Into the Wild: Hiking the Fishermen’s trail

I am in the last phase of my project and for me it is the time to look again on all the To-do lists that I wrote when I came here in September. All the things that I never did, since I knew I still have sooo much time left. Months passed by and the list was forgotten in one corner of my room. Now I have only a few weeks left and looked at it again. Time to do the trips I planned to do for such a long time!

Together with Camille, a former volunteer of Mais Cidadania who stayed in Lisbon afterwards, I planned since a long time to hike along the coast. One weekend, one the backpack, a tent and the Atlantic Ocean. In the south of Lisbon, in the region called Alentejo, you can find the natural park Costa da Vicentina.  Along the whole coast until Portugal’s coast southern pint you can follow the Fishermen’s Trail.

Festival da Juventude

In the small beautiful town called Vila Franca De Xira, about 40 minutes by train from Lisbon, group of enthusiastic volunteers arrived to participate in the local Festival da Juventude.

The organizers of the Câmara Municipal had tried to provide nutritious lunch for all participants and enough space to stand for any organization.

So – Programme 3 day festival included a variety of activities.

Young musicians from the city and county showed their talents, various NGOs competing any more attractive in the vision of their stands, offering a variety of games, photo sessions and places for relaxation with comfortable furnitures.

Vocational schools presented their practical skills restauranting and bartending. Perhaps the most visited booth was a hairdresser saloon. Many young and old waited on queue, supported by the sweets and cookies of the school for chefs. The atmosphere was very pleasant, friendly and all participants willingly exchanged contacts each other.

From the stage sounded variety of music from acoustic guitars to typical folk music that brings the feeling of warm summer nights, smell of exotic flowers thriving in the area. Everywhere had fragrance of youth and fresh river.

Different people, different projects

As an EVS volunteer, you are going to meet a lot of other people from all over the world who decided to do a voluntary service as well. But as much as your choice to do EVS makes you similar in some way, the themes and the activities of the projects that you are involved with might be completely different from yours and in the end you might have a completely different experience.

Mid-Term Evaluation

 

Once again a training course in Braga. But this time I wasn’t a freshman, I didn’t come for On-Arrival Training. This time it was Mid-Term Evaluation: The second training every volunteer that stays more than six months participates in… 30 volunteers,  3 trainers, 3 days.

How you communicate between 7 languages

Last saturday, me and my flatmates Cristina and Anahit made a big desicion:
From now on we will only speak Portuguese at home! But wait, we have some short-term volunteers that probably don`t speak the language…

EVS On-Arrival Training in Braga

On 9th of November two of us – Klara and I (Stanislava) – had the chance to travel all the way to Braga, in the northern part of Portugal, in order to receive our on-arrival training. The latter is a vital and mandatory part of every long-term EVS volunteer’s stay and it usually takes time in the beginning of the service (for me it was 4 days after I arrived and Klara had to wait 2 months for it).

The main objective of the on-arrival training is to introduce the host country to the recently arrived volunteers, to help them know their rights, and to plan their projects. Moreover, it is a great way for EVS volunteers around the country to meet, learn about each others’  projects and association, and create this great and powerful network of young and active people who can later on plan some activities together or simply visit each other.

Aonde vamos?

Usually Portuguese lessons mean to spend the morning inside our classroom, studying verbs and vocabulary. But today was not a normal morning! We tested our Portuguese in real life and went outside.

Yes, it is possible…

…to work in Bairro Alto – in the heart of Lisbon – and not to be a barman! We are European Volunteers in the NGO Mais Cidadania, situated between all these clubs and bars and one of the few persons who know this area by day AND by night!

On this blog you can follow the daily adventures of being an international volunteer in Lisbon! Have fun 🙂