Tomorrow Aljezur to Lagoa - November 2020

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NOVEMBER 2020 | EDITION 108

In this edition A passionate Entrepreneur An interview with the joint-founder of the Martinhal Chain

From the Navy to a silver disc How an untrained musician came to work with some of music's greats

Jamming in the Hills Why an American guitarist is establishing Vegan Hills

From Africa With Love A former African Aid-worker has laid the foundations for a new learning hub

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Editor's note ‘Always look on the bright side of life’

Sophie Sadler - Editor  sophie@tomorrowalgarve.com

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Tom Henshaw - Sales  tom@tomorrowalgarve.com

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Janine Nieper - Sales Assistant  janine@tomorrowalgarve.com

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Creation Media - Design  phil@tomorrowalgarve.com

So not to put too fine a point on it here we are now in a state of ‘Calamity’ again and we must make the best of the situation. We need to occupy our time as best we can. Keeping within the national COVID-19 rules, I have put in a few suggestions for your consideration. You may only want to discover the beauty and fascination of the Algarve from your sitting room, tablet or map; however, if you feel a little more adventurous, the Algarve is your ‘oyster.’

The weather is still generally very good at this time of the year, and the traffic will be far less!

How about a zip wire trip over the Guadiana River or visit Sagres in the West to get the rugged, wild feels of the unspoilt beauty? The dinosaur footprints on Salema beach can be incorporated into a brisk walk. (Go down to the beach and turn right. You will find them on a rock plinth.)

government guidelines are adhered to, can go ahead. Our What's On page and website calendar contain information about these events.

Remember a visit on the bus or the train to Portimão or maybe a trip to Faro is a great and low-cost day out, both with loads of low priced restaurants, with lots to see which will also help you to feel you are actually on holiday!

Take a visit to Silves with its Moorish castle and see the delights of another era as outlined in Alyson Sheldrake's article later in the magazine.

All in all, this is just a little taster to encourage us all to ‘always look on the bright side of life’ da da , da da, da da da da da da.

Good travelling.

5,000 printed copies

We have been advised by the Lagos and Portimão câmaras that some cultural events, where

From Tom and the rest of the Tomorrow team.

SEDE: R. SENHORA LORETO LOTE 6 RC D PARIO CONVENTO 8600-683 LAGOS PERIODICIDADE: MENSAL . TIRAGEN: 6,500 TIPOGRAFIA: C/ AL MEDITERRÁNEO, 29, POLÍGONO DE SAN RAFAEL, 04230, HUÉRCAL DE ALMERÍA CIF: B04250056 Whilst we take every care to ensure details are correct the publisher will take no responsibility for errors or omissions. Where prices or dates are quoted they are correct at the time of publication and are subject to change.

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Areas we cover  Aljezur  Vila do Bispo  Lagos  Portimão

 Lagoa  Monchique  Silves

Monchique Aljezur Portimão Burgau Vila do Bispo

Lagos Luz

Alvor

Silves Lagoa

Porches

Carvoeiro

Sagres

What's on the cover this month: View looking west to Praia da Luz from Rocha Negra by Phil Harding.

Thank you to our readers for helping us choose the cover.

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A Passionate Entrepreneur

BY SOPHIE SADLER

Businesswoman Chitra Stern gives a special interview for Tomorrow readers about her life and career.

Entrepreneur Chitra Stern is one half of the power couple between the Martinhal Family Resorts chain.

With an eye-watering list of qualifications, awards and a property empire, the latest string to her bow is an innovative new education hub in Lisbon.

I first met Chitra in 2003, when she was building the first phase of the Martinhal resort in Sagres.

The western Algarve was not even fully accessible by motorway back then and, everyone said a development more than an hour from an airport would fail.

As the recipient of the prestigious Deloitte Institute Accomplished Entrepreneur Award at the London Business School, Person of the Year Award by the International Family Travel Association and the Family Traveler Award for special contribution to the Family Travel Market, Chitra has undoubtedly proved doubters wrong. In the process of building her empire, she also had four children. It's certainly invigorating to talk to such a successful career woman but it does leave you feeling slightly inadequate!

Owner and founding board member of Martinhal Family Hotels & Resorts, Chitra's LinkedIn page describes her as “a passionate entrepreneur”. After over an hour’s conversation with her I would concur with this description, enthusiasm exudes from her every pore. When trying to figure out how she succeeded, while so many arriving here have failed, I concluded that it is an extraordinary self-belief.

This is not to be confused with arrogance, she is far too nice, but she set out to become an entrepreneur and never doubted she would succeed.

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Chitra qualified as an Electronics Engineer from the University of London but then worked for PricewaterhouseCoopers for six years, where she met her husband and business partner Roman Stern. Swiss-born Roman had studied Real Estate at Harvard so had a background in property before becoming a management consultant. In 1998 Chitra went to London Business School to study for an MBA. After graduating, she and Roman got married.

From this point, the stage was set for them to start their own business and Chitra tells me they were regularly reviewing business opportunities, writing plans and seeking out venture capital. They piloted business ideas and were involved with an early version of Uber Eats before taking on a hotel project in Ireland for Swiss Investors.

While this did not bring them the success they craved, the Boutique Hotel in Cork taught them some valuable lessons that would contribute to the future success of the Martinhal Group. It was the same Swiss and German investors who invited Roman to Carvoeiro to view a potential investment opportunity. “I still remember his phone call to me from Portugal. He was blown away by the beauty of the area and its potential as one of the last undiscovered areas of western Europe.”

At that time Chitra was involved in a project which meant she would end up working in India while Roman was in London and they saw an opportunity for business and a better lifestyle.

“I still remember his phone call to me from Portugal.

He was blown away by the beauty of the area and its potential as one of the last most un-discovered areas of western Europe.”

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Portugal IN Group

Chitra and Roman in 2001 “We bought a house in Lagos for the same price as a broom cupboard in London; we just had this sense that Portugal was about to boom. They had just joined the EU which had created a new spirit, Lisbon had hosted Expo, the motorway was in the process of being completed to the Algarve, Faro airport had just doubled its capacity. In terms of macroeconomics, all the signs were there.”

Chitra and Roman established their empire from their garage in Lagos, completing due diligence on a number of investment opportunities. “Everyone was focused at that time on the eastern Algarve, with our budget as new investors, we had to look away from the prime areas.”

By 2001, Chitra was pregnant with her first child and she knew they had to make up their minds to allow her to start work on the project before she gave birth. Most mortal women may have been tempted to start knitting booties but Chitra fell in love with Martinhal, located on the beach in Sagres.

At that time it was certainly not on the tourist trail but their research had found a gap in the market for a managed resort with integrated hotel-style facilities like a heated pool. “So we planted our flag in Sagres.”

Martinhal had planning and a basic infrastructure but was crying out for a new direction and several pieces fell into place for the dynamic couple. “Managed ownership was a big theme at the time, which allowed lifestyle investors to purchase a unit which was managed and rented out by the resort. The new law which created a category for this was Aldeamentos Turisticos (or Touristic Villages), a structure intended to support properties created for touristic enterprises.”

Their vision, which never faltered, even in the equity crash, was to keep up the high quality and they started to build and sell the first phase. During this downturn, they were saved by two clauses they had cleverly thought to put in the contracts. The buyers paid high deposits of 25% and they weren't allowed to “flip” the unit to another buyer before it was completed.

They managed to pay back the bank with monies paid on completions and injected more equity to keep the project afloat, “we managed to hold on for dear life". As a result, they continued to have good relationships with the banks and lenders as they never reneged on a payment.

Chitra and her family

Chitra describes how they emerged from this period. “It was with persistence, resilience and grit."

They developed the Martinhal Resort in Sagres in the Algarve from scratch and came up with the USP of being a family resort which still delivers on quality. They researched many of the ski hotels in Roman's home country where they delivered excellent customer service for families. Their own experiences also shaped the resort. “As parents you know that your kids take five minutes eating their meal then want to leave the table but the adults crave a relaxed dining experience, so we created a kids corner with staff to entertain the children.” Their restaurant developed the concept of “Little gourmet” where the adult food was sold in smaller portions for kids or puréed for babies.

At that time Sagres was not on the list for tour operators so they invested a lot in public relations, inviting travel journalists to stay and discover the region's benefits. Chitra herself started their first Google Ads campaign. “Coming from a background in electronic engineering, I guess I just didn't feel any fear at experimenting with new methods of marketing and tech. We developed a marketing engine to feed the resort.” 

www.tomorrowalgarve.com

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 They have now successfully expanded the Martinhal brand across two other properties in Lisbon and Cascais and relocated their family to the capital. The lessons learnt in Cork led to this expansion. “Hotels are about economies of scale, which is why we expanded the Martinhal brand in Portugal. In order to deliver such high quality, particularly in HR, it is important to have a chain which allows personnel to relocate when they want a change and not lose someone you have invested in and who can deliver service at such a high level. You also need to offer repeat customers alternative destinations in Portugal.”

Between 2017 and 2019, Chitra was on the Committee of Portugal IN, a special task force created by the Portuguese Prime Minister’s office to enhance foreign Direct Investment into Portugal (www.portugalin.gov.pt). She is also an invited professor for Luxury Marketing at the Nova School of Business and Economics and has the current mandate as the President of the Entrepreneurs Organization (www. eonetwork.org) in Portugal.

It was while she was doing a SWOT analysis for the Portuguese government on how they encourage foreign investment into Portugal that she discovered a major impediment. She was working on encouraging the European Medical Agency to relocate to Lisbon post Brexit, when she found that their personnel would require 850 school places in international schools and they didn't exist.

Ever the entrepreneurs, Chitra and Roman were looking for a way of diversifying away from tourism and were looking for other development sites for commercial, real estate and education. They found an abandoned premises, previously owned by the university in Lisbon, between the Park of Nations and the airport and saw an opportunity.

The school United Lisbon International School opened in September and is part of a wider Edu Hub working with innovators, tech companies and an academy that all have something to contribute to education. The school is a K-12 International School with an American-based Curriculum and IB diploma. It is operated by International School Services from Princeton, NJ. “Obviously the school has been shaped by my experiences as a mother, but I want to get away from the concept of schools being a bubble and create shadowing and internship initiatives and to create young adults who are problem solvers.”

ULIS class room

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Martinhal, Sagres Having survived the equity crash how is Chitra looking to survive one of the toughest challenges to hit the travel industry? Despite admitting their occupation levels had dropped by 75%, she seems unphased and is searching for the new opportunities that will come. “I have certainly spoken to international parents who are relocating to Lisbon because of our school. We now need to chase the new market that is emerging for digital nomads who come here for the golden visa or to escape Brexit. There are great opportunities for residential and educational tourism if we look beyond the holiday market.”

As a result, the Martinhal newsletter is encouraging clients to use their rooms for longer stays, while they seek Portuguese residency. The school already has 140 children with 20 different nationalities and she is already thinking of turning over some of their hotel rooms to students.

So what, in Chitra's opinion, are the prospects for budding entrepreneurs like her? “We have so many under-utilised industries in Portugal like wine and agriculture. I also see a huge potential to encourage people here with tech visas to work in AI.” This passionate entrepreneur is genuinely a case study in how determination can pay off. She was an early pioneer of the western Algarve but watch this space as I am sure she will make many new discoveries on her career path.

+INFO:  www.unitedlisbon.school  www.martinhal.com

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At home in the Algarve

Cleo Laine and James Galway

A Life in Music

Signing Julian

BY HUGH CARSLAW After sitting down to interview Ray Pocock, I am left thinking that he could easily feature on Piers Morgan’s Life Stories.

His biography features many world-famous names including Queen, David Bowie, and Placido Domingo. In many cases, he can be accredited with bringing them to the forefront of the music industry.

How he got there is not remotely the conventional route, but is equally as fascinating as the many major artists with whom he worked. On moving from Hastings to Luton at the age of 15, Ray found himself in conflict with his new headmaster, so he left school and joined the Royal Navy.

His time in the services was cut short due to his mother’s ill health, but a maritime career still beckoned. After a spell at the Navy training college at Sheerness, he spent two years in the Merchant Navy on cargo and passenger ships sailing to exotic locations such as the Caribbean and South America.

“I enjoyed the travel,” he tells me, but after two years at sea, Ray found himself working as a chef and also as a head wine waiter/sommelier before moving into retail.

“I always loved music, particularly the piano, but I was never going to be a professional performer. I could play the violin but I was left-handed so an orchestral career would have seen me poking the eyes out of a lot of fellow violinists," he jokes. “But I was blessed with an excellent ear and reading music and scores was something I found easy – obviously essential for music production and recording.”

By the age of 23, Ray knew that he had to explore a career in music. “I saw an advert for a rep for RCA. I applied, got the job, and found myself selling records from the top artists of the day." At that time vinyl recordings were being replaced by tapes and Ray found himself working as a tape product

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manager, before progressing to becoming Head of Pop Product for the UK. At that time, some of the main acts included Sweet, Renaissance and David Bowie. “The first hit I was responsible for was Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep, by Middle of the Road – not a great claim to fame!”

The list of other bands with whom he worked at RCA is more impressive and includes; David Bowie, Mick Fleetwood, Bonnie Tyler, Sweet and Cleo Laine.

In 1978, he had a change of direction into classical music, a genre he also enjoyed. “ I found myself in a more administrative role looking after major classical artists, including the guitarist Julian Breem, Placido Domingo and oboist Malcolm Messiter.”

By 1979, Ray was Head of Classical and supervising and producing recordings for the LSO, including a series of works by Tchaikovsky. He was to become great friends with cellist Julian Lloyd Webber. “Julian is a real character.

After the cello concerto premiere at the Festival Hall, the post-concert reception with art critics and the press was very intense, and all he wanted was a pint of real ale. 'I know great pub around the corner,' he told me and made me sneak off with him for a couple, not long into the reception. Julian also turned up at my wedding unannounced and sat down and played some unaccompanied Bach. A chamber choir I’d recorded also showed up. The vicar was not pleased, but I was delighted.”

It was at that time that James Galway, who had gone solo after leaving the Berlin Philharmonic, got in touch with Ray. “He told me he was listening to a John Denver album, really loved the songs but which one should he record? 'I said Jimmy, what’s your wife's name?` He chose Annie’s song! And I got a silver disc.” 

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Silver disc  In 1983, Ray decided to go freelance.

RCA had opted to relocate their recording facilities from the HQ in Tottenham Court Road. “I negotiated a deal with them and took the recording equipment which was sitting unused and installed it in a large camper van to create a portable recording studio. One highlight was a recording with the Arditti String Quartet which won the Gramophone Award three times.

In 1985, Ray joined the Keith Prowse agency.

“The aim was using sponsorship to generate great PR. My role was to negotiate and distribute sponsorship deals with music promoters. Over five years, Ray worked with over 20 of the top bands touring the UK including Status Quo, Depeche Mode, OMD and Randy Crawford to name a few.

“Most memorable was working with Freddie Mercury on the tour which sadly ended up being his last.”

“I was invited to an after tour party after the final gig by Bon Jovi at the Borderline restaurant in Hammersmith. The restaurant was pretty full, so I grabbed a table near the front door with my son and a few others.

After a while, this guy comes in, looks around, and sees a space at our table. He came over to me and said 'Mind if I join you Ray?' The look on the other guys’ faces was priceless when Brian May sat down to join us.”

The list of celebrities who Ray has met over the years starts with Alan Freeman and includes countless pop artists such as Elkie Brooks, Bryan Ferry and Randy Crawford. Harry Nilsson owed him a packet of cigarettes after they shared a cab and a couple of pints. On the classical side, he had afternoon tea with legendary pianist Arthur Rubinstein and was invited to Placido Domingo’s 40th birthday party.

Ray has not stopped work entirely, as he is still involved in graphic design, mainly for pubs and restaurants. He can look back on his career with many fond memories.

This writer looks forward to sitting down with him again to hear more tales from his amazing journey through life.

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Francy's Heart

BY ANNIE O’DEA

Francesca Romana Perini has experienced many challenges in life. She is now, however, turning a negative into a positive with her exquisite collection of handcrafted face masks.

Being introduced to Italian born Francesca Romana Perini yesterday in Luz was a delight. She was warm, welcoming and full of energy and enthusiasm - clearly a lady who loves life and treasures the simple things. A devoted mum to her 16-year-old autistic son, Rafael, she has faced life’s many challenges but has overcome them with love, laughter and a smile.

Francesca told me proudly that Rafael is the youngest author in Lagos, having published his first novel, which he also illustrated, entitled The Adventures of Winzling. Rafael clearly has inherited his mother’s passion and talent for art and creativity. Being autistic and Aspergers, art is a vehicle of expression and it was through the medium of cartoon/drawing that he first learned to speak.

Like mother, like son, Francesca’s artistic talents know no bounds. Having worked in tourism when she moved here from Rome twenty years ago and making cakes for special occasions, including glutenfree, her entrepreneurism excelled. She found that the Algarve offered her more opportunities to express herself artistically than Rome ever could and, settling in Luz, she really started to live.

Francesca sees the beauty and colour in everything - even in people’s names which I find fascinating. My name Anne-Marie is the colour red, like the poppy flower with a warm glow of orange. Francesca sees the heart of people, which is why when COVID-19 hit and the wearing of obligatory masks came into force, she was saddened by the sea of surgical faces around her.

Wanting to bring happiness, beauty and femininity to mask wearers, as well as creating positive energy to this new normal

world we find ourselves in, Francesca has created the most beautiful masks I have seen. Made with love and from the heart, each is painstakingly handmade and painted by the artist herself. Francesca makes her masks to order. Each mask is therefore personal to the wearer. As the photos illustrate, she creates an artistic paradise full of colour to self express your inner beauty.

Her masks are completely handmade from three layers of cotton, including a filter, and they are hand washable and reversible.

All are hand-painted to specific orders, from ballerinas, her first success, to her latest vintage collection – including Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn - which is proving to be most popular. For those who wish to wear the mask as a necklace so it’s not only handy but attractive, Francesca can attach a chain /feo which is handbeaded and colour coordinated to the painting chosen.

Francesca now has over eight hundred followers on her Francy & Art Facebook page, receiving orders not only from Lisbon and Porto but internationally from London, Italy, France, Germany and Denmark. Everyone wants to wear one; to be individual and yet have the latest fashion accessory which is unique to the person.

It really is the next must-have and as Christmas is around the corner, the perfect gift.

So get those orders in quickly to avoid disappointment and have your gift guaranteed for Christmas.

+INFO:  superfranci6@yahoo.it  Fancy & Art

COMMUNITY

Call an Ambulance Medical emergencies in Portugal – would you know what to do?

If it’s a medical emergency, the call will be forwarded to one of INEM's emergency coordination centres (Centro de Orientação de Doentes Urgentes), the nearest of which is in Faro. They’ll need to know: WHERE?​ The exact location where you are, if possible, indicating points of reference.​ WHAT?​ The nature of the situation: accident, sudden illness, childbirth, etc.

WHO? The number of people in need of help, their gender, age and main ailments, along with any changes you’ve observed​.

OTHER INFORMATION​: The telephone number you’re calling from and the need for other rescue services such as the police or fire service.

The doctors at the emergency coordination centre will then decide which of the specialised mobile resources should be activated from their fleet. INEM has access to one helicopter (based in Loulé), 12 ambulances, and one motorcycle emergency service; all of which are operated by either emergency medical technicians, nurses or doctors.

If the issue is of an urgent but non critical nature, then the resources of fire departments and the Red Cross will be utilized, and they have a combined fleet of 23 ambulances to draw upon.

Vaughan Willmore looks at the work of the National Institute of Medical Emergency and how we can help ourselves and others in the event of an emergency.

Five weeks ago the actions of Jayne Michaels of Lagos helped save the life of her elderly Portuguese neighbour who was in desperate need of emergency medical care.

Jayne knew who to phone, what information to provide, and how best to describe their remote location. Would you have been able to do the same?

It’s the National Institute of Medical Emergency (INEM) that has responsibility for the provision of emergency medical services throughout mainland Portugal. They do this either by providing the services direct themselves, or in collaboration with local fire departments and the Red Cross, and the ambulances and staff at their disposal.

All calls to the national 112 emergency helpline are directed to a national dispatch centre operated by the Public Security Police (PSP), who then direct the call to the appropriate emergency service.

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Emilia Justo is a valued member of the INEM emergency response team. She’s endured the horrors of the Monchique fires and the joy of assisting with three births. It’s a challenging and rewarding role, requiring compassion, aptitude and bravery; and one that generates immense gratitude from the people she helps and the public at large.

As Jayne Michaels of Lagos said, “I cannot praise INEM staff enough. They came with a wealth of medical experience and were really well prepared. They were amazing.”

In terms of messages for the British community, Emilia said: “When calling on our services, please describe the incident as accurately and as honestly as you can, as this allows us to target our resources appropriately and arrive fully prepared.”

One other important aspect to consider, particularly if you or anyone you know has an underlying medical condition, is the Emergency ID Card. The card details your name and even more importantly, information regarding any ongoing ailments and medications, so really helpful information for emergency response staff to help them provide appropriate medical care in a speedy manner.

The Emergency ID card is available free of charge from the INEM website. As they say on the INEM website, in the event of an emergency, the Emergency ID card will help speak for you.

+INFO:  www.inem.pt/category/inem/o-inem/

COMMUNITY

Jamming in the Hills

BY HELEN DANIELS

An American musician has found the peaceful life he craved in Portugal and is helping to establish a model of sustainable and ethical living in Vegan Hills.

Jason Bryant was raised in a musical environment in Washington D.C. Influenced deeply by his father`s friend, Wynton Marsalis, the renowned trumpeter, composer and teacher of jazz, Jason began learning the trumpet at the age of five. Throughout his childhood, he spent many hours backstage at Wynton`s shows. "His saxophonist taught me maths," laughs Jason, "and the drummer taught me how to wrestle!" Through his father`s passion for music, Jason found himself behind the scenes at a Ziggy Marley concert at the age of 13. By 21, he was playing guitar in a band with Damian Marley, Bob Marley's youngest son.

In 2007, the band came to perform in the Zambujeira do Mar summer music festival. "I immediately felt a connection with Portugal. It`s not just the beauty of the countryside and the fascinating towns and cities, but there`s a peacefulness that I love." Two and a half years ago Jason decided to look into buying land here.

"One month before making this decision I had become vegan, and coincidentally on my first Google search for land here, up popped Vegan Hills on the first page," he explains, "It was a guiding sign!"

Jason bought one of the forty shares of land that is owned by a collective named Vegoa. The land occupies 104 hectares near Pedralva on the west coast of the Algarve and has been owned by Vegoa for four years. It sits between 40-110m above sea level and is over a million square metres of hilltops, valleys and ruins.

"The collective aims to be a model of sustainable and ethical living with a strong emphasis on forestry management," declares Jason. We plan to regenerate the land, by planting native trees; rebuild the ruins, that now have planning permission, and develop an eco-village to encourage people to come and learn about such things as essential oils, veganism and yoga. We want to create a place that can receive individuals for events and health holidays."

The purpose of Vegan Hills is to establish a crueltyfree nature reserve for a community that lives with deep compassion for animals and in harmony with the environment.

Jason`s role, along with Mathieu Baanders, another shareholder, is to host volunteers to recreate the land.

Mathieu is from Amsterdam and is a trained physiotherapist.

He is passionate about animal rights and windsurfing.

"A fire swept through Vegan Hills in June this year," explains Mathieu. "It destroyed most of the work we had done so far,

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so we are very grateful for any voluntary help that we can get or any plant donations."

The shareholders and volunteers alike toil on the land with pickaxes and enchadas.

"The fire was devastating," declares Mathieu. "For a while, we were all disillusioned, as we had to start the work again from scratch. Since June, most of our labour has been the immense task of cleaning up after the fire, but we are now at the stage of digging trenches. The trenches collect water from the rain, and indigenous trees are planted on the other side. The water seeps through to hydrate the saplings."

"We are planting native trees to help reduce the likelihood of wildfires in the future and to establish a haven for wildlife. Our priority is to take care of the land and to provide water and shaded areas. We are restoring the land to its potential by following the principles of permaculture."

Currently, there are 11 shareholders, and four volunteers in the community and Jason and Mathieu would like to encourage more. For the meantime, though, they are staying nearby whilst the fire clearing work is being done and until their legal papers are fully in place.

"You don't have to be a vegan to be part of the Vegan Hills community," explains Jason. "Although we do ask that you only eat vegan food whilst you are here."

Veganism is a way of living that tries, wherever it is possible, to not inflict cruelty, or to exploit animals for food, clothing or anything else. One of the aims of the community is to open an animal sanctuary in the future.

Jason and Mathieu have long-term plans to establish Vegan Hills as an eco-village, with the support of other members and volunteers. Jason continues playing the guitar, although he says he is very fussy about who he plays with now.

"Portugal is my home. In the US, I felt an edge of aggression daily. In the UK, the hostility was mostly verbal, but here I feel at ease. The Portuguese are accepting and welcoming."

+INFO: î ‘ jasonbryant@stanfordalumni.org î ” 0031627306444 (Mathieu - Whatsapp)

Jason Bryant

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in countries like The Gambia, Sri Lanka, Liberia, Somalia and Haiti, that she began to envisage an education where you teach young people how to be free.

“Moving between these, at times, challenging realities and European realities has often left me with irreconcilable friction. I wanted to make a difference, and yet I felt I was part of an agenda that feeds a global system of injustice, resource exploitation and inequality rather than truly fighting it with all my might.”

After resigning from many roles, she left it all behind in 2016. “ While I was living in conflict zones, I felt like I was just handing out band-aids, rather than making any difference.

I could say I successfully 'burned my bridges' just to make sure I wouldn’t return.”

From Africa with Love

BY SOPHIE SADLER

It was while I was researching my September article on schools that I had a fascinating conversation with the founder of the new Nautiluz learning centre, Christin Lidzba. Her incredible life journey has inspired and laid the foundations for the learning hub she has created in Bensafrim and is a story worth telling.

Born in communist east Germany into a Polish-ItalianGerman Catholic family, Christin always felt a sense of being on the fringes of society. Brought up in a rural area, “we did not belong, yet we did".

While the Berlin Wall was still standing, like everyone else, she felt the innate desire to leave, travel and find new experiences. Her Italian grandfather had travelled the world and left behind thousands of slides of his times in northern Africa and southern Europe which allowed her to glimpse life beyond the Iron Curtain.

Christin at a woman's conference in Libeira

“I am from a country that is no more and never was.

This has shaped me, my insatiable curiosity and desire to contribute to a more just and equal world that has truly taken me places.” At 15, she set up a Fair Trade shop in her parish. “I was determined to study and work for the rest of my life in the global south as a human rights and women’s rights activist.”

As well as speaking five languages, she achieved an M.A from the University of Sussex in Gender and Development and worked for NGOs, Government Agencies, and UNICEF in developing countries for 20 years, focusing on women's and children's rights. She has worked as a child protection advisor for UNICEF, and it was while working with children

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Maybe it was the frustrations of working within this “global system of injustice”, that made her think that changing the way we educate children is the only way to achieve a better future.

“Often, children are lost without tools to navigate the challenges of life. We need to create critical-thinking citizens capable of forward-thinking. We are still following old principles, yet we need to equip young learners for jobs and technology that doesn't currently exist.”

For three years, she researched education systems with the question, how do we equip children with knowledge and competencies? She studied pedagogy as part of her degree and had read Pedagogy of the Oppressed by Paulo Freire.

Paulo Reglus Neves Freire (1921–1997) was a Brazilian educator and philosopher who was a leading advocate of critical pedagogy. He believed that humans are an organism with an innate inner instinct to learn. So if children don't want to learn it is because of external factors, and we need to adjust the environment to give them the motivation. This pedagogy implies that it is not about what you learn but how you learn.

On investigating an education system to have emerged from São Paulo, she found Lumiar, a democratic school for children from 0 to 14 years old, founded and funded

by Ricardo Semler and developed by a collaboration of Educational Scientists from Harvard, Cambridge, Stanford and São Paulo Universities. “This education system made the most sense to me in that it promotes autonomy and enables children to be learners and not students.”

As a child, Christin created a fantasy world through which she could escape by reading books and perhaps this is why she found empathy with the Lumiar method of teaching.

“The mainstream looks at a child as an empty vessel to put knowledge into, Lumiar teaches them to acquire knowledge themselves.”

So how does Christin's story end in Portugal? In 2017, she craved to return to Europe but with the African climate and be close to the ocean. She found the Algarve; “I felt a powerful sense of calm, home, and belonging. It is the first time, and the first place my whole being just wanted to stay and not move on, something I am still equally puzzled and intrigued about. It is, of all places I have lived, my first choice, yet the hardest and at times loneliest.” 

COMMUNITY  Perhaps this loneliness is what has driven Christin to assemble a new community of fellow visionaries. “Learning and education were always areas where I saw a lot of potential for creating the kind of change towards justice and equality I wish to see in this world.”

The driving force beyond the school, she used all her savings and a small interest-free loan from her parents. One of the educators has also donated some money and given a small loan. Their crowdfunding campaign was unsuccessful, so they are still seeking funding from educational investors keen on supporting innovation.

Nautiluz cannot be called a school currently as they are operating under the “home-schooling” umbrella while they work with the Portuguese educational authority to obtain a licence. It works on the basis that there are not teachers but tutors who facilitate learning. The three tutors will be observers and form a relationship and discussion with the learners. The curriculum is decided by research and reading by the children who then suggest topics which are investigated in multi-age groups. This competency-based learning creates a critical dialogue and encourages social skills.

The learning is backed up with a pedagogical, multi-national team of 10, and they hope the lessons will eventually be in Portuguese and English, so the children are all bilingual.

With a focus on alignment with nature as well as tech, most of the learning is outdoors. Their mission statement is to support the creation of curious, intergenerational learners embedded in a community that fosters planetary regeneration, social cohesion and individual autonomy.

Members of a multi-agency team of the German and Liberian government with Christin in the middle “I want to move forward all the time; I want to evolve, I want to know more, dig deeper; seek the better, more beautiful questions to ask myself and others, to explore and explore more. Nautiluz is inspired and fed by the sum of all my lessons thus far. It was born out of them.”

When I quiz Christin on her role within the school, she defines it as the master or holder of knowledge. She wishes to pass on her experiences in world politics and human rights and empower the next generation.

Christin is a force of nature, but her dream to contribute to a better world was thwarted by global injustice. Perhaps in her new Algarve home she can achieve her goals and influence a child who truly will one day change the world.

Covid Calling

BY BRIAN TORA I’m back! It’s Boris on the beach again! And I’m soooo glad to be here.

The feel of the sand under my paws; the anguished cry of a dog and its owner as I snatch their tennis ball tossed in my direction and bury it; the warm smell of all those other dogs on the beach as we…..well, maybe we’d better not go there. This is a family magazine, after all.

The journey wasn’t too bad. Some delays and rough weather didn’t detract from finally getting to the western Algarve. The worst part from my perspective was the need to wear a muzzle on board the boat in which we travelled – which I hate. Mind you, my owners have been wearing muzzles too – and much more often than I’ve had to.

And they are still wearing them now even though we’ve arrived.

It’s all to do with this wretched COVID-19. It was the same back in England, but somehow it feels safer here. Certainly, people are smiling more – and I recognise when a human smiles because it means they are happy. And if my owners are happy, then I’m happy too.

Of course, the weather helps. It was cold and damp when we left England and we arrived here to find clear blue skies, warm sunshine and a gentle breeze. My owners have exposed their legs again, which is always a good sign. But perhaps the best part of the change to life here – for them at any rate – is that they can spend more time outdoors where COVID is less of a threat.

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I heard them say that the regulations to tackle the pandemic are getting tougher back in England. I’m not surprised. The nights are drawing in and people are having to spend more time indoors where a greater chance of transmitting the infection is present. I know there are regulations here too, but somehow it feels more normal in the Algarve.

Mind you, I hear that things are toughening up here as well. It seems we are now in a “State of Calamity”. My, the Portuguese have a way with words. Back in England, gatherings of more than six people were banned. Here it’s just five who can get together. Five? Six? What’s the difference? And might all our owners need to wear muzzles whenever they’re out of doors? It’s on the cards. I’m glad I’m just a dog – a famous one, though, as I’m discovering on my morning walks.

Well, I’d better start sending some signals to my owners that I’m ready for another walk. If I sit by the front door and stare at my lead, they should get the message. Back in England, they often take me for a walk when it’s raining – which I hate almost as much as wearing a muzzle. Ah! Here they come – and they’ve got their muzzles with them. I bet that means we’re visiting a bar. Good-oh!

Brian is a financial journalist and broadcaster.

COMMUNITY

How did Cape Saint Vincent get its name?

BY PHIL EGGINTON

Saint Vincent was a third-century deacon of the church of Saragossa in north-east Spain. He was martyred in 304. But how did the far south-west part of Portugal come to be named after him and what significant role did the Muslim Moors play in the preservation of his relics?

Vincent was born at Huesca in north-east Spain close to Saragossa. Vincent spent most of his life in the city of Saragossa, where he was educated and ordained to the diaconate by the Bishop. Because the Bishop suffered from a speech impediment, Vincent acted as his spokesman. When the Roman Emperor began persecuting Christians in Spain, the Bishop and Vincent were brought before the Roman governor. Vincent and the Bishop were confined to prison in Valencia, but offered release if they would renounce their faith. Vincent informed the governor that they would not and were ready to suffer for their beliefs.

His outspoken manner angered the governor and Vincent was brutally tortured. He was stretched on the rack, his flesh torn, his wounds rubbed with salt and he was burned alive on a gridiron. Finally, he was laid on a floor scattered with broken pottery, where he died. According to legend, after being martyred, ravens protected St. Vincent's body from being devoured by vultures, until his followers could recover the body. He was buried in a chapel close to Valencia.

What we now call Cape St. Vincent was at one time the most western tip of the known world. Ancient Greeks said it was considered magical and people believed the sun sank here, hissing into the sea and marking the edge of the world. It had indeed been sacred from Neolithic times, as local standing stones show. The Romans called it Promontorium Sacrum (or Holy Promontory).

In the early 8th century, Spain and Portugal were invaded by the Moors. In 756, the Moorish Umayyad Emirate of Córdoba was established across Spain and Portugal. However, Christians under Charlemagne of France continued to fight back against the Moors. Fighting was particularly intense in north-east Spain.

Probably to protect St. Vincent's remains from the fighting, in 779, they were moved from Valencia and

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arrived at the Promontorium Sacrum. According to local tradition, they were laid to rest in the Church of Corvo (Raven), part of a monastery placed on the inhospitable cliffs where the lighthouse currently stands. However, historians now believe it was more likely to have been further inland, perhaps at Raposeira. Tradition is that ravens continued to guard the remains of the saint.

Given that it was the Christian Charlemagne who was fighting the Moors, why were the remains moved to the Algarve? In those times Christians and Jews were designated dhimmī under Sharia law. Dhimmī is a historical term for non-Muslims living in an Islamic state with legal protection. The word literally means "protected person", referring to the state's obligation under sharia to protect the individual's life, property, and freedom of religion, in exchange for loyalty to the state and payment of tax.

Despite these restrictions, the dhimmī were fully protected by the Muslim Moors rulers and did not have to fight in case of war.

So the Algarve was not only safer but allowed pilgrims to visit. Under Moorish protection, St. Vincent's remains attracted numerous pilgrims. This lasted until the mid-12th century when the more fanatical Almoravid Muslims took control which led to the destruction of the sanctuary.

King Afonso I, the first king of Portugal, ordered that the relics of St. Vincent were retrieved by sea and then laid to rest in Lisbon, which had just been conquered from the Moors. The crest of Lisbon depicts the relics arriving by ship guarded by ravens.

Henceforth the original location of St. Vincent's remains in the Algarve is known as Cape St. Vincent or Cabo de São Vicente in Portuguese.

By Phil Egginton, who is a journalist and photographer and now lives in the Algarve.

INFO:  www.promontoriodesagres.pt/en/

Painting of St Vincent by Thomas Giner

Did you know...

Cape St. Vincent forms the southwestern end of the E9 European Coastal Path, running 5,000 km to Narva-Jõesuu in Estonia.

The present lighthouse is 24 metres high and was built over the ruins of a 16th-century Franciscan convent.

COMMUNITY

Royal British Legion

BY MATT D’ARCY

The Poppy Story

Recently we have remembered important dates in our history, such as the 80th anniversaries of the Battle of Britain and the Dunkirk evacuations, as well as, last year, the 75th anniversary of the Normandy landings.

All of these were marked by celebrations, or (once the pandemic arrived) just moments of reflection by the Royal British Legion, both here with our branch in Portugal and across the world.

We marvelled at heroes like Sir Colonel Tom Moore, who made us so proud of our military traditions. Our hearts swelled with pride at the Spitfire fly-pasts as the nation again expressed its gratitude to the great debt we owe our military forces on the land, at sea and in the air.

Next year marks another important and extremely significant milestone for the Royal British Legion, the charity providing financial, social and emotional support to members and veterans of the British Armed Forces, their families and dependants.

The British Legion story began on May 15 1921, and with it, the story of the Poppy, the Legion’s symbol of remembrance. It all started in Maidstone, Kent, on the banks of the River Medway. During the Great War, columns of young soldiers were cheered as they left Kent ports, only for many to return on ambulance trains, their bodies and minds shattered. So very many others failed to return at all.

In the years that followed, Britons were determined not to forget those who had died and the public was seized by a sense of responsibility for those who had survived.

Maidstone and the surrounding towns enjoy a proud military heritage. On the outskirts of Maidstone, close to the village of Aylesbury, is the Royal British Legion Village, built after the

First World War to house injured soldiers. It is also home to the factory producing the British Legion's internationally-recognised symbol of remembrance - the poppy.

Former Government minister Michael Portillo visited the village for the BBC, and spoke with assistant director Robert Lee, who told him: “Veterans returning from the First World War faced monumental challenges, and came together to form the British Legion on May 15th 1921 under the leadership of Earl Haig.”

The British Empire had some 2.1m wounded and injured return after the war, and, naturally, Britain bore the brunt of that with 1.8m wounded coming back to the country, a great many of these with a permanent life-changing disability.

Robert Lee went on to explain how the poppy came to be a symbol. “Miraculously it was from the very beginning that the poppy was adopted.

This most British of symbols was a CanadianAmerican-French co-production. The poppy was adopted after an American academic Moina Michael gave away poppies to her friends as a way of raising funds for returning servicemen.

She was inspired by the mention of poppies in the first line of In Flanders Fields, the war poem written by Canadian field surgeon Dr Robert McCrae.

In the very first year, 1921, they were assembled in France by a woman named Madame Guerin and the many orphanages that she ran for widows and orphans put them together by hand as a gesture of thanks and goodwill to the returning veterans of the United Kingdom. Initially, they were made of silk, and fixed by red threads to the collar.

This process, though, was extremely laborious and limited the number of poppies that could be produced, So, as soon as we could, the British

Graveside Tributes

Legion built a poppy factory to industrialise the manufacture of the poppies. The poppy, right from the start, was an instant, enormous success.”

In its very first year, 3 million of the silk poppies were manufactured by hand and were completely sold out. The following year production was trebled to 9 million. They also sold out! Today the RBL produces 40 million paper poppies and around 130,000 poppy wreaths every year. The factory produces 100,000 poppies using 6km of paper every day, in a year-round operation.

So, 100 years old next year, the poppy remains a potent symbol of the need to continue to remember, reflect and pay tribute to the fallen of every conflict involving British forces and their allies.

The Poppy Appeal in 2020 will run until Wednesday 11th November and, as always, we need your help here in Portugal. If you can spare just a few hours to distribute, and later collect, poppy tins, or to be part of our daily collections amongst the departing passengers at Faro Airport please contact your local area organiser – details are on web page below. +INFO:  branches.britishlegion.org.uk/branches/portugal

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COMMUNITY

Reviving the Wheel

BY MEREDITH LEVITT

The Ancient Art of Hand Spinning makes a Comeback in the Algarve It started with a challenge. When renowned chef and artisan Sue Sutherland heard ‘I bet you don’t remember how to knit’ from her boyfriend, she decided to prove him wrong.

Although it had been forty-two years since she learned as a child in Dundee, she discovered her ability was neither lost nor forgotten.

“I was looking for something to keep myself busy in the boring Lagos winter, and of course I wanted to prove that I could still knit,” says Sue in her lovely Scottish lilt. Several years after her knitting renaissance, she started selling her handmade wares in artisan markets. Things were going well aside from her frustration over the poor quality of yarn and its exorbitant cost. A single shop in Lisbon sold yarn from Portuguese sheep, but it was eye-wateringly expensive and offered only in natural colours.

“I make accessories so I like a bit of color and silk mixtures and that’s massively pricey,” she explains, pointing out the soft texture of the alpaca wool with a fine pink silk vein she is spinning today at the Mercadinho for traditional artisans in Loulé. “I kept wondering why you can’t find any good wool for a decent price in Portugal,” explains Sue. “There are sheep everywhere!” Like other challenges in her life, she decided to solve it alone.

She purchased an antique spinning wheel for 25€ and promptly stored it for a rainy day. During the COVID-19 lockdown, with her Mediterraneo Catering business at a near standstill, Sue kept busy by teaching herself to spin.

Although she had attended a workshop in Scotland a couple of years before, the process still involved hours on YouTube and countless mistakes. In the end, she persevered.

In her nimble hands, the soft gray alpaca fuzz transforms from a mass of lumpy fluff into a long, delicate strand. Her foot gently pumps the treadle as she patiently drafts the fibre out of her hand and towards the wheel. The thin thread appears like effortless magic. “As you can see, I clearly have a penchant for blue.” At her stall across from the Loulé Design Lab, where she is also a resident, finely-knitted accessories are displayed in various shades of aquamarine, turquoise and navy. “I’m the black sheep,” she jokes about her brand name, Ovelha Negra Knits. “Can’t you tell?”

Like any enthusiast of their craft, Sue could speak for hours about yarn -- the various techniques, how to twist and ply, the differences between natural and synthetic fibres, and how dyes bring in an opportunity for artistic creativity.

Perhaps most important is her point that in today’s wasteful consumer society, buying hand-spun, hand-knitted

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accessories that are made to last can help the planet.

On the surface, a pair of 40€ socks may seem unaffordable. But once you calculate how many pairs you’ve bought at Primark and had to throw away within a year, it makes more sense. “These are socks that will take a beating before they have any holes, and if they do, it’s easy to repair them,” she says, handing me a pair of zebra-striped socks with a pink toe to admire. “These are materials that last a lifetime if you take care of them properly. And they’re soft and warm.”

Dating back to at least the Upper Paleolithic era around 20,000 years ago, in recent years, hand spinning has enjoyed a revival in parts of North America and Europe. Portugal, however, is late to the game. As one of the few artisans in the Algarve using a wheel to hand-spin her yarn, Sutherland plans to teach workshops for beginners this winter. She wants others to share her knowledge of this fascinating craft.

“In order to use wool for spinning, it has to be sheared carefully so the length remains consistent,” she says. This is an expensive and time-consuming process so many sheep farmers currently just throw wool away. It’s a tragic waste. I’m hoping as people become more conscious of their choices and more interested in what they’re putting on their bodies and where it has come from, we can revive this ancient craft and increase the use of Portugal’s own natural resources.”

In the meantime, Sutherland has made friends with some alpaca farmers in Monchique and she also plans to buy angora rabbits. One step at a time. “I’ve been here since 1991,” she says. “I know better than to be in too big of a hurry.” Besides, who knows what creative twist the next challenge may engender. +INFO:  www.louledesignlab.pt/en  /  ovelhanegraknits  ovelhanegraknits@gmail.com

Video made by the Loulé Design Center:  www.youtube.com/watch?v=ObgsTzGUOLQ&feature=emb_title

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COMMUNITY

Making music in Silves

Four decades after launching his own successful music career in London, a Silvesbased producer wants to help others break into the music industry.

Circa 1989 publicity shot for Third Man which was a collaboration with Blues legend Dana Gillespie

her talking between takes. I talked back to her and I felt she was blessing me to continue her work.”

Steve’s love affair with Portugal dates back to 1982. “I was working with John Le Mesurier’s stepson David Malin, who was like a brother to me. John and Joan were incredibly kind and they took me in,” Steve recalls. “John was one of the most remarkable men I’ve ever met. Sergeant Wilson was John; he wasn’t acting much in that role.”

John and Joan invited Steve – who was on the road in Marbella – to join them at the Bouliqueme home of fellow Dad's Army actor Clive Dunn. While there, Steve met his wife.

Performing September 2020.

Credit: Jackson H Photography

Recording the demo for Don’t Push at the BBC which was recorded by The Members for their first album

Steve Lima has a record label fuTuRo-Sonic and is currently building what he describes as ‘the best recording studio in the Algarve". “I’m excited to be going back into a big, well-equipped studio.

We’ll be offering the whole package – music and video production.”

In the early 2000s, he started experimenting with a new music form – the mashup – taking two (or more) separate tracks and ‘mashing’ them together to form a new song. “One I’ve done is putting 'My World is Empty Without You' by The Supremes over the backing track for 'Maybe Tomorrow' by the Stereophonics."

Surprisingly, the boy who listened for the bassline in every song didn’t pick up his first guitar until sixteen. Within months, he was auditioning for a local working men’s club band in Camberley. His first gig earned him £25, three times his weekly factory wage.

“That’s when I discovered I could sing. I had no idea.” Two years later, Steve formed the suburban punk band The Members with a friend.

Fame was never on Steve’s agenda: he preferred production. Still in his teens – and having written a lot of their early songs – he left The Members and pursued a career that would see him producing some of the biggest names in the music industry.

For the next few years, he learned everything there was to know about the industry, working with talent like Dexy's Midnight Runners (on Geno), Dana Gillepsie, Shakatak and Corrinne Bailey Rae. In the 1990s, the legendary Bob Dylan helped find Steve and Dana a manager for their Third Man act.

Steve has remained with Bob Miller since.

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Another passion is breathing fresh life into classic Motown hits. Steve’s remix of 'My World is Empty Without You' attracted over two million views on YouTube. When his remixed 'Love Child' appeared online, one of the songwriters Pam Sawyer contacted him to say she loved what he’d done. His remix work attracted the attention of US blogger and television personality RuPaul and the story was subsequently picked up by Entertainment Weekly. “That’s how my Motown remixes became known worldwide and why I keep doing them.”

Working on the posthumous demo recordings of Eva Cassidy is a career highlight. As well as manipulating vocals on the original recordings, Steve played the guitar, bass guitar, drums and electric organ on Cassidy’s Somewhere album.

It reached number four in the UK charts and his talents won him a gold disk.

“It was such an honour,” he says. “It was a little strange being in the studio because I could hear

The allure of the music industry remained strong, however, and in 1989, Steve left for Jersey where he had a recording studio. He has produced music since, embracing technical advances but preferring studio recording whenever possible.

“Music production was a really sociable job. Now I can do 90% of work alone on my Macintosh system. In one way it’s great, because I can work with people wherever they happen to be, but my job is getting the most out of people and it can be hard doing that online.”

Distance wasn’t a problem when he linked up with talented Lagos-based singer Althea Brown to record 'Over and Over' a song Steve wrote with "a big fat bass in the vein of the early Motown era".

The track is getting international airplay and will be available on 7” vinyl, another nod towards the Motown era.

Music runs through Steve’s veins and, having spent his life producing others, he is now performing again. “My childhood dreams came true,” he says. “But it’s only since I returned to the Algarve that I’ve become a singer. Thank you Portugal.”

Steve is available for bookings for his solo show. +INFO:  fuTuRo-Sonic  futuro1@mac.com

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COMMUNITY

COVID Refugees Classing himself among a wave of COVID-19 refugees, Micha arrived in Lagos on an emotional journey to bury his father.

Now he and his friend Kuna are wishing to celebrate their arrival with a Youtube channel.

Micha and Kuna are both German but were living in Asia before COVID-19 started to tighten its deadly grip on the world. Their mothers had known each other in Germany so they reconnected when both were living in Thailand, Micha owned a Dive Centre and Kuna worked for him as a divemaster.

Micha was running a restaurant in the Philippines when his father became sick so he flew back to Germany to visit. He had return flights booked for March when he intended to return to host a big 50th birthday party for himself in Saigon.

It soon became clear that there was no way he could return to Asia, even if he could get back, with lockdown one of the toughest in the world his business would not survive the impact on

tourism. Kuna similarly felt it was not the place to be at this time. They both were left in limbo by the lockdown.

Micha had an affinity with Portugal, having moved to Praia da Luz when he was 17. His parents followed him ten years later and bought a property. Sadly in May, Micha's father died in Germany. It was his dying wish to have a sea burial in Lagos.

With little else to focus on Micha decided to set off from Germany by car to achieve this with his mother. As Kuna was also now without work and a fellow free spirit he decided to join them and discover Portugal. Although it was a journey he had made many times Micha was now doing it in a world that was very different from before.

The story of their journey is the first post on their new Youtube channel Bom Dia! Sardinhas. Both have a keen interest in photography and film so have decided to create a series of videos on the area and people who, like them, have stories to tell.

They are hoping eventually to create a business making clips to promote local businesses for social media and websites.

Micha's father is now at rest in the place he loved and his mother feels liberated and they hope they can make the Algarve their home.

+INFO:  soujort@gmail.com

Changing the Face of Men's Health Patchy, lopsided, itchy or epic – whatever Mo you grow this Movember, your face will raise funds and awareness for men’s health.

The initiative is being organised by Lee Moulton and Maria Nobre de Carvalho in partnership with several businesses across the region, and the rules are simple: Pledge to grow your Mo this November, donate to the cause and get the conversation started. For their donations, Mo-Bros will get a set of Mo-Rules and tips on how to rock the best Mo. Moustaches around the region will be up for votes on Instagram and the best Mo of the month will win a sailing lesson for two with Vela Solidária Sailing Academy.

Companies and groups across the region have already pledged to grow (and rock!) their Mo's for the whole month, such as Dengun in Faro, Teia D'Impulsos in Portimão, The Burgau Barbarians and Aqui Treina-se gym in Lagos among many others.

For any donation over 20€, you will also get a Movember t-shirt and a free cut at one of the event's partner barbershops, such as Barber's Bar in Luz, Morello's in Lagos and more. With the money raised, the Movember Foundation will fund groundbreaking health projects across mental health and suicide prevention, prostate cancer and testicular cancer around the globe.

Check out the website for more info, get ready to grow a Mo and save men's lives.

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HPA Health Group, with private hospitals across the Algarve, will also be joining the initiative by offering discounts on consultations and exams for men who join the Mo-vement.

+INFO:  cutt.ly/movemberalgarve  movember_algarve  +351 912 417 907

CHARITY

Could you fill a Christmas shoebox?

BY LOIS HERRINGTON

Reverse Advent Calendar Count down to giving this December – and Help local communities in need.

As the festive season approaches once again Chantelle Kortekaas of Quinta Bonita and Bernadette Abbot of Algarve Families in Need are once again asking you to open your hearts and your cupboards to participate in the Reverse Advent Calendar. This initiative reaches out to those in need at Christmas time whilst also steering ourselves away from material yearning and into thinking of others less fortunate than themselves.

In its fourth year, the initiative has gone from helping one Lagos family in 2015 to 50 families across the breadth of the Algarve in 2018 thanks to the generosity of our local communities and Tomorrow magazine readers. This year we hope to extend our reach even further from Lagos, Portimão, Monchique, Alte, Paderne and Albufeira to the communities in the eastern Algarve and the homeless.

It is time once again to enlist your help to brighten Christmas for the young people at CASLAS in Lagos. I am aware that various organisations generously support the fabric and other needs of the home, but my appeal is for the youngsters themselves. They so appreciate receiving a shoebox or bag full of items that have been chosen, especially for one of them as individuals.

If you would like to fill a box for one of these youngsters, please contact me. +INFO:  +351 914 381 598  herringtonlois@gmail.com

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The idea is simple, find an empty box and print the calendar template. Every December day invite your children, your family or remind yourself (!) to countdown to Christmas by adding something to the box. Then tick, colour or label in the calendar template. Lists of suggested donation items, calendar template and all delivery information are provided as part of the initiative. Delivery is usually around the 20/21 December, however, if you are going overseas prior to then there will be early drop off locations available from midDecember. +INFO:  RACAlgarve@gmail.com

Paddle Power The intrepid SUP enthusiasts who were featured in the October magazine successfully completed their 160 km challenge to cross the Algarve.

They raised 1,364€ on their paddle adventure, intending to help sailor João Silva purchase a Hansa 303, specially adapted sailing boat, enabling him to start competing in class 303 single events.

João Silva is a sailor in the Vela Solidária project, organised by the Teia D'Impulsos Association, specifically the Adapted Sailing School, whose aim is to teach the sailing sport to children, young people and adults with disabilities.

Tom Longhurst, Chris Grebby and Nick Robinson sailed the entire length of the Algarve Coast, standing on a paddleboard, in a statement they said; “Setting off from Sagres in the dark with head torches on we all felt like we had a tough week ahead. Within hours of setting off, we knew we weren’t doing it alone.

"Thanks to paddlelogger and an amazing App, friends and family were able to follow us online. Every day our spirits were lifted by vans beeping on hills tops, friends paddling out to see us and SUP enthusiasts meeting us on the water. The days were long, 8-10hrs paddling most days but every moment was amazing.

"It was an experience that will stay with us all forever. Thank you so much for all the support from family and friends who made us feel blessed and joined our adventure.” +INFO:  www.teiadimpulsos.pt  www.velasolidaria.pt

WHAT'S ON

What's on in November Walk & Art Festival  WHEN: 5 to 8 November WHERE: Barão de São João TICKETS: Register here www.walkartfest.pt

Luísa Sobral Concert  WHEN: 6 November, 9:30 pm WHERE: Lagos Cultural Center - Duval Pestana Auditorium TICKETS: 12€ (ticketline.sapo.pt) Luísa Sobral is one of the most important composers and singers from the new generation of Portuguese artists. Her first album The Cherry On My Cake was an instant success in Portugal. It remained at the top of the charts for many weeks and quickly went platinum.

In addition to composing the winning song for the Eurovision Song Contest in 2017, with the song Amar aos Dois, performed by her brother Salvador Sobral, she has performed in numerous countries. Critics far and wide have heaped praise on this Portuguese artist’s talent and she has already won two Globos de Ouro (Portugal’s version of the Golden Globe Awards) nominations and appeared on the mythical BBC 2 show Later… with Jools Holland.

In Lagos, Luísa presents a different show.

On the Cultural Centre stage, she will only be accompanied by guitarist Manuel Rocha for an intimate concert that spans her five albums, unpublished themes and songs she composed for other artists.

The Walk and Art Festival promises days full of activities that involve walking and art in the lush nature of Barão de São João. The various initiatives include environmental education for children and families, workshops, lectures, activities related to archaeology and nature, and daily walks which can be short or long distance or thematic.

ALUT - Algarve Ultra Trail - 4th Edition  WHEN: 26 to 29 November WHERE: Between Alcoutim and Vila do Bispo + INFO AND REGISTRATION:  alut.run Organized by the Algarve Trail Running (non-profit association), ALUT is a unique sporting event in Portugal in the form of trail running that aims to make the world aware of the region's potential, namely of its most inland areas, for the practice of sport, also disclosing its culture and diversity.

It starts in the municipality of Alcoutim and ends in the municipality of Vila do Bispo, in a total route of more than 300 kilometres, mostly made by Via Algarviana, and with a time limit of 72 hours for its completion.

It is planned that the passage through the municipality of Lagos, where a support base will be installed, will take place between 19:00 on 27 November and 4:00 on 28 November.

Exhibitions Portimão museum will have two exhibitions running until 15 November.

A Commemorative exhibition of the 25 years of the Teatro da Caverna shows the path of this group, founded in the academic year of 1993/94 at Escola Secundária Manuel Teixeira Gomes and which, over the past 25 years, has presented more than 20 shows.

A photo exhibition entitled Portimão European City of Sport 2019 captures all the emotions of the best European Sport City 2019 displayed in images by photographers from the professional technical photography course at Escola Profissional Gil Eanes.

Burning: Memorial for Pedro and Inês  WHEN: 12 November, 21:30 WHERE: Grand Auditorium of TEMPO - Municipal Theater of Portimão TICKETS: 10€ (tempo.bol.pt and TEMPO ticket office) ACTA (The Algarve Theatre Company) takes on the story of the tragedy of D. Pedro and D. Inês de Castro, Portugal's Romeo and Juliet, using only images and music.

Directed by the Polish Leszek Mandzik, one of the most prominent European directors, who specialises in this kind of theatrical performance.

View more events at www.tomorrowalgarve.com/calendar To promote your events, classes and activities for FREE on our online calendar, get in touch: for.tomorrow@hotmail.com

Useful Numbers COUNTRY CODE: +351

INFO: EMERGENCY HOSPITAL RED CROSS FIRE SERVICE POLICE SERVICE (PSP) NATIONAL GUARD (GNR) TELECOM NAT. INFO CITY COUNCIL TOURIST OFFICE TOWN INFO TOURIST SUPPORT TAXI SERVICE BUS STATION TRAIN STATION CULTURAL CENTRE HEALTH CENTRE LUZ DOC (LUZ) PRIVATE HOSPITAL

WWW.CM-LAGOS.PT 112 282 770 100 282 760 611 282 770 790 282 780 240 282 770 010 118 282 780 900 282 763 031 282 764 111 808 781 212 282 460 610 282 762 944 282 762 987 282 770 450 282 780 000 282 780 700 282 790 700

COVID-19 SNS 24

808242424 CHOOSE OPTION 9 FOR ENGLISH

PHARMACIES/CHEMIST LACOBRENSE NEVES CHEMIST RIBEIRO LOPES TELLO CHEMIST SILVA CHEMIST ODIÁXERE 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

TOMORROW USEFUL NUMBERS SALES (ALJEZUR TO LAGOS) SALES (PORTIMÃO TO SILVES) EDITORIAL MAGAZINE & AD DESIGN

919 918 733 913 320 509 912 176 588 916 606 226

BOOK WORM I was directed to this novel by my LAMDA student studying for her Bronze Medal in Verse/Prose. The Perks of Being a Wallflower is one of the set texts for the syllabus. The book speaks to us on an intimate level about the trials and tribulations of being a teenager and coming to grips with adult life.

Born January 1970 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, American novelist, screenwriter and film director, Chbosky wrote this international best-selling novel in 1999. Alongside this, he wrote the film version, which he directed, starring Emma Watson as the enigmatic Sam, Logan Lerman as the introverted Charlie and Ezra Miller as Patrick.

Review of the month Our Bookworm, Annie O’Dea, reviews the coming-of-age novel The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky, aimed at young adults, which reached the New York Times bestsellers list.

As a screenwriter, Chbosky has written the screenplay for the 2005 film Rent and more recently Disney’s adaptation of Beauty and the Beast in addition to directing Wonder in 2017, starring Julia Roberts, Owen Wilson and Jacob Tremblay. His latest novel Imaginary Friend. published in 2019, is the long-awaited follow-up novel to The Perks of Being a Wallflower.

The novel is semi-autobiographical as Chbosky says he “relates to Charlie … But my life in high school was in many ways different". Charlie is an alias for this shy, observant 15-year-old teenager/narrator who is struggling with depression, as he journeys through his freshman year of high school in a Pittsburgh suburb. Set in the 1990s, Charlie’s entries to an imaginary

“Dear Friend” detail his unconventional thinking as he attempts to deal with the worlds of adolescence and adulthood.

Chbosky’s epistolary style for this novel came from his real-life experience of writing an anonymous letter to Stewart Stern about how Rebel Without a Cause had influenced him. Later the two became friends and Stern became Chbosky’s mentor. Chbosky found that the most intimate way to address the reader directly was through Charlie’s series of letters which would also help to keep the story cohesive.

Chbosky felt this style was best “to convey the highs and lows of being young - one day, you’re on top of the world and you’ve had the greatest of times …”

Due to the adult nature of the themes sexuality, rape, drug use, suicide and mental health - The Perks of Being a Wallflower was banned from some American schools.

However, it is a moving story of hope and fear, and specifically on the friends who get us through it all. The novel ends with Charlie’s epilogue of hope and optimism as he imagines himself “too busy trying to participate” to write to us anymore and so he closes with “...please believe that things are good with me, and even when they’re not, they will be soon enough.

"And I will believe the same about you. Love always, Charlie” +INFO:  annieodea@ymail.com

The Lagos Municipal Library A new proposal for the operation of the Lagos Dr. Júlio Dantas Municipal Library will go into public consultation.

The Commission is proposing to create updated rules to create a better service for users, particularly regarding access to the library and the reading pods, consultation of documents and domicile requests.

Those interested in taking part in the public consultation may do so in writing. Any ideas and suggestions can be made during the 30 working days from the date of publication of the notice in the Diário da República.

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Located on Dr. Julius Dantas Street on the site where the writer and prominent public figure gives his name, the Lagos Dr. Júlio Dantas Municipal Library was inaugurated on November 1, 1991. Throughout nearly 30 years of existence, it has played an essential role in disseminating information and guaranteeing access to it, for the population of Lagos. In recent times, it has addressed the challenges presented by the diversification of sources of information and the emergence of new interests and social demands.

Archives and Libraries). With the government decision in the 1980s to create a national library network, the DGLAB was responsible for equipping the Lagos library with books and reference materials.

In the framework of institutional cooperation, the Lagos Municipal Library maintains close links with DGLAB (Directorate-General of the Book,

The draft regulation can be viewed on the website www.cm-lagos.pt under Participação Pública.

To meet the changing needs for information and cultural consumption, as well as increasing comfort level in the use of its facilities, the library is the subject of a refurbishment project, which will be good news for all Lagos bookworms.

Images courtesy of Miguel Oliveira

SPORTS

Portugal's Motor Hero

Sunday 23 August saw history made when Miguel Oliveira won a MotoGP race in Austria. This was the first time a Portuguese rider had won at this level. November sees MotoGP come to the Algarve, can he win again?

"I am very excited, there are many things to say, but I want to thank everyone who believed in me, to my family, to my team, especially to my fans and to everyone in Portugal".

These were Miguel Oliveira's first words seconds after winning the race. I was watching the race at Lagos Marina and I could hear the roars of joy from supporters in the bars.

Upon arriving back home after the race, local television was filled with images and interviews with Miguel. The last few seconds of the race, where he snatched victory from rivals Jack Miller (Ducati) and Pol Espargaro (KTM) were repeated time and time again. On that last lap, it was clear that Oliveira was just waiting for any possible mistake by his opponents. That mistake came when they went very wide on the last corner: Oliveira just accelerated from the inside at full speed to win his first MotoGP race. Known as an intelligent and thoughtful rider, Miguel has now gained the nickname “Einstein” by his fans.

Miguel was born on the 4 January 1995, near Lisbon.

He is the first Portuguese to participate in MotoGP, the Motorcycling World Championship, on a full-time basis. As well as riding in MotoGP, he is the founder of a pioneering training project called the Oliveira Cup. A motorcycle racing school, with his direct mentoring involvement, that is aimed at young people from 10 to 14 years old. The objective being to find his successors. At the same time as racing, Miguel is taking a master's degree in dentistry. Thus he is a great role model of determination and commitment to all young people.

Portugal. Then in 2019, he raced his first season in the MotoGP world championship riding with KTM’s Tech3 team who he continues to race with in 2020. For 2021, he moves up to the full KTM works team.

MotoGP is the second of the top classes of motorsport to come to the Algarve within a few weeks. Following on from October's Formula 1 car race, MotoGP will end its 2020 season at the Autódromo do Algarve on 20 to 22 November.

As with F1, fans can visit, albeit with reduced numbers due to COVID-19 restrictions.

In September, the Autódromo had a new tarmac surface laid down in advance of F1 and MotoGP. In order to familiarise riders and teams with the circuit, MotoGP held a test at the circuit in early October. Many teams were present with full MotoGP race bikes. Others attended to allow riders to get familiar with the circuit but using road bikes. Most familiar amongst these was long time Italian ace rider, Valentino Rossi. After the test, Rossi said, “I really liked it.

On television, it seemed more difficult and complicated than it is. In reality, it is great." He continued, “The circuit is very technical, it has three or four places where it is a bit scary because of the jumps, but in general, it is great to ride and it gives a lot of fun”. Fastest time of the two-day test was set

by Michele Pirro riding a Ducati with a lap time of 1m 41.116s.

This is the fastest time ever set on two wheels around the Autódromo.

At the time of writing, tickets are still available from 85€.

Miguel’s first successes came in 2005 when he won the MiniGP Portuguese championship. In 2009, he was third in the Spanish and fifth in the European championships.

In 2010, he won five of seven events to take the runnerup position in the European championship. By 2016, he ascended to the Moto2 category. In 2018, he was elected male Sportsman of the Year by the Sports Confederation of

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By Phil Egginton, who is a journalist and photographer and now lives in the Algarve. +INFO:  www.aia.pt  www.oliveira88.com

"I am very excited, there are many things to say, but I want to thank everyone who believed in me, to my family, to my team, especially to my fans and to everyone in Portugal."

HEALTH & BEAUTY

Less is more

BY DONNA GROOM

As we hit the maturer years we no longer need to apply a full face of make-up. With an over-keen brush, it’s easy to lean towards the ’80s again.

Keeping it soft and understated will give a subtle, fresh, youthful look.

Autumn is finally here and winter is just around the corner.

Our suntans are starting to fade which will mean a shift in our make-up routines.

As we hit the colder weather it’s often harder to keep our face glowing as our skin becomes dryer during the winter months. The skin needs extra time to absorb our moisturisers so try and incorporate an exfoliation into your skincare routine to help slough off the dry skin. Try and do this twice a week, preferably in the evening before you apply a night cream. Your skin will be more hydrated by the morning and the application of make-up will look fresher.

PRIMERS AND FOUNDATION Using a primer before foundation will prevent it from settling into those lines and will help to give a more flawless base.

Try to avoid powder-based products as this again sits in the lines and draws attention to them. Stick to creams and liquids as a base.

BLUSHER Stick to cream blushers unless your skin is oily. Peach toned blushes are particularly good at giving a youthful glow. Avoid bright pink tones as it can have the opposite effect.

LIPSTICK Lips tend to become thinner as we age so try and avoid dark shades as this will emphasise them.

Use a lighter softer shade.

MASCARA Wearing mascara on the bottom lashes can make our eyes look a little droopy and will draw attention to dark circles. Load the top lashes though as this will open the eye area.

EYESHADOW Avoid shimmery eyeshadows. Instead, go for matt colours.

This will give pigment to the eyelid without emphasising the lines. Blending is key here, especially if you are using a few colours. Keep the darker colours on the outside of the eyelid.

EYELINER If you are prone to dark circles, avoid using black. Use a brown or even a little bit of eyeshadow to blend under the eye to give a softer look. +INFO:  donnagroom89@gmail.com

Menopause & Yoga Menopause affects us all differently, some women will have lots of symptoms, some none and we can all start it at different ages. There are over 30 symptoms, not just hot flushes and changes in periods but symptoms can include brain fog, anxiety, insomnia, irritability, muscle aches and joint pain. The menopause can also lead to an increased risk of osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease.

Menopause Yoga classes are designed to support women through this transitory phase and some yoga poses can help increase bone density and retain muscle mass. Stress is something that can exacerbate all symptoms and so taking some time out to focus on your breath, to allow the body and the mind to relax becomes even more important at this time.

Classes also provide a wonderful sense of community, and an opportunity to share experiences, get support from others and to know that you are not going mad. You will meet others who leave the phone in the fridge and forget why they walked into a room!

Doing weight-bearing exercise to help to offset the risk of osteoporosis is very important, and this

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should become part of our weekly routine. Whether this is going to the gym, doing bodyweight exercises or a yoga class that has a focus on this, it can prevent health problems.

As women we will live up to a third of our lives in menopause so it is important that we embrace these changes, we view it as a positive time in our lives, a time to reflect, to make changes to allow ourselves to enter the next phase of our lives. It does not mean we have become old and not able to go out and enjoy ourselves. We can still keep as active as we were, and often women will find in post menopause a renewed energy that they have not had for a long time. This will give them the impetus to get out and be more active to live their lives with passion and vibrancy. It is a privilege to reach this stage and to live so long in menopause and one that needs embracing, not dreading.

Menopause Yoga classes are Thursday 2.15 pm-3.45 pm in Burgau and online. +INFO:  www.fit2lovelife.com  +351 913 202 621  ann@fit2lovelife.com

HEALTH & BEAUTY stimulates the healing response of the deeper layers and encourages your skin to make new, collagen-rich tissue.

Microneedling is known for its incredible ability to stimulate the growth of collagen and elastin. Not only will it leave you glowing, but it can also reduce scarring, blackheads, open pores, fine lines, hyperpigmentation and more. Due to the speed of the device, treatments are fast.

WHAT MICRONEEDLING CAN DO FOR YOU: Reduce imperfections – Promotes the production of collagen and elastin, reducing the appearance of blemishes.

Roll back the years Microneedling C.I.T (collagen induction therapy)

Increased effectiveness of active ingredients – Transports the active ingredients from your treatment into the deepest layers of the skin, essentially enhancing product effectiveness instantaneously.

The micro-channels created during the treatment allow active ingredients from your skincare products to penetrate to the deepest layers of the skin to deliver even more powerful results. This is why you will want to pair your microneedling treatment with a booster like hyaluronic acid, peptides and vitamins. The microneedling device, available at select clinics, works at such a high speed you do not need anaesthetic cream before treatment.

Improved communication between skin cells – Sends out signals that activate the cells responsible for maintaining the pigmentation, collagen and elastin in the skin.

For truly visible results, I recommend a minimum of four treatments to build your collagen and elastin continually. Thanks to the powerful skin stimulation, expect some redness for 24-48 hours post-treatment before the healing begins, and the new, glowing skin starts to reveal itself. Your skin will also be more sensitive to the sun posttreatment, so ensure you apply an SPF50 when you’re out and about.

HOW IT WORKS: Tiny needles create small perforations or ‘micro-channels’ in the skin, which

+INFO:  www.saskia-beautysalon.com  saskiabeautysalon

Always look on the Bright Side of Life

BY CRISTINA MIGUEL - PSYCHIATRIST

COVID-19 Pandemic: the bright side of a global struggle Fear, vulnerability, uncertainty, loneliness and loss are among the most challenging inner states a person can face, and the COVID-19 pandemic seems to be the personification of all that.

But is this new reality just a global problem for humankind?

Before the pandemic started, our societies, in general, were perhaps too distracted with frenetic rhythms or overwhelmed with social struggles. Although we knew all the prejudicial elements in our private lives, it became increasingly difficult to have the courage or even to take the time to fix, to change or to shelter those elements.

In theory, these new uncertain times seem to bring no benefits to humanity whatsoever, but from my perspective, the reality is vastly different. The pandemic has activated all our survival instincts and, most importantly, it has shifted human priorities towards a more

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meaningful approach. In these last few months, I have noticed (not only in my patients) an incredible willingness to change the focus into what really matters, and that is inner balance and personal accomplishment.

As we quickly adapt to this new reality, I am delighted to witness more and more people who are mastering themselves as never before.

They are discovering incredible tools, acting and reacting in full compassion, and developing their creativity to respond to their real needs.

It is equally reassuring to see so many people expanding their technical, scientifical and sometimes religious spectrum, adopting healthier habits, and acting in a more kind, supportive and optimistic way toward themselves.

It is undeniable that the current situation activates the most sensitive elements of our lives, but that is precisely the greatest opportunity to turn our difficulties into

opportunities, our fear into courage and our weakness into strength. If you are struggling in your inner, personal or professional world, I invite you to react and explore psychotherapy, mindfulness, meditation, hypnotherapy, creative visualisation, physical exercise, arts, dance, music, or voluntary work.

If any of those (or other) experiences will boost your emotional state, then you have found the most powerful antidote to face your difficulties.

If it did not, then perhaps the solution is simply within yourself! Please remember that any difficult moment is a golden opportunity to tap into our most powerful inner resources. When life asks us for an extra effort, it often gives us the chance to choose between remaining in pain or evolving towards a better state.

Challenging moments require us to “be there” for ourselves first, and then to impact the world in the best way we can.

HEALTH & BEAUTY

Design your Future

BY SARAH ANN MURRAY

Sarah-Louise Designs Science may well provide the answers, but in the meantime, creativity is a precious escape.

“Retrain!” they said. “Work in cyber!”, he suggested. Just last week, a ‘Dear John’ letter, of sorts, to the creative industries from one particularly insensitive government, was met with well-deserved criticism.

Tantamount to telling the Algarve to ‘forget tourism, do something else!’, this retrain initiative from the privileged peeps in Westminster has riled and ruffled feathers amongst the entirety of the creative sector, myself included.

Imagine a world with no music, no comedy, no dance, no fashion, no architectural wonders, no Netflix, no brilliant local magazines to inspire your next sojourn, no Tomorrow magazine … Gasp! What a quiet, dull world this would be.

And so, my rallying cry, my rebuttal, my refusal to allow creative talent to fall by the wayside and take up an NVQ in ‘cyber’, is to endeavour to champion and support creative talent and visionaries.

And please note, this is not a political statement. This is a sincere shout-out for those creating the soundtracks to our lives; designing the wardrobes for our Saturday nights, writing the films and books that evoke our deepest emotions. A salute to the design team, editors and writers of our very own creative corner, in this here, very fabulous magazine.

So, with optimistic enthusiasm, I want to introduce a young fashion designer, based here in the Algarve, who adapted, who overcame and who found a way to send her designs out to the world.

After Graduate Fashion Week in London – normally the pivotal moment for graduates to display their most eye-catching showpieces to the industry - was cancelled, fashion designer Sarah-Louise Koessler managed to pull together imagery of her final, show-stopping collection. With the help of photographers and stylists, she created some precious images to plan the next step in launching her fashion business. Sarah-Louise Designs is here in the Algarve and online to the rest of the world.

Hailing originally from France - like so many great fashion designers – Sarah-Louise then crossed the channel to hone her skills at Kingston College and Brighton University studying fashion and business followed by numerous stints in ateliers and fashion houses, including the very chic, Ralph and Russo. It was during this time that her French father and English mother settled in the Algarve, SarahLouise’s new home and new studio HQ of her fashion label.

With her eye for dramatic creations, here she plans not only to help local businesses with their marketing and online strategies, SarahLouise also plans to create and sell wearable designs in the form of bags and clothing, all created sustainably using fabric remnants from her collections.

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Sarah told me, “The tops will be a diffusion line from my current collection and more wearable, ready-to-wear pieces. I will also continue to create bespoke and showpieces.

Working in the current climate, I will be selling online, promoting locally, and, eventually, internationally. The absolute dream would be for someone like Lady Gaga to wear my designs.”

Even more encouraging, Sarah-Louise is collaborating with local designers and brands and has been working with local photographers and hair and make-up artists as she creates the allimportant imagery of her new designs.

Of course, in relation to the notion of retraining, from where this tale began, Sarah has sought additional financial support by teaching English and French online with Italki (in case you’re keen to brush up on your language skills). What this shows us and what SarahLouise’s quick-thinking and adaptation to an ever-shifting landscape demonstrates, is that giving up on your dream and retraining in a completely different sector doesn’t have to be the only course of action in these troubling times.

As Leadership Coach Rob Smith at Ollivier People & Development told me, “exploring your skillset, adapting to and embracing shifting professional norms, and reaching out to your network are key for your professional development - in both normal and uncertain times – don’t survive, thrive!”

Advice well-heeded by Sarah-Louise Koessler and, I can only hope, other young creatives with dreams, passions and aspirations.

So, as we await her new collection, I’ll hang on to her words of encouragement: “I’ve learnt that, with all these changes, you cannot know the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead. So, you just have to go for it!”

Hear, hear. +INFO:  @Sarah_Louise_Designs  londonfashionweek.co.uk/designers/graduate-fashion-foundation

AURA TAROLOGA Personal Coaching & Wellness Therapies

NEW SHOP IN PORTIMÃO! Online consultation also available  (+351) 910 914 910  Rua Dom Carlos I lt 100, 8500-607 Portimão

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BUSINESS & TECHNOLOGY

B-Leaf B-Leaf, Landscaping, Gardening and Forestry is a company entirely committed to integrated management of landscapes.

Since 2015, they have grown by providing high-quality services and materials to their clients.

From planning to landscaping and maintenance of your garden, they develop a professional project, using trained technicians with a large and proven experience in the field. B-Leaf chooses the best plants, materials and decorative features for your garden and a landscape architect will advise you on the best design for your outdoor space.

Landscape architect Tiago Águas comments, “We have our mindset on the development of the best outdoor space where you can chill out with your family and friends.

"The forest is, also, one of our concerns and we are prepared to do all the forestry works with a professional workforce and machinery. We can maintain your land, so you can have your assets safe from fire.”

The company's main goal is to make their customers happy and proud of their outdoor spaces. In order to do that they also offer various maintenance solutions, visiting the gardens every week to do the gardening, they can also advise on general maintenance for your house and pool and provide the customer periodic reports of their work.

Contact B-Leaf to turn over a new leaf in your garden.

Member of Portuguese Landscape Architects Association +INFO:  +351 968 556 271  www.b-leaf.pt

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Language friends and some foes….

BY LENA STRANG

Last month in this series of articles on learning Portuguese, Lena talked about ways of retaining vocabulary as well as the use of cognates. This month, she demonstrates how cognates can be such an indispensable tool for learning the language.

Let’s say you want to express something in Portuguese that has really impressed you and you feel a mere bom (good) is inadequate. There are a wide range of alternatives: Perfeito! (perfect), Excelente! (excellent), Magnificente! (magnificent), Excepcional! (exceptional) Fabuloso! (fabulous) Sensacional! (sensational).

You probably noticed that these words and their translations are quite similar. These are called cognates. Since English and Portuguese (along with Spanish, Italian and French) have Latin roots, the languages have a lot in common. In fact, up to 40% of all words in English have a related word in Portuguese. Not only do they look and sound similar, but in the majority of cases, they have the same meaning. There are thousands of cognates ready to be discovered.

Some words are identical in spelling. The only thing to remember is that the endings of the Portuguese words are emphasised in pronunciation: Real, natural, original, total, animal, social, etc.

Cognates are easy to recognise. By simply changing the ending of an English word, you can convert it into Portuguese. Once you identify and learn to transform these word endings, there is a huge vocabulary at your disposal.

Here are just a few examples. Words in English ending in -tion convert to -ção in Portuguese (education - educação, station - estação, nation – nação). You just have to remember that the c with a tail (ç - cedilla) becomes a soft ‘s’ and the accent over ‘a’

makes a nasal sound. Words ending in -sion follow the same pattern by converting to -são in Portuguese (decision – decisão, vision – visão, expression – expressão).

There is also a vast number of adverbs (qualifying words) that the two languages share. English words ending in -ly often end in -mente in Portuguese (originally – originalmente, finally – finalmente, simplysimplesmente).

Keep a look-out for other words that follow patterns like this. These include nouns such as identity – identidade, adjectives: permanent – permanente, verbs: complicate – complicar, and many more.

But we can’t have rules without exceptions, can we? There are some ‘false friends’ amongst cognates that can land us in embarrassing situations if used incorrectly.

For example, if you hear someone say they are constipado, that simply means they have a cold. (It has nothing to do with their bowel movements!) If you want to know if a jam has preservatives in it, use the word aditivos, instead of the apparent cognate, or else you’ll be referring to the male contraceptive!

Aside from these rare exceptions, cognates are your best friends. To boost your vocabulary by taking advantage of the common origin of Portuguese and English words, watch the video “5000 Portuguese Words you Already Know” at Practice Portuguese. +INFO:  practiceportuguese.com/words

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T. +44 (0) 203 974 4738 / +351 282 768 136 E. portugal@gcpartners.co www.gcpartners.co Visit our oďŹƒces in Lagos and Vilamoura Global Currency Exchange Network Limited T/A GC Partners is authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority under the Payment Services Regulations 2017, FRN 504346. Global Custodial Services Limited T/A GC Partners is authorised and regulated by the FCA and holds Part IV Permissions under the FSMA 2000. Registration number 595875.

BUSINESS & TECHNOLOGY

hotel. “We wanted to create accommodation that fulfils all requirements for an impeccable holiday experience,” Rey explains. Far removed from her former profession as a child psychologist, Pirkko’s emerging skills ensured the hotel was immaculately designed and furnished. Her eye for detail would prove indispensable when they ventured into their most ambitious project yet – Golfland, a family amusement park and a meeting place for golfers.

Staying on Top of the Game

BY LENA STRANG

Vision, perseverance and entrepreneurship are words that spring to mind when I talk to Rey Langels, one of the founders of Golfland in Alvor.

We are sitting on the shaded terrace overlooking the newly opened 18-hole minigolf park surrounded by palm trees and verdant vegetation. I have been given a guided tour around the complex and I am impressed. How did it all come about? I’d like to know about Rey's background and what motivated him to invest energy and resources on such an ambitious project.

Rey is part of the increasing Scandinavian community who have settled in the Algarve. He spent his childhood in Nämpnäs, a small village in rural Ostrobothnia, Finland but settled in Sweden after graduating in economics at Umeå University. Did he always have an entrepreneurial spirit? “Yes, I suppose so,” he laughs. “I was forever inventive. My very first business venture was called Tehörnan (Tea Corner) selling teas and coffee.” Over the years he managed a number of different businesses, mainly in the IT sector.

Having raised three children who are pursuing their individual careers in Sweden, Rey and his wife Pirkko were ready for a move to warmer climes. It was the Algarve with its amenable weather, pleasant atmosphere and affordable living that beckoned. They chose Alvor as they felt it still retained much of the ambience of a traditional fishing village. Hardly surprisingly, their first act was to convert an old townhouse into a luxurious bed and breakfast

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It took nearly seven years to complete. Rey already shared an interest in golf with his business partner Mikael Kummelstedt. They appreciated that the Algarve was an international golf paradise with much to offer. However, there was a vacuum to fill. “We felt there was a need to create a unique meeting place for golfers and families with activities during the day and at night,” Rey explains. Along with investments by another two Swedes and a loan from the Algarve Tourist Board, Golfland was born.

But it wasn’t all plain sailing, was it? “No, far from it!” Rey laughs. “The bureaucratic challenges nearly defeated us at times, but we refused to give up.” Pirkko was working on the interior design with the effect being colourful and harmonious. Along with Mikael she coordinated the planting to create a tropical look.

What were his thoughts when it was finished? “Relief,” he says. “We spent so many hours trying to achieve our goal that exceeded our wildest expectations.”

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As we make our way around the course, I can see what he means. The area is beautifully landscaped with many quirky features. Each hole is dedicated to a district in the Algarve bearing a special message to players. The animatronic effects of speaking trees, moving animals and cascading waterfalls add a sense of fun.

There is no shortage of space to relax with several bars, a spacious restaurant, terraces and a playground. It has already become the venue of choice for social events and children’s birthday parties. The open spaces allow for adequate social distancing. At night the place is lit up by multicoloured light shows.

I can see the appeal for serious golfers with the two Trackman Golf simulators and professional coaches at hand.

I was able to speak to one of the clients, California-born Douglas James, who has become a regular. “I have played golf around the world, but for me this is unique. There is something for everyone. Families can enjoy a great day out with fantastic facilities. The full course simulators with professional instructors to assist is invaluable.”

Finally, I ask Ray to define what it is that drives him and others to achieve what many consider impossible. His response is forthright: “My 40 years’ experience in business has taught me a lot. I am a stubborn entrepreneur who along with some others, never give up.”

I think what I see around me is a case in point.

K

A new Magic Fun amusement park for the whole family and meeting place for all golfers.

Featuring TRACKMAN STUDIO & GOLF LAND LEAGUES Play against friends and other competitors Play a world-famous course every time Play with your own clubs Competitive fun for all golfers 2 simulators with a maximum of 4 players per bay

Join the league & Simulator bookings:  (+351) 925 364 788 Mini golf & restaurant:  (+351) 282 483 447

 trackman@golfland.pt

 info@golfland.pt

 golfland.pt

FOOD & DRINK

Pizzeria Delizia Al Pacino would love it!!

Everyone has their favourite pizzeria.

Usually local and, like your local curry house, always the best. Pizzerias are abundant here as we all know so Yum Yum would not normally review such a place. This place, however, deserves a mention for being a cut above the rest and it's local Portuguese owned - so supporting the business at this time seems the right thing to do.

Located just off the main square in Ferragudo, Pizzeria Delizia is funky looking from the outside. It's not huge, but being a pizza/pasta place it needed to be special: it was. There is a small outside space and ample seating inside (well the nights are getting nippy now). Book ahead as it can get packed. Always a good sign.

To the food. We started with garlic bread with cheese, standard fayre, not too much but just right with four slices per serving.

Yum Yum chum had a bruschetta, no cheese but fresh tomatoes. Both very scrummy.

One chum had oil with garlic and bread slices. Plain but nothing to be offended about.

Onto the main courses and the pizzas were an Italian salami with extra mushrooms, four kinds of cheese, a Napoli pizza with

extra rocket and a margarita with extra onions and peppers. All were stunning and I would advise passing on the starter if you are not ravenous. The pizza will fill the plate.

All thin crust and made to order with fresh ingredients. What made them extra special was they were cooked just the right side of melted cheese loveliness (I know you know what that means). Perfect.

Having been before, this would have been the 8th or 9th different we'd tasted here and the ingredients and cooking have been consistently good. The night we went, there was too much for some people, so a pizza box for next day cold pizza was in order.

No room for dessert. All washed down with beer, a bottle of red and a half litre of white wine. The Lavazza coffee is a favourite so a double bica was in order for Yum Yum. Nice and strong.

The friendly service was spot on. Pizzeria Delizia has a good chilled atmosphere and it all came to just over 70€ for 4. Well worth it.

Bye for now. Off for a pizza!!

+INFO:  +351 282 461 868  Rua Vasco da Gama 25, Ferragudo 8400-253

Marina Munchies

Derry and Ana have built an enviable reputation with their bar and restaurant on the Marina in Lagos, with years of constant attention to details and customer service.

It is always refreshing to discover that they are constantly aiming to add extra benefits to their client experience.

With that in mind, they have introduced a real ‘showstopper’ with the addition to the menu of this cheese and meat board.

So here is the deal, and I am confident you will agree with me this offers exceptional

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value, but more importantly, it provides a mix of great flavours as you can see from the photograph!

A cheese and meat board for two including a bottle of house wine is 20€ and a cheese and meat board for four, including two bottles of house wine is 40€. Not only this but a great range of food and one of the very best views of the Marina. +INFO:  +351 282 789 701  Open 9am – 11pm  Lot 30. 8600-315 Lagos

The Tattooed Baker If the travel restrictions mean you are missing out on English-style baked goods, then Christmas has come early for you.

James Ward, the self-styled tattooed baker, is bringing his cooking skills to Lagos, Luz and Burgau area, supplying locals with delicious edibles, including scones with clotted cream, blondies, brownies, cheesecakes, cookies and more.

His baking journey began as a young boy, baking delicious treats with his mum.

Skip forward a few years and he and his wife opened a vintage tea room called MadHatters Tea Pot in north-west England.

Over the seven years they ran the tea room, it won two awards and was nominated for more. They also gained the top spot on Trip Advisor for places-to-eat in the area.

Now they have relocated to the Algarve, check for updates on the latest bakes and offers. +INFO:  +351 964594011  Tattooed Baker  @tattooedbakerdude

Kiko’s Tasca Wine, food and friends.

Unique, Exclusive and Distinct wines from Portugal.

Portuguese food. Tapas, lunch and dinner.

Don´t forget to visit our new wine cellar.

Open from 11am to 11pm. Closed on Tuesdays.

Reservations only by telephone +351 282 046 037 Email: one.destino@gmail.com • f facebook.com/tascadokiko Centro Naútico Sopromar - Est. Sopromar (Meia-Praia) • LAGOS • GPS - N 37º 06.433' / W 08º 40.176'

FOOD & DRINK

A Lazy Girl's Guide to November

BY THE LAZY TIGERS We are so lucky, that while in other parts of Europe it is, to quote Thomas Hood, `No fruits, no flowers, no leaves, no birds, November!'

It`s just lovely here. That, of course, doesn't stop us playing about with the heating and putting the duvet back on the bed. There is also the pleasure of rediscovering the items in your winter wardrobe.

This month's recipes are particularly autumnal and, although they have more ingredients than some of our usual easypeasy dishes, they have the advantage of being freezer friendly. Hence, a little effort yields a large reward. Stow them away for when you are feeling particularly lazy.

Once you can make the gingerbread dough, you can make a whole gingerbread house, some tree decorations, or iced men and women for the entertainment of small children. You can also plan early for Christmas and freeze-wrap it in clingfilm for up to a month, then defrost overnight in the fridge.

Our second cold weather special is Cauliflower and White Bean soup. The main recipe is vegan, but we suggest you garnish lavishly with croutons, bacon lardons, chives, and... you get the picture.

This soup can be frozen for up to three months. Make it now and defrost it on New Year's Day. It's nutritious without being solid, it might be all you can keep down all day.

And a hot cocktail? How about making a Toddy with gin rather than rum?

Keep well, and we will see you at London Tiger Coffee for some winter warmers.

Cauliflower and White Bean Soup

MAKES 6 BIG PORTIONS:  1½ tbsp olive oil (the regular kind)  1 large cauliflower or 2 small ones (about 1kg), trimmed and chopped up small  2 celery sticks, finely chopped  4 large shallots or 2 onions, finely chopped  1 garlic clove, finely chopped  2 x 400g tins cannellini beans (virtually any tinned beans will do), drained & rinsed  1 litre of vegan stock (Knorr veggie cubes are vegan) Heat the oil in a large, heavy-based pan over a medium heat. Add the cauliflower, celery and shallots or onion and cook for 10 mins until slightly softened but not browned.

Add the garlic and cook for a further 1 min.

Add the beans and stock, then cover and cook for 40 ish minutes until the vegetables are tender and breaking up.

Liquidise the soup using a handheld blender until it has a smooth consistency. Season to taste. Garnish away.

Hot Gin Todd MAKES 1:  50 ml Gin (your favourite, or cooking gin, it doesn't really matter)  25 ml fresh lemon juice  75 ml hot water  1 tsp sugar Put all the ingredients in a largish glass Stir well and garnish with a cinnamon stick.

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2

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Gingerbread Biscuits MAKES ONE BATCH:  75 grams of butter  3 ½ tbsp golden syrup  60 grams light soft brown sugar  175 grams plain flour  ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda  2 tsp ground ginger Heat your oven to 190°C/170°C Stir the butter, golden syrup, and sugar together on a low heat 'til the sugar has dissolved. Put the flour, bicarb, and ginger in a mixing bowl. Stir and make a well in the centre, and pour in the sugar and butter mixture.

Stir or use your hands to form a dough.

Wrap in clingfilm and chill. Roll the dough between two sheets of baking paper (to stop it sticking to the rolling pin) until it is the thickness of a 1€ coin.

Cut into whatever shapes you prefer. You can cut out men, stars, moons, etc. and bake for 10 to 12 minutes till lightly browned. The biscuits will be soft and harden up as they cool, then you can decorate or construct as you will.

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PETS & WILDLIFE

Nest Building The Local Accommodation for Birds is an initiative that won the 2018 National Participative Budget and will be instigated over the next two years throughout the Algarve region. Starting last July, it is a collaboration between the Vita Nativa Association and the Institute for Nature Conservation and Forests.

WHAT WILL BE HAPPENING? Over the next months, we will install and monitor, free of charge, about 2000 nest boxes. They will be homes for small species of insectivorous birds like tits and hoopoes and small and medium birds of prey, such as the little owl, the barn owl and the common kestrel.

These are species that depend, for the most part, on cavities to build their nest. Unfortunately, the availability of natural holes has decreased, particularly in the Algarve, due to the loss of large trees. This is a result of urban expansion, change in land use and fires, which cause a drastic change in habitats.

WHAT DO WE HOPE TO ACHIEVE? We want to stimulate interest from the public and provide more interaction between society and birds. By providing extra breeding sites, we will also promote a greater number and diversity of birds in urban and suburban settings, like gardens and other green public areas. All the target species of this project are excellent friends in controlling biological pests, such as the pine caterpillar and rodent species. By favouring these species, we are undoubtedly fighting for a more balanced ecosystem.

Your Dog's Second Best Friend

BY RODOLFO AÇO

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WHO DO WE WANT TO INVOLVE? We want to reach as many citizens as possible, and to do that we want to involve several regional agents. Until now, we have contacted all the 16 Algarve municipalities, nine of which are participating in the scheme. We are also contacting different agriculture, forestry, and hotel companies.

If the support of these entities is significant, the involvement of Algarve schools and science centres is also considered a priority.

WHAT WILL BE THE ACTIONS OF THE PROJECT? In short, we can divide the project into four main operations. In the first phase (in the next few months), the nest boxes will be installed. Later, in spring of 2021, we will monitor and guarantee their maintenance, repeating the procedure in the spring of 2022. In parallel, another initiative will involve the installation of cameras in occupied boxes to transmit live on the internet. Finally, the fourth action will involve environmental education activities with schools, such as nest box construction workshops.

HOW TO FOLLOW THE PROJECT? Everyone can do it through our website (vitanativa. org), and our Facebook and Instagram pages.

Finally, if you want to help us and be part of our family, you can become a partner.

+INFO:  +351 936436948 (João Tomás - Associação Vita Nativa - Conservação do Ambiente)  alaves@vitanativa.org

Dear readers of Tomorrow magazine, A friend who reads my articles did say to me she noticed that a lot of dog owners have difficulties with their dogs when food is involved.

If your dog growls at you when it's having its food, either because you tried to approach its bowl, or you just got closer to where is eating, then your dog is being challenging, in a way that can become dangerous for you or others, so you should address it immediately.

When giving food to your dog, either its meal or treat, before putting its bowl on the floor, the dog has to be seated two steps away. If he moved before you gave permission, you place your dog one step

further away than the time before. When your dog is seated you can place the bowl on the floor. If they move, you start from the beginning.

The objective is that you can have your dog seated showing that it acknowledges that your permission is needed. The dog should be making eye contact with you, and not be focused on the food.

If you can manage to do this, your dog will look up to you, and straight away respond to you better.

I wish you all the best, and hope your relation with your dog improves day-by-day. +INFO:  rmggoncalves@gmail.com

PETS & WILDLIFE

Griffin Vulture Rescue A surfer in Luz had an unexpected rider on his board when he rescued a griffon vulture who was in trouble in the ocean off Praia da Luz. On 14th October, residents of Luz saw a drama unfolding as a local surfer brought an exhausted young griffon vulture ashore.

Local bird expert Simons Wates told the Praia da Luz Facebook group, “Every year at this time of Eurasian griffon vulture dispersion (not migration exactly), a few birds turn up exhausted like this one in the most outlandish places. A few years back, one landed on a 4th-floor balcony in Lagos".

Tomorrow magazine contacted the rehabilitation centre (RIAS, Olhão) where the bird was taken by their local warden.

“The griffon is weak and thin, and it was injected with a multivitamin solution. It has eaten which is a good sign, but we still need to wait and see how he evolves.”

Simon Wates explains more about the bird, “They are extremely social beings and anyone who would like to see one of the most enthralling spectacles of Algarvean nature would do well to get themselves to the Sagres area.

Here, the various flocks, sometimes hundreds strong, join up into the largest griffin vulture flocks known - in excess of 2,000 birds have been reliably recorded together by the bird census workers out there (me included). These movements occur between approx 10th October and mid-November - peaking usually in late October. They bring other species with them, like Rüppell's vulture, Egyptian and Eurasian black vultures and the odd Spanish imperial and even golden eagles. Rarely are the flocks visible from Luz but can often be seen a little inland from here - Sagres is the best bet though on a good day.”

The latest report on 20th October from RIAS was: "The vulture, together with another one that arrived in the same week, have been transferred to a 50m outside enclosure.

Here, they have space to practice the flight and recover their physical condition".

All being well It will be likely released in the Baixo Alentejo, near Mértola, where it can easily rejoin groups of griffons. +INFO:  RIAS - Centro de Recuperação e Investigação de Animais Selvagens  +351 927 659 313  rias-aldeia.blogspot.com

Pet's Mate Well well well, it's about time to get the Christmas tree up. 2020 has caught me off guard again.

For those that have pets with arthritis, the colder weather will creak their joints and heave their sighs more as they manage their way up the stairs (or some mornings, even just out of bed…some days are better than others hey?!).

This month is a good time to start ahead of the game in getting your pet 'lubed up' for winter. Yes, you are probably guessing right…lubricate their joints with healthy hyaluronic acid joint fluid. Was that your guess? If so, send in your answer for a prize…

Hyaluronic acid is what gives joint fluid is spongy, shock-absorptive qualities, as well as many other health-providing benefits for the joint and the joint capsule. At the clinic, when we tap fluid from an arthritic joint, we see a liquid which is quite insipid (watery) and bloody, with less quality and less protective effects for the joint.

There are a number of chondroprotective medicines available to help improve the nature of this joint

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fluid and improve the health of the joint and the joint capsule. Several products have chondroitin and glucosamine (amongst other things) which help with joint health. But be aware: neutraceuticals don’t have quality control and not all products are equally good. Speak to your vet first about choosing the right one.

Arthritis is a one-way street. Affected joints WILL ONLY continue to get worse. Protecting the joint fluid slows this progression down. Treating them now will help your pet in the future years too!

The best thing to improve this joint fluid, however, is polysulfated glycosaminoglycans (send us your voice recording of this term for another prize!). There are two types of injections available which VERY much improve this quality too. We prefer this above all chondroprotectants to prolong the healthiest life of the affected joint … as long possible.

+INFO:  +351 282 782 282 (Lagos Vet Clinic)

#GiiHOME

ENVIRONMENT

Every drop counts

BY TRACY BURTON Recent newspaper headlines like ‘Less water available in Portugal’ (Portugal News, 5 October) and ‘Algarve’s water reserves only last until end of 2020’ (Portugal Resident, 11 August) are alarming but not surprising.

For many of us, it was the Algarve’s glorious climate – and famously low rainfall – which appealed.

Now rain – or rather the lack of it – is increasingly a topic of political concern.

As Portugal’s environment minister João Pedro Matos Fernandes told a climate change meeting in Loulé in February, it’s unlikely the rainfall in the Algarve will increase in the long term. The solution then must be more efficient management of this scarce resource, e.g. using treated wastewater for urban supply needs, including golf courses and crop irrigation, instead of drinking quality water.

In 2010, in its report Water Footprint in Portugal, the World Wildlife Fund found agriculture accounted for 78% of water demand; a decade on, the figure stands at 75% (Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation). Dry orchards of indigenous olive, cork and carob continue to be replaced with sprawling and well-irrigated fruit plantations. Leaks in ageing pipework account for even more ‘wasted’ water.

The Loulé-based non-profit organisation Associação Almargem believes large-scale societal change is needed – and fast. Simple changes based on the circular economy system – designing out waste, re-using materials and regenerating natural systems – would make a big difference. One example is not ‘over-purifying’ water for its intended purpose.

“We know water from urban sewage systems can be transformed to an adequate quality for agriculture with very little effort,” explains Almargem’s Patrícia Fernandes.

She suggests cities with historic water struggles could create a ‘green umbrella’ of low waterconsumption trees and plants to trigger a natural cooling effect and reduce water needs. Rainwater could be collected and stored locally to maintain parks and gardens.

Silves reservoir - May 2015

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Education, too, is crucial. “Every student should be taught to cherish and care for their natural environment,” insists Patrícia. “So much can be lost in the span of a generation.”

HOW WE CAN ALL HELP In the face of such huge environmental challenges, is there really anything we can do as individuals to make a difference? Almargem believes there is and, earlier this year, it launched a public awareness campaign to highlight the problem of unrestrained water consumption. #AÚltimaGota_Algarve (Portuguese for ‘the last drop’) brought together environmental experts to address the problem of water scarcity in the Algarve and share their knowledge in a monthly newsletter.

Regular water-saving ‘challenges’ have been posted weekly on Almargem’s Facebook page, e.g. in October, people were urged to report water leaks or the inappropriate watering of public gardens. In September, young people returning to school were challenged to turn off dripping taps and report any which continued to drip. Meanwhile, adults were encouraged to get the dripping taps at home fixed.

A summer gardening challenge suggested using pine shell, straw and dry leaves to create a protective barrier to prevent flower beds drying out in hot weather.

In May, when Portugal remained in a State of Calamity, #AÚltimaGota_Algarve put its ‘isolated but spared’ motto in place and encouraged followers to create a mini garden at home, using the water used for cooking vegetables or pasta to nurture the plants.

“We cannot think that our actions will have no impact and therefore not take any action,” insists Patrícia.

“Maybe today we’ll only save a litre of water, but if we all made that effort, in a single day, thousands of litres would be saved in a single Algarve city.” +INFO:  www.almargem.org / www.aguasdoalgarve.pt  Associação Almargem

Silves reservoir - September 2020

Barragem da Bravura Odiáxere - October 2020 by Lúcio Nobre

Did you know...

Western/central Algarve has four reservoirs (barragems): Bravura, Odelouca, Arade and Funcho Odelouca is the main source of water in the Algarve. When full, it has a surface area of 7.8km2 and a useful storage capacity of 128 hm3 Algarve tap water is safe to drink and is of excellent quality (Águas do Algarve) 1kg of beef takes around 16,000 litres of water to produce

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TRAVEL & OUTDOORS

Fisherman's cliff top shack Bordeira Beach

Discovering the Trail of Carrapateira The Algarve has two distinctively different coastlines, the south coast of beautiful sandy beaches, interesting caves and grottoes, and mostly calm sea with light winds. The Atlantic coast is often windy and wild with large breaking waves and a dramatic rocky shore interspersed with long stretches of sandy beach. Both offer opportunities for exciting exploration, hikes and beach time.

The Algarve’s tourism authorities have done a remarkable job of providing boardwalks with benches and rest areas as well as displays and signs describing points of interest, historical facts and likely flora and fauna in significant locales. One, in particular, is described as the Museo do Mar e da Terra, the Museum of Sea and Land, in the district of Carrapateira. It’s a national park, and the stretch of coast is known as the Costa Vicentina.

BY JULIAN PUTLEY

From the mid-16th century for over two hundred years, Spain reaped huge wealth from the new world. Every three or four years, a flotilla would depart from the West Indies and set sail for the mother country. It was a hazardous voyage with pirates, storms, hurricanes and tricky navigation to contend with. The ships were invariably laden with valuable cargo like gold, silver, precious stones, dyes, tobacco and more. It was one of these fleets that encountered a tumultuous storm off the west coast of Portugal in 1555.

The trail begins at Bordeira beach and continues south along the coast to Amado beach. It’s a distance of about 3.5km and will take you about forty minutes on foot. Allow another sixty minutes for exploring and to take amazing photographs. The dirt track is relatively flat and is drivable with plenty of lay-bys.

The flotilla was a small one of only three ships, La Condesa, San Salvador and Santa Catalina.

La Condesa was driven onto an outlying rock, Pedra da Galé, off Carrapateira. She sank with all hands except a carpenter who survived to tell the story. As recently as 1991, divers discovered fifty bronze cannons and a year later some twenty smaller arms were identified. A huge treasure and valuable artefacts have yet to be recovered; the sea off this coast is seldom calm enough for underwater exploration. The location of this historical tragedy stimulates the imagination and reminds us of the dangers and courage of those sailors of yesteryear. The distant lone rock, an improbable and isolated danger, can be seen off the point.

Bordeira beach is a spectacular, long, sandy stretch of beach about 3km in length. On the southern end of the beach is the estuary of the Ribeira da Bordeira forming a calm lake perfect for a quick dip before embarking on the trail. The first stop will introduce you to some fascinating history.

If you continue south along the track, the wild and windy shore exposes rocks awash; home to large varieties of shellfish, the lifeblood of the inhabitants of Carrapateira in bygone days. Further on the rather grand name of Port Zimbreirinha is reached. It’s unique in that it bears little resemblance to a traditional port.

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The most unlikely port in the world Access from land is extremely hazardous and from the sea, a challenge. Only small boats could access the ‘port’, and then, if bad weather threatened, they were hoisted from the water on a ramp. The fishermen lived in cliff-top shacks for days while the catch was taken to market.

The unique location is now a curiosity and tourist attraction. Since 2010 it has been officially closed due to land erosion and rockfalls.

To many, the landscape appears dry and barren, but on closer examination, the ecosystem is diverse in both flora and fauna. There are storks, ospreys, kestrels and cormorants, some may be sighted nesting on the cliffs; on the rocks are colourful algae, red, green, brown and yellow. The soil supports wildflowers like the yellow bellardia, banks of purple snapdragons and honeywort.

The remnants of a Moorish village can be seen at the next promontory. It’s a reminder of the Islamic influence that still persists in parts of the Iberian Peninsula. The name of the town of Aljezur is derived from Al Jazeera, meaning peninsular in Arabic.

The beautiful beach at Amodo greets you as you come to the end of the trail.

Whether your interests involve stories of the sea, nature, history or spectacular scenery and beaches, this interesting trail will not disappoint.

+INFO:  www.pontaldacarrapateira.com

TRAVEL & OUTDOORS

There is history on every corner in Silves, hinting at its affluent and colourful past as the Moorish capital of the Algarve. You can trace its origins back to 1000 BC, however, it was the occupation in the 8th century by the Moors which brought a lavish lifestyle to the area. They were reputed to have imported lions and other wild animals that roamed freely through the exotic gardens in the town.

Don’t miss the old Roman bridge which crosses the river.

The riverfront is a delight, with a well-signed path that meanders along. There is a free outdoor exercise area with ‘Life Trail Wellness Stations’ and plenty of picnic spots.

Silves is a place to savour, with cobbled streets, cafés and shops that call out to be explored and you cannot really get lost here as all roads lead upwards to the castle. One warning is that the traditional calçada paving is very smooth and slippery when it rains – and the climb to the top of the hill is steep.

The City Gate is the only one of the four archways to the old town that remains standing today. It is a very impressive sight, hinting at the fortress-like protection afforded to the occupants.

The Cathedral of Silves is definitely worth visiting and entrance costs only 1.50€. The interior is a mixture of Gothic, Medieval and Baroque traditions. There is an immense sense of height and space in the building, and it is a peaceful place to explore.

When King John II died unexpectedly in Alvor in 1495, he was provisionally buried in the cathedral, until he was exhumed in 1499 and re-buried in the Monastery of Batalha. His tomb slab with a Gothic inscription is on the floor of the main chapel. The crucifixion effigy of Christ is also a dramatic sight.

Head on up to the castle and check out the size of the statue of Sancho I, the second king of Portugal. This is a great spot for a photo opportunity.

Silves Castle is the best-preserved fortress in the Algarve.

Entry costs 2.80€ for adults and 1.40€ for children. It is a

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All images © Dave Sheldrake Photography.

Things to do in… Silves

Silves Cathedral

most impressive sight, with eleven square towers and red sandstone walls which enclose an area of 12,000m². There are Gothic doorways and small exhibition rooms housing artefacts and displays. There were originally two entrances to the castle grounds; the main gate defended by two towers and a so-called ‘traitors-gate’.

The view from the top is stunning, with panoramic views across the city and surrounding countryside. The walkways are not for the fainthearted – in many places, there are no railings and there is quite a drop! There is a well-tended garden area with trees and seating. There are also two Roman cisterns to explore. The larger one is called ‘El Moura Encantada’.

Legend says you can hear a Moorish princess mourning her beloved at the well where he committed suicide.

The Praça Al Mouhatamid Ibn Abbad park is located along the main road and is named after the 11th-century Arabic leader that ruled the area from Seville. He was considered one of the finest of the Andalusian poets, and there is a plaque inscription of one of his poems in the gardens. There are also some stunning modern statues in the middle of the water feature.

You cannot visit Silves without spotting the famous white storks. They build their large nests on the top of the Moorish chimneys and the corners of buildings – there are some enormous nests near to the old city gate. I love to hear the loud clacking sound they make when they call out to each other and watch their majestic flight.

Silves is a fascinating town full of history and ancient monuments. It’s a great place for a day out, just wander around and explore its charms.

Alyson Sheldrake is an artist and writer. She is the author of the best-selling book Living the Dream - in the Algarve, Portugal which is available to purchase on Amazon.

White stork

Special Offers This month enjoy these exclusive discounts from local Silves businesses. Mention Tomorrow magazine and receive: A 20% discount from South Explorers on their Silves + Monchique + Wine Tasting Tour (southexplorers.pt/silvesmonchique-wine-tasting) A free bottle of house wine with an evening meal for two at Café Inglês restaurant.

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TRAVEL & OUTDOORS

Cochineal insects

Scale insects

Organic Pesticides In recent years, there’s been a notable increase in emphasis about the importance of minimising our carbon footprint and looking after the natural world, which we should no longer take for granted but actively nurture. For many gardeners there has been an upsurge in interest about organic gardening and minimising chemicals that can harm pollinators and our environment.

Our editor asked me to write an article about organic pesticides, so I have done some research on the web, canvassed members of the Clube dos Bons Jardins garden club and also carried out some practical experiments myself.

Time and time again when Googling organic pesticides, diluting Dr. Bonners castile soap with water and then adding vinegar or oil came up. This is an all-natural, vegetable based liquid soap with olive and mineral oil as the main ingredients and is easy to source online. Do not be tempted to use washing up liquid as a substitute for castile soap as it contains many other chemicals that can damage plants. I diluted it with water and vinegar (1.5 teaspoons of each in one litre of water) and found it incredibly effective on aphids, red spider mite and black and green fly. I also replaced the vinegar with olive oil (same ratios as above) and tried it on waxy insects such as cochineal bugs and mealybugs.

Various aphids and blackfly

Look out for our FB post to share your recipes and suggestions for organic pesticides.

draining and diluting (2 cups of mature tomato leaves per litre of water). Another proposal is to infuse 4 teaspoons of olive oil with a few cloves of chopped garlic for twenty-four hours, strain and then mix with 1 teaspoon of castile soap before diluting with 0.5 litres of water. Just be aware though that garlic contains a lot of sulphur which can be harmful for beneficial insects such as ladybirds, so use judicially. Chilli pepper spray is another suggestion – mix one tablespoon of chilli powder with one litre of water and one teaspoon of Castile soap.

Timing is important when spraying your plants – don’t do it in the hot, sunny part of the day as the leaves might burn. It is better to spray in the early morning or evening.

The one bug I have had no luck with any of the above sprays is scale insects. I have a rice paper plant (Tetrapanax) in a pot whose huge leaves get covered in scale insects farmed by ants at this time of year. Each leaf was sprayed with a different organic pesticide, but the scale insects persisted.

I have taken to scraping them off en masse with my finger nails, which is strangely satisfying and definitely organic.

I hope that some of these suggestions might be successful for you, but please ensure you use any pesticide responsibly and do due diligence before using. It would be fantastic to get feedback on what works and what doesn’t. We could then collate it and share in a future article.

I had some success, but a fellow garden club member used diluted neem oil on similar insects and claimed total annihilation. The oil coats the insects and asphyxiates them as they can’t breathe through their pores anymore. Note that you must use a neem oil mix very quickly as it becomes ineffective if not used within a few days.

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

Other untested suggestions for aphid control include chopping and soaking tomato leaves overnight and then

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Castile soap

Neem oil

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