Life in Góis February 2010

17th February
Yesterday was Carnaval – a day of partying throughout the country, as in many other parts of the world. In some of the villages of the concelho of Góis, Entrudo, (the traditional Portuguese term for the fun and games of this festival) is still celebrated in the traditional fashion of dressing up in old clothing (often of the opposite sex) and creating general mayhem. It is an opportunity to play tricks, make ‘political’ points, and playfully expose everybody’s weaknesses! Perhaps unfortunately, these traditional antics have largely been replaced by the parades that have been popularized in Brazil and returned across the Atlantic. The element of dressing-up is however, still very important, and in much the same way that North American and British children dress up in costumes at Halloween, children in Portugal dress up in all manner of costumes for Carnaval. Not only the children – as many towns hold parades where the local adults also dress up in glamourous, or not-so-glamourous attire, that sometimes still has a political or topical association. This year the town of Góis did not hold its annual Carnaval parade for the schoolchildren, in deference to the recent death of the ex-President. However, there were plenty of celebrations in the neighbouring towns, and after eating our traditional ‘Shrove Tuesday’ pancakes, we headed out to Côja in the early evening, where a wonderfully loud and exuberant firework display took place over the river. Despite the persistent rain of the day the streets of Côja were filled for the spectacle, and the rain kindly let up sufficiently that we could put down the umbrellas and gaze up at the fire-filled night sky in all its splendour!

13th February
I would like to take you down to the riverside in Góis, to enjoy the activities of the birds among the trees where we walking this morning. The first treat is a flash of electric blue as a kingfisher skims along the river’s surface – I know this is the kingfisher’s habitat, but it is always a lovely surprise to catch him in flight. The ground is dusted with pollen, and the fluffy seed from the bulrushes is tumbling about. Amongst the trees, now festooned with catkins, the sparrows and finches are busy in the sunshine, and a robin accompanies us as we go along. I can see why birds are traditionally associated with St. Valentine’s day – this does seem to be the time when they are naturally pairing and preparing to nest, in an annual affirmation of life. The weather today is of sharp white frost being melted by the sun that is climbing strongly into a cloudless sky, making it warm to sit in the sun but still nippily cold in the shade. Above the town, the hillside is golden with mimosa as the acacia trees are now in full abundant bloom. It really is a beautiful day – I wish you were here!

3rd February
There is a definite feeling of spring in the air now that we have reached the festival of Candlemas. This last week has seen some startlingly blue skies and wonderfully warm sunshine during the day, once the early mist has lifted and the frost starts to melt. Down by the river Ceira the birds are busy, and it is a joy to hear their songs on a sunny morning, while little daffodils have started blooming on the bank below the castle hill. Soon it will be Carnaval once again – this year just two days after St.Valentine’s day – and we will know that the winter is over and the days are stretching out towards the delights of summer.

Unlocking the history of the Góis region

Updated 14 June, 2010