RIBATEJO

MY HOMELAND

THE FIRST UNNOFICIAL PAGE

Little clarification to the beloved people Attention! Ribatejo (left) is not, as many think, the District of Santarém (right). Supposedly, it should be the latter with the municipalities of Azambuja, Ponte de Sor and Vila Franca de Xira, and without the municipalities of Ourém and Mação.
		Municipalities inside Ribatejo and inside District of Santarém
		Municipalities inside Ribatejo and outside District of Santarém
		Municipalities outside Ribatejo and inside District of Santarém
		Municipalities outside Ribatejo and outside District of Santarém, with cultural similarities
	Adapted from "Popular Religion in Ribatejo" by Aurélio Faria, Ma. Sc. Soc.
Anyway, and outside any borderly boundaries, being Ribatejano is a state of mind, a way of being!!! And that is what matters!

A Little Ribatejan Postcard
View from Portas do Sol Welcome to one of the most beautiful regions in the world. Situated exactly in the middle of Portugal, has one of the most unique landscapes you've imagined (I think I'm sounding too much like a tourist guide. Well, carry on.). To start, take a look at the beautiful Tejo river (or, as you call it, Tagus), as seen from the walls of the Portas do Sol (Gates of the Sun) Garden in Santarém, the province capital.
It's not always like in the picture. In fact, it's a shame that the river has so much sand, that little islands have developed in the middle, growing vegetation and all. Most of the water is retained in the large number of dams (7 only in the Spanish side) that were built (it's the longest river of the Iberian Peninsula) so, when the water reaches here, it has no strength to wash away the sand that it carries. The positive side in this is the widening of the river beaches, even if their touristic potential is not yet explored. BUT DON'T GROW DESPERATE! In some places, local authorities have opened their eyes to this resource and built very enjoyable little resorts! YIPPEE! As tourism is developing, sand extraction zones are being more properly signed or surrounded by fences (see box). Search for Escaroupim or Valada. And you can always enjoy it even if you are out of the water!	In the past, the biggest problem for those going to the river beaches was sand extractions works. The sand is widely used in house construction due to its qualities, but the constructors prefer to extract from the margins then from the inside of the river. Some people were caught in the depressions that are created, risking to drown (this is true - doesn't sound nice having to say it, but better safe than sorry!). Even I was caught once! It's really stupid that such a Nature-given resource is so badly used... In other countries, it would become a major tourism resource. But, then again, it could be like Italy, where you can't stay in a beach without paying for it...
Harvest in the southern bank The river Tejo divides the region in two very different landscapes: In the North, the Bairro, with its characteristic hills, known as cabeços, where the Pine and Olive tree rule; In the South, The Lezíria, with plains till the eyes can reach, where bulls and horses run free. You can guess really clearly from the picture where the river stands. About the weather, well, expect hot Summers (yes, REALLY hot, ideal to get a nice tan! J ), and not-so-mild Winters. Although it never snows, it can be very unpleasant. In short, it's best to visit in July and August, and enjoy the fresh shadow of the weeping willow, while now and then falling in the calm waters of the river. Believe me, in some aspects, it can resemble the Bahamas (come and see for yourself)!
Forcados in one of the magnificent azulejo panels bordering Santarém Municipal Market In the large properties where bulls are raised, comes out the one who shows how ties between Man and Nature is still strong: the Campino, or, as I heard (and laughed, and laughed), the "Portuguese cowboy". Super Pinga in Campino suit With his colourful costume, he is the one that is in the field, taking care of the bulls on the back of his horse. Impressive, figure, no? You can see them (besides here, of course) in the several festivals that we have in the region, such as: The Ribatejo/National Agriculture Fair in Santarém; The Colete Encarnado (Red Waistcoat) Festival in Vila Franca de Xira; The Barrete Verde (Green Beret) Festival in Alcochete; The Azambuja Festival in Azambuja; The Tabuleiros Festival in Tomar; The Horse Fair in Golegã; And so many others! Another typical figure is the Forcado, who is the man that takes the bull by the horns in the bullfights. I am not here to discuss if it's ethical or not to have bullfights. I was raised watching them, and I see them as part of the Iberian Peninsula culture, period. Even if I am an environmentalist.
Preparing the Sopa de Pedra So, you were asking about the food? You can please yourself with a magnificent Sopa de Pedra (Stone Soup - don't get scared, there is much more in the soup besides the stone J as you can conclude from the picture), followed by an Açorda de Sável (it is a river fish with mashed bread, quite tasty!), and an spectacular Feijoada (baked beans with meat - or whatever you want!!!). To finish, have a Fatia de Tomar for dessert. Vineyards for white wine around Almeirim Not satisfied yet? This is only a tiny sample of what you can find in the richness of the Ribatejan Cuisine. By the way, you wouldn't expect for me to write this all in one time. I could not control myself and... Yes, I went to the kitchen... It was stronger than me!!! To go with all that? Well, the product of these vineyards, the regional wine, of course! After all, this is the biggest zone of production in Portugal. Oh, my God, the wine... The reds are strong and full-bodied, the whites are sweet, and deceiving. They go down trough the throat like water that when you notice you are already drunk!!! That's sort of what happened to me (hehehe)! No joke, they have between 11 and 15 degrees (24 and 30 proof)!!! Some producers even provide guided tours to their wine works, where you can learn more about the production, storing and aging processes, and the visits ends by (naturally) a session of wine tasting.
The Campino Suit This is our most typical character, so we had to explain his clothing. Pass thy mouse over the names on the left to highlight in gold the correspondent piece of clothing. A true Campino does not wear rist-watch, rather has his "onion" in the "colete" (waistcoat)-in the picture covered by the "jaqueta" (coat)-attached to the interior of the "colete" by a metal chain. Even if it is not a piece of clothing, the "pampilho" (spear) is integral part of the campino's work, so it has honours of mentioning. The golden element in the "colete" (covered by the "jaqueta") is the emblem of the "Casa Agrícola" (Estate) where the campino works. It is the brand which identifies the cattle owned by the Estate.
The Forcado Suit Since we are talking about the Haute Couture Ribatejaine, here follows the vest os the one known by the name of his tool. As in the previous example, pass thy mouse over the names on the left to highlight in gold the correspondent piece of clothing. So, the "Moço de Forcado" (Forcado boy) was the user of that "spear with ball-pointed horns", usually a young campino aspirant, or another "foot worker" of the "Casa Agrícola". From here to name them only  "Forcado" was a small step towards simplification". Nowadays one can find them only in bullfights, taking the bulls by the horns. One can tell from which Group they come from the colour and drawings of the "jaqueta"-intricated designs, in colourful motifs of rare beauty. The one shown is generic.
The Ribatejan House By definition, the Ribatejan house is simple, ground-floor, whiotewashed, with the bords of the windows and doors painted in ocre. It is also rather common to find that border in brick-red or dark blue. Also common is that the roofs are conjoined. As such, here are examples of what you can find in every street of a Ribatejan village. Sometimes, the house has a siden entrance, closed in an arch, that is (was) an entrance for wagons or agricultural machines into the cellar. This has a small window, which is nothing else but the place into which the grapes were introduced into the place of maceration.
BELIEVE ME, IT IS WORTH A VISIT! COME AND ENJOY!
Other resources to check for information: Tourism Regions   Templarians (RT Templários) includes the "upper" Ribatejo Ribatejo (RT Ribatejo) the "lower" Ribatejo Vila Franca de Xira City Hall check Comissão Municipal de Turismo "Turism Municpal Commission" West (RT Oeste) includes Rio Maior São Mamede (RT São Mamede) includes Ponte de Sor www.ribatejo.com - with links to the municipalities Home pages
AND NOW, FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY OUT OF THE CONTEXT, TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS WHEN SOME LUNATIC STARTS TO TALK, CLICK