Tomorrow Lagos - Aljezur December 2017 Edition

December 2017 | Edition 73

A COMMUNITY MAGAZINE COVERING LAGOS TO ALJEZUR

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Festive greetings to one and all The sun’s still shining and we are all gearing up for a fabulous festive season in the Algarve.

So much is happening this month and we are particularly looking forward to our Christmas Ball at Boavista on December 8th with João and the Protons providing the entertainment. It’s always great fun and helps to support our local charities. When we went to print there were still 16 spaces left so please call Steven if you want to come on +351 919 185 677.

One of the charities we raise money for is the soup kitchen in Lagos which will help some of the most needy in our community enjoy Christmas. In this month’s magazine you will find a heart-warming story about school boy Ethan Meeke and his friends, who raised €700 for the Mustard Seed. They wanted to hand over the money themselves to meet some of the people they were helping. This, to us, demonstrates the true meaning of being part of a local and caring community.

Food donations are always very welcome too. The one tonne of rice that was donated a few months ago by Phil Bull was extremely helpful.

We are very excited that the Tomorrow Algarve Charity Trust (TACT) has been selected as the chosen partner to work with John Aldridge on his annual Charity Golf

Day at Boavista next September. This year he raised almost €40,000.

It has been a very busy year for the Tomorrow team as we have been very much involved in a series of Giving It Back days which have included a beach clean-up and painting the Portimão Soup Kitchen. We have also hosted a number of charity fundraising events including our balls, our annual charity golf event, with Espiche Golf, and an awareness raising walk from Foia, in Monchique, to Ferragudo.

Many thanks to you all for supporting these events.

Every year you - our readers, contributors and clients - astound us with your generosity and goodwill. Thank you all.

We all wish you a very happy Christmas and a healthy New Year.

Best wishes, Amber, Tom and the whole Tomorrow team.

Tom Henshaw  +351 919 918 733 Amber Henshaw  amber@tomorrowalgarve.com

On the cover This month we are promoting the idea of shopping local. You will find amazing arts and craft products in Lagos - like this rather gorgeous Father Christmas wreath.

Stay Connected... 

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TomorrowAlgarve

www.tomorrowalgarve.com

+351 919 918 733

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Community

Give a child a bed this Christmas After receiving an anonymous tip-off about a young people's home in Portimão that would benefit from some charity this Christmas, Tomorrow magazine was keen to help. We sent reporter Sophie Sadler to find out more.

On arrival at the The House of Our Lady of the Conception, I am met at the door

by Ana, the in-house psychologist and Fernando, the vice president. They give me a lovely welcome and I am shown into the family liaison room for a chat.

We are immediately interrupted by the arrival of their longest resident, Ana Sofia, who has Cerebral Palsy and now, aged 59, has lived there since 1968. She has no family and the centre is the only home she knows so she is allowed to live there. She cuddles up to Fernando before taking a seat to observe our interview. Apart from Ana Sofia, I learn that they currently house 36 at-risk children and adolescents aged from four to 21. It is a private institution and has a similar function as CASLAS in Lagos.

The next interruption is from a beautiful 7-year-old girl, who has come in to see who the strange visitor is! She has beautiful glossy brown hair and stares at me with big eyes as she hugs Fernando and I try to get her to tell me her name. She eventually whispers that her name is Francisca. She is at home from school today as her class teacher is away and immediately my heart melts as she is the same age as my daughter and she does not have a proper home.

While we are not allowed, under Portuguese law, to discuss individual circumstances and the names of residents have been changed, but they can tell me that she has been assigned to the home by the court as she has suffered either abuse or neglect at home. She has been living at the centre for 2 years and it is hoped that she can return to her family, but if not she can remain in the centre until she is 21.

Ana, who has worked at the house for 8 years, give counselling to the girls or sometimes this is outsourced, depending on the case. Many of the girls have behavioural problems and the centre tries to work with the families, however, as Ana explains; “Sometimes the family does not match our goals so it is not possible.”

A second girl, the same age, enters the room and sits on Ana´s lap, she is called Barbara and has lived in the centre for a year. Both girls attend a school which is located just across the road from the centre. After school, the home tries to organise extra-curricular activites for the girls such as dancing or swimming, some of which are done on site or through external clubs. They currently have a dance teacher who gives their services free of charge but they would love to hear from any other

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person who would volunteer to teach a fun activity.

The charity was originally established in 1949 by Manuel Vitorino Correia, then Parish priest of Portimão, however the home in its current incarnation was established by Dra Mercedes Leote who was president from 1949-1967. It was run by the five Dominican Sisters of Santa Catarina de Sena who lived with the girls but all of the nuns became too old to continue and with no young novices to take over, the centre is now run by a committee, a staff of 18 and volunteers, with help from the community. Fernando is an architect and is one of the people who gives his time for free. He tells me; “I have children of my own so when I come here and am able to help, it gives me a good feeling in my heart.”

The home has been located in the current building, in the area of Coca ​​ Maravilhas near Portimão Acqua shopping centre since 1990. The building does feel institutional and Ana points out it would be built differently now, however, all the staff are incredibly vibrant and friendly. When the charity began families would have brought girls there if they were too poor or unable to take care of them but now all are sent by the commissions of protection of

minors, juvenile courts and Social Security.Ana tells me; “Of course it can be hard sometimes when you understand what some children have been through but on the whole, it is a happy place but of course all these children deserve a family and sometimes we cannot make this possible.”

Some girls return to the family environment, others go to host families and others may choose to leave at 18: Ana says; “We do not have as many opportunities for fostering children in Portugal as you do in the UK so if the children cannot return to their families or find another family to host them they remain here until they are adults. We try to give them skills which will make them successful adults.

What is hardest is when by law they are allowed to make the decision to leave at 18 and we wish they would stay longer, but most retain a relationship with us after they leave.”

We visit the dining area where there is a delicious smell of fish emanating from the kitchen which will be Francisca and Barbara´s lunch. On one wall is a behavioural chart which the girls move up and down and which reminds me of the star chart I have for my kids. There is a chapel where the residents would have had a daily service but now that they have different religious denominations staying including Muslims and Christians, they no longer have in-house services but residents can choose if they wish to go to churches in the area. They now use the room for events and parties and they have a big summer event for the community every year. Upstairs there is a cosy library and computer room so the girls can interact on social media at weekends.

I am then given a tour of the bedrooms. There is a common room with a TV at the end of one of the living quarters. The younger girls can be in rooms of up to 3 with the older girls having single rooms. I am lucky enough to be shown one of the single rooms by its occupant Catia, an 18-year-old, with a beautiful smile. The walls are adorned with photos of her with friends so she is obviously very popular and social.

I try to talk to her in my pitiful Portuguese but she replies in excellent English. I ask her what she would like to do when she leaves the home. She tells me it is her dream to be in the army so she can travel and see the world.

Although the centre tries to give the girls normal experiences, they took them camping this summer and they visit the beach, these girls will not have the opportunities to travel or see new places that other children have so I imagine how Catia must dream of having new experiences from this small room.

The lady who wrote to tell us about this home says; “The local community seems to not know very well the great job that is done with the girls in this house and usually only helps with shoes, clothes and food; but they need lots of things that, if donations don't come in, they can't afford.” The Social Services pay about 85% of the cost of keeping each inhabitant and the rest must come from the community. I ask Ana and Fernando what they need. Fernando immediately gives an impassioned plea for new mattresses to replace the old ones which are in a very bad condition. The cost will be €14,700 for 46 new mattresses as they need to take more girls next year.

Ana adds that they also always need hygiene products as it is incredibly expensive providing, soap, shampoo, toothpaste and sanitary items etc for 36 girls. They also always need volunteers.

The social services just cut the budget they had for teachers, who help the girls with homework and extra tuition that they need, so help from teaching professionals would also be appreciated.

We wander into the playground and one of the cats the girls looks after runs in front of us. There is a basketball pitch, play centre and climbing frame but Francisca and Barbara are doing what most kids do, ignoring the expensive toys and playing with a bowl of dirt! I am shown a large overgrown area which they would love to make into a vegetable patch for the kids to grow their own food, although Ana laughs that the children want a swimming pool!

Having been moved by the tremendous efforts being made at this home to support and help children and young adults Tomorrow magazine would like to ask readers to donate what they can to our Tomorrow Algarve Charity Trust (TACT) bank account. Details are below and donations should be labelled “Bed Appeal.” We will also have a box located in Sadler's Real Estate Office on Rua do Poço, (next to André Spinola hair salon and Madrugada charity shop) in Praia da Luz where you can donate any new and un-opened hygiene products for the girls. Residents of Portimão can take anything directly to the home which welcomes guests.

I ask Ana what the girls Christmas will be like; “We try to make sure that the girls go to family or friends for at least Christmas Eve so they get a normal experience.” Sadly what most of these girls want from Christmas is a family but if you have any money to spare after buying presents for your own family please think of making a donation to these girls who, through no fault of their own, need our help.

Tomorrow Algarve Charity Trust (TACT) Millennium BCP IBAN: PT50 0033 0000 45513973438 05 BIC / SWIFT: BCOMPTPL  www.cnsc-portimao.pt/index.php/contacto

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Community

Ho, Ho, Ho! Across the world people celebrate Christmas slightly differently. So we were wondering about what happens here in Portugal. Here are some Portuguese traditions although, sadly, it looks like some of these maybe dying out.

Father Christmas or Pai Natal, as he is known, brings children’s presents on Christmas Eve, rather than Christmas Day. The presents are left under the tree or in shoes by the fireplace. Families often tell their children that baby Jesus helps Santa with the presents.

Families usually set up a Nativity scene (Presépio) with Mary, Joseph, the tree wise men and the cow and donkey, but the figure of the Christ Child is usually added to the scene only after the family attends Midnight Mass.

The traditional Christmas meal in Portugal, called Consoada, is also eaten on Christmas Eve and consists of boiled bacalhau (codfish) with green vegetables and boiled potatoes. The variety and quantity of desserts is usually enormous. Rice pudding with cinnamon, rabanadas (very special French Toast), pastries made with syrup or honey called Broas de Mel and Bolo Rei (King's Cake) are sure to delight anyone with a sweet tooth.

After the meal, people go to church for the Missa do Galo or 'Mass of the Rooster' service. During the service an image of baby Jesus is brought out, and everyone queues up to kiss it. It is then put in the nativity scene (the presépio) that every church will have. After the service people return home and open their presents.

On Christmas Day the Portuguese visit their friends and, especially, their family and have a big family lunch, normally with roast chicken, lamb or turkey.

The traditional Christmas cake is Bolo Rei is placed in the center of the table. There is also a version without candied fruit called the Bolo Rainha.

Traditionally a broad bean and a gift (a little token)

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are hidden in the cake. If you get the token you are allowed to keep it. But if you find the broad bean, you have to pay for next year's Bolo Rei! After Christmas (and never before!) and going into the first weeks of January, groups of people will go from house to house with an image of the baby Jesus in his manger singing the Janeiras songs (January songs). They are often accompanied with small instruments. They usually start with an opening song asking the owner of the house for food and drink! The owner of the house should invite them in to warm up and to help themselves of a spread of snacks like dry figs with walnuts inside them or cheese and chorizo and some wine or brandy.

If you do not open your door, or your food and drink doesn't meet what is expected (especially if you're rich), the singers will sing songs mocking you (like saying you've got a big nose)! Normally after enjoying the food, the January singers will sing a song of thanks praising the generosity of the hosts, saying how nice you are and saying any single girls are very beautiful!

Epiphany is also celebrated in Portugal, on January 6th. On the Island of Madeira, the Janeiras are very popular and are also known as the Cantar os Reis (or 'singing the Kings'). As well as the Janeiras in the streets, there's also a popular concert which is held each year on the evening of the January 5th in the to be held in the Auditorium of the Municipal Gardens, in Funchal.

In Portuguese Happy/Merry Christmas is Feliz Natal or you can use Boas Festas for 'Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year'.

Thanks to www.whychristmas.com for this article.

Community

Art in the clink

BY DAVID FOOT

Do not collect £200! Go To Jail. Go Directly To Jail. Do Not Pass Go. Do Not Collect £200.

Monopoly players will recognise those words, but anyone can visit the fascinating old Lagos jail which is now used as an art studio and gallery by Laboratório de Actividades Criativas (LAC). You won't collect £200 but it won't cost you anything either as it is government funded.

between a fantasy parkland landscape and the stark bars of the tiny, windowless, cell.

Each year LAC invites internationally recognised street artists to decorate walls around Lagos and in the jail, and 2017 is no exception.

In a recent issue of Tomorrow we featured Mister Thom's giant street mural of a fish near the Os Lambertos restaurant. Mister Thom comes from Rome and happily sings operatic arias as he creates innovative images, many of which also feature in the jail. Pictured is a piece produced using a rusty old toolbox, one of a number featured in the jail.

The jail, situated next to the GNR station, is worth a visit in its own right as you can see first hand the conditions faced by prisoners in the bad old days. But an added attraction is the art on view sculptures, canvasses and paintings applied directly onto the walls.

Finally this series of articles would be incomplete if it did not feature Portuguese artist Third's amazing robot on the face of a building opposite Lagos Bombeiros. Third produced this earlier in the summer and has created similar works across the town in previous years.

Perhaps the most poignant example comes from Kruella D'Enfer who hails from Lisbon and specialises in colourful 3D art. The work shown here is contained in the solitary confinement cell, a chilling contrast

If you would like to visit the jail the formal exhibition there is now closed, but most of the work remains and you will be welcome to visit - although a prior telephone call is advised. You can also see more works by the artists on their websites, detailed below.

LAC - Laboratório de Actividades Criativas  +351 282 084 959  www.lac.org.pt  Rua Largo do Convento de Nossa Sra. Da Glória (the old jail), 8600-660 Lagos Kruella D'Enfer  www.kruelladenfer.com Mister Thom  www.thoms.it

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Community

Shop local – Lagos!

Last month we urged our readers to shop locally and here George Ford tells us what’s so great about shopping in Lagos.

In an increasingly impersonal 21st century, it is easy to lose touch with the idea that the journey can be as pleasurable as the end goal. Shopping was once an opportunity for an entertaining day out, exploring new territories and discovering hidden gems.

Now, if we leave the comfort of our own homes to shop at all, it is to walk briskly through a soulless, white-lit shopping centre to complete a seemingly irksome task as quickly as possible.

Thanks to corporate giants such as Amazon, a click of a button can secure a purchase to be delivered in under 24 hours, without the buyer having to move, or even think. The joy of spending a day pondering over purchases is one which may be dying in the modern world. But places like Lagos offer the opportunity to explore whilst shopping, to saunter around the town at ones own leisure, and to discover far more than the cheapest possible deal.

Take a stroll through the winding streets of Lagos and discover a wide range of unique, local shops. A day spent in the

fresh Algarvian air, rummaging around quaint shops in between coffee breaks sounds like a day well spent to me. With street performers around every corner, the roads are full of music and life. The extraordinary personalities of shops on offer is something that came as a surprise to me. Traditional Portuguese cork shops provide a touch of quirk, while the local winery boasts Algarvian wines and handbottled Medronho. With Christmas right around the corner, I have no doubt that Lagos city centre will harbour that unique and personal gift you have been looking for.

That’s not to say that Lagos is merely a glorified market, suited only for souvenirs.

In this lively town centre, you will find a range of shops stocking renowned brands from Chanel to Adidas, stunning homeware stores full of on-trend furnishings, and designer jewellers stocking the likes of Rolex. Yet alongside these megabrands exists an intimate touch; a personally signed edition of Jean Paul Satre’s collected works found in The Owl Story bookshop, or Medina Gift’s delicate

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handcrafted jewellery and leather bags.

There exists in this unique hub a blend of 21st century cosmopolitan life and proud Portuguese traditions, a seemingly impossible mix to satisfy any shopper.

Get lost in the maze of cobbled streets and stumble upon the truly individual shops here, with proud owners on hand to help you with every request. Why not take a break and grab a cup of coffee in one of the lively bars and cafes?

Do not be off put by the prospect of parking in a bustling town centre.

Reasonably priced buses run regularly throughout Lagos for those seeking alternative transport. Lagos does offer a week’s free parking policy in December. At the time of going to print we couldn’t get these details from the câmara but we will put them on our Facebook page as soon as we do.

So, why not support your local town and head out for an adventure today?

Community

Meet the artist A new online website has been set up by the Algarve Society of Artists to promote art from the region. Each month the society will shine a spotlight on a local artist. This month we are introducing Alyson Sheldrake.

Please can you start by telling us a little bit about yourself?

I am originally from Birmingham, but spent all of my student and adult working life in the South West of England. I was a police officer for 13 years, before leaving to pursue a career in education. I rose to the heady heights of Director of Education, before leaving the UK to live here in the Algarve with my husband Dave.

My dream was always to have my own studio space and to be able to spend all day painting and creating. I had always painted around my full-time career, spending the occasional week on an art course or holiday and becoming inspired, only to have to go back to work again and pack my paints away. Now I have my own studio, my husband Dave has been able to follow his dream to become a photographer, and I get to steal all of his work to paint from!

Tell us about your art and what you specialise in.

I paint bold modern acrylics that use local scenes and objects as focal points and then incorporate a series of waves

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of colour into the design. There will always be a 'traditionally painted' focus, combined with my own design, which I have named my New Wave style as no-one else seems to paint like this, so I had to come up with my own name for it. I like that I have a unique and recognisable style to my work. I also complete pet and house portraits upon request, and also enjoy painting big bold flowers, and the old doors and windows of the Algarve. I like to experiment with new ideas, like including sand in my paintings, but my favourite work is always in my New Wave style.

Have you always been painted?

Yes, even as a child my favourite present for birthdays and Christmas was always a new set of paints or pens. My next-door neighbour was an artist and I spent hours there as a child watching him paint in oils and helping him clean his brushes! At school my art teacher told me that I couldn't paint (!) so I think I have spent the next 30 years trying to prove her wrong!

What mediums do you work with?

I fell in love with acrylics when I moved here to live, they are so rich and buttery to paint with, and the î –

Community

colours are bright, and perfect for the landscape and colours of the Algarve. They do dry out quickly though which is why I don't paint in July and August out here - it's just too hot!

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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?

My husband thinks it a bit strange I think, but as soon as I see a scene or view, or one of his photographs, I can instantly 'see' the finished painting in my mind and know that it will 'work' as one of my New Wave style paintings. Then it is just the simple matter of getting it all drawn out and planned and painting it! It's sadly not always as simple as that, although once I have started a painting I find that they flow easily and I am impatient to complete it, even if that takes anything up to two weeks depending on the size of the painting. I have been known to eat a lot of sweets when I am busy painting. I am sure they help with the creative process.

Although I like to source my own material to paint from, I also like the challenge of a client contacting me for a commission and sharing their pictures or photographs and ideas with me too.

How long does each piece take to create?

Anything from two to three days to three weeks. I like to work on one painting at a time, once it is 'in my head' it does haunt me a bit until it is completed.

I am not sure that I could cope with having more than one painting whirling round in my head at the same time!

How would you like people to respond to your work?

I would mostly like people to smile when they see my work and find it both inspiring and intriguing.

There are often small detailed areas to my work that might not be apparent at first glance, so I hope that I can draw someone in to look more deeply. If my paintings are evocative of the colours and light of this beautiful Algarve where I live and work as well that is brilliant, and if they can help to brighten up a wall in someone's home or office that is fantastic.

thing. I have never really looked back since or tried to paint someone else's style again!

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

Just go for it! Pick up a pencil, pen or paintbrush and just enjoy creating. The hardest thing to do is often to silence the little voice in your head that says 'you can't do this'. Ignore the voice, create, and don't worry at all what the finished piece is going to look like.

What else are you working on or planning for the future - what can we look forward to from you?

I am busy with commissions as always, and I have a hope that soon I can have enough time to put together another series of paintings for one of our 'Pop Up' exhibitions that I run with Dave and his photographs.

Having launched the Algarve Art project this summer, I have been amazed at how quickly this has grown. We now have over 75 members of the Algarve Society of Artists already, and the website and quarterly magazine, members' meetings and hopefully in the future, shared events and exhibitions, is certainly going to keep me busy. It's a real buzz to be able to encourage and promote other artists and their work here in the Algarve.

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

You can visit me in my home studio near Ferragudo by appointment. I have a few paintings always for sale via my website, and I am always happy to take on private commissions.

You can read more about The Algarve Society of Artists at www.algarve-art.com

Do you have a funny story to share with us?

If you are going to select your favourite artist's work to 'copy' (seriously there is nothing wrong with this, by the way) don't take your finished piece into a local picture framer because you could be greeted with "oh you've got a Hammond there!" Oops - for the record no I hadn't put his signature on it. I was just copying it to see how it worked. But I had managed to take my finished painting to the exact same framers that did all of the artist's picture framing for him!

This was actually a turning point for me as an artist, when I realised 'hang on a minute, if they thought that really was an original by a famous artist and I painted it then maybe I can really do this 'painting'

 alyson@artbyalysonsheldrake.com  www.artbyalysonsheldrake.com  (+351) 912 027 256 For Algarve Art membership or information please e-mail me on a3art@live.co.uk

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Wine with victory flavour.

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Community

A day in the life... of Matt Love Matt originally hailed from the south-east of England. Globe-trotting family and friends opened his mind to the possibilities in life and made him confident enough to follow his own dreams.

I have now been in the Algarve for 14 years. I originally came here on holiday for four weeks but loved the life here so much I made the move.

When I first came I thought I would open a bar in the beautiful village of Praia da Salema. Although not my most successful venture it was fun, and I met a lot of people and good friends which meant I was set for a good life here. After that I tried property management for a few years, this was more successful but also challenging and with the introduction of new laws I decided to stop and gave my clients to a friend.

At this time, my mum, Karen had started Linen etc, which was growing rapidly and so naturally because it was a family business it was all hands-on deck and together we established Linen-etc.com as a wellknown Algarve brand for bedding, towels and soft furnishings. I did the internet marketing, helped build the first website and setup all the stock management systems and POS systems, which they still use today.

I also did a lot of direct sales in the beginning until the retail really took off, five years ago.

After this I decided I wanted to work for myself so I started Algarve Business Directory and Algarve Business Consultants.

A typical day for me starts around 7am where I try and do 20 minutes of exercise and drink two glasses of water 30 mins before I drink or eat anything else.

After this there are a number of different routines I have as I now do a lot of different tasks. I usually start at around 8.30am by checking my email and all social channels, then adding any additional work that has been sent into my projects and responding to any emails that need a response. I often don’t finish work until 7pm.

Although this is a long day that most people would find quite boring, I find it incredibly enjoyable. I am working not just in one business or niche but in many and the people I meet and work with are all inspirational, which motivates me even more.

I try and only be out of the office two days a week, meeting with people and this is always enjoyable as there are so many innovative, amazing people out

there and for me it is a pleasure to help these people promote their business correctly and cost effectively.

At Algarve Business Consultants we offer a range of design and marketing services for new and established businesses. We believe the best form of advertising is combining all forms of digital advertising and measuring the results. We recommend businesses use their website, email, social media, and re-targeting to obtain results and, better than that, we set it all up and manage it for them. We design and develop websites, graphics and marketing campaigns that represent a brand and create leads. We stay up to date with the changing design and marketing styles, methods and software so that business owners do not have to.

Outside of work I spend most of my time with my daughter who is four and my wife Luiana who I also work with. We enjoy the beach, taking our daughter to the park as well as countless birthday parties. We quite often go as a family to restaurants where she is a perfect little lady and she can eat Chinese food with chop sticks.

I absolutely love life here and do my best to avoid any politics and negativity. I see so much growth and great stuff in Portugal and the Algarve, I would not change my location for anything. It is not easy to earn a living, especially if one tries to compare both the wage and the bureaucracy to the UK they will most likely be disappointed, they are not the same place and what works there doesn’t really work anyway, so why would one want it here?

To live and work here in my opinion one needs an open mind and an ability to learn and accept the different cultures and how they work. I think the key to success here is being passionate and dedicated.

Having worked and lived here 14 years I am 100% sure the quality of life out ways any of the difficulties one may face when living here. And the actual experience is priceless‌

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Community

Musical Notes

BY JAZZALI

This month we meet a local musician who is justifiably blowing her own trumpet.

Lagos-born Rita Rodrigues, trumpet playing President of the Associação de Musicos and her saxophonist/clarinettist husband, Paulo Afonso, have been working tirelessly for the past eight years to develop the Orquestra Ligeira de Lagos (OLL) which they founded in 2009. The orchestra is blessed with 22 members but is driven by the passion of Rita, Paulo (who also both have ‘day jobs’) and their two children.

Bank Account Manager Paulo travels the length and breadth of Portugal with the OLL and as a member of the renowned Orquestra de Jazz do Algarve. Working mum Rita is an inspiration, holding down a job in currency exchange in Portimão whilst playing with and organising the programme for OLL; she also teaches music to a growing number of youngsters as well as caring for her own family. Seventeen year old, daughter Martha, currently studying at the Vocational School of Performative Arts of JOBRA based in Aveiro, performs with the orchestra whenever she is able. Slightly less enthusiastic younger brother Tiago, now nine, is learning to play the saxophone.

Nevertheless, he has performed with the OLL on many occasions.

Whilst Tiago is the youngest member of OLL, Bordeira born, Maestro Snr Manuel Lucas is the oldest; he proudly celebrated his 80th birthday earlier this year. Snr Lucas, who is an accomplished baritone saxophonist also masters the clarinet and plays with the Philharmonic Orquestra in Portimão. An enthusiastic member of OLL, he brings his Maestro’s experience to every rehearsal and performance and is much loved.

The OLL has a diverse membership hailing

from Portugal, England, Holland, Germany and Brazil; their musical skills are varied, their dedication is outstanding. Supporting 11 regular members are a further 11 ’ringers’, professional players, sufficiently adept to attend the final rehearsal and performance.

Generous to a man, each proffering advice and comradeship, the warmth and fellowship is palpable. The OLL has an ever expanding repertoire demonstrating versatility and a desire to accommodate a variety of musical preferences. The American Song Book remains a constant favourite with audiences and players alike; more recently, popular music such as “Careless Whisper” and “September” has proved a huge success. The repertoire is further enhanced by the vocal qualities of 16-year-old Rui Estavão and 17-yearold Isabela Vanderlei with guest vocalists Alison Blair and Sandra Croft, both over 21!

The first of the new winter programme of Tea Dances held on the 1st Sunday of the month November – March, was launched 5th November at the, Clube Artístico Lacobrigense and was enthusiastically attended and enjoyed by all. The next opportunity will be Sunday December 3rd and the entrance fee is a mere €5 and includes a cuppa and a cookie!

The ever increasing popularity of the orchestra has kept them busy throughout 2017, they played at many events including: Carnivals, Festival days, Charity events and private functions. The last few bookings for this year include: 3rd December - Clube Artistico Lacobrigense - Dance party

 Orquestra Ligeira de Lagos

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20th December - Lagos Cultural Centre Christmas Spectacular: dance and drama, a delight for all ages, filled with light and fantasy 22nd December - Boavista Resort - Dinner Concert (TBC) Understandably 2018 is looking exciting with diary dates filling up fast. Confirmed public events at the Lagos Cultural Centre include are: 23rd March - Concert 21st April - Spring Concert 1st June - World Children's Day 15th August - Music of the cinema 5th October - World Music Day 14th December - Christmas Concert The Câmara Municipal de Lagos (CML) provides a little sponsorship by means of a small annual sum. This funding is intended to support the OLL in its determination to encourage children to become actively involved in music and performance.

The orchestra is always grateful for any level of sponsorship whether from individuals or commercial entities and relies on this support to enable the development of their repertoire, purchase of equipment and other expenses.

They have been extraordinarily generous with their support of charity events but with 22 musicians the costs of sheet music alone is onerous. The OLL’s private booking fees are very reasonable and they certainly do make any occasion go with a swing.

Community

from the 850-member- strong Finnish Association of Portimão, the shop opened its doors in September this year.

A little corner of Finland in the Algarve

BY LENA STRANG

As Finland is my country of birth, I was delighted to come across the very first Finnish Shop and Café in the Algarve. Called Koivu, it’s situated right in the middle of Portimão. Having already stocked up on many familiar items that brought back happy childhood memories, I return the following week to find out more.

It’s Thursday lunchtime and despite being busy serving customers, Pirjo Laurila, the owner of the shop, finds time to talk to me and my Finnish friend, Chrisse, who has accompanied me. Pirjo’s warm welcoming manner and bright smile make us all feel at ease.

She tells us she hails from, Kiuruvesi, a small town in the interior of Finland. Having spent two winters in the Algarve and having been taken in by the friendly people she met, the pleasant climate and the freshness of the food, the decision was made. On her husband’s retirement this year, they moved lock, stock and barrel to Portimão.

There is a sizeable community of Scandinavians in the Algarve with many Finns choosing Portimão as their place of residence. Based on numerous conversations with people about the lack of a shop and café, which could also serve as a meeting place, Pirjo seized on the idea. Armed with a long wish list

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“We named the shop Koivu which means birch,” Pirjo explains. “It’s a common tree in Finland and its white bark and silvery green leaves symbolise the beauty of the Finnish summer.” The interior of the shop is also light and airy with its white and green painted walls along with a covered terrace spilling onto the outside.

Every day a daily dish is on offer. This being Thursday, it’s of course, hernekeitto, a thick pea soup with oven pancake to follow. The café follows an age-old tradition. Pea soup goes way back in Finnish culinary history and is said to have featured in the diet as early as the Middle Ages. Each weekday a different traditional soup is served with Saturday reserved for smoked salmon. The cost is €6 with coffee included.

Today Pirjo has underestimated the demand and runs out of soup to the disappointment of some customers who settle for a coffee and an amicable chat instead.

There are shelves stacked with various products.

I ask Pirjo to name items which are typical of the country and popular with clients. She lists dark rye bread, which is one of my favourites too, and karjalan piirakoita, an oval shaped open rye pasty with rice on top, usually eaten with mashed hardboiled egg.

Amazingly delicious. And it’s only in Finland you get proper näkkileipä, authentic, dark crisp bread. Then there is lingonberry sauce, strong, white vinegar and mustard. Porridge in Finland is a serious business and should only be made with larger flakes of oatmeal for a superior repast. Finns drink a lot of coffee and Presidentti or Juhla Mokka are the varieties to go for.

While chocolate made by Fazer is always a winner, there is also licorice and something strange called salmiakki which defies translation. Perhaps some readers might be able to help?

I also note that there is glassware by IIttala and candleholders by Marimekko; two iconic Finnish designs. There is a section of wool yarn as requested by the Scandinavian knitting group in Portimão who prefer strong yarn made of 100% wool. 

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Be an angel

I peep into Chrisse’s bag, and spot a can of pea soup, potato flour that she says isn’t available in Portugal and Amerikan Pastilleja, child hood sweets that she buys whenever she can.

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The products come via Spain where there are already a number of Finnish shops established. Pirjo is eagerly waiting for the supply of lenkkimakkara, a Finnish sausage that is often eaten grilled with plenty of mustard.

As Finland is celebrating its 100th anniversary on December 6th, there is a commemorative ‘Finland 100 years’ wine on sale in the shop. I think there will be many a glass raised on this day.

The majority of customers are Finnish together with people from neighbouring Nordic countries and a sprinkling of other nationalities. The doors are always open for anyone to visit, Pirjo assures us.

Why not visit the shop this December and see for yourself? The Christmas fare will include typical oven baked casseroles made with either carrots, turnips, potatoes or liver. Pickled herring is ever present. There will be buns and ginger bread and all is washed down with glögi or mulled wine.

On on December 16th and 17th there will be a Christmas market on the terrace. Tables will be reserved for customers who wish to sell homemade products.

Bossard

Dom Pattinson

Algarve children's charity, ACCA is calling on you to buy a present for a needy child this festive season.

ACCA's annual Angel Programme provides an opportunity to those who want to make a difference. The charity, which focuses on the needs of underprivileged children across the Algarve, works closely with institutions, schools and community centres to ensure that the area's neediest kids get a special gift from Santa. And that is where you come in, by being an Angel.

ACCA relies on individuals and sponsoring companies to take the name of a child, or a list of children, and to buy a present that will make their dreams come true. Those wishes are not very much, but the children's appreciation of your kindness is always overwhelming. It is that simple, and truly worthwhile.

Last year the charity put a smile on the faces of 1,500 youngsters across the Algarve. This year they would like to increase that number. If you would like to be an ACCA Angel, please use the following details and donate whatever you can: IBAN PT50 0079 0000 43426419101 22 For more information, contact the team using the details below.

Orlanda Broom Final

This year ACCA also has new greeting cards on sale. With the help of six internationally-renowned artists, generous sponsors and the ArtCatto gallery in Loule, children’s charity ACCA has produced its second series of six luxury greetings cards (with blank insides). All the proceeds from this fund-raising venture will be used to support the projects ACCA is involved in that help make a difference to the lives of young people in need across the Algarve.

The artists who have contributed this year are Dom Pattinson, Thomas Bossard, Steli Christoff, Alisa Lim A Po, António Marra and Orlando Broom.

The cards cost €10 a set and will be available at forthcoming ACCA events, including the Christmas Fairs at Quinta Shopping on December 1st, the Conrad Christmas Market on December 8th and the event at the Algarve Tennis Centre, Villas and Vacations, Almancil, on December 18th They will also be on sale at a number of shops and club houses.

If you would like to order direct, please contact Susi Rogol Goodkind.

Sponsors include The Conrad Hotel, VIP Chauffeurs, 5-Star Villa sales and management, Euro Finesco and Curiosa.

Opening hours: Monday – Friday: 10.00 -18.00 Saturday and Sunday: 10.00-16.00 Rua Quinta do Bispo Edifício Crisfer, Loja 4 8500-729 Portimão, (Turn left at the island by Continente towards the riverfront. Turn right by Pingo Doce just before you get to the river).

Steli Christoff

 www.koivushop.com  Koivu Shop & Cafe

Alisa

António Marra

 Wanda: +351 919 617 995 Jenny: +351 936 249 667 To order ACCA cards: Susi Rogol Goodkind  +351 965 581 831  susi@rogol-goodkind.com

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toldos - awnings sun wind rain protection

toldolanda

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

Community

Get your sticks out and get walking We love to hear about people who have upped sticks and moved lock, stock and barrel to the Algarve. This month we talked to Marc Botteril who wants to get us all into Nordic Walking.

Please tell us about yourself.

I grew up as an only child in Burbage, near Hinckley in Leicestershire. My father was a bespoke tailor who had his own business in a local town and my mother stayed at home and looked after the family.

I am married to Shelley and we have four children, three girls and a boy. They are all grown up but we currently have one living with us in Sargaçal.

Please tell us about your professional background.

I joined the Royal Air Force (RAF) from college, initially as a technician working on the Marine Craft as part of the Air Sea Rescue. On the disbandment in 1987 I got into aircraft engineering before leaving in 1996. As I had been scuba diving since 1980 and a dive instructor since 1990 I decided to turn this into a career.

Following my PADI instructor training I worked on the south coast of England for a short time before moving over to Kenya for three years. I got a Master Instructor qualification with PADI and when I moved back to the UK I taught at a large dive centre on the south coast for six months before being asked to run a subsidiary dive centre to the main company.

I did this for four years before completing my training as an HSE commercial diver. I then worked in the commercial division for a while before eventually managing the commercial division and also writing the HSE Scuba Diving which I taught for a couple of years. It was during this time I was approached by the Ministry of Defence (MOD) to work for them as

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a Diving Standards Inspector helping to look after recreational diving carried out by forces personnel worldwide. I carried out this role until August 2015 before moving to Portugal.

What brought you to the Algarve and when did you move here?

We both love the lifestyle, people and countryside.

My first visit to Lagos was in 1992 when I was still serving in the RAF and stationed at Gibraltar. After that we had a few years holidaying in Cornwall before two more visits to Portugal in 2014 - one of those trips was to Luz. We then decided to look for a holiday home with the plan to eventually re-locate permanently. After much discussion about our work life in the UK we decided to go ahead with the permanent move. We were back in Lagos May 2015 and made a successful offer on our current property and moved over at the end of September 2015.

Can you tell us more about Nordic Walking?

Nordic Walking is an enhancement of ordinary walking - it makes something we learn to do as babies twice as effective.

Nordic walking uses poles in order to add two major benefits to walking. The use of poles means the upper body muscles are used as well as the legs The poles help to propel the walker along - this means he/she works harder than usual yet the support given by the poles makes it feel easier. î –

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Nordic walking is a specific fitness technique and is not to be confused with trekking, hill walking or trail running as the poles are not planted in front of the walker/runner but in a specific way that increases the use of the upper body. It can be done by anybody, anywhere and does not require expensive equipment or clothing.

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Nordic walking is the fastest growing fitness activity in the world and is used by individuals, personal trainers, health clubs, physiotherapists, doctors and health promoters because it is highly effective, affordable and FUN. Who it's aimed at and why it is so good?

Nordic Walking is quite unique in that it provides benefits for everybody from those with medical problems to the super fit.

Whatever age, fitness level or goal, - Nordic Walking is suitable, effective and enjoyable.

Physical Benefits • Tones the upper and lower body at the same time • Uses 90% of the skeletal muscles • Burns up to 46% more calories than ordinary walking • Reduces the pressure on knees and joints • Great for the Heart and Lungs • Ideal for neck, shoulder and back problems • Poles propel the walker along, making it easier to move faster then normal without feeling the effort.

• It is one of the most effective cross training techniques for athletes and sportspeople who require ultimate cardiovascular and endurance conditioning.

Other Benefits • Can be done anywhere – no need for hills, country paths or even snow!

• It appeals to all ages and fitness levels.

• No need to wear special exercise clothing • It’s very sociable;participants can chat as they go!

• It is easy to learn and to keep up.

• It combines exercise with the nature which has been proven to boost mood.

Please tell us how you got into it.

We had been visiting the New Forest Water Park for water skiing and wake-boarding then one summer several years ago I saw the advert for Nordic

Walking. We then did a four-week taster course.

On completing the course our next stop was to buy the poles.

What's the best thing about it?

Many people get into Nordic Walking for social reasons as it is a great way to meet people get some exercise. For me you are getting an all over body workout, putting low stress on your joints, that is relatively cheap to get into, and you are outside.

Why do you think it will work in the Algarve?

Lots of routes to walk, Rota Vicentina for example.

Good weather, although you may want to take a break in July and August unless you went at day break. As it puts less stress on the joints due to the poles, it should appeal to a wide range of people as mentioned above.

What are you offering to people?

Initially a free taster session of one hour to go through the basics and what Nordic Walking is all about. This can then be followed by a course of four, one hour, sessions, usually once a week. Upon completion we will then be offering adventure walks where you are putting into practice the techniques you learned during longer walks. The length of these will be dependant on fitness and ability.

We are also able to cater for the less fit or older person who would like to get out more and have tailor made course for these people. We have had people in their 80s complete the course.

In addition we also offer a ski fit programme to get people ready for the slopes. This programme has been put together by a ski fitness expert and includes work on - balance, weight transfer, stamina, endurance, strength and technique.

Next year I will be joined by my wife Shelley who will be concentrating more on the wellbeing side of the activity.

 lagos nordic walking  lagosnordicwalking@gmail.com Marc:  +351 935045915 Shelley:  +351 935045916

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Community

Living with a disability Last month we wrote about a campaign to raise funds for Marley Ignacio who desperately needs a new wheelchair. Here, his mother Kate, explains some of the problems associated with having a disability in Portugal.

When you’re disabled or have a loved one with difficulties you always look for ways to make life a little easier. In the Algarve it’s not always as easy as one may imagine or take for granted.

My son Marley, who has just turned six, has recently transitioned into a wheelchair. He has various medical issues but due to his muscular dystrophy and congenital bone deficiency he is now getting used to being on two wheels.

I’ve had, and continue to receive, amazing support however nothing ever prepares you for what you need to be ready for.

The emotional battle aside, what about the day-to-day? I have come to meet many disabled children over the last few years through the hospital and found it so interesting that this is such a hush-hush topic. But why should it be? Why should these issues be hidden?

I strongly believe we were all put on this planet for a reason, and my son is definitely mine. The more I try and find ways to make his life easier in the Algarve the more I see how many other people would benefit knowing some of the tricks of the trade and may find some support or comfort reading about our journey.

Marley goes for treatment in Faro hospital every week and sometimes more than once.

He doesn’t have the specialists he needs in our home town of Portimão so we must travel back and forth. This is a little more difficult as I don’t drive so I go with him by train.

Low and behold the trains in the Algarve aren’t like the fancy ones we are used to with disability ramps, oh no. I have to position myself with a nice smile next to muscular men when my carriage approaches to ask them for a lift. Then

there isn’t any assigned seat to leave the chair so you must leave it by the door of the train and hope no one decides to nab it for a joy ride.

One day a few weeks ago unfortunately for me there were no muscular hunks around and a lady smaller than me offered to help.

Obviously I was incredibly grateful however a little nervous as I knew how heavy the chair is. I warned her but she assured me she could manage. However as she picked up the front she realised she couldn’t and Marley fell onto the floor of the train. He wasn’t badly injured but he could have been, he fractures easily and what if he’d fallen the other way?!

The woman was distraught but as I assured her it was not her fault in the slightest, she had done the best she could. The problem here is there isn’t the right assistance for the disabled. If this is what happens with a 6-year-old boy imagine a large elderly man!

We are in 2017, this shouldn’t be happening.

So during the journey I questioned the ticket officer about the appalling train standards. He said some (and only a few) stations in the Algarve had some wooden ramps but you must call 24 hours in advance. I have tried since this incident on five separate occasions to book this service from different stations to no avail.

He continued to say I just needed to ask for help. The ironic part is I turned to him and said ‘ok I’m getting out in Portimão would you give me a hand?’ His response... no it wasn’t part of his job description!

How is this possible in this day and age?

Now with my son terrified of getting on a train but what am I meant to do except get on with it? The point in this article you ask?

It isn’t to come across like I’m complaining but more to advise anyone with mobility issues to be careful when using public

transport, it isn’t easy. And also the more people who are aware maybe something will start to change.

If you or a loved one have mobility issues and need to use public transport I advise you to look into this in advance and try disabled services out on a trial run to make sure they work for you. Be prepared to position yourself near someone with some muscles and don’t forget you can’t take the chair to your seat.

Try and pack as light as you can, another thing to carry is tricky. Sometimes communication to the transport companies or fellow passengers is key, so however hard it is sometimes remain as calm and dignified as possible. If someone understands your needs the more likely it is that they will try and help you. Obviously if you have a wheelchair don’t forget to put your brakes on when the train is moving – this sounds silly but I’ve been culpable of forgetting this minor detail. Also keep in mind if you have a registered disability here in Portugal you are often entitled to discounts on public transport. Get informed!

This is just a snippet into the difficulties some people face on a day to day basis however there are ways of making it easier and just knowing someone else may be going through the same thing gives me comfort each day. The more awareness we can raise the better and it can be helpful to so many.

To keep up with our journey or find out about our fundraising initiatives please go to the wesbite or for more information or assistance on disabled matters contact Kate.

 www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/marleyswheels  katherinespain@hotmail.com

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Community

Drive your golf This month Espiche Golf Club’s pro, Ethan Shaw, reviews a recent lesson he had with a retired male golfer and gives us his top tips.

I always have people come to me in search of hitting the ball further. Sometimes I don’t see the length of their shots as the problem, I see the lack of consistency when it comes to striking the ball as the major area for improvement. However, in this case the distance was what was letting the golfer down.

out of ten. These two swings were with his beloved 3-iron (braver than me).

He played every shot with a swing direction very much from left to right, with a ball flight from right to left, a fade for the left hander, which often travelled very high and missed the target to the left seven times

We spoke about swinging around our body more which would help us in two areas; less curve from right to left and a longer ball flight. The images on the right are the improved swing. Notice how the club

The images on the left are of his old swing; club travelling very steeply during the swing and hitting the ball with a glancing blow, the spin axis on the ball was tilted very much to the left resulting in a big high slice.

travelled more around the body during the backswing, the club head stayed behind the handle during the backswing and the club exited the body higher on the follow through. All three of these small changes resulted in a ball which went nine metres further in the air.

So, try and swing around your body more, feel the ‘glove hand’ travel as far behind you as possible without coming out of your posture. This, coupled with hitting the ball correctly (ball then ground) will help you hit the ball further!

Ethan Shaw - Head Professional Elite Golf Academies  +351 910 862 832  ethan@elitegolfacademies.com  www.elitegolfacademies.com

Sleep in a box to help the homeless Sitting back and relaxing in the summer holidays, 10-year-old Ethan Meek watched a TV programme about homeless people.

The programme really touched his heart, he saw how easy it was for people to slip into this awful situation and how difficult it was for them to change their lives around again.

He learnt how these people never thought that they would be homeless but somehow their life went wrong, how they are often the target of abuse, how they have no family or friends to help them and that to just receive a warm meal makes such a difference to them.

This gave him the idea of thinking of something to make a difference to the homeless people of Lagos.

He decided that he wanted to experience what it would be like to sleep in a box outside for a night and in doing so he would raise money for the Soup Kitchen in Lagos.

With this thought uppermost in his mind he set about enlisting the help of several of his fellow classmates from Vale Verde International School to do this with him.

On the night of Thursday October 26th , Ethan and eight of his friends slept outside from 8pm until 7.30am the following morning and in doing so they raised an enormous €731.91.

All the children would like to say a big thank you to everyone who sponsored

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them as without you they couldn’t have done this.

What now from Ethan and his friends? They want to raise more money and they are thinking of a new challenge, next time they want to reach €1000.

Community

Diplomatic Ramblings

BY DOUG MCADAM

As the time of my posting as Ambassador in Almaty, Kazakhstan drew to a close I had to seriously consider the next step and which would be my final job. When I first joined the Foreign Office in the early 1960s, and for many years thereafter, overseas postings were determined by the relevant personnel department.

Gradually the process evolved with more consultation on postings until eventually forthcoming postings were published and officers had to submit bids for them – in the way I had thrown my hat in the ring for the Almaty job.

I was fortunate enough to bid successfully for the position as Consul-General in Hamburg. This was ideal from my point of view since although the Ambassador in Berlin was in overall charge of Germany I knew I would largely be able to run my post autonomously. My “patch” was the city States of Hamburg and Bremen but also the states of Lower Saxony (with Hanover as its capital) and Schleswig-Holstein (with Kiel).

Unfortunately for my wife Sue (who had spent our time in Almaty on special unpaid leave from the Foreign Office) there were only two UK staff (my Consul and I) in Hamburg which meant she would have to see out her Foreign Office career on continuing unpaid leave.

It was ironic that my predecessor in Hamburg on my final posting was the chap who had replaced me in Ulan Bator in the late 1960s on my first posting. He admitted to me that his German was poor but justified this by saying he managed to do most of his business with local politicians and businessmen in English. But I enjoyed learning languages and was determined to improve vastly the meagre amount of German I had

acquired on my posting in Vienna in the early 1980’s (as a member of the UK Delegation to NATO in an arms control conference the working language was English and if I spoke a foreign language at all it was Russian).

So the Foreign Office arranged language training in the UK before sending me alone to Berlin for three weeks where I lived with a German family. I also had four hours one-toone at the Goethe Institute there, where my teacher annoyed me intensely. She had managed some years previously to “escape” from old East Germany by marrying a Syrian national. The Goethe Institute was located in what had before been East Berlin and she was quite disparaging about the manner in which the “Ossies” (East Berliners) continued to dress.

But I loved Berlin which I had visited briefly just after The Wall came down and was fascinated to observe the ways in which it had changed in some respects, and not in others. I pounded the streets in those three weeks as a way of getting to know the city as well as its multi-ethnic inhabitants.

We moved to Hamburg in November 1999. Our Residence, which also housed our Consulate offices (and also my Consul and his family in a separate wing), was most impressive. It was located alongside the Outer Alster Lake in one of the most desirable areas of Hamburg. It had a fascinating history which I’ll address in a future article. As you can all imagine it was tough living there, but then somebody had to do it!

Doug retired to the Algarve 13 years ago after over 40 years in the Foreign Office

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Support the less fortunate

BY ELISABETE SAUNITE The Mustard Seed, the soup kitchen in Lagos, will be serving Christmas Dinner, for around 150 people in need, on Friday December 22nd at 7.30pm.

There are essential items needed so that this event can be carried out with dignity and honour.

The aim is to create a family environment for the less fortunate in Lagos and surrounding area which will be fully seasoned with lots of love and tenderness. We are looking for donations of food if any of you could please help with: codfish/ bacalhau, turkey, potatoes, onions, cabbage,cauliflower, carrots, olive oil, eggs, Kings Cake/Bolo Rei and soft drinks.

The Mustard Seed doesn’t just provide a hot dinner at Christmas but throughout the year. It also provides other support and help for people and their families. We serve over 300 meals per week to those in need, helping adults and giving the best possible assistance to children. The association also supplies basic food bags for people to cook at home and pays for their gas when necessary and pays for prescribed medicines.

In addition to this the Mustard Seed also helps families with children who are struggling financially. This includes helping with rent, electricity and cleaning materials. To provide all of these services and to run two vans (one to collect food donations and one to pick people up from the surrounding areas) means that the association's monthly costs amount to about 2000€ per. We are entirely reliable on donations to cover these costs.

The Soup Kitchen is open on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 11.45am and Fridays at 7.30pm to serve meals to everyone in need.  soupkitchenlagos@gmail.com  +351 919439069 To make a donation: PayPal soupkitchenlagos@gmail.com

Community

The Chapel of Guadalupe

BY PEDRO OLIVEIRA

The chapel of Guadalupe is located a few kilometres from Vila do Bispo and is clearly signed.

It is open to visitors May to September from 10.30am to 1pm and then 2pm to 6.30pm. Between October and April it is open from 9.30am to 1pm and from 2pm to 5pm, except on Mondays when it is closed. A ticket costs €2 and very informative brochures are available at the cost of €1 in Portuguese, English, German, French and Spanish.

More information on pricing packages can be found on www.cultalgar.pt.

The brochure is a very useful guide as it explains the history of the chapel, originally a hermitage (ermida), details of the construction and explains the motifs and masks carved on stone on the top of the capitals. Reading the leaflet during a visit is helpful.

The cult of the Virgin of Guadalupe started after a shepherd had discovered an image of Our Lady, in the Sierra de Villuercas (Caceres, Spain), that adopted the name of the Virgin of Guadalupe. The victory of the Castile King, Afonso XI, together with the forces from the King of Portugal, Afonso IV, at the battle of Salado, over the Saracens, in 1340, was, by the Kind of Castile, commended to a miracle of the Virgin of Guadalupe. The King’s devotion was expressed by enriching the sanctuary sanctuary and it became an important pilgrimage site for navigators and conquistadores in the XV and XVI centuries.

After 1340 the cult spread to Portugal where a number of churches appeared with the name. The cult spread even to the Americas where the Virgin of Guadalupe is the Patron of México and Guadalupe is a very popular lady name in Latin America, until today.

The date of construction of the ermida at Vila do Bispo is not known but it is considered one of the oldest examples of Gothic architecture in the Algarve. It was built, probably, at the XIV/XV Centuries. As to its location, hidden in a valley, contrary to most churches or chapels that are usually built on a top of a hill or centre of a village, it is believed that in the area there could be some pré Christian cults there and perhaps some local dignitary attributed some grace received to the Virgin of Guadalupe and celebrated it there and from there the ermida was built.

This chapel was one of the places frequented by the famous Prince Henry, called ‘The Navigator’ (1394-

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1460), the great sponsor of Portuguese sea voyages who discovered the islands of Madeira, Azores, Cape Verde and a part of the west coast of Africa (to Sierra Leone).

It was also the only building that suffered nothing from the earthquake of November 1, 1755.

The chapel, how it is classified today, became poorly maintained in the 1800s and beginning of 1900. TThis was until 1940 when, due to the celebrations of Portugal’s Independence and in 1960 marking the 500 years of the death of Henry the Navigator, our Prime Minister Salazar decided to hold the celebrations at Sagres. The whole area was revamped to receive several dignitaries, including the President of Brazil, and ships from navies of the world that held a naval parade in front of Sagres. The reconstruction of the chapel was one of the many carried out and that is how we find it today.

It is interesting to note that during the 1900s and until the late 1970s, the chapel was used for the occasional wedding and for pilgrimages organised from local villages to ask the Virgin for rain during the frequent droughts. It is a fact that after one of the last pilgrimages it did start to rain when the villagers were returning home. Today the chapel is a National Monument only utilized for the occasional wedding or shows.

We must thank Artur de Jesus, a historian from the Municipal Câmara of Vila do Bispo for the information provided extra to the brochure. His detailed knowledge of history is very interesting and curious.

In December we are open for Lunch and Dinner, from Wednesday to Saturday.

Special Menus for Boxing Day* and New Years Eve*

A

Fร BRICA

*Reservations Recommended.

FINE DINING & COCKTAIL BAR Rua da Praia - Praia da Luz 282 761 492

91 777 6245

A Fรกbrica

@afabricaluz

What's on Saturday December 9th - Nobel School Christmas Fair, Espiche Thursday December 14th - Annual Christmas Carol Singing around Luz followed by full performance at Barroca Bar and Restaurant, Luz Saturday December 16th - Family Singalong at the Lighthouse, Lagos Marina

Christmas choir

Monday December 18th - Annual Christmas Carol Singing around Luz followed by full performance at Barroca Bar and Restaurant, Luz

BY LIZ ROBERTS

The festive season is upon us - and this is one of the choir's favourite times of year as we help you get into the festive spirit by sharing some of our festive favourites with you throughout this month. Over the next few weeks you can catch up with us at some great venues and events including the following key performances...

Friday December 1st - Godots Bar, Luz Friday December 8th - Tomorrow Christmas Ball, Boa Vista Golf Resort

Wherever and whenever you are able to join us, you'll be sure to leave with a warm, festive glow!

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a happy and healthy New Year from all of us in The Western Algarve Community Choir!

The Western Algarve Community Choir is an allinclusive choir with no auditions or previous singing experience necessary, and a strong emphasis on singing for fun.

For more details on where you can meet up with us for carol singing events, about joining the choir, or for booking future events, please contact choir leader Elizabeth Roberts Honey.

 elizabeth_roberts15@hotmail.com

Sunday afternoon tea dances

BY LENA STRANG

Fancy something different to do on Sunday afternoons during the winter months? Look no further. At the Clube Artístico Lacobrigense you can listen to the beguiling tunes of the Orquestra Ligeira de Lagos and step out on the dance floor for a twirl.

The first Tea Dance took place in November and was a resounding success. Not only can guests enjoy the

melodies of old but it is also the perfect opportunity for different musicians to join the band and for solo artists to perform.

Tea Dances are supported by Lagos Municipal Council and Junta de Freguesia of São de Gonçalo and will take place on the first Sunday of every month until May, between 5pm and 7pm.

Entrance is €5 and includes tea and a cake. There is no need to reserve tickets – just turn up.

See you all on Sunday December 3rd!

Clube Artístico Lacobrigense  +351 282 096 510 Rua General Alberto da Silveira, n.º 8 8600-594 Lagos (Diagonally opposite the Municipal Museum and St António Church)

36

What's on

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

Fitness

Classes

Dog Training Tue 11am (Rally-Obedience) & Fri 11am & Sat 4pm (Agility), €25 4 sess. Espiche, +351 968 086 320 Classical Guitar Classes Sat & Sun children, adults & seniors ABRSM certified €20p/h, Lagos Paulo +351 962 690 582 Watercolour Lessons Thur 10am - 12.30pm €10, Fortaleza Restaurant Praia Da Luz , +351 912 149 839 African Dance Classes Mon 7pm (Teatro Experimental de Lagos) & Tue 10.30am Old School Barranco da Vaca Aljezur, €10 +351 964 588 588 Life Drawing Mon 11am €10 p.sess, Marina de Lagos, +351 916 035 308

Healing painting classes Wed & Thurs 3pm +/70yrs, €10 Barão S. João, +351 962 039 574 Computer Classes Sat 10am All levels Lagos, +351 918 764 613 Swimming Lessons Mon & Thurs pm & Sat am, €12.50 (non-mem.) | €10 (mem.), Holiday Courses | 3x per Week | €25 (non-mem.) €20 (mem.), Boavista Golf Resort, +351 917 953 914 Mediterranean Gardening Classes (Beginners) | Green & brown thumbs welcome, small groups | Classical Homeopathy Classes Certified expert | Theory & practice | English & German, €45-€65 (35hs), Nr.Lagos, SMS only: +351 918 264 864

Legs Bums & Tums Mon 1.30pm Total Fitness Mon 7.30pm HIT Yoga Fri 9.30am, Burgau Sports Centre, Boxercise Tues 7pm Lagos Skatepark Buggy Fit Thurs 9.45am Wacky Boavista Resort Lagos, €5 Soames Fitness (1-2-1 & Group Training available at your location or studio) +351 913 425 892 Tai Ji Quan Mon 10am (beg.) & Thurs 5.30pm (adv.), €10 Barão S. João, +351 919 718 955 Pilates Wed 11am, Yoga & De-stress Fri 11am, Zumba Dance Wed & Fri 10am, Step! & Tone Thurs 10am, €7.50 (booking) Hotel Belavista Luz, +351 968 288258

Activities

Tai Chi/Qi Gong Wed 11am & Thurs 2pm, Pilates Thurs 11am, Yoga Wed 2pm, €7 Madrugada Centre Praia da Luz, +351 282 761 375 Fitness Tue & Thurs 9.30am, Pilates Tues & Thurs 11am, €5 Golf Santo Antonio Budens, +351 282 690 086 Gentle Hatha Mon 6.30 8pm Old School | Burgau Wed 12.15 - 2pm, Hotel Belavista | Luz | €8 +351 965 201 477

Circuit Training Wed 10am, Ladies Sports Fri 1.30pm €5, Zumba Mon & Wed 6pm €5, Burgau Sports Centre +351 282 697 350 Pilates Mat Class Tue & Thur 6-7pm Clube da Raposeira, & Thur 10-11am Centro Cultural Barão S. João €5 | +351 911 754 890

Pilates Mat Classes Mon Wed & Fri 9.15 & 10.30am & Mon 6.30pm (1hr) | €10 or €90 for 10, HathaYoga Tues 6pm, Ashtanga Class | Sat 10.30 Pilates Equipment Classes, Duet Reformer, Semi Private & 1-2-1, Pilates Room | Lagos +351 926 514 613

Events

ROLL UP for experienced bowlers Mon & Fri 10am, Bowls for Beginners Tue 11am (1st lesson FREE), €10 (non mem.) Floresta Bowls Club Rua Direita Luz, +351 919707635

Group Lesson - Short Game Area & Driving Range Wed 10am - 1pm €20 p.p & Fri 3 - 4.30pm €15 p.p, Booking essential Espiche Golf +351 282 688 250

December 2-3, 9-10 & 16-17 VILA VITA Christmas Market | 1pm - 8pm | Entrance is free, Vila Vita Biergarten Porches roundabout on N-125 | +351 282 310 100

Football Academy Mon 4.45pm (5-11 yrs) & 6.15pm (12 -16 yrs) & Sat 9am (7-11 yrs), 10.30am (3-6 Yrs) & 12pm (12-16 yrs) | €5, Adults Touch Rugby Thurs 7.30pm | €4 Burgau Sports Centre +351 282 697 350

Netball Wed 7pm | All ages & abilities, Behind Bombeiros Building Lagos, charlie.milsom@gmail.com

December 16th | Women Self-Healing | Qigong | 2.30- 5pm, €25, Inlight Lagos | +351 913 127 421

Walking Football Wed 9.30-11am | +50yrs Welcome, €3 Boavista Golf Resort | Luz, +351 282 790 930

December 31st New Year´s Eve Gala 7.30pm €120 Boavista Golf & Spa, Info & Booking: +351 282 000 111

Winter Golf Special 2 Players + Buggy €105 or 1 Player + Buggy €60 Boavista Golf & Spa Info & Booking: +351 282 000 111

Hatha Yoga Mon Wed & Fri 9.45am €10, Classes for Children Sat 9.15am (4-7 yrs) & 10.30am (8-12 yrs) Booking required, Boavista +351 282 790 930

Tennis Doubles-Round Robin | Thurs 3-5pm €7.50, Golf Santo Antonio Budens, +351 282 690 008

38

December 1st Walking Barranco Velho (inc Lunch, Pick-up + Guide) 7km 3hrs €33.50, December 2nd Salir & Cheese Dairy 7km 2.5hrs €15, December 17th Cleaning Alvor Estuary Free inc walk 4.5km 3hrs, December 30-January 1st New Year's Eve in the Great Lake - Alqueva Alentejo, capital of Portuguese wine, 3 days of ecotourism, gastronomy, trekking & culture nr Alqueva €15p/d Call for for info: Quimera Experience, +351 962 647 741

Live Music December 2nd 10pm Mashups 9th João & Os Pedros 16th 5EX 23rd Intento Trio (Piano) 30th Paulo Luz 31st Live Music December 3 Christmas Bazar 11am-5pm Handicrafts Food & Drinks, Atabai Bar Barão de S. João, +351 282 688 072 +351 926 683 589

Useful Numbers General Charity/ Support

December 20th Alzheimer's/Dementia Support Group 11am, Restaurant Pirilampo Lagos Carol +351 926 297 527 Kirsteen +351 968 084 946 Riding for Disabled | Mon, Wed, Fri 10am | Volunteers welcome, weather permitting, Bensafrim, +351 915 090 044 Cadela Carlota Animal Charity Three hour shifts am or pm, Almadena Shop, Trudy +361 912 444 666 AA International English Speaking Meeting Wed 7.30pm, Rua Da Freguesia Lote 12c, Lagos, +351 964 201 904 / 282 760 506, AA hotline: +351 917 005 590

Faith

INFO: WWW.CM-LAGOS.PT EMERGENCY

112 HOSPITAL 282 770 100 RED CROSS 282 760 611 FIRE SERVICE 282 770 790 POLICE SERVICE 282 762 930 NATIONAL GUARD 282 770 010 TELECOM NAT. INFO 118 CITY COUNCIL 282 780 900 TOURIST OFFICE 282 763 031 TOWN INFO 282 764 111 TOURIST SUPPORT 808 781 212 TAXI SERVICE 282 460 610 BUS STATION 282 762 944 TRAIN STATION 282 762 987 TAXI : PEDRO COSTA 917 617 675 LAGOS CINEMA 282 799 138 CULTURAL CENTRE 282 770 450 HEALTH CENTRE 282 780 000 LUZ DOC (LUZ) 282 780 700 PRIVATE HOSPITAL 282 790 700 CHIROPRACTOR 282 768 044 DENTAL CLINIC 918 366 646 LAGOS VET 282 782 282 FUNERAL SERVICES 282 769 827 MOBILITY VEHICLES 964 230 225 ALL MOBILITY AIDS 282 760 611

Pharmacies/Chemist

LACOBRENSE NEVES CHEMIST RIBEIRO LOPES TELLO CHEMIST SILVA CHEMIST ODIAXERE CHEMIST

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

Consulates/Embassies Communion Services Said Holy Communion Thurs 10am & Sun 8am, Sung Holy Communion (with hymns) 11.30am, CoE | St Vincent’s Anglican Church Praia da Luz (church by the sea), Chaplain: +351 282 789 660 Meditation | Tue 11.30am & Sun 10.45am, Inlight Yoga Studio, Helen +351 912 176 914 Zazen Zen Meditation Tue & Thurs 7.30am & Wed 7.30pm, €3 | Dojo Zen de Lagos, Barão S. João, +351 919 718 955 Catholic Mass in English Sat 7 pm (Everyone Welcome), Church of Our Lady of Light | Luz

BRITISH FRANCE GERMAN NETHERLANDS CANADA SWEDISH IRISH

282 490 750 281 380 660 289 803 181 213 914 900 289 803 757 213 942 260 213 308 200

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

What's on for Christmas Up and coming There’s plenty of Christmas celebrations taking place across the area but here are a few at the Cultural Centre in Lagos.

magazine. There will be another Christmas Concert by Banda da Sociedade Filarmónica Lacobrigense 1º de Maio on December 22nd at 9.30pm.

Tickets cost €3 - children under 10-years-old are free.

On December 15th and 16th there will be the annual Associação de Dança de Lagos Christmas Show which starts at 7.30pm. Tickets cost €7.

The Cultural Center offers free parking on the aveninda underground park To get the discount you just need to present the ticket for the show you watched at the Cultural Center. For more details and to find out what else is happening over Christmas contact the Cultural Centre.

On December 21st at 9.30pm there will be a Christmas Concert by OLL (Orquestra Ligeira de Lagos) and tickets cost €8. You can read more about OLL on page 18 of this month’s

 +351 282 770 450  R. Lançarote de Freitas 7, 8600-315 Lagos

Christmas services This Christmas you are invited to sing and celebrate at St Vincent’s Church of England in Praia da Luz. There will be a whole host of services.

On December 13th there will be a Community Carol Service which starts at 6pm followed by a Christmas meal.

On December 24th Christmas Eve, there will be Said Holy Communion at 8am, Choral Holy Communion at Father Rob Kean  +351 282 788 104

40

11.30am and then Carols

by Candlelight at 6pm.

On Christmas Day there will be a Sung Holy Communion at 10.30am and then on December 31st there will be Said Holy Communion at 8am and Sung Holy Communion at 11.30am.

For more details please contact Father Rob or the congregational warden.

Congregational Warden:  +351 282 788 104

Festive fun for charity

BY NIRALI SHAH-JACKSON

Jingle your loud and lairy bells all the way over to the ultimate Christmas Party hosted by none other than the Nobel Primary School, Espiche. Famous for bringing the vibrant International community together during the bonfire night, organisers are sure not to disappoint as they host their first, festive Christmas bonanza on Saturday December 9th from 4pm to 10pm.

‘Rudolf' will trot the kids down Christmas ‘memory lane’ from 4.15pm to 5.30pm, courtesy of Tiffany’s Riding Centre, whilst Pai Natal offers generous gifts, kindly donated by Sealife, in his ‘Algarve Marquees’ grotto between 4pm and 6pm.

There will be traditional mince pies and a sing-along with the Western Algarve Community Choir from 7pm to 8pm. What more can you ask for to get you and the kids into the Christmas spirit!

A spectacular video projection show by a famous Swiss artist will accompany the children’s disco, hosted by Burgau Sports Centre and if this isn’t enough, a snow machine will create an enchanting winter wonderland. To add to the fun, there will be a children’s games organiser and face painting stall.

A glass of mulled wine is waiting for you all at the bar, where the beers have been generously stocked by The Garden Restaurant in Lagos, whilst a Baptista sponsored BBQ awaits your festive appetite. A warming vegan chilli will also be available, along with a Raclette served up by a Swiss family from the region where this famous dish was invented.

In true Christmas spirit, this event has been created to support local charities. Entrance is free and your generosity would be much appreciated via donations at the event.

All the fun of a Christmas fair You are invited to a Christmas Fair in aid of Madrugada, the Luz-based palliative care charity on December 9th.

Hall / Salão Igreja Nossa Senhora da Luz Praia da Luz. There will be mulled wine, mince pies, snacks and other refreshments while you also get the chance to browse for extra special gifts and stocking fillers.

The event will take place between 10.30am and 2.30pm at the Church

To reserve a stall table contact:  +351 925 664 235

41

What's on

Celebrate the New Year You are invited to a free New Year’s Eve party at Praça do Infante.

There will be live music from 10.30pm with D.A.M.A. This is a band that has been almost unstoppable for the last two years - they have performed more than 300 concerts across Portugal.

They have taken part in some of the biggest festivals in the country.

After their performance there will be fireworks at midnight which will

be followed by music from DJ group, Meninos da Vadiagem. Meninos da Vadiagem is a collective of DJs, made up of Santo (DJ and MC), Mike (Maschine) and Thomas (Scratch). The name Meninos da Vadiagem (Boys of Vagrancy) expresses the way of living of these three friends and represents the ideology of a generation. Always on a commercial basis, they have multiple influences that culminate in an Energetic Big Room Music style.

The goal is just one: get the audience to dance, scream and sing throughout the set!

A contemporary art exhibition by Rodrigo Ferreira and Paula Castro Freire opened at the Vale do Lobo Art Gallery last month.

Have a burlesque New Year You are invited to a burlesque evening at the Penina Hotel and Golf Resort.

The fabulous event will take place in the Sagres Restaurant and Blue Lounge.

It will be open until March 8th 2018.

Tickets cost €130 and that includes dinner, drinks and a bottle of champagne per couple.

Families are welcome to attend this event.

Snow White

 +351 282 420 200  www.penina.com

Go to the zoo This Christmas Lagos Zoo is offering a real treat to local residents. People who live in the Algarve are being offered zoo tickets for just €10.

This offer is available from December 8th right through until December 31st.

The zoo is open every day from 10am to 7pm.

It is the perfect family day trip and it's a magnificent zoo, founded on the principle of “conservar-educarproteger”…conservation-education-

Joint arts and sculpture exhibition

protection. You can tell as soon as you go in that Lagos Zoo is all about the animals, the environment they live in is beautiful and the animals are so happy that many of them are breeding!

There are more than 120 animal species and 200 botanical species from five continents, there is so much to look at that you’ll want to go back again and again!  www.zoolagos.com

Snow White fans will get the chance to attend the musical at the Cultural Center in Lagos on December 8th and 9th. The musical is being staged by Teatro Experimental de Lagos.

On December 7th there will be two performances for local schools at 10am and 2pm. On December 8th the general public are invited to a performance at 4pm.

Tickets cost €5 for children and €7 for adults.

 +351 282 770 450

42

What's on

Christmas Concert

Monomatapa and King Solomon's Mine’s

BY JANE ROBERTSON

Ancient gold mining in Africa On Tuesday December 5th, the Algarve Archaeological Association (AAA) will be presenting two lectures, in English,

by Pete Siegfried.

The first lecture will be at 2.30pm at the Museu do Traje in São Bras, the second lecture will be at 5.45pm at the Convento de São José in Lagoa.

Pete Siegfried will be talking about the history of gold mining in Africa with particular reference to Monomatapa and King Solomon's mines. Gold mining has been taking place for as long as people were first captivated by the flash and sun-glint of gold which has always been valued as a form of wealth as well as a thing of beauty.

Gold remains shiny and untarnished, and has the ability to be worked and beaten into many forms.

It is difficult to know by whom or in which part of the world gold was first exploited, but it was certainly considered hugely valuable and important in ancient Egyptian (5,000 BP) and South American (2,800 BP) cultures. Parts of old Africa became gold producers and worshippers as their lands were particularly well endowed with gold. The ancient kingdoms of Dahomey, Mali and Ghana were known from Etruscan times (2,500 BP), while the mines of Monomatapa and Maravia have long featured in the legends of eastern Africa.

Accounts of Egyptian mining taking place along the Zambezi River have yet to be verified, but a strong case is made and it is postulated that gold mines of southern and central Africa were the original source of the ancient legend of King Solomon's Mines. By looking at goldmining techniques recorded by ancient writers, it appears that little has changed in the gold mining techniques used by todays artisanal gold exploration since exploitation by the Egyptians.

Pete R Siegfried is an exploration geologist with many years prospecting in Africa and other continents, primarily focused on mineral commodities used in the agricultural industry, but also for gold. Early gold prospecting and mining techniques have been of interest to Pete and the use of archaeology as a means of targeting areas which may have been under-explored in the past is one of his passions.

Today Pete lives in Monchique and spends time continuing these endeavours.

Lunch in São Bras can be arranged in advance – please call Maxine on 917267948. Non-members are welcome to attend the lectures for a €6 admission fee - all money raised by the AAA is spent on archaeological grants and speakers. Please check the website or facebook page for any last minute changes.

Ideias do Levante – Associação Cultural de Lagoa (Algarve) is presently producing a Christmas Concert, with the Dell'Acqua trio, in a partnership with Municipio de Lagoa, which will happen on December 17th at 5pm, at Convento S. José, in Lagoa.

Organisers are proud to present Carla Pontes (soprano, www.carlapontes. info), Grace Borgan (Flute) and Cristiana Silva (Piano). The three musicians will interpret a repertoire which mainly includes pieces from Franz Schubert (1797-1828), Johannes Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) and Peitro Alessandro Yon (1886 - 1943).

There is a chance that Ideias do Levante will organise a second session of this concert, at 7pm, if the first session gets sold out.

The concert is recommended for adults and children over 6 years old. The chapel seats 90 people. The tickets (€6), may be acquired, in December, at Ticketline, Worten, FNAC, Auditório Municipal - Lagoa, Convento S. José Lagoa and at Balcão Único - Lagoa. A 20% discount will be available for the bearers of the “Passaporte Cultural de Lagoa”.

More information about the association may be found at their website listed below.

This production benefits from the support of The Municipality of Lagoa, the Parishes' Union of Lagoa and Carvoeiro, Inforarte, Solidó, Algarve Pastry, A Tasquinha Restaurant, Estorninho.biz, Photos4Life, etc.

 www.ideiasdolevante.net Auditório Municipal - Lagoa  +351 282 380 453 Mon - Sat 9am - 12.30 and 2pm - 5.30pm Convento S. José - Lagoa  +351 282 380 434 Mon - Sat 9am - 12.30 and 2pm - 5.30pm Balcão Único - Lagoa Mon - Fri, 9am - 5.30pm

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

44

Out and about

Algarve Classic Festival

BY JEFF MORGAN

Algarve Classic Festival (ACF) once again surpassed itself with a diversified show of historic racing, organised jointly by the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve and Diogo FerrĂŁo at Race Ready to what has become the largest classic car event in Southern Europe.

Thousands of visitors turned up at the event which took place the last weekend of October. Approximately 300 elegant historic vehicles and their 500 drivers from more than 25 nations descend on the PortimĂŁo circuit.

The three-day festival gave automobile enthusiasts an excellent package of entertainment with racing in the single seater race cars, Le Mans endurance types and those vehicles more familiar to the roads of Europe in years gone by.

The pinnacle of the organisers hard work witnessed the arrival of the pre 1966 Formula One cars. A truly a fantastic achievement in attracting 21 of these thoroughbred racers to the circuit.

Conjuring up past times when brave pioneers like Juan Manuel Fangio, Jim Clark and John Surtees must have gripped that

wheel and prayed. Today these wild beasts are still as scary.

Colin Chapman's inaugural Formula 1 drive, the Lotus 16, took victory in race one, while the 1959 Cooper, the first Formula 1 car to sport a rear mounted engine triumphed in the second race. Celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Lotus Seven, ACF organised an international race for the Colin Chapman designed car, which is still in production today.

Additional historic racing showcased touring and GT cars for pre-1966 GT, add in pre-1966 touring class cars up to 2000cc, pre-1975 sports cars, historic endurance class and historic touring class for cars raced in the English and European championships between 1972 and 1985, the festival offered plenty. The highlight has to have been the spectacular twohour sunset race. With the late summer

46

sun disappearing quickly over the horizon the 1950's sports cars distinctive shapes became ghost like silhouettes, their lights so dim, inside, drivers sat in almost complete darkness, terrified, still driving it like they had stolen it, and needing to make the last ferry.

They were actually driving for something way more important. The Sir Stirling Moss Trophy. Not just a shiny cup, this is the actual trophy that the racing legend won at the 1955 British Grand Prix, his first ever Grand Prix victory and was generously donated by the man himself in 2011 who considered PortimĂŁo one of his favourite racing circuits.

Attracting some of the most glamorous cars from a golden age of motoring, with owners prepared to race their priceless machinery for fun, this festival is one not to miss next year.

Out and about

Halloween casts its spell over Vale Da Telha

It was a magical night as Halloween cast its spell over Vale Da Telha on the Algarve’s West Coast.

And considering it is known as ‘the day of the dead’, it was a pretty lively evening as local residents enjoyed the fearful fun at the Restaurante Fonte do Vale!

The menu included vomit of guacamole, mozzarella eyeballs, pumpkin soup, cake of death and a witch’s brew. And as we all know, demons are a ghoul's best friend. So singer Ilze Van Zantzen had the witches, warlocks, goblins dancing the night away as the restaurant’s zombie staff served drinks like ‘the

Blood of Dracula’ to the monstrous multitude.

The photographs here capture the mood, and there’s a little poem by Sandra Liatsos to sum it all up...

There’s a goblin at my window A monster by my door The pumpkin at my table Keeps on smiling more and more There’s a ghost who haunts my bedroom A witch whose face is green They used to be my family Til they dressed for Halloween.

48

Thanks to Ana Sofia at the Restaurante Fonte do Vale for these photographs.

Out and about

Record breaking

BY BURFORD HURRY AND ROSIE PEDDLE

The Mediterranean Garden Fair held in São Brás de Alportel at the end of October was the most successful yet and attracted 1800 visitors, a record breaking attendance for the event in its eighth year. The weather was perfect and the excellent help given by São Brás Câmara, the Bombeiros and the Amigos do Museu all combined to make the day run smoothly. The organisers work with a wonderful group of volunteers who make the event very special by giving their time on the day to help visitors. When the gates opened to the public at 11am the plant nurseries and other activities were all in place for the rush of enthusiastic gardeners.

In no time at all there was a satisfied buzz of voices as visitors began looking at the rich range of plants from 15 nurseries and plant growers. The enthusiasm of the buying public was in evidence as the plant crèche began to fill up and rapidly overflow.

The MGAP information desk was kept busy selling books on a range of topics from wild orchids to lawn-free gardens. It was with some satisfaction that the first book in Portuguese on the wild orchids of the Algarve, sponsored by MGAP, was available literally hot off the press. This will shortly be followed by a Portuguese book on the wildflowers of the Algarve.

The free, informative talks on gardening topics given in English and Portuguese were well attended and ran over time as interested and enthusiastic gardeners plied the speakers with innumerable questions.

The nature printing workshops were well attended as prospective artists rolled up

their sleeves and set to work. Refreshments were provided by a wide range of catering stalls who supplied food from curries to quiches at prices to suit all pockets. This annual event is widely advertised as being focused on sustainable gardening, with plant nurseries encouraged to propagate and bring for sale robust, drought tolerant and climate appropriate plants.

The continuing growth in visitor numbers demonstrates an increasing interest in a new approach to making gardens, but what is driving this interest in drought tolerant gardens which need little or no irrigation?

We need only look at the recent statistics for the summer of 2017 to understand why so many are looking for good quality independent advice on making and maintaining beautiful sustainable gardens.

The weather authority for Portugal, IPMA, has confirmed that 2017 was the sixth hottest and third driest summer since 2000.

There is official confirmation that more than 80% of the country is in either severe or extreme drought. Reservoir levels are at an all time low, thousands of tons of dead fish are being extracted for fish meal and farmers in the Alentejo (one of the poorest regions of Portugal) are facing the loss of irrigation water and lack of water for their animals.

Water cannot be owned by any one person, it is an essential and limited resource which supports all life on the planet. In the Algarve water comes to us via reservoirs,

50

bore holes and wells. Despite all the serious problems with the distribution network, and the management of the infrastructure which delivers water, it is essential that everyone looks at their own consumption of water. Worldwide, gardeners are often singled out for wasting water on lawns and borders. In the Algarve this can be painfully obvious in the summer months with the bright green `English style´ lawn showing that the owners have not yet embraced true Mediterranean gardening. There are many examples of beautiful gardens which use no irrigation – and they are not full of spiky cacti!

The Algarve has a Mediterranean climate - long, hot, dry summers and cool, wet winters. 2017 has seen higher temperatures over a longer period during the summer months, drying winds add to the evaporation of humidity from the soil. Winter rains usually begin in late September or early October, but this year have been late and little. Showers can continue into March and April but six months with no rain at all is becoming normal.

Drought has always been considered as a limitation for gardens. We feel instinctively that water brings luxuriance and variety, and that dryness restricts our gardening possibilities. Yet, exactly the opposite is true. Rather than drought, it is often the misguided use of irrigation that limits the range of plants in Mediterranean gardens.

Our climate offers extraordinary gardening possibilities and offers the opportunity to make very beautiful sustainable gardens.

Health

The Chiropractic Christmas Alphabet

BY DR WEN OATES DC MCHIRO

Dickie Valentine sang about something similar in the 1950s. If you remember the tune, you can sing along… you’ll notice that we’ve changed the words a bit!

C is for your Chiropractor, sorting out your ills, H is for the Headaches that come from taking pills.

R is for your Reflexes that Doctor Wen will test, I is for Impingement of your nerves that mean that you move less.

S is for your Spine and vital Spinal cord, T is for the Treatment that to miss, you can’t afford.

M is for your Muscles that you pull and stretch and strain,

As you know, chiropractic care has been proven to help with all types of musculoskeletal pain, including low back pain, neck pain and shoulder pain, so make it a New Year’s Resolution to come and see us at Lagos Health. Remember, it’s important to take good care of your spine because it supports your weight, holds you upright, allows movement in your body and, most importantly, protects your spinal cord and nerves.

We’ll be closed for the Christmas holidays from December 20th, but if you need an adjustment or a check-up, we’ll be back in the clinic and ready to help from December 27th. You can find us next to the coffee shop in the big, pink building just across the road from the Lidl supermarket in Lagos. Or call us on +351 282 768 044.

Merry Christmas and a Happy, Healthy New Year from Dr Wen and her team at Lagos Health Chiropractic.

A is for the Aches that give excruciating pain.

S is for old Santa who’ll need Doctor Wen’s support, after sliding down the chimney on December 24th.

 www.lagos-health.com  

Yoga for men in Burgau

BY ANN DE JONGH

November saw the introduction of a new class. This class is aimed specifically at men.

Yoga is no different for men or for women, but men tend to be less flexible, and their hips are different to women’s ...they are not designed for child birth! The reason women have a tendency to be more flexible is that they are more likely to stretch before or after exercise, whilst men know that they should do, but don’t tend to or don’t know how to.

breathing practice and some mediation, but the main focus is on mobility and flexibility especially in lower back, hips, hamstrings and shoulders. Utilising postures that also provide benefit for sports such as golf, surfing, cycling, running.

This Tuesday evening class still incorporates

Ann de Jongh Training, Massage, Yoga, Nutrition

 +351 913 202 621  www.fit2lovelife.com  fit2lovelife

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To help you move with greater ease, less injury, get stronger and reduce stress. So if you have wondered what yoga is about, thought about doing it but felt put off by joining a class with lots of ‘flexible’ people then come along and give it a go!

Class is held above Bar de Clube Desportivo in the centre of Burgau, Tuesday 6.30pm-7.30pm.

Health

Siblings: Is it war or peace?

BY LAURA NEWMAN

Sibling conflict tends to be an inevitable part of many families lives. When this happens children are on the look-out for provoking each other and making the other one wrong; there is animosity and competition between them.

It can show up as aggression, jealousy, name-calling and bullying, which can be very disruptive to the whole family, as well as ruining sibling relationships… sometimes forever. The younger the children, the more sensitive they are, and the more overstimulated their lives, the worse the conflicts can be.

There is never an easy answer but there are some ways to help in the moment and to consider.

1. Firstly, we can appreciate that for young children, there are many things in life that just don't go their way and there can be underlying hurts and insecurities that are bubbling beneath the surface.

These are fertile conditions for the growth of anger, frustration and competition between siblings.

Parents need to give space and support for the expression of children's feelings, and help them offload their frustrations, rather than reprimanding them for behaviour which they can’t control in the heat of the moment.

A concussion is a mild traumatic brain injury which is caused by a blow or jolt to the head that can change the way your brain normally works. The common causes of concussion are falls, being struck by or against an object, traffic accidents, sports injury, which can be so minor that people fail to make the connection. Signs and symptoms of concussion can show up right after the injury occurs but sometimes may not appear until days or even weeks afterward.

Symptoms include: Headaches Nausea Confusion

3. Furthemore, parents can actively encourage children to follow the parents’ lead and reduce their tendency to trip over each other. Be their Alpha so they don't have to rely on each other. Structure their time together so they are helping out with you or being directed by you, and reduce their free time without you in sight.

4. Children’s healthy attachment to parents is key to their cooperation and maturity. Plus, how parents treat them will impact how they feel about each other. You can’t make a child feel sorry or feel forgiveness, but you can model caring and help them feel their feelings.

5. In the moment, act fast, separate fast, and support them individually: separate them, use distractions, stay with the one who is most upset, listen and allow their upset out.

Patience, understanding and maturation will eventually win over sibling rivalry.

Laura Newman BSc BSc MSc Speech Therapist - Child Specialist

2. Secondly, we must aim for the children to see each other differently. So parents become the matchmakers and spin-doctors, finding positive resolutions and showing how they are similar to

Concussion

each other (in positive ways!). Seeing similarities strengthens relationships.

 myconnectedchild@gmail.com  www.connectedchild.net  connectedchildfamily  booklaura.acuityscheduling.com

BY JOHN CLIFFORD

Blurred Vision Vomiting Weakness or numbness Slurred speech Decreased co-ordination or balance What should you do?

• Ensure patient seeks medical attention and monitor them If patient is unconscious • Call the ambulance by ringing 112 immediately • Place them in the safe airway position • Clear and ensure airway is open • Monitor breathing

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• Support the head and neck in neutral alignment with spine • Control any bleeding to the head but do not apply direct pressure to the skull if you think there it may be fractured • If there is blood or fluid coming from the ear, cover with a clean sterile dressing Following a concussion, time must be allowed to rest the brain after the injury, which may mean no sports, computers, video games, television, screens for a period of time as advised by medical staff.

 firstresponder@sapo.pt

+351 913 505 038 casadoprego.lagos@gmail.com Rua Lancarote de Freitas 18, 1 8600-605 Lagos

/casadoprego /casadoprego

Health

Pets Mate

BY LARS RAHMQUIST

Lagos Vet Clinic wants to thank all of the local shelters, canils (canis!) and community members who have helped ease the problem with local stray animals. This year was better than last year!

Long standing residents will no doubt be nodding sagely when I say things are already MUCH better than they were. Special mention here to local shelters like Bamboo, Animais na Rua, AEZA and Cadela Carlota.

Lagos Vet Clinic also works with the Lagos Canil and, with the financial help of kindly private clients, have been able to help rehome dogs from there.

It can be like digging upwards from a bottomless hole at times. Still, irrespective of how deep holes get, you can always see the light!

Problems arise when injured/sick animals present on our doorstep. Three months ago we saw the trio in the photo arrive at our clinic, bloodied, in the arms of strangers who had found them on the road.

Between them (Candy, Slappy and Stumpy) we have done five orthopaedic surgeries. They have all recuperated here and waiting for homes!

We managed to do these surgeries (and stays) with the help of donations from private clients. This helps take the pressure off organisations like NANDI who do, and have always done, a great job in helping the

community with stray animal problems.

To end this year and kick-start 2018 we’d like the acknowledge and thank the following individuals who have helped us privately: Bootsie O´Connell, Maria Pacheco, Mrs Winiker, Sandra Lancaster, Tom Hambling, Klaus, Pedro Rocha and Michael Relf.

These and many more local people have done much to improve the quality-of-life for animals with no homes, within our community. On behalf of our four-footed mates and from us at LVC: Thank you all.

If you feel you would like to help with the local strays, contact us and we can direct you in what ways might suits you best. From in clinic charities to helping with the local shelters or even fostering a stray animal that is recovering from a surgery...every little helps.

If you want to get into the Christmas spirit, give something to those who have nothing. Merry Christmas from all of us at the Lagos Vet Clinic!  www.lagosvet.com

The small intestine After the stomach has completed its digestive role the pyloric sphincter, at the end of the stomach begins to work and uses peristalsis to push small amounts of chyme into the small intestine. The stomach empties over a period of about 30 to 60 minutes.

Within the small intestine 90% of the digestive ‘action’ occurs, as well as absorption of nutrients and minerals from food into the blood stream!

Digestion involves two distinct parts: MECHANICAL which includes chewing, grinding, churning and mixing food in the mouth and stomach.

CHEMICAL that happens mostly in the small intestine and uses enzymes and bile

to break down food even further facilitating nutrient absorption into the blood stream which then feeds the cell tissues of the body.

The small intestine is the longest part of the digestive system at approximately 22 feet (6.7m) and is about the size of your middle finger!

It is divided into three sections: DUODENUM about 20-25cm long, shaped like a C, starting at the stomach junction and surrounding the head of the pancreas.

It receives chyme and digestive juices from the pancreas and bile from the liver to further break down the chyme. This also contains glands that produce a mucus rich, alkaline secretion containing bicarbonate which neutralises the stomach acids.

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BY NIKI MEDLOCK JEJUNUM about 2.5m long and the wall of this section is covered in wrinkles or folds which have microscopic finger-like projections of tissue called villi (Latin for “shaggy hair!). The purpose of these structures is to increase the surface area available to allow for maximum absorption of nutrients.

ILEUM about 3m long and contains villi similar to the jejunum and joins to the cecum, the first part of the large intestine where the appendix is situated.

Next month: Breakdown and absorption in the small intestine, including the role of the pancreas, liver and gallbladder.

 www.luzdoc.com

Business

A great all-year-round destination

BY DAVID WESTMORELAND

Everyone looks on Lagos and the Western Algarve as a superb holiday destination and summer playground. Of course, this is true and the Algarve generally is one of the best places to retire, live or holiday because of it's awesome climate, value for money, great food and not to mention the Algarvian people.

However, Lagos and the west is becoming much more than a sunny holiday destination. Over the last few years the city has become an all year-round resort and is attracting more and more people to live here permanently.

Areas that we either don’t think about or take for granted are the services such as chemists, supermarkets, local stores, taxis, hospitals and doctors. Lagos has an abundance of all of these with easy access, sensible prices and both a private and public health service that makes other European countries look poor to say the least.

All-in-all Lagos is really becoming much more continental and cosmopolitan. The restaurants, bars and shops are staying open all year round meaning whenever you decide to visit the choice is yours.

This is probably why Portugal has been voted the number one place to retire in the world according to Forbes magazine! Of course we all knew that already.

The summers appear to be getting longer, as I sit and write this article we still have 23ºC in mid-November and the beaches still have many people sunbathing and swimming. Water temperatures in October were over 22ºC, that’s as warm as August! Add to this an increase in the number of coffee shops that have opened recently, new restaurants adding variation from the typical dourada and clams style Portuguese restaurants.

The French, Belgians, Swedes, and buyers from across the world are now taking note. Sales are up over 20% year on year, prices growing at almost double digit rates and holidays increasing by over 30% means the roads and streets are getting busier.

Therefore, if you are planning to buy a property now is the time. If you are planning your next holiday, get it booked and if you are planning to retire look no further than Lagos.

We now have many Indian restaurants, Chinese, Sushi, Italian as well as tapas and wine bars. New restaurants on the ‘quiet’ side of the marina are opening offering stylish venues and new menus.

For further information take a look on our website or call in to the office.  www.bpaproperty.com

The beauty and aromas of Claus Porto Claus Porto products have arrived at Mar d'Estórias with captivating aromas, exquisite design and distinct fragrances.

Handmade soaps infused with fragrances from the exuberant Portuguese flora and wrapped by hand in packages with artistic and unique illustrations.

Claus Porto soaps are milled with pistachio butter for a more moisturizing bathing

experience. Each product has a unique history and personality, with images inspired by old labels that take us to the glamorous European Belle Époque.

The world's most elegant shave is on sale at Mar d'Estórias, with packaging that reflects the origins of Art Deco. Musgo Real has established itself as an essential partner in the shaving ritual over several

generations, a kit consisting of Cologne, Men's Soap and Oil to apply before shaving.

Mar d’Estórias intends to be an innovative place that values everything Portuguese with special emphasis on the Algarve. It was planned to provide a balanced passage between the different areas of the shop, the café/bistro, the art gallery and crowned by the roof top terrace bar with a sea view.

 mardestorias  mardestorias  www.mardestorias.com

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

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Business

I.T. can be easy Children’s online safety this Christmas.

When: Tuesday 5th & 19th Time: 11am until 2pm.

Location: The Tropical Café Nº. 33, Avenida dos Descobrimentos, Lagos

As millions of children get ready to unwrap internet-enabled gadgets on Christmas morning, families are being encouraged to discuss staying safe online.

Internet enabled mobile phones, tablets and laptops can open a world of exploration, learning and fun. But there are also risks and dangers to being online, but both parents and children can learn to safely navigate the internet and social media.

When: Tuesday 12th Time: 11am until 2pm.

Location: Quay - Bar & Bistro Marina de Lagos Lojas 18, 19 e 20, Lagos

Here are some top tips as recommended by the UK Government’s Department for Digital, Culture Media & Sport:

No appointment necessary. Bring your device, purchase at least a drink from the establishment and I will give you 10 minutes free IT support or help with any simple issues you may have with your laptop, PC or smartphone. If the issue cannot be resolved, an appointment can be booked at a later date, at your convenience.

Explain how children can use privacy settings to make sure only approved friends can see posts and images, and warn them about sharing personal information.

Looking forward to seeing you there.

Show them how to report offensive comments or block people who upset

Free IT Support and help sessions for December 2017

Check if any of the mobile apps they use have location services enabled, and disable this if they do not want to be tracked.

BY STEVEN DUNWELL

them. Check ‘tagging’ settings so that when others are posting or sharing photos online, your child’s identity is not revealed.

Encourage your child to come and talk to you if they see anything that upsets them. Ask them to show you which social media apps they use, what they like about them and talk about how to use them safely.

There are a range of simple and practical steps parents can take this Christmas to better protect their children from online risks.

Parents who are buying tech toys this Christmas should think about it like they are buying their child’s first bike, you have to teach them how to ride it.

It’s the same with technology.

You can find out more about how children use social media, the risks they face, how to use privacy settings and advice and tips about how to talk to your children at: www.childnet.com/sns www.parentzone.org.uk www.internetmatters.org www.nspcc.org.uk/onlinesafety

Get cycling with G-RIDE The Algarve is slowly but steadily establishing itself as a highly regarded destination for serious cycling; with a vast choice of scenery for every type of rider from hilly terrain to flat beautiful coastal roads.

Weather wise, the Algarve has ideal conditions to promote cycling, boasting over 300 days of sunshine per year, granting year-round cycling conditions.

With a concerted effort from Mayors group AMAL, Turismo de Portugal, the Algarve Tourism Association and the Algarve Regional Tourist Board, the Algarve is pushing hard to create a cycling friendly environment and a cycling culture in the region. Trying to pass on the cycling culture is G-RIDE concept bike store in Portimão, a store that started in 2005, after having worked successfully with the largest Portuguese franchising in bike

trading. G-RIDE was born out of an awareness that the owners can provide a service with better quality and better options to all customers.

G-RIDE is proud to provide an excellent service, having the best possible staff, people who practice various forms of cycling and try to instill the passion and the joy that is cycling. This experience can be proven either in the selling stage or on the maintenance phase of your bike. Customers appreciate the time, energy and commitment of our staff to find the most appropriate bicycle and accessories or components necessary for every occasion. In store you can find selected products of brands like Cannondale, Giant, Scott, Cervélo or Assos.

Portimão:  +351 282 180 798/966 928 159  portimao@g-ridebike.com Faro:  +351 289 812 080/937 538 472  info@g-ridebike.com

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Food & drink The use of pipework for light fittings and many other features strikes you as you enter as well as the welcome lack of a TV.

Surf and Turf comes to Lagos

Opening times: From 5pm - Late Closed Mondays

BY ROGER We had been eagerly waiting for Bransons to open for food as well as a popular bar attraction.

The outside consisting of folding glass doors belies the inside which reminded us very much of Canadian eateries. The interior has been tastefully rebuilt so you would not think you were in a modern building.

The toilets are a very welcome change to many presented to us. The brickwork is immaculate but enough of the building, let’s talk food. We started with the soup of the day, a very nice tomato and basil soup with plenty of croutons and others had the oysters or crispy fishcake all of which were very well received. Two excellent wines were chosen from Herdada dos Grous. Highly recommended.

Bransons prides itself on quality prime beef so the fillet was ordered with, as usual, three different cooking instructions, all of which were spot on.

The main comes with chips or new potatoes and a selection of vegetables or a crisp salad. The steaks were excellent as all agreed. Sides are available for those with the larger appetite. Only one dessert was ordered which was a mixed fruit crumble served with cream - delicious.

There is a fish of the day available as well as mussels and various other dishes to suit most tastes.

It is not a large restaurant but has a warm friendly atmosphere and the staff were very pleasant and friendly with great service.

 Near the Camara offices in Senhora de Loreto, near Frescos  +351 282 799 577 / 920 459 582

Casa do Prego When you approach this restaurant through a myriad of tiny streets, you may think you are in the Bairro Alte in Lisbon. You enter from a tiny inconspicuous entrance and proceed up the stairs. The restaurant is an eclectic mix of a cross between a bistro and jazz bar, full of character and has a good vibe.

We are greeted by one of the owners who shows us to our table. We are positioned across from the bar and feature wall of quite literally ‘Casa do Prego’ in lights that adds a touch of unadulterated decadence to an honest, yet cosy décor.

There is a contemporary, yet bohemian feel too. The restaurant is ‘tardis-like’ with two additional places to dine. The upper floor has views across the rooftops and is directly opposite the Lagos Culture Opening times: building which features an oversized wall mural of From 6pm to 10pm +351 913 505 038 street art which is of biblical proportion of a Yellow(winter hours). casadoprego.lagos@gmail.com Fin Tuna. /casadoprego Rua Lancarote de Freitas 18, 1 8600-605 Lagos

/casadoprego

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BY SIMON MOULSON

This place is busy, but not frenetic, it’s midNovember. The staff are well-versed in etiquette, but not over tentative allowing you to enjoy the ambiance. The house red is very palatable indeed.

We order a mixture of tapas to share as a starter, which are tasty morsels and yet leave us wanting more and salivating for the main course, 2 sirloin steaks and of course, well it has to be, the tuna.

All three of us savour every morsel and are a tad disappointed when we have finished!.

The terrace bar will be open for New Years Eve for revellers to eat, drink and watch the stars and fireworks to welcome 2018!

This place is a hit on Facebook and Trip Advisor and I am pleased to agree and confirm 100%. The place has it right and I believe that the team they have will evolve and maintain their high standards going forward. A pleasure of a meal and evening was had!

 @casadoprego  +351 913 505 038

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Food & drink

Restaurant round-up

BY GEORGE FORD

Traditional fish dish Bacalhau à bras is one of the most famous Portuguese recipes.

Oliva – Pizzeria

Tropical – Café

If you are looking for one of the best pizza’s in Lagos, newly opened Oliva is the place for you. Their freshly made pizzas are enough to leave you drooling as they range in size from the personal to the gigantic. The fresh décor and impressive kids play area makes it a perfect place for all the family to enjoy. It truly is a heaven for kids as the restaurant backs onto the grassy park area on Avenue do Cabo Bojador, offering a place to run around before making their very own pizza.

With the abundance of cafes on offer here in Lagos we are spoilt for choice.

However, Tropical on Avenue dos Descobrimentos is the perfect place to grab a coffee in luxury.

Oliva is not just a pizzeria as a variety of dishes are on offer including a wide range of pastas, salads, meat and fish dishes. The reasonable prices extend to the drinks menu as an impressive wine list holds over twenty wines, with beers, coffees and soft drinks also available. You will be served with a smile by the friendly staff, creating a lively atmosphere as the restaurants popularity soars. Their Facebook ratings speak for themselves, a streak of 5*s litter their page as customers express their delight at the new restaurant. Visit their page @OlivaLagos to see for yourselves.

The gorgeous interior makes it a real comfort, while sisters Milvia, Vanessa and their mum Delia are on hand to cater to your every need. Their big smiles and warm-welcome create a personal atmosphere meaning you could easily spend a couple of hours here.

The menu offers a range of snacks from breakfast croissants to toasties, or fuller meals for lunch and dinner including pizzas and pastas. They are open from 8am to 8pm everyday apart from Wednesdays where the ladies have a much-deserved day off.

After opening in March 2014, they gave the café a complete makeover with the building now hardly recognisable. The renovation worked a treat as the café is now a lively hub of customers, get in quick to secure your seat in one of the plush corner spots.

Ingredients: 400 g Salt cod 500 g Potato 1 large Onion 1 Garlic head 6 Eggs Pepper - to taste Parsley - to taste Oil to taste Salt to taste Black olives to taste Start by soaking the salt cod, then remove the skin and bones, and break it apart with your hands. Meanwhile, cut the potatoes into matchsticks and the onion into fine rings.

Fry the potatoes in a pan and set them to one side, drying them on kitchen paper.

At the same time, in a deep pan, sweat the onions and garlic until golden, then add the pieces of salt cod, and cook for a few minutes, until it soaks up the oil.

At this stage, add the potatoes and stir whilst adding the lightly beaten eggs with salt and pepper.

Stir for a few minutes, turning off the heat before the eggs solidify and become an omelette!

The Bacalhau à bras has to be served hot, with parsley and black olives.

How to make a white Christmas Mojito Why not put a sparkle into your Christmas this this extra special festive season cocktail? It’s easy to make and something that sounds quite delicious.

Ingredients: juice of 1 lime 8 leaves mint 1 tablespoon sugar

2 tablespoons white rum 1 tablespoon coconut rum 1/4 cup canned coconut milk sparkling water for topping pomegranate arils for serving Instructions: In a glass, muddle the lime juice, sugar and mint leaves until the leaves have broken

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down. Fill the glass half-way with ice.

In a blender, combine the white rum, coconut rum, and coconut milk and pulse until smooth. Pour over the ice and stir to combine. Top with sparkling water, mint and pomegranate.

Drink and enjoy! Happy Christmas.

Food & drink

Bar Quim, Meia Praia

BY STEPHANIE GINGER

Always on a Sunday

Opening times: High Season Friday – Wednesday for lunch and early dinner 10 – 8pm Low Season Lunch only 10 – 4pm…ish.

Closed December 1st to January 15th

That’s probably an exaggeration, and it doesn’t have to be a Sunday. But my husband and I agree that on a sunny day out-of-season, for simple enjoyment, you probably can’t do much better than a good dogwalk along the length of Meia Praia’s golden sands followed by a leisurely lunch of chilled prawns at Bar Quim.

Bar Quim is a small, unassuming wooden building with yellow awnings and a veranda nestled into the sand dunes on the beach side of the train track, right at the far end of Meia Praia.

A typical Algarvian beach-side restaurant operated by the same family since 1980, Bar Quim is indicative of many such establishments along the Algarvian coast from Tavira to Sagres and beyond. Sadly though, it’s now one of a dying breed as others fall prey to the idea that fancier is somehow better.

But it’s Bar Quim’s straightforward approach to serving good tasty food in an unpretentious environment that is so appealing. And the fact that Mãe Adélia and her daughters Luisa, Elisa and Christela are cheerful and welcoming even to diners like us with dogs in tow. Or perhaps especially so?

With Elisa’s son Cristiano representing the next generation, it truly is a family affair. And so it was that we settled down for a late lunch on a simply gorgeous Sunday afternoon a week after the October half-term.

We arrived quite late and as the kitchen shuts at 4pm during low season, we didn’t bother with Couvertes, but dived straight into starters. I had

the recommended fish soup; flavoursome and filling; with the delicious soft bread served on the side it would make a light meal in itself. Not bad for under €4. I liked the small flakes of fish rather than larger chunks, the addition of couscous pasta as well as the slight chilli hit. My husband – a man who likes to keep things simple – enjoyed his mixed salad enlivened by the addition of beetroot.

For mains, inevitably one of us had to have the sizzling Camarão Especial da Casa – a generous portion of ten plump prawns sautéd in butter with garlic and chilli and served in the pan they were cooked in. And sizzle they certainly did! With a side order of batatas fritas, crunchy on the outside and soft inside, it was pretty much lunch-on-the-beach heaven! I had tender grilled mackerel sprinkled with garlic, spring onions and fresh coriander and served with buttery soft potatoes. We washed all this down with a jarro of very palatable white Vinha da Casa Vini with a hint of sparkle. I noticed that they also have a biological red wine on the menu called Meia-Praia which I’d be interested to try next time.

And of course, the menu has all the usual Portuguese dishes as well as omelettes and snacks but to be honest, we’re pretty much sold on their prawns and fish dishes so we haven’t bothered.

But don’t take my word for it. If the sky is blue and you fancy a reasonably-priced meal with a view of the sea from Lagos to Alvor and beyond, why not pitch up and give it a try. But please… remember to leave a table free on the veranda for us!

 Bar Quim, Lagos, Q.ta da Praia 15, 8600-315 Lagos  +351 282 763 294

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HAVE YOU TASTED OUR ALGARVIAN

?

CAIPIRINHA

www.mardestorias.com

Kiko’s Tasca

Wine, food and friends.

Portuguese food. Tapas, lunch and dinner.

Come and try for yourself.

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

Closed for holidays: From December 24 th till February 8 th 2018 Tel.: +351 282 046 037 • Email: one.destino@gmail.com Centro Naútico Sopromar - Estrada Sopromar (Meia-Praia) • LAGOS • GPS - N 37º 06.433' / W 08º 40.176' • f facebook.com/tascadokiko

Food & drink

Caramba’ to the beat A trip out of town this month and we found a nice little funky place in Barão de São João. Four of us ventured to Caramba on a Friday night for a light bite and for nothing overly fancy and we struck gold.

Situated right by the Church in Barão de São João, I bet this place is lively in the summer. On the night we went, the local population were in watching some football but that added to the authentic and homely feel of the place. It wasn’t crowded but clearly one guy had ‘his stool’ at that the bar and you knew it.

It’s not a huge place but it felt really great and buzzy.

On to the food. It is tapas with some larger main courses if required. A daily choice is also available on the blackboard. Here you get the steaks, salmon and chicken cordon bleu. As well as the tapas, you could choose other main courses too.

BY THE YUM YUM BOYS

thing to start with to get us in the mood. I went for the squid to start followed by the Thai chicken skewers. Nothing fancy but if you want a meal to sit and catch up with friends then this is the place.

Others had the beef steak with peppercorns, and the chicken cordon bleu was perfect for this place.

The desserts looked good too. A coffee mousse was gone in seconds by one of the guests. I think he liked it because he didn't come up for air once. All washed down with a few beers, it was a great place to chill and catch up. The service was excellent, and the owner gave a complimentary nip of a mixed berry liqueur. Always welcome.

The food is tasty, not expensive at all (€60 in total for 4 of us with drinks) and a great place to hang out if you’re in the area and you just want a beer too. It certainly won’t be our last visit.

The obligatory couvert and garlic bread was a nice

 Rua Capitao Francisco Da Silva Rijo 4 | Barao de Sao Joao, Lagos 8600-313  +351 282 688 521

Barroca, Luz - totally spot on!

BY TOM HENSHAW

As we have said before the one thing about the Tomorrow restaurant reviews is they must be fair and honest. We will only include a review if we, representing the magazine, are happy with the meals provided on our visit.

So that being said - what a splendid evening we had in Barroca Bar and Restaurant in Luz. It has a real and relaxed pub diner atmosphere with very engaging young staff who all seemed totally happy serving us and all the other clients!

All the food is home-made by June Wright and her excellent kitchen team and therein lies the success of this lovely homely place with them, the Wright family, all being very much involved.

I chose the two specials of the day, my starter was soup, broccoli and Roquefort cheese with a lovely bread roll with butter and my guest, a ‘real foodie’,  +351 282 762 799 / 916 909 494

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chose the lovely light beetroot and Carpaccio dish.

My main course was, as I said was from the specials menu, medallions of pork in a light but ever so tasty gravy with perfectly cooked fresh vegetables.

Totally spot on! My guest chose the sea bass fillets with roasted vegetables, the fillets were soft and extremely tasty.

A lovely dessert menu followed and we chose one between us as we felt two would have just been too much! We chose the cheesecake - divine no need to say more.

This was honestly a great meal at a very reasonable price. The family and staff were perfectly attentive and communicative without being over the top.

We wish them every success.

I do suggest you book early for any of their up and coming events, including the Christmas and the New Year programme- otherwise I am sure you will miss out on this great well run bar and restaurant.

Food & drink

Traditional brownies

BY JEMMA CASTRO

ents:

Ingredi Serves:

Chocolatey, dense and chewy with a light crust.

12 olate, rk choc

a

200 g d Preheat the oven to 180’C (325’F) Gas 3 grease your tin or dish, line with grease proof paper.

Melt the butter and Chocolate over hot water (in a bowl over the boiling water) Set aside while you whisk together the eggs and sugar until you get a lighter colour with a frothy consistency (to keep the bowl from moving around put a tea towel under while mixing) Pour your chocolate and butter mix down the side of the bowl and quickly

whisk all the ingredients together while pouring slowly, this is so you don’t cook the eggs as they mix , sieve the flour into the mixture then fold the flour until completely integrated.

Put in the oven for 5 minutes on 180’C 325’F) then turn the oven down to 170’C for 20 minutes.

Decorate with the icing sugar Serve hot or cold with cream or ice cream.

Ideal for a cool autumn day.

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nsalted

175 g u

roughly

choppe

butter

anulate 325 g gr

d sugar

ur

lain flo

130 g p

3 eggs ecorate

gar to d

Icing su

3x5 cm

A 33x2

baking

tray

d

Environment

The sinister silencing of nature

BY CLAIRE FRIEDLANDER

There’s a kind of hush- all over the world. Bees seem less busy and birdsong exceptional. Contemplating the idea of this lull in nature’s buzz brings to mind Rachel Carson’s revolutionary book Silent Spring, named after the chilling silence described in Keats’ poem: La Belle Dame Sans Merci ("The sedge is wither'd from the lake, And no birds sing”).

Silent Spring, published in 1962, is still considered second only to Darwin’s Origin of the Species amongst influential science books. Although chemical pesticides were in their infancy, it challenged their indiscriminate use and detrimental effect on the environment. This musing seems timely, as the European Commission prepares to vote this month on banning neonicotinoid pesticides, now widely seen as an acute threat to bees. Coincidentally, the EU decision on whether or not to renew Monsanto’s licence for Glyphosate, the key ingredient in its ‘Roundup’ herbicides, is also expected imminently.

Insects comprise two thirds of life on earth, but bee and other pollinating insect populations have declined dramatically in recent years. New German research results have sent shockwaves throughout the world. The findings show that flying insect populations there have plummeted an incredible 75% in the past 25 years! Concerned scientists and citizens corroborate these findings worldwide. As insects are a foundation for ecosystem food-chains, there has also been significant reduction in numbers of birds and animals that prey on them. European species such as larks, swallows and swifts are in steep decline, with some populations diminished 50% in the last 50 years. A quotation, sometimes attributed to Einstein, states the obvious: “If the bee disappeared off the face of the Earth, man would only have four years left to live.

No more bees, no more pollination, no more plants, no more animals, no more man.”

“If insects were to vanish, the environment would collapse into chaos.”

By E. O. Wilson

Causes of insect decline include climate change and habitat loss, but farming chemicals are the most

likely culprits. Pesticides are a direct threat to insects, but also leach into soils and waterways. Herbicides and synthetic fertilizers, developed to favour nonnative planting and genetically modified crops, have created diminished and hostile habitats for insects that have evolved to thrive on native plants. At a domestic scale, planting indigenous plants in our gardens and communities rather than planting for mere aesthetics is now essential, and this approach is even more important on a larger scale.

Industrialised agriculture and overuse of pesticides and herbicides in the last half-century has altered nature significantly. One document reports that three quarters of honey worldwide contains neonicotinoids. Ongoing research continues to find probable links to human health problems, suggesting that neonicotinoids can affect the central nervous system and immune system, and may cause brain tumours in children.

Glyphosates are under scrutiny for possible links to human cancers, with research on laboratory animals providing convincing evidence. Six billion tonnes has been sprayed globally in the last decade, making it substantially the most ubiquitous herbicide. Studies have found glyphosate residues in 45% of European topsoils, and worse- in the urine of 99.6% of humans in the German studies! Monsanto has funded counterresearch, insisting the chemicals are safe for humans.

As global market value of pesticides is $50 billion annually and glyphosate accounts for over a third of Monsanto’s earnings, their findings are hardly surprising. They argue that pesticides are essential for crop-protection and food security, but a UN special report denounces these arguments as mythical.

A major new study indicates that significant reduction of pesticide use would not only allow farms to produce similar quantities of food but probably more, and profits would likely be unaffected. We have under-appreciated the economic value of ecosystems services provided by pollinators and other insects. In the words of Michael Gove, the UK’s new Environment Secretary: “A deteriorating environment is ultimately bad economic news.” Economics aside, it is impossible to comprehend extensive species loss. We should all be doing our bit to welcome back nature’s daily clamour.

Claire Friedlander  www.friedlanderdesign.com (Architecture and sustainability consultancy) To sign a petition against the renewal of EU licensing for glyphosate:  www.act.wemove.eu/campaigns/stop-glyphosate

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Outdoor

Mushrooms

BY JEANETTE FAHLBUSCH

For me, any time from August onwards heralds the season for mushroom foraging – give or take the odd bit of necessary night moisture. Having previously lived in green and lush English countryside I was spoilt of course – after a warm and wet autumnal night, for me the greatest pleasure was to go out early on a Sunday morning with camping gas, frying pan, olive oil and garlic and – in true Antonio Carluccio fashion - fry my bounty right there on the damp forest ground . Crusty bread, flask of hot coffee, heaven!

So imagine my delight when, per chance one late August here in the Algarve (not a place I associated particularly with fungi) on a morning dog stroll I discovered groups of shaggy ink caps, puff balls, field mushrooms and parasols right here, in the countryside around Palmares!

I remember vividly taking a lot of shaggy ink caps home, sautéing them with parsley and garlic, and having them for early breakfast on toast with shaved Parmesan – heaven again! A couple of years later I was privileged to be able to participate in a ‘mushroom foray’ (organized by the Mediterranean Garden Association Portugal) led by fungi supremo Pat O´Reilly who took our group into woodland outside Monchique. Boy, did we find the most

amazing variety of mushrooms!

Now, in collecting, I tend to stick strictly only to those that I know and trust – uncertainty or risk taking has no place in mushroom hunting. I know I am stating the obvious but with mushrooms you really need to know what to look for, or a mushroom hunt could be the last thing you do. It is a cruel twist of nature that many edible mushrooms have a lookalike impersonator, which at best is inedible, at worst downright poisonous. There is an excellent book by Roger Phillips (Mushrooms and Other Fungi of Great Britain and Europe) full of large colour photographs and highly detailed explanations, enough to enable any novice to go and collect with confidence.

Once you have brought your bounty back home, you should prepare and eat it as soon as possible. Brush the fungi clean (don’t wash) and slice or tear them to make sure there are no little insects hiding inside.

Personally I love mushrooms any which way: sautéed on toast as above, big field mushrooms stuffed with crumbled Dolcelatte and thyme and baked till golden and bubbly; or – as first encountered at Gordon Ramsay’s Claridge’s in Mayfair some years ago: a mushroom ‘cappuchino’: sauté chopped mushrooms and garlic, add chicken stock and double cream and a dash of brandy, liquidise till frothy and thick and serve in an espresso cup – even more fabulous if you have some truffle oil to sprinkle on top.

Must have mushroom recipes Here gardening writer, Jeanette Fahlbusch, shares two of her favourite mushroom recipes with us. On the gardening page she shares with us the joy of foraging for mushrooms and a delightful discovery about foraging here in the Algarve.

Soft Gorgonzola Polenta with Spinach & Wild Mushrooms (serves 4) 25 g butter, 150 g mixed wild mushrooms, 3 oz Madeira or Port, ½ pint beef stock, 2 tbs olive oil, good handful of spinach leaves, nutmeg and chives to garnish Prepare the Polenta according to packet instructions, when still quite runny, add the butter and crumbled Gorgonzola, allow to melt. (The polenta should be of runny consistency). Heat the butter in a pan and sauté the mushrooms, remove and set aside. Pour Madeira/Port into the sticky pan juices, add stock and boil till reduced by half. Return mushrooms to pan and keep warm. Heat olive oil in separate pan, add

spinach to wilt, season with nutmeg and pepper. To serve, pour the polenta into a shallow bowl, place spinach in the centre, arrange mushrooms on top and garnish with sprigs of chives.

The next recipe is great with Parasol mushrooms just using the cap, having removed the long stem which you can use of making mushroom soup). Of course, shop bought large Portobello mushrooms are perfect for this too: Parasols/ Portobellos stuffed with cherry tomato, chouriço & Gruyére cheese (serves 2) You will need: 2 large mushrooms, 6 cherry tomatoes, chopped garlic, chopped small non-spicy chouriço, a little dried oregano,

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handful of chopped spinach, 2 tbsp grated Gruyére cheese.

Wilt the spinach in a little hot water, chop and set aside. Into a bowl add all other ingredients except the cheese, mix with a little olive oil. Place mushrooms top side up in an oiled baking tray, fill each with the spinach, followed by the above mixture, sprinkle Gruyére on top and bake for about 15 minutes or until bubbly and browning gently. Serve with crusty bread and a crisp green salad. A delicious breakfast variation is to bake the mix without the Gruyére, and top with a poached egg just before serving – try some grated Parmesan on top!

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