Lara is a European Studies student at our faculty. She was born in Mozambique, but she grew up in Portugal. ‘My favourite dish is called ‘Bacalhau com natas’ (literally ‘Cod fish with cream’), which is an oven-baked dish consisting of layers of cod, onions, potatoes, olives and cream. This is definitely the dish I miss the most. I recently noticed there is a small Portuguese restaurant near the faculty, I’m planning on going there soon’.
Lara grew up in Portugal where she lived with her father, who has a winery near Porto. Next to Mozambique and Portugal, Lara also lived in Swaziland, South Africa. When we asked her which country she called home she said: ‘Definitely Portugal. Although I’ve lived in Mozambique for several years and one year in Swaziland as well, I still consider Portugal as my home’.
She told us about her family’s tradition. ‘My siblings and I can’t go to the same university, because my parents want us to learn to stand on our own. This is part of the reason why I have decided to come to Maastricht. This is the first time in my life I’m living by myself; what started as a disaster is now turning into a wonderful experience’.
Lara hasn’t tried much of the Dutch cuisine. ‘I’ve only tried something called ‘Kapsalon’, which was good but impossible to finish.’
Lara Marta (Portuguese), BA European Studies
