GEOCACHING POINT
GC48C71-Barca da Amieira
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In Mação there is a unique place, different from many other places in the Municipality. Here, the differences clearly stand out.
As we clim the hills, the montado gets strongly affirmed. Some say that this piece of land should be on the other side, in Alentejo, but it is not. We are on the right bank of the river Tejo, that is, in the North. The "beyond Tagus" is to the south. This way, "this" is Mação!
On a geological level, here we find areas of granite and schist, and some quartzite.
As the forest is different also some of its inhabitants differ... The history around here is scattered and sometimes hidden, but it can be found in every nook and cranny we walk through.
From the oldest national cooperative, to the old barge that rests in the shade of an oak tree. This barge eventually gave the name "Barca da Amieira" to this place by the river.
This iron barge connected this "piece of Alentejo" to the Alentejo, it also allowed commerce with the south bank, and, finally, it allowed the people of Amieira do Tejo to have access to the trains. Climbing on top of this barge we notice that it was large and imposing for the mission it performed.
Transporting animals, people and goods was that mission.
The story tells us that the body of Queen Saint Elizabeth passed on this barge, as she was carried to Coimbra, for her burial.
While scribbling a little of this text sitting on a wall near the Tagus, a shadow passes over my notebook, I look up and a few meters from me a black kite crosses the sky hovering in the air...
At that moment my focus turns to the birds... another black kite is heading there. By the "jokes" they emit, I believe it will be a couple that will be nesting in this area.
I concentrate a little on listening to the sounds, some are strange to me, however some are not. Many are the birds that chirp in my surroundings. Jackworms, starlings, cornstones, rays, weasels, algae, among many others.
I love these landscapes... We can see that nature here is still far from its plenitude, we can clearly see the evils caused by the fire that passed here...
In this area there is a fantastic bird life, I highlight the black stork that once nested here at the top of a cork oak. I didn't observe it this time, however, while walking, a couple of cartaxos was bothered by my presence, they probably have their nest here... they were so committed distracting me, that I managed to photograph them both.
It is said that one day, some birds got together and decided to pull out a tree...
"The Raven advised: cut, cut.
The Carthage: knock it down, knock it down, knock it down...
The Saver: upa, upa, upa...
The Chapin: pull, pull, pull...
The Gralha: dig, dig, dig...
Codorniz mocked: clowns, clowns, clowns...
The Trigueirão has begun to demoralize: Hí tem tanta raiz, hí tem tanta raiz...
The lark cried from above: who has seen you, who has seen you...
The Fig-People ironised: give him a pyrula, give him a pyrula...
Finally, with the tree still standing, Cartaxo put an end to the attempt: what is, what is, is...".
(Source: GAdy Rui Santos RESPIRA NATURE https://respiranatureza.com/2019/04/02/da-barca-da-amieira-a-sao-jose-das-matas/)