In Xartinho and Mata do Rei, as across rural Portugal, donkeys were part of daily life for generations. The photographs below follow the Manuel family with them, from his father in 1949 to his grandparents in 1969, along with a pony ride of his own in 1967.
His father, Joaquim (Jack) Manuel, Jr., playing the accordion on a donkey, 1949His father, Joaquim (Jack) Manuel, Jr., on a donkey, 1949In the village with the donkey and cartHaving seen his father on the donkey, the young Dr. Manuel wanted to ride one, August 1967
His grandmother, Maria Rosa dos Santos Manuel, on a donkey, with his grandfather, Joaquim Manuel, Sr., and cousins, Xartinho and Mata do Rei, September 1969His grandmother on the donkey, with his grandfather beside her, September 1969
