Viewing page 6 of 18

00:11:26
00:13:28
00:11:26
Playback Speed: 100%

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

Transcription: [00:11:26]
{SPEAKER name="Jeanne Porterfield "}

The men pull the nets for over an hour, which draws their boats closer together, and at the same time, brings the captured tuna near the surface. The fish weigh anywhere from 500 to 700 pounds, and are over six feet in length, and as their moment of truth arrives, a tense excitement takes over.

[00:11:49]
The most spectacular part is when the men get right into the water to combat the fish by hand. These silver giants of the sea fight furiously, and have been known to break a man's back or even kill him with a single blow from the tail. So the men are risking their lives in this battle of the deep.

[00:12:14]
May through August, the chants of the fishermen can be heard from dawn to dusk, as they enact one of mankind's oldest and most thrilling dramas of the sea.

[00:12:26]
Flourishing along the Douro River are the sun-splashed vineyards. This is the only region that yields the special grapes used in producing port wine, so famous to Portugal.

[00:12:40]
Following the river, we came to Porto. This is the second-largest, as well as the oldest city of the country, and is most renowned for being the home of port wine.

[00:12:53]
Not only did Porto give the wine its name, but also the entire country is named after this lively metropolis.

[00:13:04]
Although there was little room to spare, our 20th century car did make it through the 12th century gateway into the medieval town of Braganza.

[00:13:15]
Here an aura of antiquity prevailed, with little changed over the centuries. And predating the ancient town itself, a strange dance was being performed in celebration of a plentiful harvest.