Fun in Lisbon - Part 2

It was about 6 pm when we started walking towards the Fado District - Alfama. We were told that most Fado places serve dinner and you eat as you watch the Fado music. This sounded good to us, but then we were told that most started at 11 pm. That didn't sound great to us. We decided that we would walk towards the Fado district and see what we could find. Along the way we found loads of cute little pottery and tile shops. Lisbon is known for their painted tiles. Many of the buildings had fronts and trimming that were made of beautiful hand painted tiles. Keri and I went inside many of these shops and had fun admiring all the beautiful things.

We went by one Fado restaurant that was advertising Fado starting at 9 pm. This sounded great to Keri and I who were starving at this point. We continuing browsing in stores and then wandered back to that restaurant at 9 pm on the dot. They welcomed us and and one other couple in. Obviously, they were serving food early to attract the tourist crowd, but we didn't care at this point. We ordered our food and had a lovely dinner. Then around 10ish the Fado performers came out. It was three guys playing guitar (two normal looking guitars and one funny looking one that we later learned was a 'Portuguese guitar' - go figure! (See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portuguese_guitar for what I am talking about). Then a Fado singer came out and walked around and sang. The music was absolutely beautiful to listen to. I suppose it would have been even more beautiful if we had been able to make out the words, although I think it might have been depressing.

Anyway Keri and I really enjoyed it and the Fado singers took a particular interest in our table (maybe because we were the only ones that were taking videos and pictures!). Keri and I got really embarrassed because it felt like the singers were paying so much attention to us that they were flirting - which both of us had no interest in - not too mention no practice for the past twelve years! Anyway, they were really nice and at the end the guy told us that the picture we took was not to be put on facebook but rather kept only for us. Sorry Fado singer, but I am sharing it with my blogging friends! See below.

The other funny memory of this night was that there was a Chinese couple sitting next to us (I promise there were some natives there!). Anyway one of the Fado singers came over to try to sell their cd. Well it was apparent to Keri and I from the very beginning that the lady was trying to sell their cd but it wasn't to the Chinese couple. It was quite awkward because for the first couple of minutes the Chinese man thought the cd was a gift. Keri and I were cringing in pain. Finally they got it down that the cd was for sale and it seemed that they were too embarrassed to say no so they did go ahead and buy.

Pictures and videos follow (you can see the Chinese couple be seated during this video):



Fado Guitarists:
















Keri and her flan (we haven't had flan this good since Ana was in Cambridge!):