A glorious sunshine accompanied the 53 participants in the trip held last Saturday 29 April to celebrate another year of activity of the FMUL Staff House. After a brief visit to the village of Portel, close to the Alqueva, a region now known as the Grande Lago, a panoramic river cruise was taken on board the Guadiana boat between the Amieira marina and the floodgate of the dam.

The section covered is one of the numerous arms that make up the dam, the largest artificial lake in Europe, reaching, in its maximum height, 250 km2 and 1160 km of banks. The lunch was served at a property where ostriches have been bred in the past.  The food honoured the gastronomic tradition of Alentejo, with emphasis on migas with spare ribs, bacon and chops. In the end, the organizers had a cake and the guests sang happy birthday to the House’s 32 years of existence.

In the afternoon, the group visited the new Aldeia da Luz, whose works started in 1998 and finished in 2002. In the Museum of Luz, inaugurated in 2003, one could identify the place where the old village was sacrificed so that the lake could become real: on 8 February 2002, the floodgates of the Alqueva dam were closed, leading to the submersion of the village. Finally, the day ended in the best way with a stroll through the medieval village of Monsaraz and a visit to the castle from where one could appreciate the Alentejo plain and much of the Alqueva dam.

It was a birthday full of discoveries and joy.

A Direção da Casa do Pessoal da FMUL