Feria Das Tradicoes e Sabores

You are not meant to know anything about this title. If you do, then you are better than us. We have driven to this Folklore festival in a village north west of where we are staying. Only about 6 miles, but it has been a rare journey where Hugo has been used as a car rather than us using the bikes. 

The arrival into this village for the festival, was a greeting of cobbled streets and closing walls and balconies to be avoided. Having got this far, we parked up and decided to follow the locals, who were carrying bread, cakes and other produce, walking up between granite walled houses on yet another granite cobbled street. We arrived into the main square, and saw stalls of local food and drink produce, all to be sampled. So we did. And then, not much else happened. So we bought some local bread and cake, returned to the van, and lunched.  (We later found out that 12:30- 2:30pm was the time allocated for a shared communal lunch for all those attending the festival). 

We haven't gone home though as limbering up just outside the van has been a marching band. It sounds lively and exciting, trumpets, drums, clarinets, and tubas etc. People are getting changed into various outfits ready for dancing and performing, we think! 

So as I said, we are now sat in a park, killing an hour, as Marcus, an engaging Portuguese man (who approached us, introduced himself and then started a conversation with us telling us how he used to work in London in an Italian restaurant), filled us in that the music doesn't start until 3pm. So we are waiting. Lots of Portuguese groups from the North, East, South and West. This is what it's all about though. Mingling with locals, continuing to bumble through the language barrier. 

A report will follow about the folk music later on in the next post.

Ed