a jornada: Festival Caracol Saloio em Loures!

Welcome to the Festival of the Snails in Loures!

I am learning that when you travel and visit places around the world, you begin to see it all... Snails??? Oh my goodness, the snails! Millions and billions and zillions of little snails (about 1/2 inch in diameter) being eaten by the plate fulls.

This is how it works, you go to downtown Loures from July 12 through the 28th. Follow the crowds to the large pavilion with hundreds of tables and chairs set up and various booths around the edges to buy snails and drinks. You could buy various dishes that were made with snails -- chili con carne with snails, snails in curry, snails made into little

fried cakes, and the list continues. The tables were filled with people as the music played

loudly. All were having a great time enjoying their plates of snails. This was definitely a local, down home festival that the Portuguese people very much seemed to enjoy, not a lot of tourists

were seen.

Now being a person who loves most any food you set in front of me... no, I

couldn't even bring myself to give it a try. Sorry to disappoint. The group we were with did get a plate and gave them a try. Ewwww, I could barely take the pictures!?!?!

After several pictures I promptly headed out of the pavilion to the Belgium waffle booth to purchase a waffle with sugar and cinnamon on it. Mmmmm, now that's what I was

talking about at the snail festival!!!

The various local craft booths were fun to walk through and the old Portuguese folk dancing was entertaining to watch. We stayed until about 10:30 p.m. but the party was still going strong, people were still eating snails by the buckets and it looked like it would go strong well into the wee hours.