Hooray, after doing a lot of chores we finally had some time to be like tourists in Portugal again! Together with busses full of mainly Portuguese and Spaniards, we went to the medieval castle of Marvão on a Saturday afternoon for the 40th edition of the Feira da Castanha, the chestnut festival.
Portugal is a country where good food and drink is an important part of life. And when the food comes from your own land, it’s an extra reason to party. Wherever you go, a festival celebrating a local delicacy is never far away. For example, in the Serra de São Mamede, around the corner from us, chestnuts are harvested at this time of year. You can go to chestnut festivals in various places. The biggest one here is that of Marvão, where its spectacular location at high altitude makes it quite the festival with a view.
Not for free
To our surprise, we even had to pay an entrance fee. Many Portuguese events are free, but apparently this was a really big thing. It was only €1.50 per person by the way. Oh, and also €2.00 per person for a return bus ride to your car, lower up the mountain. Having so many cars up the mountain wasn’t an option. The queues for the bus looked frightening, but were quickly resolved by the many buses coming and going.
Wine and chestnuts
Once we passed under the gate of Marvão, the party kicked off. The smell of wine welcomed us and a little later also that of the barbecues on which the chestnuts were roasted. We had eaten them before in Lisbon and weren’t thrilled with the taste, but we bought a bag anyway. Surprise, these were very tasty! In addition to roasted chestnuts, there were stands with all kinds of delicacies with chestnut as an ingredient; liqueur, pâté, beer, gin and cakes, for example.
Shopping & Music
Of course, there was also entertainment. From traditional Portuguese folk music (think accordion) to modern bands. Striking were the large puppets that danced through the streets to the rhythm of drums. Handicraft shops were open to showcase their skills. We bought a cute nativity scene at the ‘olaria‘ (ceramics shop) to get in the mood for Christmas. There was also a street in which wooden stalls sold all kinds of things. Nice shoes, for example, a product the Portuguese are very good at making!
Red skies
Perhaps the most beautiful was the sunset that accompanied all the festivities. We were lucky to have come on such a clear day. From the pretty old wall surrounding the town, the view was stunning, with a sky that took on more and more beautiful colours. Just that and a bag of chestnuts would have been worth the trip to Marvão. Next year again. Come and join us!
