Night of Day 5, Guimaraes

So as the sun set after our gallivanting around the town of Guimaraes, we noticed that the streets were starting to shut off.
We found out that the reason all of the central streets were closed down and were also lined with chairs (mostly unoccupied, apart from a few resolute grannies as seen above), was because it was the "town day". This is a day to celebrate the history of the town and it is slightly satirically political.

So with tummies rumbling away, we decided it was dinner time. We hit the old town square and poked around the number of open air eateries and bars that are dotted around the area. It was difficult to chose, but one deciding factor that was able to sway us was that we saw some people standing up, as all of these eateries were heaving with happy talkative happy punters. We grabbed a table and awaited our very smiley waitress to set our places for us.

We were watched over by something that is ever present in my life..... a granny!


We had a nice meal, it was interesting to see so many people enjoying the balmy evening and to sit there and sip vinho verde whilst the town got excited.

It was funny when they switched on the town lights, lights that we hadn't noticed earlier, and the gasp from the diners was audible.
Maybe I am a grump and not as easily impressed.... or just deep in thought.....

After this pleasant meal, we strolled the town, ate icecream and headed back to the hotel to kill some time until the parade, which was to start at 2200.

Around 2130, we walked down what we guessed was the path, marked out by the lines of food stalls and the multicoloured chairs, which were starting to be filled now. We strolled to the town hall, and then walked along to find a good vantage point.
The buzz and humm of downtown Guimaraes on Town Day.
This sums it up, lights, balloons, chairs and lots of excited kiddies.
The town hall even booked a full moon for the night.

We found a nice spot where we set up the tripod and waited. It was nearly 2200, so we thought it shouldn't be far away. But then for the next 1 and a half hours the only things to come down the street were the chair and balloon sellers!


Eventually it started, led by a band, followed by some of the funniest things we have seen. Of course many of the floats had political connotations that, as foreigners, we did not quite understand. Some were easy to translate though.
These dancing lights are men in knights outfits. Hard to get with a slow lens and limited light.
Kind of a phallic theme here, poles that look like, umm well, poles of a flesh variety, then...Questions of your prostate............ and a man chases a woman! It all adds up to shenanigans!


After standing there until about 12, we were tired and grumpy (well one of us was) and decided to head home, even though there were many people still enjoying the parade.
The parade continued for about another 45 minutes to be finished with fireworks. At this stage we had crawled into bed, after a very fine day in the old capital!