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PREPARING FOR THE FIELD SCHOOL

THINGS TO BRING WITH YOU TO PORTUGAL
Some people have asked what they should bring with them on the trip.  First, there's no reason to pack clothing for a month. We'll have a washing machine in the excavation house. Other than that, here are some suggestions from past participants of the project:

  • Work clothes that you don’t mind getting very dirty - old t-shirts, jeans, and shorts are best
  • Dust mask or bandanna (the site can get very dusty, so you may definitely want this if dust bothers you)
  • Clothes to wear while you are not working
  • Hat (we dig beneath a large tarp, but the sun can still be oppressive without a hat)
  • Sturdy, close-toed shoes (you will not be allowed on site in sandals or flip-flops)
  • Work gloves (we'll have some on site, but you may want to bring your own from home - we recommend carpenter's gloves)
  • Water bottle (you can purchase a 1.5 liter water bottle in Redondo for very little money)
  • Jacket or sweatshirt for the mornings and evenings
  • Small bag for carrying your notebook, water, and snack to the site daily
  • Swimsuit
  • Towel 
  • Any special soaps or toiletries
  • Sunscreen 
  • Any prescription or over-the-counter medications
  • Passport
  • Laptop if you plan to use the public wifi
  • Camera
  • U.S. to Southern Europe electrical adapter
  • Some spending money (you can usually take out euros from the ATMs around Redondo or from those in the Lisbon airport)
  • Comfortable walking shoes​
  • International calling/data plan on your phone, etc.
  • Internationally valid bank or credit card

Remember, anything you bring to the site WILL get extremely dirty!  Don't bring anything to the site if you are worried about losing it, breaking it, or ruining it.  
FLIGHT INFORMATION
It's best to start looking for your flight to Lisbon sooner rather than later!  Remember that most flights that leave from the U.S. are overnight. This means you should look for flights that depart on the 12th in order to arrive on the morning of the 13th, for example.  We will be picking people up from the airport on the first day of the project and bring you back to the airport on the last day of your session.

Once you have arrived in Lisbon, you'll need to pass through customs and collect your bags.  This can take anywhere from 10 minutes to 2 hours. Once you've collected your bags, you'll pass into the arrivals lounge.  The arrivals lounge is relatively small, but there are places to get food, a Portuguese cell phone, and cash out of the ATM.  You'll need to wait for us at the Meeting Point -- it's a row of chairs situated behind the red Ola ice cream stand. There's a yellow sign above it that says "Meeting Point" in English and Portuguese.  Wait there for us! You'll probably be sitting with other people from the project, so say hello to your neighbors. If for some reason your flight is delayed and you arrive very late into Lisbon, it's very easy to catch the bus to Redondo.  

For departures from Lisbon to the U.S., be sure you look for flights that leave on the last day of the project.  We will take students to the airport on the morning of the last day of the project.  If your flight leaves on the day before or the day after, that's not a big deal and you can take the bus from Redondo to Lisbon.  If your flight leaves very early in the morning, you'll probably need to take the bus the day before and spend the night in Lisbon.  We can recommend some good hostels if that's the case.

STAYING AFTER THE PROJECT
Some of you may wish to stay in Lisbon for a few days after the project.  That's an excellent idea, and we highly recommend it. There's lots of stuff to do and see in the city, and we're happy to give you some recommendations!