Cork masks, a burning effigy and plenty of wine: the traditional Schist Villages carnival
![Burning effigy at the Aldeias do Xisto de Gois traditional pagan Portuguese Carnaval, called an Entrudo](https://oladaniela.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Aldeias-do-Xisto-de-Gois-Carnaval-Entrudo-Ola-Daniela-03033-1024x640.jpg)
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 […]