Group 2 - Rosangela Gonçalves, Tomás Ribeiro, Maria Francisca Domingues, & Francisca Tarujo

Day 1 was a rollercoaster of emotions from the very beginning.

We arrived at Oporto Airport at 4 a.m., feeling incredibly anxious. Everything felt rushed and tense, and there was a bit of drama before we even boarded the plane around 5h30 a.m. The flight went smoothly, and we landed in London at 8:40 a.m. By 11:30, we had made it to the hotel — tired, excited, but mostly feeling lost.

Without our teacher, things felt confusing. We had lunch, but the anxiety didn’t go away. We were in a new city, unsure of what to do next, and feeling a bit disoriented as we waited. Every minute felt longer than the last.

Then, around 2 p.m., everything changed. The moment our teacher arrived, a wave of relief washed over us. Happiness and peace replaced our nerves, and it finally felt like we could enjoy being in London.

We headed out on a walking tour, and it turned out to be incredibly fun. We visited some of the most iconic places in the city: Trafalgar Square, where we took some great photos; Horse Guards Parade, but sadly we didn’t saw the guards in their traditional uniforms; Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament, which were even more impressive in person. We also strolled through the peaceful St. James’s Park, saw the majestic Buckingham Palace, and ended the walk at the London Eye, which was stunning with incredibles views of every corner of the city.

After all the walking tour, we went out for dinner, which turned into a lovely moment of connection and laughter. It was great to relax together and share our first impressions of the city. After dinner, we returned to the hotel completely exhausted, but genuinely happy. It felt amazing to finally be living our dream trip.