Blue carnival in Cambelas

21-26 February 2020 was the last big Carnival in Torres Vedras. This Carnival is said to be the "most portuguese Carnival of all carnivals in Portugal". It is non-stop partying, day and night, with thousands, if not millions of people visiting every year. Men dress like women, groups of people join to dress up acording to the theme of the year, there is a parade with kids from all schools in the municipality who dress up thematically, and there many other carnivalesque activities. The traditional protuguese saying "life is two days and Carnival is three days" does not apply anymore, as Carnival now lasts for 5 days. This Carnival is promoted by the Municipality of Torres Vedras who invest a great deal of money in the organisation of the event.  In Cambelas, however, there is usually a smaller Carnival, organised spontaneously by some people in the village and very bottom-up. For the few years, many village characters appear by magic in the village corners. These represent distinctive people in the village and it is usually easy to identify who are the people characterised. These characters can be close together without the danger of catching Covid-19. Unlike the big parties in Torres Vedras which had to be cancelled in 2021 due to the large amounts of people packed like sardines and the huge risk ouf Covid-19 outbreaks, Cambelas' small, simple and spontaneous Carnival went ahead! The pandemic just proved that the small and simple can be good!

Colourful handmade nativities

This place holds some magic. This is Cambelas wash house, lavoir or public basin, where the women used to wash the clothes before water was piped from the grid into the houses in the late 90s. There was also a public cattle drinking basin and a fountain for human water consumption. Many years have passed, the women have left, there is no cattle to water, people now buy bottled water and tarmak arrived (What for?). Recently, someone in the village had the idea to display a handmade nativity here during Christmas period. Many families adhered to the idea, and the result was more than 40 nativities presented and many visitors from outside the village. Before the pandemic arrived, families also got together here in Christmas eve to toast and to sing Christmas songs.    

Green at Bacalhoa Buddha Eden

The Bacalhoa Buddha Eden is a garden near Bombarral, in center Portugal. I have heard about it some years ago and always wanted to visit it. I went there in the beggining of 2020 and was surprised to see so many people inside the walls. I was also surprised with the 5 Euros ticket they asked to entry the garden as it used to be much cheaper before. I thought this could only be the result of the tourism boom in Portugal after the 2011 crisis. The current COVID-19 situation returned Portugal to the Portuguese. 

The garden is located on 35 ha Quinta dos Loridos and it is own by Joe Berardo, a rich businessman who made his fortune in South Africa. He built it in response to the destruction of the Bamyan Buddhas in 2001 by the Taliban. It is, apparently, the biggest oriental garden in Europe and intends to be a place for reconcialiation and peace, not linked to any particular religion. The garden has many corners to  explore and many Buddha statues to meet. It is worthwile visiting but if in search for relaxion and peace I think nothing is better than the true natural landscapes which are abundant in Bombarral and surroundings.