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Postcard from Lisbon
In the first week of April, Off-Screen headed to to beautiful Lisbon, Portugal.
Check out the after movie made by
The Reporter Committee
Video by Royi Ulmer
Postcard from Lisbon
The study trip. It started like every trip does - with nothing but pure joy, buzzing energy, and sky-high expectations. You could feel the sense of adventure bubbling up in the air as we all gathered, with bags packed, eyes wide, smiles even wider, and snacks already half-eaten. Everyone was excited – not just for Lisbon, but for the company, the memories we’d create, and the chaos we all knew was coming.
The whole trip kicked off with a ‘lovely’ train ride to the airport, followed by a smooth flight and, just like that, Hello Lisbon! Naturally, first things first - upon landing, we had a quick break to ‘recharge,’ because nothing screams ready to explore like standing still in an airport parking lot. We finally caught the first bus to our accommodation. We waited ages at the connecting bus stop, just so we can find out that our bus was as big as a toy car. Plan B? Taxis, obviously (why that wasn’t plan A?), racing each other through Lisbon’s sleepy streets. After what felt like forever, we rolled up to our final destination – a cozy little house tucked into a quiet Lisbon neighborhood, which didn’t stay quiet for long — the house filled up almost instantly with sounds of bags unzipping, excitement, and that strong gut feeling of “this is gonna be good.”
Most of our days were spent on long, half-lost walks through the city, letting Lisbon lead the way. We wandered the narrow streets of Alfama, soaked in the sun at Praça do Comércio, and we couldn’t resist the sweet scent of pastel de nata every time it drifted our way. Around every corner, there was something worth taking loads of photos, or sometimes, we stopped simply because the view refused to let us pass. Day-drinking was practically our rule, and the city made it way too easy. A cold beer by the water after a sweaty uphill climb through the narrow streets of the centre felt close to a perfect reward. It was complemented by Portuguese sun, the salty ocean breeze, and the sound of waves crashing so loud it felt almost as if it was just beneath our feet. If there was one drink that made it to become our group’s favorite, it was definitely the “Caipirão” – a citrusy cocktail that somehow made our moments sweeter. Food was a full-blown culinary adventure of its own. In those hilly streets, you can find restaurants with everything the ocean has to offer — enormous grilled squid, crispy calamari, platters of clams swimming in garlic and olive oil so good it could bring tears to your eyes. And for those whose stomachs weren’t too keen on the sea’s finest, there was always the pastel de nata.
After the hearty dinner, we'd stumble back to the house for what we called a 'quick nap'. Then the real fun began. Lisbon’s nightlife was a blur of energy, wild in all the best ways. Some moments were filled with unmatched chaos, and let’s just say, what happened in Lisbon, stays in Lisbon. What I can say is that the clubs were insane! It had everything from sultry Latin rhythms to head-spinning Brazilian funk, and even some heavy techno that made the whole place vibrate. With music like that, it was impossible to stand still, and those three-euro beers at local bars felt like a dream come true for any Amsterdam student.
Our two day-trips were their own little adventures. First, we headed to Cascais — a dreamy little seaside town where we wandered without a care (or any sense of time). So caught up in all the exploring, we almost missed the train back, with some of us forced to do that low-key panicked-yet-casual jog to the platform while others stood near the train, prepared to wedge themselves between closing doors and sacrifice for the sake of following the itinerary. Safe to say that “‘almost’ doesn’t count” became our motto. Then came Ericeira – the surfer’s paradise. Everyone overlooked the minor detail that none of us actually knew how to surf. Something like that couldn’t stop us, though. We stuffed ourselves into wetsuits, grabbed boards roughly the size of small cars, and hit the waves with euphoric optimism. In no time, we were flopping, partially floating, but mostly laughing so hard we couldn’t even stand up, gulping saltwater at every try. By the end, we sat on a beach, soaking up the sun with beers we tried (and totally failed) to keep cold. Warm or not, they were still worth it as we drank them watching the sunset.
We’d end the nights sweaty, euphoric, overconfident, shouting lyrics to songs we barely knew.
Hunger hit us hard on our way home – late-night shawarma or some greasy sandwich became our ritual, always followed by recap sessions, bad jokes, and the classic disbelief about all the madness that had happened. Looking back, the whole trip was pure chaos with all the charm it could get. Full of drunk-dancing, salty ocean air, infinite pastel de natas, and late-night talks until we fell asleep. We came for the sights, and we left after all the laughs, with plenty of inside jokes, and the memories we’ll be telling (and continuously exaggerating) for years. Lisbon gave us stories we will be retelling every time we reunite over another round of beers – warm or cold.