One of the many reasons some of us choose to live or holiday in the Algarve is the quality of the fish and sea food that can be found in the waters off Portugal. How many of us actually give a thought to the fishermen who bring this fine fare to our plates to savour and enjoy?
Saturday December 8 is Quarteira’s most important religious festival of the year, celebrating the Patron Saint of the Fishermen. The festival in honour of Our Lady of Conception starts the night before at 9pm, with the image of the patron saint being carried in procession from the Church of Nossa Senhora da Conçeição to the Church of São Pedro do Mar. On the 8th the main celebrations start at dawn and by 2.30pm the procession continues along the coastal avenue of Quarteira to the Porto de Abrigos.
I was privileged to be invited to participate in the celebrations by Caroline Van Kettle and the team of Currencies Direct and early Saturday afternoon we boarded the boat the Lince (Lynx) Iberia in Vilamoura Marina. The Lince is one of a fleet of coastal cruise boats of company “Cruzeiros da Oura”.
The owner Chico Melo had decorated the boat with garlands and traditional blue and white flags. Blue and white is considered by mariners to very lucky; this is why many of the fishermen’s homes and boats are pained in these colours. The crew was busy providing BBQ feast which is very much part of the celebrations and once the invited guests had been suitably wined and dined, we and a small flotilla of boats left the marina and headed out to sea.
I was somewhat surprised when I found that once out of the marina entrance, we and the other boats headed straight into the fishing port of Quarteira, or Porto de Abrigos. As we arrived at the port, we were greeted by the sight of many fishing boats, varying in size from small coastal two or three-man boats to full ocean-going fishing vessels.
All had been adorned in the blue and white flags and many of the boats carried full-size images of the patron Nossa Senhora da Conçeição. We moored alongside one of the ocean-going fishing boats; on other boats everyone was eating and drinking, music of all kind filled the air, fishermen, mariners and their guests were busy enjoying the celebrations. More and more boats arrived and came alongside us and I noticed that we had been joined by boats from Faro, Olhão and Portimão. Clearly this event is very important in the eyes of all Algarve fishermen.
I was then suddenly handed a plate by our crew and he gestured to me to go to the boat which had just come alongside. On the other boat there was a large cooking pot, which, as I was later to find out, contained a delicious bean and seafood stew. I handed my plate to a member of the crew of the other boat and he hand it back to me filled with food for me to enjoy. The exchange of food and drink is very much part of this traditional festival of celebration.
Moored at the far end of the port was another fishing boat, called the Deus Me Proteja (God Protect me). On the bow of this boat was a large square floral display of white flowers and on top of the display was a statue of Nossa Senhora da Conçeição. I was later to find this was similar to the display which was carried around the town although somewhat smaller to allow it to fit on the boat. On the port and starboard side of the boat an image of the patron saint was displayed.
After a suitable period of feasting and general merriment, and the sounding of ships horns, the Deus Me Proteja loosed its moorings and proceeded to leave the port and headed out for open water, closely followed by the procession of small and large boats. Eventually we found ourselves meandering off the coast of Quarteira trying desperately not to collide with the other boats. Alongside came one particular boat with a musician on board playing an electric piano; music blasted out by two massive speakers which balanced precariously on top of the wheelhouse as it bobbled along.
The reason we were patiently waiting off the coast of Quarteira was to see the street procession as it left the Church of São Pedro do Mar in the centre of Quarteira and headed back to port. We headed back to port following the floral boat. As the sun began to set, the Armada of boats arrived back in port and we moored alongside one of the other boats.
The street procession arrived with the larger display of the patron. What followed was a blessing by the priest of the fleet of fishing boats, the town and its families. The boats responded with the crews waving white handkerchiefs and the women on board wore white veils as a sign of respect and thanks. Red flares were then let off and the air was filled smoke and the smell of gunpowder. As the sun began to disappear behind the harbour wall, we headed back to Vilamoura and the other boats to their home ports.
Arriving back at Vilamoura, I thanked Chico for his hospitality. I felt honoured to be part of this important day.
By Tony Pass news@algarveresident.com
