Conference Committee Chair, Margaret Moes

After a 2.5 hour flight from the UK we arrived in Lisbon and a short taxi ride took us to the Marriott for the council to begin its business for the next two days.  In my new role as Chair of the Conference Committee I was really anxious to see the hotel and the conference facilities.  I was very pleased to see that all the preparations are underway, and thanks to the hard work of the committee, we can look forward to one of our strongest ever conference and training programmes. 
We must say a big thank you to the local members in Lisbon who have guided us and helped with many aspects of the conference planning.  It was great to meet with them all last week.

My last trip to Lisbon was at least fifteen years ago, and I have noticed many changes.  Lisbon is a modern and dynamic city.  When I last visited there were still many hand made goods for sale in and around the downtown area, whereas now, some would say regrettably, there are many more big European retailers.  The downtown area is still very beautiful and has benefited from extensive investment and refurbishment.

If you walk out of the tourist areas, you will still find the cafes inhabited by the Lisbon people.  One of the great aspects of Portuguese culture is its cuisine.  Lisbon has some of the best cafes and restaurants in Europe, and long lunches and dinners are still enjoyed by its people.  Lisbon has a tradition of gorgeous cakes and pastries!  This is not a city for the dieter!

The catering at The Marriott reflects that of the city itself.  The choice of breakfast was amazing with fresh fruit stations, fully cooked alternatives, chilled fish and meat, wonderful pancakes and of course, delicious Portuguese pastries.  On behalf of our conference delegates we sampled the menu that will form the Gala Dinner, and as in the Marriotts we have used before, the quality was excellent.

As with all of Lisbon’s larger hotels, the Marriott is not in the centre of town, but is a short walk from the metro, and cabs to the downtown area cost a maximum of €8 including a  generous to tip.  Taxis to the main piazza, Marques de Pombol at the top of the grand Avenida Liberdade cost around €3

The weather was not good enough to swim in the outdoor pool but was good enough to enjoy the hotel gardens.  The average temperature in April is 22 degrees Celsius, which will make a very nice change for a EuRA conference!

The Fado is a long standing Lisbon tradition, still part of the day to day life of the city and we will have Fado singers as part of our party night. 

I have been looking at Golf Courses for a golf tournament day on the Saturday following the conference.  We are really spoilt for choice around Lisbon for some excellent championship courses.

We are excited about next April and look forward to seeing you there.

To book, click here.