An ode to the fishermen of the town of Tossa de Mar
It’s a common sight along the coastline of Spain. The image of a woman waiting for the fisherman’s return. This statue in Tossa depicts a woman mending the nets. It’s a traditional local activity connected to the fishing world of the town.
The image of the net mender illustrates the work that women did to repair any tears, breaks, or loose stitches in the nets after a day of fishing, so it would be ready for the next day’s journey back out to sea.
The verse at the bottom of the statue is in Catalan, the official language in the Northeast of Spain.
Què en quedarà de vosaltres?
Només l’ombra dun temps passat,
si el temps pogués anar enrera
i algú us volgués recordar
serà perquè lenyorança
el cor ben pres i heu deixat.
Joan Pescador
(In English: What will remain of you? Only the shadow of a past time, if time could go back and someone wanted to remember you, it would be because your memory holds the heart tightly and you are gone. – Joan Pescador)
