Tomorrow Lagos to Aljezur July 2018 Edition

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Editor's note  TomorrowAlgarve www.tomorrowalgarve.com

EDITOR Amber Henshaw amber@tomorrowalgarve.com

SALES Tom Henshaw tom@tomorrowalgarve.com +351 919 918 733

DESIGN Creation Media phil@tomorrowalgarve.com

Jazzing up your July We certainly did not have the best weather in June but we all hope for the sun to start shining as we enter the Summer season.

The June cold spell mystified us all and consequently the Summer Ball was moved at the very last minute to the Tivoli Hotel itself as truthfully we probably would have all frozen at the Duna Beach venue!

On the cover We love this photograph on the front cover. It perfectly captures the colours of the Algarve in Summer. Any guesses which beach it was taken on? Email Amber if you think you know. amber@tomorrowalgarve.com

SEDE: 86, MILBOROUGH CRESCENT, LONDON, UK , SE12 ORW. UK .

PERIODICIDADE: MENSAL . TIRAGEN: 4,000 | TIPOGRAFIA: C/ AL MEDITERRÁNEO, 29, POLÍGONO DE SAN RAFAEL, 04230, HUÉRCAL DE ALMERÍA CIF: B04250056

It was another absolutely superb event and one where the Tivoli excelled in every aspect.

Over 165 people attended and we managed to raise €1800 for the soup kitchen, Madrugada and CASLAS all of our local and most needy charities.

As we always say on page 3 we are always willing to hear of other good causes and support them, if you remember Leonor a lovely lady who needs speech therapy who we are still in the process of helping to regain her speech through our charity fundraising.

We were also very pleased to help announce the need for funds for new sun shades for the Burgau Sports Centre which was forced to remove over one hundred trees as a protection against fires spreading in the hot seasons.

the environment and raise funds for the sports centre. This clean-up looks set to be a more regular event and we will tell you more next month. Many people took part and were pretty horrified by what they found.

We are glad to be supporting the Lagos Sunset Color party which is an event organised by local you people to mark International Youth Day on Sunday August 12th. Please read more of this later in the magazine. A really great idea from Diogo Jose Rodrigues Viegas who with his team have masterminded this youth movement.

Another great happening in August is the Silves Medieval Festival. It’s a must do when you are in the Algarve next month. You can read more about it in the magazine so that you can plan for visiting family and friends to enjoy a really brilliant and unique experience.

Remember we are here to help promote all the good things about the Algarve and ideas for its betterment. We are happy to support your initiatives to that end!

Best wishes, Amber, Tom and the whole team.

Well done to Alex and Jane Hapgood who held a beach clean-up in Cordoama to help

Editor's note 3

The ‘J'Essence’ within us BEHIND THE HEADLINES How moving to the Algarve and helping others navigate their way through the shifting sands of an unexpected and traumatic bereavement is one British couple’s coping strategy for living with loss.

Top to bottom, left to right: Jessica and Gracie; Jessica’s Tree, adorned with thumbprints is displayed in the shop; Brenda, Tony and Polly Lawson in Portugal last year; Brenda and The Essence Tree window display for the World Cup.

BY STEPHANIE GINGER Spend an afternoon browsing in old Silves, you will undoubtedly be drawn to a little speciality gift shop The Essence Tree opposite Restaurant Tasca do Béne nestling in one of the narrow cobbled streets below the famous Moorish castle.

is because their reason for relocating to Portugal, the inspiration for The Essence Tree – their “IT” as they call it – is because three years ago on 22nd July 2015 they lost their beloved twelve-year-old daughter Jessica in a tragic swimming accident in France, three days into a school trip.

The Essence Tree is the brainchild of Brenda Lawson – ex-civil servant, trained aromatherapist and now proprietor – and her husband Tony. From its colourful window to cool interior, The Essence Tree is a gift shop like no other.

For the Lawsons in early July 2015, life in Kirk Ella, a leafy suburb of Kingston upon Hull in East Yorkshire, may have been on the cusp of change but nonetheless was pretty good. Tony’s independent removals company was ticking over, Brenda had just taken voluntary retirement after 37 years working as a civil servant; older daughter Polly at 18 was on the verge of flying the nest to study Architectural Interior Design at University and to the family’s delight, Tony’s older daughter, Hannah, had just given them Freddie, their first grandchild.

It offers an eclectic mix of quirky, original art, upcycled furniture, unusual hand-crafted gifts sourced from Portugal to Pickering as well as the UK’s award-winning Neals Yard Remedies skincare and aromatherapy products. But the real reason it’s so special lies at its very heart; from its conception to the products it sells.

When you meet Brenda and Tony Lawson, it’s hard to believe they’re not simply what they seem: a couple in their fifties who, like many others before them, have relocated to the Algarve from chilly northern Europe – in their case Yorkshire – for a some sunshine and a better quality of life.

Acquaintances assume they’re living an idyllic existence in a delightful environment surrounded by beautiful things but the truth is very different. Tony’s ready wit and relaxed, tanned exterior and Brenda’s bubbly personality and quick smile hide an ocean of pain. This

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Jessica, at 12, youngest of the three girls, was excited about her first big school trip to France. On Saturday 18th July 2015, they dropped Jess off at school to get the coach to France for the five-day holiday at the Club Correze adventure centre, near Meymac. “We laughed, chatted and waved goodbye,” Brenda recalls, every second of those last moments with Jessica now seared into her parents’ memories. Jess texted throughout the journey, updating them in her usual cheery manner on everything from where the coach stopped on the motorway, the delay at the ferry port to what she’d had for breakfast.

On Tuesday 21st, Brenda – at home for Polly’s last summer, before looking for business opportunities in the autumn – was pottering in the garden when the phone rang. It was the school with the devastating news that Jessica had been involved in a serious accident on the lake and airlifted to a nearby hospital.

“My heart skipped a beat and it now forever misses that beat,” Brenda says.

Tony was hundreds of miles away in Leamington moving his parents into sheltered accommodation, but when he reached home, with help from their friends – one pressed €250 into his hand – they somehow managed to get themselves on a Monarch flight to Limoges the following morning.

“But we didn’t make it in time,” Tony says, his voice gruff with emotion. Waiting to board the plane at John Lennon airport, they were tannoyed, taken aside and told that Jess – Brenda’s ‘baby girl’ and Tony’s ‘birthday girl’ – had just died. "That was my family’s life-changing moment,” Tony says. Nothing would ever be the same again for any of them.

Bereft and abandoned by the ‘system’ both emotionally and financially, they were left to manage their grief alone. Brenda went to bed for nine months and Tony worked on autopilot, trying to keep the business afloat. It went down in the end, he tells me sadly and two good men lost their jobs. “For me, there was nothing to wake up for and nothing to go to work for.”

Brenda adds, ““We were really at breaking point.

People grieve differently and cope differently. And the awful thing is when you lose your child, you can’t help each other.” But it was their own experience of being abandoned by everybody which highlighted inadequacies in the way government agencies and

charitable organisations offer support. This means that if, like the Lawsons, your particular set of circumstances don’t fit the prescribed criteria, bereaved parents slip through the ‘help’ net and find themselves adrift. As a result of the Lawsons and others like them, Hannah Bardell, MP is leading a cross-party parliamentary group to ensure government agencies like the Foreign Office to do more to help families of those who die abroad.

It doesn’t mean that effective help isn’t out there. It is – everything from CRUSE to Compassionate Friends and Moira’s Fund – but it can be hard to find. Particularly for a family floundering around in the quagmire of sudden bereavement. The Royal National Lifesaving Society, for instance, offers counselling to people whose relatives have drowned, but the Lawsons weren’t offered it as the accident didn’t take place in the UK and the RNLS isn’t linked to the Foreign Office.

As a result, with encouragement from close friends, the Jessica Lawson Foundation was born in a scout hut in Willerby in 2016. Two years on and the foundation and now the associated website aim to “aid and assist” to ensure that no other families are left to cope alone.

The Lawsons hope that the website in particular, will provide a much-needed online ‘signpost’ where bereaved parents can go to find everything from a co-ordinated list of the different charities and the support they give, to links of people and organisations who offer practical help. “Everyone has or will have a bereavement to come to terms with at some time in their lives,” explains Brenda, “but after a shocking, sometimes unexplained death of a child you’re also completely traumatised.”

Ten months after the accident, help did finally materialise for Brenda in the form of Trauma Lucy as they now affectionately refer to the specialist counsellor from ASSIST Trauma Care. For Tony, workshops run by another charity Escaping Victimhood prevented him sinking into utter despair.

The Lawsons point out the Jessica Lawson Foundation is not offering professional advice, but rather what their own experience has taught them. Their “Top Tips”, 

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Brenda. “And Jess is everywhere. That’s why the shop is the way it is, full of bright colours and beautiful things.”

Losing a child puts an enormous strain on even the strongest relationship. But as the third anniversary approaches this month and they’re still waiting for answers from the French investigation, Brenda and Tony remain hopeful that they can find a way forward.

Retreating to the Algarve is part of that moving forward, step by step.

Top to bottom, left to right: Sunflowers always remind Brenda of Jessica; A vibrant display in The Essence Tree; Something different in every corner

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for example, is a list to aid friends and relatives on what to say, what to do and maybe even what not to do when the unthinkable happens.

For some people it’s instinctive. “Tuesday Sue would come every Tuesday and wouldn’t go away until I answered the door…” says Brenda. “No matter what state I was in, she’d hold me, put the kettle on, make me a cup of tea.”

They also recall fondly two other friends arriving together at their front door when they were too traumatised to make a shopping list, never mind leave the house. One with a lemon drizzle cake (everyone knew they loved lemon drizzle cake) and another carrying toilet rolls. The friend with the drizzle cake turned to the other with toilet rolls and said simply: “Genius! Why didn’t I think of that?”

But not everyone can manage that delicate balance between normality and recognition of a tragedy. “For any bereaved parent the worst thing is avoidance. Lack of acknowledgement,” says Brenda. “People think they will somehow upset you or make it worse, but that, in itself, can’t happen. The worst has happened already!”

For a while Brenda and Tony tried to carry on in Yorkshire, but eventually realised that “IT” had changed them irrevocably. Part of coming to terms with life without Jess is not letting the ‘tsunami’ of that tragedy destroy their remaining family. They feel they have the best chance of that by building a different life in the Algarve.

The Essence Tree – originally conceived by Brenda as potential therapy – opened its doors after a flurry of activity on November 17th last year. The shop, presently bedecked in tasteful ‘World Cup’ decoration for the tournament represents ‘transformation’ in more ways than one.

But although they’ve left the UK, they haven’t left their daughters behind: Polly and Hannah visit when they can and Tony and Brenda feel Jessica’s presence – her “J’essence” – very powerfully in everything they do.

Jess’s dog Gracie trots into the shop and jumps up onto her special chair. “Like Jess, she belongs with us,” says

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And Bereavement Breaks – tailored holidays for bereaved parents – possibly their most ambitious project yet, once again stems from what they themselves have learned.

The aim is to give bereaved parents suffering from losing a child (even long ago) a chance to retreat from a discordant world in a beautiful, tranquil setting far from the tourist trail. As Brenda explains: “to re-focus, relax and recuperate.”

Together with The Compassionate Friends they are working with accommodation owners and a wide range of tourist businesses to form a network of partners willing to offer their services across the Algarve.

Bereavement Breaks is still in the early stages of development so help to get it off the ground is most welcome. Initially, the holidays will concentrate on low to mid-season, avoiding the busy summer, which may also appeal to potential ‘partners’ in the industry.

The power of Jessica’s story always generates interest and Tony and Brenda believe if they can harness that interest in order to help other bereaved parents, then that alone makes them feel a little better.

“We’re on a forward trajectory,” Tony says, which means trying not to think about yesterday or tomorrow and just taking each day as it comes.

“I’ve heard the Algarve called ‘Paradise by the Sea'” points out Brenda with a smile. “It’s all about the feel.

And so far, this feels right.”

The Jessica Lawson Foundation and Bereavement Breaks  www.jessicalawsonfoundation.org  jlfoundation17@gmail.com  @Jesslawsonmemorial  www.therosecharitablefoundation.com/jessica-lawson/ The Essence Tree  Rua Policarpo Dias 27-31 – Silves  @essencetreesilves The Compassionate Friends  www.tcf.org.uk The Rose Charitable Trust Charity Registration Number 1157176

Charity gets new home Madrugada, the palliative care charity based in Luz has been working tremendously hard behind the scenes to secure a new home for its new support centre.

A spokeswoman said: “We wanted a place that would still have a local presence and most importantly, for us to keep in touch with the local community that we have been serving for over nine years.”

The new centre, which will be in the old Palm Bay offices in Luz, will have parking facilities as well as better disabled access. The centre services will enable the charity to broaden its support for patients and their loved ones who are affected by a life limiting illness. It will also provide support for those who may have recently received a diagnosis, are seeking information or a carer.. Madrugada receives no government funding so has limited resources but plans to continue to develop its services within its financial

constraints.

The hard work now really starts to get the centre ready for opening in November.

A spokeswoman said: “This is where we are reaching out to local tradesman that can offer their services in getting it ready in time. So, if you know of anybody that can donate their time, expertise in plumbing or painting or can donate materials, please get in touch with us.”

Madrugada said it plans to honour those who kindly donate their time, money or efforts by creating a display for all to see. The display will highlight the names of those people have have contributed their time or money to make this a real community-based support centre.

 +351 282 761 375  www.madrugada-portugal.com

Ferry service resumes The Portimão-Madeira ferry service will start again on July 2nd after a gap of six years.

The route, run by Naviera Armas from 2009, ended after three years as it was deemed unprofitable with the company blaming the Madeiran port authorities for imposing increased landing charges.

This new ferry service has the added bonus of a subsidy from EU taxpayers of between €2 million and €3 million-a-year for the new three year contract.

Tickets for the Volcán de Tijarafe ferry now are on sale but the weekly service will run only until September 20th.

Thanks to algarvedailynews.com for this story.

 www.madeira-ferry.pt/en/ferry

Politicians give green light The use of cannabis products for medical purposes was approved in parliament last month.

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Only doctors will be able to prescribe cannabis and preparations based on the plant, and then only if other conventional therapies have had adverse or undesired effects. The regulation of the therapeutic use of cannabis, "can not under any circumstances be used to legitimise or promote its use as a recreational drug."

The Minister of Health, Adalberto Campos Fernandes, expressed his opinion in January in favour of cannabis for therapeutic purposes, provided that it is strictly regulated.

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common goal was the love of music with the trimmings of a luxury villa complete with swimming pool and large grounds, a perfect mix courtesy of the Algarve weather.

A day in the life… of a 29-year-old entrepreneur. Charles RebeloFeliciano is a man with a passion for music and dance. He set up Spring Break Portugal which sees hundreds of partygoers coming to the Algarve for some fun and freedom in the sun.

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We went to Albufeira and one bar in particular played our style of music and I started a relationship with the bar owner of Solo Bar. The trip was so successful that we all stayed on. At this moment I had a surreal realisation that my dream of setting up Spring Break had already played out right in front of my eyes.

When we did go home it was was like a public mourning, whilst there were tears of joy, these were truly tinged with an overwhelming sadness that our bespoke, unique, fully ‘embracing the moment’ party bubble had burst.

I would normally have had holiday blues but suddenly I was on a mission to go all steam ahead for the 'Real Spring Break' and the only date in my calendar that mattered more than anything was April 2015.

I am a nocturnal creature and so my job as a Student Accommodation receptionist suited me perfectly. The night shift also suits, because it meant I could work but also daydream and to take myself back to the dream luxury villa in the Algarve.

“I was born in Paris to an Angolan mum and Mozambique dad. From a young age I had a serious passion and desire for all things music and dance. We moved to London when I was three. I suppose I class London as home but I’m fluent in Portuguese and Portugal is definitely my second home.

Spring Break 2016 didn’t go exactly as I had imagined.

I didn’t get the guest numbers and and the costs were constantly rising. I realise now that I made a lot of mistakes that year and came very close to throwing in the towel. Thankfully, for many hundreds of Spring Breakers I didn’t and the little blip in 2016, was overturned completely for Spring Break 2017.

University for me was an eclectic choice of specialisms in social sciences and I mastered in events and marketing.

My focus on marketing was particularly helpful when it came to the entrepreneurial approach I needed to create my baby, the Spring Break.

Being an entrepreneur means that you have to stay positive even when you are faced with adversity. This resulted in a great amount of networking which would prove to be the nucleus of the 2017, 2018 and no doubt beyond success.

There were two things that were pivotal which started a niggle in my mind, my love of Boddhi Satva – a type of house music with an ancestral and spiritual twist and the second was a weekend in Southport to a music festival. Whilst having the time of my life and relaxing and dancing with my friends, I was thinking that I should set up a similar event. I decided to do it in Portugal and the Algarve in particular to stage my first foray into a ‘Spring Break’ style weekender.

2017 was incredible and it’s fair to say that all the stars aligned and the event saw 200 or so Spring Breakers having the time of their lives. It was a huge pressure to organise but I loved it and I realised that I had managed to create the same feeling as we had in 2015.

I found a large villa, just a few kilometers away from Albufeira and invited friends and family to this relatively small event of 29 people. They had the time of their lives, forged ever stronger friendships and family times and the

I hope that I have the resolve and tenacity to make next year’s event bigger and better than ever. I am always looking to recreate the euphoric feeling that we had in 2015.”

This year’s event was a great success but I am not one to rest on my laurels. I am my biggest critic and now 2019 is in the forefront of my mind.

Photo © Simon Palfrader

Formula One in Portimão

BY JEFF MORGAN

The eagerly anticipated Grand Prix of Portugal and Round One of 35th UIM F1 H20 World Championship season began in spectacular fashion with the fastest boats in the world competing in Portimão.

outside the screen is almost zero, buckled safely into their now upside down, semi-submerged seat, the pilot’s life could depend on fast judgment and well rehearsed actions.

On Wednesday the first signs of activity witnessed the arrival and quickly constructed temporary fencing that separated the paddock from the rest of town. Overnight the many 40ft sea containers arrived allowing assembled teams of workers to begin building the temporary seating areas, VIP areas, prize giving podiums and team garages. Television crews dragged power cables and devices around the venue, a large screen was erected while cameramen wandered the streets of the photogenic city looking for a scene better than the one they were already stood upon.

Over the weekend a number of craft demonstrated their back flipping skills to the delight of the crowd who then went hushed waiting for the driver to emerge safely from the upturned vessel. Quick thinking jet ski pilots aided the on-water rescue crew who swiftly identified, then removed, broken craft, debris and drivers from the circuit.

For H2O, the event promoter, this hive of activity was efficiently handled with the minimum of chaos and by Friday the pilots were starting to orientate themselves on the magnificent River Arade. The evening session saw the defending, and four times UIM F1 H20 World Champion, Italian Alex Carella clocking the fastest lap at 41.80 seconds around the 1.2 mile course.

For the faint of heart, those short on nerves, or lacking in lightening fast reaction times Formula One Powerboating is probably best observed from the safety of firm ground.

This a dangerous sport though modern crafts are fitted with many devices and braces to make the lone pilot as safe as possible.

Accidents do happen, and in a moment the craft can catch a wave, forcing wind into the small gap beneath the boat, lifting the front, suddenly turning the forward moving machine in a 180 degree back flip movement.

Part of their license requires racers to demonstrate that they are capable of exiting the craft unaided. In the middle of a race with adrenalin pumping, the vision

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With a global TV audience tuned in, Portimao was able to show the world the natural amphitheatre, the colourful city backdrop with it's palm lined promenade where packed with throngs of spectators who had descended to the river to watch the free visual spectacle. As teams went through last minute preparations, adding further drama to the building anticipation a violent, dark thunderstorm passed quickly overhead moments before the 6pm schedule.

The race began from a standing start and in less than 2 seconds powerboats are travelling over 60mph building up to teeth shattering speeds in excess of 160mph, comparable to driving a Formula One car over a freshly ploughed field. Within five minutes a collision between two boats, one of which caught fire, interrupted the racing.

Both drivers safe, racing commenced to full power.

For an hour the best pilots in the world battled each other in what would be 48 laps of the course. It was Floridian Shaun Torrente who emerged victorious taking the chequered flag 2.06 seconds ahead of his Emirati teammate Thani Al Qemzi. With the city cleaned up and back to normal in less than 24hrs the casual motor sport fan is left wondering whether it will be car, bikes or boats that is the next Formula One attraction coming to the region.

Things to do One of our favourite things to do is to just wander...

The Douro River and building façades with the addition of the port boats, gondola like, you can almost imagine yourself in the 17th century as a merchant who has just settled here. We wandered down the quayside, Cais de Ribera, and then we take in the majestic sight of the Dom Luis I Bridge, courtesy of that clever chap, Gustaf Eifel.

The bridge connects the two parts of the city, Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia. Vila Nova de Gaia is where the Port houses are placed and stand tall and proud overlooking this great city. Throughout our stay we decided to walk over this bridge, avoiding the trams – which kind of have priority on the bridge. We also took the cable car, which was brilliant value, afforded great bird-like views and also came with a voucher for a free Port tasting.

The stand out things for us to do in Porto would be: Chocolataria Equador –  @Chocolataria.Equador

72 hours in Porto

BY SIMON MOULSON

The second capital city of Portugal, is a gem of a place.

This city will charm your socks off thanks to it’s myriad of tiny streets offering glimpses of the majestic river, ‘miradouros’ (viewpoints) of the many beautiful coloured buildings not to mention the Port Houses.

So, if you only have 72-hours in Porto here are my suggestions to get the most out of it. Wearing comfy shoes would be my first tip as there are lots of cobbled streets and steep hills!

Where to stay: Prices soar in summer so you could stick to April – June and mid-September to mid-October. We stayed in serviced apartments (Douro Apartments São Miguel €95 per night, per apartment sleeps up to four with a river view) which we booked through Booking.com. A perfect place to explore the city from and then to also enjoy a good quiet night’s sleep. That can often be a problem, choosing a great location, but then only realising that it is actually quite noisy too. The apartments are well proportioned, offer distant views of the river, very clean and very well priced. The one thing I would say though is good luck, initially on finding them. They have a luggage storage room and bathroom for guests arriving early or late.

Getting there from the Algarve There are three main options. Car (about 4.5 hours), train (8 hours) or our preferred option was by plane (journey time was 1 hour). We chose to fly with Ryanair (€40 more or less return). Porto airport is a small-medium sized airport and we were pleased to be met by our airport transfer, courtesy of the apartments we had booked.

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The chocolate house which is just off the Cais de Ribera.

The house, well shop, is divine. You enter through modern glass doors and then the aroma of chocolate attacks your senses immediately, it’s slightly hedonistic.

There is chocolate beautifully positioned in oversized ceramic bowls, each with a carefully detailed description as to what delight they have concocted with chocolate.

Little tip – Opt for a little taster plate all at the measly price of €3 you receive a small selection of chocolates and a delightful glass of port. Just to watch the attention to detail in the preparation of your chocolate selection is a delight.

Livraria Lello –  @LivrariaLello The book store is a must for any Harry Potter fan, we had very high expectations of this place and it didn’t let us down. It’s abundantly clear as to why JK Rowling found her inspiration for her amazing books and films.

The only slight grumble we have is that we have to share this utter delight with others.

Little tip – Do not join the very very long queue for the book-shop first, as you look at the bookstore, proceed to the left and walk approximately a couple hundred of meters and purchase your bookstore tickets there. Then walk to the bookstore and your fast-tracked. Otherwise, the queue will take at least an hour if not longer.

Graham’s Port Tour -  www.grahams-port.com Let me just say that even for those people that don’t like or even adore Port, the tour is still an amazing experience. We crossed the Dom Luis I bridge, took the cable car, went to the free port wine tasting, courtesy of the cable car ticket then we walked to Graham’s Port House. The benefit of walking up the hills is the towering view the Port houses command over this hard-working city. The views are a delight and so is the Graham’s building. You have a great selection of Port houses which offer tours, boat trips (which we did, but quite frankly it was OK, but a bit lacking). We chose Graham’s through friend recommendations, we like their port a lot and the “piece de la resistance” has to be their stunning restaurant, Vinum restaurant and wine bar (overlooks the city and is within their conservatory), which is one of the hottest tickets in Porto. 

Sally Vincent and Paul Price; Paul's art

I won’t spoil the tour, but the one thing I would like to share is the attack on your senses when you walk into the cooled rooms and the enormity of the Port barrels is simply something else.

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The Port tasting afterwards is superb and the Port menu options in terms of tasting is just simply divine. We opted for a luxury selection of Ports, which enabled each of us in our party to quaff three very large (not too large I must remark) glasses of delightful Port. Within our party of five, two were not avid Port drinkers.

However, it didn’t take these two long to change their opinion on Port. Therein lies the beauty of Port tasting, the variety on offer.

The meal at Vinum restaurant and wine bar, lived up to high expectations and was sublime. The afternoon was an utter delight, great company, surroundings, great service, great food and great Port – we may have had a little glass of port or two with lunch, but we didn’t wish to offend the restaurant staff.

I could go on and on about Porto, I think it’s fair to say that our resident country, Portugal, just keeps on giving and giving.

Final tips The culinary excellence in Porto is that it is a meat lovers paradise, they do have fish, but meat is king! Many restaurants do sharing platters for your mains with an incredible selection of some of the most succulent pieces of steak that we have ever eaten; then they also serve with a wild rice risotto which has been produced with an incredibly intense meat stock – stunning!

The selection of wines from this truly great city, is just as impressive as their selection of Ports.

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Doctor in the house, or artist in residence?

BY RAY GILLMAN Dr Paul Price is an opthalmologist who lives on Prince Edward Island, in Canada.

His work takes him all across the Northern Territories and into the Arctic where he holds regular clinics for the Inuits - the indigenous ‘esquimaux’. He is also a talented artist in watercolour and oils whose expressionist landscapes are displayed in many Canadian galleries.

Over the last few years those displays have also featured landscapes from the Algarve - particularly the Costa Vicentina.

This year he based himself in Burgau at the redoubtable Sally Vincent’s Casa Grande, in Burgau. Once again, he was inspired to create several paintings - particularly seascapes - sometimes producing two a day. Nonetheless - he found time to enjoy the social life of Burgau, and Luz, and Lagos - and he had a great time! Enriched by having made firm friends with Sally.

As the good times piled up by night and the paintings piled up by day it occurred to Sally and Paul that it would be fun to stage a ‘pop-up’ exhibition of the dozen or so works he’d created in his fortnight’s holiday. So they did!

Accordingly, twenty or so newly acquired friends and acquaintances assembled in Casa Grande’s elegant dining room to look at Paul’s paintings, talk about where and how they were done and have some delicious snacks and drinks provided by the hosts!

As a bonus, invitees were encouraged to look around the unique building that is Casa Grande, with its impressive

staircases and marble-clad walls leading to high-ceilinged suites with huge carved doors and moulded ceilings.

Built in 1912, just two years after the assassination of King Carlos and the proclamation of Portugal as a republic, the house, nonetheless, was ‘aristocratic’ - surprisingly so in its rural, coastal position. Burgau then, of course, was a small fishing village surrounded by open country - a lot of which was the estate of Casa Grande.

The house had become derelict and the estate broken up by the time Sally, and her husband and young children, fell in love with it, and managed to buy it in 1972. Just two years before the other famous revolution in 1974, when Salazar’s dictatorship was overthrown and Portugal began to become a fully-fledged democracy.

What times of change Sally, and the house, and the Algarve have lived through since then! And what an important part of our local heritage Casa Grande is.

Fortunately Sally remains as vivacious as ever and alive to new experiences and interesting ideas. Like her idiosyncratic, and a most enjoyable, pop-up Art Show.

 www.casagrandeportugal.com  +351 282 697416 / 965106221 Dr Paul Price:  cornwalleyes@gmail.com Gallery:  www.detailspastandpresent.com

Ambulances fined for speeding Several INEM ambulance, car and motorbike team members have been done for speeding and fined by the National Road Safety Authority, despite being on life-saving missions.

Pedro Moreira, president of the Union of Emergency Medical Technicians, stressed that these complaints about fines "are daily events and happen from the north to the south of the country."

One INEM motorcyclist in the Algarve responded to a call and ended up with a â‚Ź300 fine, a two year ban and three points taken off his licence.

In April, the National Road Safety Authority asked that the drivers of emergency vehicles should be identified so they could be sent a fine - but that they could file a written defence in mitigation.

The National Institute for Medical Emergencies (INEM) paramedic was clocked at 139 kmph on his motorbike and, despite submitting a statement from the Urgent Patient Centre that proved he was on an emergency mission, he was done.

The INEM staff member said to the press that his situation was ridiculous: "If we are going to save lives, we are not worried about radars."

Although the INEM has been confirming who was driving and issuing proof that the vehicle was on a mercy mission, the Algarve Daily News reports that the National Road Safety Authority has ignored any such justification and simply has used the information to issue the fine to the identified driver.

Thanks to the Algarve Daily News for this story

Algarve Network for Families in Need Algarve Network for Families in Need is appealing for donations this summer to help people across the region.

If you have any clothes for adults or children, household items and furniture you no longer need please get in touch

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Rural fires increase May saw the number of rural fires triple compared to the same month in 2017, according to Safe Communities Portugal.

In its newsletter it reported that the National Civil Protection Authority (ANPC) recorded 2260 rural fires in May, more than three times those of last year (707) and about six times more than in 2016 (380).

In the same month, the aerial fire-fighting device was involved in 396 missions, with a success rate of 97% in the initial attack. Provisional data from the Institute of Nature Conservation and Forests indicate that the area burnt in May was 1101 hectares, compared with 724 last year and 610 in 2016.

The Special Rural Fire Fighting Device (DECIR) is at the reinforced level - level III until June 30 -, with 8187 operational vehicles, supported by 1879 vehicles and 37 air vehicles.

DECIR 2018 currently has 3649 volunteer firefighters, 236 members of the Special Fire Brigade, 1081 members of the Protection and Relief Intervention Group (1081) and 954 members of the GNR Protection Service (954). 1415 Forest sappers.

By the end of the month, according to the MAI, 72 watch towers are operating, with a total of 288 personnel.

In the period of greatest commitment of DECIR (30 June to 15 October) 231 watchtowers will be operated by 924 personnel. The National Network of Posts will operate over a longer period, ending on 30 September.

via its Facebook page.

Algarve Network for Families in Need is an organisation that continues to support families, residential homes and orphanages across the Algarve with the help of many generous people.

You can find advice about how to protect your home and family from the risk of rural fires by going to the Safe Communities Portugal website.

î € www.safecommunitiesportugal.com

Finding time and inspiration Linda Franklin had dreamt of writing a novel throughout her life and finally did it after she retired. She divides her time between Lagos and Hampshire but her and her husband plan to live here full-time in the near future. We spoke to her about her book, the Mulberry Cottage.

I have wanted to write ever since I can remember, what a shame it’s taken until retirement to find the time! As a child I would write endless horse and pony stories and bully anybody into reading them that I could, but unless they were rather horsey I found that I soon lost my audience!

I grew up in Teddington, Middlesex, close to the River Thames, before resentfully as I remember, moving with my parents, brother, dog and pony to Hampshire when I was a teenager. It didn’t take though long to fall in love with the area, it offered everything. A stone throw from the English Channel, the same from the most beautiful English countryside and an hour by train to London – bliss…..

My father was headhunted by a company in Canada after his plastic moulding company unfortunately failed and I was devastated when they moved out there with my younger brother, after a year I moved out there to join them. Living in Canada for over twenty -five years, life for me has come full circle and I am happily back living in the Hampshire countryside once again with my husband and golden retriever, Bentley.

I have a daughter who still resides in Ontario, a son who lives in the UK and two wonderful grandchildren.

Hopefully they are proud of ‘Nana’ and her endeavours!

and stumbled upon Lagos, what a brilliant place, as is Aljezur, our favourite place for a coffee, and for me, a bit of writing!

Please tell us about your book?

Mulberry Cottage is about friendship, love, fear and mystery. A brief synopsis: After finally finding the strength to walk out of an abusive marriage Maggie is looking desperately to make a new beginning, and to hopefully regain her badly shattered confidence and selfesteem, when she stumbles across Mulberry Cottage.

Maggie loves the place immediately and feels uncannily drawn to the pretty thatched cottage, but all is not what it seems. It doesn’t take long for the feeling of peace and serenity that she initially felt to turn to pure terror and she realises that perhaps living alone and isolated wasn’t one of her brighter ideas. Having poured all her resources into the property she has no choice but to stay, but to continue to live in Mulberry Cottage she will draw on every bit of courage that she can muster.

Where did the idea come from?

I was walking in the bluebell woods behind the Denmead allotments early last summer with my golden retriever, Bentley, on a bright, beautiful sunny day and returned just a couple of days later. What a difference, the weather turned stormy, and what with the darkening sky and the trees whining as they violently brushed and scraped on each other in the fierce wind, the copse took on a totally different atmosphere, haunting, spooky and menacing. The perfect setting for Mulberry Cottage! I went home and started writing.......

Please tell us about your professional background?

I have worked with horses most of my life and ran my own livery stables in Ontario, absolutely loving it, including the hard work and long hours. Since returning to the UK I worked for a flat roofing company obtaining various tenders within the commercial roofing industry, spending loads of time talking with, (probably my greatest asset), main contractors and architects. I also found myself doing a lot of proof-reading as the company grew and found my love of words again.

Why and when did you move to the Algarve?

We are planning to make a permanent move to Lagos by the end of the year. We first went to Portugal with Canadian friends 10 years ago and fell in love with the country and its people. We first went to stay in Carvoeiro, drove further up the coast

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What were the highs of writing a book?

So many highs!! Firstly, finally finding the time and achieving something that I have wanted to do for so many years. Secondly, so many people enjoying the story and characters that I created, what a sense of pride I feel! I thought that perhaps friends and family would be interested in what I wrote, I had no idea that Mulberry Cottage would be read by hundreds.

Thirdly, my feeling of elation when I received a notification from Amazon that my book had gone 'live'! I've found out that it's been a great book to take on holiday, to my knowledge it's been read in Portugal and the UK of course, but also the United States, Canada, France, Spain, Cyprus, Italy and Turkey!

Do you plan a second novel?

I am already half-way through writing the sequel to Mulberry Cottage, I think I fell in love with my own characters and felt they had more to say!

Linda’s book is available on Amazon.

Meet the artist 22 Community

Our artist this month is Jan Rowe who moved to an old Portuguese farmhouse in the most southern part of the Alentejo, a few kilometres north of Monchique, about six years ago. She and her husband sold up and moved lock, stock and barrel and can’t imagine living anywhere else.

Here Jan tells us more about their adventure and her art.

“I’m from Liverpool originally and lived most of my adult life around the north west of England. I've been married to Chris for over fifteen years and between us we have three children and three grandchildren. In my previous existence I worked as a professional librarian in the NHS but decided to leave it all behind and set off on a new adventure when Chris was offered early retirement.

Tell us about your art.

I mainly paint flowers. I love bright colours and really enjoy painting bold images and on a large scale. My all time favourite subjects are peonies and agapanthus. I’ve dabbled a bit with portraits, landscapes and seascapes but flowers are my love, and I keep returning to them.

Have you always been an artist?

I suppose I’ve always been a latent artist but that has materialised in lots of different ways throughout my life and I’ve always needed to have a creative output.

My favourite subject at school was art and I remember drawing and painting from a very young age but all of that got put on the back-burner when life got busy with family and my career.

Double Pink Peonies

I went to university as a mature student and became a single parent at about the same time, so life was busy. 

OVEISON

o u t d o o r

l i v i n g

I don't set out to shock or challenge the viewer, just to produce something that is pleasing to the eye. I paint for myself, and I’m my biggest critic.

Do you have a favourite painting?

I’m very fond of my Pink & White Peonies painting as it was a real milestone for me in terms of developing both my technique and my own style. I also like my Agapanthus Bud and Agapanthus Head paintings because they’re really strong images and I particularly like the backgrounds on those paintings.

Top to bottom, left to right: Pink & White Peonies; Agapanthus Bud; Jan Rowe; Agapanthus Head; Pink Bouquet

However, despite the constraints of daily life I have always been involved in making things including sewing, embroidery, card-making, gardening and cooking. So my creativity was there in one form or another.

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Since leaving work and the U.K. I've enjoyed the luxury of lots of free time and I've been able to devote quite a bit of it to learning to paint and developing my skills and my own artistic style. It's an ongoing process and I know I’ve still got a lot to learn, but that’s the beauty of painting, it offers me the chance to take my work in lots of different directions.

Yes. Three things. Firstly, practice, practice and then practice a bit more. Secondly, don’t give up. Lastly, feed your creativity: for me that means looking at other Artist’s work, going to galleries, being outside in nature and being amongst people who stimulate me.

Are you involved in any upcoming shows or events?

Yes, I’m really excited to be exhibiting some of my work in a beautiful café in Portimão called Pastelaria Arade, it's on the Largo 1º de Dezembro 4, my work will be on display and for sale there during July and August.

What mediums do you work with?

Is there anywhere else that we can buy your work?

I work in acrylics and watercolours. I started out in watercolours simply because I found someone local who could give me a few lessons and watercolour was her chosen medium. It was an excellent grounding and helped me to learn how to portray the delicacy and the transparency of flowers and leaves. Acrylics on the other hand, enable me to paint on a much larger scale, which I relish. I’m currently enjoying using acrylic paint with all its technical advantages and applying some of those watercolour techniques for bringing out the fragility of flowers, and the vibrancy of the colours. I’m finding that the combination of the two is really effective and pleasing.

Please feel free to contact me if you are interested in any of the pieces featured in either in this article or on my webpage, or if you’d like to commission a painting.

My urge is to paint bigger and larger images - I've just bought myself a door-sized canvas and am currently trying to work out the logistics of keeping it on my easel while I paint on it! It’s proving to be quite a challenge.

How would you like people to respond to your work?

I enjoy it when people like or admire what I've produced and it’s nice if people can see that my technique or style has developed.

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Do you have any advice for an aspiring or hobby artist?

 jan.p.rowe2@gmail.com  algarve-art.com/art/jan-rowe  +351 283 881 300

This article has been provided by the Algarve Society of Artists - a group formed to support and promote art and artists across the Algarve.

They have a website and publish a free quarterly online magazine entitled Algarve Art! Visit their website for more information:  algarve-art.com

More than a charity Tomorrow magazine, with the amazing backing of our readers and advertisers, is very proud to support the work of our local soup kitchen, the Mustard Seed. This month our editor, Amber Henshaw, spoke to Elisabete Saunite from the soup kitchen about how they provide far more than hundreds of meals a week.

The Mustard Seed is a non-profitable association supporting homeless people and families in need from Lagos and surrounding areas. In addition to providing 300 meals a week we also assess about 400 people a week.

rainy. We are constantly asked for blankets, sleeping bags, winter clothes and jackets, we are asked for everything that may reduce the harm of being completely vulnerable to weather conditions.

Each week we support and help families – especially the ones with children so we can meet their specific need.

We give them a chance to discuss their difficulties and we try to find solutions. We want to build them up again.

We try to help them to build up their identity socially by assisting them to get a job or to find more appropriate ways to behave in public.

Families in need also struggle with winter, they can’t afford to pay electrical heating or get gas bottles either to warm up the places where they live or even to cook.

This means that we support families in extreme need by paying electrical bills or buying them gas bottles but don’t have the funds to help them all year long.

The genuine goal of our work is to see people who are suffering psychological traumas due to problems with family, jobs or any other kind of hard situations that have led them to this point. We try to help them to have the strength to get back to life again.

We don’t make judgements about people, when they come to us we understand that there is a reason, a trauma, a motive that lead to the situation of misery, whatever it maybe, and they need support and understanding to build up and take hold of their life again, they need to be listened to.

So we always feel rewarded when people, after being cared for within a loving environment, manage to get out of their difficult situation and regain a love for life.

Sometimes these people become living examples of change and then try to help others.

Summer time brings other kinds of needs and problems.

Hygiene is one of the biggest problems so we have to ensure we keep the facility clean.

Besides providing good and well cooked meals, take away bags of non-perishable food are also provided for families that can’t cook at home. We also support people in need with prescribed medicines, clothing and with all kind of house items they need.

We try to help people get jobs but that can be difficult for people who have not been integrated in society for a long time. The other problem in Lagos is that work is seasonal so often long-term jobs are very hard to come by. Our work depends completely on donations. Every month it’s a challenge to pay our rent and bills. We have had problems with our industrial cooker so we need to get a new one so we can keep providing meals.

One example is a woman who came to us physically and mentally broken but she is now one of our best volunteers. She says we are her family.

We have a shower facility but we don’t have funds to allow people to come and use it. We need donations to cover the expense of the boiler for the shower and money to make sure we can wash the towels. It means a huge amount to people to have a shower.

This girl had been raised on the streets in Lagos. Many times she was taken to the Lagos hospital for a shower.

Not only was she raised on the streets but she was beaten by her family and then by her husband. It was only when she was told about the Mustard Seed that her life changed.

We need all kinds of food and financial donations but we also need more volunteers to help us. We need help to fundraise as well as for people to volunteer in the soup kitchen with meals. For financial contributions we are a completely legal organisation and can provide invoice/ receipt for all donations to further tax deduction.

The needs of the homeless and families do change along with the seasons of the year.

Winter time is always a season when help requests overflow! Homeless people suffer when it’s cold and

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 soupkitchenlagos@gmail.com  +351 919 439 069 IBAN: PT50 0035 0387 0004425393020

Never give up

BY LENA STRANG

Growing up and living most of her life in South Africa, Laurinda Seabra is no stranger to controversy. When she arrived in Lagos in 2009, she soon became involved in the rescue of António’s, a popular family restaurant at Porto de Mós, threatened by closure. The attempt by a large developer wanting to build a nine-storey hotel and lay claim to a public beach for the exclusive use of its clients, was luckily thwarted. A year later she locked horns with the local Câmara in successfully campaigning for the right of Lagos nightlife establishments to stay open until 2am. This proved controversial and gave rise to much debate.

Since then her activities have gained momentum with the creation of ASMAA (Algarve Surf and Marine Activities Association) in 2012. With colleagues, she completed an in-depth study on how to address the enormous socioeconomic and environmental issues in the Algarve. “We saw a clear need for an organisation with the mission to ensure that the Algarve remains economically sustainable and also environmentally responsible,” she explains.

When it became clear that the Algarve was threatened with offshore oil and gas exploration as well as fracking, ASMAA went into overdrive. Over the last five years a huge awareness raising campaign was rolled out across the region to alert the community about the dangers.

Supporters have walked all the way from Aljezur in the west to Vila Real de Santo António in the east; hundreds of door-to door-campaigns have been conducted in over sixteen council regions and thousands of leaflets issued. Laurinda’s own experiences of working in the petrochemical industry in South Africa for over 20 years go some way to explain her detailed knowledge of the issues.

She also maintains that the Algarve business sector would be adversely affected, “as the region survives economically on the basis of tourism, fishing and agriculture, with tourism accounting for more than 80% of the Algarve GDP.” Signing away oil rights to

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multinational companies will result in near zero wealth remaining in the country.

Laurinda believes that ASMAA was instrumental, based on their “massive collaborative action,” in ensuring the embargo against Sousa Cintra’s Portofuel attempts at fracking in Aljezur and subsequent cancellation of contracts. They also played their part in the cancellation of four Repsol/Partex offshore drilling contracts.

But things are far from being resolved. No environmental impact study has been done to date and the effects on the natural environment haven’t been taken into account.

“In an earthquake prone area, fracking and deep offshore drilling should not even be considered,” Laurinda warns. The Portuguese Environment Agency made it clear in May that no study will be required for the first exploratory drilling by the company ENI in the Alentejo Basin. This is despite extensive public opposition.

In April this year, ASMAA lodged their first court action challenging the validity of the law that currently underpins all oil and gas exploration contracts, using the contract signed between the government and the consortium ENO/Galp as substantive evidence. The outcome is not expected for at least 12 to 18 months.

In addition, ASMAA will also shortly be contesting in court the decision by the government to allow drilling in September 2018 without conducting a full environmental impact assessment to go ahead. They argue that such a decision is not legal, based on the arguments and evidence submitted in the main court action lodged in April. “The court actions has stretched ASMAA's financial resources, and we invite you to help us, by donating to our fund raising campaign,” Laurinda says.

Whatever happens, ASMAA will not cease in its relentless efforts. It will continue to press for a rapid change from a fossil fuel driven economy to one that uses alternative energy. As many are aware, Portugal after all, leads the 

More on Marley Over the last few months we’ve been giving regular updates on a brave six-year-old boy called Marley Inacio from Portimão.

Like many little boys Marley loves football and Mario super brothers. He dreams of becoming a Minion. Unlike most boys Marley has been diagnosed with Marfan Syndrome and Poretti Boltshauser. Here’s the latest from his mother, Kate.



way in terms of harnessing solar and wind power.

Whilst campaigning against oil exploration will have taken up much time, energy and resources (ASMAA is a non-profit making organisation) it has branched out in other directions too. After last year’s devastating fires in the north, members swung into action. Emergency aid to the victims, including 2000 kg of animal fodder, was delivered to the affected areas since the first disastrous fires in July and October. Laurinda stresses, that in addition, the association has an active social division in the Algarve, that provides assistance to local families in need, either directly through their association or in collaboration with other organisations and informal groups.

There have been other developments too.

In January this year a Charity Shop and Upcycled Hub opened in Portimão. One floor is used as a sales room filled with bric-a-brac, books, clothing and linen, whilst the downstairs cave is used for storage. In their warehouse in Barão de São João, they have a wide assortment of furniture too, with selected items available for sale.

A Coffee Club for members is also on the cards for later this year, as well as a get together zone in their Portimão shop.

Why not go along, have a good browse whilst at the same time support a good cause?

Another initiative is the newly created Advice Bureau. Laurinda is clear about

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its function: “We aim to assist individuals that are facing challenges with the bureaucratic aspects relating to living, visiting, owning a holiday home or business and investing in Portugal.” Basic advice is free and available initially in English, Portuguese, French, German and Afrikaans. If further assistance is required to address certain issues which require more active representation, they have an in-house legal and consulting department ready to assist, although this additional service is fee paying. It may be a good idea to check their Facebook page: ASMAA Citizens Advice Bureau.

Laurinda has always been intent on asking awkward questions and holding the powers that be to account. The latest ASMAA project launched under the banner of ‘Giving Voice to the People’ also sums her up perfectly. She believes that it’s important for individuals to come together and take action, whether it’s small local concerns or issues of national interest. ASMAA is certainly proving a perfect vehicle for this.

Charity shop and Upcycle Hub:  Rua José Pereira Sampaio Bruno, Nº 53, Portimão (park at the open parking area opposite Pingo Doce, near the Bombeiros)  www.asmaa-algarve.org  www.gateway2algarve.com  +351 969 320 231 / 282 182 103 To donate to their fundraising:  www.asmaa-algarve.org/en/donate or via PayPal: info@asmaa-algarve.org

Since January Marley has been very ill and off school. We have been travelling back and forth to Lisbon to get him treatment. It has been a really hard year so far but he kept smiling throughout and has kept me strong and positive too.

Marley has finally been diagnosed with Marfan syndrome - a genetic disorder that affects the body’s connective tissue.

Connective tissue holds all the body’s cells, organs and tissue together. It also plays an important role in helping the body grow and develop properly. Marley has pages of symptoms which were always diagnosed as ‘congenital’ but now they are explained.

The doctors and specialists are also looking into the many related disorders which Marley may also have which are linked to Marfan. I received more information in a couple of hours than I have gotten in years. Overwhelming.

Fundraising wise we are raising money for brain and back surgery - there are only four doctors in the world who can operate on cases like his with connective tissue disorders - three in the States and one in Barcelona.

Fundraising isn’t easy at all and it takes a lot of blood sweat and tears to raise awareness. The events which have been put on by Marley’s loved ones have been very hard work for the people involved and I am extremely grateful.

We still have a long way to go! If you want to help support Marley you can find more at the blog.

 www.marleyandmum.com

toldos - awnings sun wind rain protection

toldolanda

info@toldolanda.com | www.toldolanda.com | 914 609 517

Wildlife

BY NUNO BARROS

WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR IN JULY? subsists, waiting for some moisture or the first rains in order to “come back to life”.

Even in these hot and vibrant summer days, looking beyond the brown and green countryside, wildlife is just around the corner. Resilient late flowers and breeding and migrant birds, are a out there to be found by the heat-tolerant naturalists!

Not many wildflowers are left in the brown and dry fields, but there are some late flowering specialties. On sand dunes, the Curry Plant creates both a visual an aromatic spectacle. Its exotic scent and deep yellow flowers are now intense in the dry shores. Another remarkable plant to look out for in this habitat is the Sea Daffodil – a bulbous plant with delicate big white flowers, now starting to bloom.

On the primary dunes it’s time also for the Sea Holly to put out its spiky blue flowers.

These plants are true endurance champions, for they have to resist extreme temperature changes, salt and strong winds, as well as lack of nutrients, water and intense sunlight. A little more inland, fields of tall and imposing Thapsias create a strange coastal wonderland.

Numerous butterflies like Swallowtail and Bath White are present. This is also the time for snails to aestivate – they climb to the top of twigs and bushes, and seal themselves in, becoming dormant for as long as the dry weather

Top to bottom, left to right: Black kite © Gordon Oliver; Sea Daffodil © Ferran Pestaña; Swallowtail © Milo Bostock

 www.birdland.pt

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In the mixed woodlands, Golden Orioles can sometimes be heard, but hardly ever seen. A brief lucky sight of one of these remarkable yellow and black birds can really make your day. Melodious Warblers, Iberian Chiffchaffs, Short-toed Treecreepers and Crested Tits are some of the birds busy in these habitats. If you are going inland, early mornings and late afternoons are the best time to do so, for even birds can take refuge from the heat of mid-day.

Hoopoes and Iberian Magpies can be easily seen in fields and even in towns. Under bridges and in some houses, House Martins and Red-rumped and Barn Swallows remind us that wildlife and mankind can co-exist side by side.

But the Summer is now in its prime. Not so far away from the Algarve, in the Strait of Gibraltar, things are getting busier, and that has reflections on the Algarve.

Early migrants are on the move. It is not unusual that by mid-month, small flocks of Black Kites are already reaching Sagres. A sign that even though for some the breeding season has started not so long ago, for some, it is already time to go.

In the seashores of the West coast, the tidal pools are teaming with life. A wide array of green, red and brown algae can be found, as well as or mussels, barnacles and limpets. Shoals of young Seabream can sometimes be trapped in large pools in low tide, along with shrimp, crabs and octopodes. For personally, to search for this type of coastal marine wildlife, with the fresh smell of the Atlantic breeze filling your lungs, is something worth living for. And with a bit of luck, a group of Bottlenose Dolphins can be seen from the shore.

MIM SA

PROPERTIES

group photograph with the troops. She very clearly loved the whole experience. I was then able to accompany her and see her off at Hanover airport before dashing through heavy holiday traffic to Hamburg and arriving just in time for TV make-up to be slapped on and join the Mayor for the interview.

The next visit was by the Prince of Wales to make an address at an environmental conference. I greatly enjoyed meeting him again and discussing his visit to Kazakhstan when I was Ambassador there.

Diplomatic Ramblings

BY DOUG MCADAM

During my final posting in Hamburg I was fortunate to meet a number of members of the Royal Family. For example I met The Queen twice during this period. Her first visit was to Berlin in 2000 to open formally our new Embassy building (our Embassy had moved to Berlin from Bonn following Germany’s reunification and it had taken some time to construct the architecturallychallenging building). After the opening ceremony the Ambassador introduced me to The Queen and Prince Philip. The Prince paused for a chat after the Ambassador had mentioned that Hanover was on my patch. He reminded me of his family links with Hanover (at the time his brother-in-law was Prince Georg Wilhelm of Hanover) so I took the opportunity to introduce him to our Honorary Consul for Hanover and his wife who were standing nearby. They were overjoyed!

Some time later we received news at short notice that The Queen would be paying a pastoral visit to the 7th Armoured Brigade near Hanover. I knew our Ambassador had already booked a holiday outside Germany and rang him to say there was no need to cancel his plans and that I would meet her. It was going to be touch and go because I had a firm commitment the same evening in Hamburg to conduct a joint TV interview with the Mayor.

Anyhow it started easily enough with The Queen arriving on time at Hanover Airport. I met her from the aircraft and introduced her to the welcoming party from the base. But soon after we joined the motorway we hit a major traffic jam. Fortunately the motorcycle outriders conducted us for a couple of miles down the hard shoulder so that we arrived at the base on time. The army laid on a splendid exercise for The Queen including Challenger tanks followed by lunch in a marquee and a

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The British presence at the massive Hanover Industrial Fair used a lot of my limited staff resources until this responsibility was taken on by our office in Dusseldorf (from where our commercial effort in Germany was driven). The Duke of York came on one occasion to speak at the Fair and visit British Exhibitors. During his visit I also accompanied him to the office of the Mayor of Hanover who greeted me warmly (to the Duke’s apparent surprise) and then saw off the Duke at the airport.

The final visit was for two days by the Earl of Wessex to Kiel to participate in the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival. Some time earlier I had been informed out of the blue by the Prime Minister of Schleswig-Holstein that Britain had been chosen for that particular year as partner country for their Music Festival. However, much to my relief, it emerged that they were past masters at arranging these Festivals. The usual sponsors had already been lined up and personalities such as Peter Ustinov and Evelyn Glennie, not to mention the Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, had agreed to take part. It also emerged that they had invited the Earl of Wessex who had accepted.

So all I had to do was hold a garden party followed by a grand dinner for VIPs at my Residence, attend the equivalent grand opening in Kiel, attend various events around the state of Schleswig-Holstein giving the occasional speech and – of course! - accompany the Earl during his visit! I must say that the Earl was a delight (he was on his own as his wife Sophie was expecting a child) and after a couple of enjoyable but very hot days I accompanied him to Hamburg where Sue and I saw him off on the tarmac where the temperature was hitting 40ºC. It was a great honour to have such close contact with the members of the Royal Family – all with different personalities but well informed and very sociable and hard working.

Doug retired to the Algarve 14 years ago after over 40 years in the Foreign Office.

Amovate President Matt D'Arcy Jnr with daughter Summer

Beatles, bottles and bombeiros

BY MATT D’ARCY

The Beatles famously sang "Money can’t buy me love" but it CAN buy vital equipment for the bombeiros.

And west coast community association AMOVATE enlisted the aid of The Bottles, the Algarve’s Beatles tribute band, to help raise just over €3,000 for the fire fighters of Aljezur.

It was anything but A Hard Day’s Night as more than 200 people - local residents and Day Trippers - twisted, shouted and danced through the evening, hosted by the Restaurante Fonte do Vale, which also donated €500 to the final total.

Another €300 was donated by the Aljezur Câmara and more cash was raised on the night as seven year-old Summer Serafim D’Arcy mingled with the audience, persuading them to drop any spare change into a collection bucket.

AMOVATE - the Associação Dos Moradores e Amigos do Vale Da Telha, or the Association of Residents and Friends of Vale da Telha) - have, in recent years, organised the donation of €50,000 worth of fire fighting and rescue equipment for the Aljezur Bombeiros.

And they decided they should ‘Help’” their local fire fighters once again following last summer’s catastrophic fires across Portugal.

They created a replica of the famous Liverpool Cavern stage to resurrect the atmosphere of the iconic club which was the heartbeat of Merseybeat, and provided a spectacular 60s night of music from that era, provided by The Bottles.

38 Community

The outside frontage of the restaurant featured an elevated replica of the famous arched brick-worked Beatles stage, which left the audience feeling Glad All Over - and ultimately will benefit the area’s fire fighters.

AMOVATE committee member Steve Scott declared: “We were all moved by the heroic and selfless actions of the firefighters who so bravely and fearlessly tackled last year’s huge outbreaks of fires across Portugal. “And we know from experience that our local bombeiros, many of them volunteers, are just as ready to risk their lives on our behalf.

“You can’t buy the kind of bravery and skill these men and women show in a time of crisis. But we felt we could help to provide them with some of the resources they need to do the amazing job they do in such times. Often they appear to be short of either new or replacement equipment, which can also mean basic items like gloves and not necessarily the more expensive items. Now, we will talk with fire chief Mario Costa to see what they need most from the €3,094 we raised on the evening”.

AMOVATE President Matt D’Arcy jnr, who is from Liverpool, declared: “It was a fabulous evening and showed a real community spirit to get behind our fire fighters this way.

“It put the fun into fundraising and everyone involved should be very proud that their hard work culminated in such a successful and enjoyable event.”

It all goes to show - you can’t beat the Mersey Beat!

Golden Retriever Digby strikes gold again

BY MATT D’ARCY

Meet Digby - a dog with a winning personality…and a winning pedigree.

The five-year-old Golden Retriever has, for the second time, been named Best Pedigree Dog and Best in Show at the prestigious Algarve Show. Owner Jan Cragg, from Vale da Telha, near Aljezur on the Algarve’s west coast, told us: “I am, of course, extremely proud of Digby winning the show again.

Digby with his 2018 Best In Show Trophy

“But first and foremost he's my pet, my baby and I love him so much. As we’re speaking, he is lying at my feet and is never far from me”.

Jan went on: “He is a typical Golden having a great temperament. He loves everyone, loves a fuss, and is such a good boy—until he goes into the water at the lake or the beach. He loves it so much we have a devil of a job getting him out!”

Digby - from the Goldens De Santo Quintino kennel near Lisbon owned by well-known breeder Cristina Frazão - has a full trophy cabinet of his own after starting out early in the parade ring. When he was just 11 months old he won the Best In Show trophy at the International Algarve Fair in Lagoa.

And he has also twice struck gold at the west coast’s Costa Vicentina

Digby's Trophy Cabinet

40 Community

Fun Dog show as the cups and the rosettes continue to mount up. But, much as he enjoys the razzamatazz of the parade ring, Digby first and foremost is a family pet.

In fact after Digby won the top prize at the Algarve Show three years ago Jan and husband Ken hadn’t entered him at the show again until this year. And, as soon as they did, he again took the Best Pedigree and Best In Show awards again.

For most of the time outside the show ring Digby is a companion and playmate to a succession of foster dogs from the Aljezur kennels run by AEZA dog and cat adoption.

Jan, who is heavily involved with the kennels and, with other volunteers goes dog walking three times a week, explained: “Ken and I have three dogs of our own. But at this moment in time we have five at home, which includes a couple of foster dogs from the kennels. We sometimes have more—over the last five years we have fostered over forty dogs, which have then moved onto forever homes.

“Digby is such a friendly dog he loves their company and he’s a great favourite with not only our own dogs, but the foster dogs, too. They all love to play with him”.

As we said at the outset, Digby really is a dog with a winning personality!

What's on in July Bringing colour to Lagos Next month on August 12th, Lagos will celebrate International Youth Day with a beach party that promises to bring fun and colour to the city. It’s an event that Tomorrow supports. Part of the money raised will be given to bombeiros. The next day will see a beach clean-up.

Organiser Diogo Jose Viegas Rodrigues told us more.

One of the main reason for organising this party is to bring the youth party back to Lagos.

The party will have lots of excitement, exercise, youth and solidarity. The main performance will be by Putzgrilla a group of national artist. They travel the country doing concerts, performing in national festivals. They recently released an album. They are at the crest of the wave for the age group of this event. Opening for the main artists are DJ Diamond with MC Groove and Dj RSouza.

Food and drink will also be available at the event which starts at 4pm and goes on until midnight.

The next day there will be a beach clean-up where the young people will work with the CM Lagos and the Banco Local de Voluntariado (Local Volunteer

42 What's on

Bank). The meeting point is at Bar Lina on August 13th at 6pm. A special kit will be offered, with some material to support this initiative. Anyone can participate, just email us or go to our website Price: €5 pre-sell / €7.5 on the day (both include 1 bag of ink) Free for 10 year-olds or younger.

Tickets can be bought on Ticketline  ticketline.sapo.pt/evento/lagos-sunsetcolor-party-festa-da-juventude-35926 Or call: Barbara Reis:  +351 913 382 879 Jorge Lopes:  +351 913 729 488 Kerys Davidge:  +351 913 051 245  info@agarra.org  www.agarra.org

Bigger and better than ever This year’s Lagos Food Festival is expected to bring in thousands of locals and tourists alike for an event that gets more popular year-by-year.

The festival, which is now in its fourth year, will take place from July 12th to July 15th inclusive. Dozens of trucks loaded with food from Portugal and beyond will converge on Lagos for the four-day event.

Visitors will be able to enjoy everything from a hamburger to a burrito or a typical Portuguese ‘prego’ steak sandwich. It’s street food at its best with ice-creams and cocktails on the side.

The festival will be focused mostly around Jardim da Constituição. The idea came from Maria de Carvalho, who decided to organise “something different in Lagos: an event that wasn’t geared exclusively for tourists and could be enjoyed by everyone”.

“Street food is becoming more popular all over the world. It seems like the perfect thing that everyone will enjoy,” she told us.

There will also be live performances. Do make sure you give it a go - no one ever seems disappointed!

 lagosfoodfest

The Orangery in Lagos Let the fun begin! This year the Orangery Bar and Grill in Lagos has bought not one but two brand new bouncy castles - doubling the family fun on offer at the restaurant and bar.

Each year the owners of the Orangery buy a new bouncy castle and donate the previous year’s inflatable to a good local cause. The Tomorrow magazine charity (TACT) was lucky enough to benefit.

TACT uses the bouncy castle at some of our fundraising events.

The Orangery’s new bouncy castles are free to use for customers and there’s a separate covered area for the under fives. This means parents have the chance to relax and dine while the children are entertained.

Underwater love

Market of cultures in candlelight Every year the Market of cultures in candlelight in the Convento de São José in Lagoa is a pure delight. This year the theme is Africa which should make it even more special and diverse.

It takes place between July 5th and 8th between 7pm and 1am in Lagoa.

Over four nights more than 60 craftsmen from various cultures and religions of the world will live in harmony and show thousands of visitors their traditions, flavors and arts.

The theme will see diverse aspects of African music, dance, gastronomy, handicrafts, sculpture and painting.

Traditional African root music will be featured from Madagascar, Sudan, Morocco and Senegal amongst other countries.

One of the highlights of this event will be the daily performance of a group of African percussionists and dancers (Senegal, Guinea Conakry, Côte d'Ivoire and Mali), who will interpret Afro-Mandingas rhythms that evoke festive celebrations, religious rituals, emancipation rituals and passage, rituals

of spiritist evocation, among others that are part of the daily life of this culture.

The Convent of Saint Joseph will be the scene of an extraordinary exhibition of statues and artefacts from different African countries, called "Mother Africa Women and Fertility in Black Africa" African cuisine will also play a key role in this event. The cloisters of the Convent of St. Joseph will become an African food restaurant, and the Municipal Market of Lagoa will receive a daily demonstration of African food with the Angolan cook Carla Costa.

Last but not least will be the daily ignition of thousands of candles, with which 40 symbols related to Africa will be drawn, positioned at the entrances and entrances of the market, constituting a spectacle of enormous visual beauty.

More than 40,000 people are expected over four nights that are expected to be magical, full of light and good vibes.

Please note that the entrance to the event is free.

 mercadoluzdasvelas

The coolest market in the Algarve takes over the former fish auction in Portimão between July 18th and 22nd.

The ‘Lota Cool Market’ sells new handicraft, design and gourmet products from Portugal. It also focuses on innovative projects by national artists revealing new trends and original products, More than 30 exhibitors take part from different parts of the country.

The theme of this fifth edition is Underwater love and many creative ideas and surprises are expected in these five days of market at dusk. It starts at 6pm and goes on until 1am.

 lotacoolmarket

44 What's on

Beer festival The Silves Beer Fest 2018 is taking place this month. The event will be between July 12th and 15th in Praça Al-mutamid, Silves.

There will be a selection of more than 50 ‘industrial’ and ‘artisan’ beers for people

to taste. There will also be concerts, showcookings, crafts, entertainment and lots of fun!

Entrance is free. For more details and timings please go to the Facebook page Silves Beer Festival.

July Calendar Promote your events and activities here - it’s FREE! Email your listings to us: for.tomorrow@hotmail.com

ACTIVITIES Kids Fun Club (412yrs) | Mon-Sat 10am6pm | €25 incl. lunch and afternoon tea / €15 half day, Golf Santo Antonio, Budens, T:282690086 Netball Wed 7pm | All ages & abilities, Behind Bombeiros Building | Lagos, E: charlie.milsom@gmail.com ROLL UP for experienced bowlers Mon & Fri 10am, Bowls for Beginners Tue 11am (1st lesson FREE), €10 (non mem.) | Floresta Bowls Club | Rua Direita | Praia da Luz, T: 919707635

Happy Dance Hour (Disco / Pop / RnB hits) | Fri 7pm Dancer & have fun, €10, Dancing in the Street Art 10am €15 LAC Lagos | Creative Dance on the Beach Sat 8pm Natural dance in interaction with nature €10, Batata Beach Alexandra T: 920290521 Tennis Doubles-Round Robin Thurs 3-5pm | €10, Golf Santo Antonio Budens, T: 282690008 Walking Football Wed 9.30-11am | +50yrs Welcome, €3 | Boavista Golf Resort, T: 282790930

EVENTS Jazz Lunch Sun 12.30pm, Fortaleza da Luz Restaurant, Luz, Reservations: 912511196 Live Sax Music Tues 7pm Boutique Hotel Vivenda Miranda Lagos, T: 282763222 Fado Nights 8pm or Michael Jackson’s Tribute 9pm Wed, Carvi Hotel Praia Dona Ana T: 282760993 July 7th Sunset Hike Ria de Alvor €10, Mexilhoeira Grande | July 14th Hike Azenha do Mar - Odeceixe & Kayak, €35 | July 21st Sunset Hike Rocha da Pena, €10, Penina Benafim | July 25th Hike Telheiro Beach Trail & Visit to St. Vincent Lighthouse €10 Sagres | July 28th Hike Amoreira Beach Trail & Beach Yoga €20 Aljezur | July 29th Hike Monte Clérigo - Arrifana €10, Monte Clérigo beach Aljezur, Quimera Experience Tel: 962647741/ 969467275

46 Calendar

July 17th, 24th & 31st BBQ with Live Music 6pm €22 (inc. salad, dessert buffet & 1 drink) Kids (4-12yrs) €12 | FREE face paintings & more, Golf Santo Antonio, Budens, Tel: 282690051

FITNESS Pilates Mon & Tue 10am & Fri 6.30pm | Yoga Dance Flow Wed 6.30pm | Power Yoga Thur 10am, €5.50 - €8.50, Lalitana Yoga & Pilates Center, Lagos T: 914061143

Yoga (Ashtanga based) Tues & Thurs 10.30am | Yoga for Men Tues 6.30pm Yin Yang Flow Tues 7.45pm Yin Yoga Wed 9.15am €5-€10, Grupo Desportivo do Burgau fit2lovelife T: 913202621

Zumba Gold with Marion, €5, Lagos, T: 914731772

Pilates Mat Classes Mon Wed & Fri 9.15 & 10.30am & Mon 6pm (1hr) | €10 or €90 for 10 Pilates Equipment Classes | Duet Reformer | Semi Private & 1-2-1, Pilates Room Lagos, T: 926514613

Pilates Mat Classes (All Levels) Mon - Fri 8:30, 9:30 & 10:30am & 6pm, €10 or €90 x10, AR Pilates Studio, Lagos, T: 966787280 Fitness Tue & Thurs 9.30am, Pilates Tues & Thurs 11am, €5 Golf Santo Antonio Budens, T: 282690086 Legs Bums & Tums Mon 1.30pm | Total Fitness Mon 7.30pm | HIIT Yoga Fri 9.30am, (€7) Burgau Sports Centre | Boxercise Tues 7pm Lagos nr. Skatepark | Buggy Fit Thurs 9.45 - 11am Wacky Lagos, €6 Soames Fitness (1-2-1 & Group training available), T: 913425893 Pilates Mat Class Tue & Thur 6-7pm Clube da Raposeira, & Thur 10-11am Centro Cultural Barão S. João, €5 T: 911754890

Hatha Yoga Mon Wed & Fri 9.45-11.15am | Yin Yoga Tues & Thurs 9.45am | Teen Yoga (11-16yrs) 9.30am Booking required, €10 Boavista Golf Resort T: 282790930 Yoga | Tue 10am, €9 / €7 for regulars, Monte Rosa | Barão de São João T: 962492607 Gentle Hatha Mon 6.30pm Old School, Burgau & Wed 12.15pm, Hotel Belavista Luz €8 T: 965201477 Pilates Wed 11am, Yoga & De-stress Fri 11am, Zumba Dance Wed & Fri 10am, Step! & Tone (booking)

Thurs 10am, €7.50 Hotel Belavista Luz T: 968288258

Tai Ji Quan Mon 10am (beg) & Thurs 5.30pm (adv), €10 | Dojo Zen de Lagos | Barão S. João, T: 919718955 Gymnastik for a fit back Mon 6.15am, €8, Belavista Luz, T: 965211996 Healing Meditation with Sacred Geometry Mon 8 9.20pm Suggested donation €10 | Barre infused Yoga Tue 12.30pm | Hatha Yoga Wed 6pm | Yoga Flow Thur 6pm | Vinyasa Flow Sun 9.30am,€5.80 - 10, InLight Lagos, T: 913127421 Qi Gong (+50) Wed 10.30am €10 (x3 cl.) , Qi Gong (+17) Mon 6.30 €10 (x2 cl.), Casa Sakra Lagos, T: 916060814 Tai Chi Wed 8.30am Qi Gong Fri 8.30am

(donation), Inlight Lagos, T: 913127421 Tai Chi Wed 2pm Qi Gong Fri 2pm

€7 Madrugada Charity, Luz T: 925664235 Tai Chi Sat 10am

(donation), Jardim da Constituição Lagos, T: 939734394

CLASSES

July 25th - Cello Night Cello ensemble w. Prof. Paulo Gaio Lima (Orquestra Metropolitano de Lisboa) playing chamber music as part of the Lagos Music Academy's 11th String Festival | 9pm | €19.50 (inc. refreshment buffet with wine, cheese & homemade products), Quinta das Alagoas nr. Almadena. Res. only Tel: 924204343

Open Painting Atelier Thurs 10.30am - 1pm, €12.50 (+ materials),Colour Your Life - Healing painting classes Wed & Thurs 3pm| +/- 70yrs, no experience necessary, €10 | Barão S. João, T: 962039574

July 7th, 14th & 20th BBQ with The Shakespearos & 28th BBQ with The Roger Hughes Ensemble | 7.30pm (8.30pm Music) | €6 (kids) €9 (Adults), Pigs Head Burgau, Tel: 934293821

Dog Training Tue 11am (Rally-Obedience) | Fri 11am & Sat 4pm (Agility), €25 4 sess. | Espiche, T: 968086320

Walking Tour Portuguese Language Lessons | Once a month Mon, Wed, Fri mornings €15p/h (Private) or €50p/m (Group), Silves, T: 937207384 Drumming Classes Thurs 11am-1pm, AmoVate, Vale da Telha Aljezur, T: 960305141

Oriental Dance Class (beginners) Mon 7pm €6/class €20/m, LAC Lagos, T: 914851331 Swimming Lessons Mon & Thurs pm & Sat am, €12.50 (non-mem.) | €10 (mem.), Holiday Courses | 3x per Week | €25 (non-mem.) €20 (mem.), Boavista 917953914

Computer Classes Sat 10am All levels | Lagos, T: 918764613

Classical Guitar Classes (English Speaking ABRSM Certified) 1-2-1 for children, adults & seniors €20p/h (References available), Lagos, Paulo T: 962690582

The Sketch Sessions Creative drawing workshop (+18) Thurs, 6-8pm €10 (incl. materials & a drink), Lagos T: 914148373

Life Drawing Mon 11am - 1pm Beginners & Professionals, €10 p.sess Marina de Lagos, T: 916035308

Watercolour Lessons | Thur 10am - 12.30pm | (Beginners welcome) €10, Church Hall Praia Da Luz , T: 912149839

Afro Fusion Dance Classes Wed 6pm & Fri. 10.30am, €10, Amovate Aljezur T: 918047263

Useful Numbers GENERAL FAITH Sunday Service 10.30am International Christian Community, Madness Restaurant Lagos Marina, T: 910640927 Meditation Thurs 5.15pm, Boavista Golf Resort | Luz, T: 282790930 / 963614499 Communion Services Said Holy Communion Thurs 10am & Sun 8am, Sung Holy Communion (with hymns) 11.30am, CoE | St Vincent’s Anglican Church | Praia da Luz (church by the sea), Chaplain: T: 282789660 Zazen Zen Meditation Tue & Thurs 7.30am & Wed 7.30pm, €3 | Dojo Zen de Lagos | Barão S. João, T: 919718955

INFO: WWW.CM-LAGOS.PT EMERGENCY 112 HOSPITAL 282 770 100 RED CROSS 282 760 611 FIRE SERVICE 282 770 790 POLICE SERVICE (PSP) 282 780 240 NATIONAL GUARD (GNR) 282 770 010 TELECOM NAT. INFO 118 CITY COUNCIL 282 780 900 TOURIST OFFICE 282 763 031 TOWN INFO 282 764 111 TOURIST SUPPORT 808 781 212 TAXI SERVICE 282 460 610 BUS STATION 282 762 944 TRAIN STATION 282 762 987 TAXI : PEDRO COSTA 917 617 675 LAGOS CINEMA 282 799 138 CULTURAL CENTRE 282 770 450 HEALTH CENTRE 282 780 000 LUZ DOC (LUZ) 282 780 700 PRIVATE HOSPITAL 282 790 700 CHIROPRACTOR 282 768 044 DENTAL CLINIC 918 366 646 LAGOS VET 282 782 282 FUNERAL SERVICES 282 769 827 MOBILITY VEHICLES 964 230 225 ALL MOBILITY AIDS 282 760 611

PHARMACIES/CHEMIST

CHARITY & SUPPORT

July 18th Alzheimer's/ Dementia Support Group 11am, Cafe Bom Dia, Rua Moinho do Azeite | Lagos, Carol T: 926297527 or Kirsteen T: 968084946 Riding for Disabled | Mon, Wed, Fri 10am | Volunteers welcome, weather permitting, Bensafrim, T: 915090044 Cadela Carlota Animal Charity Extra hands needed to help | Three hour shifts am or pm, Almadena Shop, E: cadelacarlota.comp@ gmail.com AA International English Speaking Meeting Wed 7.30 - 9pm, Rua Da Freguesia Lote 12c, Lagos, T: 964201904 / 282760506, AA hotline: 917005590

LACOBRENSE NEVES CHEMIST RIBEIRO LOPES TELLO CHEMIST SILVA CHEMIST ODIAXERE CHEMIST

282 762 901 282 769 966 282 762 830 282 760 556 282 762 859 282 798 491

CONSULATES/EMBASSIES BRITISH FRANCE (FARO) GERMAN (LAGOS) NETHERLANDS (FARO) CANADA (FARO) SWEDISH (FARO) IRISH

282 490 750 281 380 660 282 799 668 213 914 900 289 803 757 213 942 260 213 308 200

NO JOB TOO SMALL PORTUGUESE LESSON 912 417 994 TRANSLATIONS 916 618 527 ALICE (PORTUGUESE) 914 269 118 GAVIN COX (BUILDER) 916 430 132 HELIO (ELECTRICIAN) 917 288 966 LUIS (LOCKSMITH) 964 605 213 CHIM. & WIN. CLEANER 926 860 123 RUSSELL (MECHANIC) 282 639 778 ANA (SEWING) 919 747 591 STEVEN (COMPUTERS) 936 387 512 PEDRO (COMPUTERS) 917 165 238 XELI (FLORIST) 282 768 129 UK DELIVERIES 0044 208 123 1966 DESIGN 916 606 226 ALISON HAIRDRESSER 918 663 352 PAINTING - INT / EXT 925 374 624 CARPET CLEANING 915 532 850 PAUL (POOL REPAIR) 965 641 898

‘Interpreting Life’

BY STEPHANIE GINGER

Shiver me timbers It’s already time for Pirate Week 2018.

This year it will be in two parts. The first between July 20th to 24th which will be The Alchemist of Senhora da Rocha, Porches, Lagoa and the second part, The Assault in Alvor, Portimão between August 24th to 28th.

Pirate Week is a time when history and fantasy can come together in a fiveday double festival that recreates the imaginary fun and adventure of the pirate imaginary for the whole family.

During Pirate Week 2018 you will discover an exciting double-dose narrative and a new landscape and delight in the true and delicious flavors of the good old days and the real treasures of master craftsmen and jewelers. The whole family can dress up and join this great adventure full of excitement, joy and discoveries.

Admission is free.

A special exhibition of works by students of Algarve-based german sculptor and artist Sören Ernst, opened last month in the historical Centro de Interpretação market building in Vila do Bispo. It ends on Friday July 20th.

This is the first exhibition of works by Sören Ernst’ students, many of whom had never attempted sculpture or mosaic before taking his courses, which run during the cooler months at his garden studio behind Alma Verde.

Although the classes are relaxed and filled with conversation and laughter, with the almost hypnotic plink plink of chisel on stone in the background, the students are serious about what they do.

And they’re frequently surprised what inspiration lies within the stone and tiles; sometimes even themselves.

Discovery is at the heart of it, Sören explains. “Sculpture or mosaic takes people out of their daily routine, shuts up their internal dialogue and gives them a chance to be ‘in the moment’.

Sometimes,” he observes, “it’s amazing what happens. Almost as if moulding the stone or creating a mosaic is helping them to re-create themselves.”

The exhibition includes work by: Gill Blades, Florentina Breetvan Veen, Stephanie van Driel, Joaquim Correia Leal, Kate Evans, Louise Flohil, Franciscus Hermans, Hazel Mainwaring, Mary Porter, Carolina Smit, Angelique Somer Verhoeve, Andrea Woudenberg and the late Conny van Noord to whom the exhibition is dedicated.

The exhibition is on until July 20th Monday to Friday – 9am - 3.30pm FREE ENTRY Centro de Interpretação  Paços do Concelho 8650 - 407 Vila do Bispo  +351 282 630 600  geral@cm-viladobispo.pt For information about mosaic and sculpture courses: Sören Ernst  +351 919065183

 events/188064715170906/

Life cycles in art The Algarve Artists Network is holding an exhibition until the end of July at the Municipal Gallery in Guarda.

The exhibition is called Transformations in Nature - From Memory to the Vanguard. It features the work of a series of artists and focuses on the constant transformation of nature.

 www.algarveartistsnetwork.com

48 What's on

Lagos Summer dance intensive course The international dance competition Algarve Dance Open is not only planning its next big competition in the autumn from October 20-21st in the Congress Centre of the Arade, but following on from the successful Easter Intensive in the Gil Eanes School of Lagos, the organizers are planning another week long course from July 30th to August 3rd.

There will be internationally recognized teachers and award -winning choreographers of ballet, contemporary and other forms of dance. The classes will run from 9.30am till 3.30pm, leaving plenty of time for the beach too.

Classes will be split into age /experience categories where necessary.

The course is not limited just to residents, so if you have some young dancer coming to visit you this summer who may like to join in for the week, or even just a day or two, please contact us and tell them to pack their dancewear as well as their sun cream.

The last course was taught in English, Spanish and Portuguese, uniting the nationalities, ages and experience together. We like to think that dance has its own language that these youngsters understand and share.

 www.algarvedanceopen.com  +351 969216398 / 913832335

Lagos

.

Portugal

Open at 4pm everyday until 2am

ENJOY A LAZY AFTERNOON WITH LAID BACK TUNES, SHOOT SOME POOL, CHUCK A DART OR THREE WHILE COOLING DOWN WITH A WORLD CLASS COCKTAIL. AS THE LIGHTS GO DOWN, THE MONKEYS GET READY TO ROCK!

All brought to you by the friendliest crew in Lagos!

• Prices from 25 Euros per person/per hour • Departing daily from Marine de Lagos from March to November.

• Maximum eight passengers • All drinks and nibbles included • Snorkelling kits provided • WiFi on board • Bluetooth music system

Rua Lançarote de Freitas 26 Lagos 8600 605 Nauti girl Lagos

www.3monkeys.me.uk threemonkeyslagos

Heartmade in Lagos The Heartmade Market makes a return to Lagos this month. The event will take place throughout July at the Armazém Regimental.

This event promises the best of local creativity in the historic centre of Lagos.

Sara Whittle, promoter and creator of the Heartmade Market said that she wanted to showcase the work of national artists and creators, mostly residents of the Algarve. There will be a wide range of bespoke products on offer including ceramics, jewelry design, sculpture, photography and much, much more.

After taking part in several markets in

Lisbon and London Sara wanted to create her own event. Sara hopes the market will become an annual event. “I would especially like to be able to hold the event in other places in the Algarve, in order to be able to promote more creators so that they also have the possibility to participate. " The first Heartmade Market took place in Lagos in 2016, at the Artistic Club Lacobrigense. This year’s event will be at the Aramazém Regimental in Lagos from 10am to 2am and then 5pm to 10pm.

Feeling fishy The 24th Sardine Festival takes place in Portimão at the beginning of August. For five nights there will be delicious food and fantastic music for the Sardine Festival which takes place in the Zona Ribeirinha.

The festival starts on August 1st until August 5th inclusive.

Find out more on Facebook.

 events/171526436805036  www.cm-portimao.pt

Summer camp Sailing Algarve Tour The 26th Volta to Algarve Sailing Tour will pass through Vila Real de Santo António, Ilha da Culatra, Albufeira and Lagos this month. Organisers said they were delighted to announce this year’s event was in partnership with Land Rover.

The event is organised by the Clube Clube Naval de Faro in partnership with the Portuguese Sailing Federation, Regional Sailing Association of the South, Guadiana Naval Association, Marina Yacht Club of

50 What's on

Albufeira and Clube Vela de Lagos. Other organisations are also supporting the event. It is taking place on July 5th and starts in Faro. The Albufeira to Lagos leg is on July 7th.

Nicola’s Movement Dance Academy is offering a three day a week summer camp for girls and boys from 4 to 14-years-old with various activities planned from arts and crafts, games, music, and stage skills including diverse dance styles.

There is a full social programme that goes along with the regatta which ends with drinks and dinner at Lagos Marina on the last night.

The dates are from August 7th to 30th August on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 9.30am to 4pm. The camp base will be the Club CRCD Luzense on the Rua Direita in Praia de Luz, but there may be excursions on foot around the village as part of the activities. The cost is 45€. To book a place or make enquiries please contact on the number below.

 navaldefaro.gcnf

 +351 913 832 335

Top 10 Algarve fun with children The Algarve has a great reputation as an excellent family destination and there’s a very good reason why. Here’s a roundup by Fiona Butler from  www.myguidealgarve.com

Zoomarine Even if you aren't travelling with children, Zoomarine is well worth a visit. The Algarve's biggest attraction has shows, rides, slides and pools galore.

There’s also a focus on environmental education and with a well-reputed rehabilitation centre for marine life, at

Zoomarine you can enjoy dolphin and sea lion presentations, see birds of prey in action, learn about marine ecosystems as well as having a very good time. At the Dolphin Emotions centre you can spend time in the pool learning how to communicate and interact with the dolphins.

Mini golf Home to some of the best golf courses in the world, the Algarve is also home to great mini golf courses. At the Family Golf Park, where the theme of Ancient Rome prevails (there are Roman ruins in Vilamoura) you can enjoy real mini golf at it's best.

Beautifully landscaped, with obstacles, water features and even the occasional bird house, this is great family fun. If dinosaurs are on the thrill list then you should visit Adventure Golf Alvor - 18 holes of adventure golf with a Jurassic Park theme. And at Quinta do Lago Mini Golf you can play miniature replicas of iconic golf holes from around the world.

52 What's on

Family friendly restaurants It's not difficult to find child friendly restaurants in the Algarve. Some places do take things to another level though.

Keep an eye out for the restaurants which have whole areas dedicated to younger visitors enjoyment.

Some even have supervised areas with slides and swings, games and toys, face painting and even cinema sessions.

Boat Trips While they might not want to stay still for too long, most children really enjoy boat trips. The adventure of boarding, hoisting the anchors and riding the waves while trying to spot pirates on the horizon usually goes down very well.

Add in a trip through the caves and secret grottoes of the coastline aboard a small boat and a BBQ lunch on a private beach and you should have a very happy tribe at the end of the day.

Children’s life sciences centres KIds love to get involved and that’s exactly what they can do at the Centros de Ciências Vivas in Faro and Lagos.

There are plenty of interactive exhibitions and experiments to awaken curiosity.

The centres are inspired by Portugal's rich seafaring past and give a nod to renewable energy.

Beach day

Foot golf

Quite simply, a beach day in the Algarve cannot be beaten! With so many fabulous beaches to choose from the hardest part of the day is deciding where to go.

And now for something completely different... play the Desert Pines Algarve foot golf course near Vale do Lobo. Foot Golf is exactly what the name says - play the golf-like course holes, using your feet as clubs, kicking the ball from the tee to the green and into the cups.

Head for scenic, cove beaches like Praia da Marinha for photo opps, search the beach at Salema for dinosaur footprints (honestly) or chill at a chic beach club.

Great fun no matter what your skill level is, perfect for family fun or a bit of competition between friends.

Very good value for a few hours fun. A family ticket (two adults and six children) costs €8.

Get Active Country picnics Turn your back on the ocean for a few hours and discover the beauties of inland and rural Algarve. In the west, head uphill to Monchique.. Here you can enjoy some great country walks and find some lovely scenic picnic spots.

Across the Algarve there are so many activities available, particularly during the summer months. Check out the local tennis clubs. At the marinas ask about surf schools and sailing schools. Do a bit of horse-riding - there are centres all across the region offering lessons and guided treks through the countryside or on the beach.

At the Fontes de Estombar (natural springs) you can follow trails along the River Arade, do a spot of bird-watching and fire up the barbeque for lunch while the children enjoy the playground. To the east, the Pego do Inferno, near Tavira is spectacularly beautiful - a waterfall, rock pools, rich vegetation and picnic areas galore.

There is an Adventure Park in Albufeira where adults and kids get to go around a high ropes course. At Praia da Rocha beach, near the marina, each summer there is a full programme of beach activities - volleyball, hydrogymnastics, yoga, surf try-outs and even scuba try dives. Best of all, many of these activities are totally free of charge!

Karting and bowling If your kids feel the need, the need for speed, then karting is an option. There are several locations for karting in the Algarve. In Albufeira, there is a fabulous indoor track, Hot Wheels Raceway in the marina underground parking.

There is a pretty impressive outdoor track at Almancil, and another great karting track near Portimão, adjacent to the International Race Track, home to world championships and superbike competitions. And as a bonus, next door to the karting is Hot Shot ten pin bowling another kid favourite!

For lots more tips about where to go and what to do in the Algarve please go to:  www.myguidealgarve.com

54 What's on

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Marco 28, is Italian and Maud 34 is French, they both met whilst working Lagos a few years ago. Both from graphic design backgrounds this creative form of entertainment inspired them to create an abandoned orphanage themed escape room. “We offer two types of entertainment at the new Xscape-It experience here in Lagos, one is a more classic theme whereas the other is the mystery/horror themed and most certainly not for the faint hearted! The classic is still a thrilling experience but the horror is a step up as it also includes live actors!”

Xscape-It

BY REBECCA SIMPSON It’s safe to say that Marco Romano and Maud Rodin are Escape Room groupies. After visiting many different ‘Escape Rooms’, particularly across Eastern Europe, Marco and Maud decided to fill a gap in the market in Lagos and establish their own panic room experience.

“We wanted to create something different in the entertainment industry around Lagos, which allows small and large groups of people to interact and have fun” Marco explained. For the uninitiated, escape rooms are often described as a live action adventure. They normally comprise of a game whereby players solve a series of puzzles and riddles using clues, hints and strategy to complete the objectives in hand and ultimately establish an escape route out of a room or building.

They are built round a huge number of ideas - here in Lagos it’s an old orphanage but other themes include; horror, spy, military, medieval quest, Zombie Apocalypse and even Sherlock Holmes.

Groups of between two and five people can enjoy the Xscape-It experience in Lagos and larger groups are also catered for with prior notice. Upon entering Xscape-It guests are shown a video explaining what the escape room may entail and forewarned about the potential hiding surprises! Each guest is given an infrared torch along with a walkie-talkie before being escorted to the dreaded first room. Guests are then given 60 minutes to complete all the tasks and figure out the escape route. Sixty minutes may seem like a long time but this thrilling activity is jam packed full of hidden obstacles.

The experience can be provided in English, Portuguese, Italian and French and is open to anyone over the age of 18. Under 18s are advised to be accompanied by an adult.

After interviewing both Maud and Mark I was lucky enough to have a guided tour around Xscape-It. Without giving too much away this horror themed, adrenalin kicking experience is a great and different form of entertainment for all ages but not for anyone with a nervous disposition! There is no special knowledge required to take part in the Xscape-It experience. It is open from 10.30am until 10.45pm therefore providing adrenalin bursting entertainment at all times of day. It is highly recommended that groups book the game in advance.

Xscape-It can also provide private parties and catering packages for special events. The latest surprises and horrors can be found on the Facebook page and further information and bookings can be seen on their website.

 www.xscape-it.com  Xscape-It

Lions Lagos Lions Clube de Lagos is a mixed group of people from different countries and different walks of life. We primarily live in this vibrant small town and try to support its community in whatever way is appropriate.

The Lions Clube de Lagos is the only English-speaking Lions Club in the Algarve and is part of the largest completely voluntary service organisation in the world - Lions Clubs International. Each Club is independent as to how it is run. Local decisions are taken with regard to how funds are raised and distributed. Alongside the important welfare and fund-raising functions of the club, a varied programme of social events are also organised.

56 What's on

"We serve" is our motto.

We meet monthly at the local vineyard Herdade dos Seromenhos owned by one of our members and always enjoy a very sociable meal following the formal proceedings.

If you would like more information of the activities of our club please telephone Anne.

Anne  +351 911 785 857

Petrol heads July sees a number of events taking place of interest to car and motorbike enthusiasts.

Silves Medieval Fair The annual Silves Medieval Festival takes place in August and it is a real must if you are in the Algarve at this time of year. It is popular with tourists and locals alike.

Firstly from July 6th to 8th at the Autódromo do Algarve near Portimão is 24-Hour Series racing. This features some of Europe's top GT cars from the likes of Ferrari, Mercedes, Porsche, Lamborghini and Audi. Three short races of three hours over Friday and Saturday are followed by a 24 hour long race from 3pm Saturday to 3pm Sunday. Tickets from €5.

The AIA is also holding a Motorbike track day and racing course on July 15th and car track driving experiences on July 28th For more information on all these events and to book go to the website.

 www.aia.pt

During a nine-day period, Silves (capital of the Algarve during the Arab occupation) will return to its golden age. In a historical recreation of the Christian Reconquest era, the city will be invaded by characters from the distant past, including jugglers,

acrobats, dancers and snake charmers, who will exhibit their skills.

Don't miss this opportunity to see a live-action history lesson, including processions of noblemen, jousting tournaments and artisans and merchants offering their wares. There will be food, drink and much merriment. The event starts this year on August 10th to August 19th.

Out of hours market For the third year the Silves Out-of-Hours Market is taking place this month and next.

The Fora d'Horas Market is a gastronomic event about local culture, which takes place in the Silves Municipal Market, and seeks to raise awareness of local products. There will be products to

buy, presentations by producers, an exhibition, handicraft stalls, games about local production, food, music and street animation. The event will have free admission for the events on July 11th and August 8th. They open at 7pm and close at midnight.

 www.cm-silves.pt

Studio celebrations Over the same weekend as the 24 hour series, the annual Algarve Classic Car event takes place based around Vilamoura. This attracts classic cars from all over Portugal and beyond. There are both social and light competition elements to this event. The competition is not about ultimate speed but keeping to an exact average speed over a predetermined route. There will be a number of points where the cars can be seen by visitors including Algarve Shopping at Guia and Vila Vita Parc hotel.

 www.algarveclassiccars.com

58 What's on

This year marks the 20th anniversary of Studio Bongard in Ferragudo.

On July 14th the studio is inviting everyone to an open evening where there will be the chance to see exciting new work. During the evening there will be live piano by Svetlana Martins and food by Restaurante Bon Bon. The way the studio has evolved over the years means that it has become a must visit place in the Algarve especially for those that enjoy ceramic sculptures. The subjects are influenced highly by the sea,

earth and people of the Algarve. Earthy colours mixed with vibrant red, green, orange and yellow cover sculptures large and small. The pieces range from decorative to practical.

The studio started with Sylvain Bongard, working in artistic tile painting and moved into sculpture 10 years ago. It is now run

by Tara and Sylvain Bongard who work individually and together on larger pieces.

Open 7 days a week from 10am until 7pm.

 www.studiobongard.com

Archaeologists get out and about

BY JANE ROBERTSON

A trip to the Alentejo by the Algarve Archaeological Association by Jane Robertson Members of the AAA (the Algarve Archaeological Association) have recently enjoyed a four day trip travelling up to the lovely town of Castelo de Vide in the Portalegre district of the Alentejo.

The area is famous for the purity of its water and the geology of the region is particularly stunning with huge granite outcrops dominating the landscape. We started our trip by making a tour of the town visiting the castle and the interesting old Jewish quarter with its narrow, hilly streets of old houses and the synagogue.

The next day we visited the nearby Roman town of Ammaia where it is possible to see the extent of this once important and impressive town, much of which is yet to be excavated, through the use of geophysical surveys and the construction of a model. We visited the on-site museum which included an excellent video about the town and its development. The finds on display reflect the daily lives of the ancient inhabitants and include ceramics, jewellery and items relating to industry, agriculture and religion.

town. In the afternoon we spent time in the lovely medieval town of Marvão which is perched on top of a high granite outcrop of the São Marmede Mountain.

On the following day, we drove across the nearby border to Spain, to Valencia de Alcantara, where we visited examples of the fantastic megalithic monuments in the area. These large granite dolmens date from the Chalcolithic period (4000-3000 years BC) and would have held an important place in the landscape of the people during that time. We took lunch in a beautiful converted monastery in the village of São Pedro and in the afternoon were taken on a guided tour of Valencia de Alcantara.

On our final day we visited Viana do Alentejo to tour the castle and the church situated within its grounds.

Everyone agreed that this had been an excellent excursion to an area of great interest, beautiful countryside and tranquility. Another AAA tour is planned for October.

 arquealgarve.weebly.com  algarvearchass@gmail.com  Algarve Archaeological Association

We then walked through the site and saw the remains of the forum, baths and southern gateway of the ancient

Marvellous Moveison

BY TOM HENSHAW

Melanie and Chris Winstanley, who own the business Moveison, which supplies outdoor living products, raised an amazing €4,000 for the Mustard Seed Soup Kitchen in Lagos.

The event was held in May at their lovely showrooms which are just east of Lagos. Their staff made a great contribution to the afternoon with their support for this event which was Chris and Melanie’s second fundraiser.

Daniel and Elisabete Saunite from the Mustard Seed were there to receive the monies and they said it could not have arrived at a more opportune time as their support funds are pretty low. The Mustard Seed is now feeding more than 300 people every week with limited

60 Out and about

resources. They said they could not manage without these types of fundraising events.

You can read an interview with Elisabete on page 16 where she outlines the different challenges faced by vulnerable people at this time of year.

Well done to Chris and Melanie and to everyone else that helped make this event such a success. Fantastic!

A Hawaiian evening to remember

BY STEVEN SUTTON

Photo © www.arnoldivideo.com

Every few years, life throws you a curve ball. This year was such a time. With only four days until the 2018 Tomorrow Summer Ball at the Duna Beach Club we decided we needed to change location because of the weather. We went to the newly refurbished sister Tivoli Hotel in Lagos. The Tomorrow and Tivoli teams pulled out all the stops for a smooth transition.

By the time the event started with welcome drinks it was as if nothing had happened! The evening went off without a hitch. The guests were greeted with a ‘Traditional Hawaiian Lay’ as they sipped their first cocktail of the evening.

Everyone mingled and chatted outside before going into the hotel where the evening carried on until after midnight.

As you can see from the pictures it was a blaze of colour and everyone made such

62 Out and about

an amazing effort. We raised €1800 too for our charities.

Thanks to the Tivoli for all their help from beginning to end - they were all wonderful and to ‘ABC Sound and light’ who got everyone dancing the entire evening. Thank you to everyone who donated prizes for the raffle which are listed below. Every year we get such great prizes and this is always very well appreciated.

Boavista Golf & Spa Resort, Espiche Golf, Days of Adventure, Tivoli Hotel, Cocorent, Portofino’s Italian Restaurant, Quay Lagos, Lalitana Vegetarian Restaurant, Linen-etc.com, Elite Golf Academies, Bennetts Bedrooms, Cascades Wellness & Lifestyle Resort, Borsalino Italian Restaurant, Esporão Adega, Tasca do Kiko Restaurant, Hugo Beatty Restaurant, Julia and John.

Happy 50th wedding anniversary Julia & John Pinner

64 Out and about

... and relax

BY ANN DE JONGH

Why is it that the one thing that should be the easiest thing to do is often the hardest?

How often do you sit down, reading or watching TV to realise that your shoulders are tense. When I am teaching Yoga, I am constantly reminding people to relax their shoulders. For some people trying to relax and switch off is very hard.

With our busy lives these days, so much governed by phones and the internet we do not take the time to switch off and relax completely. Being in constant communication is not a good thing.

with a more positive mindset and feeling more able to cope. Take the time to find 15 minutes of uninterrupted, technology free “you time” every day, schedule it into your diary to make it happen.

Have screen free time every day, and ensure you are not using any screens, including phones, for 2 hours before you go to sleep (using a phone / tablet before sleeping can detrimentally affect our sleep).

At weekends try to have screen free day (or at least a half day).

Relaxing is a key area to keeping our bodies and minds healthy, it is often overlooked as we focus more on our diet and movement but it can be just as important.

So make sure you make the time for you.

We all need to give ourselves permission to take the time to sit down, relax and switch off.

 +351 913202621  www.fit2lovelife.com  ann@fit2lovelife.com

By learning to relax it adds benefits to our lives. Improved sleep, less stress, more balanced outlook, better concentration, helps with weight loss, and leaves you

 fit2lovelife  anndejongh

Why low back pain sufferers prefer chiropractic care

BY DR WEN OATES DC MCHIRO

Throbbing…dull and achy…sharp and excruciating. You may hear all of these expressions when people describe their lower back pain.

Depending on what sort of pain it is, you may actually feel better after a few days if you use an ice pack and rest a bit. However, if you’re still dealing with the pain after a week or so, it may be time to look for another solution.

One of the best and most popular options is chiropractic care.

Why? Because chiropractors know all about the bones, muscles, discs and nerves in the back and are therefore easily able to determine the reason for the pain.

Once we know what’s causing the problem, we create a personalised treatment plan of spinal

66 Health

manipulation, massage and exercises that will help heal the area and reduce the pain.

want to deal with it again, but it can flare up periodically, causing frustration, especially when it affects mobility.

It’s a drug-free solution.

Because of its healing, restorative approach, chiropractic treatment attends to the source of the pain, instead of simply dulling it with painkilling drugs. Three to six treatments are typically needed to treat low back pain, but each individual person’s requirements may vary.

One of the main reasons people choose chiropractic treatment is that it helps reduce the chance of a recurrence. By working on the total body and getting it in the best shape possible, the patient is stronger and therefore better able to handle their everyday workload and other strenuous activities.

Over the course of these treatments, spinal alignment begins to balance the other parts of your back and helps correct the issue causing the pain. Furthermore, spinal manipulation helps improve mobility and function, whereas drugs do not.

If over-the-counter medication and ice packs haven’t worked within a few days, it may be time to make an appointment at Lagos Health Chiropractic. Our clinic is in the big, pink building, just across the road from the Lidl Supermarket in Lagos.

Chiropractic care helps minimize relapses.

 +351 282 768 044 www.lagos-health.com/en

Patients who experience lower back pain never

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Herb of the month: Motherwort

BY POPPY BURR

I’ve used Motherwort (Leonurus cardiaca) more than any other herb in my dispensary this month, and have come to rely on it as a trusty little ally for many an occasion.

As the name suggests, Motherwort is a calming tonic that soothes the nerves of new mothers, eases the tension of PMS and the pain of menstruation. In traditional herbal medicine it is most used as a nourishing reproductive tonic for women who wish to conceive, regulate their cycles or become more ‘in tune’ with their hormones.

It’s calming effect on the nervous system means it is also used in many other situations where anxiety, tension or psychological stress plays a part.

Its Latin name Leonurus cardiaca translates as the Lion-Hearted One, and its specific soothing action on the heart explains its effectiveness in slowing the fast pulse of hyperthyroidism, or regulating an irregular heart rhythm. I use Motherwort a lot for lowering high blood pressure when specifically related to stress or

emotional trauma, and especially when associated with arrhythmia. It is an extremely safe herb that can be used in combination with other cardiac medications, and I’ve had great success with it every time.

Another interesting use of Motherwort that I have recently started experimenting with is in the management of ‘white coat hypertension’ - an acute syndrome where elevated stress levels cause a temporary spike in blood pressure.

Traditionally, the herb is a bitter digestive tonic, both stimulating and relaxing to the digestive organs. A member of the mint family, it can be grown in your garden or in pots very easily, and made into a simple infusion when needed using the leaves and flowers.

Poppy is a degree-qualified medical herbalist practicing from two clinic spaces in Aljezur and Praia da Luz. She offers holistic consultations and personalised treatment plans using plant-based medicine.

 poppytheherbalist.com  +351 969 091 683

The tale of the troublesome toenail

BY STEVEN SUTTON

If you are like me, and spend lots of time on your feet.

When something goes wrong with them, it can make life less than enjoyable.

An ingrowing toe nail is something not to be taken lightly.

Like most people, I thought I could sort this out myself.

As it turns out. I couldn’t. And, like most people, I put off the visit to see the Lagos Foot Clinic until I really couldn’t take the pain anymore.

Within minutes of being there, I felt 100 times better.

However. I was told I needed to have a procedure to remove part the offending nail to make sure it didn’t grow back and cause the issue to reoccur. Again, If you are like me, the thought of such a procedure filled me with dread and anxiety.

Appointment made! I spent the week thinking the worst and getting myself worked up. As it happens, over nothing!

68 Health

Owain, put me at ease and explained exactly what was going to happen. He did advise that I should read a magazine while he performed his thing to take my mind off things. I think It was my morbid curiosity that made me want to watch the entire thing. It was fascinating. There was absolutely no pain whatsoever. The complete procedure lasted no more that 30 minutes.

Then the next day I was in the surgery having the dressing changed. Two weeks after this, I had my follow up appointment.

To be honest, I don’t know why I left it so long. So, if you have any kind of discomfort from your little toe to anywhere on your foot. Make the Lagos Foot Clinic your next point of call.

 www.algarvefeet.com

Pets Mate

BY LARS RAHMQUIST

We have been seeing quite a few second opinions lately.

Upon contacting the previous clinics we have found that appropriate tests were sometimes done. Remember that when you take your pet to a vet, everyone is working towards the same outcome: Your little furry mate getting better.

If you are unsure of a treatment plan prescribed by your vet or you have been forgetting to give medications, etc the most important thing is to keep communication lines open with the clinic. If your vet has asked you to contact them after a couple of days to let them know how Rufus is doing, then let them know, good or bad. Part of a diagnostic and treatment plan is monitoring the response of the patient to the treatment protocol.

We ask all medical and surgical cases to contact us regularly to keep us abreast of developments (hopefully improving ones). Unfortunately we don’t get as much correspondence as we would like. One likes to wish that no news is good news. However, some clients don’t always let us know if a certain case is not responding until several days (or more) pass.

So stay in touch with your vet clinic. It is a team effort: From the vets and nurses to do the hard-yards in diagnosing and treating an animal, to the owners who need to manage the case at home.

Professionals are used to giving tablets, etc to pets but a lot of people are not very familiar with it. So, if you can’t give your cat the pills or she is not eating the prescribed food, then speak to your vet clinic and work together to help your little mate move forward. …oh, and I see that summer has arrived too, without a suitcase.

 www.lagosvet.com

The digestive tract - serotonin

BY NIKI MEDLOCK

Side-tracking yet again!

Serotonin (90% made in the GI tract, 10% in the brain) is a chemical that has a wide variety of functions in the body.

Made by Enterochromaffin Cells (EC) in the lining of the digestive tract it is used to transmit messages between nerve cells (neurotransmitter). These cells appear to depend on certain types of bacteria to stimulate their production. Once absorbed through the gut wall, into the circulatory system, platelets absorb and store it to be used in different parts of the body.

If there is an irritant present in the food (such as an unfriendly bacteria) elevated amounts of serotonin are released to move the food along more quickly for rapid emptying – diarrhoea. The excess serotonin in the blood stream, that the platelets cannot absorb, stimulates the areas of the brain responsible for nausea and vomiting.

Serotonin is released when the platelets bind to a clot aiding haemostasis (when bleeding stops) and blood clotting.

Here are but a few of its functions:

Bone health – serotonin levels influence bone mass. Paradoxically too much gut serotonin in the blood causes bone thinning while brain serotonin increased bone density.

It is released in response to the presence of food in the gut causing intestinal contraction and mucus production which forms a protective barrier between the gut lining and the food.

Serotonin plays a definite role in sleep cycles, as high levels are associated with wakefulness and lower levels with sleep but the mechanism is still not fully understood.

70 Health

It is also nature’s own appetite suppressant.

Activating the neurons that curb appetite and at the same time blocking other neurons that normally act to increase appetite.

Serotonin plays some role in low mood and poor memory, as well as mood disorders including depression, Obsessive Compulsive Disorders, anxiety, panic and excess anger.

Studies have shown that people with depression have low levels of Serotonin and the anti-depressants used to treat this block the reabsorption (reuptake) of serotonin in the brain, making more serotonin available but we are not exactly sure how, to what degree, and why.

Next month: The Digestive Tract and immunity

Niki is head nurse at  www.luzdoc.com

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I.T. can be easy

BY STEVEN DUNWELL

Don’t lose you precious memories I am increasingly being asked if I can retrieve much loved photographs and other precious items that are stored on external storage devices like memory sticks and external hard disk drives. Whilst most of the time this is a good option for storing and backing up your documents, sadly just like other hardware these can fail too and sometimes the information is lost forever. An alternative (and the one I use) is to use one of the many online backup storage services, where your documents are kept remotely from your device on the cloud.

shown) to increase this capacity.

Amount of initial free storage space for approx. 600 photos (2GB). Pay €9.99/month for 1TB of storage.

OneDrive - www.onedrive.live.com Amount of initial free storage space for approx. 1500 photos (5GB). Pay €9.99/month for 1TB of storage.

Google Drive- www.google.com/drive Amount of initial free space for approx. 4500 photos (15GB). Pay €9.99/month for 1TB of storage.

Cloud storage is where your information is stored on remote storage servers accessed by you over the internet.

Note: 1TB = 1000GB, that’s space for approx. 300,000 photos!

It works the same way as using external storage devices but instead of saving and retrieving your documents from your external device you download it from secure servers over the internet. Here is a list of three cloud storage providers that I have used. They all offer a limited amount of free storage for your documents or photos, but you can subscribe for a monthly fee (current prices

If you have any questions about this topic, suggestions for future subjects or require assistance with any I.T. challenges, I am very happy help. Have a great month, see you for another tip in August issue.

 sdunwell@sky.com  +351 936 387 512

Booming market or investment opportunity?

BY DAVID WESTMORELAND It appears on various levels that the housing market in Portugal is booming. Lagos is also leading the way in this boom. A shortage of new builds over the last 10 years means that developers can ask almost what they want for new build apartments and villas.

To support this, we are seeing investors making a comeback, buying 20-year-old properties, renovating and returning to market at significantly increased values.

We have seen this with apartment complexes in Porto de Mós and even downtown Lagos. New build villas selling at all time high prices (even higher than pre-recession prices) with price per m² as high as 8000€/m². Of course, if you have the money it is simply about finding the right property, but without millions what options are there?

If you have cash to invest and a desire to renovate now is the time to make your move. There are many opportunities coming to market where a 10-15k investment could offer great returns. Couple this to the rise and rise of residential letting and there are some fantastic investment opportunities.

The cost of building has spiralled in recent years with land prices continuing to increase and the cost of bathrooms, kitchens and tiles getting to outrageous levels it is now the best to look on the resale market.

Yes, you may have to replace kitchens and bathrooms but even with the high costs involved it is still better to upgrade than buy new. There are some great options around for villas requiring full renovations to simply a makeover. Apartments built in the early 2000s may look a little dated but can easily be brought up to date for much less than it costs to buy new builds.

The residential letting market is growing out of control with approximately 10 times more clients than properties available. Of course, this is driving the cost of renting upwards. The shortage of properties for long let is getting worse. This is being fuelled by the Non-Habitual Residency scheme but normal clients wanting to reside in Portugal are constantly increasing. Yes, the sales of property is at its peak for over a decade but the rental market is at an all-time high.

72 Business

The Tropical Café Nº. 33, Avenida dos Descobrimentos, Lagos Tuesday 10th & 31st 11am until 2pm

Dropbox - www.dropbox.com

What is the cloud?

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Free IT Support and help sessions for July 2018

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From right to left: Evelyn Reinhardt (Team assistant E&V); Sofia Vilarinho (Real Estate Agent E&V); Nuno Correia (Real Estate Agent E&V); Sandra Matos (Director E&V Lagos); António Pinto Coelho (licence partner E&V Lagos); Jean-Jacques Bernabé (Real Estate Agent Lagos); Gonçalo Carvalho (Real Estate Agent Lagos)

Peter Statham, Sandra Matos, Jean-Jacques Bernabé, Luc St John Webb, Tom Henshaw

Celebrations for Engel & Völkers Lagos Clients, partners and staff of Engel & Völkers Lagos celebrated the company’s anniversary recently. The occasion was also marked by launch of the second edition of the ‘Lagos & Western Algarve – Property Guide.’ This is a market report focused specifically on the second home market in this area of the Algarve.

2017 was a fantastic year for Engel & Völkers Lagos and for the real estate market in Portugal, in general. According to the National Statistics Institute, the growth in the country was around 20%.

The market report, developed by ImoEconometrics (independent research and consultancy company) in collaboration with the Engel & Völkers Lagos team, confirms the consistent recovery of the market in this area of the Algarve, which started two years ago.

Prices have risen around 10 per cent, however, despite this increase, the market prices are still approximately 14% lower when compared with the pre-crisis values. It is expected that prices continue to grow in 2018 driven by low supply and growing demand from international buyers.

The difficulty for buyers in finding new properties has seen a move to refurbish existing properties and also an increased sale of land with viability for construction.

During 2019 and 2020 an increase of new projects is expected, these projects should double the volume of construction registered in 2016/17, however the forecasted construction volume will still be low compared with the construction levels before crisis.

 www.engelvoelkers.com/en-pt/algarve/lagos Full Market Report:  bit.ly/2K86EAj

Celebrating 80 years of health care The Lacobrigense, the association of mutual support celebrates 80 years in Lagos.

Mutual aid is a voluntary reciprocal exchange of resources and services for mutual benefit as opposed to a charity and does not remove moral superiority of the giver to the receiver. The origins of mutual aid are arguably as ancient as human culture, an intrinsic part of the small communal societies universal to humanity’s ancient past. From the dawn of humanity, until well after the invention of agriculture humans were foragers exchanging labour and resources for the benefit of groups and individuals alike.

The association of mutual help as its roots in the Irmadade de Corpo Santos dos Mareantes and fishermen from the city of Lagos in 1749 and on to the Maritime and artistic commitment of Lagos in 1932.

The association now has more than 1620 patients

74 Business

and this number is continually rising. The pharmacy itself is one of the very busiest in Lagos and is not just available for its regular clients but to everyone, in fact, they actively encourage new customers with their calm and confident advice on all matters appertaining to health and wellbeing.

The clinic itself was opened in 2005 and offers a wide range of services and in fact it covers every sphere of medicine and can be considered to have almost hospital status because of the vast array of medical treatments and patient care available and implantation of treatment plans.

 www.alacobrigense-asm.pt  +351 282 764 826  geral@alacobrigense-asm.pt

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ADVERTORIAL

Lagos Marina THE HOME OF COMMERCIAL CHARTERING

Lagos Marina is one of the best marinas on the Iberian Peninsula, and because of this, it is very popular with boating enthusiasts. Now you can see power boats and yachts coming and going from Lagos Marina taking tourists on exclusive charter trips.to see the grottos, caves and to see dolphins in their natural habitats.

But it wasn’t always like this! Seventeen years ago when Derry Jones arrived in Lagos, there was very little in the way of yachts or speed boats to charter. Derry and his business partner, Eddie Murphy, set up one of the most successful charter companies in the Algarve, which is still running very well to this day.

Both of them had a background in sailing and boats and were from a small town in the southwest of Ireland, not unlike Lagos in size, called Tralee in Co Kerry. As a result they decided to call the company Southwest Charters and the rest, as they say, is history.

After several years working together, all good things must come to an end, they went their separate ways.

Derry stayed in the maritime business and managed one of the biggest dolphin companies in the Algarve for several years before moving on to set up another company which included all boat trips. Everything from grotto trips to fishing and dolphin watching, power boat and yacht chartering.

Next on the horizon was another project called the Marina Sports Bar, a hugely successful sports bar and restaurant which is situated in Lagos Marina between Pingo Doce Supermarket and the Marina Club Hotel. But the sea is always in your blood and Derry has, this last

year, with the help of his wife and business partner, Ana Margarida Nunes, got back into the boating business again and started a company called Marina Boat Charters to cater for the growing demand in the industry.

“Lagos Marina and the surrounding areas are just perfect for day and half day cruising” says Derry, “The sea conditions here are nearly always ideal for amateurs to relax and enjoy themselves and there is now a great choice to choose from a range of very professional companies in the Marina.”

You can take an exclusive cruise on a Fairline Targa powerboat (pictured) with champagne and drinks included, or charter one of the company’s ribs for yourself and the family. You can take the ribs on your own as long as you have your powerboat licence with you. The Fairline Targa comes with a captain and crew, drinks and snacks and fuel included.

The choice of trips is for you to decide. You can sail along the beautiful Algarve coastline, stop for a bit of snorkelling fun and games, anchor off a beach and just laze in the sun or if you like, Marina Boat Charters can bring you to a restaurant, so you can sip on your wine and savour the excellent cuisine that the Algarve has to offer.

For those of you with a more romantic personality, take the Fairline Targa on a sunset cruise and enjoy a bottle of Moët. Fancy a spot of fishing, Marina Boat Charters works with a well-established company that will cater to professional or fun fishing needs. Your trip, your choice.

Marina Boat Charters have their booking office based conveniently at the Marina Bar. They are fully licenced and insured.

 Marina de Lagos, Lote 30, Lagos | English:  +351 918 935 085 | Portuguese:  +351 919 241 861  info@marinabarcharters.com |  www.marinabarcharters.com |  lagosmarinaboatcharters

76 Business

RNAAT Registo no. 897/2017 – Another Impact Lda

A new company is making waves in Lagos Marina. Look out for Marina Boat Charters

Having arrived back in the Algarve he spent last summer exploring options for his own business. He had many ideas and turned these into a business plan. Miguel began to focus on bread as his business.

It is a basic food stuff that is in all year-round demand.

Although all the supermarkets and many local shops supply it, there was a lack of availability of crafted, handmade, bread locally. Miguel decided that he would only use pure ingredients of the highest quality. He also decided to ignore recipes and experiment with his own.

He spent many months experimenting and perfecting his breads in the back room of his parents’ house. This still serves as is his temporary bakery. He has also developed his own cake and cookie recipes.

Local boy ‘bakes’ good

BY PHIL EGGINTON If you like great tasting bread, hand crafted with loving care from pure natural ingredients, then Almádena is the place to visit. Almádena lies west of Lagos just off the N125 main road to Sagres. The artisan bakery, padaria in Portuguese, is run by local man, Miguel Marreiros.

Miguel, now 29, was born and raised in Almádena. Like many young Portuguese, he grew up with a passion for sport, especially football. Naturally he gained a degree in Physical Education and Sports from Instituto Superior Dom Afonso III in Loulé.

My wife has coeliac disease, an allergy to gluten. She cannot eat normal wheat-based breads. Available to order, Miguel also provides a range of specially crafted gluten-free loaves. The seeded is highly recommended by my wife who has tried pretty much all of the supermarket available alternatives.

Open now for a couple of few months, Miguel has proved very popular in the village with regular daily clients. He currently sells his bread at the Almádena market place located in Rua da Zorra, near Café o Convívio. Open in the mornings from about 8am, get there early as demand is high! I’d recommend ordering in advance by a day or two to avoid disappointment. See below for Miguel’s phone number.

He then worked locally as a personal trainer and coach.

He also indulged his passion for football by playing for local teams including Odiáxere. Taking the bold step to move away from Portugal, he then spent time playing professionally in Holland and Poland. Whilst in Poland he learned about the demand for teachers in the UK. So, he decided to make another brave move, this time to London.

Future plans are well advanced to open a shop close by in Rua da Alegria in Almádena later in the summer. Miguel will also be launching a van-based service to Alma Verde, Espiche, Budens, Barão de São Miguel and Barão de São João.

Having gained the necessary extra qualifications over his degree, he began teaching in primary schools.

Firstly, as a supply teacher in various London Schools, finally ending up with a position at a school near Ealing.

Miguel greatly enjoyed his experiences and meeting new people. He really enjoyed teaching but found the work very tiring with the long hours needed. The hours are far greater for teachers than many appreciate. Work and life were getting out of balance. Miguel started thinking a lot about Portugal. Having experienced other countries, he appreciated the attractions of life in the Algarve. His home was calling. He therefore took the decision to quit the UK and return to the family home in Almádena.

 padariadalmadena Miguel Marreiros:  +351 925 824 283

Having said that Miguel’s first passion was football, he has also had a lifelong interest in food and cooking.

It’s his ambition to open his own restaurant one day.

78 Business

Miguel’s range is quite unique. I can state from my own experience it is extremely tasty, with a nice crust but soft centre. A selection of rolls and loaves are available using for example wholemeal and mixed flours. These can be added to with a wide variety of seeds and fruits. I can also highly recommend the rolls stuffed with chorizo sausage, olives or uniquely pork scratchings! His sausage rolls make for a scrumptious lunch or snack. Oat and Raisin, Chocolate Chip and Ginger cookies all available too.

Phil is a motorsport consultant and journalist who has now retired to the Algarve. Phil lives in Almádena.

TOM-7-14-engl-2_Jens-ESA 16.07.15 16:39 Seite 1

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Tomorrow 90x65 06-17.indd 2

19/06/2017 10:52

Make waves while the sun shines

BY JEFF MORGAN

As Portugal begins to see the benefits of the investments in renewable energies, becoming less dependent upon burning fossil based fuels and more self sufficient in harnessing a mix of hydro and wind energies, a number of new local businesses are emerging to supply customers with goods and services using similar technologies.

In the marine sector Sun Concepts in Olhão are leading the way in the development and manufacture of electrosolar boats that make the most of the Algarve sunshine.

Formed in 2015 the company aims to promote the use of renewable energy by developing clean, energy efficient boats with hulls and propulsion systems designed to cause the least amount of impact on the sensitive ecosystems in which they operate.

With a range of craft aimed at the recreational user as well as the commercial markets, Sun Concepts have generated a lot of interest from tourist operators and fishing vessel owners from around the world as well as more locally.

One of the first operators to take ownership of their new craft were Ana and Pedro Mestre of Algarve Sun Boat Trips, “We searched around the world looking at a number of boats with a dream of starting a new venture.

When Sun Concepts here in Portugal introduced their new craft we commissioned a new ship straight away”, explains Pedro.

Maintaining their high pressure careers while the boat was constructed the couple of qualified skippers also had to avail themselves of seven licenses or certificates whilst learning about the history of Portimão, Silves and the Arade River which links the two cities.

“There were quite a lot of people who said we were crazy, that there was nothing to see of any interest” The eleven person, seven metre vessel was delivered mid season launching a new eco- friendly marine tour company based in Portimão Marina. The first passengers to experience a tour of the harbour were many of the very people skeptical of the venture. “It was great for us to share the knowledge we had gathered about the history and modern life on the river with our new neighbours while getting to know our work environment also”. Says Pedro.

80 Business

2018 will be the first full season for the Algarve Sun Boat, taking guests on a variety of trips around the harbour or all the way up the meandering Arade River to Silves or the River Odelouca and the mysterious Rosario Island. With tours ranging in time from one and a quarter to five hours this is one of the most serene experiences on the coast. The wide cockpit allows for a number of guests to sit comfortably in the sun or seek some shade under the large canopy, either side of a central table where the skipper serves refreshments during the longer excursions. The cleverly designed hull shape means the boat has very little contact with the waters surface while being able to float in just 40cm of water.

The boat harvests its own fuel direct from the Sun, whether traveling or swaying at its mooring. Energy stored in the battery bank, concealed in the floor, allow the craft between eight and 14 hours of cruising without any further sunshine while the quiet electric motors consume no fossil fuels so have no danger of spilling any oils and neither do they produce any smelly exhaust fumes. The couple of entrepreneurs are very happy with their eco-friendly boat, with no increasing fuel costs to be concerned about, generating zero greenhouse gas emissions, producing minimum noise pollution while creating no impact to the shore side flora and fauna or ocean environment.

“This is the perfect craft for the trips that we offer, the silent propellers allow you to enjoy the surrounding nature without disturbing noises that can scare away the birds and wildlife. Last year we were able to get so close to the Flamingo's in the basin, it was really amazing for everyone on board” adds Ana. Should the sound of the river passing gently by be too quiet, you can always ask the skipper to turn on the music for a little on board party, and, should you find that it is too hot, a stop for a swim is also possible.

“We are looking forward to welcoming many guests aboard this coming year to share with them our local knowledge and passion for the area and ecology”. By the end of the year the Pedro anticipates that the solar boat will reduce atmospheric pollution equal to roughly 140.000 balloons filled with carbon dioxide.

 www.algarvesunboat.com  algarvesunboattrips Sun Concepts  sunconcept.pt

THE ONLY THING PROCESSED IN OUR MENUS IS THOUGHT.

RICARDO

IN-VILLA-CHEF 

Enjoy freshly prepared food in your holiday home

ricardovillacatering@gmail.com  +351 960 216 070

Change of the horizon After 30 years at the helm of the lovely and well-favoured Cacto Restaurant Sussie and Wim are taking a well-earned retirement.

They plan to enjoy the countryside, golf and all those delightful things retirees get up to after providing wonderful and conscientious service to all their loyal clients - a very deserving case for retirement!

To ensure a seamless change of owners and an opportunity of saying ‘au revoir’ they are working with the new owners Ravin and JeanMichel whilst they establish themselves in their exciting new roles.

Having grown up in the family food business in France and after spending 20 years travelling the world in a corporate role, Jean-Michel is returning to his roots and his early passion for food and wine.

Ravin and Jean-Michel, took over on May 1st officially and they intend only to make subtle changes over the months ahead.

Although they will be introducing a new summer menu and a revisited wine list, they will maintain some of Cacto’s classic and timeless menu options that have been the restaurant’s trademark over the years.

In the short term, they are planning a Bastille Day dinner event on July 14th and they will offer details of this and opening times in their July advert in this magazine.

We certainly wish them all well as they embark on their new opportunities.

Opening hours: Thursday to Tuesday 6.30pm - 10pm Closed on Wednesday Booking is essential:  +351 282 077 267 / 935 526 008

Boaty’s Grand Cafe

BY THE YUM, YUM BOYS AND A CHUM

Boaty’s Grand Cafe is a newish restaurant opened so we decided to pay a visit with a chum to get the low down. Firstly, great to see a fresh looking place. Very New England in décor. All very blue and stain washed beach affair. Great atmosphere and busy on a week day evening too.

It’s generally a tapas and pizza place but that doesn’t take away from the tasteful dishes we sampled. We decided to have two tapas plates each (to share) and then have the pizza to give you a fair rounding of the food on offer. The first thing to say that this is not the normal tapas. We had seared tuna with cous cous.

Delightful. I’m a sushi lover so this was a nice surprise.

Duck terrine with a spicy fig jam went down well. I loved the smoked mackerel with apple and rocket. I could have really pigged out on that all night and the risotto with cheese and mushrooms was a good vegetarian option, if that is your thing. Remember this is tapas so being piggy is allowed. Next we tried the aubergine with goats cheese. A favourite of the other yum and chum. As this

82 Food & drink

is the sister restaurant to Yolo, we also had the Yolo spare ribs.

Well, it was absolutely cracking.

Each dish was fresh, tasty and also very original without going too far off the known card. All of this was washed down with house white which was great for a cool summers evening.

What about the pizza you ask. Never made it. Kept room for the homemade banoffee pie and Dutch apple pie for afterwards.

So glad we did.

We left truly satisfied and glad we found it. Great social meal to share so it’s on the list to visit with friends when they come over next month. Go, see and experience this for yourself. You’ll love it.

 Rua Da Praia 10, Luz 8600-156, Portugal +351 282 010 851

EXPERIENCE THE FRESHNESS OF

PORTUGUESE FOOD +351 282 792 165 | Rua Silva Lopes, nº30 - 8600-623 Lagos

Kiko’s Tasca

Wine, food and friends.

Portuguese food. Tapas, lunch and dinner.

Come and try for yourself.

JULY AND AUGUST: Closed for lunch • Open every night from 6pm to 11pm | Tel.: +351 282 046 037 • Email: one.destino@gmail.com Centro Naútico Sopromar - Estrada Sopromar (Meia-Praia) • LAGOS • GPS - N 37º 06.433' / W 08º 40.176' • f facebook.com/tascadokiko

The curious cocktail bar

BY REBECCA SIMPSON

THE ALGARVE’S SMALLEST AND MOST INQUISITIVE BAR Karl and Zoe Sinclair have always had a taste for travelling and adventure. They both met whilst working on cruise ships over 20 years ago. In 2009, after visiting the Algarve for holidays for almost five years, the couple decided to take the plunge and move to Portugal.

In December 2009, a tiny bar nestled in the popular village of Salema became available shortly after their move. The couple came from a background in photography and recruitment, Karl and Zoe decided to take the risk and opened the bar in Salema, ironically already named The Aventura Bar. They decided to make the small space into a high-end cocktail bar and offer drinks that weren’t currently available in the village.

It’s true to say that this was no ordinary bar. Measuring only 4 x 5 meters tucked into a back street of Salema, Karl and Zoe had to think outside the box in order to make this business venture a lucrative and sustainable option. As a small and perfectly formed bar, the Aventura quickly became a very popular spot for locals and holiday makers alike in Salema.

This tiny bar along with its neighbour, the well-known restaurant Agua na Boca, have become particularly distinctive features of the small but quaint Salema street.

Rua dos Pescadores has become known as the party street of the village and during the summer months is a hive of activity.

When I asked Zoe why she thought the small bar had been so successful she replied: “Hard work and also offering quality along with adventurous drinks has definitely helped, we also have a real diverse platform of clientele and we try to offer something for everyone”.

84 Food & drink

The bar has taken the village by storm and one record breaking summer evening a couple of years ago, saw 50 people inside and 50 people outside. This put a new meaning to sardines in a can! Due to the small but quirky size of the cocktail spot, punters are often seen lining the street with fancy cocktails until the early hours.

Every year Karl and Zoe update the décor and keep up with popular global cocktail trends. The bar now features a ceiling of fame. The full ceiling of the bar is a blackboard which is now covered in famous quotes and an array of special occasions which people have experienced in the tiny cocktail spot. From big birthday celebrations, to weddings and memorable moments this ceiling adds to the atmosphere and reminds clients of the great times had in such a small space!

With the current gin trend taking the drinks industry by storm the Aventura offers six to 18 premium gins all served with a selection of garnishes and of course good quality tonic water. The cocktail menu certainly offers the most curious of cocktails, including names such as; The Aviation, The Blonde Negroni and The Paris St Germain.

The Don Draper Smoking Old Fashioned is a show in itself with smoking Hickory wood chips and Bulliet Bourbon.

The Aventura catch line is “the curious cocktail bar”.

This very small and quirky bar has certainly created a distinctive atmosphere of curiosity with such a show of cocktails whilst also being Salema’s smallest and most quaint drinking location.

 +351 282 695 490

Delicious and suprising

BY RAY AND VI GILLMAN Drive into Espiche and you can hardly miss Sunita’s Castle the increasingly popular Indian restaurant which opened in March.

Set behind a white wall (parking spaces outside) with a short gently sloping illuminated walkway up to a lovely outside terrace, an imposing marble stairway leads to the stylish dining room within.

The menu is extensive and, as in most Indian restaurants the choice can seem daunting. All the more familiar favourites are there, of course - curries, kormas, tikkas and tandooris , bahjis, biryanis and the like.

One of our party deliberately chose perhaps the most well-known dish as his main course - Chicken Tikka Masala . He wanted to get a handle on the standard here compared with others he had tasted. Others had Chicken Shaslik and a Prawn Bhuna. We were all were delighted stating that the flavours of the ingredients sang through.

Each individual taste was defined and delicately revealed through careful, deft cooking , each dish obviously freshly prepared.

Allowing ourselves to be guided by Sunita into less

familiar territory on the starters, however, initiated us into less familiar delights. Her ‘Special Starter’ is a mixed platter of deliciously different, but complementary small dishes. One was Paneer pakora - a soft cheese coated in light as a feather seasoned tempura, another - Hara Bara kabab - patties of spinach and peas. And some Malai - cheese and potato balls fried with onion and tomato gravy as well as Hariyala Tikka -grilled chunks of succulent, marinated chicken rubbed with a paste of coriander and mint and Lamb Chapli - spiced patties of minced lamb.

And for dessert - another of Sunita’s recommendations - Indian Gajrela. An amazing recipe featuring grated carrots, ghee, milk, dried fruits, and cardamom. Usually served hot, apparently, this version was chilled and, amazingly, ended up tasting like a slice of creamy, minttinged pistachio fudge!

Delicious and surprising. Which is just about how you could sum-up Sunita’s Castle.

The bill also surprised us by being smaller than we expected. “Great value”, we all agreed and one even ventured (perhaps softened-up by the complimentary liqueur!): “That may well be the best Indian meal I’ve ever had”.

Booking recommended:  +351 920 556 611

First class Immerse yourself in local food culture with MIMO. MIMO is the new kid on the block in the Algarve.

It's gastronomical excellence which gives you the opportunity to watch and be fully immersed in live cooking demonstrations. The concept is clear and precise, their choice of venue, the freshest of local products coupled with Michelin-trained chefs. Their concept was to share their expertise and food cultures, typically Spanish and now Portuguese in bringing a whole plethora of knowledge from locals, experts, foodies, Michelin-trained chefs and their resounding passion for authenticity and origins akin to the prospective country.

The Algarve MIMO is positioned within the luxury Sheraton Pine Cliffs enclave and affords views over

86 Food & drink

Lemon Square, just adjacent to the main hotel reception entrance. They have just completed, what must be said to be a monumental makeover in their true MIMO origin and style. Their signature is clean lines, contemporary and the true white canvas is evocative of a luxury Scandic-designed 5-star majestic hotel.

The concept is repeated but with other engaging skill sets and each class is chosen to match the age group and expertise; they also have classes available for children and families.

It’s no surprise that their incredibly successful company which already has schools in São Sebastian, Seville and Majorca will be an instant hit with the Algarve, whether you live, work or holiday here.

 algarve.mimofood.com/en  WithMimo/

A Moorish garden

BY JENNIFER ALDRIDGE An early morning beckoned as we journeyed into the Alentejo. Our destination near Milifontes, a large private garden created and cared for by owners Jean Paul and Ann. The garden is Moorish in design and formality is seen in the walled gardens and echoed in the planting beyond.

‘Plants for a purpose’ is the overall philosophy, whether that be scent, taste or even soil stabilisation. Although plants are not chosen for their decorative qualities, their colour and form enhance the overall design. The colour themed gardens are a reminder of those designed

by Lawrence Johnston at Hidcote garden in Gloucestershire.

Entering the rose garden there was a buzz in the air and not only from the bees! We were eager to learn about these truly breathtaking roses, climbing the pillars of the pergola and gracing the beds. Here, as in other parts of the garden, Jean Paul and Ann willingly answered questions demonstrating their depth of horticultural knowledge and passion for what they have achieved in the garden.

Unusual varieties of fruit trees and vegetables are woven into all parts of the garden including the largest collection of citrus fruit trees in Europe. The citrus garden with its mulch of black pebbles, contrasting white angular paths and strategically positioned large rocks is very modern.

We all increased our plant knowledge and appreciation of garden design.

To find out more about the Western Algarve Garden Society please contact Heather Thomson.

 wagardeninggroup@gmail.com

88 Outdoor

Keeping our beaches clean

BY LEN PORT

WHAT WE CAN ALL DO TO HELP While governments and major institutions around the world are focusing on the enormous problem of the plastic pollution of the oceans, ordinary beach-goers in the Algarve are being urged to do their bit to help.

The scale and potential consequences of the global problem are devastating.

Leading environmentalists see the end of most sea life happening within the next six to 16 years. Already by 2025 all the coral reef ecosystems in the world could be gone.

Scientists seem to accept the year 2048 to be the overall deadline for the collapse of all commercial fisheries. At our local level, while the Algarve’s beaches and shoreline are spectacularly beautiful, a close look can tell a different story. Beach litter comes from two sources. It arrives washed up from the sea and also brought down to from the land by residents and holidaymakers.

A marine biologist, Carla Lourenço, in January 2016 launched, Straw Patrol, an environmental awareness campaign to marine debris issue in the Algarve.

Drawing attention to particularly disposable items such as plastic straws. In raising awareness and arranging clean-up initiatives, Straw Patrol has been helping to get the message across that we can all make a difference.

For example, beach-goers should make sure they take away everything they

bring to the beach. All waste packaging and other items, especially plastics, should be put into the nearest collection bins. Bring a small bag and remove some litter, no matter how small, every time you visit a beach.

Such things might seem like common sense, but many beach-goers don’t bother. Even a discarded cigarette butt can take up to 10 years to decompose.

Beach clean-up days organised by Straw Patrol and other community groups should be fully supported. Our children and grandchildren need to be told why it is important to keep the beaches clean and of the damage litter does to fish and marine animals such as dolphins and whales.

Municipal councils need to be more diligent in ensuring that litter bins of a reasonable size are provided and that they are well-marked and easy to find on beaches. They need to be emptied with sufficient frequency. Councils should also be encouraged to utilise more of their employees to visit and clean up beaches as well as promote and join forces with citizens’ clean-up events.

The importance of such caring action cannot be over-emphasised, especially in a region that is dependent on its beaches for attracting a substantial income from tourism.

 StrawPatrol

C’est magnifique!

BY TAMSIN VARLEY

I have just returned from an organised trip for small groups visiting a wide variety of gardens in the Dordogne. There were just six of us in the group and at the end of the trip we all voted on what our favourite garden had been. I was amazed that we all chose different gardens and it was very interesting to hear the reasons why. Some people loved colour, others preferred a more romantic, informal English style garden, some liked topiary and others a more naturalistic garden influenced by the local landscape.

The most visited garden in Perigord is the world famous hanging garden of Marqueyssac. The chateau and gardens are located on a huge rocky outcrop that dominates the surrounding landscape. There are over 150,000 hand pruned box plants in the gardens some of which are over 100 years old. Close to the chateau, the box hedges are pruned into strange swirling shapes, which are quite mesmeric as, apart from a few tall conifers and the backdrop of the valley below, there is nothing else to distract you. We then followed a cliff walk to the belvedere at the other end of the rocky outcrop, which had clipped box growing amongst the natural woodland trees to carry on the theme and it really worked.

My personal favourite were Les Jardins de Sardy, which were created in the 1950’s. They are now a little run down and over grown in places, but I didn’t find that distracting at all. We started the tour in a gravelled courtyard behind the 18th century farmhouse with a variety of scented plants (flowers, bark or leaves) mainly in pots. We then walked down a gently sloping path with a large flower border on the right and views down over

the large formal pond on the left, which is the undoubted highlight of the garden. When you get to the valley bottom, the pond stretches out in front of you with the house behind and cypresses to the left and right giving it a strong Italian feel. We were lucky as they switched the water jets on for our visit and the whole pond came to life. I just found the whole setting totally magical and could have sat there for hours.

Les Jardins de Cadiot are a more recent creation and are still being developed. There is something there to appeal to everyone as it consists of 10 individual gardens set in 10 hectares. There is an English garden, an Italian one, one based around peonies, a rose garden, a woodland garden and various patios. We were lucky when we visited as the roses, peonies, irises and alliums were all at their best and really added a lot of colour to the garden, but there was also plenty of topiary to add texture and interest even when there are no flowers.

For sheer colour though, the top prize had to go to an iris farm which was just an ancillary business for a local prune farmer. I had no idea that there was such a huge variety of irises – it was an amazing sight. One of the less known gardens we visited was Les Jardins du Colombier, where we were given the tour by the slightly eccentric aristocratic owner. The gardens are set around a beautiful 17th century hunting lodge and successfully mixed topiary with sweeping lawns and large borders packed with plants. Away from the main house and near the outbuildings is a recently created parterre vegetable garden enclosed by hedges and low walls, which I really liked. We were privileged to have a delicious lunch under a 400-year-old lime tree with the owner, which was a very special way to end a memorable trip.

Tamsin is the chair of Clube Dos Bons Jardins, a small, friendly multi-national garden club that meets at different location around the Algarve on the 2nd Tuesday every month except over the summer with an optional lunch afterwards.

 Clube Dos Bons Jardins  algarvecbj@gmail.com

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