Cellars That Are Cathedrals

Padre Abraão came to the Adega with us again, after church, and the men did some traditional Cante for him - here, they're singing one about a town near here called Vila de Frades (Friars' Village), which had a monastery in Roman times, but is now known for the wine made in clay pots, as it was in ancient times.

Here is the chorus, with a rough translation:

Vila de Frades já não tem abades
Mas tem adegas que são catedrais
Os seus palhetes são uns brilharetes
São de beber e chorar por mais!

Friars' Village no longer has abbots
But it has cellars that are cathedrals
Its light red wines sparkle brilliantly
They are to drink (here, everyone stops for a sip from their glasses) and to sob for more!

And here, with a group of lads from nearby, if you fancy listening to it.

Gratefuls:
- becoming increasingly fond of the Alentejo (this region of Portugal)
- the subject of the readings in church today: our hope of resurrection
- about to make cacio e pepe (inspired by the article I linked to yesterday)

Coming back to say that I made the cacio e pepe, exactly as the recipe says (found all the ingrdients in Reguengos), and it was sublime. Here is the paragraph from "Buttered Trancendence" that describes it:

In the neighborhood where I used to live in Rome, Prati, there is a little old restaurant that specializes in the most truly Roman of dishes: cacio e pepe. You’d be hard-pressed to find a recipe more elegant, with only three ingredients: tonarelli noodles, pecorino cheese and black pepper. Rightly pre-pared, these three exalt and praise each other, the pepper showing what is best in the cheese, the pasta binding both together in unity.