CHERRY FESTIVAL

Lamego, a small city in the central region of Portugal, every year is the stage of a cherry festival that attracts many people from every corner of the country as well as many foreign tourists. I happened to be over there last Sunday. 

White stalls displaying red cherries dominated the scenery, while people giggled and chattered as they were eating the cherries offered by the producers whose faces showed pride of their harvests. You may ask why Lamego and not any Portuguese city. There is a reason: cherry trees, originated from Asia, suit very well the climate and the soil in the region. 

Cherries are sweet and they exhibit a very beautiful hues of red colour. The harvest is not mechanized but by hand, due to the delicate characteristics of the fruit.

I was told that the yield per tree ranges from 30 to 50 kilos (66.13  to 110.3 pounds), while the cherries are marketed in boxes containing 2 kilos (equivalent to 4.42 pounds) of this delicious fruit, at a retail price of €2.0 (equivalent to US$2.6) Other than the fresh fruit, there were cherry liqueur and jam produced by the local farmers. 

Even the fake blackbird could not resist to enjoy a cherry banquet!!!

Of course I bought a box of cherries and I can't help  indulging myself with cherries and cherries that being delicate as they are, don't keep their freshness for a long time. A good excuse to see the box getting empty, quickly.

~~ Thank you for stopping by ~~