The streets were lined with stalls.
There was music and dance at the main door of the cathedral.
It's a beautiful building!
Behind the cathedral there were more stalls and more eating areas.
Hmmm? Did they have stainless steel in the Middle Ages?
I had great expectations but, having visited other fairs of this type, I was disappointed that in such a beautiful setting the atmosphere wasn't that of medieval times. It felt more like an arts and crafts fair to me. Street animation was promised in the programme, but I didn't see any. I was hoping to visit the castle but the only way to do that was to pay an extra 3 euros to see a show inside. To watch the jousting, it was another 3 euros. The Archeology Museum was open and well worth the visit but some other exhibitions closed very early.
Having said this, I'd still recommend a visit, but be prepared to pay more than the basic entrance fee of 2 euros if you want to be entertained and wear sensible footwear because the cobbled streets are very slippery. This fair ends on the 11th of August.
That's too bad that your expectations weren't met. We have a medieval fair here every year and it is a fun event with knights jousting and mud wrestling among other age-appropriate music and entertainment. But it is held in an open field. I thought the backdrop of the buildings there would make for an awesome experience.
ReplyDeleteThe castle, the cathedral and indeed the whole centre of Silves is certainly a perfect backdrop for a medieval fair but this one needs more attention to detail. The fair at Santa Maria da Feira is the best!
Delete