Tomorrow Portimão September 2016

September 2016 | Edition 3 | 3,000 copies

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A community newsletter for PortimĂŁo, Alvor, Ferragudo & Carvoeiro

Taking the plunge Diving in the Algarve

Pet passports All you need to know

Tasting Trail 2016 A handy guide

Back to school Tips for an easy transition

Restaurant review MediterraneanMoorish fusion Plus much more...

The AlgArve ProPerTy SPecialiSTS

Photograph courtesy of www.birchphotography.com

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Useful Numbers General

Emergency 112 Tourist support 808 781 212 British consulate 282 490 750 French Consulate (Faro) 281 380 660 German Consulate (Faro) 289 803 181 Dutch Consulate (Faro) 289 820 903 Canadian Consulate (Faro) 289 803 757 Swedish Embassy 213 942 260

Alvor

Taxi Diago Silva Private Airport Transfer Health Centre Pharmacy Hospital Fire Police Station Aerodromo

Portimão

Private Airport Transfer Health Centre Pharmacy Praia da Rocha Hospital Centro Fire Police Station Maritime police Train Station

966 214 517 965 026 176 282 459 268 282 459 588 282 420 400 282 420 130 282 420 750 282 496 581

965 026 176 282 420 161 282 425 858 282 485 641 282 450 300 282 420 130 282 417 217 282 417 714 282 423 056

Carvoeiro

| TIPOGRAFIA: C/ Al Mediterráneo, 29, Polígono de San Rafael, 04230, Huércal de Almería CIF: B04250056

City council offices 282 356 690 Town Info 282 357 728 Taxi Company (TAXIARADE) 282 460 610 Private Airport Transfer 965 026 176 Bus Station (only Lagoa) 282 341 301 Pharmacy 282 357 463 Hospital (centro de saúde) 282 357 320 Fire Station (only Lagoa) 282 352 888 Police Station 282 356 460 Plumber António Cruz 962 870 665 Builder Boto 282 461 336 Electrician Eurico 968 778 953 Mechanic Carlos 282 085 027 Hairdresser Vitor Picardo 282 356 894 House sellings Nelson Reis 919 839 299 TV & satellite repairs Rui 926 459 429

Ferragudo

Taxi Antonia Private Airport Transfer Health Centre Pharmacy Hospital (Portimão) Fire Police Station Painter Mario Lawyer Celia Tree Surgeon Firewood

965 881 917 965 026 176 282 461 361 282 461 232 282 450 300 282 420 130 282 420 750 967 881 062 282 476 305 964 384 613 917 601 798

Welcome to September’s edition of Tomorrow So that’s it - summer is ‘officially’ over! As the crowds start to disperse and the mercury returns to a manageable level, there’s plenty to look forward to in September.

In our usual What’s On section, you’ll find details of the exciting events set to take place in our local area this month, such as Lagoa Guitar Festival and an Opera Night. Heading further west, Sagres Birdwatching Festival starts at the end of the month too. Turn to page 18 for all the essential diary dates.

Having had all summer to warm up, September is (in our opinion) the best time to get into the ocean. If you’re inclined to agree, then maybe our features writer Lena can convince you to give scuba diving a go? She zipped up her wetsuit and plunged into the depths to explore Portimão’s Ocean Revival Park - find out how she got on over the page.

Meanwhile, parents will no doubt be looking forward to the start of the new school year (is that an understatement!?) and in this month’s Health section we’ve got expert tips on how to help your child make this their most successful one yet.

Sadly, not all children on the Algarve are as fortunate as our own, which is why a local children’s charity has launched a Back To School Appeal - read how you can help on page 14.

We must also mention the devastating fires that swept through the Algarve in August, which were fought so bravely and tirelessly by the bombeiros - true heroes, we’re sure you’ll agree.

It was touching to see the community rally round, with people co-ordinating donations of much-needed bottles of water, cereal bars and fruit to keep the firefighters going.

In closing, we’d like to thank everyone for their continued support of Tomorrow. We received amazing feedback following August’s edition along with some great ideas for stories, which you will discover on the following pages. As ever, if you have a cause, event or story you’d like us to cover, please get in touch - this is your magazine, after all!

Until next month…

Steven, Stephanie and the rest of the Tomorrow team   steven@tomorrowalgarve.com  +351 919 185 677 (advertising and sales)  stephanie@tomorrowalgarve.com  +351 964 187 303 (editorial)

On the cover This month's cover shot was taken at Silves Medieval Fair, which was enjoyed by thousands of people over ten days. You can see more from this amazing event on pages 24 and 25. Our thanks to Dan at Birch Photography for the cover image.  www.birchphotography.com

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Community Discovering new depths on the Algarve By Lena Strang

off the coast of Portimão, where four ex-navy ships have been sunk to create a huge artificial reef. This was the dream of Portuguese businessman Luís Sá Couto from Portimão Subnauta Dive Centre, who eight years ago had the idea of making the Algarve a prime diving destination. The Portuguese government was persuaded to donate a flotilla of former naval vessels to create the underwater park. Assisted by Canadian Artificial Reef Trading Consultants (CARC) and the Portuguese navy, the first ship was sunk in October 2012, followed by the other three shortly after. “The ships were cleared of any environmentally dangerous material and made diver friendly.

They sit upright in the sand and are in perfect condition,” Chris says, adding: “The Park has added immensely to diving in the Algarve.”

Smiling on the outside, butterflies on the inside

Tomorrow’s features writer explores the Ocean Revival Park diving site off the coast of Portimão.

Plunging into the depths of the waters off the Algarve coast, ready to explore the wonders of the deep…. yes, that’s going to be me. I have wanted to write about scuba diving for a long time, but really needed first hand experience. Having not dived for a number of years I am a little apprehensive.

I turn to one of the many dive centres in the Algarve, and soon a refresher session is arranged for me as my skills are bound to be somewhat rusty. Chris Hansen, owner and instructor of the five-star PADI centre Dive Time in Lagos is there to greet me.

Fit looking, with a beard and unruly blond hair, he has a calm and friendly manner to soothe any jittery nerves. “For anyone

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who hasn’t dived for a long time we have a Scuba Review programme,” he explains, “This is for the client’s own safety. We go through skills and safety procedures.”

He drives me to a large private pool nearby to brush up on my skills; buoyancy control, mask clearance, emergency ascents and more. Chris is patient throughout and after two hours of intensive practice I think I’ve got it. At least I know I’ll be in safe hands.

Two days later I am back for the real thing.

To my surprise, Chris has decided that instead of the anticipated shallow shore dive I am ready for a wreck dive. The butterflies in my stomach make themselves known again, but I can’t really turn back now, can I? We are to dive on the Ocean Revival Park

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Having assembled all our gear, I accompany another three divers and our two instructors on a short ride to the quayside where the dive boat is awaiting.

It’s hot and sunny with only a mild breeze – perfect for diving.

After a pleasant boat ride we arrive at the dive site and cast anchor. I can see the shoreline of Portimão two miles away in the distance. Being a protected zone, it’s safely out of bounds for any fishing vessels.

Chris goes through the dive plan and outlines all the safety aspects, and then the countdown begins. Assemble the kit. Attach weight belts around the waist. Attempt to get into the BCD (buoyancy control device jacket) with the air tank attached. Luckily there are many helping hands to assist.

Fins. Mask. Check air supply. Chris, who will buddy me throughout the dive, helps with the final checks. A giant stride from the

back of the boat, holding firmly onto my regulator mouthpiece and mask, marks the beginning of my adventure.

After lunch on board the dive boat (how can a cheese sandwich and a cup of tea taste so divine?) we have our second dive.

This time it is the frigate Hermenegildo Capelo. The first thing that confronts us as we come down the anchor line is the enormous encrusted deck gun pointing straight at us. This time we are more adventurous and go into the interior.

Although this wreck has not been on the bottom as long as the first, the fish life is equally prolific.

Final checks before jumping in

We descend slowly down the anchor rope and as we reach a depth of 20 metres we spot the corvette Oliveira e Carmo as it emerges ghostlike in front of us. There are small particles floating in the water, but through the haze I can see the structure of the ship quite clearly. It’s amazing to think that a few years ago it was patrolling the seas above and now it’s stationary down below, creating a new world of wonder. It has given a home to many sea creatures; there are small triggerfish flitting about, big shoals of gilt-headed bream, sea bass and sardines gliding past, and the odd octopus giving us the eye. Hidden in the crevices inside lurk plenty of lobsters.

And what of the wreck itself? The first dive has been kept simple and we don't go very far inside. But as we make our way along the middle of the ship we pass large encrusted winches and anchor chains, along with a number of capstans. In the engine room, the twin 12-cylinder engines with their pistons visible seem almost ready for action. Curiously, the rear end of the ship has been shorn off, apparently victim to a heavy storm, and rests some 80 metres away on the sand. With its helicopter deck, it would make another interesting site to visit.

Throughout both dives, I am monitored constantly to ensure I’m fine. And yes, I am very much OK. I’m enjoying the dives and the feeling of moving effortlessly in a different, fantastical world that I have been given the privilege of visiting.

My dive companions are fulsome in their praise. Joachim, on holiday from Berlin, is a Master Scuba Diver and has done extensive wreck diving around the world. “I was very surprised,” he says. “The diving in the Park is excellent and compares well to any other wreck sites I have visited.” The dive bug must have caught hold of the rest of his family as his daughter is doing a Discover Scuba Diving session later in the afternoon.

Exploring the Ocean Revival Park

Over a cup of coffee back on dry land later that day I learn more about diving in the Algarve. >> Continues on page 6

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Community

Discovering new depths on the Algarve >> Continued from page 5

amazing rock structures that have been created under water,” Chris explains, “There are many caves, nooks and crannies to explore with plenty of fish and plant life.” A perfect site for beginners to learn is Dona Ana Stack in Lagos. Here they can explore the rock reef surrounding the stack at shallow depths and marvel at the plentiful wrasse, bream and nudibranche.

A popular site for more advanced divers is Ancoras, a large rock reef with several swim-throughs. Apart from spotting octopus, conga eels and spider crabs amongst others, a 17th century anchor lodged on top of the reef provides interest.

Dive Time owner Chris Hansen

There are large numbers of reefs to explore to suit all levels of diving. “In this part of the Algarve we have a very interesting Atlantic ecosystem with

This all sounds very appealing but is diving really for everyone? “Yes,” Chris maintains.

“As long as you don’t have medical conditions that prevent you from diving, it is suitable for all.” He tells me children can start diving in the pool aged eight

and in the sea at 10, and mature age is no hindrance. “My oldest student was 76,” he says. “Learning to dive has opened new doors for him and his wife. Now they go on active holidays where they can experience something new.”

There is instructor training, including a onemonth intensive boot camp programme for divers who want to achieve Dive Master level and work within the industry.

Provisions are also made for disabled divers with qualified instructors providing specialist instruction. So there really is something for everyone.

With dynamic dive operations, easily accessible sites and highly affordable prices, that dream of the Algarve becoming a prime diving destination is certainly well on its way to being realised. I am sure many more will be taking the plunge soon. 

Five reasons to dive in the Algarve Thinking of giving diving a try for yourself?

Dive Time’s Chris is here to convince you to take the plunge with his top five reasons to try diving here on the Algarve…

in Alvor. Moreover, diving is actually a very safe sport with both national and selfregulating bodies monitoring standards.

Talking of which...

1. Octopus My personal favourite underwater creature, octopus are fascinating and strange in equal measure, and happily the Algarve is teeming with them. They are highly curious, intelligent, can change their colour and texture at will to hide themselves, and have the ability to fart ink at a moment’s notice.

What's not to love?

3. Regulation As a business owner it's difficult for me to say this, but Portugal's love of bureaucracy and licenses does have it's upsides. As a result of the (some would say overzealous) desire to license everything here, it is very difficult for ‘cowboy’ dive centres to operate. The simple fact of the matter is that if you want to run a dive centre in Portugal, you better make sure everything is in order otherwise big fines lie in wait.

2. It's safe Diving accidents in the Algarve are rare and, in the unlikely event that something does go wrong, there is a brand new hyperbaric chamber situated in a great central location

4. Good diving conditions all year round The Algarve is famous for its 300 days of

sunshine per year, but it's also notable for generally good sea conditions. The Algarve coastline has favourable diving conditions 90% of the time, with water temperature rarely dropping below 14°C and reaching pleasant highs of 25°C. 5. Sites to suit all levels of experience Not everyone wants to go for deep or challenging dives, and the Algarve coastline caters to this perfectly. Despite boasting some truly impressive deep and wreck sites, there are many spots where divers can enter the water easily and experience an excellent shallow dive on a reef covered with marine life - perfect for complete beginners who want an easy introduction to the underwater world.   www.dive-time.net

This month’s photo competition winner…

Eater. “It allowed me to get so close to it, it was amazing!” Carol told us. As this month’s winner, she will enjoy a meal in a local restaurant worth €50. Congratulations!

…is Carol Mayoh from Portimão, who submitted this incredible shot of a Bee-

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captures the essence of what it’s like to live here in Portimão, Alvor, Ferragudo, Carvoeiro and the surrounding area.

September’s competition is now open, and we look forward to receiving your snaps of daily life from around our community.

To enter, either email your pictures to us on photos@tomorrowalgarve.com, or upload your shots on Facebook and tag Tomorrow Algarve (you’ll need to ‘like’ us first).

You don’t have to be a professional photographer to enter by any means - what we are looking for is a snap that really

The Tomorrow team will chose their favourite on the 15th of every month. Good luck and happy snapping! 

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Community

Campaign to conserve Lagoa’s coast By Len Port A group of Lagoa homeowners are seeking expert advice and support in a campaign to conserve the spectacular stretch of coastal habitat between Benagil and Nossa Senhora da Rocha as a nature reserve rather than see it developed as luxury tourist resorts.

Academics and naturalists have long recognised this area to be of special geological and archaeological importance, as well as of considerable significance in terms of flora and fauna.

A small group of homeowners in one of the most directly affected communities has recently been told by officials that it could be years, perhaps decades, before sufficient funds are available to allow detailed infrastructure planning and construction to proceed.

The area lends itself perfectly to ecotourism, say those hoping to save it, but they are concerned it may be too late.

But it is thought to be only a matter of ‘when’ rather than ‘if’ construction goes ahead. The promoters are thought to be seeking investors overseas, most likely in China and the United States. One of the project-approved sites, comprising 230 hectares, is currently being offered for sale at €115 million.

Plans have long been approved for two adjoining projects - code-named UP11 and UP12 - which would replace large tracts of natural habitat that are rich in biodiversity with hotels, villas, apartments and a golf course.

Meanwhile, it has escaped no-one’s notice that Lagoa and other Algarve municipalities feature half-built, multi-storey blocks long abandoned due to the lack of sustainable guarantees for the planning and approval of project funding.

The coastal stretch runs to the east and west of Praia da Marinha, considered by the Michelin Guide and other international travel entities to be one of the top ten beaches in Europe, and among the most beautiful coastal settings in the world.

Despite previous claims to the contrary, it seems that no environmental impact studies have been carried out on the proposed development sites, or were perhaps even required. Concerned local residents say it should be of the utmost importance that a proper, impartial environmental assessment be sought by the government before irreparable damage is done.

Despite being the largest private development programme ever proposed in the Lagoa municipality’s history, little has been divulged publicly since the projects were first approved more than eight years ago.

It is understood that construction has been approved within a few hundred metres of

the shoreline, considerably less in parts than the normally legislated 500 metres.

The projects were accepted by the relevant authorities in Lisbon and Faro, as well as Lagoa, in the belief that they would create jobs and be of considerable economic benefit. Although it has never been explicitly explained who would benefit, the projects could be expected to generate profits for outside investors, national or international construction companies and resort operators.

Those suggesting that the area be turned into a nature reserve point to the evergrowing, sustainable profitability of ecotourism. It has proved so in many parts of the world in recent decades. Ecotourism, they say, is more adept than foreign investors at providing incomes for local communities and would represent an overall more sustainable long-term investment for the area. It has the advantage of attracting visitors all year round, not just during high summer or the golf season.

Those contemplating such a nature reserve have no illusions it will be easy to establish. They realise too it may be a race against time. “Our research so far, however, indicates that the area may qualify for backing from the UNESCO World Heritage organisation, hence we are seeking help from experts in the field and supporters alike,” said a spokesperson for the group.   marinha.reserve@gmail.com

Local students celebrate environmental prize win including social problems, road improvements, leisure, sports, culture, environment, health and energy.

A group of 13 students from Nobel celebrated success with one of their three projects, which centred around encouraging people to separate recyclable items from their domestic waste and take them to local recycling centres. Currently, unseparated waste is sorted at the landfill by an external company, at great cost to the Câmara.

Students from Nobel International School Algarve have seen an environmental initiative they formulated implemented by the town hall.

At the annual Youth Assembly in April 2015, Lagoa’s city council invited local students to create and submit projects designed to address various local matters on topics

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Following the win, the project was put into action by Lagoa Câmara late in 2015. The initiative was implemented with the help

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of students Madalena Severino, Ricardo Passion, Francisco Marcos, Gabriela Jacinto and Ana Bernardo as well as a budget of €5,000, and saw educational pamphlets promoting waste separation and awareness of carbon footprints circulated locally.

Implemented at the end of last year, the project has already enjoyed success. The money saved on sorting and recycling waste can be invested elsewhere in the local area, and may even lead to a reduction in waste taxes - making the project an environmental and financial winner.

Congratulations to all the students involved!   www.nobelalgarve.com

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Community

Experiencing Déjà Vu in Ferragudo Déjà Vu art shop has become an iconic destination in the heart of Ferragudo.

One of the last remaining authentic fishing villages in the Algarve, characterised by boats bobbing in the port, the rise and fall of the tide and the chime of the church tower, the village has been the home of many different creative artists, including jazz musician Manoel Guerreiro, painter Francisco Bronze, sculptor Jose Cortes and Sylvain Bongard, who we featured in last month’s issue of Tomorrow.

Déjà Vu’s owner, Jerome Gay, is another prominent artist who has also lived in the village. Jerome studied Fine Art at Winchester School of Art and Salamanca University, reflecting his half English and Spanish heritage.

He first ran a studio in Ferragudo called Artlantic, from which he painted contemporary ceramics and tiled panels sought after by the rich and famous (including Sir Cliff Richard), before opening Déjà Vu. The beautiful building that houses the shop originally began life as a wine cellar and was given a new lease of life in 2010, transforming into a work of art itself.

Déjà Vu displays the works of around 20 different artists, each of them on their own table within the shop. The concept was to showcase a variety of artists and artisans, giving it the atmosphere of a colourful and eclectic art fair coupled with great music.

Works such as recycled bags made from rubber inner tubes by Portuguese shoe designer Footnote feature alongside glassware design by Norman, whose atelier is close to Lagos. Beautiful turquoise ceramics by Ben & Nadrali come from nearby Loulé, whilst the whimsical, ocean-themed ceramics by Sylvain Bongard originate from Ferragudo itself.

Contemporary prints by Lis Gonçalves from Lisbon give a modern twist to traditional Portuguese folk themes.

always fresh and new, exciting things to see and buy. As a result many clients come back to the shop each year for inspiration and a chat or even a glass of wine with Jerome! However, if he is out surfing you will also enjoy meeting either Jane or Guida, who both speak English and Portuguese fluently and manage the shop with the same passion for art and hospitality as the owner.

Located on Rua 25 de Abril, the shop is open every day from 10am till 11pm until mid-September. After that it will close at 7pm daily until the end of October when it goes into hibernation, reopening in March with a fresh look and exciting new artists.   +351 965 049 722  artshop.dejavu@gmail.com

The walls of the shop have a constant rotation of various artists’ and photographers’ work, such as the worldrenowned surf photographer Brek who hails from across the river in Portimão.

Each year the shop’s aim is to offer new artists and products sourced by Jerome from the many art fairs he visits throughout the country, making sure that there are

A guide to geocaching, part two: Geocaching in the sunshine

By David F

In the last issue of Tomorrow I introduced geocaching, the outdoor treasure hunting game that uses a smartphone with GPS or a similar device to search for hidden ‘caches’.

In this instalment, I’ll explain more about the different types of cache and how to make the most of playing the game here on the Algarve!

Geocaching has been described as using sophisticated, hi-tech satellite technology in order to go in pursuit of pieces of Tupperware (!). However, for me it is about enjoying great walks - be they in the countryside or along the coast - with a purpose, namely tracking down ‘treasure’ that other geocachers have hidden.

Circular walks around ‘multi-cache’ routes are a great feature of geocaching, involving finding a number of caches in sequence, often collecting a code from each to reveal a bonus cache. A fairly easy multi-cache route in Ferragudo is titled Ferragudo e o Arade - you’ll find it on geocaching.com

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by searching for code GC1HAYK. Set by the geocaching group Compadrio Marafado, this route takes you on a pleasant walk of the area, starting at Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Conceição where you are tasked with solving a puzzle in order to unlock the additional locations! Great fun.

As well as being categorised by size, difficulty and terrain, there are several cache types. Traditional caches are generally the easiest to locate - they give you the co-ordinates for the location of the cache, so at least you know where to look within a couple of metres.

Caches? Well, caches can take many forms, everything from basic plastic containers to fake rocks or wooden logs. They can be hanging in trees, hidden under rocks or even stuck to street furniture with a magnet.

Meanwhile, multi-caches (like the example given above) require you to visit more than one place, picking up clues for the location of the cache, whilst mystery caches present you with a puzzle or code to break. I’ll give more info about them in the next issue, as well as introducing Travel Bugs and Geocoins! 

Either way, all caches are categorised by size; they may be large (shoebox size or bigger), small (a small lunch box, for example), micro (like a 35mm film pod) or unclassified (which usually means it could be as small as half the filter tip on a cigarette). Difficulty and terrain are also rated from one to five so you can get an idea of what you are in for. You will need to be fit to tackle terrain rated four or five, but one- and two-rated caches are a doddle - if you can find them.

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An example cache box

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Community

Tough love turning around young lives By Amber Henshaw humans will only experience what they are willing to experience.

“However in their own culture, the wellrehearsed nature of their day-to-day lives all too often prevents them from opening up to anything different. They cannot access many experiences due to obstacles.” So these damaged children are taken out of their native environments to a foreign land where they undergo a four-stage programme. Not only do they have to cope with a complete change to their lives, they also have to cope with learning and speaking in English – sometimes for the first time.

At the age of just 13, Pia Gdaniec from Schwelm in Germany was on the edge of self-destruction. Her life was in tatters.

She was on drugs, she had problems at home, she was hanging out with a bad crowd, she was in and out of institutions – often running away.

“I really don’t know if I would be alive if I hadn’t come here,” she tells me when we meet at an isolated farmhouse deep in the rugged but beautiful Alentejo. They had run out of options in Germany about how to deal with Pia so she was sent to the Progresso Institute in Portugal. It really was her last chance to get her life back on track.

As we sit around the kitchen table in the farmhouse drinking tea with Pia and her mother, Progresso's Managing Director Dorit Brandauer tells Pia what she remembers about her when she collected her at the airport. “Your face was different,” she says “It was closed, angry and revolting. You were an angry little girl.” There’s no disagreement from Pia – that is exactly how she felt. When you look at her open, happy face now it’s quite hard to imagine that she was ever in such a dark place. She has a calmness and peace about her.

The Progresso Institute takes young people referred from Holland and Germany (although they would like to broaden this to the UK) and gives them ‘intensive pedagogical care’.

The institute was set up by Dutch-born Dorit and two others, Tanja and Mark. Jan, Dorit’s partner, is also involved. They had a vision that by taking young people with extreme behavioural problems out of their ‘normal’ environments they could “strip them back to basics” and help them to rebuild their lives. Their philosophy can be summed up by German ethnologist and writer Hans-Jurgen Heinrichs who said: “Everything that you experience somewhere else can, in principle, also be experienced at home; or to put it differently, in a foreign environment

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Dorit tells me that one of the first things they have to do is write their own life story – they have the chance to explain why and how they ended up in the situation they find themselves in. The first phase that young people experience with the institute is the ‘authority phase’. It can last for seven weeks or so (which is down to how the individual develops – it can be longer). During this phase all connections to the outside world are taken away computers, games, mobile phones. They are not allowed to wear jewellery or wear make-up. They are not allowed telephone or internet contact but have to write two letters a week.

Dorit explains that they are stripped of any responsibility. She says that they even have to ask to go to the loo. They are not allowed to go to school because that is often what young people with problems rail against. Instead they have jobs around the institute that they have to do – mucking out the stables, gardening or painting and maintenance for example.

“It’s communal living and working as a team,” says Dorit, adding that they have an awful lot of counselling and support from the institute’s team of professionals every day. “Personal responsibility – ‘I am responsible for my life and my actions’ – and making independent decisions are the fundamental principles that govern this phase of the process,” it says in the institute’s concept document.

When we were at the farmhouse we were invited to go into one of the group therapy sessions. The atmosphere was intense and we quickly retreated as one boy started jumping up and down and growling.

Dorit told me afterwards that they weren’t sure what had happened to him but

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thought perhaps he had been caged and treated like a dog with aggressive behaviour when he was at home.

The next stage of the programme tends to last about 16 weeks. This phase is about regaining some rewards having shown a change in behaviour. They can earn the right to go to school – that starts to be seen by some of the young people as a privilege. “A lot of them still want the adult to take all the responsibility at this stage,” Dorit explains.

But this is the phase where they have to start applying the behaviour patterns that they’ve learnt from their day-to-day life within a controlled environment.

The third part of the programme usually lasts for about 16 weeks. It’s the part where they start to move towards independence.

They might live more independently in one of the local towns and have to start thinking about how they will deal with the reality of finances, school and jobs when they return to their home country. They also have to start living around some of their old temptations like alcohol and drugs.

The counsellors are still on hand every day to provide support and catch them when they, perhaps, fall. The final phase of the programme – the phase which Pia has reached – is about saying goodbye. Dorit says this phase can usually last between two and four weeks. The young people have to start organising themselves to leave and they have to start thinking about the reality of returning home and planning what they will do.

Pia’s mother, 44-year-old Tanya, is in the Alentejo to take her daughter home. She tells me what their relationship was like before Pia came to Portugal. “It was a bad relationship.

She hated me. She wanted to live under a bridge. It was a heart-stabbing time. There was lots of arguing and I was very sad because I thought I had lost my daughter forever.” It took a long time for them to start rebuilding their relationship and for them to start communicating properly again.

The institute staff and psychologist were fundamental in this process, Tanya says. She had a therapist in Germany alongside Pia’s counselling in Portugal.

Tanya also visited Pia during the two years she was away which helped them both. Another key lesson for Pia was a

very different experience when her father visited. He had introduced her to drugs and while she was trying to break her habit, he was breaking all of the institute’s rules and taking drugs while he was there. Pia was able to see his behaviour clearly for the first time and she says that it helped her to move on.

There’s no doubt that Pia’s life has been completely turned around by her two years at the institute but Dorit admits that on the odd occasion they have had to admit defeat. “We had to send a child back recently. He just destroyed everything.

He was in an island and we couldn’t reach him. At the end, we needed two counsellors for him day and night,” Dorit says. But this child had had problems since birth. His mother was a heroin addict and he was immediately in detox when he was born. Dorit says his mother didn’t give him food so he had to live in a state of shock to stay alive.

“He had to be in control and destroyed every relationship he had,” she says sadly.

“This was the most hopeless case we have ever had.” In the main the young people do seem to leave the institute

completely changed. Pia says: “I don’t really believe what I was in the past. I am calm, I can reflect, I am happy and I have selfconfidence. I can control my feelings now.”

“I am happy to go back to Germany and to go back and live with my mother but I am also sad to leave here.”

I left the farmhouse feeling awe inspired by the work the institute and its team of professionals do. They have given Pia her life back and given mother and daughter a second chance. 

Local hotel named one of Europe’s most beautiful the main building (dubbed The Palace), the Blue House located just a stone’s throw away, and the Garden House (Bela Vista Jardim), a modern construction that has a Riviera-vibe thanks to its blue and white striped exterior.

One of the jewels of the local hotel scene has won much-deserved praise from a major global website.

Bela Vista in Portimão was named in CNN. com’s list of ’20 most beautiful hotels in Europe’ earlier this year (www.cnn.it/1R2iO8s), ranking alongside some of the continent’s most luxurious establishments including The Peninsula Paris in France and the Four Seasons Hotel Firenze in Florence, Italy.

Slipping through Bela Vista’s secure front gates into its impeccably manicured grounds, it’s easy to understand why the beach-front hotel made the cut. Towering before you is the imposing Moorish-style mansion that now houses one of the region’s most impressive five-star resorts.

That feeling only grows when you step through the front door into the heart of the hotel, where a riot of colour and attention to detail meet the eye.

Built in 1918, the former family home was first transformed into a hotel in 1934 (on the July 15th to be precise, a date that is marked every year with a lavish party), making it one of the first in the region. The hotel’s current owners closed Bela Vista’s doors eight years ago in order to transform it into the five-star establishment that it is today, reopening to guests in 2011. It now has 38 rooms split across three buildings;

As part of the rejuvenation, the owners enlisted the services of internationallyrenowned Portuguese interior designer Graça Viterbo, who seamlessly blended the hotel’s historic qualities - such as the dark Brazilian wood that forms the grand central staircase, and the intricate tiles that can be found in the communal areas - with modern design details to beautiful effect. A grand piano in the lobby is covered in lacquered chitas de Alcobaça (cloth sheets featuring traditional prints) whilst fish motifs are found everywhere, from the light installations dangling in reception to the fabric-covered doors that separate the cosy bar from the light-filled restaurant, giving a nod to the hotel’s proximity to the sea.

Speaking of the restaurant, it’s here that guests (and also locals, provided you book in advance) can sample the delights of chef João Oliveria at fine dining restaurant Vista, where the Portuguese and Mediterranean menu includes langoustine served with caviar and Portugal’s famed crispy black pork. Originally hailing from northern Portugal, João spent time at Michelinstarred restaurant Vila Joya in Albufeira before arriving at Bela Vista, and the hotel now hopes to add the respected food award to its name. “We’re not afraid to say that we want a Michelin star,” sales and marketing manager Roberto Carneiro says, confidently adding: “We know that we are good enough.”

Anyone who’s mastered a basic level of

Portuguese will no doubt have translated the hotel’s name as ‘beautiful view’, and standing on the restaurant’s terrace it’s not hard to see where the moniker came from.

Located on the cliffs towering over Praia da Rocha beach, the hotel boasts incredible views whichever way you look, taking in Portimão marina to the left, the stunning rock formations that give the beach its name to the right, and the glistening Atlantic ocean as far as the eye can see. “It’s an oasis away from the world outside,” Roberto says, gesturing towards Praia da Rocha’s bustling strip that lies just moments away.

Further sanctuary can be found within the walls of the hotel’s on-site spa, which manager Pedro Neto proudly tells me is the only spa in Portugal to use products from exclusive French beauty brand L’Occitane. They are put to good use, with relaxing massages, rejuvenating facials, hydrotherapy baths and detoxifying wraps offered in the spa’s three private and two couples’ treatment rooms.

Outside of the restaurant and spa, it’s possible for local residents to enjoy the splendour of Bela Vista by attending one of the monthly sunset parties the hotel hosts between June and October, which are advertised on its Facebook page.

September’s event will take place on the 10th, whilst a special gastronomic affair is planned for the October’s party, with Chef Oliveiro inviting other celebrated chefs to the venue to serve up what is sure to be a fabulous feast.

And what better venue than one of the most beautiful hotels in Europe?   www.hotelbelavista.net  Hotel Bela Vista

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Community

Back to school appeal Children across the Algarve return to school this September, but many without the essentials needed to learn. Families on low or no income are entitled to subsidies for text books, but parents often can still not afford to buy basics such as backpacks, exercise books or decent pencil sharpeners.

In addition to backpacks and exercise books, children also need writing pens, pencils, felt-tip pens, colouring pencils, long rulers, pencil sharpeners, rubbers, pritt-stick glue, scissors, pencil cases and elastic-fastening folders. Older children also need items such as calculators, ringbinders, protractors and compasses.

To combat this, children’s charity ACCA and Castela do Sonhos in Silves have launched a ‘back to school’ appeal. Last year they provided local kids with over 600 backpacks and other school essentials, and this year they want to break this record.

If you would like to buy some of these items and donate them yourself instead, that would be most welcome too. Although it is tempting to buy beautiful school goodies, please buy the basic blackcovered exercise books and simple files in order to help as many children as possible.

They are asking for kind donations of €5 (or more, if you can), enough to purchase either a backpack, a gym bag or a pack of 10 exercise books. The backpacks are purchased from a wholesaler, and the exercise books need to be the basic black covered ones available in the supermarkets for around 50 cents each.

Donations of all kinds can be left at the following drop-off points: • Castelo de Sonhos, Silves; • Holiday Inn Algarve, Armação de Pêra; • The Golf Shack, on the EN125 between Porches and Alcantarilha; • Casa Curiosa, on the EN125 between Almancil and Faro;

Local community centres and schools will identify which kids are neediest, with local orphanages also benefiting from the campaign.

• Lewis Andrew, opposite Apolonia in Almancil;

• Farmacia Nobre Passos, Almancil; • Cards on Rua Moinho do Azeite in Lagos.

Any donations of money are guaranteed to get to the needy. Alternatively, you can make a bank transfer to ACCA using the following details: Account Name: Ass. Solid. Crianças Carenciadas Algarve - ACCA Account No: 43426419101 IBAN: PT50 0079 0000 4342641910 122 Swift/BIC: BPNPPTPL NIB: 0079 0000 4342641910 122 Your vital donations are ideally needed by September 6th, so there is time to identify where the shortfall lies and buy the rest of the equipment before term starts.

With your generosity, these children will be given an extra chance to make the best of their education and find a brighter future.   info@golfshack.eu  +351 282 098 040  dacemoss@sapo.pt  +351 282 332 665

Marking 10 years of unleashed imaginations out of a crowd; if the bright, self-decorated t-shirt bearing her name didn’t give her away, the colourful strands of material she wears in her hair definitely would.

“I once told one of the children that they were my hearing antennae,” she chuckled when Tomorrow joined her for a crafty afternoon recently. “After that, every time she spoke to me she talked to my head!”

The annual summer Kids’ Club at Villa Termal in Caldas de Monchique draws to a close this month, marking a 10th successful season of fun and creativity led by local artist and force of nature Monika Pable.

This is exactly the sort of creative thinking that Monika encourages from all the children that spend time at the club. Her mission is to get kids away from technology and connect them to the real world in order to develop their physical and intellectual capacity. One of her favourite mottos is “don’t use the internet, use your intellect”. She’s also keen to pass on the importance that the environment plays in our lives, helping kids to live greener lives.

Any kids lucky enough to have attended the club during its 10-year history will no doubt recognise Monika’s smiling face. And if you’ve not had the pleasure of meeting her yourself, you’d definitely be able to pick her

She achieves this with a programme of activities that has a different focus every day, from painting to theatre. The craft sessions make use of recycled materials - everything from leaves and branches to

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scraps of rubbish they find on one of the regular nature walks - and the colourful room in which the Kids’ Club takes place is filled with creations made from the like.

A spider with the centre of a sunflower for a body and alfarrobeira pods for legs is a favourite.

There’s no doubting the 58-year-old Austrian’s commitment to her cause, either.

During the summer months, the Kids’ Club runs seven days a week from 10am to 10pm, making for long, tiring days. But in spite of this, Monika’s energy - not to mention her friendly smile - never falters during our chat.

When she’s not inspiring kids to unleash their imagination, Monika runs local shop Arte Natura where she sells items made from natural materials. She occasionally looks after children in the winter months too, but she has her heart set on a different goal. “My dream is to have my own place for kids,” she says. “Maybe one day…”

How lucky the local children would be if Monika’s dream were to come true. 

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Community

Travelling with pets: part one By Stephanie Ginger the tapeworm treatment was difficult to manage.

The good news is that in 2012 the Pet Passport rules were relaxed and it’s now simpler than ever to bring your pet to Portugal and back. Provided your dog or cat is over three months old and the other requirements are fulfilled, owners now need wait only three weeks for the rabies vaccine to take effect before travelling, and it lasts three years.

Many Algarve residents and visitors have faced the thorny problem of how to transport their furry friends to and from Portugal on a regular basis. After all, cats and dogs (or even ferrets!) share some of the best moments of your life – why not your holiday or second home?

You now also have between 24 hours and 120 hours (5 days) before entering the UK to get the tapeworm treatment (for dogs) administered by a vet.

It’s been a number of years since we brought Flossie, our retriever, to Portugal for the summer. Under the EU Pet Travel Scheme – introduced in 2001 – if you had documentation in the form of a Pet Passport proving that the animal had been microchipped, its vaccinations were upto-date (specifically rabies) and it had been treated for tapeworm and ticks, you could take your pet out of and (possibly more importantly) back into the UK.

And for those concerned about the future, according to the Animal and Plant Health Agency website there is no change envisaged following Brexit.

Outside of the UK, you need a Pet Passport for travel with pets between EU countries, but the restrictions (practically speaking) are much less onerous, and once you have the passport there is freedom of movement.

But when we last brought Flossie to Portugal for the summer in 2008 it certainly wasn’t plain sailing, with reams of extra rules and regulations. At that time the whole rabies procedure could typically take six months to sort out, and on the return journey the narrow window for

But, as a responsible pet owner, before you rush off to get your pet a passport and book your ‘pet-friendly’ passage, there are some practical issues to consider.

Is your pet a homebody who gets nervy at the prospect of a five-minute trip in the car? Or does your pet prefer to be with

you wherever you are? How do they cope with strangers, strange places, the heat? Be honest with yourself, however much you’d like them along - otherwise you could be asking for trouble.

If you do decide that a holiday is not a holiday without Fido or Felix, you’ll need to get them microchipped by your vet (if you haven’t done so already) before getting the rabies jab, or it won’t count.

When the vet administers the jab, also make sure he or she records your pet’s microchip number on the vaccination record. Once you have both identity and vaccination records plus the rabies vaccination (or blood test results if you already have them) you can obtain a Pet Passport. If your vet doesn’t issue them, ask them for the nearest vet that does.

One last thing on the paperwork front is to check your pet insurance covers travel abroad and if not, find a policy that does.

Things to look out for are cover for vet’s expenses and the loss of your dog’s pet passport, for example.

So Fido and Felix have their very own passports and are tooled up to tango! Now comes the fun bit. How to get them there – and back? This will be covered in next month’s instalment.   www.gov.uk/take-pet-abroad

Penina golf star was a great painter too evoked many good memories.

My father collaborated closely with owner John Stillwell and built many houses in the hotel grounds. One of them was for Sir Henry Cotton himself. As a result they became good friends and regularly exchanged dinner parties or met for galas at the hotel’s grill restaurant with other celebrities of the time.

Jerome Gay, owner of art shop Déjà Vu in Ferragudo, sent in this letter following our article marking Penina Hotel’s 50th anniversary in the August issue.

To commemorate this friendship and these good memories, Sir Henry gave my father a beautiful painting depicting a still life of a barrel of wine, cabbage, cheese and a lobster!

Dear Tomorrow magazine, In your last edition I read and really enjoyed the article on the hotel Penina. I spent much of my childhood in the hotel and it

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As an artist myself it is clear that Sir Henry was not only a world class golfer but also an accomplished painter, as was the case with Winston Churchill. The painting is

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about 80cms by 100cms in a gold frame. It is clearly signed ‘Cotton’ and has a bronze plaque with his name in the frame.

When my late father died in Mallorca I inherited this painting and have since brought it back to Portugal. If there are any collectors of golf memorabilia who would be interested in such an artefact I would like to sell it for the price of €2,500.

Ideally I would like the painting to be bought by the hotel itself and placed in the lobby alongside some of the memorabilia mentioned in the article, as it was painted at his house in the grounds of the Penina hotel.   +351 965 049 722  jeromeart@hotmail.com

SELLING YOUR PROPERTY? WE BRING BUYERS TO VIEW PROPERTIES 7 DAYS A WEEK, 364 DAYS A YEAR PUT ‘SOLD’ ON YOUR PROPERTY BY CONTACTING US NOW! Our dynamic, multilingual listing team are waiting to hear from YOU!

www.idealhomesportugal.com Head Office Tel: +351 289 513 434 | Freephone: 0800 133 7644 Email: info@idealhomesportugal.com | info@idealhomesinternational.co.uk

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What's On Try something new: Ideias do Levante choir

concerts, charity events and other shows, with one member describing performing in public as “exhilarating.”

Who can join?

Beginners are welcome; a simple singing test is all that is needed to determine your suitability for the choir. The current choir is a pretty even mix of Portuguese and expats, and they’re a welcoming group.

“Friendships abound and there is much caring, fun and laughter, mostly when it’s appropriate!” one member told Tomorrow.

What do I need to take part?

All that’s required is €10 a month membership fee, which goes towards the choir’s running costs and also the continued success of the association.

With a vibrant expat community, there is a wealth of activities to get involved in around the local area. Each month we’ll shine a light on one of these activities, providing information on how to go about getting involved and hopefully inspiring you to give it a go. This month: a local choir group.

artistic direction of Prof. Vera Batista, who is covering whilst regular artistic director Prof.

Francisco Brazão is on sabbatical leave during 2016.

Tell me more Founded in 1996, the choir is now a highlight of Ideias do Levante, a cultural association based in Lagoa that also runs dance, theatrical and other musical groups.

The choir is currently under the temporary

What’s it all about?

The aim of the Ideias do Levante choir is to improve its members’ singing ability, and to promote Lagoa and the region culturally through choir music. With a varied repertoire (everything from musical pieces from shows such as Les Misérables and classical pieces through to pop-rock arrangements of Queen hits!) the choir regularly takes part in choir festivals,

How can I get involved?

Rehearsals are conducted in English and in Portuguese every Wednesday, from 8pm to 10pm, in room 10 at the Centro de Estudos e Formação de Lagoa (CEFLA) on 27 Rua Dr. Fonseca de Almeida. To enquire about joining, get in touch using the contact details below.   +351 965 017 845  www.ideiasdolevante.net/en/ Want your group, club or organisation to feature in an upcoming ‘Try Something New’?

Email stephanie@tomorrowalgarve.com with your suggestions.

Get creative in Caldas de Monchique Monchique for a ‘Let’s Get Creative Day’?

In the morning Barry will demonstrate how to produce a painting, explaining what he is doing each step of the way, with a two-hour watercolour workshop following in the afternoon. There will also be some of Barry’s work on display and some art materials to buy if you catch the bug.

Have you ever wondered how artists produce such creative works of art? Maybe you fancy creating your own art but have never been sure where to start, or you’re looking for a new pastime and love the idea of getting creative. If this sounds like you, why not join top UK art tutor and demonstrator Barry Herniman in Caldas de

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 www.tomorrowalgarve.com

The demonstration is completely free and the workshop costs just €35, which includes all art materials and hands-on tuition from Barry throughout.

The day is being hosted by Villa Termal and will take place at the resort’s exhibition centre next to the ‘Terrace of Elms’ square on

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October 15th between 10.30am and 5.30pm.

Why not make a day of it, taking lunch at the tapas bar or restaurant where you will be well looked after and enjoying a day of creativity.

The event is sponsored by Alpha Painting Holidays, who will be running a sevenday painting holiday with Barry the week prior to the Let’s Get Creative Day. Alpha’s owners, Matt and Gill Clark, have more art initiatives planned in Caldas this winter, as well as in and around Lagos and Luz. For more information contact Matt & Gill using the contact details below.   joinus@alphapaintingholidays.com  911068062

Saturday 15th October 2016 - 10.30 - 17.30

Join top UK art tutor,

in

- Watch demonstrate how he paints a picture like “ (left) Attend a 2 hour Watercolour Workshop for only €35 ● All Art Materials Supplied ● Hands on tuition from Barry For more info or to book the workshop, email, call or just turn up

Call 911 068 062

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| 19

What's On

International Guitar Festival The third annual instalment of the Lagoa International Guitar Festival starts this month and will see world-class musicians descend on the local area.

and local wines on offer to complement the performances.

Starting on September 11th and running until the end of October, this year’s festival will feature a diverse set of sounds, genres and musical cultures, with an exciting mix of both traditional and contemporary styles.

The line-up includes performances from respected international guitarists such as Alessia Martegiani, Maurizio di Fulvio and British ukulele-based ensemble The Small Change Diaries, as well as local musicians Rui Mourinho, Mickael Viegas and Pedro Mestre.

Performances will take place across six stages in the local area, including Lagoa’s Convento de São José, Adega de Lagoa and the municipal auditorium, as well as nearby Quinta da Vinha in Cabrita, Quinta dos Vales in Estômbar and the Igreja de Ferragudo. There will also be traditional food

Meanwhile, three masterclasses are also scheduled. World-class musician Jose Carlos Matos will host a session titled ‘The Electric Guitar and His Universe’, Grammynominated guitarist Martin Taylor and Scottish-Canadian jazz singer Alison Burns will co-host ‘Guitar and Voice in Jazz’, and musical group Les Kostards will deliver a session focussed on gypsy jazz (also know as ‘manouche’).

Tickets for all events can be bought in advance at the Convento de São José in Lagoa between 9.30am and 12.30pm and 2.30-5.30pm Tuesday through Saturday.

They are also available from local Fnac and Worten stores.

Check the festival’s website for full listings and more details.   www.festivalguitarralagoa.pt

Enjoy a night at the opera in Lagoa For a high-brow culture fix, head to Lagoa’s Municipal Auditorium on September 23rd for an annual Opera Night.

Presented by local cultural association Ideias do Levante in partnership with the municipality of Lagoa, the evening will feature soprano Carla Pontes, bass-baritone Francisco Brazão and pianist Cristiana Silva. A special guest appearance will also be made by Maria Rocha, a soprano who honed her talent at Lisbon’s Academia de Amadores and the University of Évora.

Set against impressive staging, the show will feature performances of a variety of opera

scenes, incorporating arias, duets and trios.

The concert is recommended for adults and children aged 12 years and over. The auditorium seats 298 people, and tickets can be purchased at the Convento de São José in Lagoa or on the day of the show at the auditorium.

Tickets are priced at €8 and there is a 20% discount for Ideias do Levante associates as well as holders of the ‘Passaporte Cultural de Lagoa’.   +351 282 380 434 (Convento de S.José)  www.ideiasdolevante.net/en

This year’s festival celebrates the Egyptian Vulture (Neophron percnopterus), which was chosen by the Portuguese Society for the Study of Birds (SPEA) as its Bird of the Year 2016, and is just one of the soaring

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Whoever saw Caelyn Robertson’s paintings two years ago when I exhibited her for the first time will never forget them. She paints African faces which hit your heart and soul, and make you admire the art of this young and incredibly successful South African artist.

Caelyn brought six brand new works to Portugal last month, four large ones (225cm x 165cm high) and two smaller ones (120 x 95cm high), and they are now hanging at Galerio. They are stunning – and they are affordable!

To see her work is a must. I don't like saying this but I have to, because to miss them is to miss art of such quality and vibrancy that you cannot find often in Portugal.

Elsewhere, the special exhibition for Stela and Sofia Barreto is still on, featuring a wonderful collection of their latest works, and our group exhibition is constantly changing, with Lesley Solovei recently joining the display.

Don’t fancy trekking to Sagres? Turn to page 32 to discover some of the birds you can spot in our local area! 

Due to this unbearable heat, the gallery is only open from 6-8pm Tuesday to Saturday, but you can visit at any time if you call me half an hour before you want to arrive. I live in nearby Ferragudo and will happily fly to the gallery to open the doors especially for you! Then you can see the exhibition without being disturbed by anybody, we can have a chat about your impressions and drink a glass of cold wine or water. Be it at regular opening hours, or after your phone call: be my guest! 

 www.birdwatchingsagres.com  Birdwatching Festival of Sagres

 +351 968 067 607  www.galerio.net

Sagres Birdwatching Festival 2016 Take a trip down to Sagres at the end of the month for the seventh annual Birdwatching Festival, which will see 300 activities take place between September 30th and October 5th. These will include short courses, bird ringing and monitoring, boat trips, stand-up paddleboarding, children's activities and more.

Exciting South African art on display at local Rolf Osang, owner gallery Byof Galerio in Ferragudo

birds to pass by Sagres every year during September and early October.

Advance booking is advisable as spaces are limited and usually fill up quickly. Register for activities on the event’s website and keep an eye on the Facebook page for updates.

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Sun, Sea and Skydiving

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Aeródromo Municipal de Portimão

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| 21

What's On

Portimão Tasting Trail 2016: a handy guide Following two successful new instalments of the Rota do Petisco (Lagos and Aljezur in May, and Monchique, Silves and Lagoa in June), the gastronomic event returns to the place where it all began - Portimão - this month.

Running from September 9th to October 9th, a massive 125 local restaurants are participating in this year’s event, with the action spilling across into neighbouring Alvor too.

The idea behind the Rota do Petisco or ‘Tasting Trail’ - is simple: pick up an official passport for €1 and then you can enjoy a speciality tapas plate with a drink for just €3 (or a dessert and a drink for €2) at any of the restaurants taking part. Passports can be purchased at the tourist offices in Portimão, Praia da Rocha and Alvor, Portimão museum and Casa Manuel Teixeira Gomes, as well as all participating restaurants.

At each stop, a stamp will be placed in your passport, with prizes for those who rack up the most! There are also two extra competitions this year. One, is the Sagres Picture Trail, a collaboration with the Portuguese beer brand, is a photo competition with three themes: ‘friends on the trail’, ‘food of the trail’ and ‘Sagres beer with us on the trail’.

Meanwhile the Illustration Trail invites you to draw and doodle on your table mat at each restaurant you visit, with the best works of art being selected for show and the winner receiving a place on a workshop with MODO, a rural cultural space that supports creativity and artistic experimentation.

All the money raised from the purchase of Tasting Trail passports will be donated to charity, with over €21,500 donated to 13 local projects last year.

Plan your hit-list in advance in order to make a day or night of it, visiting a number of different establishments to please your tastebuds and fill your belly with a host of different flavours. To help, we’ve put together a handy guide featuring just a small selection of the trail’s hot spots.

Enjoy! 

Portimão: four plates to try

International flavours

These restaurants are all close to one another, making it easy to tick them off your list.

Eat your way around the world with these global dishes.

Deck, Hotel Tivoli Marina Marina da Portimão The plate: Marina Deck ceviche

Sara’s Kebab R. Damião Luís Faria de Castro, Portimão The plate: Turkish meat served with salad and fries

O Bonezinho Areal da Praia da Rocha The plate: Bonezinho’s fried meat with peppers

Tartaruga Estrada Municipal, Montes de Alvor The plate: Chicken fajita served with guacamole

Cafe Restaurante Shine Av. Tomás Cabreira, Rocha The plate: Smoked salmon salad

Restaurante Japonês Tokyo Av. Tomás Cabreira, Rocha The plate: Mini crepes and Sushi Tokyo

Churrasqueira Twiins Urb. Portas da Rocha The plate: Seasoned grilled pork

Al Dente Urb. Quinta da Praia, Alvor The plate: Spinach and ricotta ravioli with cream, ham & mushroom sauce

Alvor: four plates to try

Plates for mini people

Many of the fishing village’s best-loved restaurants can be sampled on this year’s route.

A selection of restaurants are offering special kids-only options in addition to the main plates.

Pizzeria La Piazza Rossio Grande The plate: Cod lasagne with Algarvian salad bruschetta

Flor Das Laranjeiras R. dos Bombeiros Voluntários, Portimão The plate: Vegetable crisps served with hummus

Restaurante Alpendre Rossio Grande The plate: Ribs with barbecue sauce

O Poeta Av. 25 de Abril, Portimão The plate: Mini margherita pizza

República dos Petiscos Praça da República The plate: Sautéed pork with fries

2eat Av. Tomás Cabreira, Rocha The plate: Spaghetti bolognese

Atascado R. Pedro Álvares Cabral The plate: Razorfish bean stew

O Luís Restaurante & Bar Praia dos Três Irmãos, Alvor Kids plate: Chicken nuggets with Russian salad

 www.rotadopetisco.com

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

Portimão

Alvor

Fun Brick Lego Exhibition | 16 Aug - 4 Sept Children - 4yrs free; 4-10yrs €2; Adults €3.50 | Portimão Arena

Tandem Skydive | 219€ | Skydive Algarve, Aerodromo Municipal de Portimao, Alvor |  914266832

Rota do Petisco (Tasting Trail) | 9th Sep - 9th Oct

Aerobics Fitness | Mon 09.30 Total Toning | Wed 09.30 Body Conditioning | Thurs 10.30 Alvor Community Centre

Yoga | 08.00 - 9.30 Mon & Wed Pilates | 13.00 - 14.00 Wed & Fri Yoga | 18.00 - 19.15 Mon & Fri Meditation | 20.00 - 21.00 Fri €25 p.m | Villa Prana, Portimão |  studio@villaprana.pt |  282 484 256

Further afield Birdwatching Festival | 30th Sep - 5 Oct | Sagres www.birdwatchingsagres.com

Carvoeiro Fitball with Joao | Mon 09.15 - 10.00 | €8.50 Total Conditioning with Julie | Tues 09.30 - 10.40 | €8.50 Yoga with Jane | Tues 11.00 - 12.00 | €8.50 Body Shape with Jaqueline | Wed 10.00 - 11.00 | €8.50 Qi Gong with Gabriele | 11.00 - 12.00 | €8.50 Power Pump with Julie | Frid 18.30 - 19.30 | €8.50 Carvoeiro Clube, Urb. Monte Carvoeiro |  282 350 800  917 490 155 Starting October: Ballroom and Latin American Dancing with Caroline Thurs 17.30 Beginners & 18.30 Improvers | €8.50 or €24 p/m | Carvoeiro Clube de Tenis |  961 916 821 |  strictlydancingcarvoeiro@hotmail.com

3rd Lagoa Guitar Festival | 11 Sep - 30 Oct | Lagoa | www.festivalguitarralagoa.pt F Festival in Faro | 2th & 3rd Sep | Live music, street food, arts & crafts | cinema | €15 free for kids under 10 yrs | Tickets: CTT, Worten, FNAC Octopus week in Quarteira | 10th - 17th Sep | Octupus Recipes Contest, cooking workshops (€25) and more Cuca Roseta concert (Portuguese fado singer) | 2nd Sep at 9.30pm | Lagoa Municipal Auditorium | €8 | Tickets: FNAC and Worten Tapas Festival in Faro | 15th - 18th Sep 6pm | Jadrim da Alameda | Buy a tapas dish and get a free drink (conditions apply) | Free entree

Ferragudo Yoga Paddle Board Classes with Silvia Duarte | Sat 09.30 | Kalu Beach Bar, Praia Grande Ferragudo |  282 461 115  917 734 087

Painting and Sculpture exhibition Magali | 9th Sep 6pm opening | Galeria da Escola Mestre Fernando Rodrigues - Lagoa

Tide Table for September...

LOW TIDE Moon 1 THU 2 FRI 3 SAT 4 SUN 5 MON 6 TUE 7 WED 8 THU 9 FRI 10 SAT 11 SUN 12 MON 13 TUE 14 WED 15 THU 16 FRI 17 SAT 18 SUN 19 MON 20 TUE 21 WED 22 THU 23 FRI 24 SAT 25 SUN 26 MON 27 TUE 28 WED 29 THU 30 FRI

Morning

Height (m)

08:04 08:38 09:11 09:44 10:18 10:53 11:32 00:46 01:59 03:29 04:42 05:35 06:09 06:59 07:38 08:18 08:58 09:41 10:26 11:16 00:45 02:07 03:40 04.56 05:51 06.34 07:10 07:43

0,84 0,81 0,82 0,89 1,01 1,15 1,32 1,56 1,68 1,67 1,54 1,34 1,12 0,90 0,71 0,58 0,53 0,56 0,69 0,88 1,29 1,46 1,49 1,38 1,24 1,09 0,98 0,89

HIGH TIDE Afternoon 20:31 21:03 21:34 22:06 22:39 23:14 23:55 12:19 13:25 14.54 16:19 17:18 18:04 18.45 19:24 20:03 20:42 21:23 22:05 22:51 23:43 12:16 13:33 15:08 16:34 17:36 18:23 19:01 19:34 20:04

Height (m)

Morning

Height (m)

0,74 0,76 0,82 0,92 1,05 1,22 1,40 1,49 1,63 1,67 1,57 1,37 1,14 0,91 0,71 0,56 0,48 0,50 0,62 0,81 1,05 1,10 1,30 1,27 1,29 1,16 1,03 0,92 0,85 0,82

02:07 02:42 03:16 03:49 04:22 04:56 05:33 06:16 07:13 08:28 09:49 10:55 11:46 00:15 00:56 01:36 02:16 02:57 03:39 04:24 05:13 06:08 07:15 08:35 09:59 11:09 00:31 01:10 01:44

3,38 3,41 3,40 3,35 3,25 3,12 2,98 2,83 2,71 2,66 2,72 2,90 3,12 3,11 3,34 3,54 3,68 3,75 3,73 3,63 3,47 3,26 3,07 2,97 2,99 3,11 3,17 3,28 3,37

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Afternoon 14:23 14:58 15:31 16:04 16:37 17:12 17:51 18:40 19:48 21:14 22:32 23:29 12:30 13:11 13:52 14:33 15:16 16.00 16:48 17:41 18:43 19:59 21:25 22:44 23:44 12:03 12:47 13:25 13:59

Height (m) 3,59 3,57 3,50 3,39 3,24 3,07 2,89 2,71 2,59 2,57 2,68 2,88 3,37 3,60 3,78 3,88 3,89 3,81 3,63 3,38 3,12 2,91 2,84 2,90 3,03 3,26 3,38 3,46 3,49

 www.tomorrowalgarve.com

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What's On - Silves Medieval Fair

Silves Medieval Fair August 12th - 21st The city of Silves was once again transported back to the historic medieval period last month.

Celebrating the city’s Moorish and Christian heritage, the annual Silves Medieval Fair brought to life the time when it was the capital of the Algarve for thousands of visitors.

Taking place within and around Silves Castle in the historic centre, there was hearty food, incredible reenactments by

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the Milícia Al-Mu'tamid group (see last month’s edition for an interview with their leader) and general merriment all round with some folks even donning traditional dress hired from one of the stalls to really get into the spirit of things!

It was the thirteenth successful instalment of the fair, and we are already very much looking forward to next year’s event.

Photographs courtesy of  www.birchphotography.com

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| 25

Health Your dog pants? By Lars Rahmquist, BVSc

With their stubby snouts, brachycephalic breeds (such as Pugs, English and French Bulldogs, Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, Boston Terriers, Shih Tzus and Pekinese) are compromised from the start. The noise they make when breathing is them struggling to oxygenate. If this gets worse in hot weather, please take your dog to the vet to discuss surgical options to help it breath properly.

The same goes for larger dogs with laryngeal paralysis. With surgical correction of these upper respiratory diseases we see an immediate ease of breathing, even on recovery from the anaesthetic.

So if you are worried that your dog has suffered more than normal this summer, take them along to your vet for a once over. The earlier you detect problems, the better they respond to treatment.

For those of you blushing right now, I am not referring to your favourite undies with holes in them that you only wear on comfy Sunday afternoons…

Certainly dogs have had every right to hang their tongues out and drool on your patio this summer… she’s been a scorcher.

However some owners may have noticed unusual lack of tolerance to the summer temperatures this year. Airway disease and cardiovascular disease appear in dogs and cats with regularity. Early signs can be subtle but are often exacerbated by high ambient temperatures. Heart disease often first rears its head with exercise intolerance.

In older (and fatter!) dogs this can be hard to notice.

Dyspnoea is when the breathing pattern changes (more shallow, more laboured, faster or irregular). It is common with lower respiratory problems and can be to subtle to notice.

My dog, Norm, was recently diagnosed with a pulmonary adenocarcinoma (that’s lung cancer in English). At 15 years old it was a difficult decision about whether or not to operate, but we did and he is now back on the beach chasing my favourite frisbee. He still has those dastardly cancer cells sneaking around inside him, so we’ll see where they pop up next … but so far, so good (that’s life in general, isn’t it?!).

Upper respiratory signs are more obvious.

Lastly… cats. Cats do not deal well with respiratory distress at all. The lung is referred to as the ‘shock organ’ of the cat. If you detect subtle changes in the breathing pattern of your cat, this may underlie a serious disease process in the chest. If you see your cat panting, you know something is wrong. Do NOT race your cat to the vet like Ayrton Senna, because this extra stress can be just enough to tip them from respiratory compromise into respiratory failure (a bad thing).

Please do speak to your vet if you are worried about any noises, changes in breathing or exercise intolerance in your pet, and enjoy a sundowner together on that patio.   www.lagosvet.com

Dealing with choking and stroke By John Clifford It’s everyone’s nightmare - seeing an emergency and not being able to help.

Choking and stroke are just two of the many topics that will be covered in a certified Cardiac First Response course starting this October. Here’s a taster of what will be taught…

Choking If the person is conscious do the following: Adult: Five back slaps between the shoulder blades followed by five abdominal thrusts.

Children: Five back slaps followed by five abdominal thrusts using appropriate force.

Infants (under one year): Five back slaps

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(with the infant held with head and shoulders facing downwards at 45-degree angle) followed by five chest thrusts using two fingers only.

If the person becomes unconscious, start CPR and ring 112. Abdominal thrusts should be administered differently for adults, children and infants - something that will be taught on the course.

Stroke The acronym FAST can help you asses whether a person might be having a stroke.

FACE: Ask the person to smile - is one side

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drooping?

ARMS: Get the person to raise both arms is one side weaker than the other?

SPEECH: Ask the person a simple question - is their speech slurred or are they unable to speak?

TIME: Get the person to hospital immediately by calling 112 - lost time could equal a lost brain.  To learn how to deal with these and many other issues, register for the certified Cardiac First Response course being run in Lagos in October.  firstresponder@sapo.pt

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Easing children back to school

By Laura Newman

A new school year has just about arrived, bringing relief for some parents and also the challenges of transitioning from the long summer holidays to the fast-paced, demanding school routine, with perhaps a new school, teachers and friends.

Relax overseas transfers are our business Considering buying or selling a property in Portugal?

We want our children to enjoy their time at school and get the most out of it academically and socially. So what do parents need to know and what do children's brains need to function at their best?

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A child’s brain needs to be well hydrated, well rested and free from frustration in order to function optimally. Let’s consider these factors, accepting that these are part of the larger context of human needs including emotional connection, good nutrition and exercise.

Hydration Brain cells require a delicate balance of water and various other elements to operate. When that balance is disrupted, brain cells lose their efficiency; it becomes harder to concentrate and mental activity is impaired. So children need to drink water throughout the day, particularly first thing every morning after their night’s sleep.

Rest Being well rested is about getting enough sleep as well as having time during the day to relax and play - and not on a PlayStation!

Recommendations are 10-13 hours for three to five year olds, and 9-11 hours for six to thirteen year olds. Consider if your child would benefit from an extra hour’s sleep.

Work with GCEN to: › Save money with no fees or charges To find out about these & other products & services we provide contact us at: Vilamoura Office 289 093 137 Lagos Office 282 768 136 UK rate 01622 815 201 E portugal@gcen.co.uk www.gcen.co.uk

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Also avoid over-scheduling with extra classes and playdates. Children generally need more parent-connection time, relaxation time and opportunities for spontaneous creativity.

Frustration Children who are bursting with upset, boredom, complaints and different manifestations of frustration cannot function well academically. But can children ever be free from frustration?

Frustration is a necessary part of growing up and is understandably present when adjusting to new schools, friends, teachers and routines.

However, when it accumulates everyday it can make children emotionally constipated which shows itself in various ways.

Listening attentively to children’s expressive outbursts and connecting more deeply with the child within helps release emotional blocks and promotes emotional and intellectual development. It also renders them much easier to parent. Being aware of these simple, powerful ideas and fine-tuning where possible, will greatly enhance your child’s academic success and support their smooth transition into their school landscape.

For the full article, go to www.connectedchild.net/blog. Laura Newman BSc, BSc, MSc is a Speech Therapist & Parent Consultant.

She offers support for parents around the world through consultations, specialising in children with special needs.   connectedchildfamily  myconnectedchild@gmail.com  +351 961 633 995

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Business Profile of an entrepreneur

Portugal. I’ve always loved Portugal and the time seemed right to set up my new business here, so I founded Ideal Homes in 2007. My first office was a humble affair in Albufeira, but it was all I needed to get me started.

Today I am proud to employ around 50 staff, and have relocated the office to Vilamoura.

What were the biggest start-up challenges and how did you overcome them?

The first hurdle was gaining my Portuguese real estate licence, which took around nine months. In that time I created the Ideal Homes Portugal website, set about networking and got the company’s affairs in order, ready to hit the ground running.

Ideal Homes Portugal owner Chris White has always had a passion for business.

Here he tells us about his journey from selling ice creams in Cornwall to running a property business in the Algarve.

Why Portugal and why property?

I have always been an entrepreneur at heart. When I was 15 I persuaded my mum to sell her car so I could buy an ice cream van. I couldn’t drive so my mum would drive the van to my chosen location and I would spend my summers making money selling ice creams to tourists around Cornwall.

Aged 17, adventure called and I set off overseas. I spent three years working for First Choice holidays, initially as a chef and then as a staff trainer. I was later poached

by Thomas Cook and spent a number of seasons as a holiday rep, then took on a health and safety role.

Aged 22 I came back to the UK and spent three happy years at Edinburgh University studying Consumer Affairs. After graduation I decided that sales was the path for me, and I took my first role in Spain. I sold property in 22 countries, and after 18 months learning the trade I decided to set up shop in

The next hurdle was the financial crash of 2008, which sent the property market into a spin. The phones went silent and I needed to act fast. I took on a series of rental properties to look after – I now have 93 properties under my rental division and consider these to be my ‘bread and butter.’ They include holiday rentals and longer-term rentals, which we let and manage. They keep the business operating successfully during quiet periods.

My next challenge was ensuring that the clients who did come to Ideal Homes Portugal were given enough confidence in the Portuguese market to purchase.

In next month’s issue, Chris reveals the biggest advantages of being an entrepreneur in Portugal.   www.idealhomesportugal.com

Algarve 365: a transfer service with a difference Owner Peter James explains how he came to set-up private transfer company Algarve 365.

I moved to Portugal with my wife Donna and our two children in stages between 2005 and 2006. My youngest brother is also here and works for our company, along with my mum, dad and uncle who are retired.

people’s travel complaints. It was a long list: ‘the driver turned up late’; ‘the driver didn’t know where we were going; ‘we couldn’t communicate with them’; or even ‘the driver drove like a maniac!’.

We moved to Portugal after selling the successful haulage company I owned with my dad in Stockport. So I guess you could say that transport has always been in our blood.

I soon realised that there was a gap in the market. After all, it’s basically the same idea as haulage: get the goods from A to B at the right time. So that’s how we decided to set up Algarve 365. It started off with just me driving people, but things soon took off and we now have 12 vehicles on our books.

When we first came here we owned a breakfast bar, Dinas, in Praia da Rocha.

It wasn’t really my cup of tea (ha!) but it gave me plenty of opportunity to listen to

To set ourselves apart we decided that we would only use expats for drivers. This helps put our clients at ease as they know that if they have any issues then they can call us

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safe in the knowledge that there will be no language barriers.

We’re not a traditional taxi service; we don’t offer pick-ups at any time or place (such as from your house to the pub, or vice versa!).

Rather we are a travel agency registered by the Portuguese Department of Tourism, which means that we can do airport transfers, golf transfers, and day trips to venues such as Zoomarine and Slide & Splash.

We are currently offering a 10% discount on first bookings for all Tomorrow readers, so get in touch today!   +351 965 026 176  www.algarve365.com

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| 29

Food & Drink Mediterranean-Moorish fusion arrives in Ferragudo By Stephanie Wood

Tomorrow samples Saluki, the new venture from the team behind ever-popular Carvoeiro restaurant The Wolf.

It’s taken just two years for Anthony Dunn to establish The Wolf bar and grill in Carvoeiro as a firm favourite amongst locals and holidaymakers alike - indeed, when a small kitchen fire caused the restaurant to close for a day or two recently, a considerable queue formed when the doors were thankfully reopened.

here either, so I thought it was a different concept that had potential. We wanted it to be accessible though, so it’s a fusion of modern Mediterranean with Moroccan flavours.”

The Moorish influence was an obvious choice considering the Algarve’s history, too, with Anthony pointing out: “There’s a long history of the Moors in Portugal. The phrase ‘Algarve’ comes from a Moorish word, of course.”

He will no doubt be hoping that his latest project - Saluki, just outside of Ferragudo - is taken to people’s hearts in the same way. A deliberate departure from the carnivorelovers’ menu found at The Wolf, Anthony was keen to offer something completely different with Saluki to set it apart from the crowded restaurant scene whilst also satisfying his hunger for his personal favourite flavours.

That influence was already apparent when Anthony first visited the site at the Vila Gaivota complex that Saluki now calls home (which was recently acquired by the Carvoeiro Clube Group). Arabic architectural details include curved windows and the building’s interior arches, as well as the distinctive alcoves that house bottles of spirits behind the dark wood bar.

“My three favourite types of food are steak, Indian and Moroccan,” Anthony - who hails from Northern Ireland, but spent time in Canada, New York and London before moving to Portugal - told me when I visited the restaurant one afternoon shortly after its mid-August launch. “When I was 18, I went to Nice in the South of France and ended up getting a summer job in a Moroccan restaurant. I just fell in love with the food and the culture. Now I visit Morocco once a year.”

Taking these as a starting point, Anthony and his team have furnished the space with a subtle nod - rather than an all-out homage - to Moroccan interiors, with colourful poufs, mosaic-topped tables and Moroccan lamps to create an attractive and enticing dining room and bar area.

He adds: “Nobody seems to be doing it

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But it is the outdoor terrace that is proving most popular so far, and it’s not hard to see why. Set in close proximity to the complex’s swimming pool, under a gazebo lined with colourful Moroccan material with a huge ornate lamp hanging in the centre, it is

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the perfect spot to sample the restaurant’s exciting menu.

Overseen by Chef Sri Shetti Sikaranth, that menu is concise, carefully curated and full of flavour. “The creativity that Shetti brings to the menu is incredible,” Anthony says, and I’m inclined to agree. During my visit I sample the Indian chef’s lamb kefta, seasoned and cooked to perfection (lightly grilled on the outside, succulent and juicy on the inside) served with a delicious yoghurt and mint dip, as well as lightly fried feta bites that were extremely moreish and a delicate, unusual beetroot cured salmon salad.

Other dishes I’m already looking forward to sampling on my next visit include a starter of Algarve mussels in Harissa sauce, a traditional chicken tagine and the turmeric and cumin roasted potatoes. There’s an expertly selected wine list to choose from too.

And when your tastebuds have been sufficiently tickled, there’s an incredible roof terrace where you can relax with a postdinner drink and take in the breathtaking view of the ocean over the clifftops of Praia dos Caneiros, just a stone’s throw away.

Feedback so far has been overwhelmingly positive, with Anthony telling me: “We had a French-Portuguese family that came for lunch, cleared their plates and then booked for dinner!” To start with, the plan is to open all week for lunch and dinner until October and then, Anthony says, “see what sort of momentum we’ve gathered. I’d like to open all year round, if we can get a local following outside of the complex.”

Before I leave, I ask about the meaning of ‘Saluki’. “It’s a type of African hunting dog,” Anthony tells me. “I had one when I was a kid. So the name reflects the influence of North Africa too.

“It’s also in keeping with the sort of animal/ dog theme set by The Wolf,” he adds, which makes me wonder whether this new venture might be as much of a runaway success as his first in just a few years’ time.

Judging from what I’ve seen and tasted, the signs are definitely good.   +351 910 414 155  www.restaurant-saluki.com

Alvor Situado no topo da falésia entre a vila e a zona ribeirinha, a Casa do Rio oferece-nos uma vista deslumbrante sobre a Ria de Alvor e a baia de Lagos. Para um almoço entre amigos ou um jantar romântico ao pôr-do-sol o Restaurante Casa do Rio, é o local perfeito. À sua espera encontrará uma excelente variedade de peixe fresco, mariscos, cataplanas, espetadas entre muitos outros pratos. A Casa do Rio oferece-lhe ainda a possibilidade de criar Menus à medida para festas de aniversário, grupos, casamentos, despedidas de solteiro e baptizados.

Situated on the cliff top between the village and waterfront, Casa do Rio offers us a breathtaking view over the Ria de Alvor and the Bay of Lagos. For a lunch with friends or a romantic dinner at sunset Casa do Rio Restaurant is the perfect place. Waiting for you is a great variety of fresh fish, seafood, casseroles and kebabs among many other dishes. Casa do Rio offers you also the possibility to create special menus tailored for birthday parties, groups, weddings, bachelor parties and christenings.

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Restaurante Casa do Rio

R. de São João 25A 8500-009 Alvor +351 282 457 443 info@restaurantecasadorio.com www.restaurantecasadorio.com www.facebook.com/casadoriorestaurante N 37.12873, W 8.59564 Aberto: Diariamente 10:00-24:00 Reservas: Aconselhável no verão Open: Daily 10:00-24:00 Reservations: Recommended during high season

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Outdoor Deep watering and exotic flowers

By Clive Goodacre

more flamboyant group of plants grown here – the Srelitzias. Best known is the truly outrageous S. Reginae (Bird of Paradise) which is also commonly known as the Crane Flower because its flowers resemble a bird’s head and beak. Only the closely-related Heliconias match it for sheer impact, but these need higher constant temperatures and more humidity than normally occurs in Mediterranean climates.

The Bird of Paradise is far less fussy and can withstand full sun and moderate wind, although it produces better foliage in a sheltered spot. Paddle-shaped leaves on long stems and the glorious spiky flowers in orange and purple make this an architectural must for any patio or border.

By early September gardens here in the Algarve really start to show the strain and are desperate for rain. So it is important to individually deep water any trees and large shrubs showing signs of stress. Conifers in particular are looking dull and dusty and even olives curl their leaves when very dry.

Don’t be surprised for a tree to turn brown and die even when situated in a group of similar healthy trees. Often the problem is that water is bypassing its roots and being sucked up by its neighbours.

provided you don’t want to move them. But it is worth breaking holes around the base to enable more root expansion and ground level watering – use rocks to hide any damage.

A dry spring has meant that cannas have not been at their best despite their ability to store water in their tuberous roots. But don’t give up on them; keep cutting back straggly growth, trim leaves and remove dead flower stalks to maintain flowering. Also a deep watering session could start them off again before autumn rains take over.

It is no good relying on irrigation as the system will have inevitably developed a drainage and flow pattern that is unlikely to wet the entire root ball in the same way as a good dose of rain. If your borehole or water bill can stand it, leave a hose running gently for about fifteen minutes on each plant, periodically moving it into a different position.

Try not to spray the trunks of palms like Phoenix or Washingtonia varieties, as they can soften and become attractive to pests and diseases like fusarium wilt. Conifers on the other hand like a good all over hosing once they are in shade. A handful of fertiliser granules sprinkled round each tree before deep watering will also help a great deal.

Trees in large pots aren’t so easily dealt with because water just runs through without getting taken up by the roots. If they have rooted through the bottom then it is OK

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Their handsome gladioli-shaped flowers are complemented by broad foliage in an equally wide variety of colours, from striped green and yellow to bright green, orange and even the deepest purple. Height can vary from dwarf to two metres or more.

Varieties like Tropicana, Bengal Tiger, Durban, Striata and Black Knight, American Flag and many others are available.

They look best planted in groups rather than rows and should be lifted and thinned out every few years to keep them vigorous and flowering otherwise the leaves get smaller year by year. Cannas add a marvellous tropical feel to gardens, especially around pools, and will even grow by the sea or in large pots, but need regular feeding and watering to show their best colours.

Cannas are related to another even

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Originating from Southern Africa, its flowers are renowned for being long lasting both on the plant and when cut.

Although often shown planted with succulents, they need regular water and enriched soil like cannas. They also make ideal pot specimens where conditions can be controlled rather than leaving it to compete with other plants.

Dead flowers are often left on the plant, but it is far better to remove them complete with stems and regularly apply liquid feed – preferably seaweed-based such as the type used for tomatoes. Given this and regular water, and your bird of paradise will flower for months at a time. However it resents root disturbance and flowers best when pot bound. Large clumps can be easily divided at any time in spring and summer, although it normally takes several years to start flowering again.

If you want the architecture of a banana plant that doesn’t get shredded leaves or die down in winter then choose Strelitzia nicolai, commonly called the Natal Wild Banana. But you will need space, as it easily grows to five metres high or more and half as wide. Not surprisingly it is favoured for public plantings in hotel, communal gardens and shopping centres, often growing in large pots and planters.

White sepals and light blue flowers emerge from huge purple-black sheaths jutting out at contorted angles from the stem.

Like S. Reginae it needs water, good soil and a sunny spot although it is more frost resistant and overall is easier to grow. 

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| 33

And Finally 10 minutes with… Han Wezenaar

I Spy Algarve: local birds The Algarve is one of Portugal’s most interesting birdwatching regions with more than 300 species calling this sunny spot home. Sagres Birdwatching Festival celebrates this fact (see page 18) but if you don’t want to take a trip to the west coast, here’s a guide to some of the birds you can spot in the local area. Grab those binoculars!

Sardinian Warbler One of the region’s most common species, the warbler appears in a wide variety of habitats year-round, from the coastal wetlands to the inland cork oak forests.

For the latest instalment of our series of conversations with local faces, we quizzed jazz musician Han Wezenaar, bandleader of the group Djazzperado that plays across the Algarve.

4. What is it you love about jazz music? I like to think of jazz as an open-ended musical conversation. Together the group improvises around a chosen song or composition, with soloists steering the ‘conversation’ in their direction, like the loudest talkers in a normal (i.e. oral!) chat. All the musicians listen closely to and respond to each other.

Our goal is to make the music swing and get people’s toes tapping. When our music makes the audience feel free and alive, our mission is accomplished!

1. What’s your background? I started my musical career on clarinet at 15 years old in my hometown of Utrecht in the Netherlands. In 1979 I started playing baritone saxophone, which soon became my instrument of choice. I then went on to co-lead the well-known group Baritone Power Plant in Amsterdam, playing nearly every jazz club and festival in the lowlands of Europe.

2. Tell us about the group Djazzperado Djazzperado started out during my time in Amsterdam, growing into an international pool of experienced jazz musicians. When I came to the Algarve in 2000, I established another group under the same name with the same principle: to play with the best musicians locally available! When the Algarve’s jazz clubs died a quiet death our target became to play the restaurants and bars with the more mainstream entertainment jazz duo (or trio) After Hours.

3. What does the name mean? It's a combination of two words, ‘jazz’ and ‘desperate’, with a Latin touch. It reflects our main goal, which is to keep baritone jazz sax alive. We are ‘desperate’ because, in our world of electronic pop music and an ‘over-tenorised’ jazz scene, baritone saxophonists are becoming a rare and

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endangered species. We believe that the baritone sax is the saxiest of all saxes - it can do everything that other, smaller saxophones can do and more!

5. Where might our readers have seen you playing around the Algarve? I’ve played in bars and restaurants including Atlantico in Praia da Rocha, O Navegador in Alvor, Cafe Ingles in Silves, Vila Velha in Sagres and Taberna de Lagos with both Djazzperado and other groups, as well as many others.

6. Do you have any plans for the future? It is my dream to play a jazz concert at the lighthouse at Cabo de São Vicente, which I can see from my house.

7. What do you love about living on the Algarve? The climate, and also the possibility to live and grow old in a very quiet place and at a very quiet pace!  Search for Han Wezenaar on YouTube to hear him play.  info@djazzperado.com

 TomorrowAlgarve

Griffon Vulture Found in the Monchique mountains, the griffon vulture is relatively common in the region in the autumn during migration.

Flamingo A common species in the Algarve wetlands, such as the Salgados lagoon. A year-round resident although more abundant in winter.

Azure-Winged Magpie A fairly common bird in the Algarve which is present in nearly all types of habitats. It is particularly abundant in coastal pine forests.

Kentish Plover A fairly common, yearround shorebird. It nests on salt flats and sand dunes. Large numbers can usually be seen at the Alvor estuary.

Spoonbill Most abundant in winter, the best places to spot them are the Salgados lagoon and Alvor estuary.

With thanks to Algarve Tourism Bureau. 

The best summer colors is one of our kind.

www.intermarche.pt ďŒŽ TomorrowAlgarve

î „ www.tomorrowalgarve.com

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