Portugal Loves Their Festivals

We have been exploring our neighborhood and nearby towns this month.  June is a month of holidays in Portugal including Portugal Day, Corpus Cristo and the festivities for the Popular Saints.

typical narrow street with seating in the for dinner

Portugal Day on June 10th marks the date of Luís Vaz de Camões' death on June 10, 1580 and is Portugal's National Day. Camões ("kam-mo-ish")  wrote the Lusiadas, Portugal's national epic celebrating Portuguese history and achievements. In Olhão there were two large outdoor concerts, one was a rock group that drew about 5,000 people.  We didn't go but could hear the music and applause from 1/2 mile away!

Festas dos Santos Populares (Popular Saints' Festivals) are held in June in large cities and small towns throughout Portugal. They are dedicated to Saint Anthony (Santo António), mainly in Lisbon, and Saint John (São João) and Saint Peter (São Pedro).

One of the interesting traditions is the giving of a little plant to your friend, somewhat like a valentine plant.  

the little basil plant

The Manjerico is a popular plant of St. Anthony parties (the Saint celebrated in Olhão). According to the manjericos tradition, during the celebrations of the Saints in June, the boyfriend (or friend) offers to his girlfriend one little potted Manjerico plant. In addition to the plant, the container has a paper-mache flower and a small flag with a popular verse allusive to love.  One evening there was a knock on our door and Manuela, our neighbor, brought one to us and told us the name of the plant but I had to look up the story as I couldn't understand that much Portuguese-LOL.

Years ago the Popular Saints Day was a huge festive in Olhão.  The narrow streets were decorated with colorful banners, intertwined paper chains and colored lamps.  Homes opened their windows and brought flower pots outside.  Parades with dancers in colorful dressses and religious icons paraded down the streets.  This large practice has wained but streets still proudly display ceramic tiles recognizing those that were sites of these parades. 

This is our street

One day we took the train to Tavira, about 15 minutes away, to enjoy their huge weekend festival  

Looking into Tavira and the Gilão River

We stated overnight in a small hotel, Marés,  right on the river and in the middle of the revelers. The hotel wasn't that old but they commissioned local artists to use old ceramic tiles and wood.  It was very lovely.

street displayed photos of over 20 churches in Tavira

the plaza was decorated with festives banners & flags

Besides the street decorations, the cobbled street was carpeted with fresh mint branches that when stepped on by the crowds emited lovely smells.  

I don't know if all festivals are the same, but Tavira and Olhão used these musical events as fundraisers for community organizations and youth groups.  The highlight of the evenings are the grilled sardines sold at each booth! 

the sardines on the grill- imperfect fish are just tossed over the railing!

In Tavira each vendor grilled the sardines and offered them for "free"....you pay for the bread and the sardines come free!

one sardine with bread ($1.56) or 5 sardines with bread (about $6.25)

 

Huge crowds of local families and lots of expats mulled around visiting, eating, drinking (the €1 beer) and dancing to the live music.  We lasted until about 11:30 pm and headed back to our room to listen to the amazingly loud fireworks.

the River Gilão 

Portugal has many public holidays and "Bank Holidays" (just a term for a 3- or 4-day weekend).  On a long weekend in June we participated in a Geocaching Rally here in Olhao.  There were about 230 people signed in for the weekend but we were the only "native English speakers".  Initially we thought we would just be hanging around the fringes, but soon we began meeting Portuguese geocachers who spoke some English.  This was really interesting and fun to be immersed with the locals.

"Return to the Sun" or Welcome Spring!

The Dinner was a feast of the Algarve-this is a giant Cataplana pot that is used for cooking a full meal of fish, shellfish, chorizo and vegies.  Lots of wine, cheeses, olives, bread & typical baked desserts...all for €18 (about $18.77).  

required masks on public transportation (and some stores)-we were on the ferry 

CITO ("Cache In-Trash Out") event on Armona Island. Most of the trash was just left in these old boats that on left on the sand (they are used but this must be free "docking")

I've mentioned Manuela several times in my blog posts.  She lives nextdoor to us and is our landlady who has become a friend.  Her language is Portuguese and ours is English and our common language is "translation online".  Manuela invited us for the day to her family holiday home on Farol Island, one of three barrier islands on the sea that are accessed by ferry. 

She has owned this home for 40 years - simple and perfect for family use

We spent the whole afternoon together talking in my very limited Portuguese, hand signs and translation.  Another fun day getting to live with the locals.

 Manuela using her phone to translate to me-it's slow and often funny but works

She also treated us to a wonder sardine dinner at her favorite restaurant on the island-way more food than we could even eat!