Tomorrow Portimão, Alvor, Ferragudo & Carvoeiro November 2017 Edition

November 2017

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

Winter is coming Whilst our friends and family in the UK and elsewhere in Northern Europe prepare themselves for the harsh reality of winter, here in the Algarve we continue to enjoy warm days filled with sunshine and the laid-back way of life such weather affords. Not that we like to brag!

Of course, the downside to the sun still shining strongly here in Southern Europe is that the north of Portugal has once again been hit by devastating wild fires. Firefighters from across the Algarve were last month dispatched to assist in tackling the blazes, and we must take a moment to pay tribute once again to these heroes. Handily, the bombeiros of Silves and Lagoa recently received a timely boost to their funds thanks to the recent ‘Obrigado. Bombeiros’ event read all about that on page 10.

Whilst it’s tempting during the winter months to go into hibernation by curling up on the sofa with a box set (Game of Thrones fans will recognise the reference in the headline above), there is plenty going on this month to tempt you to get out and about. From a Sound of Music singalong event to an ‘inter-cultural culinary theatre show’ (yes, really!), plan your month from page 16.

Now is also the perfect opportunity to spend some quality time exploring the Algarve. Steven did just that last month, making a point of pulling into Lagoa, a place he regularly drives through but has rarely had

Last month, Steven walked 37km for a very worthwhile cause - see page 22 to discover more

cause to visit, instead tending to stay close to his home in Portimão. And this month, we encourage you to do the same; take a trip to a local town centre and spend some time (and money!) in the shops, cafes and restaurants - at this quieter time of year, they need our support more than ever.

Elsewhere in this issue you’ll find a feature on local sculptor Sören Erns, whose work has featured in a Hollywood film trailer (page four), an appeal for help from a five-year-old boy in need of a new wheelchair (page eight), a tasty Thai steak recipe (page 26) and seasonal recommendations for Algarve gardening (page 28).

Enjoy the issue!

Steven, Stephanie and the entire Tomorrow team Steven Sutton (advertising and sales)  steven@tomorrowalgarve.com  +351 919 185 677 Stephanie Wood (editorial)  stephanie@tomorrowalgarve.com  +351 964 187 303

On the cover November in the Algarve means one thing: chestnuts! Held to coincide with St. Martin’s Day on 11th November, the annual Feira de São Martinho takes place in Portimão from 3rd to 12th, with the usual mix of rides, stalls and roasted chestnuts to enjoy.

Stay Connected... 

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@TomorrowAlgarve

www.tomorrowalgarve.com

+351 919 185 677

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Community

Journeyman to renaissance man Our writer Stephanie Ginger takes a journey into mosaic and sculpture with local artist Sören Ernst

Left to right Saint Sebastian in cork oak; Heart of Stone; Soren (right) advises a student Opposite page Life’s Triumph Over Death

Sören Ernst may be a ‘serious’ man in his native German, but there’s a twinkle in his blue eyes as he pads bare foot from student to student during his first mosaic and sculpture class of the season.

It’s still unusually hot for mid-October, but Sören has set up workstations for his seven new students in a shady corner in the garden of his studio, located in the tranquil countryside near Burgau. The continuous plink-plink of chisel on stone is almost hypnotic.

But make no mistake: although the weekly courses Sören runs during the winter months of October to April are relaxed, enjoyable and, as one student declares, “ridiculously good value,” Sören is serious about sculpture, and has been winning prizes and commissions since he was 23.

Earlier in the week, Sören took time to show me around his atelier, which includes an exhibition area with an in-the-making centrepiece fountain that he aims to finish someday… One day!

I’m discovering that part of Sören’s charm is his boundless enthusiasm for everything.

A trio of carved wooden shapes entitled Time

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Capsules hangs from eucalyptus trees, spinning gently in the breeze. “The idea is that you visualise a life-changing experience, enclose it inside and hang the capsule up in the trees,” he explains. “Then when you’re ready to deal with it, take it out again.

It’s all about rebirth and the idea that things come back to you one way or another. The spiral shape is aesthetically pleasing and dynamic in nature.

[They’re] also very saleable,” he grins, adding that some people just buy them as a wind chime. He carves them in Germany during the summer. “Good wood is hard to come by here,” he says. “Mostly I find it on the beach. There’s a chance with this big tropical storm that in two years’ time something will wash up here. I once found a seven-metre trunk of mahogany driftwood at Burgau. I made a totem pole out of it, but the termites got it in the end.”

Although Sören officially still lives in Germany, he works as much as possible in Portugal. “It’s paradise for a sculptor,” he says. “Not much rain so it’s easy to work outdoors, and Portugal offers so many beautiful rocks and stones! Also I feel very comfortable here.

I love the simplicity of life and the honesty of the people.”

Suggesting we talk over coffee, he leads the way into the building where he lives and works during the

months he’s in Portugal. Leaving dazzling sun and white stone outside, it’s like stepping into another world - but one also clearly inspired by artistic vision and created through hard graft. Stone, driftwood and vintage materials dwell comfortably alongside each other. Everywhere I look there are treasures. And, like Sören’s eclectic sculptures, everything tells a story.

The touch of an artist is everywhere; a huge star hangs from the ceiling, a shoal of stone fish swim across the window, a collection of baskets in the corner gather like village gossips. A wood-burning stove clad in bright tiles waits patiently for winter, and pen and ink drawings march across the wall.

Even the burnished stone in the bathroom was salvaged from Henry the Navigator’s Sagres sailing school before they demolished it.

While coffee bubbles in the percolator, Sören tells me his story. Born in Hamburg, his hometown is Kiel.

His father had a plumbing and heating business and was an early advocate of solar heating. For Sören, that close association with the building trade taught him valuable skills he now puts to good use on a daily basis. “When I was young I was very undecided about what to do,” he admits. “I just knew it needed to be something creative. I painted – I even managed to sell paintings before I sold any sculptures – but you know, painting is more in your head and I am a very outdoors type. I felt this physical need to do something with my hands. I love the fight you have with the stone… Almost wrestling the form out of it.”

Then, while studying Greek and Egyptian culture at a Steiner school aged 17, he saw a photo of the sculpture Nike of Samothraki, which depicts winged goddess Nike, in the Louvre. “I thought, ‘my God, how can anybody produce something so beautiful!’”

Knowing the Steiner reputation for nurturing art and creativity, I conclude that he must have had a head start. Sören laughs uproariously. “Not at all! I was thrown out of art class!”

But by 1984 Sören was working for a German sculptor, Jörg Plickat, now famous for his Sydney sculpture Divided Planet. Sören worked on and off for Plickat for a few years, polishing his sculptures and learning what he could.

Then, while visiting Scotland in 1987, Sören fell in love again - this time with a Scottish girl. He stayed on.

They were hard times, he now admits; he was only twenty and found it a challenge making a living at all, never mind as a sculptor. He lived in a VW camper van and worked in a home for handicapped children, but his instinct for salvaging a good bit of stone was never far below the surface.

Coming across a disused sandstone railway bridge out in the wilds, he dismantled it and made sculptures out of the sandstone blocks. “A bit naughty,” he says with a disarming smile, “but nobody else wanted it!”

Those sculptures not only helped him develop his own creative style, but also proved to be a turning point when he was invited to exhibit at the prestigious Mount Gallery in Edinburgh.

The sale of the sculptures also gave him enough money to visit his parents who had moved to Portugal, intending to settle here. They’d bought the land his studio now stands on but became increasingly disillusioned, ultimately scrapping their plans and moving to Austria instead.

But for Sören, arriving in the early 1990s after eking a hand-to-mouth existence in chilly Scotland, Portugal’s relaxed attitude and warm sea breezes felt like manna from heaven. Within a month he’d sold the five sculptures he’d brought over in his camper van. Shortly afterwards he had his own exhibition and suddenly everything fell into place.

Word got about and work rolled in, culminating in the prestigious 1997 commission of the Rosa dos Ventos roundabout near Meia Praia in Lagos, which he created in collaboration with Portuguese architect António J.B. Fernandes. 

Discovering Nike proved to be something of an epiphany, and what began as a flirtation – borrowing his father’s tools and chipping away at odd bits of granite he found lying about – soon developed into a fully-fledged love affair with stone.

But Sören’s dream of a career in stonemasonry was cut short after a routine medical check-up revealed a lung weakness. Unable to continue as an apprentice, his master gave him the opportunity to continue as a ‘journeyman’ – a system of training artisan stonemasons and carpenters that goes back to the Middle Ages and is still practised in Germany today.

“It’s not a bad life,” Sören reflects. Although not permitted to earn money, journeymen travel the world perfecting their skills in return for food, beer and a bed for the night. “Most of the cathedrals in France and Germany were pretty much built by the same crew of journeymen,” he says. “And you still see them from time to time – even in the Algarve – hitch-hiking in their black frocks and bowler hats.”

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Community That same year, he built a public monument in Hamburg celebrating the 250th anniversary of the composer Mendelssohn, as well as an astronomical observatory on an exposed hilltop near Burgau. “It was crazy,” Sören now admits. “Flying back and forth between Hamburg and Lagos… That was the year I went grey!”



More commissions followed, and an eleven-year personal and professional partnership with sculptress Steff Bauer led to a string of projects between 2004 and 2016. Their final collaboration together in 2016 - a 20-metre monumental sculpture of Donald Sutherland’s face as President Snow for the trailer of blockbuster film The Hunger Games - is probably the endeavour of which Sören is most proud. The irony is that, for a man who takes much of his inspiration from masters whose work took years to complete and has lasted centuries, President Snow was created in only three weeks and blown to smithereens in an instant!

Looking at his work, it’s certainly hard to pigeonhole. From Life’s Triumph Over Death, a chameleon sitting on a human skull in stone and vivid mosaic, and an extraordinary sculpture of a titanic, suffering Saint Sebastian fashioned from a gnarled cork oak trunk to the

minimalistic limestone sundial Stairway to Heaven, commissioned recently in Luz, and the perfect, shimmering Heart of Stone in white Portuguese marble, nothing Sören Ernst creates ever seems the same.

That, he insists, is what drives him.

“For me, art and sculpture is a spiritual journey of discovery, and concentrating on just one thing takes the joy out of it.

Everything is influenced by something.

Here I have a marble sculpture which is obviously influenced by Michelangelo, but then Michelangelo was influenced by the Greeks, which is why it was called The Renaissance.”

And discovery is at the heart of Sören’s courses. “Sculpture and mosaic take people out of their daily routine, shut up their internal dialogue and give them a chance to be ‘in the moment.‘” He adds: “Sometimes it’s amazing what happens. It’s almost as if moulding the stone or creating a mosaic is helping them to re-create themselves.”

Sören’s sculpture and mosaic course runs 11am - 3.30pm on Fridays from October to April. Coffee and tea are provided but participants must bring their own packed lunch. It costs €7 per hour plus a one-off payment of €25 for materials.

 www.soeren-ernst.com  +351 919 065 183

New English radio show A new radio show promises to bring the best mix of Portuguese music, bands, fans and culture to the airwaves - in English!

audiences. It will broadcast bi-weekly online at Radio Antena 3 in Portugal, and will then be syndicated to internet radio and media partners worldwide.

Called Tosta Mista, the show is billed as ‘the newest Portuguese music discovery radio show to target the English marketplace’. It will be hosted by well-known journalist Álvaro Costa, who teamed up with music consultancy firm The Portugal Music Scene and RTP Radio Antena 3 to launch the show.

Álvaro Costa is a respected Portuguese radio DJ and presenter whose career spans three decades and has been called a ‘guru of pop’.

He presents various radio shows and is a regular commentator on RTP1's summer festivals.

Tosta Mista will help bring the best of current Portuguese music culture to new

See Antena 3 online for more news on Tosta Mista with Álvaro Costa, or check out the show’s official Facebook page.

 media.rtp.pt/antena3  @TostaMistaWithAlvaroCosta

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Pastor’s new The Wesleyan Methodist Church in Portimão has welcomed Pastor Miguel Silva. Originally hailing from Aveiro, the 41 year old was ordained in 2003 and since then has served in Lagos and Loures.

He is already making his mark in his new role, telling Tomorrow: “My plan for this congregation is to make God known in a practical way so people can be free and happy.”

He added: “The church will promote workshops for couples to help them with marriage, child-raising, finances and the like.

“We plan to serve the community through our social work, covering health, clothing, hygiene and other areas, too. We’ll also provide prisoner support and help people with addictions who want to get free from alcohol and drugs.”

Pastor Silva comes to Portimão with his wife, Ana Raquel, and their two children. He said: “Because we are new in Portimão we don't know many people yet, but we hope to have the opportunity to get to know more people and be a positive influence in their lives.”

Services are held every Sunday at 4pm in the new church space close to Aqua shopping centre (address below).

They are delivered in Portuguese, but translation is available if required.

 Rua António Rocha Silveira, Lote 2, Loja A, Portimão  +351 931721005  geral@imwportimao.org  www.imwportimao.org

Community

Mighty Marley needs our help A campaign has been launched to raise €8,000 to buy a new wheelchair for a fiveyear-old boy from the Algarve. Marley Inácio has a raft of medical problems including muscular dystrophy and a congenital bone condition. Here his mother, Kate, tells us more about her son and his needs…

Marley is five years old and the happiest boy in the world. He loves football, Super Mario Bros. and the colour green. His dream in life is probably to become a Minion.

With it not being a specialised children's chair, this limits him in many ways. He isn’t able to play with his friends or be independent at all, which has had a huge impact on him and his family.

Marley was born with various medical problems and he has a global development delay which affects many things in his body such as his speech, hearing and understanding. Despite this, he is a super hero!

Aljezur International School found out about Marley’s situation and immediately wanted to make a difference by raising money to buy him a specialised children’s chair, one which is small and meets his cognitive and physical needs. This chair would be a game-changer for Marley; the difference it would make for him socially and developmentally would be huge. The cost of this chair is approximately €8,000.

Last month the school organised a 10 km sponsored walk and we will be organising other fundraising events over the coming weeks and months.

Marley is a favourite in Faro hospital, where he is prodded and poked every week as he gets injections and scans. Everyone knows his name. He even helps to take his own blood and shows other children the fish tank in reception. He really is an inspiration for anyone having a sad day.

As he has muscular dystrophy and a congenital bone condition he now must use a wheelchair full time, a transition which would be difficult for anyone, but especially a five-year-old child. From being a little boy who went to bed with a football beside him, this has been a real change for him. Luckily he has a fantastic support system which is trying to help him every step of the way, but of course it isn’t easy.

Marley is currently using a large wheelchair, which he can't drive himself because of his cognitive ability.

 www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/marleyswheels

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Marley’s care requires a lot of time and attention, including weekly hospital visits. There are also many therapy, schooling and medication costs, so any extra funds raised over the €8,000 target will go towards buying all the other equipment Marley needs in his home to make life slightly easier for him and his family.

Every penny helps and will make such a difference in this little boy’s life, so if you’d like to get involved please visit Marley’s fundraising page. Thank you.

Community

Bombeiros funds boost Fundraising event ‘Obrigado, Bombeiros’, held on September 23rd in aid of the bombeiros of Lagoa and Silves, was a huge success, raising €4,484 - over €1,000 more than last year.

More than 150 people attended the event at Quinta Bar in Quinta da Figueirinha, Silves, enjoying an afternoon of good food and entertainment. While guests tucked in to a Portuguese BBQ, local artists performed a variety of music from traditional to jazz, rock to classical.

Representatives from the bombeiros were present, and local companies and organisations showed their support by donating prizes for both a silent and a live auction. Event-goers bid generously for fine wines, pieces of art, golf days, a stay in Lisbon and even some collector items donated by the bombeiros themselves.

Further cash was raised on the day through the sale of second-hand goods and a raffle.

The team of Portuguese and expat organisers decided to make ‘Obrigado Bombeiros’ an annual and ongoing project following the success of the 2016 event, where €3,236 was raised.

In addition to the September event, funds are being raised on a weekly basis via the quiz sessions held at Quinta Bar every Wednesday evening.

Speaking on behalf of the organising team, Clarissa Meca said: “For the second year in a row we were overwhelmed by the generosity of local businesses and the support we received from volunteers willing to give their time to help make the event a success. We would like to thank everyone involved and all those who attended.”

The money raised will be divided equally between the bombeiros of Lagoa and Silves.

A full list of musicians, businesses and organisations that supported the event can be found online.

 www.bit.ly/obrigadobombeiros

Why would you not?

Volunteer, that is! I've been doing just that for 20 years here in the Algarve - from helping set up the first charity shop for APAA in Montechoro to helping at Castelo de Sonhos in Silves and AAG in Guia - and, in my mind, it’s very worthwhile. It’s certainly brought many positives to my life.

Most important is the feel good factor; the idea of making a difference, no matter how large or small, to a cause that appeals to your own set of values.

Volunteering is also a great way to meet likeminded people, whether it's over the counter at a charity shop or elbow to elbow in a soup kitchen. I have made many friends of different nationalities, whom I may not have otherwise encountered.

What’s more, volunteer work

puts you at the heart of the local community and, through contact with local people, my Portuguese language skills have improved no end.

Volunteering doesn't have to be a big commitment (although that word is important word when you do decide to do it, no matter how much of your time you choose to give). Even if you regularly come and go to the Algarve, you could be called on in an emergency or on an ad-hoc basis.

One particularly rewarding organisation I have been working with recently is Refood. I'm sure you've heard various statistics quoted about the amount of food wasted in developed countries, from the wholesale dumping of ‘out of date’ food by supermarkets through to the waste in our own kitchens. Well, Refood is a national organisation working to reduce food-waste by collecting leftovers from restaurants and products set to be discarded by supermarkets and other food outlets. It is

BY CHRISTINE HOLMES

then re-distributed amongst families in need.

I currently give two hours a week to the volunteer-run organisation at a unit based in Algoz. Those two hours might involve collecting the food stuffs, packing them in the kitchen or delivering to a collection point where the families who benefit from this process can pick them up. There are plenty of needy families out there, so it’s a very rewarding job.

If you can help or would like more information about joining us please contact volunteers supervisor Margarida, or alternatively call me to find out more.

If volunteering is not for you but you would like to help in some way, we would be happy to receive donations of non-perishable food items to help out when there is not enough fresh food available to feed our families.

Alternatively, you could make a financial donation - get in touch using the email address below.

 +351 934 004 583 (Margarida) +351 289 562 395 (Christine)  refood.algoztunes@gmail.com  @Refood.Algarve

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Community

Rugby arrives at Nobel Nearly 100 people came together for Nobel International School’s rugby fun day at the end of September, held to mark the arrival of the sport at the school.

Local teams from Loulé, Faro and Olhão attended, showcasing the game and taking part in drills and training led by coach Simon Wilkinson, Rugby Clube de Loulé coaches José Moura and Joáo Costa, and Ricardo Laginha from Faro’s Clube de Rugby da Universidade do Algarve.

Nobel’s new GCSE and A Level PE teacher Joe Walker - who previously played for UK national league team Macclesfield RUFC and coached with Sale Sharks - was also on hand. “The event had a brilliant community feel and it was great to see families supporting the event in the picnic area,” he said, adding: “We look forward to more events like this.”

Speaking about the arrival of rugby at Nobel, Joe went on to explain: “We have started playing tag rugby - a non-contact version of the sport - at school with boys and girls in years 5, 8, 9, 10 and 11, and will be building a young team with the plan to compete

in the near future.”

He added: “We know there is a lot of support for rugby in both the expatriate and local communities, and parents recognise the physical and social benefits of the sport. Rugbybased and inspired activities are great for improving children’s overall physical fitness and fundamental movement skills, which are imperative when it comes to learning advanced motor skills in later life.”

The arrival of rugby at Nobel was even given the approval of former England player and World Cup winner Will Greenwood, who tweeted on the day: “Good luck to @nobelintsch introducing rugby to The Algarve!”

Playing rugby: the benefits - Cardiovascular fitness and endurance - Upper and lower body strength - Agility

The star is a major advocate of getting children into the sport, saying: “It gives the values we hold dear in sport: respect, team-ship, the ability to stand side by side.”

- Speed

If you would like to receive regular rugby news for the Algarve area, please contact Joe using the email address to the right, or else check the school’s Facebook page.

- Self-discipline

- Ball-handling and kicking skills - Team skills - Social interaction and communication

 joe.walker@nobelalgarve.com  @internationalschoolalgarve

Pride at summer exam success The arrival of rugby isn’t the only cause for celebration at Nobel International School - the headmaster has also expressed his pride at the excellent exam results achieved by his students over the summer in GCSEs, AS Level and A Level.

pupils who achieved an 86% pass rate with results well above national averages. All were able to take up offers from their firstchoice universities at some of the leading higher education institutions in Europe.

they achieved at GCSE the year before, and our Year 13s beating UK average A Level results in economics, English language and literature, history, physics, and travel and tourism.

Year 11 achieved a 100% pass rate at GCSE, with most students completing nine or ten GCSEs. Within the A* to C grade pass rate (which, at 76%, beat the UK national average by 10%), a third of these were A* or A grade.

Students performed equally well at AS Level too, with Javier Guerra achieving four A*s in economics, physics, biology and maths, Maria Matis scoring three As in biology, chemistry and maths, and Kiran Martin-Bright achieving three As in physics, chemistry and maths.

Special congratulations go to three pupils who achieved seven to nine A* grades, and also to a small cohort of older A Level

Proud headmaster Mike Farrer said: “This year we have seen pupils in Year 12 maintaining the excellent level of success

“I am particularly proud of all of these students and our large IGCSE (International General Certificate of Secondary Education) group, who have all worked hard to build on the previous year’s success. Our students have risen to the challenges set and, as we move into a new school year, with new teaching staff joining us from the UK, Switzerland, Belgium and Australia, we ready ourselves for more progress and new challenges.”

 www.nobelalgarve.com

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CHRISTMAS BAZAAR S AT U R D AY 1 1 T H N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 7 10AM – 4PM Special guest Father Christmas arrives at 2pm.

Come and enjoy the biggest Christmas Bazaar in the Algarve!

To book a stand please contact Alan Sheppard 914 952 299 All moneys raised will be donated to local children´s charities

International School ALGARVE

Community

Online art magazine launches In last month’s issue we brought you news of the newly formed Algarve Society of Artists. Set up

by Parchal-based couple Alyson (a painter) and Dave (a photographer) Sheldrake, their aim is to bring together, encourage and support Algarve-based artists and art of all genres, and to showcase and promote art and art events across the Algarve.

As part of this, they have now launched the first edition of Algarve Art!, a free online magazine that will be published every quarter. The inaugural edition features a host of articles and special features on artists based here in the Algarve, together with information

on upcoming events and exhibitions, classes and courses.

Meanwhile, the second half of the publication features an A-to-Z directory of Algarve Society of Artists members. Showcasing each individual artist in turn, the directory gives you the chance to discover new Algarve artists, styles of art, paintings and gift ideas.

To read the launch edition of Algarve Art!, head to the website.  www.algarve-art.com/magazine

Life with dementia

therapies, exercise, lifestyle stability, diet, and a quiet environment can all help immensely, as does a good dose of tender loving care.

Last month we featured an article on Gardenias Living, the dementia-care facility in Portimão. Here, Kirsteen Landert whose husband, Pierre, has Alzheimer’s - opens up about what it’s like to have your life touched by dementia, and reveals how the centre has helped them…

Nowadays there is a lot of literature available, be it in books and pamphlets or on the internet, but for me one of the best helps as a carer and partner has been - and still is - interacting with others in a similar situation. Many partners feel they have to ‘do it alone’, and so end up completely exhausted and worn out - which, of course, is of no help to the sufferer!

When you receive a dementia diagnosis, whole worlds are torn apart. Not only that of the sufferer, but also those of their nearest and dearest: their husband or wife, other family members, friends, and so on.

I run a small, informal group that meets once a month in Lagos, and we are often in contact with the members in between these monthly meetings. If you are in a similar situation, don’t hesitate to get in touch and come along.

Prior to diagnosis (and depending on the stage of the illness), many will not even realise they have dementia - they just know something is not quite right in their head. They may say they can't quite put things together anymore, that everything is jumbled up. Depression can often follow, and tears may come frequently for no known reason. Alternatively, some will go into complete denial.

My husband and a few others from the group also now attend Gardenias Living’s day care centre, where they have stimulation sessions and other therapies by qualified staff. Respite care is also possible, and my husband goes there twice a week. He enjoys the company, especially of the charming ‘young ladies’ needless to say that, having been together for over 40 years, the days of feeling jealous are long gone!

It is not an easy situation to manage, to say the least. There are many questions to be answered.

What lies ahead? Can we cope? Cue many sleepless nights and anxiety! But I know first hand that it can and does - slowly get easier.

In closing I’d like to say that, whether you are suffering with dementia yourself or someone close to you is dealing with the condition, please remember: you are not alone.

Early diagnosis and medicating appropriately are essential, as these can often slow down the symptoms for a certain period of time. But unfortunately there is still no cure. Stimulation

Gardenias Living will be hosting an open day on Tuesday 14th November (not 11th as previously stated) between 10am and 4pm. All are welcome to attend and learn more about the centre’s work.

 kirsteenlandert@sapo.pt  +351 968 084 946 (Kirsteen)  +351 282 415 204  www.gardeniasliving.com.pt

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What's On

The hills are alive!

If you’ve ever fancied donning a nun’s habit and singing your heart out, you’re in luck - because you can do just that at a Sound of Music sing-song event this month!

Hosted by Algarve charity APAA (Association for the Protection of Animals in the Algarve), the fun event is set to take place from 7.30pm on Saturday November 4th at Recanto dos Morrous restaurant in Silves.

Alan will be on keyboards playing all your favourite songs from the much-loved musical movie, such as Do-Re-Mi, My Favourite Things and the title track, immortalised by Julie Andrews on a Swiss hillside. Fancy dress is encouraged but not obligatory - although there is a bottle of cava up for grabs for the winner of best outfit, so it’s worth making the effort!

Tickets are priced at €20 and include a three course meal with drinks. The menu includes couvert and soup or salad, a choice of Portuguese lamb stew, turkey with a creamy mushroom sauce or bacalhau com natas, and dessert. Wine, beer, soft drinks and water will be served during the meal, with pre- and after-dinner drinks extra.

So put the date in your diary now and get ready to make the hills of Silves alive with the Sound of Music!

 info.apaaportugal@gmail.com  +351 919 041 903

A birthday walk with Quimera On November 15th, Lagoa-based nature tour operator Quimera Experience celebrates its second birthday, and the team invites you to celebrate with them by doing what they do best - a local sightseeing walk!

Company founder Michael Guerreiro will be leading the free excursion, a 12km circular walk which takes in the beautiful mountains of Monchique and promises epic views like the one pictured. The walk’s difficulty is rated as medium to difficult and it is set to take approximately four and a half hours to complete.

It will definitely be worth the effort though, as the outing will end with a celebratory birthday lunch at Restaurant Palmeirinha dos

Chorões, where you can enjoy the famous gastronomy of the Monchique region. The lunch costs just €15 per person and includes an appetiser, milhos à Monchique, stuffed boar or goat and dessert, along with wine, water, juice and coffee.

Places on the free walk are limited to just 30 people, so be sure to sign up now by getting in touch using the contact details below. The deadline for applications is October 31st. If it will be your first outing with Quimera Experience, please provide your name, date of birth and telephone contact number.

A very happy second birthday to the Quimera team from all of us at Tomorrow!

 quimeraexperience@gmail.com  +351 969 467 275  www.quimeraexperience.com

Christmas fair 2017 The date of the hugely anticipated Christmas fair at Nobel International School has been announced. This year’s event will take place on Saturday November 11th between 10am and 4pm.

As ever, the fair will feature a host of fun activities including pop the balloon, hook a duck and, of course, Santa’s magical grotto (it is strongly rumoured that the big man will be making a spectacular entrance!).

16

Elsewhere there will be plenty of food and drink to enjoy, including the everpopular home-baked cake stall.

All moneys raised will once again be donated to a local Portuguese children's home in Portimão.

For further details contact Alan Sheppard.  +351 914 952 299

November Calendar

Promote your events and activities here - it’s FREE! Email your listings to us: calendar@tomorrowalgarve.com

Fitness Bootcamp Class Mon - Fri 7.30am, 10am & 7pm, Yoga Tue & Thurs 9am Pilates Mon, Wed & Fri 9am Mobile Bootcamp Sat 9am, €10 Luz AXN Club Cascade Resort, Lagos +351 915 183 888 Yoga Mon & Wed 8pm & Tue & Fri 7pm Pilates Mon 7.30pm Clinical Pilates Tue & Thurs 12pm QiGong Mon 10am Meditation Fri 8.30pm Vinyasa Yoga Tues & Fri 7am(2x week €45 p.month) €25/m Villa Prana, Portimão +351 282 484 256 Aerobics Fitness 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 +351 962 009 703 Taekwondo Mon, Thurs & Fri 7pm, €45p/m (child) €60 p/m (adult) Fitball Mon & Thurs 9.15am 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, Urb. Monte Carvoeiro +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 Vale d'Oliveiras Carvoeiro & Thurs 8.15am, Serenity Lagoa Gentle Yoga Fri 11am Vale d’Oliveiras Carvoeiro Sat 11am, Rocha Brava Carvoeiro, €10 +351 911510641 Netball Thurs 6pm, Carvoeiro Tennis Club +351 917 036 883

Hatha Yoga Mon 8 & 10am & 7.30pm Yoga Kids (3-5yrs) Wed 6.30pm Theatre Tues 6pm (Adults) Thurs 6pm(15-20yrs) & Sat 9.30am(5-9yrs) Lagoa Hatha Yoga Mon 8 & 10am Oriental Dance Wed 7.30pm Painting Classes Fri 6pm Portas do Sol Portimão, Ideias do Levante +351 965 017 845 Private Yoga & Partner Yoga €15-25 p.session, Portimão +351 936 786 267

Classes

Pregnant Classes Tues & Thurs 1.15pm, Villa Prana Portimão +351 282 484 256 Sevillanas Dance Classes Wed 8.15pm €22 p/month Academia Dança Mais, Portimão +351 962 556 856 Latin American & Ballroom Dancing Tues 10am (improvers) | Jive 11-11.45am | Dancers 12.30 Alvor Community Centre | Wed Dancers 7pm & 8pm (beginners) | Carvoeiro Club de Tenis, €5, +351 961 916 821 Piano Lessons €80x8/ €15 a lesson, Parchal, Svetlana +351 936 786 266 Dog Socialisation Walk Thurs 4pm, €5, Porches +351 967 925 099 Scottish Country Dancing Mon 7.30pm, €1.50, Nobel International School Algarve, Lagoa +351 282 356 029 Dog Instruction (Group dog lessons) Sat 5pm Hotel do CÃO, Rasmalho Portimão +351 964 083 602 Portuguese Beginners Class Tue & Thur 9.30pm, €5 Chinicato +351 912 417 994

Useful Numbers General

Events Cave Tour & Snorkeling Daily 10am -2pm, €45, Alvor Sunset walk Tue, Wed & Fri 7.30pm, €25 Ferragudo Zip & Trip +351 925 445 828 Quiz Night Fri 8.30pm Sunset Bar, Alvor +351 918 040 382 Group Lesson - Short Game Area & Driving Range Wed 10am - 1pm €20 p.p & Fri 3 - 4.30pm €15 p.p, Junior Classes November 11th, 18th & 25th 10am €10, Booking essential Espiche Golf +351 282 688 250 Quiz Night Mon 9.30pm, Rodizio of Tapas Thurs 8.30pm BBQ Meat Feast Sun 2pm – 9pm, €6.50, The Courtyard Bistro & Bar Alvor +351 912 441 143

Charity/ Support November 22nd Alzheimer's/Dementia Support Group 11am, Restaurant Pirilampo, Lagos +351 926 297 527 +351 968 084 946 AA Meeting Portimao: Mon 7.30pm & 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 (next to INATEL) +351 919 005 590 Depression & Bipolar Support Group First Monday of every month, 6.30-8.30pm, Casa Inglesa Portimão +351 914 878 927 Sunday service at Wesleyan Methodist Church Every Sunday at 4pm (in Portuguese but translation is available) Rua António Rocha Silveira, Lote 2, Loja A, Portimão +351 931 721 005

EMERGENCY TOURIST SUPPORT AIRPORT TRANSFER

112 808 781 212 965 026 176

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

282 490 750 281 380 660 289 803 181 213 914 900 289 803 757 213 942 260

Alvor TAXI DIAGO SILVA HEALTH CENTRE PHARMACY HOSPITAL FIRE POLICE STATION AERODROMO THE SALON ALVOR MUSIC LESSONS SPORTS CENTRE COMMUNITY CENTRE HAIR SALON PHYSICAL THERAPY

966 214 517 282 459 268 282 459 588 282 420 400 282 420 130 282 420 750 282 496 581 282 415 460 965 017 845 282 457 841 282 457 499 966 103 601 928 022 464

Portimão HEALTH CENTRE PHARMACY PRAIA DA ROCHA HOSPITAL CENTRO FIRE POLICE STATION MARITIME POLICE TRAIN STATION

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

Carvoeiro 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 ELECTRICIAN EURICO 968 778 953 MECHANIC CARLOS 282 085 027 HAIRDRESSER 282 356 894 HOUSE SELLINGS 919 839 299 TV & SATELLITE 926 459 429 PAINTING BY STEVE 916 666 210 CHIROPRACTOR 282 352 202

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 LAWYER CELIA 282 476 305 TREE SURGEON 964 384 613 FIREWOOD 917 601 798

What's On

Silves celebrates its oranges With plentiful farmland and over 300 days of sunshine a year, it’s no surprise that the Algarve produces some of the sweetest, juiciest oranges around - and Silves is particularly proud of its produce.

The local câmara branded the city ‘the capital of oranges’ last year as part of a campaign to promote what many consider to be the best oranges in Portugal, complete with it’s own themed logo (pictured) and promotional video.

As part of the initiative the câmara also established the Silves Weekend of Orange Flavours event, and

the second instalment is scheduled to take place between November 24th and 26th. Dedicated to gastronomy featuring the town’s famous fruit, it will see various local restaurants offering specially created orange-themed dishes for the duration of the weekend, such as pork loin with orange and orange crêpes.

To learn more about the event, visit the Silves website or Facebook page.

We look forward to seeing you there!  Municipio Silves  www.cm-silves.pt

Performance meets pasta

BY STEPHANIE WOOD

Image © João Tuna TNSJ

If your idea of a good night out involves learning a little about culinary traditions, getting your hands dirty, eating freshly cooked food and making new friends, then I highly recommend you book tickets to see Pasta e Basta this month.

Having started life in Lisbon, this unique show first came to the Algarve back in February when it visited Loulé, and I made the trip to see it. Now it will show in Aljezur and Monchique at the end of November.

Described as ‘inter-cultural culinary theatre’, it fuses performance with pasta - bear with me here!

Aljezur shows: Nov 16th - 18th (7.30pm) and 19th (11.30am), Sede do Rancho Folclórico Amador do Rogil Monchique shows: Nov 30th and Dec 1st & 2nd (7.30pm) and Dec 3rd (10.30am), Parque Mina

Delivered in an intimate setting that sees the audience seated around a working kitchen, it features performers Giacomo Scalisi and André Amálio acting as head chefs, ably assisted by a crew of helpers. Between them they deliver a humorous show in both Portuguese and Italian that draws on the culinary heritage of Portugal, Italy, Cape Verde and India. Despite my decent but not completely fluent Portuguese and non-existent Italian, I was pleased to discover I could follow the gist of what was being said in the former, and found that the audience members around me were quite happy to fill me in on the bits I didn’t understand.

18

Next, things get immersive as the audience is split into three groups and each is tasked with producing a pasta dish incorporating a host of flavours. My group made cappelletti filled with a spicy cod paste (the perfect fusion of all the culinary traditions covered in the show) whilst the other groups worked on batches of paneer-filled tortellini and strands of spaghetti that would go on to be tossed in a sardine and anchovy sauce. Excitingly, November’s shows will feature new recipes and ingredients that reflect Aljezur and Monchique’s culinary heritage.

Then it’s back to the kitchen, where the hosts cook up the freshly-prepared pasta whilst continuing to entertain the crowd with their witty performance and mock rivalry. Meanwhile the serving staff pass round cloths, plates and cutlery so the audience can clean and then set their own tables, before the pasta is served and enjoyed together - all washed down with a glass or three of wine.

Without giving too much away, the show then concludes with a surprising musical section that had me and my very full belly shaking with laughter, before ending with a bang. It was without a doubt the most original night out I’ve ever had and comes highly recommended. Go, eat and enjoy!

 www.lavraromar.bol.pt

Health

Living in the here and now

BY ANDREA SCHOONHEIM Mindfulness is a term we regularly hear nowadays. It is designed to create more balance in our busy lives, and is certainly worth practicing. And it’s just that: a practice, something you need to do regularly in order to feel the benefits although the process itself matters more than the outcome.

Essentially, mindfulness is keeping your attention in the present moment without judgment - of your thoughts, your feelings or yourself. The ‘present moment’ is what you are experiencing here and now, and often our attention is elsewhere; we are dwelling on the past (often with nostalgia or regret) or we are planning and worrying about the future. Whilst we can learn from the past and some forward-planning is needed for the future, we as humans have a tendency to spend too long there. Life is happening here and now and if your mind is in the past or future all the time, you miss it.

Judging is something we do all the time too, applying values to circumstances, people, objects, etc. An example is the weather; we say it is too hot, too cold, too

wet, too dry or too windy. We know it is pointless to judge the weather as we can’t change it, so really we just need to accept it for our peace of mind. This is the crux of mindfulness: accepting things in the present moment just as they are.

Mindfulness is therefore a relatively simple concept, but one that is not always easy to apply in our lives. The most common challenge is resistance to accepting the here and now - perhaps not in relation to the weather, but other subjects can be more difficult to accept.

Pain is a good example. Whether physical or emotional, pain is not something we want to experience, and when we do we look to eliminate it. That may be possible in the long term, but not immediately in the here and now. Think of a headache - paracetamol can help ease the pain within 20 minutes or so, but nothing can be achieved immediately. Mindfulness encourages us to accept that pain, and to keep our focus on it without judgement (complaining, moaning, shouting, crying, etc). Doing this can actually help ease the

pain - it might not disappear for good, but it will for a few moments.

In yoga we practice this with discomfort.

The poses used in yoga are not always comfortable, but when we keep our nonjudging attention on the discomfort it disappears; at first only for a short time, but it eventually doesn't come back. This way we become stronger, more flexible, more balanced, healthier and happier.

You don’t have to do yoga to practice mindfulness but they do complement each other very well, so next month I will give you a few simple exercises to help you practice mindfulness.

Andrea is a qualified yoga teacher who leads classes in Carvoeiro and Lagoa.

 andrea.schoonheim@gmail.com  www.yogalagoa.com / www.yogacarvoeiro.com  +351 911 510 641

A workout for body and mind

BY GABRIELE GUHR More than 60 million people in China currently do Qi Gong, the ancient Chinese practice of aligning breath, movement and awareness that emphasises learning how to deliberately develop and utilise the energy within your body.

Essentially, Qi Gong is the study of energy. You learn a variety of postures for daily practice, which helps to circulate your Qi regularly and strongly throughout your entire system.

Qi is a complex form of energy that manifests itself in your vitality, your spirit and your very life.

Qi moves your blood and oxygen, and therefore changes your metabolism. The basic premise of the

training is that it offers a way to strengthen your body, mind and spirit and to increase your personal amount of Qi. If you are ill, your Qi levels will be lower than average, and the practice of Qi Gong can help improve various minor ailments such as headaches, backaches, stiff muscles, colds, sleeplessness, congestion and general fatigue - many of which can be eliminated in a short period of time.

Gabriele currently runs Qi Gong classes in Lagoa, Carvoeiro and Portimão. Get in touch for more information.

 +351 911 510 733  massagealgarve@yahoo.pt  www.massage-algarve.com

20

Health

Bag o’ bones

BY LARS RAHMQUIST Here in the photo you can see Paddy; not all of him, just the radioopaque areas, plus his recent meal of cooked pork bones.

Paddy is an older but handsome chappy who was diagnosed with lymphoma last year. He has been successfully treated since then and now he’s happy and prances about as only a Bichon can, with much joie de vivre!

Well, that was until he greedily ate a portion of cooked pork bones, which we see nestled in his small intestine. We gave him paraffin at the clinic and waited to see if he might pass the bones of his own accord, but unfortunately cooked bones become brittle and splinter easily. This is what happened in Paddy’s case, and one of these splinters pushed its

way through the gut wall, perforating his intestine.

If you’re thinking ‘ooh, that doesn’t sound good for Paddy’ then you would be right!

We had to take him into surgery and remove 15 centimetres of the small intestine. For a dog receiving lymphoma treatment, intestinal surgery is not something you hope for. But after a blood transfusion and some time in our ICU ward, Paddy is now home and convalescing. Well done, Paddy!

The message of this story is: be careful when giving your dog your leftovers. Bones can be very good for their teeth and their own bones, but they MUST be raw - like they would eat in the wild. It is when bones are cooked that they become brittle so, unless you’re eating steak tartare off the bone, put your leftovers in the bin.

 www.lagosvet.com

Highs and lows At the end of September, our very own Steven Sutton and eight others walked 37 kilometres from Fóia to Ferragudo in order to raise awareness around mental health issues. Here, Algarve-based counsellor and bereavement therapist Teresa Hughes commends his efforts - and explores some of the mental health issues commonly experienced by her clients…

I applaud Steven in his endeavour to raise awareness of mental health issues. During his 37-kilometre journey he undoubtedly encountered the highs and lows of the beautiful Algarve terrain. And, on a related note, during our lifetime we will all experience episodic highs and lows of mood.

This is the unique sentient human path, as if we were permanently happy we would fail to recognise this. It is necessary for us to feel sorrow, for how else can our mood be measured in the absence of contrast? As Kahlil Gibran wrote in The Prophet: “When you are joyous, look deep into your heart and you shall find it is only that which has given you sorrow that is giving you joy.”

We all face challenges which impact

directly on our mental wellbeing. Be it relationship difficulties, job insecurity, ill health, bereavement or otherwise, there are many issues that can cause emotional disturbance.

Here in Portugal, many of us who have chosen to move here from another country may initially be affected by a sense of isolation and disconnectedness, and so it is worth examining ways to successfully integrate with the local community.

Undertaking voluntary work, learning the local language and seeking like-minded people by joining groups which are of interest to the individual can all be helpful.

ourselves. It is important to take time to relax and spend time being a human being, not a human doing! The practice of mindfulness can be extremely effective in helping individuals learn to relax and stay in the moment. I highly recommend it!

These are just some of the issues and approaches I deal with when treating my clients. For more excellent mental health guidance visit the Mind website, or get in touch for personal help.

Teresa is a member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy. She is available to see clients at Hospital Particular in Alvor.

In order for us to maintain healthy mental wellbeing it is essential we take care of

 treehughes@live.com +351 960 417 731  www.mind.org.uk

22

Business

Get your euros the pre-pay way

BY ALISON DAUN, GCEN Are you still buying your euros at the airport? When we checked rates at Gatwick airport on October 3rd, one of the currency conversion bureaus was giving just 98 cents for every £1.

Were your pounds really worth less than your euros? No, they were not! The interbank rate on the same day was around 1.12. You and I can’t buy at the interbank rate - but we can do better than accepting 98 cents for £1.

If it’s holiday spending money you are looking for, there are a couple of options. You could change your money before you get to the airport at a high street conversion bureau, or wait until you get to Portugal and use one of the conversion bureaus here. Exchange rates do vary at these places, but quite often you will find better exchange rates on the high street than at the airport. Waiting until you get to Portugal may be problematic as there are less cash-conversion bureaus here.

Alternatively, you could use a pre-paid currency card - a service we provide at GCEN. You load your card with euros (or dollars if you are going to America) at our competitive exchange rate, and then it works just like a credit or debit card; you can use it to withdraw money at cash machines, or to pay in shops and restaurants. As it is pre-paid, you can only spend what you have on the card, and it also means you’re not carrying cash around with you. You can also have additional cards for family members.

If you are spending time in Portugal regularly, have bills to pay and need money for living costs, then a pre-paid currency card could work for you too.

If you are interested in a pre-paid currency card, contact us to find out more.

 +351 282 768 136  www.gcen.co.uk

Handy IT shortcuts

BY STEVEN DUNWELL

Local IT expert Steven Dunwell shares some handy hints and tips to make you a keyboard whizz!

Bring back that accidentally closed web page Accidentally closed a tab on your browser? Simply press Ctrl + Shift + T on Windows or Cmd + Shift + T on Macs to reopen the most recently closed tab and get back to what you were doing.

Snap that window into place Pressing the Windows Key + Left Arrow Key on Windows systems will cause the open window to quickly snap to the left-hand side of the screen (and to the right with the Right Arrow Key). To maximise the window press Windows Key + Up Arrow, and to minimise press Windows Key + Down Arrow.

Undo those little mistakes Ctrl + Z (or Cmd + Z on Macs) is the ultimate quick fix.

If you accidentally delete or move a file, you can hit Ctrl/Cmd + Z to bring it right back to where it was, whilst Ctrl/Cmd + Y will redo whatever you undid.

This also works when typing in a document.

Use Spotlight to search for anything Need to quickly locate a programme or file on your Mac? Hit Cmd + Spacebar then type the first two to three letters of the programme or file name in the search bar that appears. You can even use Spotlight

to do calculations.

Close the current program Pressing Alt + F4 (usually found on the top row of the keyboard, above the number keys) on Windows systems will close the programme you are running.

Scroll through web pages Tapping the spacebar on a website will scroll down in full-page chunks, whilst hitting Shift + Spacebar will take you back up.

Quickly lock your computer On Windows, pressing Windows + L will lock your system right away, requiring a password (if you've set one) to log in again. On Macs use Cmd + Option + Power to log off.

If you have any questions on this topic, suggestions for future tips or require assistance with any other IT queries or challenges, I am very happy help.

 +351 936 387 512  sdunwell@sky.com

24

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

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Food & Drink

Review: Chill Inside, Lagoa

BY STEVEN SUTTON

As part of our bid to support the shops and services of our local town centres (see page three), last month I spent an afternoon in Lagoa and enjoyed an excellent meal at Chill Inside.

Situated just behind the theatre, from the outside the restaurant looks very unassuming. But as soon as you walk through the door you can feel the passion of the owner and the staff alike. They want to tell you about the food, and there is a feeling they are all working together to make sure your visit is the best it can be.

It’s the little things that show they want everything to be perfect, such as taking the time to talk to guests and explaining the menu to them.

That menu changes from lunch to dinner to ensure that the chef has a chance to show off his enthusiasm and passion for the food he produces (he did not train for years to cook the same dishes all day every day, after all!) and to ensure customers always have something new to discover.

Aperitifs are a must (I enjoyed a refreshing Martini over ice) before moving on to the starters, which are made to be shared; my guest and I split mushrooms stuffed with local sausage and beef carpaccio (pictured).

Then came the main courses. I had the vegetarian pasta, which was delicious - I’d go as far to say it was one of the tastiest pasta dishes I’ve ever had. Meanwhile my guest had the cod, which was perfectly cooked and was served with new potatoes and vegetables. It is not often that I cannot finish a meal, but both my companion and I were unable to totally clear our plates thanks to the generous portion sizes - so be sure to visit hungry! There’s a great selection of wines to choose from to accompany your meal, although we plumped for the house red and it did not disappoint.

So next time you’re in Lagoa, I highly recommend a trip to Chill Inside. Whether you pop in for a coffee and a pastry or a full meal, the experience will be the same: wholesome food prepared with passion, and served with flair and personality.

 R. dos Vales 7, 8400-435 Lagoa  +351 282 352 563  @chillinside.pt

The ultimate Thai steak For all you steak lovers out there, here is a recipe I tried with friends recently that really got the thumbs up. It is so easy yet so tasty – I hope you like it as much as we did!

Ingredients (serves four) • 4 beef steaks, preferably ribeye with the fat left on • 2 tbsp vegetable oil For the marinade • 6 tbsp good soy sauce • 4 tbsp hoisin sauce • 2 tbsp fish sauce • ½ cup shallots, finely chopped • 6-7 garlic cloves, minced • 1 fresh red chili (optional) • 8 tbsp soft brown sugar

BY CHRIS WINSTANLEY

Method 1. Rinse the steaks in cold water and set aside 2. Combine all the marinade ingredients in a dish or bowl large enough to lay the steaks in flat. Stir well until all the sugar is dissolved.

3. Place the steaks in the marinade and turn several times to coat well. Spoon more marinade over the top of each steak. Cover and refrigerate for at least two hours, but ideally up to 24 hours.

4. Warm the grill to a medium hot heat and brush with vegetable oil, then grill the steaks to your liking, turning once.

5. Serve with a simple salad and Thai jasmine rice cooked in coconut milk.

Chris is the owner of Moveison outdoor furniture store (www.moveison.com)

26

Outdoor

Above: Poinsettia; Hemerocallis Below: Portulaca grandiora

No rest for the Algarvian gardener - part one

BY CLIVE GOODACRE

Winter in the UK and most of Northern Europe is a time for putting your feet up, looking at plant and gardening catalogues and dreaming of things to come. Algarvian winters, however, are very different. With little or no penetrating frost to speak of, plenty of warm, sunny and moist days more like spring than winter – this is a great time to be gardening, and certainly not a time to be putting your feet up.

Now is the time when bright red poinsettias (Euphorbia pulcherrimma) come into their own. Whether bought at a garden centre or grown as a rangy shrub, they come back year after year, glowing with colour throughout the Christmas season. Take a closer look and you will see their centres gradually develop attractive yellow flowers, contrasting with their vivid red outer leaves known as bracts.

Despite its Mexican origins, this plant does not like exposure to full sunlight from the south or west. This probably explains why so many fail when transferred from inside at the end of the Christmas season.

Poinsettias prefer rich, slightly acid, well-drained soil and need to be kept moist, although watering should be reduced after flowering and they should never be allowed to sit in water.

All of this

coupled with their dislike of exposure to hot or cold wind makes them tricky to grow, yet they are still well worth the effort; a large poinsettia in full bloom is an amazing sight.

The best way of keeping them going is to keep them potted under a warm veranda and wait until late spring, before planting out with some slow release fertiliser in a sheltered spot. Literally tens of thousands are grown at Algarvian nurseries in this way and exported across Europe for sale in department stores and supermarkets.

Another Christmas present doomed to perish in its thousands is of course the orchid. Few survive much beyond Easter.

It seems a cruel twist of fate that orchids leave tropical paradises like the nurseries of Thailand and Singapore, yet within a few days can be baking to death in a Northern European family Christmas front room!

Made of much sturdier stuff are succulents, which do most of their growing in winter and spring, storing water ready for summer. Twice-a-month watering of agaves, aeoniums, yuccas, crassulas and other fleshy succulents in summer and virtually no watering in winter is normally sufficient. Notable exceptions are Portulaca grandiflora and Pereskia grandiflora (desert rose), which normally flower during midsummer and therefore need more regular watering. Cacti like opuntia, mammillaria, ferocactus and Echinocactus grusonii

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(mother in law’s seat) are often neglected on the basis that they are a desert plants.

However, most cacti in the wild group themselves where at least some moisture is present, so they should be treated like succulents.

With petunias and other summer bedding fading fast, it is time to find replacements which will take you through to Christmas and hopefully beyond. Portulaca grandiflora is one to go for as it is equally at home in pots, hanging over planters or hugging the ground in borders. Its flowers resemble small roses and come in orange, cerise, pink, pale purple, white and yellow – often with several different colours on one plant.

Autumn is also a good time for planting new trees, which will become established throughout winter with little or no irrigation until next summer. Now is also a good time to prepare and plant bulb borders with plants like Iris Iberica, Hemerocallis and a wide variety of lilies - but more of that next month.

Light pruning of shrubs and trees in autumn is OK because, unlike plants in Northern Europe, ours are not shutting down for the winter. Citrus fruit should not be hard pruned since they crop in winter and early spring, so fruit is already set and forming. Pruning for shape, quality and to reduce loading may be carried out however, depending on the weather.

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19/06/2017 10:52

And Finally...

10 minutes with… June Jorgensen Canadian June spends her winters in Alvor, volunteering with local charities and running the Alvor Book Club, which she founded. She has also travelled extensively, often on her own. Here she tells us a little about her inspiring approach to life…

You’ve done a lot of solo travelling in your time - tell us about that I’ve always had a sense of adventure. At 20 I married a Swiss and we later moved to Switzerland with our small baby, where I lived for 10 years and where my son and grandson currently live. We travelled around Europe a lot, and when we divorced I sometimes travelled solo to the UK and France. After my second divorce I decided to travel extensively, going to places such as Italy, Germany, China, Thailand, the USA and Mexico on my own. I also travelled

to Hungary, Austria, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Spain and the Philippines with friends and family.

Have their been any hair-raising moments during your travels?

A few years ago I was caught in Hurricane Earl, which worked it's way up the eastern coast of the USA before catching us in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. It knocked the power out for two days and all flights were cancelled, so we stayed inside talking by candlelight and eating cheese and crackers.

There were no fatalities but a lot of damage.

It was quite scary.

How did you come to live in Portugal?

It was almost by accident. I was living in Switzerland two summers ago and was looking for somewhere warm for the winter.

I was thinking of Spain when a friend suggested the south of Portugal, saying the climate was great, the food amazing, the cost of living low and the people friendly. Without knowing anyone here I

booked a flight to Faro, and three weeks later I arrived. After a couple of weeks travelling around I settled in Alvor. I now split my time between Canada, Switzerland and Portugal.

How do you spend your time here?

I am retired but sell jewellery and clothes from Mexico, mainly for fun and to support charity events. On Saturdays I volunteer with the charity Nandi in Lagos, feeding the 50+ marina cats with a friend, and I foster homeless animals. I also started the Alvor Book Club which now has 18 members.

I also paint (see the top middle picture) and volunteer with the Algarveans theatre group too.

What do you love about living in the Algarve?

Eating fresh, local strawberries in February, buying vegetables and fruit at the market year round, cooking fish caught that morning for lunch, having the beach close by, enjoying the beautiful sunsets and the warm, sunny weather.

Local loves: June’s favourite…

Place for a cheap eat Moley’s at Camping Alvor. Owners Melvin and Julie are very friendly and the food is delicious - breakfast is particularly good.

Place to visit It has to be Lagos, with its ocean-front promenade, the sandy cove of Praia do Camilo and the interesting Wax Museum.

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Viewpoint The wild and windswept cliffs of Cape St. Vincent, the most southwesterly point in Europe. It’s such a historical place.

Images: Lagos © Lacobrigo and Cape St. Vincent © Pete Richman, both via CC

What’s your background?

I was born and raised near Calgary, western Canada, and worked there for many years as both a journalist and an entrepreneur. I ran a bed and breakfast for seven years and a driving school for seventeen. I also spent 20 years volunteering with the Rotary Club in Canada along with various community organisations, helping the homeless and animals in distress, and taught English to Mexican children.

Wine with victory flavour.

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.