Representatives from the Dar de Vaia cultural association gave a fascinating and nostalgic talk and slide show at the Hotel Garbe recently, revealing Armação de Pêra’s past.
There were some atmospheric pictures of Armacão in the late 20s, followed by more recent ones from the 60s and 70s. Some of the really old slides were particularly intriguing. There was the local priest, in full clerical attire, bestowing a blessing on the fishing nets, the fish market (which in the early days was located on the beach itself) and local schoolchildren huddled together near the beach. Of course, the children concerned are now in their 70s, respected elders in the town, and, miraculously, they have all been identified from the old photos.
There were also pictures of the very first car purchased in Armação de Pêra – which provided much needed transport for those locals who needed to be taken to important events, such as weddings, and photos of some of Armação’s first football teams. The dates of the pictures were often difficult to pinpoint, but the construction of the church and Hotel Garbe (both in 1963) were important landmarks as to the date of the slides.
The seafaring photos were very evocative – pictures of fishermen putting nets in boats in preparation for evening expeditions, the family name emblazoned on the fishing boat. There were also some exquisite colour aerial views of Armação de Pêra, dating from the late 60s and early 70s – pictures that displayed the full scale of the building work that has overtaken what used to be a lazy fishing village.
Anyone requiring more information on the excellent work of the Dar De Vaia Cultural Association can contact Sandra Moreira, who presented the slide show, on 963 383 006.
