Portugal 2024
Day 7: Tuesday 24 December 2024
Lisboa
Portuguese Sea by Fernando Pessoa
O salty sea, how much of your salt
Are the tears of Portugal!
Because we crossed you, how many mothers cried.
How many children prayed in vain!
How many brides remained to be married? So that you were ours, O sea!
Was it worth it? It´s all worth it
If the soul is not small.
Who wants to go beyond Bojador
You have to move beyond the pain.
God gave the sea danger and the abyss.
But in him he mirrored the sky.
Trams are so quaint and photogenic!
Inside the Tram 28 cockpit
The protest square at the Ruínas do Carmo. On 25th April 1974 the people finally overthrew (bloodlessly) the terrible 48-year regime of a military regime under Salazar. A very poignant moment for us since we have just witnessed the fall of a similarly long dictatorship in Syria, but also the rise of anti-democratic politics just about everywhere – even the US.
A street in Bairro Alto, the high town. There are signs of gentrification of the inner suburbs: very expensive apartments and houses, and protest graffiti demanding affordable housing for the locals.
Portuguese cakes and desserts are everywhere. This range in El Corte d´Inglés had a huge crowd elbowing its way to the counter, while a TV camera crew prepared to film.
Surprisingly, there is a chain of these shops selling exclusively sardines – another icon of Lisboa. Portugal is among the countries with the highest fish consumption.
The fishing and agricultural industry was 25% of the Portuguese economy in 1960. This has fallen to 2.4%, and employs 7.5% of the working population. Total fishing catches have fallen in the wake of EU regulations and overall fleet and industry restructuring, from 224,000 tonnes in 1998 to 140,000 tonnes in 2004, a 38% decrease.
Inside the Mundo Fantastico di Sardinha. Sardines make up 37% of the fish species caught, but they make up only 13% of the total sale value of all fish.
Mundo Fantastico di Sardinha display of tins of sardines, each with a date – but merely as a gimmick. Sardines will last only up to 5 years in a tin.
1996 tin at the Mundo Fantastico di Sardinha
Sardine tin at the Mundo Fantastico di Sardinha. Along with sardines, mackerel, tuna, hake and cod are important species in the Portuguese fishing industry. Cod is known as bacalhau, dried and salted for conservation on long voyages, a technique which retains nutrients and enhances the taste of the cod. Traditionally the Portuguese have imported cod from Norway, and it was nicknamed fiel amigo (faithful friend).
Travel Diary
Cape Bojador was a promontory on the Western Sahara coast. It was nicknamed “Father of Danger”. The difficulties encountered by medieval sailors to pass beyond this cape led to myths of sea monsters, some even believing the earth was burning beyond it.
[Wikipedia: The mythic importance of the cape for Portugal was captured in Fernando Pessoa’s early 20th century work “Mensagem”. In famous stanzas from this longer poem Pessoa wrote of the enormous costs of the Portuguese explorations to the nation. Capturing the symbolic importance to the nation of rounding Cape Bojador, Pessoa wrote: “Who wants to pass beyond Bojador / Must also pass beyond pain.” (“Quem quer passar além do Bojador / Tem que passar além da dor.”) They thought the ocean was burning past Cape Bojador, but Henry’s men went past it. ]
I don’t understand. Can you repeat?
Não entendi. Podia/Podes repetir?
Thank you for your help.
Obrigado/a pela ajuda.
Do you speak English? I don’t speak Portuguese.
Fala/Falas Inglês? Eu nâo falo Português.
Have a great day!
Tenha/Tem um bom dia!
How do you say…. in Portuguese?
Como se diz ….. in Português?