The village of Cruzinhas has almost merged with its neighbour, Varzea Grande. The houses follow the old road as it winds through the village, and it is worth taking the care to drive a little more slowly, not only to admire the varying building styles, but also to give the cats and dogs of the village a chance to move out of the way! Under the road through the village, visible beneath grates, is the ‘Levada de Cima’, an ancient water-course that takes water at a higher level from the River Sótão to irrigate the fields around the villages and further down the valley.

We were told that in the past, people here used to play games for recreation after working hard on the fields. One game involved hanging an old pot on a tree, filled with water. One person would put another pot on their head, that they were not allowed to touch, and blindfolded. They had to turn around one time, and then try to beat the hanging pot with a stick without letting the one on their head fall off. Whoever managed to break the hanging pot and spill the water without dropping their own pot won a small prize. They also liked to have sack races using potato sacks. Another game with pots was played during the dance parties. Women had to dance to very fast music with a pot full of water on their head, without using their hands. The woman who could do this for the longest time won. People who lived in this village were very close and always helped each other and worked together, peeling the beans and the maize together, and were always chatting and singing.