The fishermen
The only things I remember being taught in school about Spain related to the Spanish Main and the Spanish Inquisition, Christopher Columbus in 1492, and some brief mention of Generalissimo Francisco Franco and his dictatorship.
In March we visited Spain and were impressed with the richness of the history of that country. There are huge churches that back in the 15th century were Muslim mosques. There are super highways running past Roman roads and viaducts.
The city of Granada still obtains its water from a viaduct built by the Moors using melt water from a glacier in the Sierra Nevada mountains.
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On the Costa del Sol, Spain’s Mediterranean playground, there is mile upon mile of hotels, restaurants, gift shops, supermarkets and hamburger stands.
But in the midst of all this you see pulled up on shore small boats used by local Spaniards for fishing. They use outboard motors or oars to get to the fishing grounds just off the sandy beaches where upscale Europeans sunbathe topless and sometimes bottomless as well.
We watched and photographed these fishermen landing their boats. How did they do it?
They used a winch made entirely of wood, exactly like the ones the Phoenicians would have used in 1200 B.C.
They stuck a pole through a hole in the top of the winch and went around and around, winding up the mooring line until the boat had been pulled well clear of the water. Then they picked up their catch of fish, their bait and other gear and headed home for the night.
Oh yes, we know Spain has big factory ships too but this was a glimpse of old Spain that hasn’t been erased by 70 million tourists a year.
