A Creative Spirit in Portugal
We've attended many fairs and festivals in Portugal, however this has to rank as not only the most interesting but the most humbling lesson in social integration and how welcoming a small community can be. The day of the "Feira da Sopa" (Soup Fair) dawned cold, damp and miserable. In fact, it was the sort... Continue Reading →
I don't have any pictures of Easter Bunnies or Easter Eggs, so hope a picture of Folar da Páscoa will suffice. I'd planned to drag Mr. Piglet along to a Folar da Páscoa festival today. However, as it's being held outside and the weather is SO awful I will have to wait until next year!... Continue Reading →
Beginning to feel faint from the intense heat I paused in the shade of a large tree to people-watch. I smiled as tourists, oblivious to the scorching sun and their already lobster-red arms and faces, rummaged enthusiastically through the clothes stalls. Brightly coloured tie-dye dresses and tops at just two for €15.00 were waved in... Continue Reading →
The Medieval Fair held in the historic town of Silves is our favourite event of the year. In fact, we enjoy it so much it's always the first social event flagged, in advance, on our Calender. If you live in the Algarve and have never been to the Silves Medieval fair you must go once,... Continue Reading →
I enjoy going to the country markets and one of my favourites is the market at São Teotónio near Odemeira, in the Alentajo. I refer to the term "country" because I'm not so keen on the markets held in the tourist towns of the Algarve. These are usually full of the rip-off-tat such as fake... Continue Reading →
We'd been meaning to go to the Monchique sausage festival (Feira dos Enchidos Tradicionais de Serra de Monchique) for years and today was the day we finally made it! Earlier in the week I went to the Tourist Information office keen to discover more about the Feira. Unfortunately, they only had basic information such as... Continue Reading →
A note for your diaries! The annual Silves Medieval Fair (Algarve) is held in the narrow cobbled streets which lead up to the ancient castle. The streets and squares are transformed into a medieval market place as stall holders and even several of the visitors dress in medieval and arabic costumes. There is a tent... Continue Reading →
I went to the local flea market on Sunday; I needed to buy some English books and Broadbean seeds. However, I was immediately distracted from my “mission” by a couple of piglets which an old Portuguese farmer was trying to sell. They do not normally sell livestock at this market so I was really surprised.... Continue Reading →
We went along to the FESTIVAL DA BATATA-DOCE in Aljezur last weekend and it was really enjoyable! Although the event focused on the Sweet Potato (Batata-Doce) there were lots of other stands selling local crafts and food. These included cakes, herbs, liquors, local wine, honey, the famous Monchique Sausage, and of course several different Sweet... Continue Reading →
I only discovered how 'fun' flea markets were once we had moved to Portugal. Desperate for more English books some good friends suggested we tried the local flea market. We arrived early and the whole place was a hive of activity with people looking for a bargain and bartering in various different languages. A real... Continue Reading →
Silves Medieval Fair (7th- 15th August 2010) Video of opening Procession The annual Medieval Fair is held over nine days and well worth noting in your diary for future reference should you ever visit the Algarve during this time. This year the fair covers the period of the Moorish domination - five centuries of urban... Continue Reading →
