Sandra Montez

Story Teller, Baker and Nature Lover

I was born and raised in Lisbon, and I've always loved being outdoors and speaking different languages — maybe that's why I ended up guiding tourists for a living. I lived in Spain and later in Germany to sharpen my Spanish and German; there's nothing like learning a language where it's actually spoken.

I've been guiding in Portugal for almost 30 years now, and I've worked as a tour manager on three continents — with, at times, challenging travelers. In recent years I've focused mostly on Jewish History and Heritage: I coordinate tours at the Shaarey Tikvah Synagogue and I'm still studying Hebrew and Sephardic history, an interest that never let go of me.

When the pandemic brought tourism to a halt, I didn't just sit still. I took an online sourdough workshop, and ten days later I was already baking bread at home — like half the world was, at the time. But I took it further than most: I ended up founding a small bakery. Today I'm back to guiding, but the bakery still lives in my heart.

I'm not a tech person — I'm a person of stories, bread, and heritage. And maybe that's exactly why I write here from time to time: to bring an outsider's perspective on artificial intelligence, from someone who spends her life explaining the past to people.

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