Life in Góis December 2009

Góis, José Girão Vitorino

Life in Góis January 2010

29th January
Today the funeral was held of the ex-President of Góis, José Girão Vitorino, who held office as President from 2001 to October 2009. The streets of Góis were thronged with people coming to pay their last respects, many of them carrying floral tributes. Shops and businesses throughout the town closed at 3pm, as young and old gathered to join the funeral procession from the Bombeiros to the cemetery at the Igreja Matriz where the ex-president was laid to rest. José Girão Vitorino was obviously a much-loved and respected man. In our own meetings with him he was unfailingly courteous and always ready to listen, lending his valuable support to our endeavours. Even though fighting a terminal illness in his later days, he would always strive to be there to attend local events in his presidential capacity, appearing gracious and appreciative. He will be sadly missed in the town.

26th January
The breaking news here in Góis is that the Vale do Ceira and the Penedos de Góis have been put forward as entries into a competition to find the 7 Natural Wonders of Portugal! As we are prone to singing the praises of this beautiful region this does not come as a great surprise to us, and they will certainly be getting our vote. As the council’s website so eloquently puts it:“The Ceira Valley is a living representation of the expression ‘enchanted valley’” - we could not agree more. And at up to 1043m altitude, the quartzite peaks (Penedos) that rise above the Ceira give stunning views over the county and an invitation to the adventurous to explore and enjoy the heights. We wish the Município de Góis every success in the competition, the results of which, according to a public vote, will be known by 7th March.
For the full story (in Portuguese) go to: http://www.cm-gois.pt/content/index.php?action=detailfo&rec=526&t=Gois-entre-os-nomeados---7-Maravilhas-de-Portugal

7th January
Yesterday was ‘Dia dos Reis’ or the ‘Day of the Kings’ – the time when according to the account in Matthew´s gospel, the three kings arrived at the stable to present their gifts to the infant Jesus. Although Portugal does not celebrate this day with quite as much gusto as the Spanish, it is still a day that is marked in the calendar, particularly by the younger children. On January 6th the children of Góis wear home-made crowns and go in groups around the town, singing special songs for the occasion. We had the pleasure to be visited by two groups of children – one from the primary school and one from the nursery. They sang to us and held open their bags for our contribution of coins – it could have been sweets, but we had none! Fortunately the sun put in an appearance yesterday morning, making it a pleasant morning out of the classroom for the young carolers, who provided a welcome diversion for those of us at work.
While Britain freezes under the weight of snow and ice, Portugal is feeling the cold to a lesser degree, and for our English visitors it feels comparatively balmy! I would appreciate a little more sunshine than we are currently experiencing, but I am grateful that at least we can go about our day to day life with relative ease and comfort. The oranges are now being harvested, and it is common to see large buckets full of oranges or tangerines being borne along on the head of someone in the village, and stalls of oranges for sale set up beside the road to Coimbra. At least the oranges, in all their sweetness and colour, are a reminder of that big glowing ball that is up there somewhere in the sky!
To find out more about orange-growing in Portugal, click here: http://www.goisproperty.com/Gois_Portugal/Orange.html

Unlocking the history of the Góis region

Updated 14 June, 2010