A brightly day on past
mid-January I and a friendly group visited the paddy fields of the
Albufera Valencian Natural Resources.
Peasants let water flood the
future rice-fields, from November until the end of January. It
reminds me the natural flooding of the Nile that Herodotus and other
classical authors describe and I had the chance to contemplate during
my visits to Egypt as a tourist guide.
Both phenomena represent an
opportunity for fertilization of the land by the mud 
and silt. A
friend of mine, peasant and owner of an engine-well in the area,
Vicent, describe the agrarian labors during the annual cycle:
and silt. A
friend of mine, peasant and owner of an engine-well in the area,
Vicent, describe the agrarian labors during the annual cycle:
"The
perellonà means the furrows separating a flooded closed-area
(tancat)." The
tancat is an area of farmland to a level below the lagoon. On
November 1 the gates of the "golas" (gates) connecting the
lagoon with the sea become closed. Then, this fields are flooded and
receive the mantle of humus and minerals rich soil that allow a new
year of fertility, without exhausting the land by intensive
agricultural efforts. Additionally, the flood marks the so-called
Vedats or hunting areas out,
in which hunters chase the migrants birds of the Lake, such as
mallards and a variety of ducks. After the withdrawal of the water in
the month of February, the fields are drying and peasants begin
removing the mud with a little amount of water (fanguejar) or
with the plough and work the land during the months of March and
April with hooks or tractors.
Then they return to flood the fields
and placed the sacks of rice to soak on the banks of the canals or
ditches so rice pre-germine in 24 hours. The next last step is sowing
"mixed rice". And the last step is Collecting the rice
during the month of September with great festivals and bull-running
in many of the towns that have marjal or fields of rice in
their region."
As I guide, I have oft
noticed the same marvelous process in Egypt. With this difference:
the flooding of the fields does not occur in January, but in July,
and second, in the Land of Pharaohs it is not an artificial
phenomenon according to human mind at work. The Nile is the Lord,
whose changing phases affect nature and becomes the creator of a new
civilization. It is said that the Greek historian Herodotus (Book II,
History) tells first about this fabulous River that flooded the
lowlands for one hundred days after the summer solstice. Although to
Herodotus attributed, it really was Hecataeus of Miletus who called
Egypt "gift of the Nile". The annual flooding of the Nile
in July and August always intrigued the Greek wise-men who gave
fabulous causes. The truth we know at present is that the increase of
Nile volume of flow is produced by the African monsoon that in
springtime discharge their waters in the Highlands of Ethiopia. This
Variations create an overflowing which results in generous and fecund
silt covers on its banks. This determines to get generous crops and
free time for creating a new civilization, dependent of the sun which
is the soul of it, and water, the nutrient matrix of this life.
Without much personal effort of their farmers, as narrates another
ancient historian, Diodorus of Sicily, "people, freed from work
during the time of the overflow, are dedicated partly to festivals
and pleasure”, partly to arts and crafts.
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After our trip trough
Albufera natural resource park, as I meditated on those things, we
ride our bikes to the
small and only slope of the land ( Muntanyeta dels Sants)
to admire the spectacular flooded landscape of Valencia. We
visited the adjoining Baldoví Ullal (source),
one of the most spectacular springs that provide still water
irrigation to the fields of a crystal clear water. We returned to
Sueca admiring the spectacular sun-setting over the flooded waters,
waiting for the Valencian rice planting.
