Ave Maria

Today was the big day of the celebrations for Mourão's patron saint. It would take an essay to describe the day. The main church up in the castle was jam packed for the Eucharist, which ended with a girl singing Ave Maria a capella; her voice soaring up into the high ceiling sent shivers down everyone's spines - utter silence as we listened.

I was given our three Uni students to bring back for lunch - they gamely followed me round the back of the castle and down our land - wonderful people, and the food went down well, especially the chocolate, Jan, and a big fresh pineapple. The funniest bit was that we'd ordered three roast chickens from a restaurant; Mike went to fetch them, and when we opened the containers, we had roast lamb, pork chops, and roast potatoes - still wondering who got our chickens...

And then the procession, down from the castle, and round the town - began in golden sunshine, and ended in freezing darkness - my main blip is as it reached the main square. Brass band playing, tears in many eyes (why??), hundreds chanting the rosary, candles in hands and in windows, which were also draped with bedspreads (!!). Loved that as we went past the old folks' home, they were all sitting at the open windows; the men carrying Our Lady stopped at the open door, and some of the old folk threw rose petals down on her from a balcony above.

When we returned to the castle, church bells pealing madly, they put her in the doorway, and then the most magnificent firework display began above and around the colourfully illuminated castle, complete with coordinated music (including Cohen's Hallelujah!), and all of us with upturned faces, basking in the glory.

Three extras: the horsemen who led the procession, Our Lady and her Child in all their finery (compare with this), and one firework (kicking myself for not taking a wider lens, but here is last year's). Which also means we've now been here over a year, and how different it feels... then we were uninvolved observers; now it's hugs and kisses and chats and waves and feeling a part of the community.

The celebrations continue, with a fado singer, and then more music, but we were invited to friends for dinner, and then walked back to the caravan in the freezing moonlight, just too tired, boring old things that we are.