Hi there!
My name is André Silva and I am a 26 year old Portuguese currently living in Granada with my Spanish girlfriend Elvira. I have studied Translation and Languages and Business and for the last 7 years I've been living throughout Europe in countries like Spain, Germany, Finland and Bulgaria (where I met her).

As a small children I was part of scouts for over 8 years, where I developed my love for nature, hiking, camping, singing and making friends. I am also an avid consumer of films (mostly French, Swedish and Russian), music (from the edges of Bossa Nova to Hard Rock) and I love to play football. I am also fascinated by Brazilian cuisine, music and football (how they are so multicultural amazes me !)

Elvira is a 26 year old pharmacist that works on her village next to Granada. She has traveled quite a lot with her parents and she loves foooooood, to dance flamenco (which she nails, olé!), long naps and children.

When we met in Bulgaria, I was working for an international Dutch stock broker called DeGiro, while she was doing voluntarism with a 1 year duration with Roma children.

We consider ourselves an active couple and we enjoy camping in music festivals, cooking and discovering new kinds of foods and last but not least, carrying a huge smile wherever we go ;)

Since we met, we have always shared a common dream. To explore América Latina. And finally, we will be living it, starting on the 9th of November in Rio de Janeiro! The trip has no end defined, it will depend on how we manage our savings during the trip.

Between us we speak Spanish (although I am trying to teach her Portuguese) and we both also manage quite well English.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I have been a couchsurfer in Finland before while I was doing my Erasmus and my experience couldn't have been better. To get to know someone that comes from a completely different background than you, is an educational experience. To see and experience that in the end we are the same is satisfying.

As such, I believe that couchsurfing will provide us gratifying moments with people we are yet to meet.

We are all made of shared moments in specific time frames.

Music, Movies, and Books

We both love to have our movie sessions. My personal last favorite movies were: "Aquarius", "The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert", "Lo Chiamavano Jeeg Robot", "Lilja 4 ever", "The Hours", "L.A. Confidential", "The Kids are alright", "The Full Monty", "Enemy", "Hypernormalisation" and "Osama".

For a full list of favorites, check my profile (Maneca) in the website: https://www.icheckmovies.com/

Music as always been a big part of me since I enjoy singing and attending festivals and concerts. One of the last concert we both attended last year in Bulgaria was Chris Cornell (sadly deceased in the beginning of this year).

The artists I've been hearing for the last months have been mainly: Baden Powell, Gilberto Gil, Caetanão Veloso, Tim Maia, Fito Paez, Rodrigo Amarante, Pink Floyd, Esperanza Spalding, Pata Negra, Linda Martini and last but not least Mr. Coltrane.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

The thing that pops out immediately happened while I was on Erasmus in Finland where I had the opportunity to experience Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights). If this event draws your attention and you have the time, think no more! It is such an intimate event loaded with magical lights moving across the sky.

I also warn you that afterwards your perception towards nature might not be the same ;)

Teach, Learn, Share

We are more than happy to share the knowledge we have in Spanish, Portuguese or English (for anyone out there who wants to practice). Also, cooking, travelling histories and of course our good mood :)

What I Can Share with Hosts

The first thing we both can share with our hosts will be our presence and our smiles! All of this served with a good bottle of wine and a meal prepared by ourselves of course. We are keen to get to know locals and families and we are more than glad to hear your stories!

Countries I’ve Visited

Albania, Austria, Bulgaria, Cyprus, England, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Italy, Kosovo, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russian Federation, Serbia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine

Countries I’ve Lived In

Bulgaria, Finland, Germany, Portugal, Spain