Raymondo’s
SECRET MISSILE LAUNCH Dr Joaquim do Sacramento Pagrete (1905-2001) was senior government member in Portugal and it is believed that he was instrumental in the renovation and re-construction of the old windmill at the top of Rua De Joaquim do Sacremento Pagrete This is a very strange place and seldom is anyone seen at these premises. It is alleged to be a disguised missile site from which an attack could be mounted on any point in Europe! Naturally there is little evidence of this on the internet because of the secret nature of the installation, however, some people know some of the facts behind this as it is a well know Geocache site for enthusiasts of this pastime. Strangely enough the cache is known as the Enigma Experience!
THE STRANGE STORY OF CASA DIMA The Casa da Dizima (Tithe House) is just off the Praça Infante Dom Henrique 4, close to the Santa Maria church. It is civil architecture from the 17th-19th centuries. Built with loopholes against one of the sections of the old Medieval wall in the 18th century. This house is mentioned in 1728 as the Customs House. It was refurbished in 1737, the date on the facade, and was destroyed during the 1755 earthquake. The present house was then rebuilt on the ruins in the 19th century. In 1820 the Customs probably moved from here to the second floor of the Slave Market House. However, the interesting thing about the house was its original use. Lagos in those days was a thriving port, shipping produce to India and South America. The house was used as an 18th century ’quality control’ centre for the shippers of local produce, predominantly oranges. What is most unusual is that most of the fruit was sent to Seville in Spain. The local produce was far superior to Seville oranges which are bitter and generally now used for marmalade. It was more practical and costeffective to sail from Lagos to Seville than for the Spanish to transport sweet oranges from areas of Spain where they where normally produced. Today the building is attached to the Hospital of Lagos.
Casa da Dizima (Tithe House)
GATEWAY FROM MACAO Although much Algarvian architecture is believed to have originated from the Moors there is increasing evidence that a good deal of design came from much further afield. There is a far eastern style to this structure and it is conceivable that this building is indeed more likely from Macao, a former Portuguese colony Macao was administered by Portugal from the mid-16th century until 1999, when it was the last remaining European colony in China. Portuguese traders first settled in Macau in the 1550s. Many sailing from the port of Lagos. In 1557 Macau was rented to Portugal by the Chinese empire as a trading port. The Portuguese administered the city under Chinese authority and sovereignty until 1887, when Macau became a colony of the Portuguese empire. Sovereignty over Macau was transferred back to china in 1999. There is great debate over this building, and it is generally felt that this was indeed a gift from the people of Macau to commemorate the trading alliance with Portugal and the port of Lagos in particular. Latterly this small kiosk was once the house where the water in Lagos was sold to the indigenous population and previously as a toll point for people entering through the city walls.
HITLER’S YACHT During World War II both sides were aware of the significance of the strategic and geographical position of the port of Lagos. Both Germany and Britain had intentions of getting Portugal as their ally. Germany by invading and Britain by less drastic means. In the end Salazar the dictator declared Portugal to be neutral. Both the Allies and Germany realized the significance of submarine warfare from the experience of WW1, consequently after the fall of France, the Germans built more and more submarine bases along the Bay of Biscay but would have preferred them to be located on the west coast of Portugal and, of course, the entrance to the Mediterranean at Lagos. One of Hitler’s many interests, during the war, was in boating and he owned several yacht and cruisers, mostly stolen. He would use these vessels to rendezvous discretely with Eva Braun. At the conclusion of the war he had only one yacht, moored in a port in Sicily. Legend said that Adolf Hitler did not die in his bunker in Berlin, but managed to escape to Argentina aboard a submarine and reach Chile, where he lived until the end of his days in the company of Eva Braun. One of the alleged homes of the Fuhrer was at a farm called at ‘Inalco Estancia, in a small village named Largors. Years later, missing his sailing exploits, he managed to contact one of his faithful aides in Germany and requested that his yacht be sent to him. Unfortunately the yacht never arrived in Largors as the aides misunderstood and sent it to Lagos where he knew Hitler had always an interest, albeit from strategic purposes during the war. It can still be seen in Lagos Marina, seemingly uncared for.
WELL WELL The main exports of Portugal are wine and, as we have mentioned previously, oranges but there is another, olives. However, the olive export trade has only recently made a resurgence. Back in the mid 17 th century, when olives were abundant, a major revolt took place when the Spanish, who were desperately seeking money to fund one of their many wars, placed a tax on olives. In 1638 many of the Algarve farmers, especially in Lagos, deliberately destroyed the olive trees as a protest against Spain. The main olive plantations were in Fonte Coberta (covered well) near to the cemetery, where the new link to the A22 will eventually be. If you are out walking, you will see many disused water wells seemingly in the middle of nowhere! These were originally used to irrigate the olive trees but fell into ruin when the olive trade ceased. In 1640, inspired by the Catalan revolt, a group of Portuguese patriots, organised by Professor Ribeiro of Coimbra University, and with the overwhelming support of the people, achieved a bloodless coup and installed on the throne John IV the Duke of Braganza, the most powerful nobleman in Portugal. Engrossed in her foreign campaigns and the Catalan rebellion, Spain could do nothing about it at the time, but she did not give up Portugal without a struggle. Desultory warfare, further embittering relations between the two countries, went on for 28 years, until in 1668 Spain finally recognised Portuguese independence.
POTATO BEACH Praia da Batata (Potato Beach) is a small beach located between two small cliffs at a point where the river Bensafrim meets the Atlantic Ocean. It is the closest beach to the centre of historic Lagos and is a hive of activity. With local sports events and small music festivals that take place there during the summer months. It is adjacent to the old fort (Forte da Ponta da Bandeira). The fort was built during the time of the War of Restoration between 1679 and 1690. The Restoration War was a series of armed clashes between the locked kingdom of Portugal and Spain , with the exception of Catalonia , in this period , Forte da Ponta da Bandeira near to the old harbour, with the main function of defending that harbour and to complement the defence of Lagos against the Spanish. The harbour was already commercially busy and one of the main trading ports of Portugal, so a strategic point. Cargo boats where in and out of the port on a regular basis with cargoes of oranges and local crops. It was a due to a cargo boat hitting the rocks and sinking by the harbour entrance that gave Praia da Batata its name. The cargo consisted entirely of potatoes that were washed up onto the beach, much to the delight of the local residents. Hence Praia da Batata, Potato Beach!
THE INDIANS OF MIDNIGHT BEACH midnight Beach is a small fishing community on the outskirts of Lagos. A Few years prior to the revolution a group of hardworking people from Monte Gordo travelled to the location which is on Meia Praia. These were people connected to the fishing industry and who were seeking a better existence. The location was particularly suitable for productive shell fishing from the nearby Alvor River. However, the settlement was very primitive constructed in the sand dunes, they were nothing more than wooden shacks with a reed covering. The homes were totally makeshift and prevented any sort of comfort for the hard workers. Soon after the “Carnation Revolution” on the 25th April 1974, the whole landscape was changed and the rather temporary accommodation was replaced by stone houses of some substance. Thus the fishing cooperative was initiated. Whilst there was state aid to assist these people the work was predominantly the combined work of the Indians of Midnight Beach. Zeca Afonso, who was a secondary school teacher in Lagos, made a song in praise of the efforts of these people in the construction of their homes. It’s called ”The Indians of Meia Praia” and the poet explains the struggle these people experienced at the time.
THE DONKEY STEPS
From the 8th Century until the late 19th century areas of Lagos outside of the 16th century city walls were predominantly used for the production of fruit and vegetables. However, as the city expanded and the population increased this industry slowly disappeared, although you will see many abandoned orange trees in and around Lagos. It was the Moors, when they arrived in the 8th century from North Africa who instigated the important trade links to Northern Africa from their bases in the Iberian Peninsula. The orange was the main citrus fruit grown in the Moorish al-Gharb area. With Spain they became Europe’s largest orange producer and the world’s leading exporter. It was the Spaniards and the Portuguese who first took the two types of orange to South America. Through history the production of the citrus fruit continued in the Algarve and still does to this day. As Lagos developed the town grew outside the city walls and the plantations disappeared. However, you can still trace the route the plantation owners took to transport their harvest to the harbour in Lagos, for onward transportation to Africa and South America. From the main square in Lagos, Praça Gil Eanes, go along Rua Garrett to the next square Praça Luís de Camões, then to the far right you will find Travessa 1° of Maio where you can clearly see some donkey steps. These were designed to assist the donkey to go down a steep hill more easily. Especially with a heavy cart full of oranges. The wheels of the cart where, of course, wide enough apart to avoid the donkey steps. If you continue further up to Rua do Paiol then you will eventually arrive at the City Wall where there used to be a gateway to the main Orange Plantation. You will also discover an excellent bar in Travessa 1° of Maio called The Star, where the owners Rick and Steve will give you much more information on this interesting historical fact.
Donkey Steps
PELOURINHO DE LAGOS Throughout European history there are many tales of the public humiliation of petty criminals. Two main devices were used, either stocks or the pillory. Lagos had it own pillory which consists of metal bars with a hooked ends where the petty criminals arms could be secured. These were always set up in areas where the majority of people often congregated, such as market squares, dockyards or other public places. They were raised up to ensure the public could easily see the villain receiving his or her punishment. Notification of the crime was placed next to the pillory so people could judge the severity of the crime and act accordingly. Petty crimes, such as stealing for food where treated more leniently, whereas criminals stealing goods to sell and make profit were treated far more severely, and sometimes lasted for several hours. Once people discovered that the pillory was occupied they would gather to taunt them, usually laughing at the lesser criminals but would throw items at people who had behaved more badly. The Lagos pillory (Pelourinho) was situated in the main square of Igreja de Santa Maria and was mostly used to used for humiliate to people who tried to steal from the many warehouses that used to frequent that part of Lagos, being close to the original port. The warehouse owners often provided ammunition for the crowd, who would then show their displeasure at the criminal by throwing rotten olives or oranges, the main exports of Lagos, at the miscreants. The Lagos Pelourinho is currently in a courtyard of the Municipal Museum of Lagos.
ETHIOPIAN INFLUENCE Late in the 15th century the Portuguese missions into Ethiopia began where the Portuguese believed in the existence of fellow Christians. Many years later the Portuguese set up a firm working relationship with the Ethiopians' in both a military and trading sense. The Portuguese were world leaders in those days in terms of exploration and trade with many parts of the g;lobe and in particular with the middle east. The Ethiopians left Egypt, after being invaded by Arabs, and other Middle Eastern tribes. After the invasion, Ethiopians concentrated more heavily in Ethiopia. However, they still had business transactions with the newer Egyptian population, and with people in various parts of the Middle East, India, and other parts of North Africa and of course Portugal. The Ethiopians were the first and second kingdom of Egyptians and were the builders of the Sphinx, and the smaller pyramids in Egypt. This friendship is commemorated with the monuments built in Largo dos Quarteis. They are of a particular Ethiopian design reminiscent of the pyramids they build so many years ago.
THE PAINTED HOUSES OF LAGOS As you pass through the streets of Lagos, you cannot fail to notice various different painted frames around many of the doors and windows of the typical Algarvian style houses. This particular style of decoration is very old and traditional and there is a meaning for all of the different colours. Centuries ago, the population of Lagos were quite superstitious and to this end decided to paint different colours around the door and window frames for a number of reasons. Blue is predominantly to ward of evil spirits, apparently the devil is afraid of the colour blue. Fishermen also used it when they retired to remind them of the live associated with the sea. Yellow is related mostly to commerce and many old shops and business premises used this colour as it is thought to bring in money. Many people, upon moving into a new home would use red as this was thought to bring good luck to the home. Colours were regularly changed to suit the needs of the occupants, if one colour did not seem to work then another could be used to try some thing new. Generally this would be green is it signifies hope. Pink frames are used to project love and many newlyweds use this colour. Whilst people realise that these superstitions have no value the homes are still painted in this style to keep the history and tradition alive in Lagos.
A CONVENIENCE FOR ALL The Ministry of Environment (Ministério do Ambiente e do Ordenamento do Território), introduce toilets for walkers in the national parks. Unfortunately the shrubs they have strategically placed around the facilities have not grown sufficiently enough to provide any sort of privacy yet. However, as spokesperson for the leading walking club in the Algarve, Up and Down Dale said, “We have been campaigning for quite some time now and the Ministry have responded in a most positive way. Give it a few months and they will be ideal for walkers needs.
A ROSE IS A ROSE You may well have noticed the increase of vineyards in the western Algarve and in particular the areas around Lagos. Some fairly impressive wines are being produced and something to really look forward to on future years as the industry progresses and improves. However, if you have looked more closely you will see they grow other things than grapevines. Roses! A Rose is a rose is a rose," as on Gertrude Stein postulated as part of her 1913 poem Sacred Emily, interpreted as meaning "things are what they are,". However in a vineyard a rose bush is more than just a beautiful flower, it is there for a specific purpose. Both roses and grape vines are susceptible to some of the same diseases. In our case, roses act as early warning of some fungal disease. These are kinds of mildew. Oidium, a powder which develops on all green parts of the vine. We would see a white powdery growth of spores on the surfaces. If this mildew sets on the grapes, the fruit will not grow properly and will eventually split and rot. This fungus likes warm and shady environment and does not need a damp condition to survive. The second deadly mildew is called Downy mildew which was brought over from American to Europe in the 19th century. It attacks all the green parts of the vine and leave behind patches of oily stains on the surface. Once attacked, the leaves will drop and photosynthesis inhibited. This fungus likes damp condition unlike that of Oidium. So rose bushes help the vineyard team to catch sights of the fungus disease in its early stage to apply the proper treatment.
LAGOS TO GOA TO AFRICA TO VINDALOO A considerable amount of trade commenced and finished in the port of Lagos. Mostly to the Portuguese colonies in Africa and then on primarily to India, Goa in particular. Portugal had a strong relationship with five countries in Africa, so much so that most of the populations spoke Portuguese. The countries were Angola, Cape Verde, GuineaBissau, Mozambique and São Tomé and Príncipe. These countries also based their structure on the Portuguese way of life, in terms of the way they were governed and that they traded amongst themselves. It was under the influence of the Portuguese in Goa in the 16th and 7th century that the world famous dish Vindaloo was created. Vin is vinegar and aloo comes from alho, which is of course Portuguese for garlic. The Goans maintain that it should be spicy but should not be hot, unlike what one would receive in a British Indian restaurant! Originally it was a pork dish. The chillies were also introduced to Goa by the Portuguese, mainly from Mozambique, where the Portuguese dish Piri Piri originated from
THE BATTLE OF LAGOS For nearly two hundred years Lagos was the most important location in the whole of the Algarve, in fact the whole of southern Portugal. As you may know the town was decimated by the earthquake and following tsunami in 1755. Whilst there are still structures standing, and much of the city wall, most of the other historic building date that still exist where built in the late 18th and early 19th century. Lagos has a famous history relative to naval battles, due in principal to its strategic location. There were in fact two Battles of Lagos, the first in 1693 where the French defeated a combined Anglo– Dutch navy. Later in 1759 a British force defeated the French. This battle lasted two days and was part of the Year of Miracles . It was the latter of these two battles where the leader of the British fleet commandeered the green tiled building well know in the centre of Lagos. Just prior to the fleet sailing from Lagos to meet the enemy he gathered all of his officers in Praça Luís de Camões a n d presented a rallying speech from the balcony so powerful that v i c tory was almost assured.
A LOAD OF COBBLERS Originally the main street of Lagos were constructed unpaved streets of sand. Being the departure point for many of the great explorers the city observed only a handful of solid surfaces in a city interlaced with creeks, marshes and sand banks, primarily to assist in the transportation of goods to the awaiting ships lying in the Lagos harbour. A major change in the Lagos streetscapes came from cobblestones that were used as ballast in the holds of visiting sailing ships. These square stones were often dumped on city wharves to make more room for valuable cargoes of port wines and cork, offering a new form of landfill. By the 1820’s the city had officially gotten into the act, offering sea captains tax-free port visits in return for ballast stones, and by the late 19th century, provided roads and pavements for more than 6 kilometres of streets. Iron keels would eventually make supply of cobblestones harder to find, so many new streets were made up from Belgian Blocks, wooden planks or concrete as well as the “noiseless roadway” of creosotecovered blocks laid on the Avenido Descombrimentos in 1934 to soften traffic sounds near courts and business offices. However, after several minor and one rather strong earthquake the Camera soon realised that the cobblestones were perfect, causing far less damage to the road and pathways than the more recent concrete or tarmac. The repairs cost for cobblestones were negligible but many of the concrete or tarmac areas had to be completely restored. Many people question why there are so many cobblestones, the answer is simply they are far easier to repair in the event of an earthquake.
THE STORK SAGA All over Europe the stork is a migratory bird, but since the mid 1980s increasing numbers of White Stork have chosen to stay in Lagos all year rather than migrate to Africa in winter. There are now many storks that no longer migrate but stay resident here in Portugal. Storks are highly opportunistic and adaptable so this change in behaviour is probably due to the year-round abundant food supply from landfill sites and also milder European winter temperatures. Being adaptable is all well and good but sometimes things are out of their control. Imagine a new development taking place, as in the new Camara Building. If you are passing you will notice a chimney complete with a stork’s nest by the new roundabout in front of the building. The original chimney was several metres away, right where the new building was to be erected so the Camara decided that the nest would have to be moved, firstly onto a scaffold tower. They then rebuilt to chimney, brick by brick in its new location and replaced the nest to its present position. Must have cost a considerable amount of money, it is a shame the stork, like the rest of use, can no longer enjoy the New Year fireworks, especially with that spectacular view, as there is no money left!
RETURN TO LEAVER In the worldwide battle to get dog owners to clean up after their pets we discover that the local camera have a plan to clean up the streets as the public are fed up with dirty parks and pavements. Some places hand out steep fines, but in these tough economic times that is not always the best solution. Instead the Camara propose to engaged a small army of volunteers to bag it, box it and send it back to its owners. “It’s your dog, it’s your dog poop, we are just returning it to you.” The dog owners will receive their packages – white boxes bearing the seal of this town and labelled “lost and found” – within hours. Signing for the curious parcels, they must be intrigued, though surely unsuspecting. A casual inspection of the town park areas and some streets leading to them seemed to support this proposal. Not all dog owners will agree with this idea. However, we do feel that the vast majority, especially tourists, will think it an admirable plan.
ELECTRO NUNS ON ICE From a humble beginning to great success but Electro Nuns on Ice needed to travel 6,500 miles to achieve it. The bands were all waiters or barmen in Lagos. Five years ago, they met at the Cultural Centre at a concert and were chatting about their desires to be in a rock band. 18 months later they performed their first gig locally with a few follow-up concerts in southern Portugal. Portugal has never been renowned as a major contributor to the world’s stage regarding pop and rock music, so the band found it difficult and eventually split up.
Carlos Ramos, the lead guitarist decided to travel the world and found a whole new stage for aspiring musicians in Shanghai. The changing market dynamics and improved spending power of Chinese citizens has put the live performance industry on the fast track to success. Upon returning to Lagos the band reformed after Carlos explained the many possibilities. He had already found an agent and said they would forward some tracks and videos of their performances to him. The response was very positive and two years ago the band left Lagos for their first concert in Shanghai. President of Orange Recording, Si Lun said he expects “the album released in early 2014 will be one of the biggest sellers of a rockbased album in China after the number one success of the Goes Around single� (listen to the track below) A good deal of coverage in the local media and some TV bought the rock oriented band to the attention of the residents of Shanghai and later the rest of China. Rock music a few years ago was not really known and appreciated in China.
FROG DETERRENT Frogs are regularly mentioned in folklore in many societies across the social network. The amphibious creature is suggested to have magical properties that can affect many people. Bringing good luck is a common one and being a weather predictor another. On the medical front then curing warts is well known. Some of the stranger folklore beliefs are that if you hear a frog croaking exactly at midnight, it means rain is on the way, alternatively some belief exactly the opposite. Carrying a dried frog in a pouch around your neck will prevent epileptic seizures. One of the strangest is putting a live frog in your mouth to cure thrush. Some Portuguese cultures over 200 years ago believed that a frog coming into your house brings good luck. However, one of the oldest and, some still believe it is still practiced, is to place a frog in your house to protect yourself from visiting gypsies who decide to call upon you when they are unwelcome. The frog apparently keeps bad luck and unwelcome guests away.
STONE ME Quite often when you are walking around the cliffs or hills of Lagos you will find a pile of stones, carefully placed on top of each other in diminishing size. Now most of you regular walkers will know that these are called cairns. The word cairn comes from the Scottish Gaelic. They vary in size from small stone markers to entire artificial hills, and in complexity from loose, conical rock piles to delicately balanced sculptures and elaborate feats of megalithic style engineering, most commonly they are used as trail markers or landmarks for hikers. Today many people balance rocks and stones for a hobby. It is an exercise in balance, spatial orientation, and patience. Some designs can be pretty stunning. However, more recently it has come to light that there is a religious background associated with an old tribal custom of the Portuguese dating back to the Cynetes or Conii who were living in the Iberian peninsular before the 6th century. If someone had recently passed away then these stones are erected, sometimes with a mask, or facial item. These are regarded as sentries to protect those who have passed away. Somewhat surprising to see them in unusual locations such as this one near to the cark park in the centre of Lagos just last month!
RESCUE With the holiday season looming on the horizon some measures are being taken to raise the standard of safety for visitor’s, especially those going on walks and exploring the beautiful coastline. Many people love to walk along the cliff tops and in most cased these are perfectly safe. Likewise the beaches can also be a splendid place to explore. However, over the past few years more and more people are finding themselves in extremely difficult situation by going that step too far. The cliff tops offer splendid views of the great beaches the Algarve is blessed with, but it is somewhat surprising how many risk their lives trying to climb down to the secluded areas and become stuck, not being able to climb back up nor proceed any further downwards. The beaches too can strand you if you are nor particularly careful, the tides, especially when spring tides are due and high winds prevail, the water level changes rapidly often stranding people unable to retrace their steps. To counter this a new safety helicopter, sponsored by Unicer Bebidas the makers of Cristal lager will be stationed at Lagos airport for the holiday season. The picture here shows it’s inaugural flight over Lagos.
ROMAN RUINS? We all wonder why the bypass road has not been completed. The amount of money that would be saved by everyone who could use the road, to avoid the centre of Lagos would be considerable. Having to stop and start all the way through town adds to fuels costs, the Camara have to spend more money of road repairs and so on. However, although no one will admit to this, we have discovered that it is due to the fact that they have discovered some possible ruins, by the new road, which could be Roman remains. In Portugal you have to pay a small fortune for the government to send archaeologists to check the ruins and authenticate them or not. As they have no money this will not be happening, so no new bypass for anyone until this can be resolved, if ever.
IN A ROUNDABOUT WAY Intermarche have managed to help the flow of traffic, at their expense, by have a new roundabout built, presumably due to the very competitive fuel station,. It is great that big business is able to help the Camara who have no finance for such a project. However, one feels that could have contributed something by making the roundabout a bit more about Lagos. Nearly all of the roundabouts in the city have names, The Ship, The Chairs and The Ball for example. Since fishing has been at the heart of Lagos commerce for many years it is such a shame that the Camara could not have restored to old, now falling to pieces, Fisherman monument a few metres away, thus making The Fisherman roundabout a tribute to the many involved over the years in that trade. Sound better than the Intermarche Supermarket Roundabout doe sn’t it?
SORRY ARE WE IN YOUR WAY? Each month we will bring you something we would regard as an eyesore or problem relative to Lagos. As a major tourist attraction and perhaps as important, home to 22,000 residents, it is sometimes confusing to people who visit of live here why certain things are the way they are. Just recently we understand the Camara (local council) restricted the use of ‘A’ boards, presumably to clear the pathways to the thousands of visitors. Somehow we cannot see this is going to make a great deal of difference when many of the restaurant block the pedestrian walkways with tables, chairs, merchandise stands and the like.
BREAKING THE HABIT? Sometime ago we bought you the story of four restaurant staff from Lagos who succeeded beyond their wildest dreams in the Rock world of China. The four musicians have just finished a major tour of China to celebrate and promote their second album "A Roaming Catholic". The huge success has led to the decision to retire after having made their name in a burgeoning rock market. One of the reasons is simply that more and more Chinese bands are coming to the fore and the local population will support them more than 'imported acts' Carlos Ramos said " we have enjoyed our time here, but we are natives of Portugal and are finding the way of life in China a little too difficult and demanding, especially trying to learn the language. So the boys are returning to Lagos and will consider their options when the get back. Eugenio Viera said "I use to love working in the bars and restaurants in Lagos, and would love to get back into the mainstream business of the city. So if anyone knows of a job going!
KEEP FIT SAFELY The Camera, presumably, have installed some 'keep fit' exercise machines in the park off Rua Da Gafaria. Now it is important, for health and safety reasons, to ensure that you read the instructions before using the equipment. However, at the moment this means that only English and Spanish reader's can utilise the exercise machines as they are the only two languages used.
IN A ROUNDABOUT WAY I seems that the vast majority of our readers would like to see the fisherman statue re-sited on the roundabout at Intermarche. Not only as a tribute to those who risked their lives fishing for a living but to help restore the statue itself. Hopefully Intermarche will get to hear about this project.
WHAT THE HELL? Well under way and to open real soon, the miniature golf park on top of the car park in Rua Jose Afonso. We think that many people will enjoy this great attraction and we know that lots of people are looking forward to playing there. Even regular golfers will find some of the holes a bit of a challenge. However, the most challenging thing will be explaining to younger children on the course why the big fat naked ladies are prancing around there. Those with the funniest answer could find themselves with a prize!
WHERE’S EVERYBODY GONE?
Praça Infante Dom Henrique Where's everybody gone? Once one of the prime locations in Lagos, Rosa's Esplanade Bar where you could sit out in the sunshine and enjoy live entertainment. One of the few places in Lagos where you can get the sun for most of the day. A few local street traders to make life interesting and now the fun and atmosphere has completely disappeared. All we get now are seagulls, and drunks fouling the water. Please do not let your children play there!!
BEWARE There have been some recent reports about people being passed by a group of two or three late teenagers who when passing have deliberately pinched the person’s arm. Admittedly not violently, but enough to make the person say something, usually “Ooh” or “ouch”. It transpires that they are students conducting a survey relating to the commonest words used in all languages around the world. The most obviously being the word OK. However the theory is that ow, ooh and ouch are also extremely common. Ow and and ooh being shortened versions of the word ouch. Although no one has admittedly responsibility for this or even confirmed that it a real survey, people we spoke to said, that it was not at all funny, although it did not really hurt, but a word or warning keep your eyes open and wits about you! If you test this out on a unsuspecting friend we would be very interesting if they do in fact use the word ouch.
STICK IT IN! To combat the increasing problem we referred to in an earlier article, regarding cyclists using the pedestrian areas, the authorities are going to combat this by using wheel prods. There are battery operated and can be fully extended with the press of a button. The idea is that the prod then engages the rear wheel bringing the cyclist to a rather dramatic stop, then they can then receive a rather hefty fine for breaking the law. These are very popular in the United States and sales on Ebay are doing extremely well, since it is not only the authorities that are using them but the general public who are also totally fed up with cyclists in pedestrian areas !!
WAILING WALL With the fall of Rome, the town of Lagos was occupied in the 6th century by the Visigoths from the Kingdom of Toledo and later by the Byzantines. The Moors arrived in the 8th century from North Africa, renaming the settlement Zawaia (meaning lago, or lake). It became part of the much larger coastal region of al-Gharb, which eventually became known as the Algarve. The Moors fortified the town with Lagos Castle and established important trade links to Northern Africa from their bases in the Iberian peninsula. In 1174, the local Wāli (Camara) gave permission for the Christian peoples to construct a church dedicated to São João Baptista, which was built outside the town's walls (becoming the oldest church in the Algarve). However, there was still a strong influence of the Moorish faith in existence and they created a wall, similar in principal to the Western Wall (Wailing Wall) in Jerusalem. This is located in the centre of Lagos in Travessa 1 Maio, off the memorial square. Unlike the clashes between the Jews and Muslims over the Wailing Wall this was a peaceful area as many of the people who visited had great respect for the 'images' they could see, reminding them of perhaps the ghosts of the past.
IN MEMORY OF..... The first people in the Algarve were traders and Estate stewards that established their colonies on the coasts. Good examples were the Phoenicians and the Carthaginians that existed for a long time solely from the resources of the coast. One of the most important facts in the Algarve's history: the five centuries of Arab occupation, visible in the regions architecture (lattice chimneys and tiles, for example) and in many places' names beginning with 'Al'. The Algarve was once part of the Roman province of Lusit창nia, later becoming part of the Visigoths' jurisdiction. The Roman presence left tracks in Milreu, Faro, Boca do Rio and Vilamoura. In 711, Tarik ibn Zyad passed the Estreito de Gibraltar and defeated the king of the Visigoths. In 712 Abd AlAziz Ben Mussa conquered the "Gharb Al Andaluz". Andaluz meant Vandal's Land and Al-Gharb, The West. After many battles, the Algarve was reclaimed by the Christians and this is still commemorated locally in Lagos where one of the major battles took place. You can see the evidence of this with some strange street decorations similar to Christmas paper chains. There are two set representing the colours of the two armies. The red and white being the Christians, the colours being used long before the Crusaders. And Blue and Yellow the traditional colour of the Muslim invaders.