Last month I attended a wedding in a Portuguese town called Arouca. It’s a beautiful place located in the north of Portugal, half the way between Porto and Aveiro.
This small town was settled during the Roman occupation, I don’t know exactly when that was, but I’m sure it was a long time ago. It was settled in a giant valley, surrounded by huge mountains and thick vegetation, making it a perfect place if you seek nature and peace of mind. The landscape is breathtaking, enough to make Arouca a member of the Global Geoparks Network. In the town itself you can find those old buildings made with granite stone, a few parks, and many references to Christian religion.
I spent the whole weekend there and I had the opportunity to attend the Feira das Colheitas (Fair Crop). Arouca has fertile land, and during this fair people mount little tent stores along the streets to sell their fruits and vegetables, along with some regional gastronomic products and handicrafts. I kid you not I saw figs the size of apples, and olives the size of walnuts. It’s probably due to fertilizers or Chernobyl’s radiation, but I don’t discard the possibility of alien experiments.
During this weekend the small town of Arouca becomes crowded with tourists, and when I say crowded I do mean crowded. The masses of people moving through the streets can only be imagined by those who have seen The Walking Dead. A day in this Fair Crop will dramatically improve your abilities to dodge and squeeze through. You can think of it as an intense training to the inevitable zombie apocalypse. But don’t be alarmed, I’m sure the town is quite peaceful during the rest of the year.
If you like to explore those isolated towns in north of Portugal, you will surely enjoy spending your time in Arouca.
Third Left Pub 