Tomorrow Algarve Magazine - April 2023

Happy 80th Birthday Tom

5,500 PRINTED COPIES

EDITORIAL

Sophie Sadler

sophie@tomorrowalgarve.com

+351 912 176 588

SALES

Tom Henshaw

tom@tomorrowalgarve.com

+351 919 918 733

DESIGN

Phil Harding

phil@tomorrowalgarve.com

+351 916 606 226

FOLLOW

Editor's note

Dear Tomorrow readers,

As well as the Easter celebrations, another momentous occasion is happening in April 2023: our favourite media mogul Tom Henshaw is turning 80 on 3 April!

Looking at the figure gracing our front page, many of you will find it hard to believe that Tom has become an octogenarian. (There is no airbrushing in this photo, we promise.) Before asking him to give us the secret of eternal youth, we should pause to reflect on his life and achievements.

While living in Stoke-on-Trent, he started his own company Henshaws, which dealt in furniture retail, manufacturing and removals. Tom might have been inspired to become a furniture tycoon by his father, the inventor of the Henshaw crapper. This ingenious piece of engineering was intended to solve the problem of how to relieve yourself comfortably on family camping trips. The design incorporated a seat frame with a toilet seat attached to it. The young Tom would wander into the woods with the seat to do his business. From tiny seeds, mighty oaks grow!

Sadly, Tom's furniture empire collapsed after his ground-breaking ZIT chair failed to sell. He then decided to import polished wood furniture from Taiwan, which he belatedly discovered wasn’t kilndried and so absorbed water in the damp English climate.

Although we may joke about these failures, they demonstrate that Tom always dreamt big and had a huge amount of energy and charisma. And things started to go right for Tom when he moved to the Algarve and worked as a sales manager for the Algarve Resident before working with the Portugal News During this time, he recognised that many in the Algarve needed help, so he had the idea of starting a charity called Helping Hands to support those in need.

His son Chad suggested Tom should start a magazine to promote the charity. The name Tomorrow was born to highlight the concept of building a better tomorrow.

The first edition was in November 2011, and along the way, Tom established the Tomorrow Algarve Charity Trust, which has raised over 100,000€ for charity.

More recently, as the world has moved on, Tom has channelled his good looks and charisma into promoting the magazine online and has become quite a social media star.

However, most of us know him as a friend and an allaround good egg! (That is not a reference to his head, by the way!)

Happy Birthday Tom, from Sophie, Phil and the Tomorrow team

You can read Tom the True Story in an article which marked the 100th edition here: tomorrowalgarve.com/tomorrow-the-true-story

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Whilst we take every care to ensure details are correct the publisher will take no responsibility for errors or omissions. Where prices or dates are quoted they are correct at the time of publication and are subject to change. Links to third party websites are by no way an endorsement of the linked material and the publisher takes no responsibility for the content or security of any third party website. Unless specifically stated Tomorrow magazine does not endorse any product or service appearing in the directory, classified, editorial or display advertising featured on the website. Observação: os números de telefone presentes nesta publicação podem estar sujeitos a cobranças: números que começam por 2 chamada para rede fixa nacional e números começados por 9 chamada para rede móvel nacional.

Man! I Feel Like a Woman!

The Algarve is a refuge for many artists who find inspiration in its beauty, tranquillity and magic. Last year, Portugal gained another kindred spirit in this ever-growing community. From a small Italian village, Mario Marchiaro fought against prejudice and familial obligations while overcoming enormous obstacles. In doing so found his raison d’être, embracing wearing a pair of trousers as well as a sparkly frock and high heels.

Mario Marchiaro, aka Chandalier, is a professional theatrical illusionist who has performed worldwide. Mario and his husband Ken, a renowned artist and photographer, moved to Lagos from San Diego last year. Happily settled and feeling at home, Mario plans for Chandalier to perform regularly in this area to raise money for the Tomorrow magazine charity, TACT.

Mario Marchiaro was born in 1960 in Valpone, a small village in Italy with only 200 inhabitants. “Everyone knew each other’s business in our village,” Mario declares. The middle child with an older brother and a younger sister, he grew up with a controlling father. “I developed empathy for women in early childhood and watching my father belittle my mother played a pivotal role in that.”

Mario’s parents were semi-professional ballroom dancers who competed locally. “I showed an affinity for music and dance, and at the age of eight, I asked my father if I could learn an instrument,” he recalls. “There was a barber in the village who was very musical, so my father arranged with him to teach me. I read music for two years using solfège exercises and only then did I progress to the accordion, a traditional instrument in my area.”

Mario was a natural musician. He quickly became adept, despite the instrument being larger than him! At age 10, he had his first experience performing, playing his accordion

for the barber’s clients. “They loved me, and I adored the feeling of being an entertainer.” Over the next four years, having improved significantly, Mario begged his father to allow him to study music in Turin, Valpone’s closest big town.

“My father had different plans for me, though. He owned a car bodywork garage and intended that my siblings and I would leave school at 14 to work for him; my brother and I to work in the garage, and my sister to be the secretary,” remembers Mario. “In Italy, it’s normal for children to work in the family business, as it saves on wages. Pocket money for essentials is given to the children instead.”

Reluctantly and with no other alternative, Mario left school and followed his father’s wishes to train as an auto body painter. Continuing to practise the accordion became difficult as his hands grew damaged from work. It was especially tough in the winter when calluses formed because of the cold.

“My father, although not allowing me to continue my studies in music, was proud of my accordion playing. He often wanted me to perform for his friends, which I did, but there was inevitable friction between us. I was furious at him for obstructing my education and crushing my dreams.

WORDS Helen Daniel

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Salt was rubbed deep into the wound by watching my friends go off to school and hearing their stories. One day, when I was 16, I said no to playing the accordion for my father’s friends, and I gave up the instrument forever.”

During these tumultuous teenage years, Mario was not only angry towards his father but also felt a growing awareness that he was not like most other boys. He developed a crush on a young lad, a fellow employee around his age. The feeling was reciprocated, and the two embarked on a long-term secret love affair while simultaneously dating girls.

“Village life began to drive me crazy. I was naturally curious and felt thwarted by my restricted lifestyle. Meanwhile, I had become a valuable asset to my father’s business, and at 20 years old, I decided to come out of the closet to my family. I couldn’t cope with the secrecy anymore. It was the 1980s, and homosexuality was still considered a mental illness. My parents were distraught,” Mario recalls. Chillingly, he remembers that in a moment of confusion, his mother stated she would rather have a dead son than a gay son. “Her words had a significant impact on me. As she never repeated them and was a loving mother overall, I believe her response came from a place of utter shock.”

There was disharmony in the house, and at his very lowest point, Mario contemplated suicide. Pulling himself out of that dark place, he realised he had two options: run away or stay and endeavour to make his parents understand that he was still their son. He remained for two more years. When the relationship with his first lover ended, Mario fell in love with a radio DJ from

a nearby town who helped him cope with his family’s disapproval and encouraged him to start evening dance classes.

In 1982, when Mario was 22 and realising his family would never accept his sexual orientation, he and his boyfriend left for Rome. “It was a big drama for my family, with weeping and wailing in true Italian style. After eight years of working for him, all my father gave me was an old car and the equivalent of 300 dollars! With such a measly contribution to my future, he was both assuming and hoping I would be home very soon,” Mario recounts.

There was no looking back for Mario, though; he was unstoppable. During the day, he used his car bodywork skills to earn an income, while in the evenings, he attended ballet school, where he excelled. He was focused and determined to do well. After 18 months, he got his first professional work as a dancer in a troupe for television shows. Subsequently, his career took off and he did not stop dancing for years, quickly becoming a principal dancer in many shows.

“In 1989, cast in televised live theatre, I was suddenly famous and being photographed and interviewed for magazines. Now my parents were very proud of me and came to see my shows. They couldn’t grasp how I could earn money this way. How can I make money without getting dirty?!”

Mario had reached a highlight in his career. He never wanted to return to being part of the chorus. One day a friend who had bought the rights to an Italian translation of the American musical A Chorus Line offered Mario a key role.

“This was a fantastic opportunity as it was Italy’s first big Broadway show. After three months of rehearsals, we toured the country doing 225 performances. It was a roaring success!”

Following this triumph, the talented Mario became a principal dancer in a Milan show, and yet again, he fell in love. This time it was with an American dancer. “I ended the last relationship, packed my things and, driven by love as always, I went to California with him,” he declares.

America massively broadened Mario’s horizons while his career soared to new heights. He combined dancing professionally with teaching and, in 1993, he moved to San Francisco. With his experience of many dancing styles, Mario acquired work on a show called Dance Time. “This was an amazing opportunity to tour America and to get a good perspective of the country. It was a fun time; a new life in a new country opened my eyes to fresh possibilities,” he remembers.

At 36, the hard-working Mario, who had been dancing professionally for 15 years, was tired. “I needed a break,” he explains. “At this time, I met Ken, now my husband, and it was love and fireworks at first sight. I knew immediately that

When I sit in front of the mirror, I am Mario. As I apply makeup, a metamorphosis occurs. I gradually take on the persona and confidence of Chandalier, the performer, and steadily, bit by bit, I am transformed.”

this was the man I wanted to be with for the rest of my life, and luckily, he felt the same. I stopped dancing, and we started a photography business together.”

The happy couple moved to Palm Springs and opened an art gallery. Mario felt at peace at first with not performing on stage. “It felt as if I still my hand in acting though, with all the chitchat that comes with selling art!” he laughs.

One evening Mario and Ken attended an Aids charity show where several drag queens performed. Mario had seen drag before but had not given it much thought. This time though, he was mesmerised. He and Ken looked at each other, and they both knew that the show had rekindled Mario’s creative fire. “I didn’t realise how much I was missing performing until I saw this show. At 43, there was little chance of me getting any male dancing roles, but drag, I knew I could do that!” Thus, his alter ego Chandalier was born.

Palm Springs’ thrift shops benefit from the generosity of its many wealthy female residents. They are full of rich ladies’ glamorous frocks, shoes, wigs and accessories. “I had the most amazing time buying flamboyant, outrageous outfits that only a drag queen would wear,” he laughs. “My problem was applying makeup. I had never had to do my own before, and as Ken is an artist, initially, I asked him to do it. He also applied my false eyelashes until there came the point where using tough love, he said he would do it no more, and I had to face that fear on my own. Getting ready for a show gives me a much-needed transition time. When I sit in front of the mirror, I am Mario. As I apply makeup, a metamorphosis occurs. I gradually take on the persona and confidence of Chandalier, the performer, and steadily, bit by bit, I am transformed.”

Mario started performing in Palm Springs, and he was sensational. “I incorporated my dancing skills into the shows, using kicks, flicks and cartwheels on stage,” he explains. “I adore dressing as a woman; embracing my feminine side allows me to feel empowered. I also love being a man and am at peace with my identity. I often change into men’s clothing during a show, but women’s clothes are simply more fun, with colour, extravagance and glitziness. The art of drag has given me an intimate understanding of the societal pressures on women to look beautiful. High heels, push-up bras, and false eyelashes can be terribly uncomfortable.”

While drag performers have historically been gay men, the community increasingly welcomes people of all identities. “Interestingly, the youth seem more playful with their gender expression – embracing their femininity and masculinity more readily. Some men tend to find that drag challenges the concept of their masculinity, especially when I reveal at the end of each show that I am a man,” Mario points out. “I have met and worked with hundreds of professional drag

queens. We all love dressing up, entertaining and spreading joy. Drag can be anything from gut-bustingly hilarious to profoundly thought-provoking. I myself have seen grown men moved to tears. Each individual queen provides something unique and there’s something for everyone.”

In 2008, Mario and Ken created a show based on a comedic version of Mario’s life called I Didn’t Break a Leg. “We took my life story and embellished it theatrically. The choreography was difficult, with 13 costume changes. It became hugely successful, but when it came to an end, we decided we needed to go somewhere quieter, so we moved to San Diego,” Mario recalls.

Once settled in their new home, Mario began an agency that hired out drag queens for parties and events. He had no idea that it would be such a success. “Suddenly, everyone wanted drag,” he declares. “I was flown all over the world, not just America. I performed in Tokyo, Mexico, Mykonos, Stockholm, and numerous other places. The agency became so popular that I had to employ more queens.”

Just over a year ago, Ken and Mario began contemplating retiring early. They were both in their early 60s and ready to leave America’s political unrest behind them. Mario had always dreamed of returning to Europe, and Portugal, with its winning combination of gay rights and good weather, seemed a perfect choice. They arrived in Lagos just by chance and loved it. “Since Ken and I moved here, we keep discovering more positive aspects of life in the Algarve. Becoming vegan has been part of our spiritual journey and we have joined the lively Vegans Social Group.”

Chandalier has performed twice in the Algarve, and Mario, ever vibrant, plans to keep her onstage. “If my story can positively affect parents and encourage them to be loving, understanding and supportive of their children’s inner calling, then my life has more meaning. My intention as a retired performer is to dedicate my art and skills to educating and empowering and also, as I feel I have been lucky in life, it’s time now to give something back by generating money for people less fortunate than me.”

 www.PartyDrag.com



Did you know...

The word drag was thought to have originated during the age of Shakespearean theatre when the church prohibited women from performing onstage. Men played the female roles and complained that the heavy material of the dresses dragged behind them.

For more information on the history of drag, go to the article on our blog.

A passion for

São Brás de Alportel

It’s not easy getting time with a high-ranking council official. They’re busy people, dealing with financial challenges and numerous competing priorities: How do we care for the most vulnerable in our society? How do we best support existing businesses and attract new business? How do we preserve our heritage?

These are all challenges facing council leaders worldwide, but for Marlene de Sousa Guerreiro, vice president of the city council of São Brás de Alportel, it’s far more than work alone: it’s a way of life.

We met in Marlene’s office in the council HQ in the heart of the city. As with many council offices in the UK and elsewhere, it is somewhat austere but is livened by Marlene’s warm welcome. On her meeting table sit flowers, a gift from an appreciative resident. “We’re one family here in São Brás,” says Marlene. “I want nothing more than to make a difference and improve people’s lives.” Is this political rhetoric? I think not. São Brás is first and foremost a mountain town, where everyone knows everyone else. People can’t hide and this is especially true for high-profile council officials. As Marlene said, “I now work and care for the people I shared my childhood with. My work is a question of love.”

The city has over 5,000 inhabitants, the municipality over 12,000. As with many places in the Algarve, its population increases during the summer but, even at its height, it never becomes too busy, which is part of its charm. Marlene knows the locality well. Born and bred in São Brás, she only left for a brief period to further her education in Lisbon, where she graduated in Political Science and International Relations.

Marlene started working for the council as an employee in the communications team before being encouraged to apply for a role as a councillor, something she achieved in 2005. She’s been in the elected role of vice president since 2014, representing the Socialist Party. Her four-year term involves managing a wide-ranging portfolio that includes housing, heritage, tourism, entrepreneurship, equality, social care, and more.

A typical day involves meetings with council officials, councillors, the general public and business representatives. She’s often out and about meeting local people, getting feedback, listening to any concerns and addressing issues. The senior leaders of the council meet fortnightly on Tuesdays in meetings which are open to the public. Thursday mornings are reserved for the public, providing the opportunity to book face-to-face time with council leaders. I asked if this access applies to foreign nationals too. “Of course,” said Marlene. ”They make an important contribution to our community, with the choir, the theatre and fundraising especially. We feel blessed they’re here and have chosen São Brás as their home.”

In fact, many people are now making São Brás their home. Marlene told me that “the population growth in the municipality since the 2011 census was one of the most significant in Portugal”. And this is not just foreign nationals either, but people relocating from Porto and Lisbon for a better quality of life. São Brás offers good schools, beautiful countryside, and a more relaxed pace of life, yet it’s still only a 30-minute drive from Faro airport.

If you are planning your first visit, then you’re in for a treat. Easter Sunday would be a great time to go as it’s a chance to see the renowned Flower Torch Party, a time when the whole community joins together with a colourful procession, singing, and a gorgeous carpet of flowers adorning the streets. As I walk back to my car through these cobbled streets, I pass the council-run Cineteatro, the delightful cafes, museums and independent shops. The streets are clean and the shops are busy. It’s clearly a place people take pride in. Marlene’s words echo with me as I walk: “Looking after São Brás de Alportel is a question of love.”

An exclusive Tomorrow interview with Marlene de Sousa Guerreiro, vice president of the City Council of São Brás de Alportel.

WORDS Vaughan Willmore

Looking after São Brás de Alportel is a question of love.

April 25: Freedom Day

WORDS James Plaskitt

The public holiday on April 25 marks the anniversary of the ‘Carnation Revolution’ in 1974, which saw the end of dictatorship and the eventual emergence of Portugal’s modern democracy. Seen by many as romantic, it was, in fact, the result of the country’s third military coup of the twentieth century.

The 1974 revolution marked the end of the ‘New State’ era, which began after a military coup in 1926, ending Portugal’s First Republic. The state which emerged was very much the creation of Antonio Salazar, whose dictatorship began in 1933. The state he controlled was ultra-conservative and corporatist. Economic power was centred on a small number of major businesses headed by families linked to the regime’s high command. The state was also nationalistic, advocating a vision of Portugal based on its heroic past, from the 15 century, as the nation of discoverers. That attitude led the Salazar regime to adopt a hard line towards the country’s colonies.

After the Second World War, other European colonial powers, such as Britain and France, ended their colonial era and steadily dismantled their regimes, granting independence to former colonies around the globe. But Salazar took the opposite approach, believing that dismantling the colonies would dishonour Portugal. It was a fatal error which ultimately brought about the events of April 1974.

Salazar’s state was anti-democratic and, to snuff out opposition to his rule, his state deployed secret police, later known as the DirectorateGeneral of Security (DGS). Although elections were held periodically, opposition candidates were hounded and denounced. The regime managed to complete the democratic mockery by consistently winning 100% of the seats in the country’s supine Parliament.

Salazar suffered a stroke in 1968 and was replaced by a close ally Marcello Caetano, previously the Rector of the University of Lisbon. Caetano was an uncertain dictator. At first, he attempted to smooth off the roughest edges of the regime. He tried to rein in the excesses of the DGS and he granted a degree of press freedom. However the hard-liners in the administration fought his attempts at modest liberation and the measures were eventually dropped. While Caetano was trying to reform the regime’s domestic aspects, the seeds of its destruction were being planted in the colonies.

Rebel movements pressing for independence grew in all of Portugal’s main colonies, particularly in Angola and Mozambique. Inspired

by the success of independence movements in other European colonies, the rebels became more determined as the regime in Lisbon became more resistant. Portugal thus found itself fighting numerous battles against rebel movements in several parts of Africa. As rebellion mounted, the regime threw more resources into its attempts to quell the movements. At home, it widened conscription to increase the size of its army, and at the peak of its efforts, military spending to fight the colonial wars was consuming 40% of the state’s budget.

The autocracy's colonial policy was unpopular with the public generally. But it was even more unpopular within sections of the military – who saw themselves enmeshed in unwinnable conflicts. Tens of thousands of young men were leaving Portugal to avoid the draft. Within the military, opposition to the regime’s colonial policies resulted in the emergence of the Armed Forces Movement (MFA), made up of officers who wanted decolonisation abroad, and free elections and the end of the secret police at home. From the early 1970s, the MFA began plotting the overthrow of the regime. The chief strategist, working from Guinea, was Otelo Saraiva de Carvalho.

1974, the plans for the coup were complete. The

By

MFA had many supporters at the professional mid-rank level of the army, inspired by the main aims but also disgruntled by reforms which were seen to give conscripts advantages over professionals.

The signal to begin was the broadcast of Portugal’s Eurovision entry on the radio at midnight. Quickly, tanks took key positions in Lisbon, seizing control of bridges, the airport and government buildings. Caetano fled to the headquarters of the DGS but eventually surrendered to Antonio Spinola, a key figure in the MFA and a former Armed Forces minister, ending up exiled in Brazil. Spinola followed him after his attempt to form a government after the coup failed.

The public celebrated the military coup and the collapse of the dictatorship. Many of those rejoicing in the streets on the morning of 25 April placed carnations in the barrels of the soldiers’ guns, giving the revolution its popular name. The

revolution was almost bloodless. Four people died, shot by agents of the DGS.

A once all-powerful regime had been toppled by those on whom it depended on fighting its cause. The immediate aftermath was messy, with attempts at a counter-coup. New democratic movements squabbled. It took two years to reach stability, with the founding of a new republic and free elections in 1976.

Henry Kissinger’s pithy observation was that Portugal avoided falling into the abyss after 1974, thanks to joint work between the MFA and the Portuguese Communist Party.

Happy Freedom Day!

James Plaskitt is a former member of the UK's parliament, where he served as a minister in Tony Blair's government. He is now retired in the Algarve.

Marcello José das Neves Alves Caetano (courtesy of Brazilian National Archives, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)

Otelo Saraiva de Carvalho (courtesy of Manuelvbotelho, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

Adoorable

Cracked plaster, chipped paint and sunbleached wood do not usually constitute something so eyecatching. Yet, when combined in the form of a Portuguese door, these imperfections transform into an iconic feature that resonates with tourists, locals and artists, including Birgit Stegmaier.

When Birgit came to Portugal ten years ago, she says, “I knew from the first moment that my journey was over. It was like coming home.” She started travelling in 2010, ‘WWOOF-ing’ (Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms) her way through Europe. As she was about to settle in Spain, she thought she must check out Portugal first and she realised “as soon as I crossed the border, there was no going back for me.”

Originally from Germany, Birgit has always been creative, though she had never been paid for her art. Before setting off on her travels, she decided to pursue a university degree in Interior Architecture. However, she didn’t like the idea of being “chained to a computer”, so she pursued her dream to travel and “figure the rest out later”. Even though she is technically licensed to build a two-story house, the facades she makes today could fit in her bag!

For the first six years of her travels here, she sketched her way through Portugal’s charming towns and villages. She found inspiration from the traditional tiles (azulejos) and the crumbling, decayed facades. From these sketches, she started to create miniature, three-dimensional Portuguese houses by hand from the comfort of her “travelling studio”. For four years now, Birgit has finally settled in her “little paradise” on the west side of Fóia in the Serra de Monchique. Her van is nestled 650 metres high, with a breathtaking view over the “blue hobbit-hills” from Lagos to Sagres and the Atlantic beyond.

She chose to create the structures on something light and locally sourced. Cork, being Portugal’s largest export, was an obvious choice as it’s sustainable and perfect for people wanting to take a little piece of Portugal home. She also picks lichen from the surrounding trees of her caravan studio to mimic the plants that grow between the cracks of these old buildings.

Birgit then delicately paints each azulejo, a form of Spanish and Portuguese painted, tin-glazed ceramic tilework. They’re usually found on the interior or exterior of churches, palaces, ordinary houses and schools and are also becoming popular in modern buildings. They are an ornamental art form but were used initially as temperature control in homes.

Currently, her work is featured in an exhibition in Luz Cultura, a community centre for art and music in Praia da Luz. However, you can also buy her unique, one-ofa-kind pieces in a number of gift shops across the Algarve, like Tamar in Lagos and Atelier 8550 in Monchique as well as in Lisbon and other Algarvian craft markets. This month you can see Birgit’s creations at the Spring Craft Fair on the 1 April, held at Hostel Lis Flower Cafe in Almádena.

WORDS Alex Brennan

Friends of Burgau Sports Centre

Plans are moving swiftly forward for a big birthday in Burgau, celebrating 39 years of the iconic sports centre. Working with the Robinson family, which has owned and operated the multi-sport facility since its opening, the Friends of BSC are planning a May Day celebration.

On 1 May, there will be live music around the pool, the newly refurbished and renovated BBQ will be serving hot, delicious food and all the groups that use the facilities – from dance and fitness to Pilates and health and well-being – will be offering demonstrations.

This will be the culmination of a week of celebrations for the Robinson family, with owner Andy’s 75th on 28 April, with wife Judy's birthday 24 hours later and their youngest son Sam's on 31 April

May Day will showcase the new look of the sports centre, which now offers, in addition to tennis and squash, which have been on offer for almost four decades, three padel courts, pickleball and table tennis, not to mention indoor games such as pool and darts. On May Day, there will be demonstrations and opportunities to try some new exciting innovations – all free of charge.

Pickleball has been introduced three afternoons a week at the explicit behest of the growing North American community in the western Algarve. A form of short tennis played outdoors with padels instead of string racquets, pickleball is the fastest-growing sport in America.

In loving memory of

Berthe Buckland

The state-of-the-art padel courts represent a significant investment for the family business, but already the far-sightedness of coach Dan Robinson is paying off with increasing numbers booking the facilities.

In addition to the growing number of activities, the Friends of BSC is continuing its busy and varied programme of social events, the latest being a Ladies’ Night to celebrate International Ladies’ Day. This was so successful the 50 ladies who partied late into the night are already planning a follow-up event.

A pre-loved market at the centre was such a success the kitchen and cafe ran out of supplies and another is being planned. Also on the calendar is a wine-tasting event on Friday 7 April, followed by a music quiz on Friday 14 April. A second open mic night is being scheduled in response to popular demand.

A new children’s play area is nearing completion to complement the renovations and painting, which have been ongoing for 12 months.

 Friends Of Burgau Sports Centre Group: www.facebook.com/groups/1233599457125731

The western Algarve lost one of its most senior expat residents on Saturday, 4 March when Berthe Buckland died peacefully at her home in Praia da Luz, where she had lived for more than half a century. She was 96 years of age.

Berthe was born in the Canadian Province of Quebec into a large family known for their longevity. Her career led her into the world of advertising, where she met an Englishman called Peter Buckland, who was later to become her husband. Having undergone aircrew training in Canada during WW2, he emigrated to Canada and met Berthe while they worked for rival agencies in Toronto, Ontario.

In the late 1960s, they relocated to Europe, first to the UK and then to Portugal, which was to become ‘home’ for the rest of their lives. Their first business venture was a restaurant behind what is now the Tivoli Hotel in Lagos, which traded successfully for several years as O Trovador. Peter, a talented writer and artist, also founded an early local English-language newspaper, the Algarve News. Meanwhile, Berthe set up a villa management business, which she continued to run until she was in her late eighties. Peter died in 2011.

Berthe Buckland was a strong-willed and cultured lady who was fluent in English, French and Portuguese. She was a keen reader and follower of the arts and loved music – especially Fado. One of her great regrets was when poor mobility prevented her from attending Fado evenings at local restaurants such as O Cangalho (at Lagos Zoo) and A Barrigada (on Lagos harbourside).

Berthe is survived by several younger family members as well as her ‘big sister’ Trudie, who lives in Quebec and is still going strong at 99 years of age.

WORDS Bob Pirie

WORDS Martyn Torr

History's Heroes

King Afonso I of Portugal

WORDS Luis de Teves Costa

There are many remarkable people in the history of Portugal, but Afonso Henriques, aka Afonso I of Portugal – The Conqueror, was the one who started it all over nine hundred years ago in the early 12th century.

The Iberian Peninsula was, back then, a volatile and extremely disputed region. The north housed the Hispanic kingdoms of Aragon, Leon, Castile and Navarre. The south was Arab territory and home to the Islamic kingdoms of AlGharb Al Andalus (names that were eventually given to the Portuguese region of Algarve and the Spanish region of Andalusia).

For most of the time, the northern Christian kingdoms were either fighting themselves, often involving family quarrels, or joining forces in an attempt to expel the Moors from lost southern territories. The Arabs invaded the Iberian Peninsula in 711 AD, and it did not take them long to conquer most of its territory. The Iberian Islamic kingdoms would live here for the next 800 years, leaving us a very rich cultural inheritance.

Born with a silver spoon in his mouth, Afonso Henriques was the son of Count Henrique (House of Burgundy) and Teresa (House of Leon). The exact date of his birth is not clear and ill-documented. Perhaps the high infant mortality rate in those days meant that births were not such an important occasion to register. However, historians estimate his date of birth somewhere between 1106 AD and 1111 AD near Guimarães – a city that, to this day, proudly calls itself ‘The cradle of Portugal’.

His parents were gifted the county of Portucale by the king of Leon as a wedding present and reward for the military efforts against the Saracens. This county comprehends the northern part of Portugal as we know it today, from Coimbra upwards. Once widowed, Afonso’s mother tried to incorporate the county of Portucale back as the territory of Leon. However, Afonso had different ideas and wanted to protect his legacy and remain lord of his lands.

Afonso Henriques was educated in the art of warfare at a very young age. He was made a knight in 1122 at the age of 11 (or 16, depending on when he was born!). In 1128, he was already in charge of defending the county of Portucale when he led his troops against his own mother's army in the Battle of São Mamede, Guimarães. Afonso won this important battle and titled himself Prince of Portugal.

In 1135, Afonso Henriques started his big military incursions against the Moors. His campaigns were extremely successful and resulted in the conquering of Leiria, Santarém, Lisbon and Sintra. His incredible journey south would eventually take Afonso and his men to the battle of Ourique in 1139. Again victorious, he proclaimed himself King of Portugal for the first time. This act alone, although bold, did not make him a true king. The title had to be recognised by the Pope.

The Zamora treaty was another critical step towards independence. It was signed in 1143 by Afonso and his cousin Alphonse VII, King of Leon and Castile. The treaty recognised Portugal as an independent country and Afonso as its king. Still, he waited for official recognition from Rome.

Amongst all the conflicts, he still had time for some romance! In 1146, Afonso married Mafalda from the house of Savoy. They had seven children: four died young, two daughters lived to marry into European royal houses and his one surviving son – Sancho I – would eventually take his father’s place.

The papal approval took nearly forty years but was finally conceded by Pope Alexander III. The 1179 Manifestis Probatum was the papal decree that officially recognised King Afonso as the first sovereign ruler of Portugal and entitled his sons to bear the same title. This ruling would also mean the beginning of Portugal’s first dynasty, the so-called Afonsina but better known as the House of Burgundy.

Afonso I of Portugal would live his last days in Coimbra. When he died in 1185, the first King of Portugal had reigned for 42 years, the second longest reign in Portugal’s history. His resting place is the Church of the Holy Cross (Santa Cruz). The church was built with the king's approval during his lifetime. Today an active church, it is also open to visitors who have the chance to see the ornamental tomb of the first King of Portugal.

If you are interested in Portuguese history, you can find more information about King Afonso I and the Seven Wonders of Portugal in a beautifully produced and illustrated 68-page brochure. It sells to the public for 5€ and all proceeds from the sales will go to the Tomorrow Algarve Charity Trust (TACT). Please email your order to Ray Gillman at vigillman@outlook. com, stating the address and your name and he will reply with details for the bank transfer and post the books to you.

Did you know ...

The Arabic word for “The West” is Algharb? Sound familiar?

D. Afonso Henriques "O Conquistador", CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Afonso Henriques Statue in Guimarães

The Peace Run

Schoolchildren in Praia da Luz learnt the value of peace, love and world harmony when the torch of peace made a stop at their school.

Thought for the month

I have been invited to write a column for the magazine, a thought for the month, from the perspective of the church community. I thought the best way to kick this off would be to introduce myself a little so that you know something about me and where I come from (not to mention how I ended up as the Chaplain of the Anglican church here in the Algarve).

The Sri Chinmoy Peace Run is a global torch relay that promotes peace, friendship, and understanding among people of different cultures and backgrounds. The run was founded in 1987 by Sri Chinmoy, a spiritual leader and author of over 1,500 books on spirituality, meditation, and selftranscendence.

The torch visited Colegio São Gonçalo on 13 March. Headmistress Idilia Ramos commented, “Today we had the honour

of having 15 athletes running for peace. It was exciting to see the children making wishes for harmony and peace, with their eyes closed, holding the peace torch. They played various games and sang for us. Our pupils also sang a song, danced and said a poem alluding to peace. It was a fabulous afternoon that I hope will stay in everyone’s mind and, as we said this afternoon, who knows if one of them won’t be a UN representative one day.”

The Choir

The Western Algarve Choir celebrated its 10th anniversary this year and, to mark the occasion, held a dinner at the Fortaleza da Luz, the location for the very first rehearsal.

The evening started with the choir performing favourite songs for guests and was followed by an excellent meal (and plenty more singing). Luc and the restaurant team went out of their way to make it a fantastic evening for all.

One guest was Tomorrow's Tom Henshaw, who was the inspiration behind the choir. Tom suggested choir leader Liz Honey might start a singing group when she moved

here in 2013. Ten years on, and the choir hasn't looked back. The choir will be marking its milestone with a series of performances throughout the year, and is always open to new members.

The Western Algarve Community Choir is an all-inclusive choir with no auditions or previous singing experience necessary, and a strong emphasis on singing for fun. For more details on where you can watch them perform, about joining the choir, or to book future events, please contact Elizabeth Roberts Honey.

 elizabeth_roberts15@hotmail.com

I grew up in a family that never went to church at all, and you couldn’t have dragged me into a church right up to my mid-forties. To me, churches were boring and full of people who had basically left their faculties at the door when they entered! What right-minded intelligent person could ever believe in all that ‘stuff’?

To cut a long story short, a friend of mine had an ‘experience’, shall we say (I actually thought it was a nervous breakdown at the time) and started going to church. He had become a Christian in a big and scary (to me) way. After a short time of refusing to speak with him (honestly) because of his off-the-chart new language (Jesus has saved me, etc), I decided to check out my local church in Ilford, Essex. I was very surprised to find quite ‘normal’ people there – a couple of our children’s school teachers, for example, and the female vicar was a West Ham supporter (does that count as normal? I am not sure).

So – I continued going and, slowly but surely, I became more involved. Small things initially, like putting my name down on the tea and coffee rota. I remember asking myself, ‘how did I get here’ on the first Christmas midnight mass service that I took as a priest.

It still thrills me that we have logical and scientific-minded members of the congregation – don’t believe all you read about science and faith not being compatible! Our congregation includes three doctors and a retired NASA scientist. I only mention them because before setting foot in a church, I just couldn’t believe (no pun intended) that anyone with a scientific mind could believe in God! I still find church a place of joy, a place of hope and a place of community, where people are built up and supported.

Easter is a very special time in the church calendar, as you would expect, and a great time to do what I did, take that first step inside the door and see for yourself. Whatever you do this Easter, I hope you have a wonderful time with your family and friends. God bless.

– Fr Rob

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D e l i ve r y s e r v i ce C a l l i n , o r c a l l u s fo r eve r y t h i n g yo u n e e d to k n ow a b o u t b e d d i n g , towe l s a n d h o m e co m fo r t s

Dr Maria Alice Serrano e Silva

She had an uncanny ability to correctly diagnose illness and disease, even when facing the most difficult and perplexing cases. This was through her capacity to see the patient not just as a walking symptom but as a whole: a complex human being who is an integral part of their family and environment.

Leaving a major hospital in Lisbon to come down to the Algarve nearly 50 years ago, at a time when it was very difficult to be a woman in a male-dominated profession, Dr Maria Alice had the vision and forethought to offer the highest standard of medical care, not only to the local Portuguese population but also the growing international and tourist populations.

She realised the importance for a visitor to this country to be able to access the medical care available, have someone to talk to in their own language and receive treatment as soon as possible.

As such, Luzdoc was created and has grown from a oneroom doctors’ surgery to a multifaceted primary health care centre, always under the direction and guidance of Dr Maria Alice.

She never believed in resting on her laurels, understanding that the field of medicine is always evolving. She was constantly researching new medical techniques and advancements in disease management, and investing in state-of-the-art equipment to be able to provide the best care for her patients.

WORDS Niki Medlock

On Tuesday 7 March, Dr Maria Alice passed away peacefully at home after a short illness. She leaves behind not only her immediate family, a husband and two sons, and her Luzdoc family but also a great legacy.

Dr Maria Alice was a true Renaissance woman: intelligent, well-read, an astute businesswoman and a lover of art and nature. Her life experiences, combined with a tenacious personality, drove her to strive for excellence in all she did, an attribute which she likewise expected from all who worked with her.

These qualities, and many more, led her to make decisions and seize chances in life that many of us would have been afraid to choose. Dr Maria Alice was definitely a “force of nature” throughout her life and her passion for medicine, in particular, family medicine and what it should stand for, was very much in evidence to all who came in contact with her –or were treated by her.

Dr Maria Alice was committed to her work, but there were many other facets of her life that made up the fragile, sensitive, humorous, artistic side of her character.

The relationships Dr Maria Alice had with those around her –family, friends, and staff – were of the utmost importance to her – and, although she did not suffer fools lightly, she was always there when encouragement, support and practical help were needed.

Dr Maria Alice had a very artistic nature – she was a talented opera singer, played the piano and, for many years, wrote down her observations and thoughts on life in the form of short essays, culminating in the publication of two books.

She also had a very practical side, through her love of growing her own fruit and vegetables, as well as a passion for cooking.

This article does not really begin to describe what made up the person who was Dr Maria Alice. The impact she made on so many lives throughout her life is a testament to someone who was larger than life and not afraid to take chances to make a meaningful difference – she will not be forgotten and will be sorely missed by all who knew her.

Salgueiro Maia

the Captain of April

This month we do well to remember the bloodless Carnation Revolution of 25 April 1974 that changed the course of Portugal’s history. One man that is indelibly linked to these events is Fernando José Salgueiro Maia.

He is still remembered today. Anyone who has visited the finance offices in Lagos may have seen a bronze bust nearby in the small square named after him. It would be surprising if there were a town or city in Portugal that doesn’t have a monument, a road, or a park called ‘Salgueiro Maia’. The revolution 49 years ago was by no means a one-person affair, but without Maia’s utter dedication, courage and fortitude, everything could have gone disastrously wrong.

Maia was born in 1944 in Castelo de Vide, near Portalegre, where he lived for the first few years. The only son of a railway worker, he lost his mother in a road accident when he was only four. After concluding his secondary education, Maia joined the Portuguese military in 1964. While a young captain stationed in Santarém, he became aware of the Armed Forces Movement (MFA), an underground movement of army captains opposing the oppressive government of the Estado Novo (New State), which had been in place since 1939, mainly under the dictator Salazar.

In 1966, Maia was sent on his first commission to fight in the colonial wars, which had started five years earlier. He soon realised the harsh reality of war and the futility of pursuing the overseas military campaign. His wife Natércia recalled: “When he went to Mozambique, there was that spirit of a knight, of saving the nation, and those ideas instilled by his training and by the Military Academy. But when he got there, he saw those ideals didn’t make sense.” On his return from Guinea in October 1973, he joined the coordinating committee of the MFA. Now the die was truly cast.

Maia was chosen to lead the military advance on Lisbon from dozens of eligible candidates. He was given the mission to command the column

that, departing from Santarém, would join the other units in Lisbon. In addition, he was also in charge of preparing materials and vehicles for the operation.

Secret radio signals were broadcast to indicate the start of the revolution. The first one was the song E Depois do Adeus by Paulo de Carvalho (known for the Portuguese entry in the Eurovision Song Contest, 1974 in Brighton). It was to alert Maia and his cadets to act.

The other signal was Grândola, Vila Morena, a folk song by the great singer and composer Zeca Afonso. It indicated that the coup leaders had taken control of strategic parts of the country. This song has been played in every town in Portugal on 25 April since that day.

When the first signal was acknowledged, Maia addressed a gathering of men under his command in the barracks. These are the often-quoted words he used:

“Gentlemen, as you all know, there are various forms of state. The socialist state, the capitalist state and the state we are in. Now, on this solemn night, we will end this state. So, anyone who wants to come with me will go to Lisbon, and we will finish it. If you volunteer, go outside, and form up. If you do not want to go, stay here.”

WORDS Lena Strang

Salgueiro Maia is photographed by his wife during a parade, in Santarém Natércia Maia, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Maia had more than enough volunteers. The detachment consisting of 250 men, including ten armoured cars and personnel carriers, 12 troop transporters, two ambulances, and a command jeep, set off from Santarém at 3.03am and arrived in Terreiro do Paço, Lisbon, at 5.45 am.

Despite the ever-increasing tension, Maia remained calm. Soon after his arrival, he radioed the command post: “We have occupied Terreiro do Paço and are in control of the Bank of Portugal and Radio Marconi.”

But it was far from over. Forces from the GNR and troops loyal to the government were on their way. The frigate Gago Coutinho was ordered to fire on Maia’s column, but the ship’s gunners refused to obey orders. In the square, Maia advanced towards a line of government soldiers who had been given the order to shoot him. He stood unfazed with his arms outstretched and a white handkerchief in his hand. The officers and sergeants of the government troops, many of whom were former colleagues of Maia, went over to the side of the revolutionaries.

He also carried a live grenade in his pocket, prepared to sacrifice himself. His rationale was that the revolution would have succeeded if they didn’t shoot him. If he was blown up, he would become a martyr and the revolution would be won anyway.

At 11 am, Maia was ordered by commander Otelo Saraiva, the chief strategist in Lisbon, to take his troops to Largo do Carmo to surround the National Guard barracks. This safehold was where the head of government Marcelo Caetano and some ministers had taken refuge. (After Salazar died in 1970, Caetano succeeded him.)

The tensest moments in the history of the operation followed. Government tanks were advancing, and a helicopter could be heard above, but Maia kept his cool. Then, standing on an armoured carrier with a megaphone, he issued an ultimatum of surrender. No response.

Hours passed, and still no sign from inside. Finally, at around 5 pm, Maia decided to enter the barracks and managed to speak to Caetano. Facing the inevitable, Caetano accepted the terms of surrender but would only cede power to a superior officer, General António de Spinola. The general, later to become President of the Republic, was given command of the provisional government in preparations for free elections. Maia escorted Caetano safely to the airport, where a plane took the former dictator to Brazil, where he spent the rest of his life.

The dictatorship of more than four decades had ended without bloodshed, and a new era had begun.

Why was it called the Carnation Revolution? Despite repeated radio appeals by the MFA to stay indoors, the streets were flooded with thousands supporting the insurgents. As one of the gathering points was by the Lisbon flower market, soldiers were given red carnations. The image of the red carnations in the barrels of the guns became iconic and gave the revolution its name.

And what became of Salgueiro Maia? As opposed to many of his comrades, he never wanted to pursue a political career afterwards. He wasn’t a consensus figure, as he wouldn’t align himself with factions on the left or right. All he wanted was to pursue his army career, and he was subsequently promoted to Major and later Lieutenant Colonel. The government of the conservative Cavaco Silva denied him a pension for extraordinary services to the country in

1988. However, it saw fit to grant pensions to several ex-members of PIDE, the repressive police of the dictatorship. The following year Maia was diagnosed with cancer and, after surgeries and a long, painful process, he died on 4 April 1992 at the age of only 48.

Ever modest and self-effacing, he left a handwritten note declaring: “I wish to be buried in Castelo de Vide, in a shallow grave; and use the cheapest coffin on the market. Its transport must be done by the most economical means, preferably in a military vehicle. During the funeral, only the presence of friends, I ask to sing Grândola Vila Morena and Marcha do MFA.”

Although a military man to the end, Maia had wider interests. He gained a university degree in Social and Political Sciences along with Anthropology. The mayor of the first elected City Council of Santarém, Luís Eugênio Martins, remembers Maia fondly: “He was a very cultured individual, with an interest in history. We discussed philosophy a lot.”

It was only after his death that he received official acknowledgement. President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa awarded him posthumously the Grand Cross of the Order of Infante D. Henrique on 25 April 2016. The decoration was handed to his widow, Natércia, on 30 June 2016, the day that would have been her husband’s 72nd birthday.

Additionally, two years ago, a museum – Casa da Cidadania Salgueiro Maia (Salgueiro Maia Community House) – in Castelo de Vide was inaugurated, celebrating the life and achievements of Maia, with the presence of the President of the Republic.

In April 2022, the film Salgueiro Maia - O Implicado (The Implicated), directed by Sergio Graciano, was released. “The homage is slightly late,” Graciano admitted shortly before the premiere in Lisbon. The film is presented as “the story of a true Portuguese hero. For himself, he asked nothing, for the country all.” Perhaps this accolade sums up Salgueiro Maia perfectly.

We are bound to hear the tunes of Grândola, Vila Morena up and down the country on the 25 April this year too. So, let’s spare a thought for men like Salgueiro Maia, who gave their all for a cause they believed in.

Concentration in Rossio , Lisbon April 25, 1974 Courtesy of Art Library Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian Photographer: Horácio Novais Studio

On 25 April there will be a photo exhibition at the Portimão Museum entitled E Depois do Adeus.

Distinguished photojournalist Marques Valetim presents 50 photos from the last 50 years of Portugal’s history.

RocketMan

WORDS Sophie Sadler

Sophie Sadler met retired NASA scientist Paul Bookout, who is enjoying the tranquillity of life in Portugal after a career of launching rockets and facilitating space exploration.

When Paul Bookout was a boy, he made a rocket and his identical twin a plane. This was prophetic as Paul went on to work for NASA and his brother for Boeing. This coincidence could indeed have been written in the clouds as Paul never intended to go to university and started his career in a petrol station!

Paul had a peripatetic childhood – his father, Jackie, was in the US Air Force and his mother was English. While his father was serving in the Vietnam war, Paul's mother Avril, took the twins and their elder sister, to stay with their maternal grandparents in Carterton in the Cotswolds for a year. Following this, Paul's father was stationed in England for four years, so Paul lived in the UK between the ages of 5 and 10. He tells me he is very proud of his British heritage.

Back in the US, it was an encouraging teacher that persuaded Paul to attend Tennessee Technical University, where he achieved a master’s in Robotics and Mechanical Engineering. He went on to obtain a PhD in Aeronautics in Alabama.

Although NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) generally recruits from interns, Paul was introduced to the programme by a friend when he was 24. Coming from a military background, he was maybe preconditioned for the discipline and teamwork required for this demanding project.

Paul worked at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), a NASA field centre located in Huntsville, Alabama. The MSFC is responsible for designing, developing, and testing the rocket engines and propulsion systems that power NASA’s space exploration missions. It also conducts research in materials science, electronics, and optics, as well as developing applications for space technology that benefit industry, medicine, and national defence.

He started his work as an engineer working in the field of vibration and dynamics. This area of engineering refers to the complex interactions between the rocket’s structure, propulsion system, and the forces generated during the flight that create mechanical vibrations. These vibrations can have a significant impact on the rocket’s performance and stability, potentially causing structural damage, system failures, and even mission failure.

From the mid-1990s to the mid-noughties, Paul helped to design elements of the International Space Station (ISS), in particular, the racks that hold the equipment. The first component of the ISS was launched in 1998. A multi-nation construction project, it is the largest single structure humans have ever put into space. Its main construction was completed between 1998 and 2011, although the station

continually evolves to include new missions and experiments.

I asked Paul if working in NASA is as cloak and dagger as we are led to believe in the movies. “I was not involved in any of the top-secret projects, so I just got to work on the geeky stuff! It is, however, very stressful because you only get one shot. It can be life or death, so you have to be really familiar with the equipment. NASA also has this credibility and everyone is scrutinising you.”

Some of the lighter elements of Paul's work included mocking up a concept of a deep space habitat that astronauts could live in on a trip to Mars. “Astronauts can only live in the capsule that lands on Mars for a few weeks, so we were tasked with creating a habitat design where they can eat, sleep and exercise. It will take months to travel to Mars. We were basically mocking up the inside with cardboard so modifications could be made easily. For the exterior, we used existing space station hardware that was used in the development of the ISS. Astronauts and other scientists or engineers would evaluate the design and changes would be made if needed.”

Paul with his twin brother Phillip

Paul also worked on the development of a module that docked onto the space station carrying supplies. Another project was engineering a life support system which could generate oxygen, process urine and purify water for the ISS. One of the challenges is minimising the space and weight of these components.

While working for NASA, Paul found acting as a support SCUBA diver an enjoyable experience. The space centre has a huge buoyancy tank which is 12m deep, allowing astronauts to train in the closest sensation to weightlessness you can obtain on earth. Paul was responsible for trimming the astronauts in space suits to be neutrally buoyant and the safety of the astronauts while they were in the tank.

Paul went on to work for the last eight years of NASA’s Space Shuttle programme before it was retired. A reusable spacecraft, it was designed to carry astronauts and payloads into space and was operated by NASA from 1981 to 2011. The shuttle consisted of three main components: the orbiter, the external tank, and the solid rocket boosters. Paul worked on the boosters and had the thrill of experiencing one launch. Although he was not at the launch site of the Kennedy Space Center, he was part of the support control room at the Marshall Space Flight Center, giving information and tech support to the launch control.

The space shuttle was used for a variety of missions, including deploying and repairing satellites, conducting scientific experiments, and building and servicing the International Space Station. It also carried astronauts on missions to repair the Hubble Space Telescope and conduct space research.

Paul's last project for NASA was helping CubeSats be integrated on the rocket, a challenging and rewarding project that saw several CubeSats released from the Space Launch System or, as it was known to NASA, the SLS. Paul's title was Secondary Payload Integration Manager for the Artemis I Mission, which was to launch small satellites into space to carry out experiments. Each cost between 5 and 10 million and needed to be the size of a large shoe box and light so as not to hinder the rocket they were catching a lift on. Paul worked on two CubeSats that were engineered by Japan and they both made it onto the mission, which was one of the highlights of his career.

Paul worked with NASA for 32 years, during which time he met his wife at church and had two children. I ask him if being a Christian and a scientist is a contradiction in terms. “I do not see Christianity and science in conflict. To me, there is a lot that science can’t explain and this is where I see God.”

Paul and Morri retired to Tennessee, where they lived for two years until they got itchy feet. They discovered Portugal when they travelled here with friends who were looking to buy property in the Golden Triangle. Paul and his wife, however, fell in love with the western Algarve and have since purchased two properties in Praia da Luz. Paul has enjoyed diversifying his engineering skills into property refurbishment while exploring the area they now think of as home. They also attend and have become more involved with St Vincent's church.

Paul is an acclaimed international speaker and will be presenting an illustrated talk on NASA’s New Space Rocket to the Moon and Mars. All proceeds with go to St Vincent's Church.

The talk will take place on 13 April from 6 pm to 8 pm in the Salão Hall behind Luz Church. Tickets cost 20€ per adult and 10€ for a child, including a welcome drink and cold buffet. Contact louisecplayer@gmail.com for more information.

Currently, Paul and Morri spend a few months a year in Portugal, but they are considering making the Algarve a more permanent base and Paul would love to find an opportunity to lecture and teach at the University of the Algarve.

Today, the MSFC is working on the Space Launch System (SLS), which will be NASA’s most powerful rocket ever built, and the Artemis programme, which aims to return humans to the moon by 2024. I am keen to find out from Paul if he thinks that a Mars exploration that uses his habitat will ever become a reality. “I am sure there will be a mission to Mars in the 2040s.”

In a remarkable life, Paul has, in all senses of the word, reached for the stars and, after orbiting the earth, has landed in Praia da Luz, where he and Morri are sure to be a welcome addition to the community.

Part of the SLS rocket that the CubeSats were installed onto . Paul is on the far right.

The Space Launch System (SLS)

Paul and Morri in Praia da Luz Paul helping install the EQUUELUS Japanese secondary payload (CubeSat) into the rocket segment

Rua dos Celeiros, Rossio S. João, Condominío Luxury Adega, Loja 4, Lagos

Celebrating

Easter

Exploring one of the Algarve’s historic Easter processions

Ressuscitou como disse! Aleluia, Aleluia, Aleluia!” (He is risen as he said! Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia)

Easter is arguably the most important date in the Christian calendar. It not only marks the trial, crucifixion and resurrection of Christ, but it also unofficially marks the beginning of Spring and the warmer months ahead.

With a strong Catholic influence in Portugal, it’s no surprise that many towns and villages pull out all the stops for a celebration such as Easter. This is especially evident in the town of São Brás de Alportel, which has had close links with the Catholic church throughout much of its long and varied history.

The town was named after St. Blaise (Brás) - a martyred bishop living in Armenia between the third and fourth centuries. He was born in Rome in c. 264 and gained wider recognition after removing a thorn from a child’s throat after offering prayers. This miracle would later lead to his patronage as the Patron Saint of diseases. St. Blaise was captured by the Romans and beheaded in c. 316 in Sebaste, Armenia, under the Roman Emperor Licinius and became the Patron Saint of São Brás de Alportel here in the Algarve with both the town and parish church dedicated to his memory.

During the 17th century, São Brás de Alportel became the summer residence of the Algarvian

bishops, who built an Episcopal palace near Jardim da Verbena to escape the summertime heat. Today the only remnant of the former clerical palace is a Baroque fountain that once graced the gardens. However, one historic annual event that has not been forgotten is the Festa das Tochas Floridas (The Festival of Flower Torches), which takes place every Easter Sunday, celebrating the resurrection of Christ.

During the lead-up to Easter, the town’s small cobbled roads are transformed into a carpet of flowers and shrubs arranged in a floral mosaic display. They form a carpet for the grand procession, where villagers armed with torches of various floral bouquets follow the

WORDS Luka Alexander

shroud-covered Host, (the name given to the holy bread once blessed). They process from the Parish Church of São Brás (Igreja Matriz), along Largo de São Sebastião and around the village, trampling on top of the ornate carpet of flowers. To some, it may seem awful to ruin such a beautiful display, but let’s not forget that such elaborate displays are seen as a gift to God rather than for us to look at. However, the spectacle of the flowers is why many, including myself, come from far and wide to see this traditional Algarvian event year after year.

Often referred to as the Alleluia Procession, deriving from the ancient Easter greeting “The Lord is risen indeed, alleluia!” as noted in Luke 24:34, which is chanted throughout the entire procession, the origins of the festival itself seems to have been lost in time.

Some say that the Festa das Torchas Floridas dates back to the expulsion of English invaders led by the Earl of Essex in 1596. The villagers of São Brás processed through the town in jubilation when the Parish church was recovered after being burned to the ground and looted by the invaders during the Anglo-Spanish war. However, others say that the procession was introduced by the church in 1731 when Bishop of the Algarve, Cardinal Dom José de Santa Susana wished to commemorate the Faith and the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Whatever the origins, the Festa das Torchas Floridas has been delighting locals and visitors for centuries.

Since the early days, many parishes across the Algarve had their own version of the Easter Sunday procession. Originally, the confraternities (the lay people of the Renaissance and early modern Catholic Church) were obliged to carry a lighted torch or lamp and clothed opas, similar to a priest's cloak. However, at some point, the lack of wax led to the appearance of painted sticks, decorated with flowers, on top of which a small candle was placed and thus was born the Torchas Floridas (flower torches),

which are still used today. Whilst many towns and villages hold processions to celebrate Easter Sunday, São Brás de Alportel arguably remains the most popular.

In recent decades the local parish has held competitions to judge the best flower torches and decorated balconies. Local support for the event has increased and partnerships with the Associação Cultural Sambrasense, the City Council, and the voluntary support of various associations in the community have kept this annual celebration alive. Thousands now come to this small sleepy town to celebrate the resurrection of Christ.

If you’re looking for something to do this Easter Sunday, why not head over to São Brás de Alportel? Or, if that’s too far, maybe join in with your local community’s Easter parade and experience some local history.

The floral street display opens at 9.30 am - Sunday, 9 April, with the Easter Sunday Eucharist of the Resurrection Service taking place at the Parish Church (Igreja Matriz de São Brás de Alportel) at 10 am, followed by the Procession throughout the town at 11 am. There is also usually a Sunday Eucharist held afterwards at 1pm.

Black and white photos © Câmara Municipal de São Brás de Alportel

Photos © Luka Alexander circa. 2010

Easter Eggs

A Timeless Tradition

There is something magical and unique about eggs. Perhaps it's the vulnerable shape or its wobbly nature. Maybe it is the fragility of an external womb, the prospect of a new life in an oval structure that you can hold in the palm of your hand. An important food source since the beginning of humanity, people all over the world have also cherished the egg's alchemical meaning much before the Christian holiday festival arrived.

Easter is a season associated with eggs. For most of us, chocolate eggs immediately spring to mind when we put those two words together. However, these are relatively young in the long history that interlinks people and eggs.

In antiquity, ostrich eggs were carved, painted and adorned to be gifted as decorative items for the wealthy. These would often be buried with the owners as part of the most valuable personal belongings to take on their journeys to the afterlife.

In mediaeval times, eggs were not consumed during Lent. Once the fasting period was over, eggs were eaten and given to the poor in a unique Eucharist that symbolised rebirth and life, and also fertility or prosperity.

In Ukraine and neighbouring countries, pysanky eggs are traditionally chicken eggs painted during Lent with beautiful patterns and vibrant colours. These will then be part of the Easter celebrations placed in baskets, carrying cereals and other treats, on dinner tables and even distributed around the house for good luck. This millennium-old tradition of egg painting has been passed through generations and so far has been able to survive modern trends. However, in the present day, pysanky are predominantly made of wood.

In the late 1800s, Russia brought us the most luxurious kind of eggs – Fabergé. The iconic jeweller Peter Carl Fabergé created the finest eggs using precious metals like gold and gemstones such as diamonds or rubies. These phenomenal creations would have a surprise element hidden inside, a concept similar to the modern-day Kinder egg!

First made as an Easter present to the Tzarina in 1885, the Fabergé eggs so impressed the Tzars that they commissioned more eggs to be presented each year. Fabergé created 50 Imperial eggs, of which 43 are accounted for, while 12 have been lost or secretly kept.

Far from the Russian elegance or the delicate eastern patterns, Portugal’s humble Easter egg tradition lies in a traditional cake (of course!) with boiled eggs on it, shell and all! The Folar com Ovo is a simple cake with hints of cinnamon and fennel containing one or more boiled eggs encrusted. There's an ancient legend behind the cake that supports the values of sharing and friendship.

In our house, together with my wife and two children we paint some egg shells with felt tip pens to create shortlived Easter decorations that we place around the house. A great recipe for joy and laughter in the Costa household! We pierce a small hole at each end to empty the eggs and then blow the contents onto a bowl.

Once empty and dry, we start our colouring. This year, we also plan to use some glue and textiles to embellish our Páscoa (Easter).

WORDS Luis de Teves Costa

Our own creations

Pysanky eggs

The Hen Egg by Fabergé 1885

Go to the Tomorrow blog to read the legend of the Folar miracle.

Searching for Soul

The Bahama Soul Club is a Portuguese-based band founded by Oliver Belz. Performing a unique blend of soul, funk, bossa nova, and Caribbean influences, they have firmly established themselves on the map as one of Europe’s leading contemporary jazz outfits. The BSC has just released a brand-new single ‘Hang Out’, featuring a number of Algarve-based musicians, and plans to release a full album in June 2023.

Oliver Belz has been heavily involved in the music industry for almost 50 years. He began as a drummer in jazz, rock and soul bands in Germany whilst studying art and graphic design. “Throughout the 1990s, I discovered my love for composition, sound engineering and music production and wrote ballet scores for several theatres. I also produced artists for major record companies and created sound designs for show events at Volkswagen. In 2005, I decided to bring all these experiences together and work on my own music. This was when I founded and produced The Juju Orchestra, later renamed The Bahama Soul Club.”

The band’s first single release was an instant worldwide success, going straight to No.1 on the German Club Charts and staying there for more than 12 weeks. Since then, Oliver has enjoyed continued success. Highlights include working alongside international stars such as Bessie Smith, Spanky Wilson and John Lee Hooker, having a track placed in a Hollywood movie featuring George Clooney and Sandra Bullock and racking up over 60 million streams on Spotify. The nine-piece live band has also had the opportunity to perform across Europe’s leading jazz festivals and worldwide events, such as the Wiesen Jazz Festival in Austria and the German Groove Festival in São Paulo, Brazil.

Oliver first discovered the hidden beauty of the western Algarve in 1976 when he drove his Mercedes 200D from Germany to Portugal. He fell in love with the natural charm and golden beaches and has returned many times since. He made the permanent move here six years ago and hasn’t regretted it for a moment. “Living in the Algarve provides a very different lifestyle, and the music I compose here is certainly different

from what I’ve written before. My new album is directly influenced by the blissful energies of the sun-drenched coastline, the multicultural verve, the wave riders, spiritual seekers, rainbow healers and the mystic maidens. And of course, the funky smell of sandy flip-flops!”

His time in the Algarve has led Oliver to compose and produce a sixth studio album for The BSC. “Increasingly during the last production, I became aware of the amazing complexity of local artists and talented individuals to be found in western Algarve. I usually scan the world for standout singers with special voices to feature on my albums, but this time I wanted to show a commitment to the colourful local community and artists from the local neighbourhood, quite literally across the lane! What a discovery! I found my studio blessed with some stunning talent. My lovely family at the End Of The World, nicknamed ‘The Sundub Society’, includes musicians Josephine Nightingale, Tiago Saga, Naomi Falcon, Cutty Wren, Hedvig Larsson, Maisha & The Chicks On Beer and more!”

You can now listen to The Bahama Soul Club’s new single ‘Hang Out’ featuring Hedvig Larsson and Cutty Wren and ‘The Rooster Calls’ featuring Josephine Nightingale on all major streaming platforms and online stores. The new album will follow in June (expect a blend of reggae, bossa-soul and nu-jazz). You can also see the group perform live at a number of events in 2023, including the Salema Blue festival in June.

spoti.fi/3uG0Syq

www.facebook.com/bahamasoulclub

WORDS Niall Hilary

Our wide variety of products includes fresh and matured meats, ready-to-cook seasoned meats, frozen meat and fish, charcuterie, and more. Our goal is to provide the best service and highest quality products to our clients.

The Man Who Sailed Away

An interview with the author of Yes, No Bananas and Tomorrow contributor, Julian Putley.

There are few places on earth where you can catch a glimpse of celebrities as easily as in the Caribbean. Some of them own private islands, like Richard Branson, Nicolas Cage, Eddie Murphy and Johnny Depp – to name just a few. Perhaps a better way to spend your money would be to invent your own island, like our man of the moment, Captain Julian Putley, who masterminded his story on and around Dominada, a fictional luxuriant, green and pristine island in the eastern Caribbean.

Q: Why ‘Dominada’ from a billion other options?

Dominada is a cross between Grenada and Dominica, both banana-growing and exporting islands and, as such, very pertinent to the story.

Q: After being raised and schooled in England, you spent three decades in the British Virgin Islands, working as a yacht captain. Why would someone leave this paradise and move back to a decadent, noisy and polluted Europe?

The BVI is a beautiful, tropical archipelago of 60 islands, islets and cays. It is also subject to tropical storms and hurricanes. My family of wife, Monique, daughter Amanda and son Jason spent many wonderful years here. In 2017, we were severely impacted by Hurricane Irma. The children were now grown up, so we decided to sell our large but badly damaged home and move to Portugal. My wife is Brazilian and yearned to go to a Portuguese-speaking country. We researched the whole Algarve coast and decided on Praia da Luz.

Q: Your 37-ft yacht’s name was Starry Night. Do you like Vincent van Gogh’s art, or was it just a coincidence?

The yacht was already named Starry Night when I bought it. Some say it’s unlucky to change a vessel’s name, but I am not superstitious in that way. I really liked the name – every sailor on long passages hopes for starry nights. Yes, I do like Vincent van Gogh’s famous painting, but most of all, I love Don Mclean’s ballad of the same name; in my humble opinion, it’s one of the most beautiful songs ever written and he sings it perfectly.

Q: There was a long-haul sea captain I met once who spent the long, dark nights at sea reading, translating and writing poetry. Is it true that you also started writing while sailing the world’s oceans?

I’ve been writing short stories and poems since my early 20s, but my first published feature story was about a

cruising sailor whose boat was a beautiful gaff-rigged ketch named Flying Lady. It was chartered by a researcher who was looking for a lost flying lady, aviatrix Amelia Earhart. The story of their adventure was so fascinating I had to write it down. I sent it to Pacific Island Monthly, and they bought it immediately. It was the beginning of many more.

Q: You initially wrote Yes, No Bananas, 14 years ago. Has anything changed since then in the dark side of paradise described in your book: locals’ poverty, refugees’ policy, scheming preacher teachings, money laundering, political corruption, amateurish law enforcement, and banana wars, to mention a few.

The story is a satire and, as such, it is an exaggerated look at life on the islands. Having said that, all the elements you mention are there to a greater or lesser degree. Caribbean island life lends itself to comedic storytelling. The book’s premise, the Banana Wars, is absolutely accurate and a dark part of US history and its assault on Central America that has impacted the economies of many countries and Caribbean islands. It is a satire on Caribbean island life with moral undertones.

Q: Rumours say that you are already prepared to turn your book into a short Caribbean TV series. Is that correct?

I wrote a full feature film script of the story but was then advised that it might work better as a TV series. I have now completed the first episode as a TV pilot. Getting it in front of the right eyes, though, is a challenge.

Q: What is the inspiration for your writing?

The most wonderful experiences I have enjoyed in my life have involved sailing. I have sailed many oceans and have enjoyed unparalleled freedoms. The sea provides nourishment in so many ways, not just food – of which there is an abundance if you know how to harvest it – but in adventure, excitement, camaraderie and interesting challenges. Sailing the world in a small boat encompasses so many facets of life.

Q: You write and submit sundry articles for Tomorrow magazine. What are your top three favourite subjects, and what is your message to the readers?

Nautical subjects, maritime adventures and history, but there are so many topics of interest. My message to readers is – try writing.

Book Review

Yes, No Bananas is a compulsively-readable and thought-provoking book. Julian ingeniously engineers the 25 chapters of the book, with all its symmetries and finetuning: from the island to the yacht, then back to the island, gradually increasing the tension in the multi-layered plot. Then the epilogue comes just in time to close the circles of colourful main characters and tie up a few loose ends.

If you want to discover Julian Putley’s Yes, No Bananas, you can find it on Amazon.co.uk from 0€ (KindleUnlimited) up to 7.60€ (paperback), or at Amazon.es with 9.31€ (paperback).

Dan Costinas: “As far as I’m concerned, there is no such thing as good books or bad books. Some of them resonate more with certain minds, while others resonate with others. Therefore, I am not entitled to tell anyone what they should and shouldn’t read. What I do is invite you to read and ponder whether this or another book resonates more with your mind. It’s as simple as that.”

WORDS Dan Costinas

PHOTOGRAPHY Julian Putley

Loulé Design Labs Artist of the Month

Sandra Neto

WORDS Jake Cleaver

Following my article on Loulé Criativos Design Lab in last month’s edition, the first of the resident artists I would like to introduce you to is Sandra Neto.

Originally from Loulé, Sandra moved to Lisbon when she was 18 to study and work. She returned to the Algarve 15 years ago, only planning to stay three years but ended up starting a family. She has lived here ever since.

Two years ago, she started MESS (Material research, design and development). Working as an architect, Sandra knows that architects, designers, decorators, builders and other professionals are increasingly interested in working with ecoconscious materials.

Inspired by the beautiful yet chaotic colours and textures of the natural world, MESS has been working to create a series of ‘green’ interior surfaces. She uses somewhat unusual materials destined for the rubbish and turns them into a series of stylish tiles and panels that can be applied to walls, ceilings, doors, countertops and even furniture.

What do I mean by unusual? Well, how about beans?

Always on the lookout for new materials to work with, Sandra told me how she was at a supermarket checkout and they were about to throw away packets of out-of-date dried black beans. She quickly put up her hand and asked if she could take them.

She then ‘immortalised’ them in a bio-based resin and created a modular system of space dividers she calls TRA.

MAS Supported by a structure of solid wood, the modular characteristics mean it can be easily assembled into varying heights and lengths, which allows you to divide, hide

or simply decorate different areas of your house without the need to carry out any building work.

But beans are by no means the only material Sandra uses. She’s always on the lookout for things destined for the rubbish heap and finding ways to bring them back to life.

Shopping at the Palácio Gama Lobo

I think the best way for us to get a sense of all the different materials MESS uses is to pay a visit to the boutique shop of the Loulé Design Lab in the Palácio Gama Lobo in Loulé. Here Sandra showed, and even modelled for me, the collection of resin jewellery, mainly necklaces, she has put together from prototypes and samples of her surfaces that, as ever, she didn’t want to go to waste.

One man’s trash is another woman’s treasure

She gets her materials from all kinds of unlikely sources. She goes hunting for treasure in building sites and inside her clear resin necklaces, you can find anything from old plaster to wall paint particles. She even had some sparkly ones made from waste aluminium fillings that, once clumped together, hardly use any resin and make solid glistening building blocks.

She looks to nature, as well, and uses local ‘tubular’ grasses, shells and pebbles. She even had a necklace displaying a pinch of orange sand (pinched from the island of Culatra).

And, raiding the kitchen cabinet once again, there were, of course, a few types of bean necklaces, as well as various kinds of seeds and even multi-coloured pasta (all of which make the funkiest tiles and panels). While we’re on the subject of necklaces, she has also made the most fun and colourful “Victorian Collars” using elastic bands.

New game to play

Sandra also developed a bio-resin board game called DOMIN.OR Composed of twenty-eight stones, handmade with pine needles and various kinds of dehydrated berries, it essentially works like dominoes but with colour and is designed to be helpful to activate and improve the minds of neurologically compromised seniors.

The latest project

After Christmas, Sandra found a way to use ribbons that would again be thrown away to make the most bright and rather hypnotising coat hooks – and she’s currently working on a table.

House made of beans

Now, Sandra admits that these, what she calls ‘conceptual concepts’, may not be for everyone. Working as an architect, she admitted that nobody has wanted her to make a house of beans yet! And indeed, they may be more suited to restaurants and hotels as a statement piece. But it’s good to search for alternatives and these unusual surfaces could well be the building blocks of the future.

info@messmaterials.com

www.messmaterials.com

www.facebook.com/mess.materials

www.instagram.com/mess.materials

Samples as a necklace

Top: Ribbon coat hooks

Bottom: DOMIN.OR

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Bárbara Tinoco

in concert

WORDS Vaughan Willmore

We catch up with a friend of Tomorrow magazine, the wonderful Bárbara Tinoco.

Book Worm

When Life Gives you

In February, we featured an exclusive Tomorrow magazine interview with Portuguese singing sensation Bárbara Tinoco. Since then, Bárbara has proved a true friend of the magazine. She kindly recorded a video clip expressing her delight at featuring in the magazine and gave us tickets for her recent sold-out show in Olhão, at which she gave us an insight into her eagerly awaited new album, due later this month.

It was in September 2018 when Bárbara first appeared on the national stage as a contestant on The Voice. She’s since had three Top-10 singles and a best-selling debut album. She’s won a Golden Globe and is now mid-way through her latest tour, with her show in Olhão celebrating the fourteenth anniversary of the Municipal Auditorium, a lovely intimate venue with a capacity for just 400 people.

On arrival at the auditorium, there were free drinks for all and a free flower, a great way of starting the evening and celebrating the venue’s anniversary. Bárbara attracts a wide range of ages, but certainly this evening, the fans waiting expectantly to see her were predominantly female, many of whom would have been around her own age of twentyfour, or younger.

Bárbara took to the stage just after 9.30 pm, accompanied by two guitarists, one of whom also provided backing vocals. Dressed in a long bouffant white dress, not dissimilar to a wedding dress (a hint perhaps?), she entertained her fans with her greatest hits, including ‘Antes Dela Dizer Que Sim’ (Before She Says Yes) and ‘Sei La’

(I Don’t Know), along with tracks from her new album. One of these, titled ‘Síndrome do Impostor’ (Imposter Syndrome), offers reflections on her meteoric rise to fame. Bárbara has written one song, called ‘Goodnight’, in English (see YouTube link below) but told her enraptured audience,

“I promise that my new album is all in Portuguese,” teasing that “about 10 seconds will be Russian” to reflect the nationality of her boyfriend. “I had to learn the language somehow,” she said, “so my boyfriend’s mother teaches me!”

Bárbara’s an excellent performer and hearing her sing live is not dissimilar to hearing the recorded versions – her voice is that good. She seems to enjoy performing and has a great rapport with her audience. She invited audience members on stage for one song, encouraging them to sing the chorus with her. It helped create a great sense of camaraderie and fun. Later in the evening, she walked through the aisles, chatting and laughing away with her fans.

I don’t think I’ve ever seen a performer engage more with their audience – she even reappeared a few minutes after the concert had ended with signing autographs and posing for photographs.

Bárbara has another sixteen concert dates scheduled for April and beyond, with more dates likely to be added. Tickets are available on the Songkick website (see below) and her new album is out later this month.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=FW_132JapJs

Tickets: www.songkick.com

Lemons, by Fiona Gibson

WORDS Annie O’Dea

“Sometimes life can be bittersweet … So when life throws you a lemon, cut a slice and add a G&T.”

From one of the best-selling authors, Gibson’s novel promises laughter, fun and drama. For a hilarious pick me up, When Life Gives You Lemons does exactly that.

Fiona Gibson, a Yorkshire lass by birth, started work at seventeen for the teenage magazine Jackie before moving down to London as a magazine journalist in her twenties. Now living in Glasgow with her husband Jimmy and their three children, she enjoys writing her romantic comedy novels, alongside going for a run with her rescue collie cross, Jack.

Written in a diary form, Viv, the main character and first-person narrator, amusingly describes her trials as a middle-aged woman going through the menopause. Even though her husband Andy, “dashing Doctor Flint”, is a doctor, he is unsympathetic and refuses to discuss her symptoms. As Viv says, “For a man, the menopause is a breeze.”

Andy’s mid-life crisis then becomes Viv’s problem. He is having an affair with his colleague, a younger, slimmer woman – the opposite of Viv. Divorced and single, determined not to wallow in self-pity, is it time for Viv to put herself first?

Uplifting and optimistic, Fiona Gibson’s novel will have you laughing out loud – the real tonic we all need in our lives from time to time.

Meet the ArtistAnokhi Lani

WORDS Alyson Sheldrake

Anokhi Lani was born in Koblenz, Germany, in 1981, and her family moved to the US when she was eight. After graduating back in Germany, Anokhi volunteered for a year for The Red Cross and then worked as a paramedic for several years. She also studied social work in Germany and has worked as a teacher at an elementary school in Nepal.

The first time she came to Portugal was in 2012, looking to heal and recuperate: “I was on a spiritual journey, wanting to find peace inside my inner being, independent from the outside after the sudden loss of my partner. I saw how fast life changes and that nothing is fixed. Everything comes and goes.”

In 2013, Anokhi moved to the Alentejo region of Portugal with her daughter and took up painting, following a desire she had to be more creative. She didn’t know what form that creativity would take, but describes a moment when she prayed for inspiration: “My painting really started four years ago. I had the wish to express myself and I prayed that I would be led to try something I really enjoy. And a few days after this prayer, I just saw myself buying paint and canvases. That is how it started.”

I asked her if she could describe her art for me, and she explained how she tries to transmute and transform a range of human feelings into “expressions of unity and clarity”. She also admitted that she loves experimenting with colours, using mainly acrylics to create textured layers of paint, although sometimes she also adds oil paint and pigments. She mainly paints outdoors at home, where she has a beautiful view of nature all around to inspire her.

While life continues to be her biggest influence, she also knows that her own emotions and feelings play a big part in her paintings. “I just have an inner feeling to paint and I start. I don’t think about it. Most of the time, I ruin my clothes because I follow this inner feeling. The

whole process of painting is very much "in the moment’ for me.” Each piece for Anokhi is different and unique. It can take days or weeks to complete each one, depending on the subject. Interestingly, she seems to have an instinct for when to put down her brushes: “When I feel the painting is complete, it’s done.”

I ask if other artists inspire her. “I feel there are many great artists with each one having created beautiful pieces of art. But for me, this planet is the greatest artist. There is so much beauty and perfection. The sunrise, the sunset, flowers, water, all the colours, ice crystals… It is just so perfect that no human being can ever copy it.”

Anokhi does wish to inspire others, though. She sometimes goes into local schools to paint with the children: “I want to show them they are all unique and that everyone is an artist. I encourage them to turn off their critical mind and just express themselves and paint. They are amazing and it is beautiful to watch when they just paint and leave all judgements aside.”

Anokhi is planning to put her art on clothing in the future and is also hoping to produce bigger paintings. She enjoys completing commissions for clients and you can view her work on her website. She has also declared that she is happy to donate a painting for a good cause, explaining that her heart goes especially towards helping animals.

anokhi.lani@gmail.com

www.anokhilani.com

www.instagram.com/anokhi.lani www.facebook.com/christine.gewehr

+351 932 771 322

Top: ocean love 120x70x2cm Left: express yourself 120x70x4cm

A Taste of Aristocracy

Our new home told a story of bygone nobility.

WORDS Becca Williams

We almost did an about-face when we saw the phone booth size elevator with the rickety folding gate in the small homely lobby.

But the listing advertised a T-4, a 4-bedroom, 5-bath rarity within the fortress walls of Lagos. The photos promised a 4th-floor penthouse with a commanding view of Meia Praia – the 4 km long beach that hugs Lagos.

Ron, my husband, had his nostalgic heart set on Old Town Lagos. Before we met, he had lived in New York City’s West Village and adored the vintage architecture, the countless restaurants and small quirky indy shops.

So as new US expats/immigrants looking for our Portugal perch, the Old Town resonated with him, given the echo of the charming West Village. I was indifferent actually until he appealed to my practical side – pointing out that city centre living offered us a rich spectrum of everything we needed without getting in the car.

Agreeing on that, we huddled in the lift, shimmying up to the top floor, wondering how this vaunted apartment was going to square with the apartment building’s dingy entrance.

Once inside the front door and down a short hall, we came face-to-face with a sweeping spectacle of the beach, the Lagos marina, with the Monchique mountain range framed by the ubiquitous white walls and orange roofs of Portugal.

Ok, it checked all the boxes … room enough for offices and bedrooms (always have to have a guest room), plenty of bathrooms and, of course, that view!

Old World Europe in Our Apartment

These are the reasons we purchased the place, but in the ensuing months, an aristocratic pedigree emerged. We were told by our realtor that the place, built in 1974, had had one owner – a Lisbon-based family that used it as their southern Portugal “holiday house”.

We began noticing some intriguing aspects about the place. There was a peculiar-looking metre-like device mounted to the kitchen wall. It had numbers 1–5, but we had no clue as to what it was. We then noticed switches in the living room and three of the bedrooms, which we thought were dead – because nothing happened when we pressed them. But soon, we traced the switches to the device in the kitchen as it registered a number from the room in which we flicked the switch. We then realised they were maid call buttons.

One of the bedrooms was separated from the other suite of three. And we presume, since a clothesline was outside this bedroom, that this was the maid’s room. (We imagined the

maid travelled with the family to its vacation home to support the holiday merry-making!)

That explained why there was a second ‘front door’ in the front hallway – it was a service entrance for the maid. It dawned on us that the swing door in the kitchen was for serving the dining room, which was in a separate room down the hall.

A Silk Purse Hidden in a Sow’s Ear

Over the months, various skilled labourers helping us renovate remarked on the colour-changing floor tiles. We were told that they were Moroccan, crafted from a centuries-old method using a particular clay mixture, hand cut and given a shimmery glaze that accounted for multi-tonal colouring. With 50 years of wear, they’re chipped and scratched, but we wouldn’t dream of changing them out (not to mention the cost would be prohibitive).

Other architectural features include the winding turret staircase, handcrafted doors, and six terraces throughout the apartment. So, despite the homely entrance and the scary elevator (although it's checked and maintained regularly), we've become quite fond of our new home. We made the maid’s room into our guest room and confidently did away with the call buttons.

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Raising the Roof

The government’s controversial ‘More Housing’ proposals.

The government says that it has to address the shortage of affordable homes in many parts of Portugal, including the Algarve. Several of its proposed solutions are proving controversial and are set to meet with strong opposition and possibly challenges in the courts.

Prime Minister António Costa, when introducing his government’s proposed reforms, argued that they are necessary because, for many low-paid Portuguese families, housing has become unaffordable in many parts of the country. Prices and rents have been rising faster than incomes, putting homes out of reach. The effect is most dramatic in Lisbon, where property prices have risen from 1.300€ per square metre in 2015 to 4.800€ today. Rents in the capital rose by 37% in the last year. But many other areas, including the Algarve, have also seen large increases in both prices and rents.

Past government policies have contributed to the inflation in property values, not least the numerous measures taken over the years to encourage foreign investment in Portuguese property. While these measures succeeded in bringing in a large amount of foreign capital, they have clearly contributed to the property boom. Now the government is trying to switch direction by dampening down the foreign incentives and tackling the problem of under-used or empty properties.

Some of the proposed changes are not particularly controversial, for example:

• Properties sold to the state are to be exempt from Capital Gains Tax

• Planning laws will be changed to make it easier to convert commercial property into residential use

• Local authority planning processes will be simplified

• Properties made available for long-term rent will get tax exemptions, including lower income tax on the rental income

• Rent and mortgage subsidies will be offered to low-income families

Then there are the controversial proposals, for example:

• To stop issuing the Local Accommodation licences (Licenças de Alojamento Local) currently required for tourism rentals, and to make all existing licences expire in 2030, except in rural areas. After 2030, current AL licences will only be extended if they acquire local approval.

• Condominiums are to be given the authority to decide, by majority vote, whether they wish to end Local Accommodation licences in their development.

• Vacant properties can be taken over by local authorities and be subjected to a forced let. The government intends to order utility companies to tell the authorities if the annual consumption is unusually low. The government will then give the owner 100 days to arrange a let, and if they fail to do so, the government will make a forced let. Second homes are to be exempt from this measure.

• Where councils deem a property to be overcrowded, they will be given the power to force the landlord to rehouse tenants in additional properties.

• New lease contracts will be subject to statutory rent controls, limiting annual increases to inflation plus 2%.

• The Golden Visa scheme, which grants EU passports to non-EU citizens in return for substantial capital investment in Portugal, will end. Existing visas will only be extended on proof that the property covered is a permanent residence. Currently, in the Algarve, the scheme operates in Aljezur, Monchique and Vila do Bispo.

From the list of proposed measures, it is easy to see why landlords and many in the tourism rental business are concerned. The government offered only a very short consultation period on the proposals, but even so, a number of organised lobby groups have sprung up determined to press for change to these proposals as they begin their passage through Parliament in the coming months.

Opponents are concerned that some of the powers are draconian and quite probably unconstitutional. So, some of this is heading for the courts, it would seem. Others argue that the state should be looking to bring its own empty public properties into use before seeking to take over private accommodation.

Prime Minister Costa argues that the right to property cannot override the right to housing. That is the proposition that will now be tested.

The website: visaguide.world/golden-visa/ portugal-golden-visa is an excellent resource for those seeking comprehensive information on the Portugal Golden Visa program. It provides up-todate details on the latest developments, as well as a step-by-step guide on how to apply for a visa.

WORDS James Plaskitt

James Plaskitt was a Member of Parliament in the UK and served as a minister in Tony Blair's government. He is now retired in the Algarve.

Viridis Partners presents: two new turnkey projects in the Algarve in association with ten Hoopen Realty

www.viridis.partners

Construction under way at Burgau Sea Gardens

Located in the small fi shing village of Burgau, 12 km west of Lagos and in the Vicentine Coast Natural Park, is the private condominium Burgau Sea Gardens, which includes 32 two-bedroom apartments with large balconies, swimming pools for adults and children, gym, garage and open spaces beautifully integrated with nature.

Burgau Sea Gardens is a short 6-minute walk from the Burgau beach. The ground floor apartments have large balconies and private gardens with direct access to the pool. The first-floor apartments have a balcony and a private roof terrace. In both cases, there is the option of installing a private jacuzzi.

Each apartment has a parking space and a private storage room in the garage.

Prices from: 363.000 €

Encosta da Luz, the first sustainable project in Praia da Luz, features eight contemporary luxurious homes with areas ranging between 350m2 and 480m2

Encosta da Luz is one of the last available developable tracks of land in Praia da Luz with both privacy and sea views.

Built under Passive House standards, adapted to the Algarve weather conditions, it uses the most advanced solar, water management and insulation technologies to reduce the cost of home ownership and create true eco-friendly living.

Standard specifications of these turnkey projects include a private garden, outdoor terrace, private heated pool with automatic cover and jacuzzi. A Smart energy management system with solar panels and battery banks is optional.

Prices from: 2.100.000€

Only 3 plots remaining for eco-friendly living in Praia da Luz

Dancing to Art

What's on

For more events and activities check our online calendar:  www.tomorrowalgarve.com/calendar

Family Easter Party

The production by ADL includes choreographies interpreting works by some of the world’s greatest artists. The dance school has won gold medals in the US, Germany, Italy and, of course, Portugal, which is testimony to its highly skilled dancers and choreographers. This latest production incorporates all of the creative skills, choreography and imaginative costuming that the ADL is famous for.

When: 28 and 29 April, 7.30 pm

Where: Lagos Cultural Centre

Tickets: Available at the Lagos Cultural Centre only.

 www.facebook.com/CentroCulturaldeLagos

Loose Ends

If you are looking to find and make new friends and you are on your own, join the Loose Ends group. The next event will be happy hour on the terrace at the Tivoli, Lagos followed by dinner at the Green Room.

When: 8 April

Where: The Tivoli Lagos

 Please advise Kiki on +351 964 822 276

For more information about the group contact Tom: +351 919 918 733 / tom@tomorrowalgarve.com

Verão Azul Festival

A festival of contemporary arts which lasts for a fortnight, with shows in Loulé and Lagos. The festival aims to challenge the limits of normal realities through works that fluctuate between performance, visual arts, video games and a wide range of music from pop-electronic and afrobeat fusion to post-hardcore and metal.

When: 5 - 9 April  www.festivalveraoazul.com

Easter Egg Hunt

Sponsored by St Vincent´s chaplaincy, the egg hunt will take place after the 11.30 am Easter Sunday service. All are welcome.

When: 9 April

Where: St Vincent´s Church, Praia da Luz

 horley.shirleen@gmail.com

Albufeira Sea Fest

The event aims to be a great youth and family festival during the Easter school break. The best national skateboard, BMX and inline skate athletes will be giving demonstrations. There will also be environmental education initiatives, workshops, surf demonstrations and an entertainment programme to everyone’s taste, with a performance by Daniel Vargas from The Voice, Portugal.

When: 7 - 8 April from 9 am

Where: Praça dos Pesadores, Albufeira

 www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100090990374278

BBQ Anniversary Party

The Rotary Club of Lagos will celebrate its 44th anniversary with various activities including live music. Food and drink will also be on sale.

When: 23 April, 11 am

Where: Parque das Marendas, Mata de B. S. João Confirm attendance by the 18th

 +351 969 747 454

On Easter Sunday, each child will be given a welcome treat and a ‘find the letters around the sports centre’ age-related sheet. Once completed, return to Rebecca Rabbit for your Easter treat! Other fun activities include a pass the egg parcel, decorating egg corner, an Easter egg colouring competition, a bunny hop race, and bunny face painting with lots of free play and music.

When: 9 April, 11 am

Where: Burgau Sports Centre

Tickets: 5€ per child - adults free

 Book your tickets WhatsApp: +351 927 613 513 (Zoe)

Feiro do Folar

A display of local gastronomy and confectionery, including regional products and musical entertainment. A chance to visit and enjoy the produce of the most traditional rural parish in the municipality.

When: 7 - 9 April from 3 pm

Where: Barão de São João

 www.cm-lagos.pt/municipio/eventos

Folar Fair

Celebrating the 25th anniversary of this Easter fair and the producers associated with the folar cake. There will be exhibitors of bakery and regional confectionery, along with regional products such as liqueurs, brandies and honey. Browse the stalls of traditional sausages, catering, handicrafts and traditional crafts such as tin, pottery, cane work and cork.

When: 7 - 9 April

Where: São Marcos da Serra, Silves

 www.facebook.com/municipiodesilves

Useful Numbers

Cadela Carlota

How Can You Lend a Paw?

WORDS Ann Hodges

Our volunteer team consists of helpers from Belgium, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, Portugal, Sweden, France, the US, South Africa, the UK and more. Why not join us, and open up new horizons? You could improve your language skills at the same time.

Anyone of any age can help Cadela Carlota in many ways. We don’t need you to clean our kennels and we do not only need dog walkers. Can you sit with a distressed animal? Just sit and talk to them to get them used to the sound of a caring human voice. Can you brush them, cuddle them or even write your emails sitting next to them? This work is so important.

If you want a more permanent commitment with an animal, we have many cats and dogs ready for adoption. An in-depth chat with one of our team can help you to choose the cat or dog that has the personality to fit in with your lifestyle. Personality is key to a successful adoption – not looks.

We desperately need foster homes for our dogs and cats. Animals often arrive from disadvantaged backgrounds and fostering allows them to adapt to living in a loving environment. Fostering gives them a chance to become adopted and find a forever home. A chat with one of our dedicated and knowledgeable team is essential if you are considering providing a foster home.

How about sponsoring? Sponsorship is the next best thing to owning a dog or cat. It is an ideal gift for a grandchild who may not be able to own a dog for various reasons. They can choose their own sponsor animal – and they will receive a certificate and a video of them. They will also be able to visit the dog or cat and receive a quarterly update on their progress.

We may need help with various events, such as supermarket food collections (usually just a few sessions a year). This can prove to be a happy social time to meet new people, as well as helping Cadela Carlota. We have charity shops in Almadena and Lagos. Could you make yourself available to be a temp at one of our charity shops in Almádena and Lagos? Could you take over if one of our regular team is ill? Currently, our Lagos shop is desperate for people to join the team. Can you spare just a few hours a week? Please also think of us first when giving away unwanted items.

There are many other ways that you could help us when it is needed by giving your time freely. Maybe with DIY jobs, or are you internet savvy?

Ann Margaret Hodges is a volunteer at Cadela Carlota.

For more information on any of the above, please contact us via our website: www.cadelacarlota.com – or, if you prefer, you can contact me direct at annehodges77@gmail.com

Update on the Own-the-Land Campaign

In September 2022, the Cadela Carlota animal shelter launched its biggest challenge to date. We set out to raise enough money to buy the 1.8 hectares of land where the dog shelter is located. We needed to ensure our dogs would have a safe place to stay – forever. With the early and strong support from Tomorrow magazine, we made our plight known and turned what seemed like a daunting task into a community effort with help from countless individuals, other charities, and businesses.

This week, we witnessed the incredible generosity of the Algarve community once more. Two of our volunteers, Terri Eley and Judite Vida Pedro, hosted a fundraising event at the Carvi Beach Hotel. The hotel, owned by the Pedro family, kindly donated the space, wine and hors d'oeuvres for the 50+ guests. The showstopper at the event was a silent auction where guests could bid on an array of items and services that were donated by individuals and businesses. All proceeds directly benefited our Own-the-Land campaign. It was an unparalleled success and, as of the time of printing, brought us over 10.000,00€ closer to the finish line. We now know that with just a bit more work, we will reach our goal of raising the needed 85.000,00€ to buy the land.

At the event, we also showcased our new logo, now including a cat and a dog, and launched a new program called Sponsor an Unadoptable Animal. At a Gold, Silver, or Bronze level, you can support those animals who will be Cadela Carlota’s forever residents due to their specific circumstances. See our website for more information.

For their generous support at this latest fundraising event, we would like to express our deepest gratitude to the following individuals, families and businesses: Ideal Homes, Marangoni Art Gallery, Villas Key, Burgau Sports Centre, Impanema Restaurant, NYC, Mosto Wine Bar, Luca’s Restaurant, Boavista Golf, Espiche Golf, Alex Tuk Tuk Lisbon, P and J Farmer, S and M Farmer, the Roundtrees, the Andersons, the Damerons, C Waller, the Osbonds, the Eleys, S Van Der Westhuizen, D Vail, C Delany, D Crisostomo Martinez Yoga, V Candela and C Naftali.

Konstanze Alex is a board member and treasurer at Cadela Carlota.

If you would like to donate, you can do so on our website or GoFundMe page: www.gofundme.com/own-the-land-o-nosso-terreno www.cadela-carlota.com/help/sponsoring

TOP ROW LEFT TO RIGHT: Yolanda van Wieringen, Brigitte Kerckhaert, Judite Vida Pedro, Terri Eley

BOTTOM ROW LEFT TO

RIGHT: Konstanze Alex, Anja Vangerwen, not pictured Ruth Gomes

WORDS Konstanze Alex

Ambulances for Ukraine

WORDS Jane Thompson-Renzi

The Algarve has been helping the Ukrainian war effort by sourcing and converting ambulances to send to the frontline.

Many public utility vehicles are being destroyed every day in Ukraine due to bombings, so a steady supply of new ambulances is critically needed on the frontline each month. Ambulances for Ukraine grew from an idea to use ambulances that are already at the end of their service but can still serve very well in Ukraine. This project is sponsored by ORANTA, a non-profit organisation based in the Algarve to help refugees in Portugal.

The project started with the purchase of two used ambulances by ORANTA from funds largely donated by the Ukrainian community in Portugal. The first annual Ukrainian festival took place in Lagos in May 2022, only months after the war in Ukraine began in late February 2022 and added more money to the effort.

Armed with the festival income, along with additional funding from the Câmara of Lagos, Ukrainian volunteers for ORANTA, Roman Grymalyuk and Ninel Martyniuk, began looking for discarded ambulances to buy and refit. They also went knocking on the doors of over thirty local Bombeiros and other firefighter associations to ask if they would be willing to donate or sell at a reduced cost their out-of-service ambulances to support the project. Their endeavours meant they were able to purchase and deliver two used ambulances to the war zone and help doctors on the frontlines.

The response from the Portuguese community has also been overwhelming. ORANTA received four more ambulances from the Volunteer Firefighters Association of Carrazado Montenegro, Bombeiros Voluntários of Monchique, and most recently from Bombeiros of Beja. The League of Portuguese Firefighters was also instrumental in securing some of the vehicles. The association Help Together/I Help Ukraine donated 1,400 complete sets of surgical pyjamas to accompany the ambulances. Future

ambulance deliveries will also include night headgear to help ambulance drivers navigate invisibly in the war zone.

All of these vehicles needed some level of repair and maintenance to be put back into service in Ukraine. Portuguese firm Norauto supported the project by providing free or reduced-cost work, including fitting new tyres and doing oil changes.

As of today, seven ambulances from the Algarve are on the frontlines in various locations in Ukraine. The most recent of the vehicles was delivered on 1 March. There are also pledges of more ambulances from other firefighter organisations and three more vehicles, including an ambulance and two Jeeps, in Portugal awaiting repairs before they head to Ukraine. The funding for these vehicles has been made possible by private donations at a carnaval fundraising event in Armação de Pêra and from the proceeds of an Algarve resident author’s book sales. Finally, as a reminder of the very human aspect of the war, each ambulance going to Ukraine now has a sticker showing a skull on the back in remembrance of a fallen soldier and friend of Grymalyuk’s, who left Portugal four days after the war began and has not been heard from since.

The war may likely continue for some time, so ambulances, four-wheel drive vehicles and even large buses that can be rebuilt with shower stalls and laundry facilities are still critically needed in Ukraine.

“Ambulances for Ukraine” project: oranta.pt oranta.pt@gmail.com

Ambulances donated by Bombeiros of Monchique

Ambulance on the Ukrainian frontline

Sticker in remembrance of a fallen soldier and friend

Roman Grymalyuk with ambulance donated by Bombeiros of Beja

Sail Away

Lagos, situated on the Algarve’s southwest coast, is one of the pre-eminent sailing clubs and small boat instructional schools in the whole of Portugal. The location is well sheltered from the prevailing northerly winds and has the protective walls of the old fort and the sea wall of the channel leading up to Lagos’ municipal marina. Boats are launched from a sandy beach into calm waters, an ideal location for beginners and experienced sailors alike. Boat classes are typically the Opti and the Laser, now renamed the Ilca, an acronym for International Laser Class Association.

The club began operation in 1950 with the aim to teach school-age youngsters to get out on the water and learn to sail. It has approximately 60 students, operating at weekends during term time and every day during the summer holidays. The goal is to train these young sailors to sail to a competition level.

The club director, Rui Raimundo, explained that in 2022, “Our athletes competed in Faro in the 2nd Prova de Apuramento Nacional class ILCA. There was a stand-out performance from Eolann Hynes-Knight, who, in a very competitive fleet, took the 3rd position, giving her a podium finish. Very close was Rúben Ribeiro in 4th and Jannis Tomaz in 7th. Many congratulations went out to all athletes for their excellent participation in two days of competition with very harsh weather conditions!”

This year, these three young athletes have qualified for the European championships in Spain, taking place this April.

The club is not only a venue for young sailors to learn and compete in small sailboat races, but it is the host club for many marine events like cruising yacht regattas, foiling one-design catamaran races, dinghy races, windsurfing and various angling events. The sailing club also offers recreational navigation courses.

The calendar for the summer includes many fun events, and if you can’t join in, a table at the water’s edge with a cold beverage in hand is a great alternative. The catamaran races in June and July provide a wonderful spectator opportunity, especially from the cliff top near Camilo Beach overlooking the spectacular Bay of Lagos.

The GC32 Racing Tour

The Clube de Vela de Lagos has received praise for being instrumental in bringing the GC32 Racing Tour to Lagos. Portugal’s Algarve coast was not known in yacht racing circles before the GC32 Racing Tour first visited in 2018. Since then, it has become a firm favourite with the GC32 teams. The waters in the bay off Lagos can provide strong winds and flat water, but frequently, the weather conditions are more irregular, so teams must be prepared for anything.

While weather conditions are an attraction, the venue is popular because of the local support the teams receive from the Marina de Lagos, Tourism Portugal and the marine experts at Sopromar Centro Nautico. The Clube de Vela de Lagos was especially lauded thanks to its members and the ‘family atmosphere’ given by its enthusiastic youth sailors.

Recreational Navigator’s Courses

In April 2010, the club started navigation courses. Its classroom is equipped with modern technology (internet, video projector, etc.) and several instructional vessels (rigid vessels with cabins and semi-rigid). The following courses are offered and begin once a minimum number of enrollees is verified (varies from course to course).

Junior Sailor from 8 to 16 years old

Enables the holder to embark on a small boat with power to 6hp and up to 6 metres in length. They must sail to a maximum distance of one mile from the low-water line and three miles from any harbour. Candidates receive instruction on applicable legislation, vessel nomenclature, manoeuvres, rules to avoid collisions, safety, first aid and engine operation.

All the courses include accident insurance, educational materials, administrative expenses and issuance of the licence.

Sailor (sail, auxiliary sail and power) from 16 to 18 years old

Allows for the command of vessels to a maximum distance of three miles from the coast and ten miles from a port of refuge. Their vessel must be up to 6 metres with power up to 30hp, this includes jet skis and motorised boards regardless of their power. Candidates receive instruction on applicable legislation, vessel nomenclature, manoeuvres, rules to avoid collisions, safety, first aid and engine operation.

There are other intermediate courses, but the most advanced available is the:

Coast Boss

This qualification entitles its holder to command vessels, with no size or power limit, up to a distance of 40 miles from the coast. Candidates receive instruction on applicable legislation, vessel nomenclature, manoeuvres, rules to avoid collisions, safety, navigation on marine charts, passage planning, first aid, meteorology and engine operation (diesel, outboard, 4-stroke, etc).

WORDS Julian Putley

The Sailing Club of Lagos – Clube de Vela de Lagos

Rui Raimundo

European Championship Contenders

Go to the Tomorrow blog to see the Sailing Club's full calendar of events for 2023

For more information: +351 282 358 236 geral@tenniscarvoeiro.com www.tenniscarvoeiro.com

□ 10 Tennis courts (5 floodlit)

□ 4 Padel courts (4 floodlit)

□ Studio classes (14 per week, including LBT, Yoga, Pilates, Dance and Bootcamp)

□ Coffee shop and snack bar

□ 500 sqm fully equipped Gym

□ “The Bungalow” wellness centre offering Thai massage, manicure, pedicure, facials, microblading and more.

□ Large Swimming pool with lounge area.

Open to the public 361 days per year □ Pay & Play available in all areas □ Day, Month, Annual Memberships available

Rua Dr. Paulo Jorge L. Godinho Lote 7 – Loja D 8600-774 Lagos (+351) 282 769 115

SPORTS ROUND UP

WORDS David Lugg

Tennis

Motorsport

The Rallye Casinos do Algarve will be held in the spring for the first time in over 50 years. This year’s event will be held on 30 March and 1 April in the hills near Silves. Last year’s winner was local hero Ricardo Teodósio in the Hyundai i20. The 46-yearold from Guia will again be among the favourites to win his home event.

Football

International football

The Portugal women’s team has qualified for the FIFA World Cup finals for the first ever time, but it did so in dramatic circumstances. Facing Cameroon in the playoff final, Portugal took the lead in the 22nd minute after Tatiana Pinto reacted first to a free kick that had cannoned off the post. The Portuguese side created a number of chances and continued to put its African opponents under pressure throughout the game, but it was Cameroon who equalised against the run of play in the 89th minute. Not to be outdone, Portugal regained its lead in the 4th minute of injury with a cooly taken penalty from Carole Costa. The jubilant Portuguese side will head to Australia and New Zealand in July to make its World Cup debut against England, China and Denmark.

Men’s football

Portimonense has finally ended its abysmal run of form with two hard-fought 1-0 victories over Paços de Ferreira and Marítimo. The Portimão-based side had been in freefall since its last win on 6 November last year, but, barring something disastrous, its stay in the Primeira Liga will continue for another season.

World Cup football

Morocco has joined Spain and Portugal in a three-way bid to host the 2030 FIFA World Cup. Ukraine had initially been part of the bid but has subsequently pulled out, leaving the door open for the north African nation. Morocco was the surprise team at the 2022 World Cup reaching the semi-final following a 1-0 quarter-final victory over Portugal.

Gonçalo Oliveira has won the rain-affected Loulé Open by defeating Lucas Poullain of France 6-3, 6-2. The Algarvebased player did not lose a set in the tournament and was delighted with his week’s work. “It's the first singles title I've won in Portugal, so I'm very happy,” he said at the conclusion of the match.

Nuno Borges has won the GNP Insurance Open in Mexico, ending a long period without a tournament victory for Portugal. The world number 80 beat Croatian Borna Gojo 6-4, 7-6 in the final to seal the most important victory of his career. The 26-year-old, who is coached by Algarvian tennis legend Rui Machado, expressed his delight following the conclusion of the event. “At the start of the week, I never thought I could walk out of here as champion. What a great week.”

Surfing

Yolanda Hopkins has created history by becoming the European surf champion after winning the Morocco QS3000 in Taghazout. Having already won competitions in Anglet, France and Newquay, Cornwall, the surfer from Quarteira continued her fine season with victory coming from the last set of waves of the day. Her performance also earned her a wildcard entry into a round of the elite Championship Tour in Peniche, where she finished fifth, the best-ever result by a Portuguese surfer.

Badminton

Six-time Portuguese national champion Bernardo Atilano has crashed out of the Portugal International Badminton Championships in the first round. The 27-year-old was highly tipped to go far on home soil but lost 23-21, 12-21, 21-15 to French player Enogat Roy. Atilano commented, “I tried and gave my best, but, unfortunately, the game didn’t fall to my side.”

If you wish to publicise a sporting event, please contact our sports editor David Lugg: david@tomorrowalgarve.com

Gonçalo Oliveira photo courtesy of Loulé Open

Musings of a MOUNTAIN BIKER

WORDS Gilly Grateley

Hardtail Dual Suspension

Hi, Gilly here. This week one of my cycling buddies rocked up on a lovely new hardtail bike; she had a great ride and was really pleased with her purchase. Whilst she was shopping around, she had considered a dualsuspension bike but dismissed it for being too heavy. I ride a useradjustable dual suspension bike and love it, which got me thinking, what are the differences, pros and cons between these two types of mountain bikes.

For the uninitiated, all mountain bikes have a front suspension fork (shock absorber). Some also have rear suspension and are referred to as dual or full suspension. Those that don’t are referred to as hardtail. There are several differences between the types:

Price – hardtails are usually cheaper to buy (considering like-for-like frame, wheels and components) and are cheaper to service and maintain as there are fewer moving parts to replace or repair.

Weight – on average, a full suspension bike will be at least 1.5kgs heavier than a like-for-like hardtail. The lighter bikes will have the advantage on the climbs but may be more challenging to control on rough terrain.

Comfort – full suspension bikes absorb the impacts to the rear wheel

and significantly dampen the force through the pedals and handlebars, which can make rough rides smoother and more comfortable.

Handling – (here’s the techie bit!) hardtails are generally more efficient. Energy transfers from your body to the bike through the pedals, propelling the bike forward. With a rigid frame, you don’t lose energy through the compression of the rear suspension, which means they are usually faster on climbs, sprints and smooth trails. On less technical terrain, hardtails often provide a more responsive ride. However, full suspension generally offers more traction. On bumpier rides, the rear shock helps keep the wheels in contact with the ground, improving the grip, control (rider balance) and steering, which can reduce the risk of mistakes and wipeouts.

Ultimately, it comes down to personal preference and what type of riding you’ll be doing most often. Hardtails are a popular choice, easy to maintain and great if you ride on dirt roads and light cross country with some roots and rocks. Their efficiency and weight make them good for faster rides and for covering long distances. If you want to have fun on more rugged terrain and feel more secure on steeper descents, then full suspension bikes are more forgiving and will give you control and comfort. If you are in

VSthe market for a new bike, it might be worth trialling the different types!

As you know, exploring is my passion; I like to be out for three to four hours on each ride and there are often surprises on new routes, so I opt for the comfort and stability of the full suspension.

I’m not racing, so I don’t fuss over the weight difference, as is evident by the size and weight of my backpack! And, as I mentioned, my suspension is user adjustable, meaning if I choose, I can lock-out my suspension whilst riding, giving me some of the benefits of a hardtail.

A really important point to note is whichever type of bike you prefer, be sure to consider the quality of the forks and shocks; quality damping and air spring are important, as is the strength of the components, as rocks and rocks ruts can take you by surprise. As the pros will tell you, suspension type isn’t everything. Wheel size, tyre choice, gearing and frame geometry are also considerations – all ideas for future musings, me thinks!

Whatever your choice, I hope to see you out enjoying the trails. Have fun, stay safe and be sure to get in touch if you have stories to share.

A Conversion for Portuguese Rugby

With participation numbers growing and a World Cup on the horizon, David Lugg explains why 2023 is an important year for Portuguese rugby.

In 2007, the Portuguese national men’s team shocked the rugby world by becoming the first all-amateur side to qualify for the World Cup in France. Despite some battling performances, they finished bottom of their group without a win, but they left with their pride intact and high hopes of the sport, gaining some much-needed publicity back home in Portugal. Alas, the fervour quickly died down and media coverage soon reverted back to football.

However, in the past few years, there have been signs that Os Lobos (The Wolves) might be building something special. Playing in the Rugby Europe Championship (the rung below the Six Nations), they have recorded some impressive results, including a 25-25 draw away to Georgia, who are ranked number twelve in the world. Their good form saw them reach the final qualifying tournament for the 2023 World Cup and, after two comfortable victories against Hong Kong and Kenya, they scored a thrilling last-gasp penalty against the US to top the group and send Portugal to just the second World Cup finals in their history.

The tournament begins in September and will see them return to France in a repeat of their only previous appearance.

Captain Tomás Appleton is aware of how big a chance this is for the sport to flourish in his home country. “Rugby in Portugal is growing and this year is a great opportunity for everyone to get to know the sport even better. I think young kids need a national team that can inspire them to play and there’s no better place to watch this team than in a World Cup.”

The 2023 Rugby Europe Championship started extremely well, with three comfortable victories over Belgium, Poland and Romania. In doing so, Portugal topped their group, which meant a home semifinal against old enemies Spain. Despite being 10-0 down after 19 minutes, Portugal stormed back to score 27 unanswered points, playing some free-flowing, speedy rugby in the process.

In the final, Portugal faced a familiar team in the powerhouse Georgia, who had won eleven out of the past twelve championships. The first half was a tight affair, with Georgia leading at halftime by 1211, but a powerful second-half performance saw Georgia take the title 38-11. Despite the result, The Wolves will hope that 2023 will be a year that will capture the imagination of both the media and the general public. It

won’t be an easy task to break the stranglehold of football, but there are great hopes that their exciting brand of open rugby will pay dividends for the next generation of Portuguese players.

Similarly, women’s rugby is also very much on the way up. Despite the game being in its infancy, the national side is on a great run of form, having recently completed high-scoring victories over Belgium, Germany, Finland and Czechia.

They currently top the Women’s Trophy group (Division 3 on the European hierarchy), having scored 161 points and conceding only five. The ultimate goal will be to reach the 2025 World Cup in England, but they will have their work cut out if they are to make it to the finals. Portugal is currently ranked as low as 29 in the world, but considering they only started playing tournament rugby in 2021, they are off to a flying start. A strong showing in this season’s ‘Trophy’ championship will help put them on the right track.

Photos © Luis Cabelo Photography

Golf Mindset

How to reduce distractions while enjoying a round of golf

Controlling the mind during a round of golf is one of the hardest things to do, yet it is a discipline that golfers do not place a lot of focus on. We will spend time practising on the range and doing our mobility workouts, but often we do not do our ‘mental' workouts.

Looking at the mind and how we can focus is an integral part of my Golf Fitness classes. When I first introduced it into class, some were sceptical, but now it is an essential part of the training.

You may think that the most important part of yoga for golf is flexibility, but it is not. It is meditation and learning to stay in the present alongside the philosophy of acceptance and letting go.

One of my favourite ways to bring focus and reduce distractions is what I call my ‘white ball meditation’. In simple terms, you sit still with a golf ball in front of you, start to gaze at the ball, and bring your attention to the ball and your breath. Your mind will wander (that is human nature), but you just bring it back to the ball and the breath. You do not need to do this for hours; as little as three minutes is enough to start training the brain. If you can do this every day, you will find that when you are on the course and standing over a shot or a putt, it is much easier to keep the focus on the ball and stay in that moment.

Why not give it a go, your golf score will thank you, and it will lead to a more enjoyable round. If you want to learn more, you can click on the link to watch an explanation.

Detox your life

WORDS Paula Rey

Hey there! I’m a big fan of clean beauty, which is all about using products that are good for both our bodies and the environment. It’s about being mindful of what we put in and on our bodies and honouring our natural beauty.

If you’re interested in detoxing your care routine, there are plenty of easy ways to get started.

Look for paraben-free body lotion, switch to aluminium-free deodorant, choose mineral sunscreen, and opt for sulphatefree shampoo and natural soap bars made from vegetable oil. And instead of using antibacterial gel, try plain soap and water to keep your body healthy and strong.

These small changes can help you feel more confident and connected to your natural beauty. So why not start today? I wish you all the best on your journey towards cleaner, more sustainable beauty habits!

Top Tips:

• Go for paraben-free body lotion and other products

• Switch to aluminium-free deodorant as it is a significant cause of breast cancer. You can find aluminium-free labels in your local supermarket or opt for natural deodorants made with coconut oil, starch, and essential oils. Some of them contain wax for texture.

• Switch to mineral sunscreen. Regular sunscreen contains oxybenzone, homosalate, and octocrylene. Studies have shown that these ingredients disrupt the endocrine system. I personally use Mádara, a company from Latvia which uses organic natural ingredients.

• Look for a sulphate-free shampoo. Most commercial brands like Kerástase and L’Oréal have integrated these labels in supermarkets.

• Opt for natural soap bars made from vegetable oil. Many fantastic local brands make soaps and other skincare products that you can find in Wednesday’s Bio Market in Lagos and Organic Shops such as Hortelã Pimenta. I love Raw Care Studio in Ericeira. They have sustainably sourced, organic ingredients and ship in Portugal.

• Choose plain soap and water instead of antibacterial. When we use antibacterial gel, we kill all the bad and good bacteria. We still need good bacteria to defend our bodies from pathogens.

Paula is a holistic health coach, hypnobirthing childbirth educator, and cacao & embodiment facilitator.

pauladelaselva.com

Facebook/Instagram @delaselva.holistic

WORDS Ann de Jongh

BioResonance Therapy

An Energetic Alternative

bioresonance therapy has received criticism from the scientific community for its lack of scientific evidence.

The history of bioresonance therapy can be traced back to the late 19th century, when scientists first started to study the electromagnetic properties of living organisms. In the 1950s and 1960s, the Russian physicist and mathematician Nikolai Kozyrev explored the concept of “time-energy”, which he believed was a fundamental aspect of the universe. Kozyrev believed that the resonance of living organisms could be used to diagnose and treat various health conditions.

Scientific Data on Bioresonance Therapy

As Hemina pointed out, there have been very few comprehensive studies on bioresonance therapy. With no accompanying drugs to sell, it is not a profitable industry for the companies who often fund medical research.

WORDS Meredith Price Levitt PHOTOGRAPHY Mitul Malde

It might seem counter-intuitive, but the sleepy Algarve is rapidly becoming known for its alternative therapies – psychedelic workshops using LSD, family constellation sessions with psychodrama techniques and even mushroom & surf camps – to name only a few. Now Portugal’s epicentre of tourism can add bioresonance to its innovative list.

As I entered the sunny hexagonal studio where Hemina Malde gives her Bioresonance treatments just outside of Lagos, I immediately felt the morning’s tension melt away from my body. Greeted by her kind and soft energy, I settled into a plush armchair and drank a big glass of water. Not suffering from any specific ailment, I was there to experience this alternative and somewhat controversial treatment to describe first-hand what it’s like – and what it is.

What is bioresonance therapy?

Bioresonance therapy is a form of alternative medicine that claims to use the principles of resonance and vibrations to diagnose and treat various health conditions. The therapy is based on the idea that every living organism has a unique electromagnetic frequency, which can be used to identify imbalances in the body and restore balance through the application of specific frequencies. Despite being popular among some alternative medicine practitioners,

But with more and more medical doctors pointing to nonpharmaceutical treatments for cancer – and some recent studies showing that food with antioxidant properties may be a valid treatment source – it’s easy to understand how the truth about how best to heal may get obscured by companies with financial motives.

Where did Hemina study Bioresonance Therapy?

Hemina describes herself as an extremely logical person. She tends not to believe anything until it has been proven. To her great surprise, when she happened upon this treatment after a family member recommended it for her son’s asthma – even across a large physical distance – she didn’t really believe it would help. But it did. It also cured her daughter of a severe case of eczema. And she says her family rarely suffers from any viruses or colds thanks to its healing properties.

Best known for treating the stressors that contribute to illnesses, bioresonance therapy doesn’t have a great reputation. Hemina acknowledges this and points out that there are major differences between trained therapists and those who simply put up a shingle and start charging for treatments. She also adds that one of the reasons for the lack of scientific data is that pharmaceutical companies don’t make money on the treatment. Therefore, they have no incentive to spend a lot of money studying it.

“I use a Bicom bioresonance therapy machine made by Regumed and I am also trained by them,” she explains. Although this type of bioresonance therapy is well known for the treatment of allergies, Hemina emphasises that her patients come in for anything and everything – from the need to eliminate heavy metals in the blood to chronic fatigue and back pain to sleep disorders. “We work with all kinds of illnesses, including bacterial infections, parasites and fungus,” she says. In order to make even more accurate diagnosis and treatment plans, Hemina can also do blood

v Historical Parade

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v Conferences

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May 4th to 7th

D. Sebastião and the 450 years of Lagos becoming a city” 2023

tests, which are called the BICOM body check. “I also bring in African flower essences as those are very powerful and I sometimes bring in Indian herbs and crystals to supplement the treatments.”

Trained by an Indian healer in Kenya 16 years ago, Hemina uses a machine that looks extraterrestrial to give an initial analysis of the patient. Based on the specific wavelengths coming from cells in the body, she can determine what treatment is best and how to proceed. In my case, for example, the machine found an excess of heavy metals. Although it is possible to know the origins based on the exact heavy metal in the system – for example, if you live near a petrol station and there is a constant exposure to fumes or you have lead, you can test your water and make sure you’re not getting heavy metals in your water – it requires some investigation to find the source. According to Hemina, the bioresonance machine can invert those metals and eventually get rid of them in my system. “I work with a combined test technique, so I use specific vials to invert toxins or other harmful substances or viruses, bacteria, parasites and fungus in the body and then complete a stabilising program,” she explains.

What does Bioresonance Therapy feel like?

Imagine sinking into a soft pillow and relaxing for an hour. For me, it was a cross between reiki and psychotherapy. It had energetic undertones but without the heavy-duty emotional baggage that can come with a psychology session. Covered in a warm blanket with my eyes closed, I was so comfortable and cosy I almost fell asleep. I did feel some slight vibrations but nothing dramatic. Overall, it was a pleasant and painless experience. Afterwards, I felt slightly tired. But the next day, I felt great and had less pain in my injured knee than before. In fact, I can say that the inflammation, which came from a snowboarding injury, is now entirely gone.

Whether it would have healed on its own anyway, I cannot say. But after my

treatment I felt lighter and slightly more agile – certainly in my knees. Plus, I’ve ordered a test kit for my water as heavy metals are often a problem in our drinking water – and it’s the only logical place I can think of to check the source. On top of that, it’s an easy one to fix with a new filter.

So who knows? Maybe it saved a lot of suffering down the line to know I might be ingesting lead. Or maybe I just eat too much salmon.

Although bioresonance is usually recommended as a complementary treatment to more severe ailments, such as cancer or degenerative diseases, there are claims that this treatment alone can be effective too.

On Gwyneth Paltrow’s lifestyle website GOOP there is an article about the benefits of bioresonance for Lyme disease. The well-known TV presenter from the UK, Noel Edmonds, attributed his survival of prostate cancer to bioresonance. “A simple box that slows ageing, reduces pain, lifts depression and stress and even tackles cancer. Yep tackles cancer!” he wrote on his Twitter account.

So although the scientific jury is still very much out on bioresonance therapy, that doesn’t mean it isn’t effective. There are many mysteries in the universe that science cannot explain. So perhaps the best way to decide is to try it for yourself. After all, if you’re in the Algarve, you can now get an in-person treatment with an educated practitioner whose knowledge and learning span three continents of therapeutic tools and over fifteen years of experience.

For a longer version of this article go to the Tomorrow blog.

Running around the garden frantically helping the Easter Bunny on Sunday, 19 April? Chasing after small children before they launch a full-scale attack on a younger sibling who has bagged (or basketed?!) more eggs than they have?

Common complaints we treat are twisted ankles and wrists. Contrary to popular belief –chiropractic is not just for back pain, neck pain and headaches.

We are closed on Sundays, but in the meantime, you can:

Rest – sit down and supervise the cooking of the Sunday roast

Ice – take the ice you prepared to use for your cocktail and put it in a zip lock bag, wrap that in a tea towel and apply it to the injured area

Compress – wrap the area with an elastic bandage to decrease swelling, but not too tightly, as this can have an adverse effect

Elevate – keep the injured area at or above heart level

As the pain lessens, usually within 48 hours, you can book in for a chiropractic adjustment to realign the bones for a grade 1 sprain. The adjustment, along with icing, will decrease the pain, swelling and inflammation to improve mobility and function.

For more information or to book a treatment, contact Hemina Malde at: +351 967 583 449

Heminamalde@gmail.com

WORDS Adam Rich

Neuro Programming

What is NLP?

Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) is the practice of understanding how people organise their thinking, feeling, language and behaviour. The approach provides people with a methodology for personal development.

The practice also models the outstanding performances achieved by geniuses and leaders in their fields and can be used for personal growth, psychology and to achieve success in business.

NLP asserts that we form our unique internal mental maps of the world as a product of how we filter and perceive the information which is absorbed through our five senses from the world around us.

Neuro

Each individual has their own unique mental filtering system for processing the millions of bits of data absorbed through the senses. Our first mental map of the world is constituted of internal images, sounds, tactile awareness, internal sensations, tastes and smells that form as a result of the neurological filtering process. The first mental map is called ‘First Access’.

Linguistic

Our brains then assign personal meaning to the information received from the world outside. We form our second mental map by giving language to the internal images, sounds and feelings, tastes and smells, thus forming everyday conscious awareness. The second mental map is called the Linguistic Map (sometimes known as Linguistic Representation).

Programming

The behavioural response occurs due to neurological filtering processes and the subsequent linguistic map.

Look out for next month, part 2 of this article, NLP training and application.

How to Achieve a

Healthy Mind

To live a happy and abundant life in a world that is increasingly chaotic and unsure, you need to create a daily meditation practice. Even five minutes of meditation a day will bring huge benefits to your mental well-being in the long run.

If you wanted to develop a fit and healthy body, you would go to the gym four or five times a week and eat healthily, and in time your body will tone and you reap the rewards. Working on the mind through meditation is the same.

• Go to a quiet room where there are no distractions and make yourself comfortable.

• Close your eyes and begin to breathe very slowly and deeply – in through your nose and out through your mouth. Make each circular breath long and deep, and clear away any thoughts, so your mind becomes still and quiet.

• Don’t worry if you get the odd unwanted thought. Just centre your mind again and allow the thought to drift away.

• Be in the here and now and accept everything as it is. Just enjoy being in stillness and presence.

• Stay in this pleasant state for as long as you like, but even a few short minutes in the middle of a busy day will completely recharge you and help lower your stress levels.

• When you have finished, you may find you get some fresh inspiration and creative solutions.

• Once you have practised this technique a few times, you can even focus on solving a specific problem or letting go of a particular stress while in this calm and detached state. When you do this, focus on one thing at a time and keep it simple.

• It is also helpful to use meditation before you go to sleep, as it will relax you and clear your mind.

Glenn Harrold is one of the world’s most successful hypnotherapists. He has helped thousands, including many celebrities, in a 20-year career and has sold over 10 million hypnosis CDs, MP3 downloads and Apps.

The NLP Academy is coming to Hotel Vila Galé Lagos and will offer world-leading comprehensive NLP training across multiple learning contexts. Their affiliate partner in Lagos is www.algarvehypnotherapy.com Search under NLP training for full details on course dates and prices for May/June 2023.

WORDS Glenn Harrold

A retreat that's more than a vacation

Fall 2023

• Lagos, Portugal

A week of inner transformation held in the lap of relaxation and fun

• Take time to clear your mind

• Unplug from the daily grind

• Cultivate a deeper self-awareness

• Make new friends & connections

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"The guidance and commitment Becca provides in her offerings is nothing less than amazing."

"I've specially chosen our location for a week of transformational processes, music, meditation, amazing food and lots of laughter."

"Working with Becca has changed my experience with Self, the World and Those I share it with, for the better."

For more information: BeccaWilliams.org/retreats

– Becca Williams, Your retreat host & facilitator

Our private

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Save with Sodexo

WORDS Sophie Sadler

If you are employed in Portugal or run your own business, did you know that there is a way of spending your meal allowance benefits with a handy card that is accepted in most supermarkets and many restaurants?

The meal allowance is an important social benefit in Portugal. Every employee is allocated an amount per day to buy lunch while in the workplace. Your employer will generally add this amount to your salary.

However, by allocating the meal allowance through a meal pass, companies and employees can enjoy maximum tax efficiency compared to paying in cash. The meal pass card is the best way to receive meal allowance, with tax benefits for companies and employees, providing greater purchasing power and additional advantages.

Although there are a number of companies in this market, I was recommended Sodexo, which has more than 30,000 establishments throughout the country and is accepted on the main meal and food ordering platforms.

Never Miss an Edition

It is heartwarming to hear that magazine is in high demand. Although we primarily distribute in the western Algarve, people from all over the Algarve have been contacting us to find out where they can pick up a copy. We have been working hard to find a solution.

Although Tomorrow is and always will be a free publication, we have now created a yearly subscription for fans of the magazine who wish to experience the joy of receiving their copy every month to their mailbox.

The Sodexo Partner Network is growing all the time.

How Does It Work

• The company registers with Sodexo (or another meal pass scheme) and lists its employees and their NIF numbers

• The employer orders a card for each employee for a small payment

• The employees receive a card and pin by post

• Once the company’s registration is accepted, the employer logs into the portal each month and generates an invoice for each employee responding to the amount of meal allowance they are entitled to

• The company pays the invoice by transfer and the employee’s cards are automatically loaded

You use the meal pass as you would a normal cash card when you pay at supermarkets or in restaurants with the card and pin. Every little helps!

I.T. Can Be Easy

WORDS Steven Dunwell

Apps to make life a little easier

AUDIBLE – LISTEN TO A GOOD BOOK

Cost: Free; however, it requires a paid subscription after a free trial.

For some, holding a book for a prolonged amount of time can become uncomfortable – audiobooks are a great alternative. Audiobooks have never been better; they feature excellent narration, often by the author of the book themselves. Audible has the largest selection of audiobooks available. The app is free to download, they offer a 30-day free trial period and after that, you pay a monthly fee for a subscription to access the books.

LASTPASS – NEVER FORGET A PASSWORD

AGAIN

Cost: Free

It seems you are asked to create a password to do anything on the internet these days. Creating a unique password each time is important to avoid being hacked. But let’s face it, who can remember all of them?

LastPass stores all your passwords securely in one place so you can look them up when needed. The only password that you need to remember is the LastPass one!

WORDS WITH FRIENDS 2 – PLAY WITH FRIENDS AND FAMILY

Cost: Free

Calling itself a mobile word game, Words with Friends 2 is very similar to Scrabble. With this app, you can challenge friends and family to a game or get paired with another player, so it's great for passive playing and connecting with friends and family.

If you would like more information on this subject or require help with any I.T. challenges, I am always happy to help.

A True Visionary

WORDS Sophie Sadler

João Albano achieved a career highlight when he presented his work at the International Conference of Optometry in Lisbon in March.

The only optician from the Algarve invited to talk at the conference, João received the honour as a result of his extensive research into Síndrome de Deficiência Postural. His talk explained the condition to the delegates. Portugal has become one of the world’s leading posturology researchers after the syndrome was first identified by a Portuguese doctor named Dr Martins da Cunha, who noted a series of aetiologies which could not be attributed to organic factors. Dr Martins developed the treatment protocol with the help of Dr Orlando Alves da Silva.

Severe symptoms such as pain in multiple parts of the body, especially the neck, limitation of joint movements, vertigo and imbalance, multiple sensory and perceptual disturbances, chronic fatigue, and learning and attention disorder can all be caused by a person’s vision not connecting properly with the brain.

At his clinic in Lagos, João had a consultation with a lady who, despite an MRI scan, could not discover why she felt nausea and dizziness. He diagnosed her as having Postural Deficiency Syndrome, caused by a problem with perception in the brain. João has attended courses on sports vision and

vision therapy, so he can now help athletes who struggle with the problem of judging distances. He has also identified the syndrome in children whose teachers believe they have vision problems causing difficulty with reading.

João is originally from Lisbon but has lived in Lagos for 17 years, where he has a clinic, Algarve Visão; he also has a small practice in Sagres. Of course, the majority of his work is dealing with normal eye care, including eye tests and contact lenses, with an emphasis on quality and customer service.

It is a fascinating statistic that between 50% and 70% of the brain is used for processing images, which makes João's research very important and he is sure to have educated many of his colleagues in the optometry field with his wealth of knowledge.

Algarvisao.pt

Lagos: +351 282 789 096

Sagres: +351 282 625 267

Shop While We Wash

Convenience and a service fit for a king or queen is the mantra of the Royal Car Wash located on the ground-floor level of Intermarché supermarket in Lagos.

Owner Karli and her expert team offer a great range of services for you and your car and aim to keep a consistently high standard for all their clients.

You can choose between a simple or detailed clean, machine polishing, ceramic coating and an upholstery deep-clean.

Karli comments, “In this business, you are only as good as your last wash.” Her goal is to ensure you leave smiling and your car gleaming every time you visit. Her motto is “Happy clients – happy life!”

Karli wants to thank all her happy clients who already support her and her team and asks that if you haven’t visited yet, you give her Royal Car Wash a chance to make you smile as well!

+351 918 350 053

Open Monday to Saturday from 9 am to 6 pm

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A very well-located four-bedroom detached villa near Meia Praia, in a private plot of 4,500 m2 .

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A detached villa in Parque da Praia, regarded by many locals as the best location in Luz due to its close proximity to the beach.

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Raising the BAR(ISTA)

Speciality coffee gives us a wake-up call.

WORDS Nirali Shah-Jackson

Halfway through our two-hour conversation, Gyula Illés, the owner of Kōyō, a speciality coffee roaster based in Aljezur, tells me that Kenyan coffee is one of his favourites. Of course, I proudly then share my own coffee story because I was brought up there.

At an early age, coffee only meant playtime – I had a friend whose parents owned a coffee farm and on our playdates, we would use the coffee baths, where they normally wash the beans, as big water slides. My uncle was also a coffee farmer and I remember vividly, the intensity of the smell of the coffee beans in large hessian sacks that lay all along the floor in huge warehouses where we also played. Gyula is mesmerised by my story as much as I am by his.

While working as a waiter in Budapest in 2006, a position came up in the restaurant behind the bar. The role was preparing coffee. After attending a barista course, he changed the way coffee was served at this establishment, despite the owners' resistance, and his curiosity about coffee began. He reminisces that serving coffee all day to students could get tedious and that latte art gave him some creative expression to keep it interesting. David Schomer, from Seattle, is credited with the popularisation of latte art in the late 80s, but latte art has been known to exist since the 60s. Latte art is the pattern that is created with the milk that is served on top of the coffee.

In 2008, Gyula entered the latte art competition in Copenhagen, which is organised by the Speciality Coffee Association (SCA), a not-for-profit organisation which was created to serve the coffee trade industry. “The SCA organises national coffee competitions in each country and has a national co-ordinator in each country as well,” he tells me. “It also holds world competitions. In Portugal, the

competition level is still very basic, while in other countries, you can compete in latte art, roasting competitions and cup tasting competitions.”

Becoming a barista entails more than just an understanding of latte art. Like the wine grapes, each bean and the region it comes from dictates its flavour and intensity. Factors such as the composition of the soil, the quality of the water and the altitude where it is grown all influence the taste. Eventually, how it is served to the end user is really an art form that professional baristas are fine-tuning every day. A coffee barista learns to taste and serve coffee, similar to how a sommelier tastes and serves wine. Speciality roasters like Kōyō, where trained baristas work, are emerging all over Portugal, and the Algarve already has five in the region.

At Kōyō, the head barista is Dalma Süvegh, who, like the owner, is from Hungary. She shows me the specialist machines behind the counter. Here the ground bean is meticulously measured, weighed and checked against the espresso extraction calculator, which she accesses online. She then inputs the measurements that are provided by the grinding machine. With this calculation, baristas get feedback on the quality of the coffee that they grind, after which they can decide whether it needs tweaking for the taste before they serve it to their customers.

The coffee quality can sometimes register as not optimal on the site, but after Dalma uses her trained and discerning palate, she doesn’t necessarily have to change the ratio. She is the one who ultimately decides if the taste is good enough to serve. A well-honed and trained palate is required to grind fresh barista-grade coffee.

Gyula explains, “What is nice about speciality coffee is that it is a seed from a berry and if you roast it, you can produce different flavours.” His first real flavour sensation from speciality coffee came when he collaborated with Printa, a design shop in Budapest that offered speciality coffee from England. He remembers sipping the coffee and “tasting hints of tomato and other crazy favours”.

Speciality coffee can offer flavours like elderflower, lychee and clove, blood orange, lemongrass, and jasmine, as well as a host of other weird and wonderful combinations which only trained baristas can serve up to perfection.

Koyo Gyula and Dalma - Owner and Head Barista © @Gitam

Kōyō was never meant to be a cafe. It began as a place to roast coffee beans. Its evolution began after a man stood outside the door with his own oat milk, insisting and encouraging Gyula to serve him an artisanal coffee; the huge roasting machine set in the background of the shop along with a delicious smell, obviously gave away that Gyula was likely a professional barista. From this point, more people started arriving and a cafe scene started to form.

Gyula’s intention was only ever to offer workshops, and to showcase and sell sustainably sourced and seasonal speciality coffee. Yet, much to his surprise, Kōyō is now a regular hangout for local expats, some of whom will sometimes spend their whole day here. . . He proudly tells me the cafe “even has a dedicated WhatsApp group run by the regulars to arrange get togethers at Kōyō”.

Gyula’s story is interesting enough to fill a book, but with a limited word count, I believe one particular anecdote highlights what he managed to achieve in the coffee world in Hungary within a short space of time.

He explains that around 2008, an ecovillage in Budapest was set up by Géva Varga, a Hungarian minister interested in sourcing food and seeds to grow. He had the idea to source the green coffee bean from Africa. The minister invited the coffee co-operative presidents from Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania to propose a way for them to export their beans into Eastern Europe.

Gyula’s love of coffee and his pursuit to be the best barista and trainer in Hungary earned him enough recognition to be invited to write a business plan for this project to present to the African Coffee Union. Gyula was so respected for his coffee knowledge and accreditation by then that he found himself in parliament presenting this plan, as well as sitting in meetings with the African co-operative presidents. One of them was Tadesse Maskela, the man behind the documentary film Black Gold, released in 2006.

Black Gold focuses on the Oromia region of southern and western Ethiopia, the birthplace of coffee. Tadesse is the general manager of the Oromia Coffee Farmers Cooperative

Union. In the film, he brings to light the exploitation of coffee farmers by the west and his journey to the US and UK to raise awareness of this in the hope of encouraging organisations to cut out the middleman. This change would ensure that coffee farmers with small holdings can be offered a fair price for their crop. The film inspired Gyula and is one of the main reasons he tries to work directly with coffee farmers. “The basic idea of speciality coffee is to be able to pay more directly to farmers,” he says.

With this pioneering idea of importing African green beans, the new co-operative wanted to avoid exchanging money, and instead, everyone in the system, including the small African farmers, could become part owners of this new business. However, for it to get off the ground, Hungary needed to buy 40 tonnes of coffee, the equivalent of one container from each of these three countries. I asked him if it worked and he smiled humbly and told me no, but at least they tried. He admits “the logistics and money needed to get this off the ground just wasn’t in place”.

Gyula was the first ever Hungarian barista certifier, which he achieved by 2009 through the SCA. This put him in a position to work with one of the leading Italian coffee franchisers, Caffè Pertè, where he was offered a trainer position seeing him travelling all around the country teaching staff how to serve coffee. He also trained over 200 Shell petrol station staff in Romania and Slovenia. As a trainer, he was involved with the Wine Academy, Chefparade cooking school and other hospitality industry vocational schools, along with well-known franchises like Semiramis and Sara Lee.

After completing his vigorous technical and sensory judge training with the SCA in Hungary, in 2013 Gyula was invited to be the head judge for the Shell Hungary Amateur Barista Championship. Prior to that, he was a technical judge in a 2011 competition called Coffee in Good Spirit. In 2012, he was a technical jury member for the National Barista Championships. Clearly, the caffeine in the coffee gave him the energy to achieve so much in the coffee world within such a short space of time!

The reality of where your money goes after you pay for your espresso shot is a bigger wake-up call than the caffeine hit that gets you going in the morning. Visiting a speciality coffee house like Kōyō means you are contributing directly towards the income of small coffee farmers, giving them better prospects and livelihoods. So the next time you crave your caffeine fix, consider where you source it carefully..

Kōyō hosts regular workshops. Follow them via social media for regular updates. You can purchase their speciality coffee online or in the cafe. 

koyospecialitycoffees.com

@koyo_speciality_coffees

Photo © @Gitam

 Instagram: @thatasianhomecook joyentry@gmail.com

That Asian Home Cook Asian Kaffir Lemon Tart

Joy continues to explore delicious Asian flavours you can create on a budget.

I’m quite the noob with baking, but I have this super-easy lemon tart recipe that I always do for parties and it is always a hit. I have Asian-ised this failproof tart by adding kaffir lime leaves, which gives it that Asian lemony, tangy twist that is unique to the kaffir leaf. If there is one baked dessert item I dare put on a table, this is it. It is also extremely affordable, considering lemons are in abundance at this time of year and are ripening in the garden!

Ingredients

• 1 roll of store-bought pie pastry

• 5 large kaffir lime leaves sliced finely

• 1 tbsp lemon zest

• ½ cup lemon juice

• ¾ cup white sugar

• 1 tbsp fresh cream

• 4 large eggs

• 180gm unsalted butter

Instructions

Start by buttering your pie pan and rolling out your standard store-bought pie pastry onto your dish. I usually opt for a 26–27 cm pie pan for this recipe. Using a fork, prick some holes on the base of the pie to pierce the pastry.

Next, pour in rice grains to weigh down the pastry. This goes into the oven as per instructions on the packaging. I bake at 180 degrees for around 15 minutes before I pour out

the rice to allow the bottom portion of the pie to bake for another 15 minutes or so.

Once the pie case has been browned, set it aside. In a saucepan, bring together butter, eggs, lemon zest, lemon juice, sugar, cream and kaffir lime leaves. On very low heat, combine ingredients using a whisk until the concoction thickens. The consistency and thickness of your curd should be decided by you. I’ve made a thicker version, meaning whisking and cooking for longer, and a thinner version, which really just means less time on the stove. In general, the curd should not be super thin, or it will not set – ideally, it should at least coat a spoon.

Press the curd through a strainer so that all the kaffir leaves can be discarded and you have a smooth pie filling. You can also skip this step, which I sometimes do when I’m pressed for time.

This curd goes into the pie case you made earlier. Put it back into the oven for another five to ten minutes, and allow it to cool down before refrigerating. Check it a couple of hours later to see if the lemon curd has set nicely. You can also make this pie a day ahead, and it will keep for three to four days in your fridge.

Great accompaniments

• Vanilla ice cream goes great with any dessert, lemon tart included

• Fresh mixed berries make for a fantastic contrast to this tart

• Creme fraîche adds a delightful decadent twist to your lemon tart

• Whipping cream – beat with a little bit of superfine sugar and serve to add that touch of sweetness

Joy Entry is a Malaysian home cook based in Lagos who is obsessed with the provocative, unapologetic flavours of South-East Asian cuisine

Lita’s famous

Chickpeas Burgers

I want to introduce you to my chickpeas burgers. One of my favourite dishes, I always have them in my freezer; it is great to have healthy homemade food available when you might need it. That’s why I decided to share this recipe with you, and I hope you will have fun with your family and friends preparing them. If you want to sample them before you try the recipe, they are on the menu at South West Bistro in Lagos Marina in April.

Ingredients

• 1.5 kg dry chickpeas

• 2 big onions

• 8 garlic cloves

• 3 carrots

• 1 cup of sunflower seeds

• 1 bundle parsley

• 1 bundle coriander

• 2 tsp vegetable broth

• 2 tsp turmeric

Preparation

• 3 tsp cumin

• 2 tsp coriander

• 2 tsp paprika

• ½ tsp chilli

• 3 tsp salt

• 2 cups chickpea flour

• 2 cups of oatmeal flour

• 2 cups spelt flour

• 300ml water

First, soak the chickpeas in the water for 24 hours (making sure they are fully submerged). The next day, cook the chickpeas until they can be crushed with a fork, strain the water and let it cool down. (You can keep some of the water, known as aquafaba, for other recipes, like vegan mayonnaise, or as an addition to soup, sauces and stew or vegan cakes.)

Chop the onions and garlic, peel the carrots and grate them, cut the parsley and coriander very fine and blend the sunflower seeds into powder. Now you can blend the chickpeas and put them into a big bowl, add all the ingredients and spices and mix it well. Then, at last, add the flour and the water and knead the burger mix.

You can form the burgers by hand and get help from the family, or you knead and roll out the burger mix and cut them out with a burger mould or cup. Next, arrange the burgers in a tray, stack up to five to six layers with baking paper between them and put them in the freezer in freezer bags.

Cooking: You can fry the burgers with olive or sunflower oil in a normal pan.

Serve with: You can serve with oven veggies, quinoa, reis, bulgur, sweet potatoes, salad, french fries or sandwich in the bread of your choice.

Benefits of chickpeas

Chickpeas are not only great for vegans. Everybody should put chickpeas on their nutrition plan as they provide a variety of vitamins, minerals, and fibre and are an excellent source of protein. In addition, chickpeas are low in calories, so they will help maintain your weight. This versatile legume also helps to support blood sugar levels and lower cholesterol. The good thing about chickpeas is that they can be used in so many recipes, so

TipMaking the burgers takes some effort, so I make a batch and freeze them. With 1.5 kg of dry chickpeas, I prepare 33 burgers of 10 cm in diameter and 2 cm thick, but you can make them larger. The soaked and

Lalitana's vegan kitchen is available for events and private celebrations. Lita also offers cooking courses.

+351 914 061 143

lita@lalitana.com

Instagram: @lalitanavegankitchen

Open from 12:20 to 22:30

N +351 282 799 445 F I

Rua Silva Lopes 14 . 8600-623 Lagos

Cosy winter meals by the replace or sunny lunches in the covered terrace

Lunch menu with a wide choice of meals including fresh sh, grilled over wood

An à la carte menu for evening meals featuring fresh local ingredients.

Open Mon to Sat for lunch 12pm to 3pm and dinner 6pm to 10pm. Sun for lunch 12 to 3pm

Tel: 282 789 503 / 927 130 757

Estrada da Atalaia, Lagos

Animal Rescue Algarve

WORDS Vaughan Willmore

With three million euros invested in a state-of-the-art animal shelter, Sid Richardson has a dream and together with his talented team, he’s working hard to make it a reality.

It’s a fabulous setup. A shelter for 100 dogs and 50 cats with heated catteries and kennels. There are 14 play areas for the dogs, all managed by six permanent staff and an army of enthusiastic volunteers. If that wasn’t enough, there are the WOOF charity shops in Almancil and Loulé and a newly launched education programme for local schools. And it’s all been led by one man: Sid Richardson, under the banner of Animal Rescue Algarve (ARA).

So where does this story start? For Sid, he fondly remembers playing as a young child with his grandfather’s dog and, as soon as he was old enough, keeping dogs of his own. As much as he loves Portugal, when he emigrated just over 30 years ago, he soon became dismayed at how certain sections of society treated their animals. Sid started supporting various initiatives with financial donations and was resigned to leaving money in his will to help support them after he was gone. He then had a change of heart. As he said to me, “Why on earth should I wait? I decided to act now.”

In 2017, Sid set about creating ARA, a legally constituted charity association overseen by a board of ten governors. Its objective is to ‘Collect, rehabilitate and rehome dogs and cats in need, prioritising abandoned and/or neglected ones’.

The shelter has been developed into something remarkable – the catteries are cleaner and better furnished than certain apartments I’ve holidayed in! All dogs are walked twice a day and have play areas where they can run freely, encouraging socialisation with other dogs. There’s a maximum of eight dogs per volunteer, so each dog gets plenty of personal attention. It also helps the volunteer get a great sense of the temperament of each dog, something which is important when advising families interested in adopting the dog. The play areas are spacious and include a swimming pool and a sandpit.

Fundamental to ARA’s success has been the work of volunteers, some of whom live locally

and help out every week, and others who come on board via the international Workaway scheme. These volunteers, from around the world, get free accommodation in return for six hours work a day over a five-day week. Many return year after year and go on to adopt a dog of their own. As one volunteer told me, “I recommend people spend time here. It’s great for the dogs and cats and for your own body and soul. We’ve been here three weeks and enjoyed every second.”

Sid recognises that taking in abandoned and poorly treated animals is not enough in itself. As he said, “Education is key." In this respect, he’s helped by general manager João Ferreira, who, in addition to running the shelter, goes out and about, visiting local schools and helping youngsters understand more about animal welfare. Another initiative, supported by Mar Shopping, is aimed at dissuading people from keeping dogs on chains. As João said, “It’s all about changing attitudes.”

As for the future, the shelter is being enlarged to provide even more play space for the dogs. The intention is also to expand the educational programme so that it reaches beyond the Algarve and into the rest of the country. To change thinking throughout the country? It’s a bold move, but they’ve already achieved so much, so who could doubt them?

Far from being barking mad, Sid and João are an inspiration. They are remarkably modest about their achievements and happy to share their learning with other shelters in Portugal and abroad.

How you can help

• Make a one-off or regular donation to help pay for food and veterinary care.

• Donate high-quality fashion and/or furniture to one of the WOOF charity shops. All proceeds go towards the upkeep and development of the shelter.

• Help out at the shelter or at one of the WOOF shops.

• Take out a Legacy Pet Plan whereby ARA will care for your pet for a donation of your choosing, should you no longer be able to do so.

• Adopt a dog or cat (subject to home checks by the ARA team).

Facts & Figures

• Three million€ invested by Sid Richardson (and still counting!)

• The shelter spends 170.000€ per annum in veterinary fees

• The running costs total 40.000€ per month

• Thirty animals are rescued and rehomed per month

www.animalrescuealgarve.com

+351 289 462 384

Bank account: PT50.0033.0000.5526891995.05

www.workaway.info

Photo © Carlos Filipe

Voyage of Discovery

The Ultimate Study Abroad Adventure for Adults

WORDS Louise Hudson

With travel trending again and all that pent-up demand, it can be difficult to choose exactly where to go. When is the right time, how to travel comfortably and safely, where to stay, and how to get the most out of the trip? Then there’s the issue of airlines which are definitely having a bumpy ride at the moment with delays, cancellations, high prices, and other hassles becoming the norm. As a result, many people are considering cruises, but the over-indulgent ship life and the limitations of spending just one day in each harbour are not for everyone.

So, how about a four-month voyage of discovery on a world-travelling university ship? Academic classes instead of bingo, after-dinner lectures and educational activities instead of dinner dances, and knowledge-gathering multiday visits to a dozen very different countries instead of oneday beach, bus, or shop-till-you-drop excursions.

Semester at Sea has been running since 1963, but not everyone knows about it yet. It is primarily for undergraduate students who do a whole semester taking courses on board and experiencing on land the culture, cuisine, customs and countryside of a dozen different nations. It’s typically a one-off study abroad bucket list experience but one which can alter the students’ mindsets, change their cultural awareness, and even redirect their career paths.

But this is not just for younger students – I’ve sailed three times already as an adult passenger. Every voyage has a group of older travellers (aged 30 plus) who sail on the MV World Odyssey as lifelong learners. This privileged party gets to take any academic courses of their choosing without having to do exams or write papers. Educational regrets resolved! They can travel on land in Semester at Sea guided groups with other students and their faculty, or they can travel independently – and not just for one day.

The ship stops at each port for multiple days, some as long as a week – a cultural immersion. The last time I went, in the autumn of 2019, I was the assistant to the lifelong learning coordinator, in charge of the guest lecturer list, communications, and many of the social events.

Of around 100 days with the program, half are spent on land. Each voyage has a different itinerary which might include South Africa, Malaysia, India, Japan, China, Vietnam, Ecuador, Brazil, Costa Rica, Greece, Spain, Morocco – and sometimes Portugal. You could cruise the Suez or Panama Canal, visit the Taj Mahal, go on safari in South Africa or Kenya, ski in Japan, eat Kobe beef in Kobe, watch sumo championships in Tokyo, do a service trip to a remote Ghanaian village, learn local cookery in Brazil or Ecuador, trek on the Inca Trail, or study meditation and yoga at an ashram in India. If you have a world wishlist, this is the way to combine many of the destinations and experiences in one trip. And, if 100 days is too long, you can take your pick of one-third of the voyage as a spotlight passenger.

Lifelong learners have medical coverage and insurance under the Semester at Sea umbrella and the ship has its own medical team. On land, they have the safety net of a ‘green sheet’ of information, emergency contacts, medical and dental facilities, useful phrases and currency conversions, which gives a feeling of security when travelling either alone or perhaps with a friend or two met on the ship. They have the benefit of pre-port lectures to prepare them for the quirks of each country.

On board, the lifelong learning coordinator, who orchestrates this community's experience before and during the voyage, caters to their needs and helps organise their academic and social activities. There’s a travel desk, too, which can help connect voyagers to SAS-organised programmes or advise on group day or multi-day trips. And, before you ask, yes, there is a bar for lifelong learners, faculty and staff – no students. There is even occasional dancing and singing, organised by the ship community. There’s also a Sea Olympics event in which everyone competes (or encourages) in various physical, intellectual and creative challenges. Lifelong learners also get to interact socially with students through the Extended Family Programme.

The discussion back on board after each country is not about what you bought – although exotic garb does make an entrance as other clothes wear out – but what you learned and what you gave back in terms of service or connectivity in each community.

My three voyages have taken me around Africa, Asia, Europe, and South America and they’ve all been eyeopening and life changing. My first was in spring 2006 when I travelled with my husband who was a professor on board and my two sons, who attended the ship school. They took a term off ‘real’ school and, while keeping up with mathematics under the guidance of the ship school teacher, they learnt much more about the world's geography, history, and people.

Having been injured in the course of my previous career, I was seeking a life reinvention which I discovered after attending journalism lectures and an intro to blogging seminar during the voyage. I dared to try writing myself, submitting stories of my voyage to an editor. And I have been a travel journalist, tourism book author, and blogger ever since. I put this to use during the autumn 2016 voyage when I worked as the writer of the daily newsletter.

For 2023, I have been appointed as the lifelong learner coordinator and I am looking forward to helping other like-minded travellers see more of the world through the Semester at Sea learning lens.

www.semesteratsea.org/lifelong-learning

For a glimpse at my 2019 Semester at Sea travels, check out: onetwoski.blogspot.com/p/world-odyssey.html

Moroccan Adventure

in a Motorhome - part 2

WORDS Lena Strang

We had no idea what was in store for us the next day. Dades Gorge is well known, so we made a detour to look. It consists of a series of wadi gorges carved out by the Dades River that flows to the edge of the Sahara Desert. It was a dramatic drive along hairpin bends, taking in the astounding rock formations in red and mauve colours, some stripped bare to zigzagging layers of strata. We could see the ancient kasbahs and ksour, fortified Berber villages, overlooking the valleys with their lush groves of palm and almond trees. It was necessary to retrace our steps to the main road, but seeing the panorama from a different angle was interesting.

We continued our adventure south with Tata as the next destination. The journey was spectacular, with towering reddish mountains and sandy plains that only the hardy Argan trees seem to inhabit. There were scary hairpin bends affording more amazing views. We finally reached the outer plains of the Sahara Desert, close to the Algerian border. Tata oasis is in the centre of three riverbeds and irrigation channels feeding surrounding palm groves. The town has a unique charm, with buildings made of pink clay.

We took an evening stroll into the town and had another tasty tagine meal. Near a school, we spotted large groups of children playing happily. Their mothers were sitting on a curb, watching, and taking the opportunity to socialise. And the men? Sitting in the cafés on the terraces, talking and watching the world go by.

We continued along the Draa valley riverbed heading towards Zagora and the Sahara Desert. The Draa is Morocco’s longest river at 1,100 km flowing from the High Atlas Mountains, meandering to its mouth in the Atlantic Ocean. The valley is home to the largest palm grove in the world with its unique ecosystem. It was lovely to see oases with their verdant plantations punctuating the vast sandy plains.

Even here, the tarmac roads were excellent. The only hazards were camels wandering onto the road, as several signs warned us. Finally, we stopped at Zagora – the gateway to the Sahara Desert. Historically, it was

an important stopover for caravans loaded with salt and gold. The legendary sign at the entrance to the town claims that it took 52 days by camel to reach Timbuktu.

Merzouga was as far into the desert as we would venture in the van. We spent the night at a sand-washed small inn with space for campervans to park. It was situated just at the foot of the imposing Erg Chebbi dunes, the largest in Morocco, spanning 50 km and reaching 350 metres in places.

Organised excursions didn’t appeal but we still wanted to have a taste of the desert on camelback. So, Hassan, the inn’s manager, picked up the phone, and Ali arrived with two camels in tow.

We had a wonderful two-hour trek along the dunes. The bright blue sky contrasted brilliantly with the golden yellow sands. The town of Merzouga was visible far down in the valley beyond. Once or twice the tranquillity was disturbed by jeeps and buggies racing up and down. But the magic remained, especially as the sun set over the dunes.

Tinghir, our next destination, is an oasis wedged between two mountain ranges, the High Atlas in the north and Little Atlas in the south, forming the spectacular Todgha Gorge. We stayed at a lovely campsite by a stream flanked by ravines. I would give the on-site restaurant top marks for the trip’s best couscous meal, which included a complimentary Pudim Flan (custard pudding, very popular in Portugal too).

Our next port of call on the way north is bound to be familiar to most – without realising it! Ouarzazate is home to Taourit Kasbah, a 19th-century sprawling palace and was an important staging post for caravans on the Saharan trade routes. It has extensive views over the rugged landscape featured in many films. The Atlas Studios, the world’s largest in acres, is nearby. It is set in a desert landscape surrounded by distant mountains. Endless blue skies and perfect lighting ensured that major films and television series such as Lawrence of Arabia, Cleopatra, Gladiators, Game of Thrones, etc., were filmed here. With his expertise as an assistant cameraman, our guide staged a few scenes with us acting out parts which he duly filmed on his mobile. Impressive. Strangely, no film offers followed.

Marrakesh was next on the itinerary. As expected, it was huge, bustling, busy and hot! We spent hours wandering around the boundless medina and visiting some interesting sites. The night-time spectacle of the main square of Djemaa El Fna was exhilarating. Many food stalls enticed visitors to have fresh food sizzling on grills. After having our share at one of the long tables, we took in the drama around us: musicians in gaudy costumes, dance troupes, snake charmers, acrobats and much more. An experience not to be missed.

Camping in Zagora

Dades Gorge

Cascades D’ouzoud was our next stop. Although there was less water at this time of year, the set of waterfalls that empty into a gorge was still beautiful. We learnt that ouzoud means grinding grain in Berber, and we could see many vestiges of mills. You could view the falls at the summit and enter the gorge following a narrow track.

Here we encountered wild Barbary monkeys. They are native to the Atlas Mountains, along with some that have been introduced to Gibraltar. It was a delight to see them, although less the ‘wild’ as tourists spoil them with treats.

The next day we passed through a honeyproducing area with hives along the hillside and stalls selling honey on the roadside. Further, olive groves took centre stage with many presses and olive jars for sale. Then apples. We’d already seen lots of apples for sale in the markets. There were vast areas of covered apple orchards – and sure enough, vendors were plying sackfuls of apples to passersby.

We continued to drive through the everchanging countryside. Now it was the turn of pomegranates. Lining the road were buckets and wheelbarrows brimming with large red Meknés variety pomegranates and smaller yellow ones.

With a short stop at Meknés, the former imperial city, we continued to Fez. There was a tap on the window as we were queuing in the traffic on the way to a campsite I’d located on the internet. An elderly, rather toothless man on a moped explained in passable Spanish that the campsite was closed. How did he know we were headed there, we wondered? He persuaded us to follow him on his moped to another nearby. We took his word for it, turned around at the next island and pursued him. We noted that the word PORTUGAL was written in big letters on the back of his tee shirt. However, he was right. The campsite he took us to was excellent.

Fez Medina was an enchanting experience. The ancient medina is a labyrinth of over 10,000 alleyways with artisanal shops selling all kinds of handmade goods. It’s Morocco’s best-preserved old city, with buildings from the 13th and 14th centuries. It was pleasantly cool as much of the walkways were covered with high ceilings, letting the air circulate.

We navigated the maze of alleyways, past mosques, madrassas, the beautifully tiled 9th-century university, plazas with fountains, workshops of wool dying and metal bashing and, of course, the tanneries. The Chouara Tannery, believed to be the oldest in the world, has been featured in so many films that we were eager to see it for ourselves. On top of the building, we could see the vast expanse of stone vats filled with white liquid and dyes of different kinds. We did need the branches of mint we were offered to mitigate the overwhelming smells!

Nearing the end of our journey, we stopped at Chefchaouen by the Rif Mountains. What a gem it was. It was originally built as a fortress in the 15th century. After the Reconquista and fall of Granada, its population grew with the influx of Muslim and Jewish immigrants fleeing Spain. But why is the town painted blue? There are theories that it was Jews fleeing Hitler and settling in the town who painted the house electric blue to represent the sky. Whether it is true or not, the effect is marvellous.

We completed our circular route in Tangier. This time, we were able to explore the city at leisure, soaking up the sights and smells of the souks and enjoying the extensive views out to sea.

Our journey had come to an end. I couldn’t help but use superlatives when describing our experiences. The scenery, friendliness, and hospitality of the people we met were terrific. Coming from Portugal proved popular. The response was always the same. Huge beaming smile, followed by: “Ronaldo!” or “sardinhas lindas” (pretty sardines) or when browsing in a shop: “Se queres, queres” (If you want, you buy).

We had no mishaps during the three weeks and even the spare wheel was unused.

Truly bitten by the Moroccan bug, we plan a return journey in late spring. I’m already brushing up on my French and want to have a few handy phrases in Arabic ready for our next encounters.

There are many ways of visiting Morocco. Apart from taking your campervan, there are other options, from organised tours, beach holidays, safaris, to staying in desert camps. Different festivals are held throughout the years that attract visitors. Morocco is on our doorstep but it opens up a whole new world.

Chouara Tannery in Fez

Chechauen

Fez Medina

Cascades d'Ouzoud

Largo Salazar Moscoso Lt 5 r/c A Lagos 967 505 055 / 917 545 644 Al-sat@gmx.net

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