What you hear most is the slow draining of the liquid, falling into the pitcher. Like a continuous trickle of water, serving as a background to the voice of the actresses who tell their stories, lit by candles and oil lamps. Only when the accordions start to play does that noise cease to be heard.
But this water is fiery, just warm from the wood-fuelled still, and everyone will taste it: it is the medronho brandy, the mainstay of the show «The Nights of Long Knives», which will be presented from this night on. in Marmelete, in the Serra de Monchique, in three distilleries in the village.
“Get ready to walk, a lot, back and forth, back and forth. And get ready for anything else», had warned Giacomo Scalisi, mentor of yet another show of “Lavrar o Mar”, part of the “365Algarve”.
Last night, in the streets of Marmelete, between 19:00 and 23:00, the footsteps of the three groups of guests for what was the dress rehearsal sounded. But the voices of actresses Leonor Cabral, Conceição Gonçalves and Marta Gorgulho also sounded…and the music of the accordions of Marcelo Rio, Virgílio and Nuno Salvado…as well as the shuffling of the feet of someone who danced a lot.
In each distillery in the village – Marias, Quinta Velha and Casa do Medronho – Medronho was drunk, of course, in small clay mugs, each group separated by the color of the mug it was given. "Those who don't like it, like it", commented one of the ladies of the group, after the second glass of arbutus.
But it was also eaten – spikes in the lard, in a distillery, corn simmered with beans and meat, with the good flavor of mint, as a main dish, in the distills next, walnut cake for dessert, last. Everything was pushed, with pleasure and again and again, by a small glass of arbutus (there was also water and vegetarian food…).
At each of these stops, lulled by the sound of freshly distilled spirit flowing from the alembic into the pitcher – “here it's just the loose”, explained the owner of one of the distillates -, the actress interpreted the text by Afonso Cruz that she had been given. The theatrical performance was also punctuated, several times, by small glasses of arbutus, sometimes drunk in a gulp.
The night was cold, around 7 degrees, and the heat of the distilleries, with the fire burning under the copper stills, invited a dance. And that's exactly what happened at each of the stops… «It's to demolish the arbutus, that I still have to go down the road to Portimão», said one of the guests. But, in the final apotheosis in the village square, there were still those who filled their mug with the rocker.
If you have not purchased a ticket for the «The Nights of Long Knives | Serra”, which today begin in Marmelete and continue until Sunday, March 25, always starting at 19 pm, know that only a miracle will guarantee you a place. Tickets are sold out.
Therefore, if you want to see the next shows of the «Lavrar o Mar» project, which are «Mar Adentro», in Aljezur (March 29th to April 1st) and Monchique (April 5th to 8th), or «Bestias», in Odeceixe (April 24th to 29th), hurry up and buy a ticket. Can do it here
Photos: Elisabete Rodrigues | Sul Informação
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