Mercado do Peixe

First of all, many thanks to all who left comments, stars and hearts for yesterday’s 1000th blip entry. I will reply to all - but I’m afraid I’m very slow at the moment! Similarly, I’ve fallen so behind with journals that I’m generally restricting myself to stars and hearts in the hope I’ll soon catch up - I know you’ll understand. 


After yesterday’s rest day, today we venture into Funchal. Normally, we’d walk of course, but as we’re heading for the far end of town, a taxi is called for. 

Mercado dos Lavradores is Funchal’s indoor market. It dates from the 1940’s, the main hall a galleried building full of stalls groaning with the colourful  fruits and vegetables grown on the island. Full of photographic opportunities, it is unfortunately also a tourist-trap of ridiculously inflated prices - definitely better to look at the delicious fruits than buy them. 

I may well return to the fruit market later in our holiday, but today, it’s the fish market I’m interested in - a large lower hall with stalls displaying the rich variety of fish caught off these coasts. Star of the show is the deep sea dwelling black scabbard fish - long, almost eel-like with fang-like teeth, far from a piscatorial beauty, redeemed only by its iridescent sheen. But of course, it’s joined by majestic tuna and a whole variety of smaller fish. 

For me, it is the work of the fishmongers that draws me in. Bronzed tattooed figures, dressed in pale yellow aprons splattered by fish blood and scales, knife skills honed by years of practice. I watch as they wield small knives with expert precision, filleting fish to leave clean fleshless bones, or take machete-like blades to sever heads or steaks from larger fish which have been expertly scaled, a cloud of silver spraying up onto arms and aprons. 

And that’s enough for now. Normally, we’d wander round the streets, but I’m limiting myself to one activity - and in many ways it’s good to have this focus. We stop for a drink down by the sea, before a slow walk back to the hotel. I’m pleasantly surprised that I can manage this - albeit with my walking pole to help! 

Inevitably, it’s a Mercado do Peixa set today, my main a fishmonger, seemingly working alone, apronless. His gnarled features are captured in a shaft of light, knife in hand, contemplating the scabbard fish he’s about to prepare for sale. I’m torn between the colour and the mono version -  I’ve put the colour in extras and would be interested to read your views. And of course, it’s better large on black!