Morning rituals at Lisbon’s markets
The clock reads 4 AM as trucks pull up to Lisbon’s Mercado da Ribeira. Fish boxes clatter against concrete while vendors arrange their stalls under fluorescent lights. The air carries notes of salt and seawater. This daily sequence, unchanged for generations, supplies fresh seafood to Portugal’s capital. Fishmongers sort their catches with practiced efficiency – each movement refined by years of repetition. They arrange silver-scaled sardines in precise rows, stack red snapper on beds of ice, and position octopus tentacles with careful attention. The market’s concrete floor remains wet, footsteps leaving momentary impressions as workers navigate between stalls. María Santos … Read more
