What makes living in central Portugal Special?

What makes living in central Portugal Special?

Here’s a fine example, not everyone’s cup of tea granted but it’s something we love.

castelo construction builders penela portugal — What makes living in central Portugal Special?

The Penela Medieval Festival that took place last weekend was a triumph.
The weather was cool and the crowds were down on ten years ago but the people and atmosphere made up for it.

We arrived late afternoon Sunday. You know how it is you have a thousand other things to do so it’s easy just to give it a miss. We were heading in that lazy direction when we heard the sound of explosions coming from the castle and the thin sounds or medieval music wafting across the 1 kilometer space between our home and the castle.

So we decided to wrap up warm (in May ! ) and go along. We were glad we did. After walking past some of the stalls browsing the merchandise a lot of which was hand made we bought a large chorizo tried some fresh cooked black pudding and carried on into the courtyard of the castle.

english speaking builders — All the fun of the fair

Stopping at the Tasquina (rustic restaurant) in this case it was indeed very rustic. We ordered wine served in an earthenware jug and drank it from earthenware cups we had a selection of cooked sausages and a huge serving of barbequed lamb accompanied by Moroccan rice which was both hearty and very tasty. The bread which came with our meal was traditional brua and a rye bread equally tasty and ideal for nibbling with the sausage starter.

Medieval Fiesta of Penela — Very nice lunch washed down with wine

The main course was eaten with pointed sticks and a wooden spoon. Very authentic!

There were masses of local people dressed up in medieval costume. Everyone from the people clearing the tables to the children involved in the tumbling display. The traveling actors had on the full regalia and were impressive in their costume as well as their ability to get people involved. Granny forced to act as a juggling stooge was loudly appreciated by her young grandchildren. There was sword fighting, falconry and lots of pipes and drums.
This weekend long event is free and the people are very friendly so give it a try next year.

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About Castelo Construction Lda

Castelo Construction Lda are builders in Central Portugal. We have 12 years’ experience of working with and delighting clients in Portugal. Tel 00351 927168247 or kelvin@casteloconstruction.com If you need an English speaking builder for renovation or new build work we will provide free estimates, fixed prices and carry out your work to a very high standard. Many of our clients are not in the country full time so rely on our regular photographic updates and written reports. They are always surprised when they make inspection visits. New Construction and Refurbishment of Portuguese Property It’s exciting for both our team and of course our clients to mark out on the earth the site of a new home. We will have been with them during the design process and have spoken to the architect many times so we will be comfortable with what we are about to do. For many clients, this stage is a little daunting as it’s hard to see without experience just where the house is going to be in relation to other things on the property. Once the foundations are dug out the house normally looks smaller than they thought, As the pillars and foundation wall start to go you get a much better idea of scale. You can see with your mind’s eye the location of the kitchen, bedrooms and so on. Once the walls are up and the first floor is in place the rooms start to looks smaller again (something to do with the light absorbing properties of the bricks) once the walls are plastered the rooms look a lot larger and it starts to feel more like the home our clients imagined building. As the build progresses we are involved with many specialist subcontractors and it is our job the get them on site at the right time so that the trades do not overlap and time is not wasted. Once the roof is on and tiled it is traditional in this area to have a dinner on site. Everyone who is involved in the build is invited to share a suckling pig dinner with local bread, oranges and of course wine. This is a great way for the clients to enjoy some local hospitality and meet the craftsmen who are building their new home. We also invite the near neighbors so that they get a chance to see what’s going on (when the house is at a very basic stage) and it gives our clients a relaxed opportunity to make their acquaintance. As we always accompany our clients to choose, kitchens, tiles, bathroom fittings or whatever they want. We can help with translation and of course negotiation! As the house is coming to completion we always have them professionally cleaned so that when we hand over the keys it feels more like a home than a building site. 2 months after the house is finished we are back to check for any small faults that may need attention and of course we are available to help and advise should that be needed. Central Portugal builders