Hags of Portugal

One of the most striking things about Portugal is the concentration of elderly women who look like the villains from Disney cartoons. I do not mean this in a pejorative way. The Portuguese hags are so haggy, so close to the Platonic ideal of a hag, that they are actually aesthetically perfect in their way. For example, consider this fish-hag from the village of Nazare:



A mountain-hag from Manteigos:
She kept a careful watch on our hotel from across the street, keeping the village appraised of our comings and goings.

I've never been in a place where the hags turn my head as I walk down the street. They are that amazing. I have no idea how Portugal came to have so many excellent hags, but I think they should embrace and celebrate this unique resource.