Tomorrow Aljezur to Lagoa - August 2021

Page 28

COMMUNITY

Filming on the Funcho BY TRACY BURTON

The events of 2020 made many people rethink their lives – and livelihoods. For Cheryl and Graham Smith, lockdown in the Algarve meant they had time to explore on foot the meandering trails near the riverside holiday rental they own near São Bartolomeu de Messines. In fact, Figs on the Funcho has come about in part because their daily walks around the Barragem do Funcho raised their awareness of the wonderful hiking opportunities which existed on their doorstep. "We were walking all these beautiful trails around the property and thought, why are we running it as a holiday rental from the UK when we could actually be living here?" recalls Cheryl. The past year has been a whirlwind of activity for the couple. Not only have they sold up in the UK, moved to the Algarve permanently and completely rethought their business model, but they are currently being filmed for a British television programme (the name of which they are not allowed to currently disclose). With their business headed in a new direction, when Graham spotted a Facebook post inviting applicants for the popular series, the couple decided to apply. The video interview wasn’t without its problems – "we had a bulldozer landscaping the garden and we kept losing the internet connection" – but fortunately, the

28

producers recognised Cheryl and Graham’s enthusiasm and warmth, and wanted them on board. Filming started in June and is going well. As diehard fans of the series will know, participants must be prepared to share the good and the bad. The film crew is there for celebrations and successes, but filming also continues when everything goes wrong and people reach the end of their tether. The Smiths are having an enjoyable experience so far. Cheryl has been filmed at Barranco do Vale, a local vineyard she’s involved in a September picnic event on the riverfront, and has twice been accompanied to local markets. “The film crew spoke to our Portuguese guests about their experience here,” she adds. “We were fortunate because they absolutely raved about Figs on the Funcho and loved my homemade granola.” (So much, in fact, that Cheryl parcelled some up as a parting gift for the two women.) With their popular painting holidays already wellestablished, the couple are now keen to put São Bartolomeu de Messines on the map as a hiking destination and will be offering holiday packages with hosted walks.

www.facebook.com/tomorrowalgarve | www.instagram.com/tomorrowalgarve | www.tomorrowalgarve.com

Graham and Cheryl Smith


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.