Last evening I joined a walking tour of two areas of Lisbon that included tapas, trolley ride and a live Fado show conducted by Urban Adventures
We were a small group of 12 from Germany, New Zealand, England and the US and our dynamic enthusiastic native guide Danielle. As we walked she explained various aspects of Portuguese history beginning with the Romans.
A stop on the itinerary was at a small ginjinha shop for a sampling. It is made of sour cherries, alcohol, and sugar. Each ginja shop has their own unique recipe. Originally it was developed by a Dominican priest who passed it off as a cure for a cough. It can be as high as 56% alcohol. The cherry pits are left in the bottle of locally made.
I found it to be quite tasty and could have easily drank a glass. When I tasted it in Sintra it was served in a chocolate cup. Yummy!!
Fado performers move from restaurant to restaurant and are paid by the restaurants. They sing 3 numbers and move on. In between there is generally about 15 minutes in which you can chat. But be prepared to be the center of the singer's wrath if you dare talk while they are singing.
The traditional attire is black with a shawl that is worn in homage to the earlier Fado singers. It originated with the more economically challenged women; some would say prostitutes.
The queen of Fado was Amália Rodrigues and an international personality. When she died in 1999 she was interned the National Pantheon with Portugal's dignitaries. The country mourned for 3 days upon her death.
The emotion expressed by the Fado singer is palpable. I have heard no other music that can consistently tug at your heartstrings as Fado can. Listen to a few moments for yourself on you tube by googling her name.
As we settled in at our table we were served all the wine and water we could drink. The tapas plate had a variety of items: chorizo, cod cake, Iberian ham and several others.
We were a small group of 12 from Germany, New Zealand, England and the US and our dynamic enthusiastic native guide Danielle. As we walked she explained various aspects of Portuguese history beginning with the Romans.
A stop on the itinerary was at a small ginjinha shop for a sampling. It is made of sour cherries, alcohol, and sugar. Each ginja shop has their own unique recipe. Originally it was developed by a Dominican priest who passed it off as a cure for a cough. It can be as high as 56% alcohol. The cherry pits are left in the bottle of locally made.
I found it to be quite tasty and could have easily drank a glass. When I tasted it in Sintra it was served in a chocolate cup. Yummy!!
Fado performers move from restaurant to restaurant and are paid by the restaurants. They sing 3 numbers and move on. In between there is generally about 15 minutes in which you can chat. But be prepared to be the center of the singer's wrath if you dare talk while they are singing.
The traditional attire is black with a shawl that is worn in homage to the earlier Fado singers. It originated with the more economically challenged women; some would say prostitutes.
The queen of Fado was Amália Rodrigues and an international personality. When she died in 1999 she was interned the National Pantheon with Portugal's dignitaries. The country mourned for 3 days upon her death.
The emotion expressed by the Fado singer is palpable. I have heard no other music that can consistently tug at your heartstrings as Fado can. Listen to a few moments for yourself on you tube by googling her name.
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