Saturday 14th February

Two blogs in one day? I know you can have too much of a good thing but I have a very interesting fact to share with you and it couldn’t wait.

Happy Valentines Day to every one, I did the decent thing and let Lucy have a lay in until 8.30am, our radio control clock is still playing up and she thought it was 10am. We walked into Loule to see the covered market, look at stuff and try and buy some spring onions. Ever since we arrived in Portugal spring onions have been a bit of a rarity and we found our first bunch in the market here.

The carnival started at 2pm so we had to find somewhere to sit and have a drink and then we had to go and get a bite to eat, the weather was overcast with sunny spells so it was pleasant enough. The main road in Loule had been closed off for the parade and we managed to find seats on a grandstand. 

It all kicked off with dancing girls with tight tops and jiggling bottoms right in front of us, I nearly ran out of battery in the first couple of minutes, the lens was getting all steamed up and I had trouble focusing.

More dancing girls.

And then in between the dancing girls floats, some, such as this one with a political content.

And then it started raining just as it was getting interesting!

Here’s a photo for Mick Monk and Clive Brooker, thinking of you guys.

Here is the interesting fact. Body paint is not water soluble, it will take a bit more than a shower to get that lot off!

The rain did stop so I kept snapping away.

We have got a leaflet about each float but it is in Portuguese.

That has to be Angela Merkel on the right but who are the others?

Some footballers no one has ever heard of called Messi and Ronaldho.

It was 2 1/2 hours before these dancing girls got back to us but it was worth the wait.

Many of the floats had a sporting theme and you have obviously heard of Loule but probably couldn’t place how you had heard of it – does this help, European City of Sport 2015!