Frei Gonçalo Velho, Descobridor da ilha de Santa Maria

Greetings,

As this postcard says,  this is a photo taken of the principle church of the island and in front of the discoverer of the island, Frei Gonçalo Velho.

The year was 1431 and an explorer was commissioned by Prince Henry the Navigator to set sail from Sagres.  Frei Gonçalo Velho set sail with a crew, promising to name the first island they saw for the Virgin Mary.  After many days at sea, on the actual Feast Day of the Virgin (August 15), the crew was praying the Ave Maria, and just as they reached the words, "Santa Maria", the lookout shouted "Land ho!" (Well, actually, he probably shouted "Terra a vista!", but you know what I mean.)

Portuguese Text
Avé Maria, cheia de graça, 
o Senhor é convosco. 
Bendita sois vós entre as mulheres; 
bendito é o fruto do vosso ventre, Jesus. 
Santa Maria, mãe de Deus, 
rogai por nós, pecadores, 
agora e na hora da nossa morte. 
Amen

Latin Text
Ave Maria, gratia plena, Dominus tecum.
Benedicta tu in mulieribus,
et benedictus fructus ventris tui, Iesus.
Sancta Maria, Mater Dei,
ora pro nobis peccatoribus,
nunc et in hora mortis nostrae. Amen.

English Translation
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou among women,
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
pray for us sinners,
now and in the hour of our death. Amen.

NB: Diogo de Silves was placed as the person who discovered the islands in 1427, as stated by a Portuguese historian as of 1943, based on a smudged map.  It is entirely possible that the two were on that same boat in 1427, and that the "official" voyage in 1431 was to confirm the original sighting.  (Back then, writing was the ONLY form of verification.  How lucky we are to live in a society where writing is not only taken for granted, but exists as only one of many forms of verification.)

A Minha Avo, Se Estivesse Viva . . .

"A minha avo, se estivesse viva, tinha feito 106 anos no dia 28 de Dezembro de ano passado"

"My grandmother, if she had lived, would have turned 106 years old on December 28 of last year"

I had called my grandmother "Vovo", she had lived with me and my parents for years when I was a child.  My cousins in Rhode Island didn't see her very often (although they actually spoke Portuguese at home and even went to school for it).  They called her "Avo" (accent on the last vowel).

Most of my Portuguese words exist as affectionate diminutives.  Auntie="Titia" vs what grownups say when they discuss an aunt ("Tia").  I was taught how to address grownups as a child and now I must be old enough not to be corrected anymore.  And it is certainly rare (and amusing enough) for someone my age to be using the language of children.

She was wonderful.  She gave birth to 9 children.  She rarely laughed, but when she did it lit up the room.

 I realized just the other day that I don't remember talking to her.  Or her having conversations with me, or telling me stories.  It breaks my heart now, but it never occurred to me then that I was missing all of her life experience.  Nothing new, kids don't listen to their elders anyway.  You can't measure the loss of human exchange when there is a language barrier.

I remember her cooking, though.  And no one else in my family can match it, even though they have exactly the same recipes.

Dar os Parabens no Dia de Anos

"Ela precisa de chamar a seu primo para ele dar os parabens (no dia de anos)"

(She needs to call her (male) cousin to congratulate him)-(on the day of the years)

"She needs to call her cousin to say happy birthday"

It's very important to keep in touch with everyone, especially your cousins (Especially if they are in the same generation as you.  They are much more likely to be on Facebook or to accept texts.)

Sopa de Coves

"Ela gosta muito de sopa de coves"

(she likes much the soup of Kale)

Kale soup is made as a meat broth, with vegetables tossed in.  My grandmother made it strictly with only onions, white potatoes and kale chopped into long slender strips.

If you are ever in a Portuguese household and are offered anything with a green vegetable in it, you should accept.  White potatoes, white rice and white bread are the most common elements in any meal. (Circa 1970 in my family anyway).

When I was a kid I kept being offered soup by lovely little old Portuguese ladies.  Unfortunately, my language skills were so poor at the time that I wouldn't accept.  They would all point to the pot and say, "Sopa?"

I thought that "soap" was their secret ingredient.