Vidas e Vozes do Mar e do Peixe

     The first thing you can see when you enter Portugal through Ayamonte is a large sign with this message: Vila Real de S.to António cidade do iluminismo. With a map of the city divided into grids, with a large square in the urban centre.

     Vila Real de Santo António is a small city built thanks to the wishes of a Marquis, who transformed a fishing village into a commercial centre of great importance in the Portuguese Algarve. Although for this he used all his strategy and strength to move the fishermen from Monte Gordo to the new city. The Marquis wanted to make this population the focus of activity related to fishing and its distribution to other parts of the country. At that time communications by land were few and in poor condition and therefore carry, not only fish, but any item navigating through the Guadiana through Alcoutim, Mértola via Beja was a very profitable option. From this last city, the goods arrived in Évora, Setúbal and Lisbon itself.

     This was, more or less, what I learned last Saturday thanks to one of the activities organized by the Ciip Cacela and that encourage —I'm sure I've already told you about them— Catarina and Susana.

Abandoned rails

     In this stroll, we were accompanied by Maria Manuel and Nídia, two professors and great experts of the way of life of the people of these places. We also had the experience of a local fisherman: António Jorge.

     Along a pleasant walk along the river we listened to the history of the fishing activity in VRSA and the conservation methods, from the oldest (the sun is generous for these lands and the salt is available in the Castro Marim salinas, Tavira and the own Vila Real) to those that we know today in jars or tin cans.

     They told us —each one from their specialty— of the moments of maximum production, with numerous factories and practically all the population working directly or indirectly with the products of the sea, until the twilight of them for a series of reasons that you can imagine. Today, as silent witnesses of that time, there are still some chimneys swallowed up by the new constructions or that they see spending their time in abandoned lots.

Silent witness

     On the way, they showed us some old photographs, from the forties or fifties, when huge tuna were caught that had to be unloaded with cranes or where smiling women were busy conserving sardines, anchovies or mackerels.

     Dear Fran, did you know that the Portuguese were fishing for cod, at least since the thirteenth century? Amazing.

     Helped by the photographs and listening to Nídia, Maria Manuel and António Jorge, I imagined myself living in a few hard years but at the same time romantic and you know, Fran, how romantic I am.

     Later we were in Fábrica, next to Cacela Velha, at the foot of the Ria (the ancients called it Rio) and there Maria Manuel read some texts taken from a book dedicated to the sea, to the fish and to the people who made life possible in these beautiful and secluded places seventy years ago.

Cacela Velha

     
Advised by one of the group members, on the way back, I made a quick visit (I had to go home that night) to Cacela Velha. Everything in it is tiny and charming. I include some photos that I took.

     Y. a.

     Mary