Friday was sightseeing day in Lisbon with our last concert of the tour in the evening. The morning involved a lovely outdoor concert in our snazzy new choir hoodies while touring Jeronimos Monastery. We had a very appreciative audience in the sunshine from above in the upper balcony as well as in the courtyard itself. On our short walk to the Royal Coach Museum, we stopped at Pasteis de Belem, a famous bakeshop that is known for its Portuguese custard cups called pasteis de nata. Delicious treats were had before our short but highly entertaining tour of the royal carriages and coaches made and used throughout Portuguese history. Next we had two outdoor stops along the river where choir members took many photographs. The rest of the afternoon was free in the old city part of Lisbon, allowing us to find our own lunches and do a little exploring before getting ready for the last concert. The children's choir Coro Santo Amaro de Oeiras hosted us for this last concert, which was well attended by their families and many other community members. After the official concert ended, the two groups sang popular songs from Adele to Disney in a moment of extreme musical bonding.
Our last day of touring, Saturday, dawned clear and sunny as we departed for tours of the palaces in Estoril and Cascais. Both boast many interesting rooms and cultural influences, which Sergio, our tour guide, could always expound on. Estoril is more like the stereotypical European palace with a beautiful central garden and a longer, winding building. Cascais hosts a more castle-like structure heavily influenced by Middle Eastern art and architecture. Lunchtime allowed for short exploration of the quaint Cascais. Our last stop of the day was Sintra, a very wealthy beach town, where we explored as the sun went down. After a quick stop at the hotel for everyone to freshen up, we headed to our farewell dinner at a local restaurant with traditional Fado entertainment. Fado is a traditional music genre dating from the 1820s in Portugal, and our performers were colorful and entertaining.
Sunday, we reluctantly departed the beautiful weather in Lisbon for the snow of Wellesley. With a few baggage carousel mishaps, the choir made the trek back to Wellesley from Newark. We had a great week but are happy to be back on campus! Portugal, we will return.
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| Eliko! |
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| Our concert manager has many talents |
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| Choir members with a few guests |
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| Part of the choir officer team...always cheerful! |
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| Lisbon! |
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| Massage train: the perfect way to prepare for our last concert |
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