Home Sweet Home

I feel like everyone has gotten a look into the incredible home stay experience that Linda, Jennifer and I had. Now it is time to share the experiences. Over the next couple of days the rest of the group will be sharing their thoughts and experiences with you as well as their photos. As they write about their rich and memorable experiences I will post them in this section. Please feel free to post comments as you read and enjoy, what I know will be an incredible panoramic display of this beautiful country.


Erin Morgan, Barbara Byers and Angela Shaver visited the ADRL (Association for Rural and Local Development) in Vouzela, Portugal. The ADRL´s mission is equality, empowerment and child protection for all individuals in their region. The main programming components of the ADRL are youth development, youth and families, agriculture, forestry and community development. Monica, a student intern with the ADRL, shared with us some of their major youth development projects. These included an after school program with local elementary school students, an environmental program involving at-risk youth, and a community service exchange program with
France. Other projects of the ADRL involve marketing a local brand of veal, building a youth and families center and collaborating with other partners within the region.
While in Vouzela, we stayed in the Casa Museu with the owners Celeste and Antonio. They called the facility a hotel, but we called it a home away from home. Celeste and Antonio were very gracious hosts and thankfully spoke some English. Their hospitality, smiling faces, great cooking and willingness to share their lives with us, will forever be remembered. When we left them on Tuesday morning, we felt as though we were leaving our parents. It is hard to believe that you can form these kind of relationships in a matter of days (not to mention having a language barrier), but we truly are better people for having met them.
"A child without courage is like a sky without stars."


HEAD, HEART, HANDS AND HEALTH
I Have Been to the Mountain Top!!! Literary, Patricia and I have been to the mountain top to see a cathedral, a goat farm and the windmills. Our stay in Viseau was very rewarding. I stayed with Paulo, Julia and their two sons, ages 6 & 9 and Patricia stayed with Isabel and Peter, their dog and several cats. Julia was an animal lover and volunteered for the Humane Society. Between the two families they spoke Portuguese, English, Spanish, French and Italian. What did we speak? "Spaneguese" - a form of language derived from southern Americans that combined Spanish, English and Portuguese along with body language to get a point across. Of course Dale spoke fluent "Daleguese".
Paulo worked in Criar Raizes Association and was as close to an ag extension agent as you could get working in San Pedro de Sol. He helped young farmers with the diversification of crops, product development and marketing. His program was called the "Root" Project. He also worked with helping locals create handmade items to sell along with telling their history. Entrepreneurship at its best. Isabel and Julia worked in an Association called ADDLAP which helped to fund several projects. One was the creation of a children's game that teachers could us to help teach handicapped youth about their environment. Both agencies mission was to increase economic development, improve ag and quality of life. The ADDLAP program funded initiatives such as the LEADER program which deals with linkage and diversification of rural economic development. Funds for the programs come from the European Union, Grantsmanship, fundraising, and donations.
Staying with host families opened our eyes to the many differences and similarities that we share. Portugal families and farmers are working on the same issues that Americans are: Immigration and migration of the young and higher skilled worker, tourism, diversification of crops, lose of farming, Internet access, bureaucracy, dissemination of new technology, limited funding, lack of resources, health issues, water quality, and human relations to name of few. Our cultural exchanges forced us to rethink many of our assumptions and view points. We must remove the lenses were were prescribed by our experiences, nearsightedness,farsightedness, stigmatism and glaucoma to allow other frames, special effects and curvature of the lenses to be introduced. Then we will truly have 20/20 vision.
They are proud of their work and their heritage. They strive to help people improve their quality of life. They deal with local issues and collaborate when possible to address those issues.
The goat village was amazing. There were 2500 head of goats and approx 30 people living in the village. Why so many goats? The gov´t pays the shepherds for each head of goat. All the villages assist with the care of the goat and the work is based on your percentage of goats. Each morning a shepherd herds the goats up the mountain. Each afternoon the goats find their way home. They were everywhere. Mind you the village homes were very close and the street was wide enough for one car to drive on it at a time. The goats had free reign. Paulo was working with a project in which they renovated the only school house into a restaurant. The food was delicious. The village no longer had young people so there was no need for a school. Yes, that means the village will eventually die due to the lose of young people.
We visited artist that had constructed a home and started an artist residency program for artist interested in capturing sounds. We are busy listening to country, hip hop, R&B, etc. But he listens to the sounds of the environment: nature, urban, rural, etc. These sounds are recorded and he will be touring the United States soon. Other artist interested in acoustics come, stay and study. The view from his balcony was breath taking and the walk to the house was beautiful due to the overhead
grapevines.
Officials we met consisted of the regional Director of Ag and a local county commissioner. Same politics as us, different day and location. They are dealing with ag policies, economic issues, loss of farming, labor and employment issues and gas prices. A liter of gas is 1.30€ and there are four liters to a gallon. That means gas is 5.20€ a gallon which is about $7.80 a gallon. Needless to say they drive small cars with good gas mileage. You see alot of Fiats, Toyota´s and Smart cars. Recycling and energy conservation is important. They recycle everything, have motion censored lights in public places like bathrooms and hallways along with
water efficient toilets.
We visited a famous hot springs spa where Paulo's organization was developing a craft coop to market the locals wears. This is a healing hot springs that people come from all over to use and vacation. We also saw the original Roman spa. Last but not least our formal educational meeting was with the Director of a youth center. Talk about putting your money where your mouth is as it relates to the importance of youth development. This center had computers for Internet access, training rooms, an art gallery to promote young artist, an auditorium, two computer
training rooms, rooms for workshops, a local physician that provides health care and medication and youth hostel that it ran. Wish I had the facility. In addition they provided educational programs year round for youth similar to program that 4-H provides. Their target population is up to age 24. In July they had over 10,000 young people come through their doors for service and educational programs.
Family is very important in Portuguese lives. They eat dinner together and have to balance family and work. Couples juggle childcare and work schedules. They spend quality time together during their vacation. Unfortunately, this was vacation season while we were here so they ended up working to ensure we were exposed to their culture, family and work. We were able to experience a celebration much like our county fair. There were vendors, food, exhibits and music. We heard the traditional
Portuguese music, Fado, which is sad and speaks of longing for a loved one. We had a dish that consisted of meat cooked in bread, soup, coke, and pastries. Later we had a sweet dessert much like our funnel cake. The night was long since it was vacation time. But overall people hear stay up later socializing and get up later to get to work, around 9 or 10ish.
Julia made us some of her special fruit preserves and I made southern sweet tea for her family. Paulo said it was "liquid diabetes". Most meals are home cooked with fresh food. They eat a lot of bread, codfish, fruits and vegetables. Coffee has a kick to it, not alot of cream or sugar. Each family had beautiful homes with tile and wood decorated in their cultural tastes.
The time came for us to say good bye but we know we are a part of two new families and have new friends. Obrigada (Thanks) and Bon Noite(Goodnight!)to all!
This trip will truly make the best better,
Reba and Patricia

Crystal and myself were sent to Torre De Moncorvo, it is about a 2 hour drive from Vila Real still in the Duro region of Portugal. Our host is the director for the Duro Superior, Association. This non-profit organization helps the people within the region set-up projects that promotes businesses, commodities and services for its people. This organization helps from start to finish on the projects. Each project follows guidelines, and steps with the help of the agencies staff. A set of blueprints, project plans and expenditures are all kept in a portfolio that the agencies assist with throughout the development of the project. Once the project becomes profitable, a certain amount of the proceeds goes back to the Duro Superior Association. The mission of this Agency is to make it better for its people, that what Duro Superior means. The Agency does not have volunteers, but has a staff that works with there clients until the project is complete. The whole staff treated us like family. Iledio, Anabela, Suzanna and Catrina, even though very little English, we survived and were able to communicate. The girls were nice enough to take us around and allow us to see the finish projects such as the museum showing off the history of there village in iron mining. Another project we saw was the store in the village that sold cheese, wine, olive oil, jams and nuts, Crystal and myself left around 100 Euro's there. My favorite was the operation that milks around 300 sheep by hand to produce the delicious cheese we were able to taste, they use the wool to make beautiful rugs and table runner's using the hand looms by two very nice ladies. They produce wine, jams and jellies which we were able to sample, but not bring home.


My experience left me with a pride for the Portuguese people and there Country. These people take such pride in there work ethic's and livelihood, I went away wanting to share this feeling with everyone I come in contact with. I hope I will have an opportunity to have this great experience again. I love you Portugal, OBRIGADO.
Cathy and Crystal