Travels through my homeland - Cova Joana - By Benvindo Neves
It was on the way to Nossa Senhora do Monte that, one day, I discovered Cova Joana, a place as peaceful as it is enchanting, and which, in the recent past, about two and a half years ago, was on the lips – and also in the prayers – of all of Cape Verde!
When you leave the town of Nova Sintra and take the picturesque mountain road towards the parish of Nossa Senhora do Monte, always uphill, everything that appears before you delights the visitor.
Before reaching Nossa Senhora do Monte, the traveler passes through two caves, the first being Rodela - Cova Rodela - a beautiful, cool area with beautiful people. But we won't stop there. We continue our adventure uphill, always climbing on the cobblestone, and sometimes uncomfortable, road that winds through the chestnut and wild mountains of Brava Island.
A few kilometers further on, along the edge of a hillside, you turn left and enter Cova Joana. What a beautiful place! On the edge of the cave, high up, the stately houses of Nossa Senhora do Monte are already clearly visible.
When I arrived at Cova Joana, I immediately wanted to know where the former residence of Nhô Raul de Pina was, the famous violinist from Brava, who also sang! He died just shy of his 103rd birthday, leaving behind almost 40 children!
I asked where Nhô Raul's house was. They then showed me an interesting two-story house, right in the center of Cova, which was already very dilapidated and apparently abandoned.
Nhô Raul de Pina, one of the many illustrious sons that Brava produced, passed away in 2005, leaving Cova Joana, the island of Brava, and the entire country saddened.
Recently, in August 2016, the soul of Nhô Raul de Pina was certainly troubled by the threat of a volcanic eruption in his peaceful area. But everything calmed down, thankfully! And Cova Joana will continue to preserve its beauty, its lovely houses, well-kept with their spacious courtyards filled with dense, flowery gardens. In the spaces between one residence and another, properties with ever-lush trees and shrubs hide, on the threshold of each door, a discreet glance and a shy smile on the faces of its people.
Whenever I go to Brava, I pass through Cova Joana to admire the landscape, enjoy the tranquility of the area, and remember Nhô Raul de Pina, the eldest son of Cova Joana, who now, wherever he may be, must be more at peace, because after all, Cova Joana remains as it always was: peaceful, quiet, and… permanently enveloped in a fluffy mist.
Welcome Neves
