Submitted by Joseph Hinton on the 2018 fall semester study abroad program in Granada, Spain…
Week 4, which happens to be my favorite week so far was a lot. Tests all day Monday and Tuesday had my brain fried, but after that final exam on Tuesday and a celebration for the end of a great intensive program and first month in Spain, I got to start packing for our four day excusion in Portugal which was everything I could have hoped for.
On the first day, we visited the mythology museum in Merida, Spain where I got to see thousands of years old sculptures and artwork and later walked out to see the Roman theater and amphitheater which was breathtaking. For a few moments, I sat there trying to envision the time that had passed through this place, the number of people that had stood where I stood, the plays, the chariot races, and most exciting, the gladiator fights, all real and where I stood. If I have any complaint about the day it was that it wasn’t long enough to fully enjoy and breathe in that place. However, it was scorching out and we had all been up and traveling since dawn and were ready to crash at our hotel and check out the pool. Later that night, we took a walk around the city of Evora, Portugal with Amalia, exploring more of the ruins left to us by the Roman empire and just enjoying our first beautiful night in Portugal.
The next day we arrived in Lisbon. We visited the “Parque Eduardo VII”, “Praca do Imperio” ,”Santa Maria de Belem” and “Sao Miguel”. All of which were astounding and very different, but that is what I love about traveling. I get to see places I never even knew existed. This was especially true of “Sao Miguel” a small area in Lisbon tucked away near the docks, with the best view being a flower garden above the houses stacked upon each other in a favela style similar to Rio de Janeiro or vise versa. Later that night, some friends and I explored more of Lisbon on our own finding some great places to eat and enjoy the nightlife.
On the third day, we went to Cascais, a beautiful beach town 20 minutes outside of Lisbon where I enjoyed a day of sand, sun, and great food, as well as checking out its unique shopping district. After a busy day at the beach, we returned to the hotel to get some R&R and then me and some buddies went out exploring as much of Lisbon as we could before we left the next day. We found a street like a cultural melting pot with tons of people of different backgrounds. I met lots of interesting people from all over Europe to the States, all wanting to hear new stories of different places. On that street, we were all travelers, adventurers looking for something that we had never seen or heard about before, looking for that next thing to surprise us in a world full of surprises waiting to be found. On the fourth and final day, we made a stop at the Ducal Palace of “Vila Vicosa” a palace dedicated to the kings and queens of Portugal for more than 200 years. A Palace known for its artwork covering the walls and ceilings with mythological depictions of Perseus, Hercules, and other fables of old as well as artwork of the members of the royal family of Portugal. Eventually, after a very long bus ride, we arrive back in Granada after sunset, a fitting ending to an excursion that I nor any of us will ever forget.
