As I travelled to Portugal, I was very nervous because of the large language barrier. Portuguese can be like Spanish in some ways, but I did not know any Portuguese except from some songs that feature Portuguese and Brazil artist. However, I was able to understand some of the words around the restaurants, supermarkets, pharmacies and around the city. Also, because we were in the capital, almost everyone knew English, which made it easier for me communicate in stores and restaurantsI was in shocked in how huge the city was. It took me three different sightseeing busses to go through the entire city. I never seen a city as big and busy as Lisbon. Something else that shocked me is the way that people drive there. The roads were busy and full of tourists, and it looked impossible to drive there. I thought Puerto Rico was the hardest place to drive until I had the opportunity to experience this city.
My favorite activity that I did with the group was the boat sunset tour. It shocked me how cheap this tour was. The whole experience was thirty-five euros, including unlimited drinks and the tour lasted two hours. The next day, I purchased tickets to explore the whole city in bus tours. Each route had different colors; the red route showed us important monuments and castles, and the famous bridge, the green one dove us to the more downtown area, and the blue one drove through the metropolitan area. Here are some sights that I was able to see from the busses.
As my days are ending here in Trujillo and Spain in general, I had been enjoying their food.The Spanish cuisine here in Spain had been my favorite so far. In Madrid, I had the opportunity to have breakfast in a little local “Churerria y Chocolateria de Mendez Álvaro” near our hotel in Madrid. The churros and the porras were exactly what I was expecting. The chocolate was thick and hot, and the churros were homemade and very fresh. Is interesting to me how this is a very popular breakfast here in Spain. Then for lunch, we went to the “100 Montaditos”. This little restaurant is very well known for their sandwiches and beer and the quick service they offer. They had 100 sandwiches to choose from, and the best croquettes for a cheap price. Also, the day of the concert, we went to a cute restaurant in the mall, and I had “solomillo”. This dish has been my favorite so far, every time I get the opportunity, I order it. My other favorite “tapa” was ensaladilla. This dish has a special place in my heart, it has everything I like, and is potato based which is my favorite root vegetable. Everything that I tried in Madrid and Spain overall has been delicious. The food is nothing like the dishes I had in the United States or in Puerto Rico and I love to compare how the food is. Also, my host family’s cooking was very good, and I am glad that I managed to learn more cultural and traditional foods with them. Overall, this has been an amazing experience that I highly recommend.