Isabel Cristina is, and will always be, a work in progress since this is a story about my family. This idea came a year ago when I was doing an academic work for my photojournalism class and since then I’ve been wanting to keep on following this story.
Isabel Cristina is part of the first family that started working in the fish business in our local market facilities. Local markets in Portugal, especially in the North, are very known for always selling the best and fresh products since fish, fruits and more.
The story began when her grandmother, from the father’s side, decided to begin this craft of being a fishmonger. It was then passing from generation to generation and now Isabel Cristina is the owner. She started from a very young age, she always wanted to go with her parents to the market since she remembers, she would wake up at dawn and wanted to go with them to pick up the fish at the boats and take them to the market to sell later.
At the time there were a lot fishmongers, even from the same family, selling in the same market but now they are the only local ones left. Sometimes in the busiest days there’s a few more fishmongers, that I would call outsiders since they’re not locals, and are always jumping from markets to markets. But even this outsiders are leaving now because the sales have seen better days.
The Market of Vila Nova de Famalicão, as it is named, will now have new facilities and will enter soon in reconstruction. That’s one of my motives to continue following this project to see how can the new facilites change the sales, the market, this family.
For now Cristina sells fish in the market, with her mother Isabel, and also does delivers at home, sells door to door. Every one, clients, friends and family, describes her as a kind and funny person, always smilling and telling jokes. She trully values her family since she works with them and also spends a lot of time around them. Every Saturday the family helps at the market and after work they all reunite at home for lunch.
With her strength and will there she goes every day to work, no matter if it rains or not. Will this business continue? Well ,for now, the chair is empty.
