About the club...
Who are we?
A friendly bunch of Mount Holyoke alums based throughout the Iberian Peninsula. Organised by Elizabeth Ta'eed '09 with the help and support of the 60+ MHC alums who live on the Peninsula.
What do we do?
The group organises a wide variety of events year-round for those wishing to stay in touch, form new friendships and generally share our love of Iberia's stunning scenery and vibrant culture.
How do you get involved?
All current students and MHC alums based in Spain, Portugal, Andorra and Gibraltar are already members! If you are interested in getting more involved, please do get in touch by filling out the contact form below, or joining our Facebook group. We also have a WhatsApp group - message us and we will add you!
Lastly, the Mount Holyoke Global Alum Alliance website offers a wealth of resources and connections for international alums, and the MHC European Facebook page is a great way to stay in touch with alums across Europe and keep track of upcoming events, in person and virtual.
Also remember to visit us on the Club of Iberia Facebook to stay up to date!
News & Events...
Looking for Iberian Peninsula volunteers and event hosts!
BBQ Lunch & Pool Party in Albufeira
Saturday 11th April 2026
Mark your calendars for our next Iberian event!
Generously hosted by Catherine Jourdan '95 at her home. Join us from 13h00 on Saturday the 11th for burgers on the grill (meat and veggie available) overlooking the ocean, followed by a pool party in Catherine's glorious heated pool.
Cost: Bring a bottle of something as beautiful as the view from Catherine's terrace 😁
Albufeira is a stunning town on the Algarve coast, with turquoise water and endless beaches. Well worth a visit, especially if you haven't been before!
Please RSVP by 6th April - we already have one alum coming all the way from the UK for this!
European Alum Symposium
Next Event: Autumn 2026, Edinburgh, Scotland
Since 1987 Mount Holyoke alumnae have been gathering in cities around Europe to exchange ideas and reconnect with one another and the College.
The Mount Holyoke European Council European hosted our most recent symposium in Munich, Germany in November 2024, with over 170 folks attending. More details available here!
The next symposium will be held in 2026 in Edinburgh, Scotland. The European Council offers travel grants and assistance to alums across Europe, so please don't let finances or registration fees put you off!
To learn more about Mount Holyoke events in Europe, please visit the MH European Alum Council section of the Global Alum Alliance website and, to keep up to date, subscribe to the Mount Holyoke European Alum Council newsletter for alums connected to Europe.
We are always looking for enthusiastic volunteers who want to get involved with the Mount Holyoke alum group of the Iberian Peninsula! Whether this is to host events, meet prospective students, host visiting alums or simply to offer advice to other alums in our community, we would love to hear from you. Please get in touch via the form below!
Gallery of past events...
INperceptibles Show at the MVA center in Malaga, Spain
Friday 16th January 2026
We met for lunch at 1,30 pm followed by a coffee by the port. After that we went for a tour of the show, by the incredibly talented artis Belén Millán Class of 1990. Her show spanned indoors and outdoors about the invisible toxicity of plastic in nature. Learn more about her work here.
Dinner & Drinks with the Mount Holyoke European Alum Council
Saturday 8th November 2025, Évora, Portugal
The annual council meeting of the Mount Holyoke European Alum Council, comprised of all the Country Heads for Europe, had its annual meeting in Évora, Portugal in November 2025. The meeting took place over the weekend of the 7-9 November, with a gala dinner on Saturday night with alums from Portugal, the US and Spain, plus around 10 MH Country Heads from across Europe. The dinner was held at the stunning Cavalariça restaurant in Évora, and included a reading by Mariam Ottiomofiore '05 of her book The Guilty Can't Say Goodbye.
The weekend ended up extending, with a guided wine tasting by a well-known female winemaker, a driving tour of the city, and a traditional Portuguese cozido lunch on Sunday. It was an amazing time connecting with alums from many decades and countries!
Day Out in O Porto, Portugal
April 27 2025
We met in the beautiful city of O Porto for a cultural day out :-)
Portuguese Tiles and Wine: A visit to the Museu Berardo Tile Museum & Wine Tasting
Sunday 2nd March 2025, Estremoz, Portugal
We met in Estremoz, Alentejo, named Portugal's Wine City 2025, for a day out visiting the world-class tile museum, followed by a tasting of local wines from Quinta do Carmo and Bacalhoa.
Day with Picasso in Malaga, Spain
Friday 31st January 2025
Our day began with a tapas lunch at El Pimpi., followed by a visit to the renowned Picasso Museum, and finished with a relaxed drink at the Port of Malaga.
Malaga is a city that truly has it all—world-class museums, exquisite gastronomy, the charm of the nearby white villages in the mountains, and, of course, stunning Mediterranean beaches. We had an amazing day filled with culture and great food and company!
Thanksgiving Dinner in Évora, Alentejo, Portugal
Thursday 28th November 2024
We enjoyed a delicious all-American Thanksgiving dinner cooked by a Michelin chef! Held at Origins, a Michelin-recommended restaurant in the UNESCO World Heritage city of Évora. Chef Gonçalo cooked up a mouth-watering feast of classic American dishes, especially including the turkey with all the trimmings.
European Alum Symposia
November 3-5 2024, Munich, Germany
The 17th European Alum Symposium was held on in November 2024 in Munich, with a record 170 alums and guests. Read all the details about it HERE!
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Winery Tour & Tasting
23 March 2024, Estremoz, Portugal
We had a delicious wine tasting in Estremoz, nosing, swilling and sampling like pros. We toured the Tiago Cabaço Adega, a stunning winery just outside of town that bottles over 1 million bottles a year - well-worth a visit. We followed it up with dinner at Pateo de Solares, a local hotel and restaurant which was serving up borrego assado (roast lamb) to get in the mood for Easter!
Alum Lebanese Lunch in Lisbon
4 September 2023, Lisbon, Portugal
We had a lovely Lebanese lunch in Lisbon, attended by ten alums from all over, plus two honorary alums (spouses!), coming from Portugal, Japan, the UK, and the US! There were so many wonderful, surprising connections too, learning of paths crossing or almost crossing over the past decades across multiple countries, and finding new links that will absolutely inspire future gatherings. Elisabeth Ta'eed's '09 MHC tiger joined as well (small, but front and center on the table in the first photo).
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European Alum Symposia
October 14-15-16, 2022 in The Hague, Netherlands
The 16th European Alum Symposium was held on 14-66 October 2022 in the Hague, with 149 alums and guests. Read all the details about it HERE or view the Alum Association’s GALLERY to see photos of the event!
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Virtual European Alum Symposia - Turkey: Perception & Reality
6 November 2021, Online
The first Mount Holyoke European Alum Virtual Symposium took place on November 6, 2021, offering participants an exciting opportunity for social and intellectual interaction with Mount Holyoke alums from all over the world, discussing women in Turkey, climate change and cultural motifs to the Journey of Anatolian Alcohol.
European Alum Symposia
4-6 October 2019, Athens & Fougaro, Greece
The 15th European Alum Symposium was held on 4-6 October 2019 in Greece and it was a great success, attracting 150 alums and guests. Read all the details about it HERE or view the Alum Association’s GALLERY to see photos of the event!
Alums of the Iberian Peninsula Drinks & Dinner
10th November 2018, Madrid
We met for pre-dinner drinks at a cervecería, and then enjoyed a decadent traditional Spanish dinner in the cosy dining room. We had a great time and all of us ate far too much... :-) The setting in the heart of Las Letras and the museum district, so this was a great excuse for a cultural excursion to Madrid!
Photos of the meeting and dinner are below, thank you to everyone who came!
Wonderful to catch-up!
Classic recipes cooked perfectly
With rich truffles and chupitos to finish
Pre-dinner drinks with a small but happy group :-)
Luncheon in a 17th Century Monastary
16th June 2018, Jesús Pobre, Alicante
Maaike Onkenhout Class of ’78 generously offered up her mother’s 17th century monastery and gardens for a Saturday lunch. El Monasterio de Jesús Pobre is 2000 m2 and filled with fascinating antiques from its 400-year-long history (it was constructed in 1649 for Franciscan monks). A beautiful backdrop for a lovely gathering!
Photos of the meeting and dinner are below, thank you to everyone who came!
MHC European Council Meeting & Dinner
23rd - 25th September 2016, MADRID
The MHC European Country Heads met in Madrid in September 2016 to discuss many things, including the next European Alum Symposium, which was held in Riga, Latvia in 2017.
All alums and their families were invited to a pre-dinner drinks reception and dinner on the evening of Saturday 24 September. Several local alums and their partners joined us, wining and dining away the evening while chatting with the country heads of the other clubs from across Europe.
The pre-dinner drinks reception was graciously provided by the Council - thank you!
Photos of the meeting and dinner are below :-)
Welcome Dinner Friday Night
European Council Country Heads
New and Old Chairs!
Country Heads & Local Alums
Eating well...
Pre-dinner drinks
After dinner :-)
Post-dinner drinks
Planning Riga!
Launch of the Mount Holyoke Club of the Iberian Peninsula
31st October 2015, MADRID
