ERASMUS+, Key Action 1: training course
Dates: 13—21 September 2025
Venue: Arrouquelas (Rio Maior), Portugals
National team: 2 participants
Please read the info-pack.
Hosting organisation: H2O
Project report:
From the 13th to the 21st of September 2025, I had the opportunity to take part in the Erasmus+ training course “Rural life with sustainable bites!” which was held in a small but beautiful Rio Maior, Portugal. This training course was focused on the topic of sustainable and healthy eating habits, particularly focusing on plant-based diets and the farm-to-fork strategy.
Majority of the training was held in the local library, where we learnt through workshops, creative activities, and dialogues (for example, we discussed our eating habits and discovered how much they differ between various European countries!). We also spent a lot of time outside, visiting local grocery stores or talking with locals about topics such as sustainability, healthy habits and environmental protection in this area. All of this took place under the guidance of our trainers, Mara and Endy.
An important and fun part of every project is the intercultural night during which we spent an evening presenting the countries we came from and, of course, tasting their specialties. On our last day, Saturday, we left Rio Maior and moved to a nearby village named Arrouquelas. In the morning, we visited local farms where cows are raised and vegetables are grown, and in the afternoon we went to a winery, where we learned about the local wine making process. In the afternoon, we picked figs, which grow freely everywhere in the area, and took a break in a café (where the famous Portuguese dessert pastel de nata was, of course, a must on the table). In the evening, we went to the new headquarters of the H2O organization and said our goodbyes at the farewell party, tired but filled with unforgottable experiences.
Erika
