Portugal, famous for its sunshine and beaches, is situated at the south-west point of Europe on the Atlantic Ocean. Be a local though, and not a tourist, and get under the skin of this country. Study in the ancient university town of Coimbra or head for the country's capital, Lisbon, which has a touch of San Francisco about it, with its trams, steep hills and bridges (although its streets tend to be cobbled and its Cathedrals are Gothic!). Portuguese is the third most widely spoken European language in the world and is the mother tongue of about 200 million people, being the official language in countries such as Cape Verde, Mozambique and Brazil, so master this language and the world opens up!

Phoebe Eustance, a Fine Art Student who studied in Lisbon for a year, tells us about her 'unfinished city'.