Tomorrow Algarve Magazine - November 2021

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NOVEMBER 2021 | EDITION 120

COMMUNITY MAGAZINE FOR THE ALGARVE

In this edition Together We Protect Meet Zoomarine's Marine Biologist

COP26 - Can it reverse Climate Change?

Interview with the British Ambassador

Fish Flops Footwear made from Algarve fish

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Editor's note

environmentally themed articles which you will find in the upcoming pages.

Dear Tomorrow Readers, 6,500 PRINTED COPIES

This edition is dedicated to something infinitely beautiful, fragile and endangered. Our planet.

EDITORIAL

It was thanks to Tomorrow's political writer James Plaskitt that I came up with the idea of having an issue dedicated to the environment. He suggested that we go with a Race to Zero theme to coincide with COP26, which is taking place in Glasgow this month.

Sophie Sadler sophie@tomorrowalgarve.com +351 912 176 588 SALES

As a result, I started doing some research on the UN Climate Change Conference and began to understand the quite literally earth-shattering significance of this event. It is the last chance that world leaders have to avert catastrophic climate change. It reminded me of an interview I did last year with the British Ambassador about COVID, and he told me that in his opinion the most important political event of millennia would not be a pandemic – it would be COP26.

Tom Henshaw tom@tomorrowalgarve.com +351 919 918 733 Janine Nieper janine@tomorrowalgarve.com +351 913 320 509 Helen Daniel helen@tomorrowalgarve.com +351 917 054 646

Once the Ambassador kindly agreed to answer questions about the conference, I became excited about how we could make this edition really important. It has struck me how many articles we are now writing about the local community’s efforts to either clean up the ocean or become more sustainable. Once I put the idea out to my wonderful team of writers, they bombarded me with ideas for

DESIGN Creation Media phil@tomorrowalgarve.com

To conclude, if we can all try to do something small to help then I hope Tomorrow’s contribution is to alert our readers to some of the inspiring environmental initiatives in the Algarve. Maybe you will be inspired to either join a group, buy a zero waste product or build a house with straw!

Have a great, environmentally conscious month.

From Sophie, Tom and the Tomorrow team

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It is the ruins of an ancient submarine volcanic cone from around four to five thousand years ago. The volcanic cone has been eroded and fractured to create two islets: Ilhéu Pequeno and Ilhéu Grande.

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You would be wrong to think this. This is our time to become global citizens and to drive political change.

Whether this is cutting out some plastic, eating less meat or buying local produce. Our consumer choices will govern how businesses run in the future. We need to mobilise to create a better world.

If you don’t feel motivated to do this please read the work from the school children, published in this edition.

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ON THE COVER: Ilhéu de Vila Franca do Campo A Protected Area for the Management of Habitats or Species the islet in the Azores was classified as a Nature Reserve in 1983.

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While interviewing zero waste pioneers Lauren and Emilie – who you will read about on page 10 – they said something which really stuck with me. “It's better for lots of people to make small swaps than for a few people to go completely plastic free.” It is true that with the enormity of the problem, it’s easy to think that nothing we do will make a difference.

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COMMUNITY

Together We Protect Sophie Sadler interviews Èlio Vicente – marine biologist and director of external affairs at Zoomarine – to find out more about how an Algarve tourist attraction is making a huge contribution to marine conservation.

In 2019, the Zoomarine theme park welcomed a record 625,000 visitors in one year – what many visitors don’t realise is that their entrance tickets are paying for the conservation and preservation of life of the oceans, species and habitats.

The park opened on 3 August, 1991, and is located in Guia, in Albufeira. Élio went to work there straight out of his Marine Biology Course at Faro University - two months before it opened. In 1999, he became zoological director until in 2002 he was asked to focus on science and education. Now as director of the Rehabilitation Centre and director of external affairs, he tells me he can work some days from home. As a result, we chat on a video call from his home office, where he sits in front of a vast wall of books.

I am assuming he has read all the books on his shelf as his knowledge is extensive. Yet it is his passion for the environment and marine conservation that is most striking.

He talks at break-neck speed about his endeavours to the extent that it is hard to sum up everything in this short article – I would need to write a thesis – but I can imagine the devastating changes to marine life he must have seen in the 30 years since he qualified as one of the Algarve’s first graduates in marine biology.

Despite the jaw-dropping shows, ever-increasing rides and water park, the “Together we Protect” mantra has never been overlooked. When Zoomarine opened its Rehabilitation Centre for Marine Species, the first in Portugal, they were confident that the Portuguese government would follow suit and build more in Central and Northern Portugal - they never

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did. For eight years Zoomarine's facility was the only centre for marine rehabilitation in Portugal - there is now one more.

“I am very proud that we stuck to the fundamental ideal,” Èlio tells me.

In fact, when the Portuguese government started a programme a year ago to support rehabilitation centres, Zoomarine decided not to apply as it felt that it was more important that the money went to NGOs that could not support themselves and receive visitors.

Inevitably the park can be subject to negative publicity, normally on social media about the ethics of dolphins performing to the public, or Zoomarine taking animals out of the wild to put in the zoo. “Our rehabilitation centre never was and never will be a recruitment centre. We never keep animals from the wild. If animals are brought to us for rehabilitation and they are too ill to be released we insist that the Portuguese government find it another home. It is important we do this so that people understand we are not helping the animal because we want to keep it.”

He is philosophical about these slurs, telling me, "criticism is a good thing". Even fake news like an accusation that they take out the dolphins' teeth to stop them biting? “Dolphins don't bite, they are not dogs,” he says.

Rehabilitation is incredibly expensive. One rescued wild dolphin needs two or three people in the pool with it every minute of the day if it is sick - which equates to a team of 30 per day until it is fit to swim alone again. The medication for a 600-kilo mammal including antibiotics can be thousands per day.

COMMUNITY

Zoomarine’s Porto d’Abrigo (Rehabilitation Centre for Marine Species) was founded in 1997 and has had remarkable success in returning animals to the wild.

Regular Tomorrow readers may recall the leatherback turtle Quinas, rescued by Zoomarine from fishing nets off Meia Praia beach in 2019. After being released into the ocean he was last tracked travelling 45kms per day off the Canary Islands in a busy ferry lane. He could have died but Élio is optimistic that the tracking device just fell off or lost contact with the satellite.

Another amazing success was their rehabilitation of two turtles that had been in captivity - one at at Funchal’s Municipal Aquarium and the other at Aquário Vasco da Gama, Lisbon - for more than 30 years. After several years of behavioural rehabilitation, they were released back into the wild, one with an amputated flipper. Despite this, the turtle swam the Atlantic and reached Brazil. Élio's team had proved that animals can be retrained to survive in the wild after this long in captivity and that amputated animals can get into the same migration routes and swim at the same rate as intact animals. Élio says one of the keys to their success is to make the animals afraid of humans, which is why they can never be on display, “We never give them any positive associations with humans, so they don't see us give them food and we never pet them.” The petting is reserved for the animals you witness in the shows all of whom have been born in captivity.

Zoomarine established the first team of specialised staff on marine mammals in the Algarve - initially from Brazil - where the company had another park. Since then they have become world leaders in science, education, conservation and training. In 2006 and 2008, Zoomarine hosted a conference on emergency protocols and response to oil spills in order to ensure a network of support to help marine life affected by such an eventuality.

"This month we were one of four speakers on an international webinar on this subject,” explains Élio.

This year, Zoomarine entered into a consortium together with Águas de Algarve and Quercus, to start trying to preserve the fragile fresh fish populations in rivers and small lakes in Serra de Monchique and other mountain waterways. They are creating a breeding programme to create insurance populations and reinforce existing populations. The eight year endeavour is named Falanges.

Other initiatives include their beach cleans which always happen on the second Sunday in May, the weekend after Portuguese Mother’s Day, which they have dubbed Mother Nature's Day. Their next will be in May 2022. They also

reserve the park one day a year for special needs children and host a Festa dos Sorrisos, which this year was held on 7 October.

Operação Montanha Verde, in 2019, saw over 4,147 volunteers (4,900 registered) planting a record 42,000 trees in eight Algarve municipalities. Every year they aim to double the number of trees planted with the aim to offset carbon emissions, reverse the effect of the devastating wildfires and engage with schoolchildren to instil a sense of environmental mindfulness in future generations. Élio excitedly tells me that in 2023 they are looking to double this to 84,000 trees in all 16 municipalities, some of which now don't actually have any more space to plant more trees!

I want to know if Élio is excited by the potential for change that may come out of COP26. He doesn’t look convinced, “These conferences tend to have too many politicians and not enough scientists. Politicians are governed by borders and nature doesn't have borders.

Unless we break down these man-made boundaries we will not succeed.”

The one thing that has stuck in my mind since talking to Élio is his despair over the plight of the Vaquita that lives in the Gulf of California. A cetacean and a member of the dolphin family, it is all but extinct, having been wiped out by gillnet fishing. There are only 10 left in the wild, so not a large enough gene pool for them to breed successfully, Élio reflects sadly, “everyone loves dolphins, yet in our lifetime we have wiped out the Baiji (a river dolphin that lived in Asia, and became extinct around 10 years ago) - and now we are doing the same with the Vaquita. What hope is there for the not so cute species that don't have media focus?”

The threat of extinction of many species is a depressing reality; however, from this interview with Élio, I truly believe Zoomarine has had an important and progressive impact on marine conservation in Europe and can be proud of its contribution to date.

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COMMUNITY

Ambassador on COP26 Sophie Sadler interviewed British Ambassador Chris Sainty to explain more about COP26 and how it is relevant to the ex-pat community.

In your last interview with me you said COP26 was one of the most important events to have happened in your career.

Can you explain why?

I certainly still believe that COP26 is one of the most important events to happen in my career. It’s difficult to overemphasise just how crucial the summit is for the future of our planet. COP26 is seen by many as the world’s last chance to come together and get runaway climate change under control.

At COP21, in Paris in 2015, every country agreed to work together to limit global warming to well below two degrees and aim for 1.5 degrees, and to bring forward plans – known as Nationally Determined Contributions, or ‘NDCs’ – setting out how much we would reduce our respective countries’ emissions.

The UK’s presidency for COP26 – in partnership with Italy - coincides with the first significant test of the Paris Agreement, as it is the first point that countries are expected to reassess their NDCs as part of the five-yearly ambition cycle established by the Agreement. As part of this reassessment, we want to see a strong push for further ambition.

The commitments laid out in Paris did not come close to limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees, and the window for achieving this is closing. The rest of this decade up to 2030 will be crucial. So, as momentous as Paris was, countries must go much further at COP26 to keep the hope of limiting temperature rises to 1.5 degrees alive.

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Maritime Minister Ricardo Serrão Santos and British Ambassador Chris Sainty

What preparation have you done for the event?

Here in Portugal, the British Embassy has brought political leaders, businesses and civil society together on a range of issues linked to the key COP26 goals, such as protecting our oceans, establishing closer links and collaboration on green finance, and developing sustainable, ‘smart’ cities.

This work will continue beyond COP26, especially as we look towards the UN Oceans Conference in Lisbon next year.

How motivated do you think Portugal is to achieve the targets being set?

I believe that Portugal is setting an excellent example internationally. It set ambitious targets in its National Plan for reducing emissions and transitioning its energy sources. It showed leadership under its EU Presidency earlier in the year to secure the EU’s first Climate Law. But to meet the Paris Agreement goals we must all work faster to decarbonise the global economy over the next decade, requiring stronger national action and international collaboration. I am looking forward to continuing to work with Portugal – a likeminded partner – on these efforts in the years ahead.

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You mentioned to me before that the UK and Portugal work closely on environmental issues. Can you explain what joint initiatives you have and why these might help the ‘race to zero’.

There has been a greater focus in recent years on the environment and sustainability, such as protecting wildlife and natural habitats and reducing harmful plastic waste. Restoring, protecting and enhancing our natural environment is also vital to meeting the temperature goals of the Paris Agreement and adapting to the effects of climate change. It is estimated that nature-based solutions could provide around one-third of the cost-effective mitigation needed by 2030 to stabilise temperatures.

One area where the UK and Portugal are working closely together is on championing marine ecosystems and protecting the world’s oceans. We are both members of the Global Ocean Alliance’s “30 by 30” initiative. Launched by the UK in 2019, this is an international commitment to protect at least 30% of the global ocean in Marine Protected Areas by 2030. Portugal is also the co-host, with Kenya, of next year’s UN Ocean Conference, where I hope we will see the world come together to save our ocean and protect our future.

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Is there any way that Portugal and the UK can work together to offset carbon emissions from the large number of flights between the two countries?

Emissions from international flights are handled outside the Paris Agreement and are instead managed by ICAO, the International Civil Aviation Organisation, which is the UN’s dedicated agency for regulating international aviation. I am proud to say that the UK plays a key leadership role in the ICAO, and in 2016 was instrumental in securing agreement on the first-ever global market-based measure to tackle carbon emissions in a single sector, called CORSIA – the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation. Both Portugal – as an EU member state – and the UK are participating in the initial voluntary phase of this scheme, which began this year.

A large part of the ambassadorial role is to stimulate trade between the two countries. Can more be done to ensure these businesses are carbon neutral?

The UK and Portugal have an extensive and long-standing trading relationship.

Businesses and industry have a key role to play in the Race to Zero, alongside national governments, cities and regions, investors and civil society – we really do need to see a collaborative effort. But it is not a choice between cleaning up our environment and growing our economies. The clean growth and climate adaptation agenda offer a wealth of opportunities for our businesses, arguably the most significant economic growth opportunity of the 21st century. Global trade in low-carbon goods and services is expected to grow from £150bn in 2015 to a staggering £2.8 – £5.1tn in 2050. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has set out a Ten Point Plan for the UK’s transition to a net-zero economy to ensure we make the most of these new growth and employment opportunities across the UK.

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The UK is leading the way to create renewable energy with off-shore wind farms. Portugal is a small GHG contributor, only 1% of EU total, yet leads the way in green energy generation. Is there more that can be done to share this technology with slower countries?

Offshore wind is a critical source of renewable energy. The UK is already leading the way as the country generating the most electricity from offshore wind.

We plan to quadruple our capacity by 2030, alongside developments in a diverse range of other low carbon energy sources such as hydrogen. Like the UK, Portugal has a strategic focus on renewables and is ahead of the game on energy transition, with over 30% of its energy matrix already coming from renewable sources.

At COP26’s Energy Day, we want to take the developed world, developing countries and businesses with us in accelerating the global transition away from coal power towards renewable energy. We are putting huge effort into broadening and deepening the Powering Past Coal Alliance, a coalition of countries, cities, banks and utilities committed to phasing out unabated coal power, and also supporting coaldependent countries to make an equitable and just transition away from coal.

In the Algarve we are seeing an increasing number of forest fires – do you think these are a result of climate change?

We know the very real dangers that forest fires pose to lives and livelihoods, including for our British communities here in Portugal. It is an important issue for the Embassy and I am thankful for the significant progress made in forest management and response in recent years by the civil protection authorities, which helps mitigate the risks.

It is widely recognised that Portugal is one of the European countries likely to be most acutely affected by the higher temperatures brought about by climate change, not least the increased risk of forest fires. We all need to play our part to boost global ambition to limit temperature rises and adapt to the impact of climate change.

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What do you do personally to try to be more environmentally conscious and what do you think we can all do to help Portugal achieve climate change goals?

It is of course very difficult to achieve net-zero in our personal lives but I believe that we should all think hard about this, make the best contribution we can and try to set an example to others. I regularly cycle to work: in fact, I am rather proud of the fact that I have cycled over 20,000 km in the last five years. We have stopped serving and consuming red meat at our residence. We have a vegetable garden and regularly serve home-grown produce to our guests. We’ve also made a big effort at home and across the Embassy to reduce the amount of plastic we consume and to recycle the plastic we still use – in fact, we have banned single-use plastics from our office and our official functions. My official Embassy car is 100% electric.

But as a team, we also have a strong sense of environmental responsibility at the British Embassy and I am very proud of the commitment that many of my colleagues show in this area. We have a Green Team in post, which in 2020 managed to eliminate single-use plastic from our events and daily routines at my residence, the Embassy and our Vice-consulate in Portimão. This was achieved through replacing plastic cutlery, plates and cups, workshops to create awareness and by providing staff with sustainable glass bottles and food boxes. We have since then been working with different stakeholders, charities and partners, like Maria Granel, Sea Shepherd and Hortas LX to encourage reusing, reducing and recycling, both at work and at home.

This year we aim to concentrate further on eliminating food waste, textile sustainability and protecting our oceans.

We aim to work with artists like Artur Bordalo who uses plastics collected at beach cleans to create artistic sculptures.

Together we are working to develop a credible net-zero plan of our own – this will be a big corporate goal for us in the coming months.

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COMMUNITY

A Zero Waste Journey

BY SOPHIE SADLER

Eco-warriors Lauren and Emilie embarked on their “zero-waste journey” while confined to their apartments during the lockdown. They are now offering free shipping in their eco store to bring zero-waste products to consumers in the Algarve.

Irish Lauren and Dutch Emilie met after both moving here separately in 2015. Emilie arrived in the Algarve from Rotterdam to run a surf camp before starting a master’s degree in the Netherlands – and never left! Lauren came here to complete a master’s degree in marine biology in Faro.

Being so close to the ocean made the friends more aware of where waste products, particularly plastics, ended up. “Moving to Portugal made it suddenly so much more noticeable how plastic doesn’t have a place in nature,” said Emilie.

Lauren already had a passion for eco stores brought about by her studies of the ocean. “I wanted to use plastic-free and packaging-free products, but I was forever weighing up the pros and cons: if I buy something plastic free, but it arrives with plastic packaging materials, was that then worth it? Or if it’s plastic free, but it has to come from Australia, is that still better for nature than if I recycle the plastic packaging?

It was exhausting.”

During lockdown, the two women hooked up on Zoom calls in the evenings after finishing their day’s work from home.

Being confined to their homes, they figured it was the perfect timing to set up a side business and Mós Eco Store was born. They spent lockdown working on a business plan and building their website.

“We have created a platform that filters out plastic products, that focuses on local and European products and that ships your goodies 100% plastic free. It’s easy: every choice here is a good choice,” says Emilie.

helping the environment, but plastics can only be recycled two to three times before they become useless and end up in landfills, whereas glass and metal are infinitely recyclable.

The entrepreneurs are realistic about how far consumers are willing to embrace the concept. “It’s better for lots of people to make small swaps than for a few people to go completely plastic free,” they tell me.

So what are their favourite products? Lauren is enthusiastic about their zero-waste razor. “A lot of zero-waste products are more expensive, but this swap has saved me loads of money. Plastic razors cannot be recycled and the replacement blades for women are also really expensive.

By swapping to a stainless steel razor, the initial €30 investment has more than paid off and the replacement blades are only €3 for a pack of 10. It’s something I use every day and which will last for years.”

In fact, the women suggest you look around your bathroom to understand just how many of the products you use are packaged in plastic.

Their suggestion is that you try to make one or two small swaps to your personal care routine and just take it from there. Emilie is passionate about the shampoo and conditioner bars that replace the need to buy plastic bottles. “I would never go back to buying hair products in plastic bottles; it’s such an easy swap and if everyone did this, it would make a huge difference.” 

So what is the problem that they are trying to solve? Many of the containers that our day-to-day products come in are single-use plastics. We believe that if we recycle them, it is

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COMMUNITY

 There are some ingenious ways to become zero waste in the kitchen too. For example, washing-up brushes cannot be recycled. If you buy a wooden brush from Mós Eco Store, the wooden handle lasts for years and you can replace the brush with a biodegradable alternative.

Instead of buying cleaning products in a large plastic bottle, most of which is water, you can purchase their Ocean Savers. These are tablets that dissolve in water and can be diluted in one of the plastic bottles you have already bought. “We can also reduce our carbon footprint by reusing plastic items,” explains Emilie. Using an Ocean Savers sachet in an empty spray bottle keeps you from buying a new bottle, and because Ocean Savers sachets are concentrated cleaning liquids, they have a much smaller transport carbon footprint than a heavy bottle that’s 90% water.

Mós Eco Store is trying to reduce its carbon footprint as much as possible, but sadly there are no factories capable of producing their products yet in Portugal. “Going zero waste is a journey, and it’s better to take the steps you can rather than give up because you can’t achieve zero,” says Emilie.

Brexit has also caused the duo problems. “The UK is quite ahead in manufacturing eco products, but small margins and the new import taxes mean we can’t bring them into Europe anymore, so we have had to discontinue many of the lines and look for alternatives elsewhere,” explains Lauren.

Scan me

Meet Mos Eco: Everyday Zero Waste Swaps

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They are hoping to further offset their carbon footprint by offering customers the opportunity to plant a tree when they purchase one of their products. “We initially wanted to include this in the price, but there is such a small markup on eco products that it wasn’t possible. Instead, we ask at the checkout if people will add €1 to their purchase, the equivalent to planting one tree, which goes straight to ‘One Tree Planted’. Literally everyone does it, so trees are our biggest seller!”

Mós Eco Store was born from a love of the Algarve ocean and offers a fantastic opportunity for people who feel the same to start their own zero waste journey.  To check out their products and start your own zero waste journey, visit www.mos-ecostore.com or follow them on instagram @mos.ecostore

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Meet the Locals Rising to the Challenge

BY LENA STRANG mainly in the fish canning factories, paid outright, others by instalments but they were honest, and all paid what was due,” he says.

Lisbon promised more employment and he worked in a tap-making factory. At twenty he was called up for military service. “However, I broke my leg,” and with wry humour adds, “Luckily, not both … and I was not sent to fight in the colonial wars.”

After his 34-month military service spent in Lisbon, he secured work as a supervisor on the magazine Jornal de Século. My head is already spinning trying to take in his ever-changing career path, but there is more …

His life changed when he met his future wife who had already spent some years working as a seamstress in France. They married in 1969 “and still happily together,” he smiles.

Manuel in his shop

Reluctant politician, engineer, taxi driver, celebrated marathon runner, and latterly shoe repairer, 76-year-old Manuel Guerreiro has many tales to tell. I was told that in an unassuming shoe repair and key cutting shop on the main street in Odiáxere, near Lagos, I would find a man that was a tad out of the ordinary. And so, it proved to be.

We agreed to meet later for a chat in the café opposite his shop, Casa das Chaves. Brimming with youthful energy and enthusiasm, he tells me his intriguing life history in minute detail.

Manuel was born in Lisbon but when his parents separated, his mother brought him to Odiáxere when he was 14 months old. “We lived with my maternal grandparents. The family was humble, but always supportive,” he tells me. Like many of his contemporaries, he only completed four years of schooling. At eleven, he had his first job as an aguadeiro (water carrier), probably the first one ever in this region, he tells me. “I still remember holding tight onto my grandfather’s hand, making the six km walk to the Barragem da Bravura every day. My job was to hand water to the workers digging the first irrigation channel, Canal Central. The thirsty work was all done by hand, using pickaxes and shovels.”

They moved to Paris where they lived for the next fifteen years and where their two sons were born. With his usual iron-hard determination, Manuel was intent on learning French and soon mastered it like a native. True to form, he quickly acquired new skills and expanded his CV. There were ups and downs, but his indomitable spirit saw him through. Nine years were spent working as a mechanic in an electronics components factory, followed by two years as a taxi driver with some hairy experiences he’d rather forget. With pressure from his wife, he changed his profession, securing a job as an aeronautics mechanic.

“It was very rigorous as we worked both on the Airbus and Concorde,” he says.

In 1984, it was time to return to their home country.

Odiáxere was still inward-looking, and many were resistant to change. I suspect what happened next was because Manuel, with his experiences abroad and positive outlook, was regarded as a person who could bring something fresh to the village. He’d already collared Ramalho Eanes, the President of the Republic (1976–86) visiting Lagos to open an art exhibition. 

Three years later, on 15 May 1959, he witnessed the official inauguration of the dam itself. A delegation from Lisbon arrived, headed by President Américo Tomás (1958–1974) who ceremoniously declared the dam open.

What was Odiáxere like at this time? It was a small, closed village where everyone knew everyone else’s business.

There were many smallholdings where people eked out a living. As there was little work available, Manuel later delivered packages on his bike. “Some who earned a wage,

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Cattle fair at Odiáxere in the 1960s (Courtesy of Fototeca de Lagos)

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Casa das Chaves

Marathons

Paris Marathon, 2006

 He outlined the problems with the water supply in the town. “There was running water, but the pipes often burst. The bombeiros distributed water in tanks but it wasn’t enough,” he tells me.

“Ramalho Eanes listened to my concerns and later we became friends.”

Manuel had no intention whatsoever of pursuing a political career but on 10 January 1986, he became the President of the Parish Council in Odiáxere! How on earth did it happen? He explains that just before the elections, while doing some work in his house there was a knock at the door. “I was asked to give my name to be added onto a political list for a new party, the Democratic Renewal Party that Ramalho Eanes had founded the year before. I thought, why not?”

Taken to the hall where political material was displayed, he realised to his amazement that his name was on top of the candidates’ list. He won the election by nine votes and found himself with a mandate for the next four years.

What does a person like Manuel Guerreiro now do? Roll up his sleeves and get on with the job, of course. There was plenty to do. Some things achieved during his mandate included improving pavements, tarmacking roads, installing paper recycling bins in all parts of the parish and building a new cemetery.

He’s keen to tell the story of how he changed the spelling of the name of the town. Consulting archives and historians, he realised that Odeáxere with an ‘e’ was incorrect. Throughout history, it had been spelt with an ‘i’ but in 1905 an overzealous priest in charge of archives in Lisbon, changed it to an ‘e’. The name derives from the Arab uad or wadi denoting ‘river’ as in Odemira (the river of Mira) and Odeceixe (the river of Ceixe). The origin of -áxere remains unknown, however. The Etymological Dictionary of Portuguese confirms that before a vowel it’s odiand before a consonant it’s ode-. In 1987, Manuel restored the correct spelling. There was an initial uproar as many locals were against the change.

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Next time you drive through the town, check the spelling for yourself!

Following advice from a friend in Paris, he decided to open a shoe repair and key-making business. During his mandate as President, he sold his car to afford the renovation of his premises. No other transport was available, so he found a solution: “Whenever I needed to visit places, I ran. I enjoyed it so much that I started exploring the area on foot and got to know Odiáxere in minute detail.” He was invited to take part in a half marathon in Lagos and then there was no stopping him. The Lisbon marathon followed, which he won in record time (3hrs 8 mins), then marathons in New York, Barcelona, Paris and Madrid. “However, I had my priorities.

Work always came first, then my running,” he assures me.

He has run Casa das Chaves for over 30 years.

Having no experience in the business was no obstacle. He taught himself the necessary skills, always determined to do work of the highest standard. His sons, whom he supported through higher education, have in the end opted for the same profession. His oldest son runs a successful business making car keys in Faro while his younger son is planning to take over the key cutting part of his own shop. Is retirement on the horizon? A hearty laugh is the response. I take it as a “no”.

Barcelona Marathon, 2007

New York Marathon, 2004

I have one final question for Manuel. What is it that he values most in life? His simple answer is: “Honesty, loyalty and sincerity.”

My meeting with Manuel made an impression on me. Poverty and little formal schooling never fazed him. Instead, he overcame all hurdles with sheer determination and remarkable resourcefulness. He became a skilled professional in whatever he did. Well-regarded and respected, he built lifelong friendships. The three qualities he emphasised encapsulate him perfectly.

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Lagos Triathlon, 1991

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The Alvorian who Fished for Cod

BY JORGE EUSÉBIO

Sabino Pereira is a “son” of Alvor who knows practically everything there is to know about the art of catching fish, whether it’s on a hook, with fishing rods, traps or with a net. He was just 15 when he got his maritime licence and started to go to sea, following in his father’s footsteps.

Sabino Pereira’s life in cod fishing began when he was 20 years old. He spent four seasons fishing in the Greenland seas, onboard the Portuguese ship Novos Mares. He recalls that “each season lasted about six months and took place between May and October”. The boat would leave Aveiro and sail for about two weeks before reaching its destination. Although hard work, it was much more profitable than what he would have done if he’d stayed in Alvor.

The day’s work began at four o’clock in the morning, which was the time when everyone got up from their bunks. Shortly after, the cook would ring the bell, which indicated that breakfast was ready. Besides the crew, the fishermen, the supplies and the gear necessary for fishing the cod, the large vessel carried, stacked on deck, small boats, the ‘dories’, which were dropped into the sea with hooks.

Each of the 46 fishermen would get into one of them and, using the line-fishing system, try, over the following hours, to catch as many specimens of the much-appreciated fish as possible.

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At these times, says Sabino Pereira, “the greatest fear we had was that a whale would come towards us”. When there were signs that one was approaching, “we made a noise, often hitting the boat with a stick so that they would be frightened and dive to the bottom of the sea”, thus preventing them from crashing into the boat. At the end of the shift, they returned to the ship to unload the catch and then counted the cod caught by each fisherman.

When the fishing was very good, “the captain would play a cassette of Northern music and the cook would give each one a bagaço and a cigarette”. But that was only when things had gone really well because “the other days there was nothing for anyone”. The workdays were long and tiring. As well as the time spent in the small boats fishing for cod, the fishermen spent hours ‘baiting’ – preparing the hooks for the next fishing trip – and preparing and salting the fish caught.

When the season was over, the boat would return to Portugal with a load that could reach 13 tons of codfish.

There were times when the sea and the weather conditions did not “cooperate”, which prevented them from working and consequently reduced everyone’s income since what they received depended on what they caught. Sometimes they even took risks, making several attempts to put the boats in the water, but soon they had to hoist them back up. 

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“The greatest fear we had was that a whale would come towards us”.

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 What compensated for all that effort and sacrifice was the spectacle provided by nature, especially the sky, which “took all the colours, it was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen”.

If it weren’t for the intense work they had to do, they could have enjoyed this panorama in peace for many hours because, for a substantial part of the time they spent there, “it was always day, there was no night”.

eel. For a few years, he worked on trawlers until he decided to buy a small boat and become self-employed.

Every year, before setting off for distant lands, Sabino would go to Fuzeta to make the necessary registration, which guaranteed him an income of seven thousand escudos. He would add the money he would get depending on how much fish he caught.

Sabino remembers that Alvor was a very different place to the one we know today. Bathrooms were a practically non-existent luxury, and there were no sewage or water networks. The local population had to go to nearby fountains, cisterns, and wells to get their precious water supplies or wait for vendors to pass by in carts with pitchers full of water. The road that connected the village to Portimão was a dirt track, and for a long time, people had to travel in horse-drawn carts.

To earn this money, however, he had to make great sacrifices, not only in terms of work but also in terms of his family. One sacrifice was not seeing his daughter born because her birth was during the cod fishing season. When he returned home, she was already three months old.

The activity was still not easy, but he recalls that “we managed to save money because the cost of living was much lower than it is today. With the end of the escudo and the introduction of the euro, everything became more expensive.”

In a harsh environment like the one the fishermen faced, accidents frequently happened, fortunately, in most cases, without fatal consequences. One time, a hook came out and pierced Sabino’s hand while he was fishing. Unable to row, he had to wait for a whaleboat to come and get him. He was assisted by the ship’s nurse, “who took the hook out of my hand and gave me an injection and medication. But because of this, I ended up not being able to fish for 15 days.”

Another ship belonging to the company Sabino worked for caught the tail of a cyclone and was practically destroyed, but luckily nobody died. The most dramatic episode, in human terms, happened the last year he worked on the Terra Nova.

Due to the bad weather, “two colleagues lost their balance and fell. One of them was saved, but we couldn’t help the other one and he was left there.” The sad news was communicated to Portugal and when they returned to the port of Aveiro, they had a crowd of people waiting for them, all dressed in black as a sign of mourning for the deceased fisherman.

This episode affected Sabino Pereira in such a way that he ended up not wanting to return to cod fishing, thus closing that chapter of his life at the age of 24.

Back in the Algarve, he stayed connected to the sea until he retired, fishing for octopus, bream, sea bream, bream, porbeagle, mackerel, and conger

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He also remembers a situation that nowadays seems surreal, which was that you had to get a licence to have a cigarette lighter. Sabino Pereira says he has never been fined for not having this legal authorisation, but he has seen several such situations.

From the 1960s onwards, tourists discovered the Algarve in earnest, and little by little, like much of the region, Alvor began to transform and adapt to the new leisure industry. This evolution ensured him an additional source of income. Over the last decade, in addition to his work as a fisherman, he began taking tourists to visit the caves. “I know all the holes along the coast from Benagil to Ponta da Piedade,” he says.

Many things have changed, but as far as the seafarers are concerned, it hasn’t been for the better, partly because in “his time”, you could fish anywhere and now you can’t.

Besides, “they charge between 150 to 200 euros a month for a fisherman to use a small space where they can put their gear. To this must be added the sharp increase in diesel for the boats and the thousand and one restrictions and costs that exist. One must pay for everything and anything else.”

This fact leads him to conclude that “they don’t let people work, they pity the fish more than they pity the fishermen.”

This article was originally published in Portuguese in the Portimão Journal.

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Drive electric?

For those of us who drive, the era of the internal combustion engine is coming to an end. If you live here in the Algarve and are thinking of switching to an electric vehicle, the main concern will be is the infrastructure in place? The short answer is, it’s coming!

BY JAMES PLASKITT Portugal is not a principal contributor of greenhouse gases in the EU – it accounts for only 1.6% of the Union’s total GHG emissions.

Nevertheless, the country has been operating a National Climate Change Programme ever since the Kyoto agreement was signed in 1999. The programme recognises that there is a lot to do to curb emissions from transportation. Vehicle emissions in Portugal have risen by 89% since 1990, mainly as a result of sustained economic growth and, with it, a huge growth in car ownership. The transport sector now accounts for 27% of Portugal’s GHG emissions.

In 2020, Portugal’s total GHG emissions totalled 41.3 million metric tons. That was down 18% on the previous year and took emissions back to their 1990 level. However, it was a year of sharp contraction in the economy, as a result of COVID 19, and a steep drop in car usage. If we smooth out the trend to remove unusual circumstances, then Portugal’s GHG emissions peaked in 2006 and have been slowly declining since, mainly as a result of a rapid switch to non-fossil fuel energy generation. Portugal now ranks around the average in the EU for progress on GHG emissions.

The government is ambitious about making progress on the switch to vehicle electrification, in the context of the EU’s policy of ending new internal combustion engine sales in 2035. As part of that ambition, the government has introduced a range of incentives to encourage car buyers to switch to electric vehicles.

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A quick glance at the offers shows:  A 3000€ grant against purchases of new electric cars, rising to 6000€ for a van  An exemption from vehicle tax  An exemption from VAT on the initial purchase All of which sounds tempting – but there is a catch in the small print. The fund for the purchase grant is capped, and once it is spent, that’s it for that year. With the budget currently capped at €4 million, it is only enough to grantaid around 1000 vehicle purchases. So, if you are thinking of going electric, best to work closely with a dealer and a calendar!

Even so, the incentives seem to be working.

14% of new car sales last year were either fully electric or hybrid models, putting the share ahead of what is currently being achieved in the UK, which is 11%.

In the first quarter of this year, the proportion rose further to 16%. Of 31,000 new cars sold, 1600 were fully electric and 3400 were hybrid.

So thousands of buyers already seem reassured about the infrastructure. It is relatively straightforward of course if you can charge your vehicle at home. Building regulations have also recently changed to require an EV charging point in all new residential constructions. The stumbling point for many buyers at the moment is the availability of public charging. The government has a target of achieving 20,000

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public charging locations across the country by 2025. Currently, there are 7000, at 2900 separate locations.

The current provision of charging locations here in the western Algarve is: Lagos 14 – of which 3 have fast charge facilities Portimão 12 – of which 2 have fast charge facilities Lagoa 3 Alvor 2 Aljezur 1 Monchique 1 Carvoeiro 1 These are the current total of locations; there are several charging points at each location. If the numbers sound small, it’s worth noting perhaps that Lagos currently also has 14 petrol stations!

There is comprehensive information about the public charging network here in the western Algarve via Mobi.E (www.mobie.pt).

If EV sales need to pick up the pace, expect more incentives. Some northern councils already offer free public parking for EVs. None of our councils do – yet. And, you never know, there may eventually be a toll concession on the motorways!

James Plaskitt served as an MP in Tony Blair's government in the UK. He is now retired in the Algarve.

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Taking a break from rehearsals: head of props and costumes Morag Soutar, author and director Martyn Torr and lead choreographer Margaret Owen

Taking a break from rehearsals: head of props and costumes Morag Soutar, author and director Martyn Torr and lead choreographer Margaret Owen

Burgau panto Deep in the countryside outside of Burgau, the shallow hills are alive with the sound of music. Cast members of the newly formed Burgau Amateur Operatic Society are busy rehearsing for a new musical.

Originally planned as a pantomime performance, the show was postponed in December due to the ongoing coronavirus restrictions on public gatherings and the players were then hoping to go live in late March.

“That plan also collapsed thanks to the pandemic,” said Martyn Torr, a retired journalist from the UK, who now spends most of his time in Burgau.

Martyn wrote the three-act musical – A Mad Summer’s Night Dream – and has also been working as the director alongside choreographer Margaret Owen, also from Burgau via Swansea.

The idea for the show came about after several beers and even more red wine during a night out at The Spice Cottage in Cabanas. “A few of us were bemoaning the loss of the Christmas musical review we used to have at Burgau Sports Centre, one thing led to another and the next news was I had promised to write a show,” recalls Martyn.

The script was duly produced, volunteers gathered for a reading and within weeks the cast members were rehearsing at the sports centre owned and operated by Andy and Judy Robinson, and these days their family, for nearly 40 years.

Andy explains: “The response from our members and friends has been fantastic. Rehearsals were going really well and we were having a lot of fun. Then it all came to a grinding halt when we realised there was no way we could perform because of the virus.

“We are still hopeful of putting on at least two performances. We are back in full rehearsal mode and

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it’s been all systems go for two performances in late November.”

Andy and Judy, who have a history of performing at the sports centre, have major roles in the show, which features more than 20 songs from the 1960s. Judy plays the female lead alongside Praia do Luz resident Mike McEwan, who is well known for hosting open mic nights in the area.

Jo Eldridge, also from Luz, plays Elsie the cleaner, while Carole Meldrum, from Vale de Boi, has taken the villainous role of the Wicked Landlady and another Luz resident Linda Murphy plays the romantic lead opposite Andy.

In the chorus are Geoff Hurst, well known to many in this area as the local chimney sweep, Kevin Hughes and Carol Myles. Working behind the scenes are Morag Soutar, Ben Robinson and Saskia Vis. Burgau businesses the Ancora restaurant and Beach Bar Burgau have become advertising sponsors in the programme and a host of sports club members have sponsored pages to help meet the cost of costumes and props.

“We are all delighted that we can resume rehearsals,” says Andy. “Everyone is really keen and the demand for tickets is great. And remember, this is a world premiere, right here in Burgau. So let’s get it on.”  Performances at Burgau Sports Centre November 26 and 27. Curtain up at 8pm.

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The Sky's the Limit

The founder and his airport in early days

BY CHRIS FREER

Lagos ‘International’ hosts the 2021 Iberian microlight tour José António de Almeida Costa Franco, better known as Brigadeiro Costa Franco, must have looked down on Lagos from ‘above’ with especial pleasure on 7 September as 19 ultralight aircraft landed at ‘his’ airport during their tour of Portugal and Spain.

Fifty-six years earlier, in 1965, Brigadeiro Franco was instrumental in creating the facility during his term as President of Lagos. His own piloting history was quite remarkable because, due to the odd ‘neutral’ politics and affiliations during WW2, he flew both with the Luftwaffe in Junker Ju 52s and with the Americans in B25 Mitchells.

Earlier in the year, the Aeroclube De Lagos directorship, under the leadership of President Luis Duarte, welcomed a request from the Aero Clube de Braganza and the Fundación Cielos de León. They were asked to provide overnight facilities for up to thirty private aircraft as they braved potential wind and weather hazards on a six-day, 2,000 km tour taking them from León to Malaga via Bragança, Leiria, Lagos and Granada. Quite a journey in lightweight machines limited to a maximum weight of 450 kg.

These aircraft carry pilot and passenger and are classed as ultralights, or the more familiar term microlights, having evolved from the early hair-raising experiments with powered hang gliders in the late 70s.

The 19 ultralights landing in Lagos encapsulated the history of this class of flying machines from a ‘stick and string’ 1985 model to sleek looking 2015 machines made from carbon fibre: proper, highly desirable little aeroplanes. Although most flew in at an average of 170 kph (100 mph), the more modern designs cruise much faster, i.e. 240 kph (150 mph) on the same 100 hp, reflecting the advances in technology.

They achieve about 30 miles to the gallon in ‘old money’.

Although a range of over 600 km (400 miles) is possible the main limit is the capacity of the pilot’s bladder and the need to stretch one’s legs after confinement in the tight cockpits.

skilful pioneering flights, gave focus to the local flyers to create the gem we have today which attracts pilots from all over Europe for experience and training in a professional but relaxed atmosphere. Gerry retired with 20,000 hours under his wings and the current chief pilot Malcolm Howland is a respected professional of 8,000 hours in both microlights and the sophisticated powered ‘hang-gliders’ of today called flexwings.

This September, the Aeroclube worked miracles finding and organising accommodation for the expected 50 visitors, working with hoteliers in the knowledge that weather could interfere or even cancel the event. In fact, the thick autumnal blanket of fog on the morning of the 7th did cause a hiccup and when aircraft started arriving in the afternoon, they found that a hangar had been converted into a seated area with a welcome meal provided for all. The ceiling hung with local planes provided the correct backdrop and atmosphere. José do Carmo, Carlos Pina and the Sá family deserve special thanks.

Male and female pilots ranged in age from 25 to 82 with five Portuguese and fourteen Spaniards and, although most were private ‘fun’ fliers, a couple were professional airline pilots enjoying Bradshaw navigation and stick and rudder flying as a break away from their automated glass cockpits.

They all agreed with the Aeroclube that such a welcome demanded a return and plans are in place for an event next year.

We were also reminded of the dangers of flying when a female pilot tripped over an earthbound guy rope and dislocated her shoulder – the only casualty (quickly fixed) in an otherwise flawless event.

One of the most famous early pioneers of hang-gliding and powered microlights was Englishman Gerry Breen who accidentally discovered the little-used Lagos Aeroporto in 1985 when it was no more than an empty control tower with a small hangar and no paved runway. The câmara gladly rented Gerry the facility for the princely sum of 5,000 escudos a month – about £25. The weather and the relative ease of access, together with Breen’s international reputation for

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 For aeroplane enthusiasts, a very good read is Gerry Breen’s book Plastic Wings ISBN9781096647225.

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Fish-Flops

BY NIRALI SHAH-JACKSON

Fortunately, the climate in the Algarve allows us to stay in open footwear nearly all year round. Luckily for us, Linda van Oosterhout, a professional shoemaker originally from the Netherlands, recently moved to the Algarve and has cleverly tailored her skills to fit the Portuguese market, creating flip-flops from fish leather that she sources from the Lagos fish market.

a Dutch brand that her teacher and friend Liesel Swart created. Also produced in Finland, these highquality and completely sustainable wool felted boots, with vegetable-tanned leather soles and wooden heels, boast beautiful craftsmanship and sustainability.

After completing her Industrial Design degree, Linda trained as a traditional shoemaker, learning from Holland’s last generation of shoemakers. This craft has, sadly, now totally disappeared.

After searching for warmer climes, she and her family moved to Lagos, where she found her perfect atelier, just within the city walls. As well as designing, creating, and selling her shoes from this space, Linda holds shoemaking workshops limited to two people. At the end of the day, you are able to walk away with a pair you made yourself!

This gave her the opportunity to set off her career in a positive direction. Linda’s work saw her making bespoke shoes for all kinds of customers in Holland and, as these products were tailor-made, the prices reflected the work put into each item. Her passion and attention to detail have kept Linda's quality end-product in demand, allowing her to keep pursuing her career and developing it into what it is today.

Along with designing custom-made shoes, she coordinates the production and prototyping for shoe brands. Linda also guides the Portuguese production of

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While I am exploring her studio, I notice some wooden abstract shoe-like objects that adorn the walls and I am intrigued to find out what these are. Called ‘lasts’, they were invented by Jan Ernest Matzelinger in the late 19th century and are used to sculpt the right shape for shoes to fit individuals. Lasts can be made from hardwood, cast iron, or high-density plastic. Linda tells me that she had over five cubic meters of hardwood lasts, which she has now donated to the school she attended. 

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 Her drive to keep working comes from being a mother to three children that she hopes to keep inspiring. “The economy here is suffering a little bit from monoculture, so I would love to bring some different professions to the region, so our children have more diversity in the economy when they grow up. More diversity is more resilience,” she explains.

Her children attend schools in Lagos, where they are integrating with local children. She teaches them how the industry operates and the importance of working together with local tradespeople, recognising opportunities to benefit each other. It is a great life lesson for their future.

Having already worked with unconventional leathers like snake, ostrich, crocodile and stingray in Holland, she was not afraid when her good friend Stephanie Dufrane showed her the first home tanning recipe. The technique allowed her to treat the fish skins that were left to be thrown away at the Lagos fish market. Stephanie is a bush-crafter who has mastered, among other old survival skills, the ancient natural tanning process (which is a process that dates back to 6000 BC and is used to preserve animal skin).

states, “The longer something lasts, the smaller our footprint on this beautiful planet.” All the materials used to make the flip-flops can be separated and the leather can be composted. She has also found a place in Portugal that has a press, so she can use a more eco-friendly glue.

Her flip-flops are toxic-free, classic, durable footwear. I was lucky enough to try out her fish skin ones along the cobbled streets of Lagos while filming a documentary with her. For someone who has lived most of her life in flip-flops, I have to say that these were one of the most comfortable pairs I’ve had the pleasure to ‘fish’ flop in.  For more information on Linda's workshops and products, visit www.lindavano.com www.instagram.com/lindavanoo You can see Lisel's creations at www.lev01.nl

“The great thing is, if you use fresh local fish skins there is no need to salt for storage and transport, so it saves a lot of water,” Linda tells me. She always ensures that the fishing is small scale, the fish are caught locally and are not rare.

She admits the tanning process is not as easy as she had hoped and says, “There are as many tanning processes as recipes for bacalhau! I have always had a fascination for the tanning process and visited lots of tanneries. But I never tried doing it myself until now. I didn’t realise how small scale a tannery can be.”

She uses vegetable-tanned leather, which ensures that no chemicals are used in the tanning process. Her aim is to create a durable product, which in turn saves on overproduction, and therefore pollution. She proudly

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Why Not Try Theatre?

BY MEREDITH PRICE LEVITT

For Ivan Verunika, drama isn’t a segue to the red carpet or celebrity stardom. It’s not about meeting any specific goals, and it doesn’t involve grades or ratings. But it does facilitate learning, and it provides an invaluable educational tool: the exploration of self.

Rooted in the Socratic philosophy that “to know thyself is the beginning of wisdom", the Try Theatre Foundation believes that drama creates an inviting and unobtrusive way for children to better understand themselves, to gain self-confidence, to explore the many facets of their own personalities and to experiment with various forms of selfexpression and creativity.

“Try Theatre is a way for kids to practise their English outside the classroom, to physically manifest their manifold identities on a stage, to overcome their fear of performing and to have fun doing it,” explains Verunika, the 6' 6" former basketball player turned theatre pro. “This is an educational tool designed to create more understood and more understanding human beings. It doesn’t matter if you become a doctor or a street cleaner, putting yourself in other people’s shoes gives you a wider lens.”

As Verunika speaks about the endeavour, his eyes light up, his hands emphasise the important points and his speech takes on an excited tone. His penchant for drama is clear – even in a tiny sidewalk cafe in central Lagos.

Born in former Yugoslavia, Verunika grew up in a patriarchal, stringent society with firm guidelines for boys and girls as well as strict concepts about what activities were acceptable for each gender. Theatre was reserved for gay boys and prissy girls. It wasn’t until he travelled from the shores of the Adriatic ocean to a corn field in middle America to play basketball for the University of Indiana that he was truly exposed to theatre. Although the United States and basketball didn’t work out and he returned home, Verunika’s passion for the theatre was ignited. Today those flames are still burning.

Upon his return to Slovenia, he studied acting and then went to Glasgow for his master’s degree in theatre directing and dramaturgy. In 2005, after a few years working in various jobs and travelling, he decided to return to his true love and open the first branch of Try Theatre in Croatia.

For Verunika, the theatre had provided a lifeline and an outlet for his expression that inspired him and taught him to be a better version of himself. The inception of

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Try Theatre was meant to pass along those tools. After the first year, it was a huge success and in the ensuing years Verunika opened branches in the UK, the United States and now in Portugal. “I’ve dedicated my life to helping children explore themselves in a safe and fun environment,” he says. “I see it as a social service.”

Many of the plays the children practice and perform are his own productions. In fact, over the last 15 years, Verunika has written a dozen full-length plays (many published and award-winning) and spent extensive time directing and travelling for experiential and sporting events and workshops around the globe.

Two years ago, just before the global pandemic, he settled in Lagos with his family. As travel and international workshops came to a screeching halt, he decided to open another branch of Try Theatre here in Lagos. With full support from the Lagos municipality and the Teatro Experimental, he now runs after-school classes twice a week for several age groups, between eight and 17 years old.

One of the most rewarding aspects of his work is watching children blossom in unexpected ways. They may start out shy and inhibited but by the end of the class become confident and even boisterous. “This is a safe environment for young people to explore themselves,” he explains. “It’s a liberating feeling and humour is paramount. We laugh a lot and making other people laugh is empowering.”

In today’s society, where young people are under such enormous pressure to be perfect students, good at sports, super attractive and have thousands of Instagram followers, the burden to overachieve is huge. “It’s not overtly a therapy session, but rehearsals give the kids a chance to understand that we humans share a lot of emotions,” explains Verunika. It also gives them the opportunity to communicate face to face and not on a screen, through a gif or in a text message. “We all sometimes feel like losers, and when we see that we’re not alone in that feeling, it creates empathy – for ourselves and for others.”

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Top to Bottom: The Balloons play that won the best play at Ljubljana Youth Theatre Festival in 2017 The Legend of Bearded Brenda, a short musical piece produced in Lagos during the summer camp in July Ivan speaking at the Youth Forum Switzerland in Zug in January 2020

 Check out the website for class times in Lagos: www.trytheatre.org

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Côca – Alto Alentejo

Capelo – Azores

including invasion by foreign forces, migration, war, farming, film and tourism. As Senhor Sancho told me, “You cannot consider the nature of costume in Algarve, without first understanding the history of the Algarve.”

Changing times How costume transformed the Algarve Vaughan Willmore and Emanuel Sancho – the Director of the Costume Museum in São Brás de Alportel – tell of how Algarvian clothing has both reflected and influenced regional events.

The dark narrow streets of Olhão were rife with murder and intrigue as British and Spanish troops fought bloody battles to repel the French invaders of the Iberian Peninsula.

 Costume Museum Rua Dr. José Dias Sancho 61 8150-141 São Brás de Alportel +351 289 840 100 www.museu-sbras.com Opening hours: Mondays to Fridays: 10-13h 14-17h Saturdays, Sundays and holidays: 14-17h Admission: Adults 2 Euros, free for children up to 12 years old

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Night-time only increased the sense of fear, with Portuguese menfolk hurriedly transferring their wives, sisters and children into small boats to be anchored away from shore, out of harm’s way. Legend has it, they’d cover their loved ones in red shawls echoing the uniforms of the British army and so, if spotted by the occupying forces, it would only heighten their own sense of fear that they were soon to be attacked by the British.

This is a story told to me by the charismatic Emanuel Sancho, Director of the Costume Museum in São Brás de Alportel, and it really gives a sense of how clothing is not only a reflection of the world we live in but can also influence national and global events.

The Costume Museum is about one hour’s drive from Lagos and is one of the most captivating museums in Portugal. In fact, to call it a ‘costume museum’ somehow understates the nature of the building, its extraordinary range of artefacts, and its place at the heart of the local community. You can see examples of how the local population dressed throughout the centuries and gain an insight into the factors influencing those changes,

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Emanuel describes the Algarve as a special place with an identity so distinct from the rest of Portugal that kings of Portugal were once known as the King of Portugal and the Algarve. Geography has played a major part in the region developing this different identity. While nowadays so many of us take the motor vehicle for granted, it was only sixty years ago when horses were a more common form of transport, with a journey from Faro to Lisbon taking up to six days.

Other factors influencing this sense of separation from the rest of Portugal are the mountain ranges of the Algarve and the extreme temperatures of the Alentejo, which further hindered travel between the Algarve and Lisbon and, indeed, many other regions of Portugal. As Senhor Sancho explained, “As a consequence, the Algarve has been influenced as much by a multitude of external factors rather than Portugal itself, which is one of the many reasons there is no single costume originating in the Algarve.”

For more than five hundred years, it was the Moors who exerted their influence on architecture, religion, diet and clothing. One particularly fascinating aspect of Algarvian clothing on display at the museum is the bioco, a heavy and long cloak accompanied by a black shawl which would completely cover the head and create a conical tube over the face from which the female could look out. As a consequence, it was sometimes known as ‘the Algarve burka’ or ‘the elephant’s trunk’.

With its eastern influences, the bioco was widely used in the Algarve and Madeira before eventually being banned in 1892 by the Governor of Faro. Following its outlawing, it was rare to see a woman in a bioco, except in Olhão where, emboldened by the independent spirit and rebellious nature of its inhabitants, it continued to be worn as recently as the 1940s.

The 18th and 19th centuries were periods of significant immigration, with seafaring nations such as England, France, and Spain influencing life in the region. In more modern times, clothing in the Algarve has been influenced by film, music and the arts, with many locals seeking to emulate the styling of more prosperous western nations, sometimes by reverting to cheaper copies of favoured brands.

The history of costume in the Algarve and the region itself are on display at the Costume Museum every day. A visit is highly recommended. There is disabled access and all of the signage is in Portuguese, English, Spanish and German, making it a welcoming destination for all.

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Photo © Luis da Cruz

Strand designs

BY TRACY BURTON

The oldest straw house in the world celebrated its centenary in 2020 – which kind of turns the Three Little Pigs fable on its head.

Incredibly, the 110 m2 Maison Feuillette in Montargis, France even complies with the country’s 2005 thermal regulations for new builds.

Raphael Much is not surprised. The carpenter from the Black Forest, southwest Germany has been aware of the potential of straw as a construction material for a long time. Recently, he and his young family moved into the three-bedroom straw and wood house he has built near Silves.

From the outside, Raphael’s home looks much the same as any other modern single-storey home in the Algarve.

It’s light and airy, with white walls, a terracotta roof, patio doors and a large deck. In fact, it’s only when you step inside and spot the straw bales behind a glass feature panel that you realise this house is special.

He notices my surprise and laughs. “The whole point is that a bioclimatic house looks like a beautifully built traditional home. It shouldn’t be inferior in terms of architecture, design, fittings and furnishings. The idea is that the property is carbon neutral.”

Well this house certainly isn’t inferior, with its beautiful elm kitchen doors (Raphael made and fitted the kitchen), oak flooring (with poplar underneath), traditional Portuguese tiles and wood burner.

Raphael has long been interested in sustainability and creating things that last and have minimal impact on the environment. Until recently, he has concentrated on making stunning handmade wooden bikes and bespoke furniture. It was only when he started thinking about building his own low-carbon, low-impact family home that he realised the true potential of straw.

“Building a house in the right way takes a bit of thinking.

I bought different books about eco-building and studied them,” he tells me. “In the end, I chose straw-bale building because there didn’t seem to be any flaws in this technique if done well.”

Raphael returned to Germany where he signed up for a six-week course in straw-building and finally he was ready to start.

“Planning an eco-build is no different to a normal build,” he explains. “You need a plot of land, an architect and building permission.”

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What is starkly different is the lack of concrete, steel, cement and manmade insulation materials like polystyrene foam and hard mineral wool with energyintensive production methods.

In Marisa Baptista and Catarina Pinto, he was fortunate in finding local architects who understood his vision and fully embraced the project.

It took over a year between finding a plot and getting the go-ahead from Silves council, but once the build was underway it was relatively fast.

The builders started laying the foundations in October 2020 and Raphael’s carpentry company – LJ Woodworks in Mexilhoeira da Carregação, Estômbar – began constructing the wooden frame in early November. By the end of January, he was able to start on the rendering and the interior work. The plumbing and electrics were completed by local tradesmen.

The finished L-shaped property is a far cry from what I’d expected. The lime and clay rendering gives the house a completely modern look with clean lines and high ceilings.

Careful positioning on the plot and a wooden overhang of 1.7 metres mean there is full sunlight in the winter to keep the house warm, yet plenty of shade during the hot summer months.

Embracing your environmental credentials certainly doesn’t mean compromising on design or comfort.

Building costs are comparable with a good-quality traditional build too. 

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Raphael and his wife Rita

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Straw bale construction

Photo © Luis da Cruz  The eco-credentials of straw-bale building are obvious: straw is an agricultural by-product of fast-growing cereal crops. Unlike hay, it contains no nutritional value and so cannot be fed to farm animals. Best of all, it’s plentiful, cheap and easy to find.

Raphael sourced the 500 straw bales he needed from a local supplier. Moisture levels are tested before building begins, as the straw needs to be relatively dry when the wet render is applied.

When I ask about the effects of rain and damp on a straw-built house, he laughs and reminds me that straw-bale construction takes place in the UK too.

“The house is breathable,” Raphael explains. “It is never damp and does not create mould.”

First, a wooden frame must be constructed and the roof tiled. The next step is to push the tightly compacted straw bales into the frame to provide stability.

This was baffling: straw isn’t known for its flexibility and yet the walls in Raphael’s house were as smooth as in a traditional build. Yet the solution had been simple: using garden trimmers Raphael was able to easily ‘flatten’ the surfaces.

The final stage was to render the outside with lime (from Lisbon) and the inside with clay (from Faro) and, when it had dried out, to paint the interior and exterior surfaces with non-chemical paint.

Raphael is keen to dispel the persistent myth that straw-bale homes are a fire risk. “In France and Germany, straw-bale building has undergone tests and has met European technical assessment standards. A 35 mm layer of render on straw makes the walls fire retardant (F30), but increase that render thickness to 60 mm and the walls become fire-resistant (F90).”

Raphael’s walls are 420 mm thick, with the straw bales comprising 360 mm, making it fire resistant. The windows are double-glazed and made from meranti, a hardwood which works well in construction.

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The house is solar-powered but not off-grid.

“We feed excess energy back into the grid, then we can get electricity back,” Raphael explains.

“The beauty about the Algarve is we have plenty of sun.”

With the very good insulation value running costs are kept very low, but the main impact, of course, is on the environment. The better insulated a property is, the less energy it takes to heat or cool it. There is no air conditioning, simply because it’s not needed. Instead, a freestanding heat pump transfers thermal energy between indoors and outdoors, and provides 300 litres of warm water.

Raphael believes the prefix ‘eco’ is becoming over-used in companies’ rush to prove their environmental credentials and prefers the term ‘bioclimatic’ when describing his approach to building.

He is, however, pleased that the concept of building a carbon-neutral house is gaining momentum in the Algarve and is excited about his new partnership with Studio Arte, an architect studio based in Portimão. Together, they will focus on building using a range of ecological techniques, including straw bale, rammed earth, structurally insulated panels, etc.

“We’re having a lot of interest through social media and people spreading the message,” he says. “So far there are not many companies specialising in this type of build; however, I hope this will change in the future. We can build any size. I’ve built one home in Monchique that was eight metres by six metres.

“We need to get away from this idea of having this stamp on your forehead. Bioclimatic houses are for mainstream people with good design and architectural taste.”  www.bioclimatichouses.com www.lj-woodworks.com www.instagram.com/lj.woodworks www.instagram.com/catarina_terrapalha

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Who cares about a trend?

Raphael is realistic about the huge shift in mindset needed to reduce our collective carbon footprint. He believes the abundance of cheaply made furniture is a big problem.

“I don’t like that way of thinking. When you buy an outdoor table, don’t buy a plastic one that you’ll need to renew every second summer.

Instead buy a solid wooden table. Buy for a lifetime instead of buying something that’s trendy. Who cares about a trend?”

“It’s important to look at the consumer side of things too.

Ask yourself if you really need all those things. Honestly, they just clutter up your life.”

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Refood

Reusing Food to Help the Hungry

BY MEREDITH PRICE LEVITT

As the sun sets on the Wednesday night market in Lagos, the sky loses its colour, quickly fading from grey to black.

An October chill settles over the small parking lot that doubles as a farmers’ market in the city centre.

Once a notorious and raucous weekly event brimming with food trucks, live music and crowds of laughing people, the market has been turned into a shadow of its former glory by a global pandemic. A few buyers mill about, picking through onions and weighing pumpkins in their palms, but the scene is largely quiet. Only two food trucks remain and the corner tables are largely empty. Fluorescent lights spread a harsh glare onto the asphalt, white beacons against the backdrop of an inky sky. The local artisans and farmers slowly begin to pack up their unsold goods. A few lone vehicles drive in to load up their unsold crates of potatoes, fresh herbs and miniature mangoes.

In the far corner, a group wearing black t-shirts with a Refood logo await the moment when they can begin their work. Made up entirely of volunteers, it is the first time the organisation has attempted to ask for leftovers at the local market. As I join them, the work begins.

They start with the bread, introducing themselves and explaining that they will take any food that would otherwise go to waste. They will be responsible for taking it to a pick up point, where it will then be distributed by local churches and social services to families and individuals in need.

“The numbers of hungry people in the Algarve has greatly increased since the pandemic began,” explains Eunice Faria, one of the head coordinators for the Lagos branch of Refood. Although she doesn’t have exact figures, Faria maintains that the change has been quite drastic as so many local people depend on tourism for their livelihood.

“Refood started with one man on one bike collecting from one restaurant,” Faria explains. Founded a decade ago in Lisbon by Hunter Halder in response to the world financial crisis, the basic premise is to use a circular economy to

40

stop waste and feed people. From a bootstrap initiative in which one guy collected leftovers from a single restaurant, it has evolved into a national organisation with 60 centres and over 7,000 volunteers all over Portugal.

Food that would normally be thrown away is gathered from restaurants, markets, grocery stores, events, and producers. Dropped at churches or collection points, it is then distributed to people in need.

Here in the Lagos market, the vendors are so willing to help they even offer to make extra bread each week. But this, says Faria, is against the principles.

“We don’t want people making things specifically for us, the idea is that we only collect what would otherwise be wasted,” she says, juggling a few loaves of unsold bread from Doce de Fatima.

By the end of their rounds, the small gathering of volunteers has grown from four to six and they leave the market with their hands full of leftover baked goods, a large pot of soup, baskets of potatoes and a crate full of apples.

For the first attempt, it was a successful endeavour and they are pleased with the start. At 9pm, hungry families in the area will come to a local church to collect what has been given. The concept is simple and the more volunteers who give a few hours a week of their time, the more local people Refood can feed. If you’ve been searching for a way to give back but you don’t have a lot of extra time, this is certainly a good place to start.

Individuals have the power to change the world. When individuals work together, that power grows exponentially.  For more information and to find out how you can help, visit www.re-food.org

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The Conservation Police Protecting our natural habitat and species – the work of the ICNF

BY VAUGHAN WILLMORE

Whether it be forests, beaches, mountains or country pathways, the landscape of the Algarve is one of diversity and beauty, and why many of us feel so fortunate to live here. Such is the abundance of natural landscapes and wildlife it can be easy to overlook how much work goes into maintaining and protecting many of these areas.

The Institute for Nature Conservation and Forestry (ICNF) is responsible for the long-term development of forestry and conservation areas along with their day-to-day management.

The ICNF has two operational centres in the Algarve, in Olhão and Lagos. The Lagos-based Regional Director Senhor Castelão Rodrigues has overall responsibility for the Algarve and the Alentejo, including the Southwest Alentejo and the Costa Vicentina Natural Park. One of the finest preserved stretches of coastline in Europe, it stretches over 100 km from Porto Covo in the Alentejo to the picturesque fishing village of Burgau, here in the Algarve.

The ICNF was formed nearly ten years ago out of a merger of two other government bodies. With nearly a hundred staff working with him, Senhor Rodrigues describes the ICNF’s purpose as “to help promote the conservation, sustainable use, appreciation, and enjoyment of our natural heritage.”

Senhor Rodrigues has been in office since May 2019 having held senior positions in the Ministry of Agriculture and the Directorate of Agriculture and Fisheries. He was previously a councillor and vice president of Portimão City Council (2013 to 2019), and was instrumental in the creation of the Professional School of Agriculture in São Bartolomeu de Messines. He is clearly a man who knows the Algarve, and especially the western Algarve, as well as anyone.

As Senhor Rodrigues explained to me, “The Algarve is a complex region, rich in natural heritage, with a high number of natural species, flora and fauna associated

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with a wide variety of ecosystems, habitats and landscapes. It ranges from coastal habitats like the Natural Park of Southwest Alentejo and Costa Vicentina where birdlife and marine life are in abundance to the lagoon areas of ​​the Natural Park of the Ria Formosa with its outstanding ecological, scientific, economic and social value to the region.

There is also the economic value of fishing, salt production and tourism in the Natural Reserve of Sapal of Castro Marim and Vila Real de Santo António.”

Senhor Rodrigues certainly enjoys his work. “The best thing,” he said, “is the legacy I can leave for future generations by managing to halt the loss of biodiversity and enhance the region, which takes on special importance in the context of climate change.”

The ICNF’s work includes providing support and financial incentives for animal welfare programmes and caring for the protected species of the Algarve, including the Iberian lynx, the Iberian wolf, and the Saramugo fish, typically found in the streams of the Guadiana River in the eastern Algarve.

In terms of challenges facing the ICNF, Senhor Rodrigues explained, “The presence of tourists, with varying origins, knowledge and sensibilities in the natural preservation areas, requires great vigilance. It requires careful management of the regulations, so we can preserve the natural habitat and wildlife for future generations.”

The ICNF has a daunting agenda that can only be achieved by residents and visitors respecting and helping to protect the wonderful natural habitat of the Algarve.  For more information on the work of the ICNF please visit www.icnf.pt Contact details (Lagos): Edifício Multifunções, Largo do Infantário – Chinicato 8600-306 Lagos +351 282 402 320 DRCNF.Algarve@icnf.pt

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WHAT'S ON

What's on For more events and activities check our online calendar:  www.tomorrowalgarve.com/calendar If you have an event you would like to add to the calendar please get in touch:  events@tomorrowalgarve.com

The Romans

Organ Festival

From Rome to Vilamoura: finding the finds in Cerro da Vila

Associação Música XXI presents the 14th edition of the Algarve Organ Festival, with the organists António Esteireiro, Célia Sousa Tavares, André Bandeira, André Ferreira and Sérgio Silva.

Speakers: Archaeologists Felipe Henriques & Ana Pratas  When: Tuesday 9 November, 2021 Where: Museu do Traje, São Brás de Alportel, 14:30hrs and Convento de São José, Lagoa, 18:00 hrs Price: 5€ for non-members arquealgarve.weebly.com

Ukulele Coffee Fridays Beginners 11-11:45 (class €10) Play along 11:45-12:30 (donation) Ukuleles provided!

Joy and fun guaranteed!  Where: @ A Tribo +351 910 520 663 alisonboardman01@gmail.com www.alisonboardman.com

Christmas Arts Fair For the second time, An and Guido are organising an arts fair at their home with all profits going to Cunina - a Belgian non-profit organisation who supports poor children all over the world. Available at the fair are An´s textiles creations and handmade necklaces, lamps and Christmas cards. Local artist Jules Van Veenn will also be selling her paintings, cards and gifts.

 When: 6 November 18:30 Where: New Gallery of the Costume Museum - Museu do Traje - in S. Brás de Alportel.

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 When: 5 November - António Esteireiro and Coral Adágio Where: Main Church of Portimão

Guido´s wooden candle holders and figures will also be available to buy along with homemade jams and sweets if you want to get your Christmas shopping in early. You will be welcomed with a warm drink and snack.  When: 6 and 7 November from 10:30-17:00 Where: Vale da Telha A5 (the first house on the left going from Vales to Arrifana) +351 282 997 258 an.lanckman@skynet.be

Choir of Friends This concert is the first public performance of the Choir of Friends since the beginning of the pandemic. During these 18 months, they have continued to practice within the rules imposed by COVID 19 and have prepared a group of pieces that they will interpret from composers such as: A. Dvorak, A. Caldara, C. Franck, Mendelssohn, Buxtehude, Haydn, among others. Accompanied on the piano by Joana Shumova.

Its main objective has always been the dissemination of quality choral music, through a very varied repertoire that includes pieces from the Renaissance to the present, passing through popular music, from Portugal and the rest of the world.

The Walk & Art Fest 30 Years at the Library Lagos´ public library celebrates its 30th birthday with a series of events. Lagos câmara has created a commemorative booklet which lists the events, all of which are free but which are subject to limited numbers and pre booking.  www.bit.ly/3n7O4wN +351 282 767 816 biblioteca@cm-lagos.pt

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A walking and art festival that has been held for three years in Barão de São João.

The event promises days full of activities involving hiking and art in the lush nature of Barão de São João. The various initiatives include environmental education for children and families, workshops, lectures, activities related to archeology and nature, and daily walks that can be short or long distance or thematic.  When: 5 - 7 November Where: Barão de São João www.walkartfest.pt

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CHARITY

Charity News

All for Charity

by Annie O’Dea Local ladies raise money for various charities through donations.

Walking Wounded

By Tom Henshaw

The true meaning of Christmas As we look towards Christmas the organisers of the Reverse Advent Calendar initiative are calling on Tomorrow readers to participate in what has undoubtedly been the toughest year for local families since this annual event, now in its 5th year, was created.

Created in 2016 by Chantelle Kortekaas, it emanated from a desire to encourage her own young family to move away from the constant receiving at Christmas time and spend more time thinking of others.

Working with Algarve Families in Need, Chantelle and the donor families have gone from supporting one family in that first year to 60 families across the Algarve in 2019.

The idea is simple, find a box and print a calendar template. Every day invite your children or family to countdown to Christmas by adding something to the box from your kitchen cupboard, wardrobe or toy box.

A beneficiary of one box wrote; “From the bottom of my heart I thank you and the people who gave us a Christmas we thought we wouldn’t have.”

They try to match where possible the demographic of the receiving family with the donor family to make it easier for the children to understand the concept and to share their food, clothes and toys.

One donor said, “thank you for reminding me of the true meaning of Christmas.”  For more information contact Chantelle Kortekaas at racalgarve@gmail.com

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Intrepid walker Paul Mott has raised over 3500€ to benefit two charities in the Lagos area. London-based Paul set off from Putney Bridge at 5.05 am on Saturday 11 September and completed his non-stop 100 km Herculean trek at 9.09 am on Sunday 12 September.

Having twice attempted the London marathon, Paul had to pull out on both occasions because of injuries. Feeling somewhat disillusioned with all the effort and motivation going to waste, he felt a personal goal of achieving something that would make a difference to worthy charities would set matters right. Hence came the goal of a non-stop charity walk with lots of support to boost the coffers of good causes.

Recently Bamboo shelter received over 200€ of donations from Margot, a volunteer, which helped to save one of their rescue dog’s life. The money was generously given by the family’s close friends at a private birthday party they hosted for their daughter.

Another birthday girl celebrating her 70 years young at Dom Vinho restaurant in Lagos with singer Aisleen has asked that instead of gifts, friends make donations on the night for Families in Need. Her invitation reads, “ I am lucky enough to have everything I need, including lovely friends.

So no presents please, but there will be a voluntary collection for my favourite charity, Families in Need. With all that has happened, there are many who will struggle this winter to put food on their tables.”

These heartfelt gestures remind us, especially during the lead up to Christmas, to think of our local community.

History seemed to be repeating itself during the 10 weeks of training for the charity walk when Paul faced several major challenges.

First, he injured his knee and wound up in A&E with a full-length leg brace and crutches, with the prospect of keyhole surgery now looming to repair ligament damage.

If that wasn’t enough, while on business in Edinburgh, he became unwell with severe abdominal pain and spent three very unplanned days in hospital.

In spite of these frustrations, Paul gamely carried on with his preparations for the walk and, although his long-suffering wife Beverley is still not speaking to him, he is delighted to report that while it was the toughest physical thing he has ever done, but he came through it without anything more than four blisters and very sore legs.

Both Madrugada Association and Lagos Orphans Fund are hugely grateful to share the proceeds from the charity walk along with additional top-up funds being donated by the Golfe Santo Antonio Captain’s Charity Fund.

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Changing the face of men's health Movember is coming to the Algarve for the second year, organized by Lee Moulton, in partnership with several businesses across the region.

The rules are simple: pledge to grow your moustache this November, donate to the cause and get the conversation started on men's health.  More info at bit.ly/movemberalgarve or contact Lee at +351 918 321 717

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ARTS AND CULTURE

Little White Bones

In the September edition we met the author E.W. Grant, now our bookworm Annie O’Dea reviews her debut novel.

E.W. Grant’s debut novel Little White Bones is a ghostly horror romance. Set in London, both past and present, Kayleigh Marron, the central character, appears to have everything – the perfect life, a great job and a lovely house in the suburbs.

Her partner of ten years, Greg, is a wealthy City banker and she gigs with Jay, a childhood friend, at weekends. But as the story unfolds around her, dark forces are at play.

Initially, we are introduced to Kayleigh and her Irish Catholic mother, Pauline, at Sunday morning mass, where the new priest leaves quite an impression. It is in this religious setting that Kayleigh has her first encounter with the past leaving her “cold and trembling”. Mystery and

ominous forebodings are immediately created as we, like Kayleigh, want to know, “Had she hallucinated the statue and the flamboyant man?”

It is clear that setting, atmosphere and history play an important part in E.W. Grant’s writing as she describes vividly “the narrow streets of Spitalfields”. Taking us back in time, we learn about the oldest parts of London dating from the 1650s to when Jack the Ripper “stalked these dark alleys”. With a furtive imagination, Grant captures the sinister world of the Ripper and old London as Kayleigh is stalked by a past malevolent presence.

A must-read to find out more and learn the truth.

Available on Amazon and Kindle.

Another Day in Paradise

BY SOPHIE SADLER

Unable to sit at a computer due to crippling back pain, Karen Telling lay in bed writing her surprisingly uplifting tale of moving to Carvoeiro, which has been described as “a love letter to Portugal”. a feel-good book in a time of great negativity.

“I wanted to show the compassion and love we felt from Portuguese people and the kindness of strangers when I was most vulnerable.

Even though I was in a bad place, we also met some fantastic characters in the hospital and, ultimately, the surgeon saved me from being in a wheelchair.”

countless strays that had been abandoned. I think locals thought of me as the crazy cat lady of Carvoeiro!”

The couple sold up in the UK and got in a car with their two dogs to start life in Portugal. “The book is intended to show that you can do it.

We looked for opportunities and took chances, but ultimately we have had such a positive experience.”

Despite this, Karen is now physically disabled and finds it incredibly painful to sit or stand still.

During lockdown, she lay on her bed and tapped out the story – which she first started writing years before – on her phone.

Another Day in Paradise was released in August and is available on Amazon, Kindle and in the local outlets listed below:

The book covers Karen's major back surgery in 2009 in Lisbon, but she is anxious to point out that she tried to make this as light-hearted as possible because she ultimately wants this to be

The book is also full of poignant moments related to the many cats they have adopted or helped.

“After the first kitten walked into our rental property, we started to look after and received

Karen and her husband Nick moved to Portugal in 2003, having sold their metal finishing business in the UK. Karen tells me, “We loved coming on holidays to Carvoeiro and bought a holiday rental and always thought we would retire here. Then the opportunity came to sell the business when I was just 38 and Nick was 42.”

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Mostly though, this book is about her love of Carvoeiro. “It’s a place that no one comes to just once. I know so many people will recognise it and might want to read the book.”

The Algarve Book Cellar bookshop and Earth Café in Carvoeiro, Bed Warehouse in Lagoa, Rocha Brava reception, Cepsa garage (which is located on the right-hand side, when driving into Carvoeiro), Cult n’ Art in Alvor, and Direct Transport, Porches.

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ARTS AND CULTURE

Meet the Artist Frans Bresser

BY ALYSON SHELDRAKE

Frans Bresser was born in 1950 in Amsterdam, Holland. He studied pedagogy and, after leaving university, worked as a teacher in several primary schools in Holland. He now spends much of his time creating artworks that bend reality.

Frans makes creative paintings with the use of acrylic paints and for special effects he sometimes uses paper with glue, metallic paint, reflex paint and glitter. There are many topics that inspire him, including landscapes, the sea and the coastline, and people in action such as surfers, dancers, and athletes.

He has also made a number of paintings of animals in which he deliberately deviated from their natural colours and in which he also changed their environment. He uses photos as a guide and as a starting point for his paintings.

Some people assume that what is depicted in a painting actually exists. For example, Frans created a painting of two zebras that did not have their original colours, their distinctive black and white stripes. One zebra had yellow, red, and purple stripes, the other blue and green.

Someone asked him if he knew what colour the male was and what colour the female was and where this zebra species occurred in the wild!

He states that creating a whole new reality within each painting is so satisfying. Especially when people take a double glance at his work to see if it was really what they thought it was.

During his student years, he started painting, then after that he kept going, either individually or sometimes within art groups. Frans has also been taught by several local artists in Holland, giving him extra skills and abilities to make eye-catching pieces.

Initially he worked with watercolours, but for a number of years now he has been working with acrylic paint and finds using other materials exciting to play with, adding texture and depth to his art works.

His ideas for a painting can come from anywhere. If something catches his eye, it will be stored in his memory (or a photo if his camera is available) which he can then use for a painting. He often combines subjects that do not normally occur together, for example dancers on a surfboard in the sea. One of his more controversial pieces used a church statue of Jesus in which Frans depicted Jesus as a clown in a circus.

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It can take from a few days to several weeks to make each piece of art. Sometimes the inspiration just flows and the time taken depends on many factors, including whether the work requires great detail. The material he uses also influences the timeframe. For example, using papier mâché takes a lot of time.

As Frans says, “It’s always nice when someone likes a painting because they think it’s a nice picture or because they like the colours. It’s even better when someone is captivated by the subject or the idea. Above all, make something that you find beautiful and good yourself. And when you take lessons, let yourself learn the different techniques but don’t copy your teacher’s style. When making every painting, I learn and discover something new. New possibilities of materials and tools that I can use again in new works.”

Frans will be exhibiting at the Algarve Art Christmas Exhibition at the Holiday Inn, Armação de Pêra.

Anyone interested in his work is welcome to visit him in his studio in Arrifana. The route via the N120 towards Aljezur goes through a beautiful area. But preferably after securing an appointment by email, because he is not open all day. He is also available for commissions.  You can contact Frans via email: opintor2019@gmail.com And view more of his work on his website: www.algarve-art.org/fransbresser

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SPORTS & LEISURE

Croquet in the Algarve Interview with Dusan Turcer

The Algarve is well known for a ball game played on neatly manicured greens, but croquet is not necessarily the one that springs to mind. However, the area between Olhão and Tavira is a hotbed for croquet enthusiasts hosting four separate clubs. Dusan Turcer is the tournament director for the Algarve Croquet Club. He is also an accomplished player, having played in world cups and European championship competitions. He speaks to David Lugg about the appeal of croquet and the challenges faced playing in the Algarve.

The Algarve Croquet Club recently moved into a new home at the Benamor Golf Club near Tavira. The lawn looks fantastic. You must be delighted with your new residence?

Yes! The lawn is very true in that when you hit the ball, it goes straight which we never had before. We can finally start to play close to international level at least in terms of the straightness of the shots. The lawn is too small for competing internationally, so next year Benamor have said that they will build two full-sized, international standard lawns for us.

That’s great news for the future of the club.

When you go to England or to Spain they have fabulous lawns like a pool table. Our old lawn had a slope which meant you were always short or long because the physics is working differently. You would hit it harder because you are used to it but your ball travels twice as much on a proper lawn.

Croquet can be quite a competitive sport, culminating in world championships and world team events. Is croquet in the Algarve taken seriously or is it largely a social event?

We have a group of players who are willing to compete in any competition or championship. We have, say, ten players out of sixty who, if I call them at any time, will say ‘go for it – I want to play’. But the social side is always going to be the bigger part because croquet was originally a game for families to enjoy on a Sunday afternoon. You cannot change that and this is good. I’m not interested in going to competitions every month. Once in a while it’s good but it’s a lot of money and time.

Do you play matches against other croquet clubs across the region?

We have three types of event. Firstly, we play against other clubs and have just returned from Seville. This is great because it is always friendly and you get to know different players, different techniques and strategies.

Secondly, we have championships such as the Portuguese Open Tournament which was held at Bela Romao (Croquet Country Club). Then you have events by the World Croquet Federation who run the world championships.

How often is croquet played at ACC? Pretty much every day except for club events which are usually between 9-12. We also have the Sundowner Tournament, which is a roll-up on a Tuesday afternoon.

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People can book by sending us an email or book online on our website.

For those who are interested in taking up the sport, is it difficult to learn?

When we have new players, we usually reach out to them to ask if they want help. For example, if someone is a complete beginner we will give them some training starting from how to take care of the lawn to how to play the game. Compared to golf, you can play the game after a twentyminute introduction. You just need to hit the ball maybe ten times to get the feeling.

Are there any quirky traditions in croquet that new players need to be aware of?

The main thing is to wear flat shoes so that they don’t leave any marks on the lawn. We don’t really insist on wearing ‘whites’ – only in competitions.

The history of croquet dates back a long way. An early literary reference was in Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland (written in 1865), showing Alice using a flamingo as a mallet. Has much changed about the sport in its long history?

The rules have always been changed to make the sport more attractive. For example, they have introduced penalty areas where you have to play the balls from (if there is an infringement), but there have not been any major changes.

You recently undertook a 24-hour marathon croquet session (with fellow ACC member Stephanie Shreeve) to raise money for the firefighters in the eastern Algarve.

How was the experience?

Initially, we thought it was just a crazy idea, but we didn’t have a good reason to do it. Then we had the fires in the Algarve and we thought it would be a good idea to help the firefighters. For me the event was surprisingly easy. I am also a chess player and have high concentration levels.

There was always someone with us all night. We also had some of the firemen who came along and liked the game.  If you would like to donate to help the Algarve firefighters, you can do so here: www.donorbox.org/24-hours-croquet-marathon If you are interested in joining the Algarve Croquet Club, please email algarvecroquetclub@gmail.com or visit www.algarvecroquetclub.com

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SPORTS & LEISURE

Many of their away matches will be played in Lisbon. How much dedication does this take from the players and support team?

The structure of a handball team involves a great deal of organisation, as well as the availability and dedication of athletes, managers and coaches. We often have to travel to Lisbon (and the outskirts) to play matches with teams from this region, demanding a great level of commitment and sacrifice. Logistically it is a huge challenge and we count on the immeasurable support of the Municipality of Lagoa in the provision of transport for these games. The support of all those who love the club is fundamental, whether they are parents, supporters or club members.

A Club for All

David Lugg interviews Nuno Russo, Chairman of the Board of Directors at Lagoa Académico Clube, an institution that offers enormous benefits to the local community.

Lagoa Académico Clube is far more than just a sports club. Please explain the role that Lagoa AC provides?

Lagoa Académico Clube has been serving athletes for over 30 years. Throughout this time, a solid relationship has been developed with all those who compete and support the club in the promotion of sport and the development of its social aspect.

We promote the development of the individual with values and principles that we believe are structural to any adult.

The club has a strong policy of promoting sport for all.

We have athletes from the age of five (with no upper age limit) distributed across three sports - handball, swimming and water polo. We do not impose any age restriction on our athletes and all are welcome.

At the same time, we have a team of Down syndrome swimming athletes who have brought us great joy and team spirit, with titles and presence in international championships. We are an inclusive club where equal opportunities are promoted to all, regardless of gender, social origin or age.

The men’s handball team is particularly strong and plays in the Andebol 2 National Championship. What are the goals for this season?

We have been competing for several years at second national level, which makes us very proud. Our athletes have the opportunity to compete with the best and we offer our fans very competitive matches at the Pavilhão Municipal de Lagoa. For the new season, we are going to add a senior women’s team to our ranks. This is a result of a great deal of effort by the technical team and in response to the request of many athletes who want to compete for Lagoa AC at this level.

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You have two games against local rivals CV Tavira. You must be looking forward to these matches?

The healthy rivalry we have with Clube Vela de Tavira comes from way back. These are always exciting games that develop a lot of passion, both on and off the pitch. We have an enormous consideration for their institution and foster the greatest cordiality and friendship with this club.

If Lagoa AC were to achieve promotion to Handball League 1 could they compete with teams like Porto, Braga and Sporting?

Lagoa AC has a limited budget and cannot compete with teams with professional players and structures. Even so, as a result of our rigorous training work, we have already won many times in matches with these teams, having won several national titles at different levels and in both genders.

The focus of our club is ‘development’ and over the years, we have had numerous athletes achieve success both nationally and internationally. Two good examples of this are Soraia Lopes (currently playing in Sweden) and Gilberto Duarte (playing for Montpellier and the Portugal national team).

The pandemic was a difficult time for anyone involved in sport. How assured is the future of the club?

The emergence of COVID-19 caused serious disruptions in the physical activity of young people and Lagoa AC was not spared these problems. During this time, we promoted contact with our athletes so that the connection with the club was not lost and they maintained regular physical activity. The athletes of the three sports continued to develop isolated training sessions so that they would not lose their physical shape. We actually resumed competition with more athletes than we started with!

On the darker side, there was a drop in income where we stopped receiving monthly fees, getting support from sponsors or promoting activities that generated income. It has been a very complicated period, but we can be proud that our accounts are positive with no debts to any entities, partners or suppliers.

What would you say to someone looking to play handball for the first time?

I would say what I say to all parents and children who want to play handball – try it! Come to a training session and feel the sport. Have fun. I think sports agents have the duty to bring children to all sports, not only handball. It is essential to develop a physical activity that gives them pleasure and that they can practise safely.  www.lagoaacademicoclube.com lagoa.a.clube@gmail.com

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SPORTS & LEISURE

Moto GP returns

BY DAVID LUGG

providing a welcome fillip for the economy in the region. Furthermore, the event is being billed as the Grande Prémio do Algarve (Algarve Grand Prix) rather than a national race which will add much-needed publicity after a tricky year for the tourism industry.

The event, which is being held from 5-7 November, is the penultimate round of the calendar and could be pivotal in deciding the fate of this year’s world champion. Italy’s Fabio Quartararo currently leads the way on the Yamaha with Frenchman Francesco Bagnaia hot on his heels on the Ducati.

The mayor of Portimão Isilda Gomes has revealed that the event should bring in around 40 million euros to the region. It is hoped that many of the seasonal hotels and restaurants will stay open to benefit from the income.

The Portimão track hosted its first ever MotoGP race last year and was won by Portuguese star rider Miguel Oliveira.

Just like in April this season, the race was held behind closed doors meaning November will be the first time that fans will be allowed to attend. The organisers are expecting close to full capacity around the 100,000 spectator track,

The race will also offer fans the chance to bid farewell to motorcycling legend Valentino Rossi.

The seven-time MotoGP world champion will sign off a remarkable career at the end of the season. The 42-year-old Italian has 89 victories from 372 races and is considered one of the all-time greats of motorcycling.

newfound popularity will begin to take effect in the Algarve.

She was one of the founder members of the club back in 2015 and now that life is beginning to return to a sense of normality, she is hoping that the club (and indeed the sport) will continue to flourish.

“We play on one of the tennis courts at the Boavista Golf Club on a Wednesday night. We have a core group of players each week, but we want to let people know that we are still going and new players are always welcome.”

The Lagos

Fireballs 56

The Fireballs used to play at the back of the fire station in Lagos (hence the nickname) but are now happily settled in their Boavista residence. However, as Charlie explains, they are missing one vital ingredient that would help push the club to the next stage.

“What we really need is someone that can umpire or coach the team. We are a social team but we do like training with skills and drills. We need someone who knows the sport to keep us in line.”

Sport England recently announced that netball is one of the fastest-growing sports for women with almost 320,000 playing the game in England alone and more than 20 million people worldwide. Part of this success is down to a thrilling 2019 world cup competition that culminated in New Zealand pipping favourites Australia 52-51 in an amazing final.

Charlie hopes to arrange some matches against other clubs in the near future and a tour to Marbella has already been pencilled in for next June. But for the short term, the club is desperate for someone to oversee the coaching side. If you would like to play for the Fireballs ladies team or think you can provide some coaching expertise then head to the ‘Netball in Lagos Algarve’ Facebook page or contact Charlie by email.

Netball in Portugal is largely still a fringe sport, but Charlie Milsom of the Lagos Fireballs is hoping that some of this

 Charlie.milsom@gmail.com

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Photo © Miguel Oliveira

MotoGP returns to the Autódromo do Algarve in November for the second time this year. The constraints of the pandemic have led to a season of last-minute changes including the cancellation of races in Japan, Australia and Argentina. The circuits of Qatar and Austria have already hosted two separate grand prix and now it is the turn of Portugal’s premiere racetrack.

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SPORTS & LEISURE

Algarve Sports Round up

Sports venues All sports venues across Portugal have had their capacity restrictions lifted.

This will come as a welcome boost to all the Algarve-based teams after a long period of limited or no fans. A mandatory requirement for a vaccination certificate (or antigen test) remains in place as does the need for a mask but, on the whole, both clubs and fans will be delighted with the news.

Handball The new handball season has commenced following a pandemic-disrupted 2020/2021 season. Lagoa AC and CV Tavira, who play in the National 2nd Division (men), will again be the leading sides from the Algarve.

With spectators having been given the go ahead to watch their teams, it promises to be an exciting season ahead. After three matches, Tavira remain unbeaten whilst Lagoa are still looking for their first victory to kick-start their campaign.

Men’s football Portugal’s national team played two matches in October at the Estádio Algarve in Almancil, near Faro. After beating World Cup hosts Qatar 3-0 in a friendly, they put five past a gallant, but ultimately wellbeaten Luxembourg side. The result edges them one step closer to qualifying for next year’s tournament. Cristiano Ronaldo delighted the Algarve crowd by scoring four goals over the two games, including a hat trick against Luxembourg to extend his record as the highest international goal scorer in the sport’s history (115 goals).

Women’s football Guia FCF have had a mixed start to their season in their quest for promotion to the top tier of Portuguese football. After a 2-0 opening day victory over EFF Setúbal, they succumbed to two heavy defeats against Sporting Lisbon and Racing Power. They hope to make history by becoming the first women’s team from the Algarve to play in the National Championship Division 1.

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BY DAVID LUGG

Golf The Portugal Masters will be held at the Dom Pedro Victoria Golf Course from the 4–7 November. The event, which was delayed from April, will attract many of the world’s best golfers and add a welcome boost to the local economy. Last year’s championship was won by South African George Coetzee, just ahead of Englishman Laurie Canter. The event should be highly contested as it is the final round of this year’s Race to Dubai, the tour-ending tournament that features only the top sixty ranked players.

World Superbikes The Superbike World Championship had more than its fair share of thrills and spills in an action packed weekend at the Autódromo do Algarve. In Race 1, Toprak Razgatlioglu gave a commanding performance to extend his lead in the championship over rival Jonathan Rea who crashed out of the race on turn 15. The young Turkish rider, who is looking for his first title, had a thrilling yo-yo battle with Britain’s Scott Redding before taking the chequered flag and ending Yamaha’s 10year drought for victory in Portugal.

In Race 2, roles were reversed as six-time world champion Rea roared back from 10th on the grid to take a magnificent win in front of a small, but enthusiastic crowd.

Remarkably, this time it was Razgatlioglu who crashed out on turn 15 with Rea managing to pip Redding to the flag. With just two rounds of the championship remaining, Razgatlioglu leads Rea by 24 points with Redding a further 30 points behind.

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Sport of the month Are you looking to become more active and take part in some physical activity? Here is your chance. Each month we shall be profiling a sport that you can take part in right here in the Algarve. This month we look at handball: Handball is a seven-a-side team sport that dates back to late 19th century Denmark.

It is played on a 40 x 20 metre court with the aim being to throw the ball into the opponent’s goal. Each player can take three steps with the ball before they must pass or shoot. They must release the ball within three seconds. The sport is extremely popular throughout much of Europe though its appeal is growing throughout the rest of the world.

Handball has featured fourteen times at the Olympic Games with France winning both the men’s and women’s gold medals in Japan earlier this year. The Portuguese men’s team had their medal hopes dashed after losing 31-30 to the hosts in the last round of the group stages. Unfortunately, the women’s team did not qualify.

There is a healthy league structure throughout Portugal and many of the top teams attract high numbers of spectators.

The Algarve has two men’s teams in the 2nd division (south) – Lagoa Académico Clube and Clube de Vela de Tavira. Both clubs are active in promoting the sport for women, men and children of all ages. If you prefer watching rather than playing, then the clubs are delighted to welcome new supporters.

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HEALTH & BEAUTY

Soul Food

BY CHLOE WARD

A guide to feeding and nourishing your mind, body and soul

Each month I share a helpful and practical guide to living your best life. This will include handy journaling tips and monthly insights into the moon’s energy and how it may affect you.

This month we explore the beautiful and sometimes crazy moon energy, how we can use it as a continual cycle to check in and maybe let go.

The lunar cycle has 8 phases, each bringing its own unique energy phase. They combine with the astrological sign that it sits in that month.

This powerful uniting of energies can indicate what that month may mean for us. This month we will explore New Moon.

During the New Moon, the earth shadows the moon from the light of the sun and for a few hours the moon appears dark. It is a monthly reminder to connect to your heart, your passions, your dreams and desires, and manifest. Ask yourself what you want and where do you want to be. During this darkness the moon

asks us to travel deep into ourselves, deep into our own light, inner knowing and soul. What are you craving? Where do you want your journey to go? How do you want to feel? What makes your heart sing? This is time to manifest and bring energy to your feelings and dreams. You are asking your soul to step up and shine into the darkness. For me, the best way to manifest is to start with a feeling. How do you want to feel?

Then, ask yourself, what would make me feel this way? Next, what steps or actions can I take to make this happen? Now you can write your manifestation. For example - I want to feel happy, dancing makes me happy, I will start dancing lessons. It is really important to manifest as if it’s already happening, so rather than saying, ‘I want to start dancing lessons’, you write ‘I love my new dancing lessons’. Always manifest with the best and highest intention for you and all involved and repeat your manifestations as often as you can, out loud or in your head.

How many times have you walked into another room and forgot what you went in there for, or wondered where you put your keys or mobile phone? or wondered where you put your keys or mobile phone?

Planning for a Life with Dementia Kelly Harper – CEO/Partner of Algarve Care Services addresses how we can prepare for dementia in the first of a new series.

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Well the good news is these are fairly common memory issues often brought on because we are in a rush or we’re thinking about too many things at once.

But for over 60s, more severe memory issues or frequent episodes of confusion and forgetfulness could be the onset of dementia or Alzheimer’s, and what would you do if it was?

There are now over 55 million people diagnosed with dementia across the world, some people live with support and alarmingly some without anyone to help them at all. Dementia is one of those diseases that follows a progressive path.

Unfortunately, until a cure is found, it is incurable, like many other brain diseases.

While no-one would wish to develop dementia, if you follow these simple tips now you could still enjoy a very full and active life with your choices respected.

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NEW MOON IN SCORPIO THURSDAY 4 NOVEMBER Be bold and feel sexy, what ways in your life could be spiced up or how can you deepen relationships? Ask yourself what nurtures your inner peace? What can I reignite in my life? And a big one, am I happy or am I holding onto negative energy? Am I living my life with integrity?

Full Moon in Taurus Friday 19 November Let go of anything holding you back from living your desires and dreams and celebrate your achievements and anything you have overcome this month. Ask yourself, have you given yourself love? And finally look at your friendship circle, do you have a balance in your friendships, giving as much as receiving? Or is it one sided?

Affirmation of the month: I am healing, transforming and getting stronger by the day.  www.instagram.com/bodysoulbalancechloeward www.facebook.com/chloewardhealing

CREATE A LIVING WILL IN ADDITION TO A LASTING WILL What’s the difference?... you may ask! With a lasting will, you choose who you want to inherit your property and estate after you pass away. With a living will, you outline your preferences about future healthcare treatments and interventions in case you’re ever unable to communicate your wishes.

A lasting will and a living will manage different aspects of your life, but both make sure your affairs are managed according to your wishes. You can include whatever your desired wishes are in a living will and both types of wills can be made in front of a solicitor or will maker.

Algarve Care Services are happy to offer advice to anyone thinking about planning for their future at our free presentation lunches around the Algarve.

 Please visit www.algarvecareservices.com for a list of events we are running or if you would like to speak to our friendly team of advisers.

....your care safely in our hands Why not join us for lunch?

If you are interested in learning more about our services and how we can help you, we would like to invite you to one of our FREE presentation lunches being held at various venues across the Algarve in December and January.

We Are The Only Award Winning Home Care Service Dedicated to Assisting English Speaking People Living in the Algarve or Visiting on Holiday Hourly care visits during the day or Live in care packages with or without nursing input

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Specialised care for people living with Dementia, terminal illness or rehabilitation requirements.

For more details about how we can support you or to book a home care consultation, visit our website at www.algarvecare.com or call us today on (+351 ) 920 419 239

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HEALTH & BEAUTY

t thr

Let's Talk about Feet

Niki Medlock continues to explain what can go wrong with our feet and how to identify problems.

INGROWN TOENAILS This happens when the edges or corners of your nails grow into the skin next to the nail. Your big toe is most likely to get an ingrown toenail.

Causes can include cutting toenails incorrectly, irregular, curved toenails, footwear that places a lot of pressure on the big toes, toenail injury (including stubbing your toe, dropping something heavy on it, or kicking a ball repeatedly), poor posture and not keeping your feet clean or dry.

Symptoms can include the skin next to the nail becoming tender, swollen, or hard, pain when pressure is placed on the toe, fluid building up around the toe and infection.

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FALLEN ARCHES OR FLAT FEET This is when the foot loses the gently curving arch on the inner side of the sole, just in front of the heel. The causes vary from a birth deformity to stretched/torn/damaged tendons, broken or dislocated bones, health conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, nerve problems, obesity, diabetes and pregnancy. Many people have flat feet and have no problems. Others can suffer from painful, achy, swollen, and tired feet.

Some foot movements, such as standing on your toes, can be difficult and you can suffer from back and leg pain.

ARTHRITIS – BOTH RHEUMATOID AND OSTEO Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease that causes pain, stiffness and inflammation of the joints, and you have many of those in your feet and toes!! Osteoarthritis is when the

The Collagen and Hyaluronic Acid link

BY DENOKS HEALTH CENTER

As we age our joints may begin to ache and many of us will suffer from the most common form of arthritis, i.e. osteoarthritis. This is due mainly to the wearing down of the cartilage in the joints, including injury that eventually leads to inflamed joints and degeneration.

Rheumatoid arthritis is an auto-immune disease and can happen at any time in life. Often, sufferers have a family history of the disease.

It has been found that certain types of foods increase the symptoms of inflammation, such as sugar, monosodium glutamate (MSG), refined ,and even gluten. In contrast, other foods can reduce the inflammation and ease aches and pains, such as salmon, tuna, sardines, and mackerel. Green tea is known to be high in nutrients and antioxidants and has been shown to act as an anti-inflammatory.

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BY NIKI MEDLOCK

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cushioning cartilage in the joints wears out, causing stiffness and pain.

NEUROPATHY OR NERVE DAMAGE This is often caused by diabetes, leading to pain that feels burning or stinging or like electricity flowing through your feet.

I have just scratched the surface of this subject and the idea is for you to become more aware of how much wear and tear is inflicted on your feet every day! Just because they are literally the part of your body that is the farthest away from your mind does not mean you should forget about and not care for them!

Niki Medlock da Silva is a Nurse at Luzdoc.  www.luzdoc.com

WHAT IS THE COLLAGEN AND HYALURONIC ACID LINK WITH JOINT INFLAMMATION? Collagen in the human body decreases after 30 years as does hyaluronic acid, which is found in the skin, eyes and the synovial fluid of the joints. Hyaluronic acid naturally increases the production of collagen and is also the constructive base of the joints, so it is essential for healthy functioning and regeneration of connective tissues.

Unfortunately, localised intra-articular injections of hyaluronic acid can be an invasive and unpleasant procedure, which is why at Denoks Health Centre we recommend taking this as an oral supplement.

Using chondroitin as a supplement has also been a proven health remedy for inflamed joints. In fact, it attenuates the degeneration and joint pain associated with inflammation.

Moreover, the use of chondroitin in patients suffering from coronary artery disease manifests itself with an improvement in vascular lesions and a lowering of blood cholesterol concentrations.

We also stress the importance of Vitamin E. While one of the most well-known functions of this vitamin is its ‘anti-ageing’ function, it is also a natural supplement recommended to all those who want to safeguard the health of their joints. *Our informative article is based on the benefits of taking natural supplements and should not replace any medical advice given by your doctor.  www.facebook.com/denoks.health.center +351 920 134 474

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CHARITY SHOP

WE COLLECT ALL TYPE OF DONATED GOODS TO HELP FAMILIES IN NEED If you would prefer to make a direct donation: Bank Name: Novo Banco Account Name: Associação Semente de Mostarda IBAN: PT50 0007 0000 0040 3431 0522 3 | SWIFT: BESCPTPL PayPal: soupkitchenlagos@gmail.com Opening Times: Monday to Friday 10h - 19h | Saturday 10h - 13h Rua Infante Sagres 105 Bloco 2 - 8600-743 Lagos +351 915 808 490

HEALTH & BEAUTY

Self-Healing

BY LISA FRANCESCA LEWAK

Five tips to transition with ease The transition from the vibrant, active heat of summer into the beginning of the reflective autumn season can sometimes feel a challenge.

The shift into autumn requires us to slow down, adapt to cooler temperatures, heat up our diet, and for our body and mind to accept shorter days with less light. Here are five tips to transition with ease: SKIN AND HAIR To repair the impact of the sun, sea and sand on our skin and hair: Body brushing: massaging the body with a brush or rough cloth removes dry skin, helps circulate the blood and moves the lymph. This improves your skin’s appearance, gives a boost in energy and drains the toxins from your body.

Moisturising: coconut oil is an excellent natural moisturiser for both skin and hair masks. Shea butter, avocado oil or aloe are also wonderful options that bring vitamins, minerals and proteins to the body, as well as reducing damage and inflammation, and having anti-ageing effects.

GUT HEALTH In the past, autumn was a good time to cleanse the body.

Yoga for Sport

BY ANN DE JONGH

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Psyllium: is a natural fibre that helps clean the gut and aids bowel movements. It is a prebiotic agent which feeds the healthy bacteria in your intestines.

Fermented foods: sauerkraut, kimchi, miso, or kombucha, which you can either make yourself or buy, are excellent and delicious sources of probiotics that help digestion, and restore and balance the microbiome, which means they create healthy bacteria in the gut.

NUTRITION As our wardrobe changes so should our diet.

and feeling too isolated. Keeping the body moving with regular activities is still very important.

LIGHT As the days grow shorter there is less light. This impacts our emotions and feelings. Wake up at dawn to get the full amount of light available during the day and follow these suggestions to keep the blues away: Supplements: add vitamin D and fish oil to your daily diet. Vitamin D is known as the sunshine supplement.

Warming up your food: as the days get colder, it is time to eat cooked food such as stews, soups, or a lovely curry to heat the body up.

Light therapy: is a method of simulating outdoor light to stay happy and to reset your biological clock, which controls sleeping and waking.

Getting as much sunlight as possible is ultimately the best solution.

Teas and herbs: adding ginger, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, and other aromatic or spicy herbs to food or drinks will stimulate your circulation, boost your metabolism and aid digestion.

Lisa Francesca Lewak is a Cranial Sacral Therapist.

FINDING A BALANCE Transitioning into autumn means finding a balance between getting out of the house and exercising versus resting and sleeping. It is time for you to slow down, yet not spend too much time at home, at work, in front of the computer

 +351 920 573 949 www.goingbeyondcentre.weebly.com

When most people start to do yoga for sport, it is generally because they feel they need to stretch more, and might be suffering from back pain or tightness in the shoulders, etc. But yoga is so much more than a way of stretching. For most of us, we will benefit from any yoga class, it does not need to be one specific for our sport.

posture we will also gain core strength and improved balance – all key components of any sport.

A key part of a yoga practice is the breath and this is something that is often overlooked in sport. If you watched the Ryder Cup, you may have noticed the deep breaths that were taken on the first tee to calm nerves before teeing off. Or at the starting line up for a race athletes will use breathing practices to calm feelings of anxiety .

The most important thing in choosing which type of yoga you do is to find one you enjoy, a teacher you resonate with, and one which will become a part of your exercise regime.

Breathing practices can also increase the amount of oxygen we can bring into our bodies, which will help our muscles to perform better.

The physical side of yoga will increase mobility and stability in the joints, enabling us to move better, and through the yoga

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Sports such as golf, tennis and surfing all require rotation, balance and core strength, all of which can be improved through a yoga practice.

Yoga is not about being good or bad, and you do not have to be flexible to go to a yoga class. As I often say to those who think they are too inflexible to do yoga, that is like saying you are too dirty to take a bath! So to help you to get the maximum benefit and enjoyment from your sport make the time to bring yoga into your routine, your body and mind will thank you and you will probably find that you will make improvements in your sport.  ann@fit2lovelife.com

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Orangeblooming MINERALS & CRYSTALS

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HEALTH & BEAUTY

Material World Natura do Mar

Fast fashion isn’t free; someone, somewhere, is paying.

BY SARAH ANN MURRAY

In the same week that the doyen of fast-fashion and landfill contributor extraordinaire ASOS saw a drop in sales and a sacked CEO, American luxury brand Coach has also stated that it will cease the despicable practice of destroying unwanted merchandise after a video went viral showing an activist uncover hundreds of their bags slashed and thrown out to waste. Sadly, many luxury brands are known to destroy unsold goods as a way to protect desirability, but also for reasons pertaining to tax benefits for unsold items.

But what does this all mean? In the case of Coach’s shamed promise to cease its seekand-destroy-like activities, this is a positive reaction to consumer pressures to improve their trading practices. For ASOS, the jury is still out as to whether the ‘wear-once and throw away’ trend resumes.

We can thank consumer demand calling for more responsibility from brands for that, but it’s often hard to decipher those paying lip-service to a movement and those genuinely happy to invest profits into ethically-made garments, sustainable processes and fair labour wages. Thankfully, it is consumers taking the lead on this, with shoppers not only pressuring brands to take action, but seeking out sustainable alternatives through local independents to bigger brands with genuine sustainable measures. Big retail fashion, you have been warned, wise up and clean up!

Looking closer to home is the first step towards positive change, so we’re bringing you some local options that provide a glimpse into a future of conscious fashion.  www.instagram.com/sarah_ann_murray

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It takes a lot of courage to turn inspirations into a business and one that remains true to its values. When Sara Girometti came to Portugal from her home in Rimini, Italy, she decided it was time to finally channel her background in art and her passion for handcrafted designs into something she could share. Her inspirations lie in nature, which you can see in her designs and natural colour palette; however, she creates items that we can use in everyday life: art with a purpose, rooted in nature.

Sara makes unique handmade pieces to order, from accessories to bags and jewellery, sourcing beautiful natural fabrics and materials. When I asked her what sustainability means to her, she replied, “I believe that each one of us should at least try not to use too much plastic and not to leave paper and plastic on the beaches where we live.”

You can see Sara’s heart genuinely lies in nature and the footprint we leave behind. I’d put your orders in for Christmas presents now.  www.instagram.com/naturadomar www.facebook.com/pg/Sarita.NaturadoMar

Treasure Chest Vintage A true treasure in every sense of the word, the Vintage Boutique isn’t your typical second-hand clothing shop or charity shop. Rather, the store sources and meticulously selects rare, authentic vintage and pre-loved or upcycled high-street pieces. Their vision is simple: they want to find that “one of a kind” garment for each and every customer while “reducing the fashion industry’s impact on our environment” and bring something a little different to the region.

But there is also a serious side to the boutique’s debt to fashion; the Treasure Chest Vintage is set up as a not-for-profit social enterprise whereby they use funds generated to refurbish properties for the elderly and support the local community projects.

“We not only believe in recycling and upcycling, but we also practice what we stand for by keeping as many items as possible out of waste dumping grounds. We support the principle of the circular economy. We recognise that fashion accounts for major environmental impacts, meaning that we do not support the trend of the ‘buy, wear, and throw away’ mentality found in high-street fashion outlets.” Imagine the possibilities if all fashion houses and businesses thought along the same lines.

In the meantime, we’re grateful that some do and so we invite you to try something different.  By appointment only +351 969 320 231 and soon to be all online: Shop 9R, Lote 14, Marateca Industrial Area / Zona Industrial da Marateca, Chinicato, Lagos www.empowerment-gateway.org/shop/about-the-treasure-chest

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Counselling & Psychotherapy It can be hard to stay balanced. Talking Helps! » Improve relationships

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Fully Insured – Registered Therapist | Certified Counsellor | Professional support Completely confidential. Email helpalgarve@gmail.com or call/WhatsApp +351 925 387 195

1 or 2 Day Workshops

Heal Your Life® Workshops A series of personal development workshops based on Louise Hay’s philosophy facilitated by licensed teacher/coach Alison Boardman.

Discover how to rebalance your life, boost your self-confidence, learn to live with your emotions and live your best life!

SILVES: 13 and 14 November OLHÃO: 4 and 5 December LAGOS: 11 and 12 December LAGOS: 31 December and 1 January Facebook 'Live' every Wednesday 8.30 - 9am www.facebook.com/alison.boardman.165 To book or for more information: +351 910 520 663 alisonboardman01@gmail.com www.alisonboardman.com

BUSINESS & TECHNOLOGY

Beware the rising cost of living

BY BRIAN TORA Dividing my time between England and the Algarve provides an opportunity to compare the way of life between the two countries. In Portugal, the rules surrounding how to behave in the face of the pandemic have been stricter than back in England, which is somehow rather comforting and it does feel more relaxed here. True, warmer weather makes staying outside for much of the time easier than is the case in England.

One similarity is that the building industry appears to be booming in both places, with house prices soaring. Indeed, it appears that property values all around the world are on the up. Quite why an outbreak of a highly contagious virus, which has disrupted life in so many different ways, should spark a boom in house prices is difficult to understand. Perhaps it is the fear that inflation could be rekindled, bringing to an end a lengthy period of relatively stable prices. Certainly, the cost of living is being driven up in many corners of the globe.

The pandemic may indeed be responsible in some measure.

Real estate agents in both the Algarve and England have reported a dearth of properties for sale. It seems many of us are less inclined to move, perhaps because successive lockdowns have encouraged us to stay at home. Yet demand for houses continues to rise from those who have been prompted to seek out a change in lifestyle, perhaps again because of COVID restrictions. Add this to the upward pressure on the cost of living brought about by escalating energy prices and higher inflation looks inevitable.

High and sustained inflation is definitely something to be feared and avoided at all costs. Modest inflation, on the other hand, is viewed as a beneficial influence and is even encouraged by governments. The target for inflation in the UK – and in the US for that matter – is +2% per annum, with a tolerance of 1% built-in on either side. In other words, providing the rise in the cost of living stays in the range of 1% to 3%, the Prime Minister and the Chancellor of the Exchequer can feel relaxed – well, relatively. With inflation running at 3.2% for August and expected to rise to 4.5% by the year-end, perhaps Downing Street is a little less relaxed now.

Inflation in Portugal seems to be less of an issue, despite rising house prices. Last year the cost of living was barely changed, with the headline inflation rate coming in at -0.01%.

Half way through the current year inflation had risen to +0.5% on an annualised basis. I do not know if the government here sets a country inflation target, but the European Central Bank, which claims not to set targets – understandable, given the number of countries in the eurozone – considers 2% an acceptable ceiling rate.

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It is not too difficult to understand why governments consider modest inflation as a good – arguably a necessary – aspect of economic management. Knowing that goods might cost that little bit more next year encourages people to spend and the actions of the consumer are crucial in ensuring our economy maintains an upward path. The other side of the coin – deflation, where prices actually fall – stifles consumer demand and can send the economy into a downward spiral.

While comparatively rare, there have been recent examples of how deflation can damage growth. Japan, which enjoyed explosive post-war economic expansion as it rebuilt its economy and geared up its manufacturing capabilities, stalled towards the end of the 1980s and entered into a period of prolonged low or negative inflation which cut growth and led to a massive implosion in the value of its stock market.

Of course, inflation can bring benefits. It enhances the value of some assets and devalues debt. Those of us of the baby boomer generation able to buy their own homes in England will have benefitted hugely from the uplift in house prices generated by successive years of relatively high inflation and the lessening of the value of their mortgages compared with the price their homes were able to command. As it happens, the rise in house prices has actually outstripped inflation, but the rise in the cost of living definitely helped.

In the 1970s, UK inflation rose to dangerously high levels, peaking at 25% or thereabouts. Interest rates rocketed and in the end, the country had to be bailed out by the International Monetary Fund. I’m not expecting this scenario to be re-enacted, but we need to keep an eye on what is happening to prices and wages. Perhaps the threat in Portugal is not as great, but many of us will be concerned about what is happening back in the UK. There, a perfect storm of supply disruption and labour shortages, brought about by a combination of Brexit and the pandemic, could yet see inflation and interest rates return to levels not seen in decades. I hope not, but you can’t be too sure.

Brian Tora is a financial journalist and broadcaster

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BUSINESS & TECHNOLOGY

Finance Matters

Christmas Market Buy local this Christmas

BY RICARDO CHAVES

Each month we receive different questions from our readers, although some of these questions are related to specific situations, sometimes the answer may help you to better understand the tax system in Portugal.

Q Are there any tax breaks for buying an electric car?

If you have a company or if you are a sole trader with a VAT registered activity, the biggest incentive is on the VAT you can deduct when purchasing a full-electric car or a hybrid plug-in vehicle.

The VAT is fully deductible in electric cars priced up to 62.500€ + VAT and or on hybrid plug-ins, if the price is up to 50.000€ + VAT. Please note that if the cars are more expensive than this, you cannot deduct any VAT. Besides this incentive, these cars are also exempt from autonomous tax, which is an additional tax that is normally charged to businesses and is based on all the expenses related to cars. If however, you don’t have a business, the biggest incentive is the road tax (IUC) which is free for electric vehicles.

Q I have a small Local Lodging business and I am considering installing an electric charger for our clients. Can I offset this cost in my business?

As you are making an investment that will be part of the service you offer, this is an acceptable expense, both on VAT and Corporate Tax. Please note that if you are on the simplified regime, your tax is based on your gross income, therefore the investment will not be deductible on your tax, just the VAT. Please note that providing you have an electric car and the charger is installed

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within the premises of your business, the expense will also be deductible, it doesn’t need to be used by clients, so it is an investment that can be made by other businesses.

Q Do you get any tax breaks for making your home more carbon neutral? Subsidies on wind or solar-powered instalments, or any other incentives for being good to our planet!?

There are some grants and incentives for the investment in your property to make it more environmentally friendly.

Not only is buying local products good for our Algarve economy - it is also beneficial for the environment. That is why Tomorrow is launching our online Christmas market for the second year running.

Purchasing more local food provides environmental benefits, reducing food miles – which helps alleviate our dependence on fossil fuels – reducing air pollution and contributing to the effort to cut back on greenhouse gas emissions.

In addition, if you are looking to buy presents, hand-crafted products generally create less waste than mass-produced items. That means less packaging and generally less energy used to create the items, with more recycled and repurposed materials being used over plastics.

The incentives can go from new windows to solar panels or wind energy, basically investments that will improve the energy certification level of your property.

If you buy produce from the Algarve to put under the tree or on your table, you are keeping money in the local economy.

This allows local people to keep doing what they love and generates tax in your local area. You will also be helping all the business owners and employees who have been affected by the loss of revenue during COVID.

However please note that there are some formalities that need to be met and in most cases it is easier to look for a certified provider, to help you with the submission of your request.

If you are a local business and would like your products, whether it’s food, jewellery, clothes or crafts, we will list them completely free of charge in our online marketplace.

The incentives can go up to 70% of the investment and up to 7.500€ per house, but not all properties are eligible and currently, the funds for 2021 appear to be all used. Pay attention to the state budget 2022, these incentives should still be available and fill your application as quickly as you can.

Or, if you are organising a Christmas event, don't forget to send it to our online calendar.

We hope this small gesture will help us to think about #buylocalalgarve, which will have an environmental, economic and social benefit.

Please feel free to send us the questions you may have to ricardo@allfinance.pt. We will select some of these to be published.

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 To add your products to the Tomorrow Virtual Christmas Market or your events to our online calendar please get in touch: events@tomorrowalgarve.com

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HOMES & GARDENS

Part three

Flowering Trees To round off my articles on flowering trees, I have chosen another four to share with you.

BY TAMSIN VARLEY

NEW ZEALAND CHRISTMAS TREE The first of these is Metrosideros excelsus also known as the New Zealand Christmas tree. It is an evergreen often multi-stemmed tree that has attractive leathery green leaves with a dense white felt underneath them giving them a grey-green appearance.

It can grow to between ten to twenty metres tall with a spread of ten metres. Its crowning glory though is its gorgeous red flowers produced around Christmas in the southern hemisphere (hence its common name) but during the summer here in Europe. When I was in Madeira in June, we saw a lot of these trees in full flower on the northwest side of the island growing in very windy conditions.

They like full sun and well-drained soil. Water well initially when first planted, but they are drought tolerant and also frost hardy when established. Be wary where you plant one of these trees though as they do have extensive invasive roots so should not be planted near buildings or drains.

PINEAPPLE GUAVA Acca sellowiana or pineapple guava is a large evergreen shrub or small tree growing up to four metres high that is native to South America. In late spring, the unusual flowers appear in the leaf axils, with fleshy white petals from which a central bunch of bright red stamens explode. They are followed by five-to-eight-centimetre egg-shaped greyish green fruit filled with soft, sweet pineapple flavoured pulp which apparently makes a good jelly. It can be drought tolerant but grows best with some water especially if the fruits are to mature. Mulching is also a good idea to protect the shallow rooting system. It likes full sun but will tolerate partial shade.

THE ORCHID TREE

BOTTLE TREE A tropical tree that seems to do well in Portugal is the bottle tree or Brachychiton species native to Australia. I’ve seen them widely planted as street trees and in parks in the Algarve. They often have large swollen trunks so are easy to spot.

The first trees I saw flowering here in Silves quite took my breath away, entailing a drive back home for my camera so I could photograph them. The trees were smothered in bright pink bellshaped flowers with a darker pink throat and were a spectacular sight. The leaves, which are shed just prior to flowering, are hairy and lobed – not unlike a Sycamore tree in shape. I tentatively identified the species as the slow-growing Brachychiton discolor, which can grow up to twenty metres tall. It is widely grown as an ornamental tree especially in built-up areas as it has a compact root system.

Last, but by no means least, is the orchid tree or Bauhinia native to northern India and southern China. In spring, it makes an amazing sight as it produces a beautiful show of fragrant flowers on the previous season’s wood. The five-petalled orchid-like flowers are typically light pink to deep purple (although there is a white cultivar) and are up to eight centimetres across. The flowers are followed by long beans up to thirty centimetres long. The unmistakable leaves are large and deeply lobed at the tip so they resemble a camel’s foot.

Bauhinia variegata forms a spreading tree up to ten metres high. It is easily grown in moist, well-drained soils, but needs protection from cold winds.

Tamsin Varley is a member of Clube Dos Bons Jardin. This small, friendly multi-national garden club meets at different locations around the Algarve on the 2nd Tuesday of every month with an optional lunch afterwards.  algarvecbj@gmail.com

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We are currently looking for a number of Board members to assist in running the charity. As a Board member you would be part of a team responsible for the operational activities of the Charity and assisting in the decisions of where to apply our funds to best advantage.

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FOOD & DRINK

A Lazy Girl's Guide to november

BY THE LAZY TIGERS Well, we hope everyone had a lovely October.

The town was definitely busy and full of visitors, plus lots of old friends returning and, as a bonus, the weather was superb. We are hoping, at the time of writing, that we had a good turnout for Halloween. Our Lazy Witches do get a bit bored casting spells on each other instead of naughty children. That can go terribly wrong.

This month to stretch summer for another little while we are going totally tropical, with three recipes that contain one key ingredient: rumsoaked pineapple. There are lots of reasonably priced pineapples in the shops now, and this is such a versatile starting point for so many dishes – give it a go.

For the rum-soaked pineapple, you must have a large glass jar. One of those tall sealable spaghetti jars would be perfect, or a two-litre Kilner jar or similar from a cookware shop or IKEA. First, peel and chop into chunks a large pineapple. Pour in a whole bottle of cheap white rum and leave it for a couple of days, or if you are desperate, at least overnight. Then make some, or all, of the following.

Now to use your rum-soaked pineapple in a cake. This recipe is so easy and so economical you have got to make it. If you cannot be bothered cutting up a pineapple and soaking it, you could buy a tin of crushed fruit. We didn't believe it would work until we tried it.

Our last recipe is a variation on that old reliable summer tropical drink, the Piña Colada. Been there, done that, sang the song (drunkenly). But try this with your rum-soaked concoction.

The beauty of this mixture is that you can use the rum and pineapple together as an ingredient or separately anywhere a recipe needs rum or pineapple. We can imagine it in a pineapple upside-down cake or a salad with chicken, celery, and mayonnaise, or perhaps, best of all, the rum only served with ice and soda water.

Mmmmh, rum, pineapple, barbecue, ice cream; here at London Tiger Coffee, we are keeping the spirit of summer alive to the very last gasp.

That is because we are too lazy to start looking through our cupboards and shopping for a winter wardrobe. Pop in and sympathise with us in Rua Marreiros next time you are in town.

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2 1 Pork and pineapple kebabs SERVES TWO HUNGRY PEOPLE OR FOUR AS A STARTER:  400 grams pork fillet  4 tbsp of any brown sugar  60 ml of cider vinegar  1 tsp of fish sauce  A third of your rum-soaked pineapple chunks  1 pepper (any colour) cut into squares  4 spring onions (or any cubed veg will do, mushroom, courgette, etc)  Small bunch of coriander (if you like)  Rice or pitta to serve Heat the sugar and vinegar in a pan till it dissolves, add the fish sauce, let this cool.

Cut the pork into (mouthful-sized) chunks and mix well with the fish sauce mixture. Heat your barbecue or grill and thread four kebabs using alternate pieces of the pork, pineapple, and veg in the usual way.

Cook from 5 mins on a barbie to 10 mins under the grill. Sprinkle with coriander and serve with rice or pitta.

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Three ingredient pineapple cake SERVES SIX:  280 grams of self-raising flour  200 grams of white sugar  450 grams of your rum-soaked pineapple very crushed with some juice, or a 440-gram tin of crushed pineapple with all the juice Mix together the ingredients.

Put into a lined springform or loaf tin.

Bake at 180ºC for anything from 40 to 60 minutes depending on the tin (keep checking after 40) until the mix springs back when touched and moves away from the tin lining.

3 Frosty the pina colada SERVES TWO:  Half of the rum-soaked pineapple crushed up  30 ml of rum  5 scoops of vanilla ice-cream Mix all the ingredients in a jug and serve in two large glasses.

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FOOD & DRINK

Be Prepared to Lose Weight Chef, Nina Abbott, always struggled with her weight until five years ago when she lost 30 kilos. While unable to work due to COVID, she came up with a business plan to help others do the same.

“During my 30s I was overweight until I started to change my eating habits and began walking to work every day. Then when I was 40 I met my partner Marco and we started walking and cycling together. Then I started to train at a gym with a friend.”

Her friend was training at the RFS gym in Lagos on the ‘eight-week weight-loss challenge’ and she bought the course for Nina as a present. It was to change her life and perspective on food. “One of the biggest failings on the eight-week challenge is not having the food prepared. That is the key to success.”

There were some people doing the weight-loss challenge online from the UK and most of them were ordering calorie counted food, making the challenge much easier. Nina realised there was nothing like that in the Algarve. So before

the next group embarked on the challenge she started organising and cooking their meal plans for them.

She found working as a head chef in Salema very stressful and contributed to her unhealthy eating habits. She left her job to go and work in her brother's restaurant. When COVID hit she found herself at home and came up with the idea of creating meal boxes to help others with weight loss or muscle building.

She cooks with fresh ingredients on Sunday and Wednesday nights and delivers on a Monday and Thursday. Her menu offers food to suit all tastes and dietary requirements and the boxes cost a very reasonable 8,50€.

“My customers are not just those trying to lose weight but also people who work and don't have

Nina and Marco having completed eight-week challenge time to prepare a healthy balanced meal. Some people work in an office and want a low-fat alternative to nipping out to buy a sandwich. But I also prepare meals for a macro diet.”

I have tried one of Nina's meal boxes and can attest to them being incredibly tasty. It definitely doesn’t taste like diet food and left me feeling satisfied but not bloated like the normal carbfilled meals I share with the children.

So if you want to have Nina get you prepped to eat healthily or lose weight Marniprep is your introduction to a slimmer and healthier lifestyle.  www.instagram.com/marni.prep jane.nina@gmail.com +351 938 602 671

Pirilampo

BY ANNIE O’DEA Family run for over 30 years, Pirilampo is a favourite with locals, both Portuguese and English alike. It offers the perfect blend of Portuguese, Mediterranean and English dishes at very affordable prices.

Piri, as locals call it, is renowned for its prato do dia - a homemade special cooked daily by Nan Linda who owns and runs the family restaurant/bar. Costing as little as 6.50€ for half a portion, which is ample for most, it sure is the perfect meal deal.

Nan with Grandson Jason

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Grandson Jason runs the front of house with al fresco dining and a bar, along with

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other family members helping out. It really is a family affair.

With a wide menu selection of traditional, fresh homemade dishes daily at prices locals can afford along with an array of drinks, equally cheaper than most other venues, what’s not to like?

Open throughout the week, all year round from morning until late night, apart from over the Christmas period, it is certainly worth checking out.  Largo do Moinho Loja A, Lagos 8600-661 Portugal

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ENVIRONMENT

The Blue Economy According to a report by the World Economic Forum (WEF), it is predicted that there will be more plastic than fish in our oceans by 2050. Anyone who has stood on the shoreline of a receding tide has seen first-hand how much plastic waste is being washed up on our beaches.

This is one of the many reasons why the Oceano Azul Foundation was established.

As a private, non-profit organisation, the Foundation is dedicated to the conservation and sustainable use of the ocean. Conservation project manager Vanda Lobo talks to David Lugg about its objectives.

Please explain a little about the foundation.

We are facing a climate emergency, particularly in the ocean. It is necessary to adapt our behaviours to allow the coexistence of human development, and the protection and conservation of blue natural capital (the ocean’s resources).

The Oceano Azul Foundation supports projects on literacy, conservation and the blue economy – the exploitation, preservation and regeneration of the marine environment.

The Foundation works with governments, foundations and civil society organisations to advance the international ocean agenda.

Is the Portuguese government doing enough to increase public awareness about ocean conservation and sustainability?

In the last 20 years, Portugal has reintroduced the sea into its political dialogue, but the country still needs to ‘swim a few miles’ to truly be a reference in ocean matters. Portugal, having the largest marine area in Europe, is surrounded by vast blue natural capital. It is essential to protect the economy and health of future generations.

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Last year, a law was introduced in Portugal to fine anyone caught throwing cigarette butts onto the floor.

However, many of the beaches in the Algarve are still littered with them.

Is there a solution?

Cigarette butts are the most common item of marine litter worldwide. In addition to its plastic fibres, they leach nicotine, heavy metals and many other chemicals into the surrounding environment, including the ocean.

The biggest problem is that most smokers don’t see cigarette butts as litter. While many believe that cigarette butts are biodegradable, they are not. They have plastic fibres that take years to degrade and, in the process, break down into tiny pieces of plastic called microplastics. From that stage on, it is no longer possible to remove them from the environment.

Laws supported by scientific knowledge are important and must be put into practice. But to reinforce the effectiveness of the law, it is necessary to raise awareness on this matter and provide the means for smokers to correctly discard their litter.

The foundation was active in promoting ‘International Coastal Clean-Up Day’ in September. How successful was the event?

Over the past three years, this initiative has brought together more than 19,000 volunteers, in which over 225 entities organised 1054 clean-ups, collecting 170 tons of litter. The Oceano Azul Foundation, with the support and involvement of national organisations, hopes to increase these numbers in 2022, and get more citizens involved and aware that they can make a difference.

Public awareness of ocean conservation is probably at an all-time high, yet it is estimated that around eight million pieces of plastic enter our oceans every day. Where are we going wrong?

The most important (aspect) is to change our consumption habits. We must refuse, reuse, and recycle when possible.

Single-use disposable items or products with too much packaging are the most common litter items found on our beaches and in our oceans. 

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Photos © Emanuel Gonçalves

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ENVIRONMENT  Nevertheless, citizens are not the only ones that have to change their behaviour – companies also have a very important role. It is important for companies to think about the lifecycle of their products and the impact they have on our environment.

The Ria Formosa Natural Park near Olhão has seen a decline of 90% of its seahorses in the past 20 years. What is being done to protect them?

Due to the illegal capture to supply the Asian markets, as well as other factors like habitat degradation and pollution, there has been an acceleration in the decline of seahorses. In 2018, the Oceano Azul Foundation became aware of the critical situation and launched a public campaign – Save the Seahorses of the Ria Formosa – to raise awareness for the urgent need in protecting these species and developing a recovery plan.

The Algarve is home to one of the largest coastal reefs in Portugal. How important is this reef?

It is scientifically proven that one of the most effective ways to protect marine life is by implementing well-managed marine protected areas. When properly designed and implemented, they produce more fish, larger fish and sustain a greater diversity of species. In turn, we can have higher-valued economic activity, with a greater return for fishing and more sustainable tourism.

Last May, the Oceano Azul Foundation and the Centre for Marine Sciences of the University of Algarve delivered a proposal to the Portuguese Government for the creation of a Marine Protected Area of Community Interest – The Marine Natural Park of the Algarve Reef. This innovative process results from a collective drive to protect this reef and to promote the sustainability of traditional economic activities that depend on it. This natural reef hosts a rich and biodiverse marine life. Approximately 900 species live here, corresponding to 70% of all coastal species identified in the Algarve.

If nothing is done, we will not be able to reverse this decline and entire communities dependent on this reef and its natural resources will also disappear.

Coastal Clean-up SOMAR brought attention to International Coastal Cleanup Day on 18 September, removing rubbish from six beaches.

BY DANIELA NOBRE The Algarve coast is known for its immense beauty and pristine waters, though it is not immune to one of the biggest environmental problems of our time: marine pollution. At first glance, this may not be evident, but with a short walk on the beach, it is possible to find pieces of plastic among other debris on the sand and ocean.

More than 30 years ago, communities along the American shoreline started noticing this debris and it resulted in the International Coastal Cleanup phenomenon organised by Ocean Conservancy.

Over the years, it has expanded to many countries, including Portugal. Here, the event is promoted by Oceano Azul Foundation, integrating a European initiative in collaboration with the European Commission, European External Action Service and United Nations.

SOMAR joined the worldwide movement for the second consecutive year and marked the International Coastal Cleanup Day with six beach clean-ups and one underwater in the Lagos and Portimão regions. These actions brought several local entities together (municipalities, primary schools, surf and nature tour companies) with one common purpose: preserving our ocean.

Photos © Emanuel Gonçalves

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The event took place between 18–26 September and, throughout that week,

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more than 60 kg of marine litter was removed from our coastline with the help of 60 volunteers! The main items collected were cigarette butts, plastic fragments and bottle caps. A vast amount of glass and plastic bottles were also found, raising a major concern on how to mitigate this issue.

The environmental impact of the pandemic was evident by the considerable quantity of disposable face masks on the beach accesses and surrounding cliffs.

The event contributed data to a pilot study conducted by Oceano Azul Foundation as part of a citizen science project which aims to identify and analyse marine waste at a national level to inform the policymakers.

Together we can make a change for a cleaner planet and a healthier ocean.

SOMAR is an association for marine conservation and bioacoustics. Founded last year by a couple of oceanographers, this local NGO based in Lagos focuses on science outreach and communication to the public while conducting research about cetaceans on the Algarve coastline.

 To learn more about the activities carried out by SOMAR, visit the website www.somarbio.pt

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ENVIRONMENT Damage caused by Hurricane Irma

Climate Change

BY JULIAN PUTLEY

Catastrophic Effects of Global Warming and Rising Sea Temperatures Almost every day on news sites, we see evidence of the results of global warming from around the world. It’s a cause-and-effect routine that is spiralling out of control on planet earth and affecting more and more aspects of life that were formerly little understood. We are seeing catastrophic floods, devastating wildfires, destructive hurricanes and droughts.

There is now no doubt that greenhouse gases, mostly carbon dioxide and methane, are responsible for global warming. Carbon dioxide is produced primarily by the burning of fossil fuels like coal, petroleum products and natural gas. Methane is nearly 30 times more potent than carbon dioxide and is produced by oil and natural gas systems, coal mining, wastewater treatment, animal and human digestive processes, livestock practices like silage, and by the decay of organic waste in landfills. Adding to the alarming escalation of these gases is the destruction of many of the world’s forests, mangroves and wetlands that absorb carbon dioxide by photosynthesis.

One of global warming’s most riveting facts is the escalating temperatures of the world’s oceans coupled with rising sea levels. Ice sheets in the Arctic and Antarctic are melting and adding water to the ocean. On top of that, as the temperature of the sea rises, so it expands. The resulting extra volume of water is proving to be catastrophic for low-lying countries like the Maldives, Kiribati and Tuvalu. These island nations are becoming inundated, while other coastal areas and towns are under threat by tidal erosion. In the US, a NOAA study estimates sea levels will rise about 14 inches (36 cm) in the next 20 years. Then take into account the very low pressure formed by hurricanes and wind-driven storm surge and many areas in the path of hurricanes are at serious risk.

Portugal is little affected by hurricane activity, but like all coastal countries, rising sea levels are a concern.

Estuaries and coastal lagoons will be most affected and waterfront properties and commercial ventures may well be negatively impacted. Of particular concern are the Ria Formosa in the Algarve and the region around Ria de Aveiro.

Interestingly, Portugal has been at the forefront of reducing harmful greenhouse gas emissions, with the last coal-fired electrical plant closing this year.

Floods and forest fires have had catastrophic effects on many lives in an ever-increasing way over the last 24 months. California in the US has had – and is still having – record-breaking wildfires as are many parts of Europe (including Portugal) and Australia. Global warming as a result of climate change is the cause. Rising temperatures dry out large landmasses and rainfall diminishes. Lightening or human action provides the spark. 

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Irma damage, Road Town, Tortola, Virgin Islands. Sept. 2017

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ENVIRONMENT  Unprecedented floods in parts of Europe were the result of warm air, increased evaporation and condensation at higher altitudes. Unheard of continuous downpours burst river banks and decimated towns and villages.

Hurricanes and tropical storms have increased in intensity in recent years. Catastrophic damage is caused by torrential rains and winds of exceptional power. Rising sea surface temperatures are a driving force behind these phenomena.

As water vapour heats up, it rises and cooler air rushes in to replace it. The more sea surface temperatures rise, the more intense the storms become.

Caribbean hurricanes are spawned off the west coast of Africa, where dense moist cloud masses move off the equatorial regions and head west due to the earth’s rotation.

This writer has experienced many hurricanes in the Caribbean, specifically the Virgin Islands. Hurricane Irma in 2017 was a category five storm and one of the most intense cyclones ever to form in the Atlantic basin. To make matters worse, a second hurricane, Maria, impacted the archipelago just two weeks later. The cost of damage to the islands from Irma was around six billion US dollars. The US mainland experienced a much-diminished storm but damage there was estimated at over 50 billion US dollars. Four years later, many resorts and homes are still not rebuilt and functional.

The cost of loss of earnings and revenue is incalculable.

To sum up the above, it’s way past time for all nations in the world to address this problem. The conundrum for world leaders is that to reduce the effects of the greenhouse

gases that create global warming means stemming the production of fossil fuels (oil, gas, coal) NOW. Loss of revenue and jobs in these industries may result in loss of votes for politicians who are then loath to act in the planet’s best interests. They resort to the ‘blah, blah, blah’ method so aptly described by Greta Thunberg, the Swedish climate activist. Politicians have long used the philosophy ‘If you can’t blind ‘em with science, then baffle them with BS’. It’s time for strong leaders with vision, ethics and integrity.

Catamaran 100 metres from the marina

So, what can we as individuals do? As soon as possible, change to an electric vehicle. Be conservative with your use of electricity and gas (which may soon be a thing of the past). Supermarkets and shops are still using vast amounts of plastic, a by-product of fossil fuel. Avoid using it as much as possible and dispose of any you do have in recycling bins. Eat fresh fruits and vegetables and avoid too muchprocessed food. And cut down on meat from methaneproducing animals. In the end, if there’s no demand, then the supply will diminish and eventually dry up.

Planet earth is under serious threat. Cataclysmic events are on the increase. The time to act is NOW.

I.T. can be easy

BY STEVEN DUNWELL

Responsible recycling - disposing of your old computer Worldwide, it is estimated that we generate 40 million tons of electronic waste every year…

When you're finished with your old laptop, Mac or PC, don't just throw it away in the bin. Make sure you recycle it properly, including safely removing any personal data on your computer's hard disk drive.

WHAT IS A HARD DISK DRIVE? A hard disk drive (also known as an HDD) is where all your files are stored. So, if you’re going to recycle the computer the hard drive needs to be wiped clean permanently to delete any traces of these files.

Factory reset it, before recycling: Before recycling a computer, you should reset it to its ‘factory settings’. This leaves only the bare operating system and removes any access to your files and any programs you’ve added.

Make sure you've backed up all the files you want

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before you begin this process, store them safely on an external hard drive, memory stick or on your new computer.

be found by the Bombeiros in Lagos and the other in the underground car park of the Aqua shopping centre in Portimão.

Destroy your data: To ensure that all your data has been wiped, consider using data-shredding software. These can be easily found on the internet.

Donate: Many organisations collect old computers and donate them to charities.

Remove the hard drive: If you’re recycling a laptop or desktop and would prefer not to tinker with data-shredding software, the safest way to make sure your data isn’t accessed is to physically remove the hard drive and store it in a secure place. Alternatively, you can smash the old hard drive to make it unrecoverable! But please remember to wear proper protective gear!

HOW TO DISPOSE OF YOUR COMPUTER Recycle: There are many local electronic recycling points on the Algarve, the two I use can

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Resell: Some people and organisations buy old computers. Check local internet and Facebook pages.

If you have any questions about this topic, suggestions for future subjects or require assistance with any I.T. challenges, I am always happy help.

More can be read about this subject on our blog.  info@stevendunwell.com +351 936 387 512 www.stevendunwell.com

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ENVIRONMENT

The Good Life

BY SUZANNE RADFORD Living in the mountains, experiencing the natural elements and being surrounded by forests, the senses become heightened. While there are many benefits of living in this landscape, there are challenges and with rising temperatures summers bring an increased risk of wildfires.

This is why many of the residents around Monchique are seeking sustainable ways of living and are turning to alternative forms of building for inspiration.

Taipa is the way houses were traditionally built in Portugal (or cob, a technique that originates from the UK) using raw natural materials like earth, chalk, straw, lime or gravel that naturally regulate temperatures from within and are toxinfree. Concrete is one of the most widely used substances on earth, so finding an alternative and reducing CO2 emissions may be a way forward in doing our bit for the environment, and there is an added incentive that it is more economical.

One person who is following this path is Ulrike Mach, who runs Porca Preta, a gallery and bar/ cafe nestled in the hills on the north side of the mountains. The property looks like a small village, comprising little houses and artist studios, and is surrounded by trees and flowers. Here music and art events are held for children and adults, and there is a gallery space for artists to showcase their work.

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When I visited, Julius Martin was the artist in residence and had captured the cork oaks and character of the people and place through his installations and drawings. Visiting from Germany, he immediately picked up on the community’s awareness of the risk of fire, the forest and the people still healing from the trauma of the last big one in 2018.

Some put the fires down to climate change, others to the monoculture planting of eucalyptus, which is prolific and highly combustible. Ulrike experienced the reality of forest fires first-hand and lost a number of buildings in the fire. She is in the process of rebuilding and is replacing the lost buildings with a SuperAdobe sauna and ecological pool with the plan to add wellness days to the venue’s event calendar. She is using bioclimatic materials and construction techniques developed by architect Nader Khalil (imagine sandbags but rammed with earth instead of sand). The walls and foundations are constructed with wire and soil, a building system that combines traditional earth architecture with global safety requirements. It’s strong, durable and has passed earthquake standard tests. And, I’m told, it’s simple to build.

To create the dome-like structure, coils of the earth in bags are stacked on top of each other, rather like a potter stacks coils of clay to make

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a vessel. These provide the right amount of strength and compression held by wire both vertically and horizontally. Building this way, the earth provides insulation and is resistant to fire and floods. Building a dome, an arch rotated at 180°, is one of the strongest forms of architecture we have seen being used for thousands of years and it brings design possibilities into our own living spaces.

There is a social aspect to this environmentally conscious way of building because it’s simple and no heavy lifting is required. It is something you can do as a family, or with friends and members of your community, as was the case in times gone by. When I visited Porca Preta, the builders broke for lunch and food was provided for everyone who happened to be on the property. Artists, musicians and builders coming together in the middle of the day for food from the forest and afterwards a digestif of medronho and a bica of coffee before each returning to their work and craft.

Along with the practical, economic and environmental considerations, there are health implications too. Consider the effects on the body waking up in a house made of natural materials, breathing in air pure in quality and enjoying naturally regulated temperatures with peace of mind, knowing you are living a more sustainable life in sync with nature.  Porca Preta – Galleria De Arte Monchique +351 282 110 858 www.facebook.com/PontalinhoPorcaPreta

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ENVIRONMENT In 2005, Christina became the European Ambassador for Polar Bears International. This Canadian organisation studies polar bears as an indicator of climate change. In between studying, Christina travelled to many countries.

She was always involved in environmental projects, including working for a sea turtle conservation project in Sri Lanka and a marine plastic litter research group in the Açores. After that, she became an intern in 2015 at Ceres, the Natural Science Centre in Arrifana. She explains, “I immediately loved the area and began organising and participating in countless coastal clean-ups. I soon realised that fishing gear made up 70-80% of the litter we were picking up.”

Fishing4Ghosts Products with a message from the ocean

BY HELEN DANIEL

Marine scientist Christina Chiara Solbach is the inspirational founder of Fishing4Ghosts, an environmentally conscious company based in Aljezur. This business creates a circular economy from discarded ‘ghost’ fishing gear.

“We hand make high-quality products from fishing debris, either collected at beach clean-ups or brought to our collection points by fishermen. A percentage of the profits go to the fishermen, thus forming the circle,” Christina explains. “This way, the fishing gear gets new life, and the fishermen are made aware of the littering problem. They also have an incentive to participate.”

Ghost gear refers to fishing gear that has been abandoned or lost and is the deadliest form of marine litter. Every year more than 100,000 whales, dolphins, seals, sea turtles and millions of fish get caught unnecessarily in deserted nets and traps. Ghost gear, made of durable material, can take up to 600 years to break down.

Born in Cologne, Germany, Christina went on family holidays to the North Sea in Belgium, which initiated her lifelong love of the ocean. “When I was nine, we moved to the countryside where I owned a horse that I adored. We also kept goats and dogs that I loved too, so my passion for animals and the natural world strengthened,” she explains.

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Progressing with her research, Christina studied marine science in Faro and, in 2019, she travelled to an international conference on marine debris in San Diego. She noticed here that the emphasis was on quantifying plastic in the oceans but that there was little focus on solving this threatening problem. “Hands-on countermeasures are often missing in the scientific environment,” she remarks. Returning to Aljezur and driven by the urge to find solutions, the idea for Fishing4Ghosts began.

“With the ghost gear, we produce bracelets, keychains and sunglasses straps, which we sell in local shops and through our website. We can also customise items with company logos, providing a way for businesses to show concern for ocean litter and upgrade their brand,” Christina points out.

“5% of profits go to fishermen and 5% to Global Ghost Gear Initiative, a non-governmental organisation that’s raising awareness of the problem worldwide.”

In addition to organising beach clean-ups and promoting Fishing4Ghosts, Christina has enthusiastic ambitions for the future. Dynamic and enterprising, she plans to employ young people from disadvantaged backgrounds to assemble her merchandise. “I would also love to encourage Portuguese artisans to weave the ghost material for forthcoming products. I intend to run workshops for fishermen and additionally bring awareness of the plastic problem to children in schools.” Fishing4Ghosts supports the Mar Sem Lixo project, run by the Portuguese harbour authority Docapesca, and is part of Culatra 2030, a sustainability project on the island of Culatra near Faro.

In the long-term, Christina is keen to see Portugal implementing interceptors at estuaries and harbours to catch the rubbish before it enters the ocean. Dutchman Boyan Slat invented a U-shaped barrier that floats in the sea, collecting plastic using the power of ocean currents.

“This is a fantastic invention,” declares Christina. “The focus, though, should be on education and the enforcement of impactful regulations to prevent people from littering in the first place. The problem needs to be tackled from different levels, starting locally, and progressing globally!”  www.fishing4ghosts.com +351 935 184 832

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ENVIRONMENT

Designing a New Ecosystem

BY SOPHIE SADLER

When I arrive at Campo do Vale, it is like suddenly coming across a vision of Utopia. An enthusiastic group of shoeless individuals is busy pounding a mixture of mud and straw with their feet in an act resembling wine crushing. Another group is industriously constructing cane fencing around an eco shower. This is not a dream – this is the permaculture design course at Projecto Novas Descobertas.

Although they might not be trying to create Utopia, the aims of the Projecto Novas Descobertas are still high. This non-profit association was founded in 1994. Their 27 years of work has incorporated social inclusion, environmental issues, education, citizenship, community inclusion, family support, support for children and youth, non-formal education, and eco-social regeneration.

Novas Descobertas aims to promote discovery, learning, action and sharing. With that in mind, it works with other like-minded projects either with education or by providing volunteers.

Patricia Russo Pereira shows me around and is an enthusiastic ambassador for the project. A former biology student, she became involved in educational projects in South East Asia, where she identified the need to bring the idea of ecoregeneration into education. “I saw the need to give children the skills in problem-solving, which they are going to need to reverse climate change.

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We want to explain environmental issues to kids but not with a sense of fear. We don’t want them to feel like they are doomed, but we want them to engage, have conversations and learn by participation.” Patrícia herself first arrived to do a permaculture teacher training course and later became an education for regeneration trainer and facilitator.

An example of this working in practice is Rachel.

She is supervising the mud pounders, who are creating a building material from mud and straw. Rachel started coming here for education projects when she was eight and now works as the project coordinator educator. The farm encourages children to have empathy with the natural world; they learn to observe nature, rather than imposing themselves on it.

The project was established by the owners of Quinta Vale de Lama – Nita Barroca and Walt Ludwick. Their farm incorporates an eco-hotel offering retreats and an opportunity to eat from farm to fork with their biological produce.

Although a separate entity, they partner with Campo do Vale for specific projects.

Novas Descobertas began with educational camps for children and has grown over the years to the extent that now the Câmara de Lagos sponsors some of the children in state schools to visit as part of Um Dia na Quinta.

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They then started to develop training courses for adults. I chatted with Lesley Martin, a former biological farmer from the UK. In 1995, she enrolled on a permaculture course and was then persuaded to become a teacher. After holidaying in the Algarve, she moved here to retire but, for a short time, there were no permaculture teachers in Portugal. So she saw the importance of filling this knowledge gap. “I hope the people I teach take the message with them and pass it on. A lot of my students become teachers themselves.

Many come to the project from abroad and stay onsite, while others have moved to the Algarve and want a change of lifestyle.”

If you think you are there to learn how to grow better tomatoes, you are a long way off. Patrícia explains, “This course is a design tool. It brings people together to create human ecosystems.

The human race needs to work out how to live as nature, not against it. It is also holistic in terms of having a regenerative affection for the planet; we need to change our financial systems, evaluate how we make decisions and work out how to work together. This can only be done through communication. This course hopefully opens a dialogue; people will walk away and initiate this discussion with others.”

Maybe this project won't achieve Utopia, but it is encouraging to witness such a progressive learning environment creating regenerative bonds between the individual and themselves, between the individual and the community, and between the individual and their landscape.

There is an ecosystems regeneration camp taking place every Monday during November.

They also offer permaculture design courses every spring and autumn along with several regeneration camps throughout the year.

 www.projectonovasdescobertas.org www.projectonovasdescobertas.org/en/programasaprender/campo-de-regeneracao-de-ecossistemas

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ENVIRONMENT

Children's voice

How will life be?

When you look out the window, What do you see?

How is the ozone?

How high is the sea?

Are cars flying round Like there's no gravity?

Is the world filled with robots?

That do different things?

Are we living on Mars because we can't stand the heat?

Have we found a new species Or run out of bees?

Do you look back in disgust At past men and me?

By Ralph Keenan Y8 Vale Verde School

Hi this is Mia and Emily, and we are students from Barlavento International Primary School. We are writing to you to protest about climate change. We have such a beautiful world and the only thing that humans are doing is destroying it. So, we want people to think about what we are doing to the world.

We need to start protecting natural resources like the ocean. Picture this … just imagine you live in a place very close by the sea and every day you walk down your stairs that leads you to the beach. Now you put your swimming things on to go in. Once you are in, you see lots and lots of fish and many other sea animals and the best thing is, that all the corals are alive and colourful but that is not real because the government decided to go down your stairs full of plastic go to the beach. Oh, wait-what beach? Do you mean the pile of plastic? Put your swimming things on and go for a swim in the very warm water full of plastic and no fish, or coral or any other animals. So, we need to save the planet.

How can you save the planet? Easy…

1: Switch off your lights as much as you can 2: Unplug your TV when you finish using it 3: Don't use your car as much, cycle or skate 4: Make more electric cars that people can afford 5: Stop eating so much meat, even though it’s delicious 6: Try to reduce your use of plastic

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We Do Not Inherit the Earth from Our Ancestors; We Borrow It from Our Children – Ralph Emerson.

As it will be our children's future to solve the environmental problems caused by this and past generations, Tomorrow decided to invite children to share their insights and fears about the issues of climate change. A huge well done to the children from Vale Verde, Barlavento and Aljezur International schools who submitted their work. All were amazing - here is a small selection and we will be publishing more next month.

The worst effects of climate change could be irreversible by 2030. There is a lot of talk about how people will start to help to save the planet but few actually take the initiative; most arrive home and waste food, use energy which is not needed, etc.

Therefore, I thought I’d list some things you can easily do to help!

REDUCE, REUSE AND RECYCLE Reduce means to minimise the amount of waste we create. Reuse refers to using items more than once. Recycle means putting a product to a new use instead of throwing it away.

SHOP WISELY Buy less plastic; ALWAYS bring a reusable shopping bag; and consume less, and try to look for local food markets.

CONSERVE WATER The less water you use, the less wastewater will end up in the ocean. Take showers instead of baths.

PLANT A TREE Why don't you set a goal to try to plant a tree every month, week, or even day? Trees help provide food, oxygen and they clear out the CO2 in the air.

This is a message for governments: you have so much money, so for the love of the good, use some of your money to help save the world!

CONSERVE ELECTRICITY Turn lights off when not needed, don't use the heater or air-con when a window is opened, unplug cables if not being used.

You might get more votes and live in a lovely world.

Johanna Sandizell, Year 8, Aljezur School

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ENVIRONMENT The land we live on and the land we live from Is embroidered into the silken linen of the African Savannah.

The Okavango River twists through the midday heat Tugged from side to side when lions still their thirst and hippos fight playfully.

The season has not yet come The season of sobriety and the death of all playthings Has arrived with the first oil rig, proud and straight That breaks the sun rather than reflecting it.

With the first foreign sweat that mixed with the swamps That had been forever untouched like the fruits of the ilala palm trees Too high for slim monkey fingers to grasp. It needs the force of an elephant.

It would need the force of an elephant.

Charlotte Domingues, Year 10, Aljezur International School

Our names are Charles, Biko and Tyrsky and we are year 5 and 6 students at Barlavento International Primary School. We are writing to you because we are worried about climate change and how it is affecting our world.

We need to stop burning fossil fuels such as coal, gas and oil. For over 150 years, humans have been polluting the world by burning fossil fuels, which release greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, which increases the temperature by one degree. It might not sound much, but it ruins habitats all around us. For example marine life dying, ice caps melting, and a rise of sea level that leads to more flooding. We need to stop now or our beautiful planet will become a horrible wasteland.

We need to start helping communities adapt to the impact of climate change.

We need to make more renewable energy for example wind and solar power, hydroelectricity, and biomass.

Countries around the world should also focus on reforestation not deforestation.

A gazelle’s eyes bear no truth just hollow fear and simplicity This is how we played since time immemorial.

I can see the first blanket of tight roped oil smother The winding waters and the silken grass that breathes colour into the muddy plains.

And the elephant’s breath quickened As the knife cut out its tusks. Body blistering in the midday sun Blood twisting with the Okavango River and spilling Into the sea. That is so deep red If you just look carefully enough.

Describe White to a blind person.

Antarctica, I said and knelt in pictures of snowy expanse That flooded the mind of the blind.

Describe Sorrow to a heartless person. Coax tears from their eyes.

The cries of a Beluga whale Skin slick and smooth like a new-born When the hook, cold as ice, digs itself into a back that had been the water’s home Long before we discovered the hands to force death upon others.

They might have cried but I turned my head and opened my palms Soft. Like the sand on the dunes of the Namib desert Flawed. Like us in their perfect symmetry which longs to imitate nature And its wondrous play We are not included, sought to make our own.

I find it hard to look beyond myself.

Cast your eyes upon the sea where the cries and blood and fires lit Dance and twist in the water Which is only clear if you choose to believe in innocence.

Then close them.

The image of the savaged earth will crawl deep inside of you And dig its fingers into your skull.

We need to act now!!

Thank you for taking the time to read our work.

We hope that together, we can slow down climate change.

So whenever you open your eyes to marvel at a pretty flower, a desert or a river You see what we have done.

This is the closest we will ever get to vision.

Yours sincerely, Charles, Biko and Tyrsky

Emma Tenzler, Year 12, Aljezur School

VVIS students during Drama wrote and presented their own Haiku poems on the issues of climate change and saving our planet.

Ice caps are melting The world will soon be flooded Stop before we drown!

Soon our world will end Mother Nature needs us to Help save the planet!

The planet is sad Pollution is very bad Change now to be glad.

By Noah Wood Sweeney

By Lillie O’Dea

By Bella Sadler

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ENVIRONMENT

Peanuts lifestyle

BY SÍLVIA CARVALHO D'ALMEIDA

Joana Jesus has found the secret to a happy life. She has managed to find ways to live more by spending much less than the rest of us.

From buying clothing in second-hand shops to recycling materials to upcycling pieces of furniture and home accessories, she exudes sustainability from every pore.

With the money she saves, the one thing she loves to do is travel. Last August, she went to Cyprus to volunteer and she says the experience could not have been better.

The 25-year-old explains that, as a child, she was not given everything she wanted, but she had wonderful parents who taught her to use her imagination to create, saving as much as she could. For example, when it was one of her friend's birthdays, she would create original gifts by herself instead of buying expensive, meaningless presents.

Joana had to work to pay for her college degree, managing five part-time jobs while studying at the same time. From that experience, she says she learned to be even more creative when it comes to spending her money.

environmentally. She manages to live on the income she brings in, and lives independently in her own home with her boyfriend. She has time to pursue what she likes in life.

Travelling is her passion and she intends to do it more, using the money she saves.

She explains how, as a teenager, her friends used to boast about how much they had spent on something, like a pair of trousers or a watch, but nowadays support her work and speak more of how much they have saved when buying something. Joana believes this might be because they are spending their own money now, and are thus more aware of its worth.

Peanuts Lifestyle is particularly focused on reaching young people and changing their habits as consumers, but everyone can have access to its content and learn how to save a few euros at the end of the month.  www.facebook.com/peanuts.pt

The project Peanuts Lifestyle emerged when Joana got laid off from the marketing company she worked for. Suddenly she had a lot of free time and she wanted to use it to share her experience of living happily with fewer euros in her pocket. She points out that buying less is good for the environment because fewer of the planet’s resources are being consumed. She is very rational, and before buying something, she always asks herself whether she really needs it or just wants it. She started the project with zero budget, using social media to get the word about.

As well as her day-to-day savings, she managed to travel to three countries for only 180€. She is very concerned about sustainability, and when she takes a shower, she always saves the water to flush the toilet later.

Being a marketeer, Joana is able to deconstruct the techniques used to persuade consumers to buy more and more in her social media posts. She hopes this will help people resist temptation and avoid excessive consumerism.

Joana is committed to this project full-time right now, and she is frequently asked to lecture at schools and universities about living in a more sustainable way, both financially and

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As well as her day-to-day savings, she managed to travel to three countries for only 180€

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PETS & WILDLIFE

Pet's Mate

BY LARS RAMQUIST

DRUGS. Sex and Rock'n'Roll…is all my brain and body need. To bastardise a song by Ian Dury and the Blockheads… and to get your attention with a big dramatic word!

Segue-ing onto this month's article, dispensed drugs from vet clinics are important for your pet's health. I need to take a minute of your time, especially if your pet is on lifelong medications.

We have patient lists on our computer who have permanent diseases and need daily medications.

Rechecking these patients is essential, just as it is with people - after all, we are just naked monkeys, though some of us have a little hair on our heads. We send regular reminders to clients to remind them that little Rufus needs a blood test to check his thyroid levels.

Invariably the diseases needing long-term meds are slowly progressive, deteriorating diseases.

Sort of like life itself! Regular checking (e.g. every three to six months) is advised for all chronic conditions. With time, the progression of the disease often requires an increase in the dose of the treating drug. Sometimes we can use less of the drug over time too. The point is: your pet's health will suffer if you don’t do regular reviews of the condition.

We saw a client recently with a diabetic cat receiving insulin injections. We had not done a review in over seven months and the glucose levels last week were way too low and the cat may have died. In fact, we may have cured the diabetes in this patient (this is something we strive for in feline diabetics).

Diseases that should be monitored regularly include – diabetes, thyroid diseases, Addison's and Cushing's diseases, heart disease, kidney disease, epilepsy and are many more. Your pet

may now need a dose higher than was originally dispensed, in order for it to do the same job.

Unfortunately, many clients purchase cheaper, human, drugs from pharmacies. Last month we had one lovely old patient die from receiving these, instead of veterinary formulations.

Drugs can help many ailments but, used incorrectly, they can kill. Just like with us naked monkeys. If your pet is on long-term medications, please book them in regularly for reviews and blood tests. This gives us vets a better chance to prolong a happy life with your pets.

Hope you all had a spooky Halloween!

With Rocktober now at an end, it's time again for enthusiasts to gear up for Movember, now thrown open to all genders.  +351 282 782 282 (Lagos Vet Clinic)

Environmental Dogs Well it’s November and the COP26 Conference is taking place, so with the environment in mind let’s get out and about with our dogs. How to enjoy this amazing environment we are lucky enough to live in. It’s time to have some fun!

Put your dog on a suitable harness that offers support on the chest, is padded and doesn’t restrict the shoulder movement. Attach your training lead, not a flexi lead, grab your dog’s favourite snacks and you are ready for adventure.

For some obedience training, we are going to interact with the environment. Head to the park, beach, or countryside.

Look around, you can use almost anything, boulders, trees, tree stumps, driftwood, a tree growing alongside a fence or wall, a row of trees, be adventurous.

Safety is first. Make sure the objects you choose are stable and for the “on” exercise not higher than the dogs’ shoulder height. Make sure there is nothing to snag your dog and that the landing surface is safe and non-slip.

Can your dog put his front or all paws on the object and hold the position for two seconds? Can he move between the objects? Can he go under the object? Remember to go at your dog’s pace, they are all different.

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BY GAIL SKINNER

Please don’t force your dog to do anything that he is uncomfortable with. If you have tried an object three times and he doesn’t want to interact find another object that he is happy with. These exercises should be fun for both of you.

You are a team conquering the environment.

Keeping it Green, let’s talk Recycling. Strange you may think, but let me tell you dogs loooove recycling.

Egg boxes and toilet tubes, put your dog’s dry food/snacks inside them and close (fold the ends of the toilet tubes over) and offer to your dog.

Plastic bottles, cut the little ring off the top and cut some holes in the sides. Put your dog’s dry food /snacks in the bottle and let him knock the food out. Please monitor your dog during this activity and don’t let him eat the plastic.  www.Awesome-dog.com +351 917 758 404

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PETS & WILDLIFE

Neigh-more suffering

BY ALEX BRENNAN

A hundred horses have been liberated from a life of suffering due to the admirable efforts of local horse charity Algarve Horse Alarm. Since 2017, three local horse lovers and friends – Femke Irik, Hope Wallace and Olaf Linke – have been committed to rescuing and rehabilitating the Algarve’s mistreated horses.

In 2017, a citizen in Lagos grew concerned over a horse attached to a cart in town. Femke, who also manages SeaBookings in Lagos, is well-known for her passion for horses and was contacted to see whether she could help.

Without hesitation, she checked on the horse, which was dehydrated and badly injured. Using her initiative, she negotiated with the owners and managed to rescue and treat her at her home.

Sadly, a common misconception within some communities is that car oil heals wounds and she noticed that this horse’s wounds had been covered in it. After extensive treatment (paid for out of their own pocket) the charity nursed the mare back to full health and named her Esperança, which is Portuguese for ‘hope’. Today, Esperança is “living her best life” with Hope (the human) just outside of Portimão.

Word spread after their first rescue and they were called on a few more times before they decided “they needed to make a change”. They introduced Olaf, a fellow horse lover who had previously helped with transport and was keen to help the girls with their quest.

Algarve Horse Alarm currently looks after 22 horses.

When a horse is first rescued, they are taken to ‘intensive care’ which is based at Femke’s house. Here, they will be thoroughly examined and treated appropriately. At present, they do not have premises to host all their horses. So, after their examination and treatment, they call on local landowners to see if they are willing to accommodate a horse or even a few. The charity will assign a volunteer to a location where they will visit daily to muck out, feed and water, help with fencing, medical assistance and generally tend to the horses (with affection being one of their main priorities).

A core part of their operation is their relationship with the Romani community. Frequently, they visit camps across

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the Algarve and trade medical care, equipment or (as a last resort) money, in exchange for a horse they are concerned about. Femke has even taken their equipment home and reupholstered it herself, to trade with a horse.

In times of despair, specifically with fires, Femke, Hope and Olaf also help arrange transport for horses in high-risk areas and temporarily rehome them until they can return to safety.

Although their efforts are unmatched, they wouldn’t be able to pursue their mission without the help of the volunteers and partners. Jane Kemp is one of the charity’s most valuable volunteers and organises all their fundraising events. They’ve also teamed up with some great local vets who generously offer their services for reduced fees. This includes a team of Swiss vets who fly over to Portugal from another charity and will often carry out larger procedures, such as castrations, free of charge.

The end goal is for every horse to find their forever home.

Thus, finding appropriate adopters is one of their main priorities. Rightly so, they have a strict contract and adoption procedure and only ever send horses outside of Portugal when they are sure the horse is recovered and healthy.

Algarve Horse Alarm is striving to be recognised as a registered charity with financial support from the câmara.

If successful, they would have no limit to the horses they could save and could potentially create one premises where they could care for all their horses. Until then, Femke, Hope, Olaf and the rest of the volunteers continue to graft by spreading awareness and taking care of their equine friends.  algarvehorsealarm.com +351 924 358 566 www.facebook.com/horsealarm www.paypal.com/paypalme/Purplewhispe

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