Tomorrow Portimão, Alvor, Ferragudo & Carvoeiro February 2018 Edition

A COMMUNITY MAGAZINE FOR PORTIMÃO, ALVOR, FERRAGUDO & CARVOEIRO

THE ALGARVE PROPERTY SPECIALISTS

Editor's Letter SEDE: 86, MILBOROUGH CRESCENT, LONDON, UK , SE12 ORW. UK . PERIODICIDADE: MENSAL . TIRAGEN: 4,000 | TIPOGRAFIA: C/ AL MEDITERRÁNEO, 29, POLÍGONO DE SAN RAFAEL, 04230, HUÉRCAL DE ALMERÍA CIF: B04250056

Happy Valentine’s month!

Traditional Baskets at the Portimão Museum Quay side. These were used to take the daily catch into the factories to be processed by hand.

A traditional industry that helped establish the Algarve as a world leader in Canning. Visit the museum and learn all about this fascinating enterprise. www.museudeportimao.pt

Flowers, chocolates, red hearts and romance. That's what Valentine's Day is all about, right? Well, maybe not.

Valentine is the patron saint of beekeepers and epilepsy, among many other things. Saints are certainly expected to keep busy in the afterlife. Their holy duties include interceding in earthly affairs and entertaining petitions from living souls. In this respect, St. Valentine has wide-ranging spiritual responsibilities.

People call on him to watch over the lives of lovers, of course, (as well as the plague, fainting and travelling) and as you might expect, he’s also the patron saint of engaged couples and happy marriages.

People's love for Portugal is something we should also take heart about. I heard on the radio that Portugal has now become an 11-month destination for visitors.

This reflects the comments we have been hearing recently too.

“Portugal: The world's hottest destination in 2017” “Portugal Is The Country Everybody Has Been Visiting In 2017.” (Huffington Post) Sometimes when you live here all of the time, the winter does seem to go on forever and we lose sight of the summer, the warm evenings and the long sunny days. We tend to hunker down and hibernate and forget that although a few places have shut, there are still a lot who stay open and would love to welcome you in at a time when they can spend quality time with

you and actually talk with you. Also, this is the time to go and explore and see the parts of the Algarve you can’t get near in the summer. Brisk walks along the West Coast or up in Monchique. See the Castle in Silves and try some Tapas bars up there. The board walks in Alvor or the town centre in Portimão!

So, although we want St Valentine to look after us for Valentines’ day, let’s hope he watches over all our travellers and visitors throughout the year.

Here’s to a great February.

Best wishes, Steven, Amber and the rest of the Tomorrow team.

Steven Sutton:  +351 919 185 677  steven@tomorrowalgarve.com Amber Henshaw:  amber@tomorrowalgarve.com

On the cover Many thanks to Dave Sheldrake for the colourful carnival photo on the front. It was taken at Loulé Carnival last year and don't forget this year's carnival starts on February 10th.  davesheldrakephotography.com

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TomorrowAlgarve

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+351 919 185 677

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Community

Pole position in Portimão

BY PHIL EGGINTON

What do Jeremy Clarkson, Lewis Hamilton, McLaren, Mercedes, Porsche, Continental Tyres, Bentley, Skoda, Aston Martin, BMW and drivers who have appeared as Top Gears “Stig”, to name but a few, all have in common? The answer? The Algarve!

In fact, the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve (AIA for short) to be precise. First opened nearly 10 years ago, the race track has now firmly established itself as a large local and international business.

motorsport events including A1GP, FIA GT, GT Open, Race of Champions, Superbikes, Le Mans Series and GP2. Formula 1 held a full scale official test at the circuit in 2009. During the last 12 months both McLaren and Mercedes F1 teams have been to the circuit for tests, albeit in older specification cars.

Many modern race tracks are criticised as being boring, but not so the AIA. In fact, the opposite. It has built a reputation as a ‘drivers’ circuit, matching the reputation of established circuits such as Spa in Belgium. If you visit you will soon see why. The circuit makes its way up and down, especially designed and shaped changes in elevation. Often corners are made over the brow of these changes, making entering or exiting them ‘blind’. Corners also change radius which makes for difficult driving. All of this adds up to the circuit being very tough to drive and achieve a quick lap time.

Now firmly established at AIA are three major annual international events. Firstly, the World Superbike championship which is for bikes that are tuned versions of normal road ones. This makes it particularly appealing for fans. The 2018 race takes place at the AIA on September 14th-16th. Fans come from all over Europe and in 2017 the AIA round was one of the best attended by spectators. Secondly the European Le Mans Series (ELMS) visits the AIA for its final 2018 round on October 26-28. This is for sports and GT cars most familiarly seen in the challenge of the annual 24-hour long race at Le Mans, France.

In 2017 the AIA attracted good crowds, helped by the participation of local hero Filipe Albuquerque.

Thirdly, now heading for its tenth anniversary, is the Algarve Classic Festival.

When we think of a race track, then automatically we think of racing events. Over the last 10 years the AIA has hosted a wide variety of international

This is a celebration of classic and historic motorsport. Well attended by both racers and spectators with cars dating from pre-war to more

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modern machinery. It also attracts local classic car enthusiasts and regular trips of exotic machinery from the UK. The 2018 event takes place the week before ELMS on October 19-21.

So how many days is the circuit in use? With three major race events you could be mistaken for thinking maybe it’s some three to four weeks a year. However, in 2017 of the 365 days in the year the circuit was in use for 335 days! In fact, it is only for a short period for track maintenance and the Christmas holiday period that it is not in use. Many days, different clients can be using the circuit facilities at any one time. The facility is not just a race track. It also has an excellent kart circuit which is available to turn up and drive the karts on most days of the year. There is an off-road track for 4x4’s, dirt bikes and rally cars.

There is a racing school with its own cars and bikes where pretty much any day of the year you can book to go on a circuit experience. The school also has a successful line in corporate events with clients from all over Europe.

So what activity is going on when there is no racing?

The circuit is a challenge for drivers and riders. This also translates as a challenge for the cars and bikes too. Brakes and suspension are all tested to the limit.

So, if race teams want to improve drivers, test new cars, test new drivers, test new components, tyres etc then the AIA is a great venue. Combined with the excellent all year-round weather, local facilities and also the relative privacy of the venue, the AIA has become a popular race testing venue. The Porsche Le Mans cars and Bentley’s GT race cars were both developed using the AIA for example.

But it is not just about racing. What is good for testing race vehicles is also good for testing road cars, bikes and related products. So, a major part of the AIA business is now road product launch and testing. Most major manufacturers have used the facility including Mercedes AMG, Porsche, McLaren, Skoda, Aston Martin and BMW to name a few. Often, they will use the facility over many weeks if not months. The kart

track is wide enough for car and bike events, with a watering facility to simulate wet weather. AIA recently opened a luxury hotel and apartment complex onsite.

The hotel is designed to support events. It can even hold presentations in rooms specially designed for vehicles to be driven into.

Major race events see the circuit feature on TV and social media across the globe. Now it is also featuring on general vehicle programmes such as The Grand Tour. This is the new TV car show featuring Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond.

The first episode of the first season featured AIA for a three car supercar shoot out! Jeremy Clarkson said of this “Why Portugal? Well, because it’s home to the extremely brilliant International Racetrack of the Algarve. A racetrack Ferrari, Porsche and McLaren all agreed would be ideal to sort out the question that has vexed the world’s motoring enthusiasts for nearly a year: which is best, the Ferrari LaFerrari, the Porsche 918 or the McLaren P1?”

Phil is a motorsport and performance vehicle consultant who has worked professionally in motorsport and for major car manufacturers. He has now retired to the Algarve.

 www.aia.pt

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Community

Portimão gets crowned European city of sport Portimão will be the European City of Sport in 2019, the European Capitals and Cities of Sport Federation announced last month. The Algarve city beat Cascais to get the event.

It is believed that Portimão's development of programmes to encourage sport to the whole population, as well as its benefits in terms of health promotion, integration and education, contributed to its success.

Newspaper reports quote Isilda Gomes, the president of the Portimão Municipal Chamber, as having said: “It was an application that many called unlikely, a mobilizing design, that an entire

New ambassador The British Embassy has announced that Ambassador Kirsty Hayes is moving on after a four-year posting in Lisbon, to be replaced by Chris Sainty in his first ambassadorial posting.

Mr Sainty will take over this summer.

His career has included diplomatic work in Hong Kong, New Delhi, Madrid, The Hague, Islamabad and Rome and latterly he was European Correspondent and Head of Europe (South) Department at the Foreign & Commonwealth Office.

Chris Sainty will be HM’s Ambassador in Lisbon throughout the Brexit process.

community welcomed as their own, collaborating and participating in the candidacy, and that was recognized by ACES Europe, by electing Portimão as European City of Sport for the year 2019. " The mayor stressed that the city would do everything to fulfill its promises and to keep the spirit of the bid intact because they believed that sport could be the driving force to improve quality of life in the city.

European Cities of Sport awards are given to towns that stand out for their “commitment” to developing sports and promoting healthy sporting habits across Europe.

The Algarve has only had one European City of Sport - Loulé in 2015.

Help for farmers after fires Almost €2500 was raised to help beleaguered farmers in northern and central Portugal who had no winter food for their animals after fires destroyed their crops last summer.

An event, which was held at Ian and Sue Kelly’s home near Olhão was organised at the end of last year.

An amazing €1800 was raised on the day through a raffle and an auction and further donations were then added. The star buy being the purchase of Simone Louise's first and only draft of her first book called

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Spanish Gold Hoofbeats Across My Heart - which had been purchased by Lenna Shultz for €145.

The money raised was used to buy 650 bails of hay.

The fundraising group now hope to raise further funds to buy more hay. If you wish to donate to this very worthy cause you can do so by contacting Jane on the email below.

 eleanorkemp65@hotmail.com

Community

The young face daunting challenges The current instability in Europe and the wider world is troubling, particularly to the young with knowledge of the huge challenges that lie ahead for their generation.

Two people keenly following international events are Mariota and Catriona Anderson, twin sisters who turned 20 in January.

Their Scottish parents, John and Fiona, brought them to the Algarve when they were six months old.

The family lived in Mexilhoeira Grande and Alcalar before moving to Lagoa. The girls attended the International School at Porches.

BY LEN PORT

“As EU students we may be affected negatively because tuition fees may be raised and there is talk of EU students having to apply for visas. Brexit may also affect research and funding for universities and hinder EU nationals who want to work in the UK. “As for our parents, Brexit will impact on them quite negatively. The exchange rate has plummeted; healthcare is also worrying as Brexit may mean that UK nationals abroad won’t have European Health Insurance cards any more.

About three and a half years ago they went back to their original home town, St Andrews on the east coast of Scotland, renowned as an academic centre. They boarded there for two years to obtain International Baccalaureate diplomas.

“We think it was really quite terrible that many UK nationals weren’t given the opportunity to vote in the referendum.

Now they are in their second year at King’s college, London, studying History and International Relations, with the intention of going on to complete Masters degrees.

Those who had lived abroad for 15 years or more are equally as British as any other UK national, irrespective of where they live. The decision to leave the EU is going to affect UK nationals abroad so it would only have been fair that they, too, had a say in the referendum.”

As twins, Mariota and Catriona are not identical in appearance nor in character. As sisters they are very close, yet still independent thinkers which makes sense as they are descendants of the Scottish bard Robert Burns.

On controversial international matters such as Brexit, however, they are united and respond with one voice.

“The biggest problem we found was the lack of planning for what would happen if the UK chose to leave the EU. There appeared to be no contingency plan as most people assumed the UK would remain.

So it has just left the country in chaos.

“We both think that Brexit - by inhibiting free movement and the effect it will have on the economy and on students - is not a good idea.

“The majority of students we talk to think Brexit will leave the UK in a worse position. But a lot of the students with this opinion are European students.”

Even though Mariota and Catriona have UK passports, they been classified as EU students because when they applied for university positions they hadn’t lived in the UK for three full years. They had only been at boarding school in Scotland for two years.

The Anderson twins still regard the Algarve as home and will always return on holidays. But they realise, as students of International Relations and History, as do others of their generation who have grown up here, that their future careers probably lie elsewhere.

The Algarve offers limited employment opportunities unrelated to tourism upon which the local economy is so heavily dependant.

As for the wider world, in studying current affairs they learn how policy-makers approach challenges.

It has become clear to them that coming up with solutions to global problems is not as simple as it may seem – and solutions usually take a long time to take effect.

“We don’t like to be too pessimistic, but times have definitely changed. The future is filled with so many uncertainties and challenges that it’s difficult to see anything bright about global affairs.

“The current war on terror is only getting worse, climate change is accelerating, and new threats such as nuclear and cyber warfare are difficult to combat.

“But we are students, so we have to be optimistic about the future. If everyone’s pessimistic then nothing will be solved !”

Read more from Len  atalgarvenewswatch.blogspot.co.uk

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Community

Meet the artist Chris Kelly retired as a secondary headteacher in the UK and moved with her husband to their dream home overlooking the Alvor estuary. Here Chris tells us about her passion for art.

I have had an interest in art for most of my adult life. I knew, and worked with, a diverse group of people, many of whom were extremely creative and were also artists. I fell in love with abstract art after seeing an exhibition of the work of Howard Hodgkin.

So, after a busy and stressful working life, what was I to do that would help me cope with a stress free and self-centred retirement!

Tell us about your art and what you specialise in.

I had always used my creativity in all aspects of my working life. In my spare time, I gardened and found the process of nurturing plants and ‘painting’ with the form and colour of them, extremely rewarding. The land- and seascapes of Portugal stimulated me to paint.

For some reason, (I have no idea why!) I started to paint portraits. The likenesses I produced were crude, but recognisable and that gave me the confidence to try landscapes and the environment around me. I loved the process and found that the process of painting enabled me to ‘switch off’ and become totally absorbed. I hadn't the confidence to try abstract painting, but it remained my passion. Then, I was fortunate enough to attend a painting course with the Australian painter, Peter

Griffin. He, and the professional artists who attended the course, showed me, forced me, cajoled and flattered me into finding a way of freeing my mind to paint abstracts.

They also taught me technique and gave me the basic tools to progress.

Can you tell us how you create your work, where do you source your ideas from - and how do you decide what to do with each painting?

I use the environments of Portugal and countries we've visited over the years to inspire much of my work. I’m fascinated by the idea of tapping into emotions to inspire pieces and I sometimes use music to inform my choice of colour, form and structure.

I work very spontaneously with a general idea of the emotions or impressions that I wish to represent but without a detailed plan. Provided there's some sort of reaction, that's fine. The worst kind of reaction to a painting for me would be for it to seem boring, cute, realistic or ‘nice’!

How would you like people to respond to your work?

My subject matter is always ‘political’ in the sense that my work is designed to challenge in some way. I aim to get a reaction of some kind, whether or not they're to the taste of the viewer.

A metaphor for my life and personality perhaps!

I tend not to think beyond the pieces that I’m working on at the time. I paint for myself only, so thinking about what I’ll do with each piece only becomes an issue when space is short! Nevertheless, I am thrilled when someone likes my artwork and are prepared to have a piece hanging on the wall.

Is there anywhere else that we can buy your work - and are you available for commissions?

You can buy my work online, I have a Facebook page and a website. I also have a small studio/gallery at home where people can come, by appointment, to view paintings.

My works often have interior design potential as colour dominates their character. Commissions based on colour themes, are therefore, welcomed.

This article has been provided by the Algarve Society of Artists - a group formed to support and promote art and artists across the Algarve. They have a website www.algarve-art.com and publish a free quarterly online magazine entitled Algarve Art! Visit their website for more information.

 ckellybarber@gmail.com  www.ckellyfinearts.com  @artodiaxere

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What's On

All the colour of the carnival Loulé Carnival is one of the must-see events of the Algarve calendar. It’s three days of colour, music, vibrancy and spectacle that makes up Carnival each year.

The Loulé Carnival is the oldest event of its kind in Portugal and probably the biggest. The 3-day Carnival attracts thousands of people -some taking part and some there to watch

and have fun! And fun is certainly the order of the day, with parades and floats, music, dancing, food and drink it's a great event for all ages.

The festivities begin at 3pm each day, on Avenida José da Costa Mealha.

This year it takes place from February 10th to 13th.

Throughout this initiative, the public will have the chance to see five concerts featuring Beethoven's complete works for piano and orchestra.

The first concert took place at the end of January and the next three concerts will all take place on Saturday evenings at 9.30 pm, on February 17th, March 3rd and March 24th, at the Tempo Municipal Theatre in Portimão.

The Association for the Protection of Animals on Algarve (APAA) will be holding another healthy living workshop at the Vila Rosa Resort, Praia da Rocha, on Wednesday, February 21st.

This year’s event, Moving Beyond Age, is a fun and interactive workshop where you can learn very simple strategies to safely maintain the quality of your movement, regardless of your age.

You will go back in time, to your first year of life, and you will re-learn some basic body positions and movement patterns that were keystones in the development of your motor control.

With simple progressions within a single exercise, you will be able to improve your balance, mobility, stability, coordination, cardio, strength, body awareness…. well, your movement as a whole.

Second Algarve International Piano Festival The second Algarve International Piano Festival is an opportunity to discover a musical programme devoted to the world's best-known and mostappreciated stringed instrument – the piano – and one of the most highlyregarded and influential composers of all time, considered one of the pillars of western music – Beethoven.

Moving beyond age

The final concert will be in April.

With artistic direction by Maestro Armando Mota, the second edition of the Algarve International Piano Festival will feature internationallyrenowned pianists, including Adriano Jordão, João Rosa, Armando Mota and Artur Pizarro.

The conductors, also very well-known, will be José Gomes, Osvaldo Ferreira and Nikolay Lalov. The drivers, also very well-known, will be José Gomes, Osvaldo Ferreira and Nikolay Lalov.

The orchestras taking part will be: Orquestra Clássica do Centro, Orquestra Filarmónica Portuguesa and Orquestra de Oeiras e Cascais.  www.teatromunicipaldeportimao.pt

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The workshop will be presented by Joel Fernandes, a physical therapist and personal trainer, whose unique style of merging the knowledge of the world of rehabilitation with the knowledge of the training field, better prepares his athletes, clients and patients for the requirements of their daily life necessities.

The cost of €20 includes refreshments on arrival and a healthy buffet lunch, with lots of options for both meateaters and vegetarians alike, at the end of the workshop.

For further information or to book a place, please email or call Jenny or Jackie. We all need the basics, so if you have a body, this workshop is for you.

 info.apaaportugal@gmail.com Jenny  +351 919 041 903 Jackie  +351 91 265 1819

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

Useful Numbers General

Fitness Fab Fun Fitness | Fri 11.30am, €6 Buganvilia Fitness Club, Alvor +351 915 396 263 QiGong Mon 10am, Yoga Mon & Wed 8 - 9.30am & Tue & Fri 7 - 8.15pm, Pilates Mon 7.30pm, Clinical Pilates Tue & Thurs 12pm, Vinyasa Yoga Tues & Fri 7am (2x week €45 p.month), Meditation Fri 8.30pm (By appointment), €25 p.m Villa Prana | Portimão +351 282 484 256 Aerobics & Abs Mon 10am, Total Toning Wed 10am, Body Conditioning Thurs 10am, Alvor Community Centre, +351 934 393 232 Qi Gong Class Thurs 7.30pm, 35€/month | Centro Serenity, Lagoa (make a left at the roundabout after Fatacil), +351 962 009 703 Taekwondo Mon Thurs & Fri 7pm | €45p/m (child) €60 p/m (adult), Fitball Mon & Thurs 9.15 - 10am, Yoga Tue 11am, Power Circuit Tue 6.30pm, Body Shape Wed 10am, Power Hour Thurs 10am, Qi Gong Thurs 11am, Zumba Mon, Wed & Fri 11am, Kids Yoga Wed 5pm, €8.50 Carvoeiro Clube +351 282 350 800 A Taste of Yoga Tues 11am Rocha Brava Carvoeiro, Yin Yoga Mon 11am Vale d'Oliveiras Carvoeiro & Tues 8.15am | Serenity Lagoa, Hatha Yoga Mon 4.30pm | V.d'O .Carvoeiro & Thurs 8.15am | Serenity Lagoa, Gentle Yoga Fri 11am | V. d’O. Carvoeiro Sat 11am | Rocha Brava Carvoeiro, €10 +351 911 510 641 Hatha Yoga Mon 8 & 10am €10 | Pilates Thur 9.45am €25p/m Espaço Portas do Sol Portimão | Ideias do Levante, +351 965 017 845 Netball Wed 7pm | All ages, behind Lagos Bombeiros charlie.milsom@gmail.com

Classes

Events

Piano Lessons Mon & Thur 5pm €45 p/m | Private Singing Lessons €30 | Painting Classes Fri 6pm €35 p/m Music Theory & Study Group €50p/m | Espaço Portas do Sol Portimão | Ideias do Levante, +351 965 017 845

February 3rd Cleaning of Praia Grand Free, Ferragudo, 4th Walking Around Mercês Stream, €10, Amendoeira, Querença (Loulé), 11th, Fonte Santa - Picota - Monchique, €15, 17th Walking in Alferce & Distillery €10 Quimera Experience, +351 962 647 74

Tap Dance Classes Tues 5pm & Wed 6pm (7-18yrs), BOA Esperança Atletico Clube Portimonense, Portimão, +351 282 422 976 Pregnant Classes | Tues & Thurs 1.15pm, 2 p/wk €45 p.month, Villa Prana Portimão +351 282 484 256 Sevillanas Dance Classes Wed 8.15pm €22 p/m Beginners, Private sevillanas or Flamenco Classes avaliable, Academia Dança Mais | Portimão, +351 962 556 856 Private Piano Lessons | €80x8/ €15 p/less. Parchal Svetlana +351 936 786 266

February 15, Angles of Lagoa Opening of a photographic exhibition of over 50 sets of "guardian angel" tiles Curated by Ron B. Thomson, Biblioteca Municipal de Lagoa Quiz Night Mon 8.30pm, Rodizio of Tapas Thurs 8.30pm, BBQ Meat Feast Sun 2pm – 9pm, €6.50, The Courtyard Bistro & Bar Alvor | +351 912 441 143 Group Lesson - Short Game Area & Driving Range Wed 10am - 1pm | €20 p.p & Fri 2 - 3.30pm | €15 p.p, Espiche Golf +351 282 688 250

Dog Socialisation Walk Sat 9am, €5 | Porches, +351 967 925 099 Private Yoga & Partner Yoga €15-25 p.session, Portimão +351 936 786 267 Latin American & Ballroom Dancing Tues 10am (imp.) | 11.45 (beginners)| 12.30 Dancers practise & new variations Jive 11-11.45am Alvor Community Centre Wed 7pm (All Levels) & 8pm (beginners) Carvoeiro Club de Tenis, €5, +351 961 916 821 Scottish Country Dancing Mon 7.30- 9.30pm, €1.50 Nobel International School Lagoa, +351 282 356 029 Dog Instruction (Group lessons) Sat 5pm | 1st by appoint., Hotel do CÃO | Rasmalho | Portimão, +351 964 083 602 Portuguese Beginners Class Mon 10am, €7, Portelas, +351 912 417 994

EMERGENCY TOURIST SUPPORT AIRPORT TRANSFER

112 808 781 212 965 026 176

Consulate/ Embassy BRITISH FRENCH (FARO) GERMAN (LAGOS) DUTCH (LISBON) CANADIAN (FARO) SWEDISH EMBASSY

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

Alvor TAXI DIAGO SILVA HEALTH CENTRE PHARMACY HOSPITAL FIRE POLICE STATION AERODROMO SPORTS CENTRE COMMUNITY CENTRE PHYSICAL THERAPY

966 214 517 282 459 268 282 459 588 282 420 400 282 420 130 282 420 750 282 496 581 282 457 841 282 457 499 928 022 464

Portimão HEALTH CENTRE PHARMACY PRAIA DA ROCHA HOSPITAL CENTRO FIRE POLICE STATION MARITIME POLICE TRAIN STATION THEATRE TEMPO TOURIST BOARD

282 420 161 282 425 858 282 485 641 282 450 300 282 420 130 282 417 217 282 417 714 282 423 056 282 402 470 282 402 487

Carvoeiro Charity/ Support February 21st Alzheimer's/ Dementia Support Group 11am, Cafe Bom Dia, Rua Moinho do Azeite | Lagos, Carol +351 926 297 527 or Kirsteen +351 968 084 946 AA Meeting Portimão: Mon 7.30pm - 9pm & Fri 730pm, Beco das Hortensias Lote 18 R/C/ B Vale Franca | Porches (Lagoa): Thur 7.30pm Centro Cultural D. Dinis Rua da Praça 2 | Albufeira: Tue 8pm | Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Albufeira +351 919 005 590 Depression & Bipolar Support Group | First Monday of every month 6.30-8.30pm, Upstairs Casa Inglesa, Portimão | +351 914 878 927

CITY COUNCIL 282 356 690 TOWN INFO 282 357 728 TAXI COMPANY 282 460 610 BUS STATION (LAGOA) 282 341 301 PHARMACY 282 357 463 HOSPITAL 282 357 320 FIRE STATION (LAGOA) 282 352 888 POLICE STATION 282 356 460 PLUMBER ANTÓNIO 962 870 665 BUILDER BOTO 282 461 336 PAINTING BY STEVE 916 666 210

Ferragudo TAXI ANTÓNIO 965 881 971 HEALTH CENTRE 282 461 361 PHARMACY 282 461 232 HOSPITAL (PORTIMÃO) 282 450 300 FIRE 282 420 130 POLICE STATION 282 420 750 PAINTER MARIO 967 881 062 FIREWOOD 917 601 798

Silves CENTRO DE SAÚDE 282 440 020 GNR 282 440 290 BOMBEIROS 282 442 411 PHARMACY 282 442 191 TAXIS 282 460610 SWIM/SPORTS COMPLEX 282 440 270 JABUTIVET VET 282 445 648 EVA (BUS) 282 442 338

What's On

Jazz in the Wineries

BY STEVEN SUTTON In last month’s edition we told you about Jazz in the Wineries. One such evening was held at Quinta João Clara in Alcantarilha on January 13th. It was a total sell-out.

The evening’s jazz was provided by Low Tech Groove An amazing contemporary sound which added to the mood of the event. The evening started with speeches of recognition and international and national awards to the winery and a talk from the head of tourism in the Algarve. In addition to this, part of the proceeds from the event were donated to the Silves Bombeiros volunteers.

Afterwards, guests had the opportunity to taste three of the João Clara wines from their collection, produced since 1975 by João Clara and since his passing his widow, Edit Alves and their daughters Ana and Joana Alves since 2008. A great evening and a great chance for the local vineyards and wineries to promote themselves to the people who live and work in the area. A great evening out with some education along the way!

Throughout the evening, we sampled 3 of the wines: AS Claras White 2016 (Wine Pairing - Salads, meat and fish dishes), João Clara Rose 2016 (Wine Pairing -Goes well with Grilled food, salads fish and seafood) and João Clara Red (Wine Pairing -Meat Dishes, grilled food and cheese).

If you fancy attending one of these events there are two more in February.

Chustinatra on February 10th at 9pm at Quinta do Frances Silves. Then you can hear the Power Trio Jazz on February 24th at 9pm at Quinta do Barradas, Sitio da Venda Nora in Silves.

For more about the Quinta João Clara Vineyard please go to: www.joaoclara.com +351 967 0124 44  www.365algarve.pt

Festival of oranges The second Silves Capital of Orange show will be held on February 16th, 17th and 18th, with performances by Raquel Tavares (16th), Amor Electro (17th) and Moçoilas (18th).

There will be several dozen exhibitors related to citriculture, wines, agriculture, regional products, confectionery, handicrafts and gastronomy, as well as some associations and local and regional entities.

Another highlight of this event is that it promotes the Silves Capital da Laranja brand. The cocktails will also return with the Silves Capital

of the Orange Barmen Festival. Also worthy of mention is the well-known and usual Valentine's Day, a sporting activity that integrates the Algarve's race-running calendar and will be part of the program of the event.

This year's novelty will be the introduction of an "Orange Route", which the Silves Municipality intends to be an important tourism route.

The event has the partnership of DRAPAlg, UALG, RTA, Silves School Grouping and Silves-Sul School Grouping. They are media partners of the event: Barlavento Newspaper, Terra Ruiva and Rua FM.

 capitaldalaranja@cm-silves.pt  +351 282 440 800

Invitation to service of prayer The interdenominational movement of the Women's World Day of Prayer invites everyone to attend one of over 5000 services being held on Friday March 2nd with the title All God's Creation is Very Good! We will join an estimated three million people around the world on that day in a service which has been written this year by the women of Suriname in South America.

Starting in Samoa as the sun rises, and ending as the sun sets off the coast of American Samoa, the service will have been translated into more than 95 languages and 1000 dialects as we are reminded that we have responsibilities in caring for this wonderful world we live in. With its vast rainforest and wealth of resources, Suriname asks us to pray

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for conservation and the protection of wildlife, through an awareness of pollution, misuse and abuse, as well as for the situation in Suriname and concerns for the future. This is not simply a day of prayer for women but for everyone who cares about our world and those who live in it.

A service will be held at the Bridge, International Christian Fellowship in Portimão on Friday March 2nd at 3pm.

Bring and share refreshments available afterwards.

Further information and resources, please visit the WWDP website.

 www.wwdp.org.uk

Health

Anxiety - a vitamin deficiency?

BY LESLEY WALL

When I was in my early 40s I started to show signs of the menopause (my Mam went through the menopause in her 40s) so I was aware that is could happen to me.

As an optimistic person I always looked at the glass is half full rather than half empty, so when my thoughts were starting to change I became more aware of what was going on with me.

By the time I reached my mid-to-late-40s I started doing research on mood swings and vitamins to see if there was a link and there is. It is not only down to the menopause that, in my case, the vitamin in question was not being processed in my body. My research showed that it could be a genetic mutation which would explain a few things about why us females have a tough time with emotions when ovulating, pregnant or menopausal.

Well it turns out that one in four women could have this genetic mutation which is known as MTHFR and the results mean that my body has trouble processing the B group of vitamins.

The good news is that these vitamins are easily available in many high street shops under the name of Vitamin B Complex and are really inexpensive. I take a supplement daily and my energy levels are way up and my glass is now back to half full. When I have not had one I do know about it so it is now part of my morning routine.

Over the last two years I have spoken to over 70 women and asked them to try them (I do not sell them, they have to buy it themselves) and over 95% of them have seen an improvement in their energy levels and feel positive about themselves including having the ability to cope. It is worth considering if it really is a Vitamin B deficiency which is causing anxiety or making depression worse. It worked for me.

Do Google “MTHFR” and anxiety and you will come across over 129,000 of pages devoted to it, which have been created from people like me who are looking for answers.

You can read more from Lesley at  www.karmaskincare.co.uk

Yoga for tennis elbow I got my first tennis elbow from putting a flat pack kitchen side table together using a manual screwdriver.

In those days I did not want to listen to my body and I played tennis regularly which made the pain so much worse that, one night, I woke up in agony and had to find help the next morning. Long months of physiotherapy followed and it took me a year to become pain free. With my second tennis elbow and also my golfer’s elbows I did better. I gave them rest as soon as I discovered they weren’t going away and within a few weeks or months I was fine again. At least that was what I thought, but over the next 15 years I always felt ´something´ in my elbows.

That is over now. I discovered two long held yoga poses that took away even this ´something´. Allegedly these poses cure tennis and golfer’s elbows and even carpal-

tunnel syndrome. I’ve spoken with people who cured themselves this way and I can add that many people with wrist injuries report great success.

Pose 1: kneel down on the floor (sit with your hips on your heels). If this is uncomfortable for your ankles place a rolled-up towel underneath them. If your hips don´t reach your heels, place a folded blanket or cushion in the creases of your knees. Now stretch your arms out in front of you, with the palms facing down. Bend your wrists so that your fingers point down and then place the backs of your hands on the floor next to your knees. If you don´t feel any stretch place your hands further forward (past your knees), if you feel too much place them further back (next to your legs). Hold for five minutes. However that might be too long to start with, so build it up over time.

Note: it should never hurt, but discomfort is ok. When you come out of the pose be kind

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BY ANDREA SCHOONHEIM to your wrists and rub them or make circles with your hands to relax them.

Pose 2: still kneeling down stretch your arms in front of you with the palms facing up. Bend your wrists so that your fingers point down and then place the palms of your hands on the floor next to your knees.

Adjust the placement of your hands as described above and also hold for five minutes (build up to this duration carefully).

Again, be kind to your wrists when you come out of the pose.

If you can´t kneel down at all, find a different way of sitting or even standing that works for you.

Andrea Schoonheim - Ishani Yoga & Massage  www.ishani-yoga.com  +351 282 343 379 / 911 510 641

Business

Bits & Bytes - Virtual Assistants

BY KURT PARDEN

Virtual assistants have become an integral part of our lives, from making calls to adding tasks to a calendar; providing information that would normally be searched in a web browser; or controlling and checking the status of smart home devices, including lights, cameras and thermostats. All the major players such as Apple, Google, Microsoft and Amazon have made a significant mark in the area of artificial intelligence, and we are all aware of the likes of Siri, Cortana, Google Assistant and Amazon Echo.

Virtual assistants are typically cloud-based programs that require internet-connected devices to work. The technologies that power virtual assistants require massive amounts of data, which feeds artificial intelligence (AI) platforms, including machine learning, natural language processing and speech recognition platforms. As the user interacts with a virtual assistant, the AI programming uses sophisticated algorithms to learn from data input and become better at predicting the user's needs.

Google has an advantage with this technology, which

it has been developing for years as part of its search engine. A recent study by marketer Stone Temple asked 5,000 general knowledge questions to a variety of virtual assistants and Google Assistant got 91% correct, compared to Alexa’s 87%, and Siri’s 62%.

Overall, I give a big thumbs up to Google Assistant. While Cortana can technically do more, the fact Cortana is only available on Android and iOS as a third-party app limits the assistant’s appeal while on the go. I think Google Assistant and Cortana are the current best bets for people who want a single do-it-all assistant. Alexa, however, is more useful for strictly smart home purposes.

Please feel free to email any questions you may have or contact us.

 info@newteq.pt  +351 282 356 799

Saving you money

BY CHARLEY PUTTNAM 2018 will see many people from outside Europe deciding to spend either their vacation time here or moving here permanently. Are you one of those people?

Perhaps you’re renting a property whilst waiting to purchase your holiday villa or are you one of the lucky ones already with your own dream home and here to oversee renovations or refurbishments?

If you’re American, Swedish, Canadian or someone that is having to use a currency different from your homeland, you are probably experiencing problems finding a competitive exchange rate or trying to justify charges that may arise each time you withdraw money or make a payment using a card or ATM.

It’s so daunting, isn’t it? But there is a simple way and it can mean that people save much of their hard-earned money if they just have the right help. As the saying goes, if we 'save the pennies, the pounds will take care of themselves'. Free up your precious time and make those savings by simply using a currency exchange company such as ours.

Here at GCEN we can take care of transfers to either your own account, here in Portugal (if you have one), or directly to the service and condominium companies or rental agencies quickly, safely and without fuss.

You can even send money directly to those lovely builders and tradesmen that have become part of the furniture!

Transfer your currency at a time that’s convenient to you AND a rate that YOU choose and upon its arrival, it will be sent out to the nominated account in another currency, with no charges and no hidden costs. Forget about carrying large amounts of cash around, sit back and spend your savings on a well-deserved cocktail.

If you prefer a friendly voice at the end of the phone to help you through the transfer, then give us a call. Or, if you prefer to go online and take care of things yourself, it’s quick and easy to do so and no more difficult than the normal internet banking process. So, whatever your reason for being in this beautiful country, we are very glad that you are.

Portugal  +351 289 093 137 UK  01622 815 201  portugal@gcen.co.uk

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Speed up your computer - 4 x faster

All Things Apple

Newteq has opened a new Apple Authorised Service Provider in FARO. To celebrate we have a

Diagnostics

An SSD uses high speed memory chips to store your operating system, programs and data instead of an

Service & Repair

fantastic offer for you. Upgrade to an SSD drive and get an amazing improvement in speed. old spinning disk. “So what” Well it works up to 4 x faster!!!

Training & Advice

For example starting up the old way can take around 45-60 seconds.

With an SSD (Solid State Drive) you looking at 9-15 seconds.

Our offer to you – upgrade to an SSD now and we will give your transformed Mac or PC a

Data Backup & Transfer Hardware Upgrades

FREE Spring Clean worth €59.

Come and see us in FARO or LAGOA and talk to one of our friendly technicians.

We also service

Quote the code TM917 to qualify for the offer.

FARO:

T: (+351) 289 247 722

Rua Baptista Lopes, 36A

LAGOA: Rua Marquês de Pombal, 49

T: (+351) 282 356 799

www.newteq.pt

info@newteq.pt

GLO adverts x3 designs v2.qxp_Layout 1 19/05/2017 16:42 Page 3

SELLING YOUR PROPERTY AND NOT SURE HOW TO TRANSFER YOUR MONEY TO THE UK?

When it comes to selling your house and moving back to the UK we understand that you are looking for a fast, simple process that gives you great exchange rates.

We have been helping clients transfer money to and from the UK for over 13 years. Talk to us to find out how we can help you transfer your money simply, safely and quickly.

To find out more about all of our products and services please contact us at: Vilamoura Office 289 093 137 Lagos Office 282 768 136 / UK rate 01622 815 201 E portugal@gcen.co.uk www.gcen.co.uk GCEN is fully authorised by the FCA to provide payment service as an Authorised Payment Services Institution. Registration No. 504346.

Food & Drink

Liquor Beirão de Honra (mix with brand and regular licor Beirão) Vermouth of dry white Porto (homemade) Bitter of kumquats and hibiscus (homemade) Foam with raspberry and rosemary (homemade) The use of the portwine and the licor Beirão de Honra was the condition given to get the cocktail in the final.

Invicta Bartender extraordinaire, Jeferson Santos, who works at the newly re-opened Taste Restaurante in Carvoeiro came third in the Barman of the Year awards last year with a fabulous cocktail that he concocted. Here he shares it with us.

To find out more about Taste go to www.tastecarvoeiro.com - it’s a hit on Tripadvisor.

It’s re-opening in a new location which is in Edifico Galeão, Loja 12&13 Rua do Barranco 8400-512 Carvoeiro (next to the Motorrent Shop). For bookings call +351 969 577 644.

To find out more about the competition go to the Barman do Ano website.  www.barmandoano.etaste.pt

It is called Invicta.

The Finnish Shop and Café ‘Koivu’

Opening hours: Monday – Friday 10.00 – 18.00 Saturday and Sunday 10.00 – 16.00

In the December issue the very first Finnish shop and café called Koivu (meaning ‘birch’) in the Algarve was featured.

It sells traditional Finnish food and products that are sought after by the large Scandinavian community living here. Every weekday a daily dish is on offer with Thursday being reserved for traditional pea soup followed by oven pancake.

It is also a useful meeting with regular activities

organised such as a knitting group, talks on interesting topics and Portuguese lessons.

The directions that were given originally were not very clear and some people have found difficulties in finding the café. The best way to reach it is to turn off at the island by Continente, Portimão. Continue on the road towards the riverfront and take a right turn before the Tribunal building. This is a one-way street and you’ll find the shop on the left in front of the library.

 Rua Quinta do Bispo Edifício Crisfer, loja 4 8500-729 Portimão  +351 935 859 536

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INT0644 Press Advert - Overseas.pdf

Wine with victory flavour.

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08/04/2016

15:42

Sun, sea and

In 2016 the Intermarche exclusive brand Selecção de Enófilos was already awarded with 15 medals on 3 prestigious international wine competitions.

Selecção de Enófilos: Unique wines.

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bags full of Great British food!

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For all your favourite brands, pay a visit to Overseas supermarkets.

You will find us in the following locations: MAINLAND STORES: Javea – Benissa – Benidorm – San Fulgencio – Torrevieja – Campo Verde – San Javier – Vera – Mijas – Calahonda – Puerto Banus – Sotogrande TENERIFE STORES: Las Chafiras – Los Cristianos – Torviscas LANZAROTE: Playa Honda – Manrique/Puerto del Carmen – Playa Blanca (opening summer 2017) PORTUGAL: Guia ( Albufeira) – Portimao

www.overseas.es

Tel: 0034 965 734 000

brought to you by

Tomorrow_190x277-SE_Ing.indd 1

13/09/16 17:19

And Finally...

10 Mins with... Bsily Socks Most of us just end up with odd socks (where do they go?) but a year ago Sam Remus and his partner, Lily Ramos, decided to actually start a business selling odd socks! They called it BSily Socks and their motto is simple - ‘Life is too short to wear matching socks!’ We got together with Lily to find more about the sock silliness.

Please tell us about yourselves.

Sam was born in Germany but moved to Portugal at the age of three and lived in the Alentejo area for a few years until his family moved to the Algarve. After attending school in Loulé, Sam started working for his mother’s property management company, Management Works!, where he soon after became a partner.

What brought you to Portugal and where are you now based I was born and raised in the Algarve and attended school at Colégio International de Vilamoura. Once I completed high school, I moved to England to take my university degree in Birmingham where I studied Business Management. I then moved back to the Algarve and joined my mother’s real estate company, Mapro Real Estate, where I now am a digital marketer.

Sam’s family moved to Portugal as they were looking for a change from Germany, and once they found this paradise, they never wanted to go back. I moved back to Portugal after attending university as I did not see myself living in England and

Top Three

honestly the weather really does make a difference! We both now work in the Golden Triangle area and live in Loulé.

Tell us about your new business BSily Socks is for those people who agree with the phrase ‘Life is too short to wear matching socks’. It encourages people to show their true personality through fashion and to be themselves whether that’s different from what society says. Being different and unique is something that we truly support.

Where did the idea come from?

Sam and I always wanted to start our own venture and he was constantly coming up with new business ideas. Sam is also known in the family as the person who never wears matching socks and one day he just proposed the idea of starting our own company where we design the coolest odd socks.

around a few weeks later we went live with our website in May 2017.

We think that family and friends weren’t really expecting it to be honest, only our closest family/friends knew about it and I think that it is quite common to hear about people’s ideas and projects but never really making it a reality. So when we did go ahead with it people were quite surprised.

In regards to our target market, most people seem to really love the designs and how colourful they are, particularly the Italian market. Our emails flooded with collaboration requests from Italy!

What are your hopes for the future?

We hope that we can create a community where people feel comfortable expressing themselves through their fashion sense and push people to embrace their differences.

And that we are able to make BSily our full time job!

What’s the company philosophy?

The odd sock philosophy is mainly about expressing yourself as an individual and not caring at all! Our slogan explains it very easily ‘Be You, Be Different, Be Silly.’

Our target market is Europe, but Ireland and Italy are the most popular countries Very soon we will be coming out with new designs and we have some fun projects planned out for 2018 so stay tuned!

How long have you been going and what kind of reaction have you had We started around this time last year, so around January we started putting the logo together to get us motivated, contacting manufacturers and designers. We soon after set up the company legally and

You can purchase our odd socks online. We will package your order at home and it gets sent out the next day.

 www.bsilysocks.com

Our favourite restaurant, which is sadly no longer around, is Philippo’s Greek restaurant in Loulé.

We love any of the islands, as beaches can get quite crowded during summer, and our top day out is a hike with our dog at Rocha da Pena.

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