog, so we couldn't see even half a metre before our eyes. We had a good laugh about our own misery and ended up with a funny story. And very special photos, shrouded in white fog, haha. greetings from Lisbon Eva Eva's must-do's in Portugal My tip? Definitely visit the open air market on Sundays at the LX factory, it's a creative cultural area with many restaurants in a hippy chic setting . After a walk in the market I recommend you to watch the sunset over lisbon from o Miradouro de Sao Pedro de Alcântara or o Miradouro de Santa Catarina. these have the best views over the city. Got no weekend plans? Drop by Caravelos for surfing lessons. If you have mastered surfing you should definitely visit Nazaré. It is the place with the biggest waves in the world. ps. tip! With your ISIC card you get a 10% discount on surf lessons in Caravelos. Category Travel news