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| Portugal! | |
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| Topic Started: Sun Jan 18, 2015 10:56 pm (2,466 Views) | |
| mburucuja | Mon Mar 2, 2015 11:00 pm Post #11 |
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Same with my host city. I basically plan to wander around the city while I'm there. People keep asking why I'm going and what I'm going to do there, and my best answers are like "I want to go somewhere far away, and I'm not quite sure." |
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| mourinho | Tue Mar 3, 2015 12:55 am Post #12 |
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I hope you like it (otherwise I'll feel totally embarrassed, haha). If you want someone to show you around at all, I could ask my friends/ host sister. Just let me know. |
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| l_o_g | Tue Mar 3, 2015 9:23 am Post #13 |
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Ooooh, I'm so jealous! Sintra: Go there! I went there for a day and visited one of the castles and it was great. It's a bit touristy, but it's beautiful and you'll definitely not get bored. On the way back you can go visit Cabo da Roca, the westernmost spot of continental Europe (I think?). Great view with rocks, a lighthouse and fierce sea, I loved it and definitely recommend it. As for Lisbon itself, I'd really just recommend walking around the central area (Baixa, Bairro Alto, Chiado, Alfama) and having coffee at one of the miradoiros (viewpoints). Belém is also nice, not least because of the pastéis. As for the beaches around Lisbon, I didn't enjoy them too much. I felt that they are mostly interesting for surfers, not for people who look for a more relaxed beach experience (cold water even in summer, huge waves, hot temperatures with no shadow, terribly windy, and overall, even for a walk I wouldn't say they're all too special, but then again, maybe I just went to the wrong spots). Have you already organized accommodation? Portuguese hostels are cheap and extremely good quality, so don't waste money on a hotel room if you don't have to. I once spent a summer working at Lisbon Old Town, and it's probably the best hostel I've ever been to. It's affordable, centrally located, has very nice rooms and includes breakfast. |
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| mourinho | Tue Mar 3, 2015 8:07 pm Post #14 |
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Haha, the only beaches I've seen other than Portuguese ones are cold even in summer, so those were awesome in comparison. And Nazaré is a really pretty beach. I went to a beach near Setúbal once and it was pretty nice. That was in September. And I just remembered that there's a movie with Johnny Depp where some of it takes place in Sintra or was at least filmed there, so that might be worth watching just for fun. |
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| l_o_g | Wed Mar 4, 2015 6:03 am Post #15 |
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Haha, yeah, the beaches are probably alright, I just don't think they're the most spectacular thing about Lisbon and its surroundings. I also didn't really enjoy the people I was hanging out with back then, so that might have affected my impression as well. |
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| mourinho | Wed Mar 4, 2015 5:31 pm Post #16 |
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I definitely wouldn't make the beaches my first stop. The city itself (and surrounding area) is just too fun to explore. |
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| mourinho | Thu Mar 5, 2015 10:32 pm Post #17 |
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This made me laugh. http://www.afsusa.org/host-family/our-students/countries/portugal/ Please note the flags painted on the girls' faces. NOT PORTUGUESE. |
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| mburucuja | Fri Mar 6, 2015 9:12 am Post #18 |
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That's bad. The main picture for Paraguay is an impoverished rural family. :| The Paraguayans I showed that to were actually really offended, and I'm sure Portuguese people would be too. Maybe AFS should let the partner countries pick the photos? Or think about them for a fraction of a second? |
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| mourinho | Sun Mar 8, 2015 1:21 am Post #19 |
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I'm so surprised to see it from AFS, because I think of them as generally pretty savvy. |
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| azafran | Tue Mar 10, 2015 9:59 pm Post #20 |
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Ay. Neither Spain nor Portugal would be very pleased about that. |
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