My 10 favourite Portugal trips in 2023
I have a confession to make: I have more fun than I have the energy (or time) to write about on this blog. It’s why last year I had a blast wrapping up my favourite trips across Portugal with a short summary – so I thought I’d do the same this year. From the far […]
Devil on the loose: 7 traditional pagan carnivals to attend in Portugal
The sound of jangling cowbells on a crisp winter evening is forever etched in my memory. The distinct clanging raises my heartbeat, taking me back to a few dark and wild nights in the remote north-west of Portugal, when I was traipsing about Podence trying to avoid encounters with the local caretos. Every February the […]
Cork masks, a burning effigy and plenty of wine: the traditional Schist Villages carnival
The sound of a gaita (bagpipe), drums, accordions and chatter emanates from the centre of Aigra Nova, a tiny one-resident schist village near Coimbra, in central Portugal. It’s 8.30am on a sunny winter Sunday and the usually quiet streets are a hive of activity. A stream of villagers starts rolling down a steep cobbled street […]