algarvePLUS - March '22

P L U S E N T E R T A I N M E N T I N F O R M A T I O N P L A C E S

M O R E I N T R I G U I N G T H A N Y O U E V E R I M A G I N E D

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is And your home is where our

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Quality residential and commercial pergolas, designed and constructed to your requirements. When it comes to pergolas, we have it covered.

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START OFF PLUS

SUSI ROGOL GOODKIND, EDITOR

+351 965 581 831 | susi@algarveplusmagazine.com

C O N T A C T S MARTIN GOODKIND

KIM COLLEY

Publisher +351 963 146 398 martin@algarveplusmagazine.com

Art Director +44 (0)7973 426196 dk.colley@btinternet.com

APT 1093, EC Olivas de St Ant (Loulé) 8101-904. Printed by Gráficas Piquer, Almeria AlgarvePLUS is published monthly. 6,000 copies are made available through a hand-picked distribution network from Tavira to Guia, Almancil, the Golden Triangle, Loulé, São Brás and Santa Bárbara.

Copyright 2022. All rights reserved. Reproduction of any written material or illustration in any form for any purpose other than short extracts for agreed review purposes, is strictly forbidden.

AlgarvePLUS does not accept liability for loss or damage to any materials submitted for publication. Or claims made by advertisers.

The views expressed by interviewees or contributors do not necessarily reflect those of the Editor or AlgarvePLUS. algarveplusmagazine.com

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l ALGARVE P L U S

It’s our second birthday! Hard to believe. We started as the pandemic took hold back in 2020, and since then have grown and grown, as two-year olds do. We’ve increased twice in pagination, and more than that in distribution. We’ve joined forces with some truly great writers, sought opinions from many an influencer, watched copies fly out of our outlets, and relished the positive reactions from readers. Our advertisers have shown faith, renewing month after month, as they see results from their input. All in all, it’s been a great start, a brilliant two years, paving the way for the bigger and better things to come.

What has been especially rewarding is knowing that we are making a difference by providing information and entertainment to our large and still-growing audience. Our focus is very specific – we search out reachable experiences, take joy in new nearby discoveries, and pass those pleasures on to you, to share.

This month, we’ve travelled to places that are close to home (well, fairly close), visited companies that have a special and very local personality, savoured foods that have a unique twist, and hand picked events that we know you’ll enjoy. And we’ve talked to a number of charities who we will feature in future issues – this time round, it’s the Food Bank of the Algarve, which is always on the lookout for volunteers to collect donations at stores across the region, and help feed the needy.

One constantly hears how lucky those living here consider themselves to be. I’ve been in publishing for many a decade and in a number of countries, but never has the pleasure been as great and rewarding as it is now.

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Welcome

The finest art in the Algarve. Tavira d’artes Art Gallery

www.taviradartes.com Visit us: Travessa Jacques Pessoa 8,Tavira, 8800-374 Call us: 962 012 111 Email us: taviradartes@gmail.com www.facebook.com/taviradartes

www.instagram.com/tavira.dartes

NEWS PLUS

JUST THE JACKET

Happy Birthday

And with all the right fashion ingredients. Colour: lilac; fabric: recycled cotton; pockets: front and side. This is a must-have. €189.95 from Decenio, decenio.com

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The prestigious clifftop resort of VILA VITA PARC – part of the renowned Leading Hotels Of The World collection – will be celebrating its 30th anniversary in April, so we thought we'd give you advance notice that between April and November, there will be 30 exceptional events ranging from art, culture, gastronomy, wellness and lifestyle, and luxury travel, heralding 30 years of precious moments, memories and experiences in the art of hospitality. Visit vilavitaparc.com to find out what’s happening when.

F R O N T COV E R : Leading you up the garden path.

See page 65

CUSHION TALK Random jute weave cushion with an organic frayed edge, made by Zinc. Comes with a feather-filled pad. 50x50cm. From a gorgeous selection at Alquatro in Almancil.

Alquatro.pt

IF YOU HAVE ANYTHING YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE EMAIL susi@algarveplusmagazine.com

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THE ALGARVIAN CHIMNEY Details of this photo exhibition by Filipe da Palma, opening at the Gama Lobo Palace in Loulé, arrived too late for our Agenda pages, but we felt you’d want to know about this celebration of the Algarve chimney – one of the most striking aspects of regional architecture. In days gone by, the master mason would ask the owner of a house how many ‘chimney days’ were wanted – the more intricate the detail, the longer the build and the higher the price.

The exhibition also includes a set of miniature plaster moulds and chimneys made by the famous master clay artist Eduardo Jacinto dos Santos (1915-1990), a Loulé native, whose pieces are part of the collection of the Loulé Municipal Museum.

The exhibition will be open until March 31, Monday to Friday, 09:00–13:00 and 14:00–18:00, and on Saturdays 09:00-13:00

Mixed media artist, Deborah Lucas from Tavira, has created a new body of work under the title Elements of Nature. Gilded Grey, is acrylic and texture on canvas, 60x60cm and priced at €295. To find out more, email debbie.lucas07@gmail.com

BREADY STEADY If you’ve been buying Pão com Manteiga’s amazing breads at the monthly farmers’ market in Quinta Shopping, you’ll be wanted more.

Luiz Silva is supplying restaurants all the way up to Lisbon, but down here, try Mercearia Cantinho do Hortelao in Olhao, Raizes Restaurant in Quarteira, 8100 Café and Mercearia Allgourmet in Loulé, Burger and Bowls in Almancil and Faro, Gosto Doce in Sives, Blu in Quinta Shopping and more. Email pao-comanteiga@ hotmail.com and Luiz will point you in the right direction.

BOWLED OVER Vintage hand-crafted layered and laquered papier-mâché bowls from Kairouan in Tunisia, patiently painted by Pedro. At Côrte-Real, Paderne. corterealarte.com

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NEWS PLUS

wish list

At the first Algarve Photographers’ Group Awards ceremony, held in the club house of the Pestana Hotel in Vila Sol, trophies were presented by President Daryl Gabin to: Nigel Moore, Order of Merit, above; Fred Bos, President’s Award; Ernst Neidhard, The Veit Mueller Award; Gordon Railton, The Dediction Award; and Ludmila Stiebner, The Enthusiastic, Creative, Consistent Award

SIPPING PRETTY Recycled sea shells inspired Centá Lab to create a range of amazing glasses, handmade in its Lisbon atelier. €300 for a set of two; wow-factor priceless. Find out more from centa.lda@gmail.com or on Instagram @centa.lisbon

Manuela de Oliveira, trained, qualified and practised as a certified beautician in Germany for more than 25 years, and opened Magic Beauty in Almancil three years ago. The most in-demand anti-ageing treatment she offers is HiFU, a non-invasive procedure that helps the skin produce new collagen, tighten, and reduce wrinkles. Results can last for a year or more.

Talk to her about the options and the costs. magicbeautyalmancil@gmail.com / magicbeauty.info

IF YOU HAVE ANYTHING YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE EMAIL susi@algarveplusmagazine.com

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AWARDS NIGHT

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Stunning wood carvings, discovered

by Paul Pinto on her travels around Africa for her design house, Alamaya, in São Brás.

Email her to make an appointment – alamaya.deco@ gmail.com – and get a whole new perspective on interior design.

Wandering

PORTO

T H E N O R T H E R N C I T Y O F P O R T O I S N O R M A L LY R E F E R R E D T O A S P O R T U G A L’ S S E C O N D C I T Y W H I C H I S R AT H E R D I S I N G E N U O U S A S T H E N A M E O F T H I S F I N E C O U N T R Y W A S A C T U A L LY D E R I V E D F R O M T H AT V E R Y P L A C E

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DISCOVERING PLUS

Opposite page: Looking down the Douro from the Jardins do Palácio Cristal. This page, top left, clockwise: St Bento Station; the speciality at Casa dos Presuntos Xico; the monument to the Peninsular Wars in the park on the Rotunda da Boavista; Juan Muñoz’s sculpture, ‘Thirteen Laughing at Each Other’, in the Jardim da Cordoaria

DISCOVERING PLUS

bustle of the city. The gardens have views over the river and are best enjoyed in early morning and at sunset. Take the blue line to Casa da Música, then walk through the park on the Rotunda da Boavista, with its monument to the Peninsular Wars, and then down Rua de Júlio Dinis to reach the gardens.

Go slow

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HE ORIGINS of the name Porto come from the

Latin Portus Cale. Cale or Cailleach refers to a Celtic tribe that settled at the mouth of the river Douro in what is now Vila Nova de Gaia. Gaia itself stems from the Latin derivation of the Celtic Gall similar to Galicia, Gaul, and Galway.

Fast forward to modern times and the city we know as Porto is vibrant, blending a huge amount of history with modern commercial activity. It is on every curious traveller’s must-see list, but there is more to this town than simply visiting the Port wine houses or dodging around the crowds on the Ribeira.

Take the subway Porto is surprisingly easy to explore, especially on foot, and there is a great inexpensive metro system that allows you to get to any location to begin your local journey. There are six lines identified by colour – red, green, blue, yellow, orange and purple. They all converge at Trindade station, so if, for example, you find yourself at the beautifully tiled station of São Bento, take the Yellow line up to Trindade and choose an area to discover.

We are not focusing on the main tourist sites here – you can find details of the good and the grand easily – but rather concentrating on the quieter, less-frequented parts, away from the madding crowds.

Gardens with a view In 1865, Porto hosted the first International Exhibition in Iberia in a grand edifice called the Palácio de Cristal, which was inspired by the Crystal Palace in England. The exhibition was attended by over 3,000 exhibitors from across the globe. Six hectares of ornamental gardens were laid out around the Palácio that remain to this day. However, the building fell into disrepair in the early part of the 20th century, and was demolished in 1951 and replaced by a concrete dome building called the Sports Pavilion.

The naming rights were attained by Super Bock, but the correct title of this building is Pavilhão Rosa Mota, named after Portugal’s first female Olympic gold medal winner. It was decided to rename the area Jardins do Palácio Cristal to deflect from the unpopular design of the building, and these days it is a quiet retreat away from the

Down at the river, head west either on foot, bicycle, or on the historical Line 1 tram, in the direction of Ponte da Arrábida, the concrete road bridge that spans the river. There is an unusual attraction just here, a guided walk, complete with safety harnesses, up the arch of the bridge to a point just under the road carriageway. It’s not for the faint hearted, but the views are unique to say the least.

Back down on terra firma, and still continuing west along the road, you will come to a point where there are two jetties on the riverbank. Not many casual visitors to Porto know this but the small passenger boat, Flor do Douro, moored on the water will take you and your bike for €1.50, across the river to São Pedro da Afurada on the south bank of the river.

The crossing gives a great perspective of the river, as you look upstream to the historical city and downstream towards the open sea.

Eat well Once you arrive on the dock at the other side, you have a sense of being in a place that has not changed fundamentally in decades. It’s a fishing town and it might as well be a hundred miles away from Porto because of the sense of self that this buzzing little town possesses.

If seafood is what you’re after, you have landed at the right dock.

There are eating places everywhere, and all within the sphere of great

value. The smell of cooking fills the streets and everywhere you look someone has a brazier lit and is barbecueing something delicious; the locals have even modified their barbecue boxes so that they slot neatly on top and swivel on the metal pedestrian barriers on the side of the the street, working at a perfect height of 90cm!

wine. A cold-weather favourite is Papas de Sarrabulho, which is a type of porridge from the Minho region and is made from pigs blood, chicken, sausage, chouriço, cumin, lemon, bread and cornmeal, served in a bowl and accompanied with red vinho verde.

Back in the Aliados neighbourhood, if a Francesinha is your meal of choice, then Restaurant Pontual is the place to go. It is another nononsense local tasca offering great food and a friendly atmosphere.

See more Perhaps one of the most intriguingly named family owned restaurants If after a sumptuous lunch you still have the energy, it is possible to is on Rua do Bonjardim close to Trindade. It is called Sai Cão which walk back to the iconic Dom Luís bridge along the south bank. Taxis means ‘get out dog’ (origin unknown). It is considered to be the best are plentiful, so that’s an option, too, and along the way you will come steak restaurant in town if not the entire north of the country, and to a sandy cove that is the location of a special boatyard. It is here at an average price of €6.50 it is definitely the best value. Honest, that repairs and modifications are made to the wooden Rabelo boats homely and buzzing, with a wonderful lady running the room, it is that once transported Port wine from the Douro Valley to the trading well worth seeking out. For more great local food and occasional companies’ cellars on the quays. Although the train has taken over Fado sessions, head for Casa das Balsas near São Bento train station. the job of transportation these days, the Rabelo is still in use as an The streets around Cedofeita and Cordoaria have plenty of pubs and important reminder of the city’s past. bars to choose from and are not rowdy or boisterous. Adega Leonor The route continues upriver past the wine cellars and at this point it is a bustling bar beside another green open space, the Jardim da is possible to take a well-earned break. Hop on a cable car and ascend Cordoaria, while Pipa Velha and Aduela in Cedofeita both serve good to Jardim do Morro, which has perhaps the best views in the entire food and host live music. city as it overlooks the pastel coloured houses on the Ribeira, and the If you want to escape the street for an hour or Port Cellars of Gaia. There is a metro line (Yellow) two, and cinema is your pleasure, then check out right beside the gardens that can take you back to Cinema Trindade on Rua do Almada. Don’t be put Trindade, São Bento or Aliados in time for you to off by it apparently being a bingo hall (which part consider drinks, dinner and other entertainment.

S TAY I N G I N of it is), because sharing the same building is a PORTO classic small movie theatre specialising in nonEat again mainstream films, and it feels just like a cinema Once again, using the metro as your driver, take We have discovered a should. Listings can in found at cinematrindade.pt. a short hop to Heroismo station and look for one real gem, B28, in the This city is certainly unique in Europe and of Porto's best tascas, which is located on Rua heart of the city. deserves a more respectful title than Portugal’s do Heroismo; it's called Casa dos Presuntos Xico Check out our findings second city, but the local citizens know that and caters mainly for local trade, so no hordes on page 27. it is number one. And by the way, try not to of tourists here. Their speciality is Sandes de call it ‘Oporto’ when you are there: it sounds Presunto, where the meat-to-bread ratio is a pretentious. winner, washed down with the region’s Espadal

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Opposite page, top: Capela de Carlos Alberto da Sardenha in the Jardins do Palácio Cristal; below: Papas de Sarrabulho, a dish for the brave; bottom: The Jardim Municipal do Horto das Virtudes, the Garden of Virtues. This page: the iconic Dom Luís Bridge

DINING PLUS

FOOD

FANTASTIC I N J U S T A F E W Y E A R S , T H E FA R M H O U S E P R O J E C T H A S B U I LT U P A N E N V I A B L E R E P U TAT I O N F O R P R O D U C I N G S I G N AT U R E D I S H E S L I K E N O O T H E R .

U N S U R P R I S I N G LY, I T S ‘ C H E F AT H O M E ’ O F F E R I N G IS BOOKED ALMOST A YEAR AHEAD

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SUSI ROGOL-GOODKIND

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ROWING UP in a small town

near Padstow, Cornwall, in a house on his family’s camping site, Jonathan Cloake spent his days chasing chickens and geese, playing football and riding his mini tractor in the fields, and collecting the freshly-laid eggs. At home, The Farm House, Pat, Jon’s mum, made quiches, pies, curries, chilli, bread, cakes and scones for the campers. Growing up amidst wonderful smells of cooking, Jon’s kitchen career began at the tender age of 13, when he was washing dishes in the local golf club and pub after school each day.

From those early beginnings, a fine young chef emerged, gathering experience with the likes of Rick Stein in Cornwall, Tom Aikens in London, and later, in Bangkok working with international Michelin Star chefs – his travels, he says, opened his mind to the richness and diversity of cooking.

PEOPLE PLUS

her 25-year-old brother, the couple decided to leave London and travel around South-east Asia in his memory. That gave them time to reflect on what they wanted to do with their lives: they were ready for the next stage, where they could invest their experience, hard work and shared passion into something that was truly theirs, which they could grow with pride. And that is precisely how The Farm House Project started...

Why Portugal?

Hélène’s mum and stepdad had a house in Olhão. It took one visit for her and Jon to fall in love with the beauty and peace of the Algarve, and see its potential. They moved here in January 2018, to Olhão, then to Boliqueime and Quarteira, and now live and have their business in Almancil.

Hélène explains: “We started The Farm House Project with a series of pop-up dinners in our family home, where Jon would prepare a multiple-course tasting menu, infusing local produce with spices brought back from our travels. Guests would sit around the same table and share the dining experience together. We then decided to launch our bespoke catering and private chef services.

“Our travels inspired our concept. In every country we visited, we had headed to the local markets to see what produce was on offer. We would eat street food whenever possible, we wanted to go where the locals go. We wanted real food.

“On the island of Koh Yao Noi, Phuket, we made friends with a Thai family; the mother and grandmother introduced us to recipes that only locals would know... special seafood sauces, Thai broths, curried river crabs and other fragrant dishes. It was such a special connection, a real sense of sharing; we

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It’s not only the food that has made The Farm House Project so in demand; the settings they create are equally individual

It was in Thailand, in 2014, on the island of Koh Samet, where the then 27-year-old, starting a trip across Asia with two friends, met Hélène Zinck, the product of a foodie family in the south of France, who was spending her gap year in Bangkok, working as a marketing and business development manager for a cosmetics company.

Jon and Hélène kept in touch, meeting up in Bangkok, and later in London. Together they moved to Nice in the south of France; Hélène finishing her Master’s degree, and Jon working as sous chef in a busy brasserie on the seafront.

Then it was back to Thailand, and a lifestyle they had both loved.

But, as is so often the case with young adventurers, they missed the closeness of family and, at the same time, wanted to gain more work experience.

Back in London, they worked hard, then Jon decided to take up the challenge of going freelance and working in diverse places and always to different briefs. As a temporary head chef at the Ministry of Defence in Mayfair, he could be preparing thousands of canapés; as senior sous chef at a designer hotel in Oxford Street, he was responsible for their ‘Mad Hatter’s’ afternoon teas.

Hélène, meanwhile, had a tough senior post in marketing.

With the increased pace of work, their careers blossomed, but they saw less and less of each other. In 2017, when Hélène tragically lost

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is key to communicating our ethos to our clients, and hopefully it will encourage them to buy local produce rather than to shop at big supermarkets. We hope we can inspire people with our approach to food, and with our travel stories from around the world.

The flavours and textures of the East feature in many of Jon’s signature dishes, but his barbecues are throughly westernised

The clients

Go local

communicated through the food, and unique memories were formed.

“During a five-day motorbike trip in the North of Vietnam, we were hosted each night by a different family. Every dinner was special – we experienced how dishes were made and the goodness of local ingredients, cooked with love.

“We would also try to find ingredients we could bring back with us, such as black turmeric, crystallised mountain honey from Vietnam, and Pangi nut ‘keluak’ from Bali that makes a delicious curry, along with other spices that we often use in our cooking.

“Food is for us the best way to connect people. The connection is not only made at the table, but also in the sourcing process: communication with producers and choice of the right ingredients, they are vital to the equation.

“We work closely with local farms and butchers and fishermen sourcing high-quality ingredients. We respect their work, the seasonality, and their production capacity. For us, being transparent about our ingredients and their provenance

Farmhouse favourites Local markets: the Wednesday farmers' market in Quarteira, Carla is our main fruit and veg supplier, and Loulé and Olhão markets.

Local fishermen: Fabio from Quarteira market for fish, Claudia for the clams, Vitor for the anchovies.

Local butcher: Talho Santos in Almancil.

Local farms: such as Dias de Aromas in Estoi/São Brás for edible flowers and aromatic herbs; Maria Flaminga for colourful fruits and veggies.

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The ethos “Our concept is to bring to your plate a tasty, vibrant, and creative cuisine, inspired by our travels and fuelled with interesting combinations of flavours and techniques, using the finest locally-sourced ingredients from farmers and artisans.”

And it’s not just their travel experiences that influence their approach to cooking: lessons comes from the cooking and baking books of Jon’s mum and grandma; Hélène’s family recipes from Lebanon to the French Caribbean; collected cookery books, some dating back more than 100 years; Hélène’s dad, who lives in Bali, and sends cinnamon, nutmeg, bamboo sticks and more; great chefs around the world; and social media.

The Farm House Project has an impressive list of clients: internationals living in the Algarve, retreat owners like Wild View Retreat and Casa Fuzetta, wedding planners, rental property agencies, and a good few international celebrities, and sports stars. Last summer, Jon was the private chef of TV personality Cristina Ferreira during her stay at Casa 1876 in the hills of São Brás.

Ten to 30 people are the usual numbers for private chef events, but with Jon’s vast experience in cooking for large groups, up to 50 and even 100 can be catered for easily. The couple’s diary is packed – most of this year is spoken for, and they are already taking bookings for 2023.

Everything is meticulously tailored to meet individual needs. “We often have clients with multiple allergies,” says Hélène. “The record was nine for one guest! We are used to catering for all kinds of dietary requirements, and always have vegetarian and vegan options on our menus.”

One of the most complex challenges The Farm House Project faced was in its early days. “We were still living in a small apartment without access to a proper production kitchen like now,” Jon recalls. “The opening party of Maison du Monde in MAR Shopping was pretty awesome. We had to make over 2,000 canapés and worked through the night. It turned out well, and clients were very happy.”

The Farm House Project concept is ever evolving and not set in a particular ‘catering mould’. In addition to the private chef at home option, Jon and Hélène can offer different experiences, from food demos, cookery classes and exclusive pop-up dinners in a farm, to weddings and special events.

The tastes Tastebuds tingling? Try the barbecue experience with delicious butchers’ meats, fresh fish from the market, and colourful and seasonal salads and sides. Or Jon’s take on Mediterranean and Portuguese dishes. Or some glorious Asian specialities, learned in their original country. But it’s always fascinating to know what food professionals themselves eat at the end of a busy day. “A quick curry or bangers and mash with onion gravy, or a Chinese take-away,” says Jon.”

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farmhouseprojectkitchen.com

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Join us!

TM: 961 528 679. Gallery Open Thurs. Fri. Sat. Sun. 11.30am - 4.30pm Email: algarvegallery@gmail.com - www.corterealarte.com

From the village of Paderne or Boliquetime

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T R A D I T I O N A N D I N N O VAT I O N C O L L I D E I N A F A M I LY C O R K B U S I N E S S T H AT I S P U S H I N G

CORK:

BOUNDARIES , OPENING DOORS , A N D C R E AT I N G D E S I G N T R E N D S T H AT A R E C H A N G I N G AT T I T U D E S

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DEBBIE REYNOLDS

MEET Tânia Loução and her husband, Nuno Farias, at NF Cork on the outskirts of Faro. The bright blue sky frames the huge piles of cork bark drying in the balmy sun. On the way to a quick tour of the factory, we meet various stray cats who have made the factory their home, along with pigeons perched in a lone cork oak tree that sprang up in the yard from nowhere.

Nuno’s family had been working with cork for around 60 years, with the first and oldest cork factory in Portugal, Torris Pinto. Situated in the neighbourhood of Bom João, between the Rio de Faro and Faro town, the now abandoned and graffiti-covered Torris Pinto buildings are clearly visible from the train which hugs the Algarve coastline.

With a lifetime’s experience in the cork industry, Nuno’s parents bought a plot of land outside Faro and built a small factory to continue the work they knew so well.

Bit by bit, the family purchased adjoining pieces of land and began to grow what became NF Cork seven years ago. Today, they employ 12 people, an industrial designer and factory workers, who do everything from sizing sheets and packing orders to making the decorative wall tiles.

“This is a family business and our employees are also family,” Tânia says. “It’s an old factory with some old equipment, so it’s about preserving tradition, teaching, training, innovating and hoping that people want to stay with us for a long time.”

The cornerstones of the business are cork granules, architectural blocks and decorative wall tiles – there are 35 of the latter, which are sold locally or exported. The cork granules are mainly exported to Europe, where they are used as insulation in the construction of buildings, and more increasingly as drainage under artificially grassed football fields.

PHOTO: ©FILIPA ALVES

FOOTWORK DESIGN PLUS

PHOTO: © NUNO SOUSA DIAS

Moving into design Today NF Cork is focusing its attention on furniture and décor pieces – everything from tables and stools, to lamps and wine racks. “We’ve found a much bigger interest in cork homewares, says Tânia. “People are looking for things that are closer to nature. The buzzword is definitely sustainability and it doesn’t get much better than cork.”

Nature was the inspiration for an ambitious collaboration between Lisbon art gallery Made In Situ, French designer Noé Duchafour-Lawrance, and NF Cork, which resulted in a triumphant project and exhibition titled Burnt Cork, which opened in Lisbon in May last year. It was Noé's second collection, described as “an ode to the resilience of material, of people, of processes”.

When Noé first toured the NF Cork factory, he noticed a large pile of discarded burnt cork, which took him back to when he first arrived in this country.

“When I moved to Portugal in summer 2017, I decided to drive from France, a three-day journey,” said Noé, writing in the Burnt Cork Collection brochure. “I was met by flames and burnt and charred forests. It was a shock to drive into these hills ablaze, the inferno consuming the landscape and leaving behind a world of visible entropy. Hauntingly dark, each spike of burnt wood sticking from the ground was where a tree used to be. The power of fire struck me, one of the five elements vital to our existence on earth.”

Says Tânia: “Noé told us that this memory had stayed in his heart, and seeing the burnt cork ignited the project. He loved the materials and textures we were working with, and so we began experimenting to develop a series of custom-designed burnt cork blocks.”

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PHOTO: ©CLÉMENT CHEVELT

Cork trees blackened from the fires that ravaged northern Portugal in 2017, moved Noé Duchafour Lawrance to create a collection of new pieces

DESIGN PLUS

Portugal is the world’s largest producer of cork, which comes from Sobreiro or cork oak trees.

Evergreen, and native to southwest Europe and northwest Africa, the trees thrive in a special environment, known locally as montado.

One of the richest ecosystems in the world, this sparsely settled open grassland supports the cultivation of cork oaks which take 25 years to mature. Once the first virgin cork is removed after 25 years, Then every nine years thereafter the tree is ‘harvested’, which is why you will see numbers on the trees in cork oak forests – each number representing the last digit of the year, so it easy to see when they are ready for harvest.

The montado also provides sustenance and shelter for animals, such as Bonelli’s eagle, the Iberian Imperial eagle, squirrels, foxes, wild boars and even the endangered Iberian lynx.

A new chapter It was working with Noé on the Burnt Cork project that inspired Tânia and Nuno to push their design dream forward.

“Before, all our design pieces were made by hand by a carpenter, but we have now invested in a CNC (computer numerical control) machine, which helps with more precise detailing. We would love to create pieces that have more direction and come with a sensory experience, from, say, a purely recreational relaxing sunbed to a tabletop that hides storage space underneath.

“There’s a strong call now for natural, non-pollutant materials that won’t destroy the planet, a strong influence of nature that will last forever.”

Tânia loves telling the tales of cork’s use through the ages, from hundreds of years ago when the bark was used to make natural spoons, or bowls – cucharro – which were used in the fields.

“You would find a communal pot of water with a cucharro inside, and cork bowls holding the lunches of workers – the cork kept the food warm,” she explains. “The traditional base of cataplana dishes was cork. And you can’t forget the fashion of the 70s and 80s for cork flooring and brightly painted cork tiled walls.”

For now, however, Tânia and Nuno like nothing more than the challenge of being asked to create a custom-made article to decorate a special place in a home. “Some of our biggest clients are hotels and restaurants,” says Tânia. “We love working with them and those who have an idea that we can turn into reality.”

It is this energy that inspired Noé to work with NF Cork.

“Tânia and Nuno demonstrated a strong will to explore new fields to sustain the family business,” he says. “Their knowledge, open-minded approach and agility helped me and the Made in Situ team through the motions of the Burnt Cork collection’s many challenges. Despite NF Cork’s young age, it carries a good savoir faire, benefitting from 60 years of expertise in cork transformation.”

PHOTO: ©CLÉMENT CHEVELT

fact file

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The challenge was to hand-make blocks that would reveal a gradient from raw burnt cork to a refined finish, playing with different granulometries.

“It took us two years to get the blocks just right, but it was worth every minute seeing the beautiful, finished pieces – chairs, loungers, tables and a stool (which were manufactured by Granorte, based in Porto) – presented in such a sensory way. And there is talk now of the collection going to New York and Paris.”

Noé believes that moving to Portugal has sparked his creativity. “Choosing a new country means leaving one’s comfort zone, looking at and perceiving things in a different way,” he says. “I grew up in Brittany in France, was living in Paris, and looking for a place to breathe and look at the horizon. In Portugal, the geographical positioning offers this opportunity – the ocean and the land.

“I also wanted to find a place where the designing was part of the production. Portugal is a country undergoing change – it feels now that it is in transition, rooted in heritage, but currently in motion, and this dynamic is one of its assets.

“It feels to me like one of the only countries that always comes back to itself. It has been anchored by necessity to certain traditions; this strong connection can still be found here. The country remains attached to a certain form of simplicity which, in my opinion, is essential. To choose Portugal is to take up a new approach – to get physically closer to the work of craftspeople.

“The Burnt Cork initiative presented an opportunity to transform the remnants of the fires, creating our own material as a rebirth… There was a tension to this collection from the beginning, from the dramatic landscape after the tumultuous fires, the rejected burnt resource of the bark that takes nine years to grow, the family company struggling to survive in the face of big industry and monopolies, and the tension of pushing boundaries for innovation while at the same time supporting tradition.”

The Made in Situ gallery in Lisbon is the perfect setting for bold, adventurous works. Noé Duchafour-Lawrance's Burnt Cork Collection could not have had a better stage

The Finest Art Gallery in the Algarve

Easter Exhibition at

ArtCatto Gallery in Loulé 14th April 2022

Dom Pattinson

Tessa Schack

Massai Woman

Photography

Thomas Bossard

Life’s a Beach

Mixed Media on Canvas

La partie de billard

www.artcatto.com Avenida José da Costa Mealha nº43 r/c | +351 289 419 447 | info@artcatto.com

Oil on Canvas

chapter

06

Casa

“Wonderful food matched by wonderful service!“

AMOR

Source: Trip Advisor

I T ’ S T I M E T O B U I L D . . . T H AT M E A N S P U L L I N G D O W N , I N S P E C T I N G W H AT L I E S B E N E AT H , M A K I N G D E C I S I O N S , G E T T I N G OVE R DISAPP OI NTM E NTS , AN D TRUSTI N G YO U R N E W CO N T R AC TO R S TO H E L P T U R N YO U R D R E A M I N TO R E A L I T Y

Wo rd s:

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“ Amara 5.0

www.amararestaurant.pt Reservas: T +351 289 357 579 @amarafairways Four Seasons Fairways | Avenida André Jordan 37 Quinta do Lago

E L AI N E J OYCE

OMETIMES you have to know how to waste

time in order to gain time afterwards,” said Walter, a wise man. On February 2, he and Jack decided to entrust their rebuilding plan to Josué Medeiros and his construction company, E-Obras.

It was Josué who said: “Casa Amor is a project that every builder dreams of”. And that helped convince the Casa Amor twosome that they had finally picked the right company to accompany them on their journey to turn the crumbling Pension Helena, 152 years old this year, into a glorious boutique hotel in the very heart of Olhão.

“How much better it is,” says Jack, “to have a captain of the construction team who wants to win!”

Josué’s company is located in Lisbon, and also operates in the Algarve in São Bartolomeu de Messines, less than an hour’s drive from Olhão. He has built a team that will be dedicated to Casa Amor for the duration, ensuring that it has the respect and love it deserves. “This project is followed by many thousands of people, via AlgarvePLUS and the social networks.

It is a beautiful showcase and proof that with the right partners on board you have a win-win relationship.”

When embarking on a complex venture, it is a matter of

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VISION PLUS

It is a joy when the upheaval begins, to see what treasures lie beneath the floorboards. Beautiful old tiles will be made ready to start a new life upstairs

timing, right from the start. Says Jack: “Once the builder is chosen, it is necessary to obtain a building licence from the Municipality, which takes around a month. Re-opening the water meters with AmbiOlhão is just a matter of a few days, but installing electricity and a three-phase meter, allowing for EDP’s delivery time, can add a further three months to the schedule. We can’t afford that time, so work will commence using a generator.

“Finally, we needed to define the public space that we will occupy with the least interference to the neighbourhood, and obtain authorisation from the Municipality. For example, the big green bins will have to go, and that will change local habits.

But there are brand new disposal facilities just 350 meters walk away. The Municipality of Olhão really focused on this issue.”

But before building work commences, it is necessary to destroy a little, Jack explains. “The wooden interior shutters have been removed – they will need to be treated and restored.

Splendid cement tiles have been found under the sand and rubbish – they will be relocated to the first floor.

“Unfortunately, the wooden ceilings that we love cannot be saved: abandonment, water and wood-boring insects have eaten away at them from the inside. From afar the illusion is perfect, get close up and the catastrophe is obvious.”

Carpets, floors, sanitary facilities, baseboards and wooden frames that have suffered the same fate as the wooden ceilings will have to be removed. It will also be necessary to remove 500m² of brick walls, take out 300m² of small stone walls, 700m² of wooden frames, 500m² of ceilings, 400m² of concrete and tiles, and hundreds of square metres of earth – the entire surface of the ground floor has to be dug down by 50 centimeters, an essential operation to separate the house from moisture – everyone who has a home here knows that particular subject well.

“All these figures make you dizzy,” laughs Jack. “And we are not including the destruction of the laundromat, the garage and the annex built in the 70s. They will be gone, to make the way for our beautiful white patio where bougainvillea will flourish. Looking around now, it is a little hard to imagine that one day this will be the patio where guests will be served breakfast.”

And to ensure that breakfast at Casa Amor will be perfection, Walter, who is passionate about pastry, is following one of the most famous training courses in France, preparing for a ‘CAP’ (Certificat d’Aptitude Professionnelle). For a few months, the alarm clock wakes him up very early in the morning, but more of that later...

So much to

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M O V I N G H O M E ? B U I L D I N G Y O U R O W N ? T H I N K I N G O F A R E VA M P ?

T H E R E A R E G R E AT R E A D Y-T O - B E - L O V E D P R O D U C T S AT K I T & C A B O O D L E I N A L M A N C I L . S E E T H E M AT T H E W A R E H O U S E , O R G O O N L I N E T O D I S C O V E R W H AT ’ S R E A D Y A N D W A I T I N G F O R Y O U

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PERATIONS MANAGER at Kit & Caboodle,

Sue Jenkins, together with teammates Julie Rushman, creative manager; Celia Citereo, sales assistant; and owner Philippa Taylor, are delighting in the fact more and more people are putting sustainability as a top priority when furnishing or redecorating their home.

‘Second hand’ has emerged, finally, as desirable, as more and more top-quality pieces become available. “When people are downsizing, or perhaps heading off to another country, they often have items that will not fit with their new lifestyle,” says Sue. “And that means others can pick

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them up at a fraction of the original cost. But there’s a lot more to the Kit & Caboodle operation than that.

The company’s 700m² warehouse and outdoor space is also home to a brilliant makeover centre, where furnishings – especially wood – enter a whole new design dimension. “Some pieces just scream out to be painted, or simply sanded back and re-loved with a little wax or oil,” says Philippa, who went to the UK specifically to take an Annie Sloan course run by one of the ambassadors of the colour and chalk paint expert.

“When we purchase consignments,” Sue explains, “especially the contents of a whole house, there are often pieces that, with a little TLC, could be real gems when treated to specialised finishes. And if there are others that are falling apart, we can often re-use the hardware or turn the drawers in garden planters. It’s a matter of thinking outside the box.”

What is in demand? “It changes all the time,” says Sue. “Console and dressing tables seem to sell well but you can never tell, everything has its moment!”

Over the years, the team have come across some real treasures – David Marshall sculptures, Natuzzi sofas, Tricana rugs, and Status Concept outdoor furniture among them. And they’ve have bought furniture from some amazing properties owned by footballers, TV presenters, artists and even interior designers, which means the next owner can find a bargain with a unique history.

It’s the price savings that canny shoppers find exciting.

For example, an Ardenne extending oak dining table with eight chairs, like new and originally costing €2,300, carried a Kit & Caboodle price tag of just €799.

If you want to furnish, say a lounge, at Kit & Caboodle you could probably do it for around €500 – allowing for sofas at €300, a coffee table at €70, side tables at €50, a media unit at €40, and pictures at another €40. It’s a perfect solution for rental property owners, too – preloved, after all, means you get furniture that looks good, is likely to be better quality than you’d find new for the same price, and if it gets scratched or water-marked by holidaymakers it isn’t a tragedy.

“A lot of our customers are conscious of buying sustainably,” says Sue. “Others may have just bought a new property here or a second home, and want to work to a budget. We’ve had some very wealthy clients who recognise the quality of our products, and we have people that call in regularly in search of a quirky one-off piece.

KIT AND CABOODLE C aminho do Cerra do Galo, Armazém 3 , 8135 - 028 Almancil T: 2 8 9 3 9 4 2 5 7 / E : s a l e s @ k i t a n d c a b o o d l e . p t / kitandcaboodle.pt

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Kit and Caboodle's website lists everything, with prices, and is updated as soon as new stock is available. Delivery charges are fantastic, via Algarve Express who are right next door. It’s just €15 for Loulé postcodes regardless of the number of items; €20 for Albufeira, Olhão and São Brás. Other areas are on tthe website

PORTO PLUS

STAY

away

S PEN D I N G TI M E I N P O RTO? WE ’ VE D ISCOVER ED A WO N D ER FU L PL AC E TO S TAY I N TH E H E ART O F TH E C IT Y, WH I C H CO M B I N E S Q U I E T AN D LUXU RY

A

LIDA JAMAL, owner of

Porto’s glorious seven apartments that make up B28, describes her offering as “authentic, simple and comfortable”. While it is all of those, we would add “unique, sophisticated and cool”, along with “can’t wait to return”. This is a traveller’s treat, in an unbeatable location in the historic centre, a building that dates back to the 16th century.

Alida bought the property in 2012, enchanted by the possibility of developing it into a home from home for travellers looking for something truly special. With architect Bernardo Távora, she spent six years creating that dream destination,

retaining the historic features – the ornate ceilings, the central spiral staircase, the lanternin that floods the building with light.

The result is a fusion of creative thinking, a respect for architectural history, and an understanding of what those enjoying time out will most appreciate.

A great night’s sleep, for starters: the beds are from Portuguese specialist Colunex, the linens are 100% cotton made in Portugal, the duvets and pillows are dreamily soft.

In the bathrooms, there are lush towels, and lovely toiletries.

Fancy a relaxing evening, watching television, or planning your outing for the following day?

THE CHOICE Three studios and four one-bedroom apartments

DECOR Minimalistic with Portuguese-made furnishings

B R E A K FA S T Delivered: sourdough bread, jams, cheeses, orange juice, fruit, yoghurt and eggs

B 2 8 A PA R T M E N T S R u a d e B e l o m o nte 2 8 , 4 0 5 0 - 0 9 6 P o r to T: + 3 5 1 9 6 0 1 7 9 2 1 2 / E : h e l l o @ b 2 8 a p a r t m e n t s . c o m / b 2 8 a p a r t m e n t s . c o m / e n

l ALGARVE P L U S

B28 Apartments

Well, the kitchen in your apartment is fully equipped with everything you might need, including a dishwasher and microwave. And there are plenty of little local shops where you can buy fresh ingredients and locallygrown vegetables. Mind you, you may have something left over from the beautiful breakfast that’s delivered each morning. And there’s a concept store right there in the building stocked with Portuguese products.

It’s the views that captivate and add to the pleasure of being at B28: the higher up you go, the better they are, and from the fourth and fifth floor apartments you can see across the rooftops down to the Douro.

Ready to explore? You could not want for a better location – 750 metres from the iconic São Bento Station, 100 metres from Palácio da Bolsa and Mercado Ferreira Borges, 150 metres from Ribeira, Rua das Flores. Your camera will be busy the minute your step out into the sunshine.

Alida and her team go out of their way to ensure your stay is remarkable. They’ll suggest an itinerary and can arrange tours.

Don’t just take our word. B28 features in 500 Hidden Secrets of Porto; on joandso.com; prettyhotels.com; stylitup.sapo.pt and dozens more. Like us, they are all suitably impressed.

27

‘Time out in Porto?

We can’t think of a better place to spend it’

Tipple tastes P O R T U G A L H A S E S TA B L I S H E D ITSELF AS THE PERFECT D E S T I N AT I O N F O R W I N E L O V E R S , BUT IT IS ALSO THE PRODUCER OF A N U M B E R O F L I Q U E U R S T H AT A R E QUITE DIFFERENT TO ANY THING Y O U H AV E TA S T E D E L S E W H E R E LÍVIA MOKRI

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HERE ARE many different tastes in the Portuguese liqueur repertoire – and it’s time to get to know them and sample a sip. You might find them ideal as a before-dinner drink, interesting in a cocktail, or the perfect digestif after you’ve eaten.

Enjoy the experience.

LICOR BEIRÃO The exact recipe of Licor Beirão, regarded as Portugal’s national liqueur, is a family secret, but it’s known to include eucalyptus, cinnamon, rosemary, lavender, aniseed and mint, and

has similar origins to the likes of Germany’s Jägermeister, England’s Pimms, and the Hungarian Unicum.

The liqueur was first created in a pharmacy in Lousã. The story goes that at the end of the 19th century, a Port wine salesman, passing through Lousã, fell in love with, and married the daughter of a pharmacist.

In the pharmacy, apart from the usual drugs, they sold “natural liqueurs” for medicinal use, but when a law forbidding health-giving claims of alcoholic beverages came into force, the young man opened a small factory, and produced the nectars independently.

SAÚDE PLUS

LICOR B E IR ÃO

Once tasted, you’ll be back for more. Enjoy ginja, often served with cherries in a plastic cup, in small specialist bars, or neighbourhood patisseries

GINJA / GINJINHA Ginja is a traditional Portuguese sour cherry liqueur associated with Óbidos and Alcobaça, but enjoyed throughout the country. Born in the 17th century, its creation was inspired by the ancient recipes of Cistercian monks.

The liqueur is ruby red coloured; its main ingredient is the Morello sour cherry, which is usually harvested in June, with water and sugar added. After five months, a sweet cherry liqueur with a 16% alcohol content results.

The Portuguese particularly love ginja, which is believed to be a cure for many minor illnesses. It is best served as an apéritif or a digestif, preferably neat.

CHEERS FOR CHERRIES

In 1929, his liqueur was awarded a gold medal in the 2nd Beirão Congress. It was then renamed Beirão. In 1940, the factory and secret recipe were purchased by José Carranca Redondo of Lousã, then in his twenties. By the 1960s, Beirão had become a nationwide success.

Licor Beirão is still produced in Quinta do Meiral, in Lousã, where Redondo could be found daily until his death in 2005, at age 89. On the Quinta’s 12 hectares, some of the ingredients used in the still-secret recipe – the lavender and mint, for example – are grown.

The remaining ingredients come from distant zones like India, Sri Lanka, Brazil, and Turkey, among others.

It is said that the first Ginja Bar was opened in Lisbon in 1840 by a Galician named Espinheira.

The Ginjinha Espinheira Bar is still located near Rossio Square and enjoys popularity among locals and tourists alike. The tiny bar seats four people and the walls are shelved to hold bottles of Ginja. The drink is served in a small plastic cup and served with or without sour cherries soaked in liqueur. Needless to say, it is worth tasting both!

In some patisseries, ginja is served in a small chocolate cup, so after you drink the liqueur, you can also eat the cup. Double the pleasure, right?

LICOR BEIRÃO PRODUCTION The liqueur is produced by double distillation of 13 different carefully selected aromatic seeds, herbs and spices. Mixed with alcohol, sugar and water (spring water from Serra da Lousã), the maceration process take 20 to 25 days, after which the liquid is twice distilled in copper stills. The Licor Beirão is filtered and stored in stainless steel vats for a few months, allowing for every ingredient to release its characteristic properties and fragrances. Today, the average production capacity of the factory is 30,000 bottles a day and the yellow ribbon embellishing the bottles is tied by hand. The brand is sold in 40 countries.

TASTING NOTES Licor Beirão is pale amber in colour, and has sweet, alcoholic and herbal aromas with a hint of anise and thyme, on the nose. On the palate, it is very smooth, soft and sweet, having 22% alcohol content. It is like syrup, with notes of anise, orange and caramel.

One of the most popular drinks in Portugal, it is usually drunk neat, or with ice, used in cocktails, or coffee or in desserts. You can find Beirão-filled chocolates, and Licor Beirão ice cream.

COCKTAIL TIME The producers of Licor Beirão have created two cocktails based on more popular drinks.

The Brazilian Caipirinha has been renamed the Caipirão, swapping Cachaça for Beirão in the process. Loaded with ice and lime, it’s a sweet and refreshing drink, and less strong than your typical Caipirinha. The Morangão is a twist on the Caipirão, with crushed strawberries or strawberry juice and a dash of lemon juice replacing the limes.

SAÚDE PLUS

WEIGHING IN

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The fruit of the medronho tree, left, is strawberry red and prickly; the fruit brandy produced is 50% alcohol.

Jeropiga is a mix of aguardente and grape must

LICOR ALFARROBA

JEROPIGA

The alfarrobeira, carob tree, or St. John’s bread tree, is commonly found on the Algarve. A member of the legume (pea) family, it grows to 15m in 50 years, and flowers in September and October. Carob trees are single-sex, so it takes a male and female tree to produce carob pods – a single male tree can pollinate up to 20 female trees. Once a female carob tree is fertilised, it produces hundreds of kilos of dark brown pods filled with brown pulp and tiny seeds, which take a year to develop and ripen; a large tree can produce one ton of beans in a single harvest.

A healthy substitute for chocolate, carob is rich in antioxidants, mainly polyphenols. In addition, it has few calories and is an excellent source of fibre and B vitamins, calcium and magnesium. The 19th-century British chemists sold carob pods to singers; chewing on them apparently helped the singers maintain healthy vocal cords, and soothed and cleansed their throats.

Licor Alfarroba is a sweetened and flavoured drink made from carob, which is macerated for a specific period of time, after which the brandy is filtered and sugar syrup is added. It is said to improve gastrointestinal health, help control cholesterol, regulate blood sugar levels, and promote bone health.

Jeropiga is a sweet liqueur wine that accompanies the autumn festivals, and is commonly consumed on St Martin’s day, with a bowl of roasted chestnuts.

The manufacturing process is similar to that of Port wine or Moscatel; one part brandy or aguardente is added to two parts grape must to stop the fermentation, making it a sweeter and more alcoholic than wine. The result is a brownish deep-gold-coloured liqueur wine with floral and dried fruit aromas on the nose.

Since the seeds of the carob pod all weigh the same, they were used to weigh diamonds, silver and gold in the Middle East. The word ‘carat’ refers to the official name of the carob tree: Ceratonia Siliqua. The system was eventually standardised, and one carat was fixed at 0.2 grams.

In late Roman and early Byzantine times, the pure gold coin known as the solidus weighed 24 carab seeds (about 4.5 grams). As a result, the carat also became a measure of purity for gold. Thus 24-carat gold means 100% pure, 12-carat gold means the alloy contains 50% gold, etc.

And another interesting rumour suggests that alfarroba is one of the secret ingredients in Coca-Cola.

TASTING NOTES On the palate, it has a smooth texture, citrus, orange peel and nutty flavours, sweetened with intense honey and raisin notes, and a persistent, sweet aftertaste. The aromas balance the sensations of freshness and sweetness; a good combination of wood and wine. The alcohol content is 15.5%, due to the addition of brandy. You should consume Jeropiga at 16°C before a meal as an apéritif, or fresh and slightly chilled to 10-12°C as a digestif.

AGUARDENTE DE MEDRONHOS Not exactly a liqueur, but a traditional fruit brandy, is Portugal’s firewater, Aguardente de Medronhos, made from the spiky berries of the ‘strawberry tree’, the Arbutus Unedo. Distilled from the fermented berries, it has a very high percentage of alcohol (around 50%) with a strong and characteristic flavour.

Until recently, it was mainly found at local taverns in Algarve, or bought directly from the farmers, but the producers and the government have made an effort to turn medronho into a true Portuguese product.

Fermentation starts with the fruit being poured into large pots or tanks. It is essential that the Medronho ‘mash’ stays humid so the berries are sprayed every day.

As soon as there is a balance between the solid and the liquid, the Medronho starts to bubble, signalling the start of fermentation, which continues for 45 to 60 days.

The final product is a strong liqueur, giving a burning sensation as it goes down your throat.

Health benefits? Just ask the locals – they’ll tell you it can heal everything from sore throats to stomach conditions. If you don’t fancy purchasing a whole bottle, many bars and cafés will offer you a tasting for a few euros.

And what about the fruit itself? It’s an acquired taste and nothing like strawberries! And it is said that if you eat too many, you can get slightly drunk!

Slowly Cooked Crispy Pork Belly White Onion Purée / Black Pudding / Charred Leeks J O N AT H A N A N D H É L È N E O F T H E F A R M H O U S E P R O J E C T H AV E C R E AT E D T H I S A M A Z I N G D I S H T H AT I N T R O D U C E S N E W F L AV O U R S A N D T E X T U R E S . R E A D M O R E A B O U T T H E M O N PAG E 1 4 A N D

o f t h e m o n t h ...

RECIPE

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W AT C H O U T F O R F U T U R E D I S H E S C R E AT E D F O R A L G A R V E P L U S

SERVES 4–6

I NGR E D I E N T S 

    

 



2.7kg pork belly with good quality white fat.

Tell the butcher you want the rib bones 2 large white onions, halved 3 large white onions, roughly diced 4 carrots, peeled and halved 2 large potatoes, halved (peeled optionally) 4 medium sized leeks, well washed and drained, cut into 8cm batons 4 banana shallots, halved, skin-on 400g of black pudding (morcela or any good blood sausage) 200ml of cream or crème fraîche

for seasoning         

Butter, olive oil, and cooking oil Brown or white sugar A handful of bay leaves 2tbsp freshly picked thyme leaves Small bunch of sage 2 sprigs of rosemary Juice of half a lemon Ground sea salt, 1tbsp peppercorns, white pepper Edible flowers/rosemary for décor (optional)

M ET HOD 1 Put the rib bones, bay leaves, peppercorns, and sage in a saucepan with 1.5L of water. Bring to a boil then simmer for 1 hour.

2 Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 150°C/300°F. Evenly spread the halved onions, carrots, and potatoes, in a large, deep roasting tin. Place the pork on top.

3 Carefully pour the hot stock directly over the pork. Cover with greaseproof paper and then tin foil, and place in your oven for 3.5 hours.

This steaming process will break down the

structure of the meat, helping it to be super tender when it's finished cooking.

4 Uncover the tin, turn oven up to 210°C/390°F degrees. Using a pastry brush, lightly apply 2 tablespoons of cooking oil evenly over the skin, with lashings of finely ground sea salt.

5 Return tin to oven for about 1 hour until the skin has reached its maximum crispiness. (You should be able to tell by gently hitting the skin with a utensil – the sound should be hollow.)

6 Remove the belly, place it on a wire rack for 10 minutes to allow any grease to drain off.

7 For the onion purée, in a small heavy pan, cook the diced onions, with a tablespoon of oil, 120g of butter, and the rosemary and thyme, but do not allow to colour. Add 1 tablespoon of sugar and increase the heat for 45 seconds, then turn it down, add the cream and simmer for 15 minutes.

Season with white pepper, and fine sea salt, and lemon juice and blitz in a blender until smooth and creamy.

8 For the charred shallots and leeks, place them in a dry frying pan over medium to high heat, for 4-5 minutes until they are nicely coloured and start popping out of their skins. Remove them and place the leeks in the pan. Brush them with olive oil and fry as you would a sausage. Once they reach a nice colour, add a small cup of water to the pan and steam for 3-5 minutes.

9 Roast the black pudding in the oven at 180°C/ 350°F for 15 minutes, until it bursts or becomes crispy. Crumble onto a sheet of kitchen towel.

10 To serve, slice the pork, plate up to your liking, adding the roasted vegetables and a side of apple sauce (see opposite).

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APPLE SAUCE

Peel and cube 3 large Granny Smith apples, and pop in a pan with 2tbsp of brown sugar. Cook on a medium heat until nearly soft. Add the peel and 100ml of water, then simmer until cooked. Add a bit of lemon juice and blitz until smooth.

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An OTRO kind of life OTRO COMES FROM OUTRO, P O R T U G U E S E F O R ‘A N O T H E R ’ .

T H AT ’ S T H E R A I S O N D ’ Ê T R E F O R H U G O B A N H A ' S C O M P A N Y T H AT I N C L U D E S P E R F U M E S , R E S TA U R A N T S , FA S H I O N A N D D E S I G N

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N HIS FORTIES and perfectly groomed, Hugo Banha takes as good care of himself as he does of others. He is the perfect host and although he has already built a small empire, one of his favourite adjectives is ‘humble’. We talked in the OTRO headquarters, located in Palácio Lambertini, one of Avenida da Liberdade’s finest buildings.

The entrepreneur, whose middle name is luxury, answered the questions:

Who was Hugo Banha before OTRO? I was a salesman working with luxury brands. Before OTRO, I had two jobs in my life: I worked with Pedro Luz in night venues, and with FS Ribeiro group, which was later bought by Paula Amorim, who invested in big fashion and luxury brands.

To this day, I have the best sales record in the company; when younger members of the Fashion Clinic team ask me how I did it, I always tell them that you just have to love what you do. I stayed with the company for 14 years until I felt I had to move on. I was thirty-something and needed more.

Above: Hugo Banha, achieving his dream through discipline, devotion, and sheer determination. Right: the first OTRO fragrance store

S A N D R A G AT O

Did you always think that one day you would have your own business?

Never! I always ran away from management responsabilities. But, having worked for so many years in the luxury sector, I knew exactly what was needed in Portugal. So I decided to start with top-quality perfumery.

Why? Because you love perfumes or because you thought there was a market for it?

Both. I never get into things I know little about. I was responsible for the perfumery business at Fashion Clinic and, in my opinion, we were working with too few brands.

Everyday I passed through ‘the tunnel’ (a back alley inside

DÉCOR PLUS

Tivoli Forum, in Avenida da Liberdade). I always believed that if you have a really good product and a great concept, people will find you, and I decided to open my first store there.

For years, I had been approached by many great brands, including Vuitton and Hermès, but I stayed with Fashion Clinic. When I did make the move, I rented the tunnel shop and put up a sign that read: “Soon, Avenida da Liberdade will have another perfume”. We opened, and it was one the parties of the year. OTRO Perfume Concept was the mother of the brand. We were the first niche perfume store in the country.

Why the name OTRO? We, humans, always want more. I totally relate to that. We try something, we like it, but we always want ‘another’ and better thing.

OTRO is easy to pronounce in every language. OTRO is the core brand, a total brand, a lifestyle. Everything you need, OTRO can provide. I always knew perfumes would be the beginning; we need to eat, smell good, have a nice house, have clothes to wear... I want the OTRO client to find everything they want within the brand.

So what came after the perfume store?

OTRO Private Tailoring. It is a highly exclusive service, by invitation only. Only men. Ladies are more complicated; I do ladies but on rare occasions. Two years ago, we did one of the biggest weddings in Angola and we dressed almost everyone from the bride’s side. But that was an exception.

Then came OTRO Arquitectura & Design. Why? My grandfather was an architect – I am not – and my mother a designer.

I did all the decoration for the perfume store and the private tailoring. Lots of clients loved it and wanted to know who was responsible, so I decided to open the design department.

It’s a turnkey concept. For example, we’re finishing a huge project in Lisbon that is going to make an impact on the beauty world, a beautiful place, and we did everything, from demolitions to decorative objects.

And finally, the restaurant...

Before that, I opened another perfume store (in Hotel Fontecruz, Avenida da Liberdade), and then yes, OTRO restaurant. It was all designed by us, there is a signature in everything we do. The uniforms are Private Tailoring and the perfumes are present, too. We partnered with chef Vítor Sobral – I think we are the perfect match.

And you have the “perfume surprise”. Can you please explain?

In the restaurant, the client has some perfumes to choose from in the restroom, with messages that helps him/her identify the best one.

They can choose it with the QR code, with the exact time they want to surprise their companion during the meal. It is always a big moment; we didn’t want the fireworks, like other places do with Champagne etc. This is different. On Valentine’s Day, for instance, we were almost fully booked before we even announced the programme! We had a DJ, a saxophonist, you could choose the menu with For Her/For Him perfume. People started booking even before knowing what was going to happen.

Are there are new projects coming up?

First the perfume store, underground in Lisbon. Then the restaurant, under master chef Vítor Sobral

Yes, this month we will open an OTRO perfume store in Cascais, in the marina. The look will be different, not dark like in Lisbon. The floor will have sea-coloured stones, the walls will look like waves and sand.

We have invested a lot in the lighting – it will be like stars in the ceiling.

It will be the OTRO language, but adapted to a different location. The

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MORE PLUS

OTRO is easy to pronounce in every language.

OTRO is the core brand, a total brand, a lifestyle.

Everything you need, OTRO can provide.

MORE PLUS

first store, in Tivoli Forum, will welcome a new tailoring concept. We will have ready-to-wear, classic suits and a capsule collection. We can have pop-ups for some brands, all relaxed luxury. It will be possible to customise your suit online, even your shoe soles. We’ll have accessories – shoes, socks, bracelets made for us, gold iPhones, and of course, the made-to-measure will carry on in a private corner.

And in June, I will be opening a new restaurant, Addiction.

It will be 800m², and in the same street as OTRO restaurant.

It’s going to centre around street food, with brunch, very alternative.

Addiction will seat 80, divided into distinct areas, one all in glass, where you can be next to nature; an underground space, with gender-neutral toilets, and music. In the future, it will have private rooms. It’s aimed at open-minded people... maybe it will have a pole, a swing, a statement sofa, small things that make a difference and can change all the time. We can host exibitions, luxury products pop-ups, fashion shows.

We haven’t opened yet and we already have people wanting to replicate it in other countries.

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Tailoring that spells exclusivity. Joining the made-tomeasure offering will be a new ready-to-wear concept with the same message of luxury

OTRO is a luxury concept that focuses on exclusivity, elegance and discretion. We have to mind our steps and keep on being humble.

Is there still a dream that needs to come true?

Is the Algarve on your business radar?

OTRO Hotel. I’ve been thinking about it more and more. I even have a place in mind, but it is a huge investment. I have to choose the right people to partner with me. I will have theme suites within the OTRO world: the perfume, the tailoring etc.

Yes, this summer we would like to have a pop-up store in a luxury hotel, for three or four months, with a super-special perfume selection. Restaurants, not yet.

How would you define OTRO? OTRO is a luxury concept that focuses on exclusivity, elegance and discretion. We are very word-of-mouth, we don’t advertise a lot, and we don’t post too much. We are everywhere and nowhere. We are growing fast for a young group, we have to mind our steps and keep on being humble.

What makes a successful entrepreneur?

Not being afraid to go foward, and being disciplined. And being smart enough to hire people who know more than you do. That’s the only way to grow. Every day you have to go home and have something new that you learned to tell your family. I try to surround myself with people that ‘make me more’, as an entrepreneur, as a father, as a person.

Do you think Portugal still has some work to do in that field?

We need to be more open-minded, be bold, and not worry about what others are saying and doing. We only live once. We have to take risks. OTRO is doing it. We do what others are afraid of doing. And so far with the best results.

This month we celebrate Father’s Day. How do you do all this and still manage to be a good father?

I am a single father and I am with my son every other week. I reorganise my diary so I do everything I need to do from the time I leave him at school until 4 o’clock. After that time, there’s no phone, just him. Being with him is the best thing in the world, my peace, my safe place. All it takes is discipline. We have to know what our priorities are and plan our life around them. I am crazy about my son and all I do is also for him.

Would you like him to follow in your footsteps?

If he wants to. I would never force anything. He was born in the OTRO world and goes with me everywhere. And he already has his own perfume and made-to-measure shirts; we have matching shirts!

Something for children next?

OTRO Kids? Who knows.

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SPRINGTIME HUES INSPIRING THE RECENT

PA I N T I N G S O F F R E N C H A R T I S T MURIEL NAPOLI, THE GENTLE SHADES OF SPRINGTIME FLOWERS ARE INCLU DED IN A HA ZE O F AB S TR AC T ART

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HE TRUE native flowers of the fields of southern Europe are often pale and always subtle. To replicate their loveliness, Muriel Napoli mixes organic materials, minerals and pigments, eliminating anything that is artificial. Letting the forms emerge, she paints instinctively, working with the canvas in a horizontal position. This allows her to use large gestures so that her brush and her whole body can take on movement. She never intends to create identifiable forms, but when they do appear it is the paint transforming itself into recognisable objects.

This transformation is comparable to nature and its ability to endlessly work with sunlight, air and water. She is fascinated by the seasons, watching the natural world as it changes through its continuous cycle. Spring seems like the beginning, but the sequence has no end.

Similarly, Muriel finds it particularly difficult to decide when a painting is finished. Abstract art has no obvious start or finishing point, yet every artist must have a goal that embodies their ideas.

Unable to formalise the process of evaluation, she simply says: “Some paintings work and others do not. I destroy those belonging to the second category and keep only those that correspond to what I’m looking for. I use my intuition, since my overall ambition is to prompt the viewer’s curiosity. To stimulate curiosity is to promote the lust of the mind and that is good for mental health.”

GALERIA CÔRTE- REAL is signposted from Boliqueime, Ferreiras and Paderne O P E N : T H U R S D AY t o S U N D AY, 1 1 : 3 0 – 1 6 : 3 0

/

912 528 679 / corterealarte.com

PROMOTION PLUS

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ARTIST’S CHOICE

What was the subject of your first ever painting?

It was a still life.

Do you listen to music when you are working?

I don’t listen to music anymore; I prefer silence.

How many works do you produce a year?

Several dozen.

Your biggest challenge?

Going, 20 years ago, from figurative to abstract.

Your favourite flower?

Peony.

What inspires you most?

Nature, the universe, from the staggeringly large to the incredibly small.

ALGARVE P L U S

Muriel explains: “When I paint, I am not looking for decorative value, but for some people that is an end in itself. For me, once I am satisfied that the painting will prompt the observer’s inquisitiveness, it is liberating to say it is complete.”

This refreshing attitude pervades all of Muriel’s work and her enthusiasm for nature overrides other considerations. Using a palette that matches the colours of the fields and waysides, she picks out the mauves of wild lavender and hyacinths, the fluttering flowers of gum cistus, the grays and greens of new-grown foliage. An alternative might be to look amongst the sand dunes, where pale pink beach stock, thrift and sea lavender create splashes of unexpected colour. Sometimes mingling together like low under-shrubs that branch and blend, her paintings merge to form a unified whole.

Muriel Napoli is based in Marseille and Galeria Côrte-Real in Paderne is the sole representative of her work in Portugal.

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In the words of Albert Einstein, “I have no particular talent. I am merely inquisitive.”

THE

ICE CREAM

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ON THE CAKE

A P O S T C O D E T H AT ' S A N I C E C R E A M B R A N D . A S TA L L I N T H E H E A R T O F L O U L É M A R K E T. A C H E F T U R N E D G E L AT O M A K E R . C A K E S I N T H E M I X . M E E T M A R K A N D M I C H E L L E R E L P H , W H O H AV E T H E P E R F E C T B A L A N C E O F TA S T E S

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NEW CHAPTER PLUS

M

PHOTOGRAPHY @DACRUZPHOTO

Tarts, waffles and cakes are the latest on the menu, and like the gelato, they are all home made

ARK RELPH moved here some 30 years ago, when he was just 21, to take up a job as sous chef at Pequeno Mundo in Almancil. The warm, relaxed lifestyle of the Algarve kept him here. Michelle Evans, much in need of a break from her hectic life in hospitality in London – she had been head waiter at The Greenhouse in Gary Rhodes’ days, and floor manager at the influencers’ South Bank favourite, the Oxo Tower – came to visit friends in the autumn of 1998. She loved the countryside, the beaches, the laid-back attitudes, and decided to turn her time-out into a one-year stay. That one year became forever.

Mark’s career continued to blossom. He spent seven years as sous chef at the then Ermitage restaurant, and went on to open Bistro D’Zarts in Almancil, a 30-cover eaterie with a big heart.

By pure coincidence, in 1999 he met Michelle, and the two began working together, opening A Quinta restaurant on the Almancil-Loulé road in February 2001, and marrying in 2003.

A Quinta was a huge success, a firm favourite among locals and visitors. Hard work, a great team, and a passion for hospitality retained the loyalty, and often the friendship, of their clients.

Twenty years on, the couple decided it was time to introduce change to their lives. “It was by no means an easy decision,” says Michelle. “We had staff who had been with us for the duration, and clients who would be sadly missed.

However, our wish – our need, really – to be with family, to see old friends, to travel, and to take up a new challenge was overwhelming.”

The couple spent a year, visiting family and friends, and enjoying their first holiday in 20 years, while thinking about their next chapter.

And that’s where ice cream comes into the story.

Food for thought “Ice cream has always been a passion of Mark’s,” says Michelle.

“He had experimented with flavours at the restaurants, and produced some fantastic combinations. Gelato was a natural choice for us – a fun project in the perfect climate.”

With Mark’s expertise and experience as a professional chef, his knowledge and palette were finely tuned. He embarked on a course at The Natural Gelato Co in Grisetto, Tuscany, on the west coast of Italy, where natural gelato production is the focus. What he learned there became the building blocks of the new brand.

NEW CHAPTER PLUS

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“We played around with many ideas for the name and personality of our venture. Club Gelato, Algarve Gelato Cº, and many more were thrown in the bag. What we wanted was to make a connection with where our gelato was being produced, and that led us to 8100, the postcode. It works in all languages!”

Being local residents and confirmed foodies, visits to Loulé and the market had long featured on their agenda – selecting produce for the restaurant, and relationships with local growers, gave them a firm connection. “Every Saturday morning had long been spent collecting orders and scouring the stalls for local, organic goods,” says Mark.

In recent years, Loulé’s offering has grown immeasurably.

Today there’s an incredible buzz, with new restaurant and café openings, the refurbishment of the municipal market in 2008, the opening of artisan stores and galleries, and the growth of the residential community.

All of this added to the huge appeal of Loulé as the perfect home for 8100, and when a newly-created spot in the market came up, the couple jumped at the opportunity.

If you have seen people wandering into the heart of the market in the evening, here’s why: there can be anything up to 20 flavours available at the Gelato 8100 ‘store’ at any time, and everything is made on site to ensure absolute freshness.

The flavour combinations are endless, and creating new tastes is part of the enjoyment for the Mark and Michelle.

All the right ingredients “Key to the gelato experience is the flavour, but equally important is what we call the ‘mouth feel’,” says Mark. “Dare I say it, but gelato can be too cold. It’s all about getting the right balance.”

The process begins with careful preparation of fruit syrups, compotes and base ingredients – the fruit used is predominantly from Loulé growers – followed by pasteurisation of the mix, and churning and freezing at a very low temperature. Batches are made in small quantities to ensure freshness. Good quality Belgian chocolate is a must, and milk comes from Portuguese dairies.

There are seasonal flavours alongside traditional favourites that include Cheesecake, Apple Pie, and Prune and Armagnac. Madagascan Vanilla is always the top seller.

“Clients say our Tiramisu gelato is the best, and it is pretty

PHOTOGRAPHY @DACRUZPHOTO

Every time you pop along to 8100 in the market there is something new to try. Vibrant flavours and colours await

Clients say our Tiramisu gelato is the best, and it is pretty close. But when you strive for perfection, there’s always work to do. close,” laughs Michelle, “but when you strive for perfection, there’s always work to do.”

Gelato 8100 ice cream is now in demand by restaurants and cafés across the golden triangle. Their first ever client was Mundo Sáudavel, in Almancil, sadly now closed. “The owner was so supportive,” Michelle says. “She loved us trying out new flavour ideas. It was the best start we could have dreamed of.”

And while there are plans in the pipeline to develop that side of the business, and build a network of eateries that will offer 8100 to their customers, there is also much going on at the brand’s home in Loulé.

Michelle and Mark have now opened a café in the adjacent site, a great extension to the gelato core of 8100. And they make all their own cakes, cookies and waffles as well as various seasonal conserves. It’s all irresistible stuff – hot waffles for elevenses, cake with gelato on the side for tea, ice cream at any time of the day.

In the summer months, with longer opening hours, it was not uncommon for people eating out in a local restaurant to head to the market for a dessert or two. You’d see them coming out smiling, having discovered a very special treat, one that has become a regular habit.

Make mine a strawberry cheesecake gelato please, with a slice of something chocolatey on the side.

8 1 0 0 G E L A T O O p e n : Tu e s d a y t o F r i d a y , 1 0 : 0 0 – 1 7 : 3 0 , S a t u r d a y , 9 : 0 0 – 1 7 : 3 0 a n d S u n d a y 1 1 : 3 0 - 1 7 : 3 0 .

L o n g e r h o u r s i n s p r i n g a n d s u m m e r.

Insta:@8100gelato / FB: 8100gelato / 8100gelato.com

www.quintastyle.com + 351 289 358 007 | + 351 912 571 912 studioshop@quintastyle.com instagram.com/quintastyle Estrada de Vale de Éguas 30, Almancil

MAN OF MANY FACES H E WA S A P H I L O S O P H E R , T R A N S L AT O R , W R I T E R , AND THE INVENTOR OF 75 L I F E L I K E ‘ H E T E R O N Y M S ’.

M O R E C O N T R O V E R S I A L LY, FE R NAN D O P E S SOA M E D I AT E D W I T H T H E S P I R I T W O R L D A N D W A S AT T H E C E NTR E O F A SC AN DAL , L I T E R AT U R A D E S O D O M A

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ERNANDO PESSOA was born in Lisbon. When he was five his father died, and two years later his mother remarried, this time to a military officer and Portuguese Consul.

They moved to Durban, where Fernando was educated.

Although a withdrawn child, Pessoa distinguished himself as an exceptional student at several schools. These included a convent where he was taught by French and Irish nuns who encouraged his talents as a multilingual writer. Notably, while at secondary school he

was awarded the Queen Victoria Memorial Prize, and his poetry was published in local newspapers. Often using pen names, C. R. Anon was a favourite, and it became one of Pessoa’s first ‘heteronyms’ to emerge with a defined personality and individual life.

The writer’s fluency in three languages was to shape his life ahead, so that when he returned to Lisbon at age 17, he found employment easily as a freelance commercial translator. His personal writing and intellectual interests continued. Still introverted and reserved, he nevertheless was respected by other literary and artistic figures,

… A multi-talented literary figure. … A national hero. … Together with three invented characters – his ‘heteronyms’ – he is proclaimed as one of the four greatest Portuguese poets of modern times: Alberto Caeiro, Ricardo Reis, Álvaro de Campos and Fernando Pessoa

IT IS FOR HIS POETRY T H AT F E R N A N D O P E S S O A IS BEST REMEMBERED

To be great, be whole; Exclude nothing, exaggerate nothing that is not you Be whole in everything, put all you are Into the smallest thing you do.

So, in each lake, the moon shines with splendor Because it blooms up above.

Hadrian and Antonius The passionate affair of the Roman Emperor Hadrian and his young Greek lover is told in a long poem written in English and published some years later under Pessoa’s own name. Hadrian was born in Itálica (near Seville) and descriptions of his physical lovemaking with Antonius insinuate his Iberian male prowess. There is no direct evidence to suggest that Pessoa was homosexual, but it is a fact that only one of his 75 ‘heteronyms’ was a woman.

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… Portugal’s foremost poet of the 20th century, the most prominent in the Portuguese language.

Álvaro de Campos was one of Pessoa’s inventions, tall in stature, thin and stooped, but to all intents and purposes as authentic as an actual man. Born to a Jewish family in Tavira, his life story is intriguing.

Graduating as a ship engineer in Glasgow, he traveled to places as diverse as Newcastle-uponTyne and the Suez Canal.

In Ode Marítima he praises technology, the rise of the machines and the dark side of industrial civilisation.

He imagines himself as a woman on the quayside in Lisbon being attacked and raped by pirates.

This sadomasochistic fantasy dwells upon the pleasure that can be gained by the suffering of other people. Filled with indecent references, is this the reason why, when the poem was published in 1915, Pessoa used Álvaro’s name rather than his own?

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… One of the great European poets.

contributing to journals and magazines that promoted contemporary ideas. At the fashionable Café Brasileira, he meticulously observed passers-by and fellow customers; today, a statue of him sits outside.

Shaped by the horrors of the First World War, new philosophies were growing.

Surrealism began in Paris as a literary movement; it was an escape from reality and defined as ‘pure psychic automatism’.

In Lisbon, as a frequent translator of the French language, Pessoa was exposed to these novel beliefs. Swayed by this new way of thinking, he experimented with psychography – automatic writing. He participated in mysticism and occultism: he was an alchemist, spiritualist, metaphysicist and astrologist. He studied Sigmund Freud’s theory of psychoanalysis as laid out in The Interpretation of Dreams and experimented with Andre Breton’s theories of the unconscious in his Surrealist Manifesto.

Taking part in séances, Pessoa discovered what he called astral visions and magnetic auras; sometimes convinced he was being owned by someone else he would look into a mirror to find his own face fading and being replaced by another.

Ironically, this is what he was already doing with his writing – able to assume new personalities and become different people. By then, he had developed a cast of characters so well circumscribed that they had lives of their own. They often disagreed with each other expressing their views in poetry written in different and distinctive styles. Much of this material was not published during Pessoa’s lifetime – only four books in English and one in Portuguese – but an enormous archive of unfinished manuscripts and pages were discovered after his death from cirrhosis at age 47. Posthumously, many previously unknown ‘heteronyms’ appeared.

In 1985, 50 years after his death, Pessoa’s remains were reburied in Lisbon’s Hieronymites Monastery, alongside Vasco da Gama and Luis de Camões.

The man who never was

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The critics’ view

Working Forces

GREAT NAMES PLUS

ANSWERS PLUS

11 Other than working in a store, what else can a volunteer get involved with? As I said, food transport and warehouse activities, during the collection. And before then, preparing all the campaign activities.

12 How many regular volunteers are there in the Algarve? 2,500.

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13 Where does the food collected go to and who gets it there? The food is collected from the stores and our volunteer drivers take the bags to the warehouse in Faro or Portimão.

20 questions T W I C E A Y E A R , VO LU N T EER S A R E I N T H E S TO R E S C O L L E C T I N G F O O D D O N AT I O N S F O R T H O S E W H O C A N N O T A F F O R D T O F E E D T H E M S E LV E S . W H E N Y O U N E X T S E E T H E M , TA K E A B A G A N D M A K E A D I F F E R E N C E

1 Is Banco Alimentar Contra a Fome Algarve part of a countrywide initiative? We are one of 21 Food Banks in Portugal.

6 How many supermarkets are involved each time? In a normal year, around 140.

14 What are the key foods you need donated? We need food with a long shelf life – milk, olive oil, rice, pasta, beans, tuna fish, sausages, biscuits and cereals.

15 How much was collected in November? Last November, because of COVID, only 40 stores participated, and from them we collected 71.5 tonnes of food.

16 What happened during all the lockdowns – where did vital foods come from? During that period, we received food donations from the Portuguese Food Banks Federation.

7 Is everything reliant on volunteers?

Yes, 100%.

17 How many people/families do you feed as a result of the programme? We support 28,253 people in the Algarve, through 126 institutions.

8 What is the volunteer’s exact role?

In stores, to collect food donations. Others to drive the collection vehicles. In the warehouses, to unload, sort and store the food.

18 How do they get on your roster and how do you get food to them?

We receive information about the needy from the institutions we work with.

4 How many collection centres are there across the Algarve? We have two facilities in the region. One in Faro, the headquarters and main warehouse, and the other warehouse in Portimão.

9 So are volunteers needed at your warehouses, as well as in the stores?

Yes, they are vital to the smooth running of the programme.

19 Who can one contact to become a volunteer? Just send an email to ba.algarve@bancoalimentar.pt

5 And how many times a year do collections take place? We normally have two collections – the last weekend of May and November.

10 What are volunteers provided with?

In the stores, they wear a Food Bank vest and they have paper bags to pass out to customers.

In the warehouses, a hot meal is provided.

2 What year was it started? May 2007.

3 Is it a private initiative, or a government operation? It’s a private initiative; 95% of the support is private, too.

B A N C O A L I M E N TA R C O N T R A A F O M E A L G A R V E W: b a n co a l i m e n t a r. p t / b a n co s /a l g a r ve/

20 Can one donate money to help the initiative? Yes, it is possible, and much appreciated. We always issue donation receipts.

IBAN PT50 0045 7100 4021 20762355 5.

WRITING LESSONS I F YO U LOV E N OT H I N G M O R E THAN GET TING LOST IN THE PAG E S O F G O O D B O O K F O R A C O U P L E O F H O U R S , H AV E Y O U EVER CONSIDERED WRITING A SHORT STORY? THERE ARE T U T O R I A L S O U T T H E R E T H AT W I L L S T I R Y O U R I M A G I N AT I O N , A N D G I V E YO U CO N F I D E N C E

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LOVED WRITING essays at school, and as a keen reader today, I thought I would see, using advice from online tutorials, how easy it is to write something engaging that I would happily share with the world.

I explored what the internet has to offer, from choosing your genre, setting and conclusion, to giving life to a charming character, and discovered so much, including several health benefits that come with daily writing, such as mental clarity, improved selfexpression and education.

If there is a subject that you have always been interested in, include it in your story and do some research. If you love fashion and design, allow your characters to have some fabulous outfits and even sketch them! Now, grab a pen and paper...

How to pick your genre

The first question to ask yourself should be, is my story fiction or non-fiction? If you go for fiction, open your mind to every element that you would like included. Jot down everything that you would want to read in a story and then group the ideas together to get an overview of where your mind is leading you.

You will never be able to truly enjoy writing anything unless your heart is fully in it, so listen and go wherever it takes you! There are no limits here and this is purely yours until you decide to open it up to others, which is something which you may never do, and that’s okay.

If you fancy non-fiction, then you just need to decide on

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how open and honest you want to be. Would you write about your travels or go deeper and recall an emotional event with its conclusion? Both would turn out to be a fascinating read to others, and you may discover your hidden talent for helping those you allowed to read your work! standoutbooks.com/what-genrebook-genres/

My rating: 8/10 Yes, this is focused on larger bodies of work, but what a fantastic in-depth description of what genre means and how it can guide you in your writing.

How to begin

A lot of advice you read about suggests starting with the ending and working backwards.

After doing your prep, you will have a rough idea of where your story will conclude, and what its message will be, and that will make it easier for you to begin, and decide on your setting and characters. If your story is fictional, do you want to open with an exciting incident or do you want to captivate your reader with a beautiful description to set the mood?

If you are writing non-fiction, this beginning will be simple – you will have the memory of an event, or the emotion of an experience, and all you need to do is let the words come.

If you hope to share your

work, then you will need to capture your audience and compel them to read on. The easiest ways to do this are to excite, shock or confuse them.

You have your character in mind and your conclusion, so use your starting paragraphs to lay the foundation of where you will go next. Paint the picture in the mind of your reader and take them by the hand to guide them through your story. blog.reedsy.com/guide/shortstory/how-to-write-a-short-story/

My rating: 8/10 A lovely article with some super helpful tips for your story as a whole.

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How to set your scene

Every great story has a fantastic location, which readers can picture in their minds thanks to the words on the page. This setting can be real, somewhere that you love to go, your dream holiday destination, or a completely fantastical realm where you control the rules and the look. The backdrop for your story also doesn’t need to be constrained by time limits, don’t forget you can travel back in time and write about Ancient Egypt or Victorian London.

Take this opportunity to write about what interests you and enjoy doing some research. To create an enticing location you need to use rich descriptive words, and think about every sense that can help intoxicate your reader. Smells and sounds can help to transport people and draw out emotions that will make your story memorable.

Thinking back to my favourite childhood books, I can still close my eyes and go back to the worlds that the author allowed me to have access to. This part of your story will be an important backbone to your characters’ development and sets the tone for those intense conversations. Remember, there are no limits here and you do not have to stick to a onedimensional reality. helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com/choose-right-storysetting/

My rating: 8/10 A quick and easy-to-read article, but definitely worth looking at the comments for more information.

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How to bring your characters to life

Arguably the most important part of your short story will be your character or characters, and how they develop, triumph or fail throughout the journey.

If you are writing non-fiction then this is the simple part, no embellishment needed. If you are exploring the fiction route, then here is where you can run wild. No one wants to read about a perfect, unattainable personality unless we get to see that person break and come out the other end as human!

If you have a hobby or an interest that you always meant to pick up, why don’t you start now and make it an aspect of your story? Drawing from real life and your experiences

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can also make writing more enjoyable and we have all had those amusing or bizarre conversations that we wished had been witnessed. Now perhaps is the time to recount such moments and build a believable dialogue from your characters! masterclass.com/articles/ writing-tips-for-characterdevelopment#6-tips-forwriting-great-characters

My rating: 9/10 A really detailed guide for a beginner writer with some nice tips for character development.

How to conclude your story

Following one of the earlier tips, you may already have your ending in mind, or have even jotted it down in note form. If this still fits with your story then great, the job is nearly done!

However, you might have found that your writing has taken you to a different conclusion – perhaps one that you were not expecting.

This is no bad thing, and a lot of the research I have done into creating a short story says that this is an organic, ever changing process that you have to enjoy and let develop. You may have already planned a twist ending, or maybe the original culmination now seems too obvious, and your character has experienced a deeper journey than you anticipated. Remember that this

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is your story, and you can wrap it up in whatever way you feel is best for you and the reader.

If your writing is non-fiction, the finale has already occurred, you simply need to put it into words. As an extra bit to your story, maybe include your verdict on the events and how you feel looking back on them. Would you change things now, or are you satisfied with your denouement? blog.reedsy.com/how-to-end-astory/

My rating: 7/10 Incredibly helpful information for writing novels predominately, and the YouTube video is a nice addition.

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WHEN IT COMES TO MA XIMISING O N YO U R S O C I A L M E D I A AC TIVITI E S , K N OWI N G WH I CH D E S I G N PROG R AM M E WI LL M OVE YO U R B U S I N E S S TO A N E W L E V E L I S V I TA L , A S I S A D V I C E F R O M T H E ALGARVEPLUS EXPERT

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JASON GRANVILLE

N BUSINESS, as in life, a common challenge is time, which means we sometimes don’t have enough of it to do the things we would like to do! Over the past few months, I have been championing the benefits of social media and digital marketing for business, but I am the first to admit that a successful strategy takes time, and consistency is everything.

So, in addition to your social media and digital marketing strategy, we also need a strategy for dealing with the unpredictable and urgent challenges that always arise, so that we can remain focused on the important tasks that help pay the bills. Unfortunately, for most people, social media activity is the first one to fall by the wayside when there are calls on our time, and that typically leads to a downward spiral of followers with a consequent loss of business opportunities.

One solution to this is to use a social media management company to look after the day-to-day running of your online presence. A simple Google search will reveal a plethora of companies, including my own, offering their services for a monthly fee. Typically, monthly plans range between €200–€600, depending on the number of platforms they manage, frequency of posting, the size of your business, etc.

Professionals tend to outperform people who do their own social media because they know what works, and are able to

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take a more focused and consistent approach. Whilst hiring a professional can offer great value for money, I also appreciate that it must be balanced with affordability. However, there is an alternative to hiring a professional, which is to get organised, or get used to your business operating at lower than its potential.

Fortunately, there is a wealth of software available that can make your life easier when it comes to creating content and managing your social media. Rather than giving you a broad-brush idea of the products available, I would like to tell you about one of the most popular graphic design and content creation tools, used by millions of people around the world.

My recommendation Whether it is for your blog, personal use, or business, Canva is one of the best tools for designing. It helps you create everything from social media posts, flyers and stories, to resumes, magazine covers, banners, logos, and presentations instantly. It is a complete design tool for anyone who isn’t an experienced designer. Best of all, there is a very generous free version available for your mobile or desktop computer, although I would strongly recommend the pro version at €€11.99/month.

The free version of Canva is great for you if you just want to use it to create simple designs and you love the features and content it already has. On the other hand, the pro version is ideal if you want to get access to some of the best design templates, features, and more functionalities. Whichever version you choose, I can assure you that you will find it difficult to find an easier piece of software to use. So, let’s look at some of the key features and benefits of Canva.

Photo Editor Canva has several effects to enhance photos, which can be applied to the ones that come with Canva itself, or the photos you upload. These will let you flip photos, crop them, add filters, and adjust brightness, contrast, saturation, tint, blur, etc. There’s also an effects tab that lets you add effects such as Duotone, Background Remover, Liquify, and more. Most effects are accessible with the free plan, though some features, including Background Remover, require the Pro version.

Video/Photo Library As part of your subscription, you can access 75+ million photos and videos with the Canva Pro plan; a fraction of these are available with the free plan.

Obviously, you can upload and save your own and, at the click of a button, you can access free images and videos from sites such as Pexels, Pixabay, Flickr, etc.

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Templates & Resize Canva provides you with over 400,000 (250,000 with the free version) templates to help create polished graphics quickly and easily. You can find templates for social media posts, resumés, ebooks, and much more. Whichever project you choose, the software automatically selects a collection of templates in the correct sizes, which is especially helpful when it comes to social media graphics, as the templates are already the optimal size for each platform. All the templates are fully editable, with the ability to change images and videos, fonts, text, colours, etc.

With the drag-and-drop editor, you should be able to create your visuals in minutes and, when you have used the template before, you can probably make them in seconds. Another great feature that is available with the pro version is that once you have created a project, you can resize it at the touch of a button. So a Facebook post can become an Instagram post in a couple of clicks!

long as you can produce something that is visually appealing and has a good story line, but I’m sure it won’t take very long before you can justify the €11.99 monthly expenditure for the Pro version!

Obviously, Canva is not the only graphic design suite out there – although, in my opinion, it is by far the best.

However, there are alternatives.

One is Crello, which also offers free plans, although you are limited to five design downloads a month. The pricing for the pro versions comes in at €13 a month, and like Canva, it is directed at people with no previous graphic design experience.

However, when it comes to built-in integrations, Canva far exceeds Crello, with hundreds of third-party platforms and apps – from file hosting services to email marketing software. And although both paid versions have much in common, Crello doesn’t have as many features as Canva, nor does it have anywhere near the volume of premium content such as templates, photos, videos, and graphics. All that said, Crello is still a very impressive piece of software, just not as impressive as Canva!

Whichever software you decide to use to help you prepare your social media content, they are great tools for consistently creating quality designs, while dramatically reducing the amount of time you will have to spend preparing it! However, if you’re a better at running your business than you are at creating social media posts, even if you are also good at time management, a professional may still be your best option as, although it will cost you more, if it generates sufficient new leads to justify it, then everyone wins.

Professionals tend to outperform people who do their own social media because they know what works, and are able to take a more focused and consistent approach.

However, there is an alternative…

Social Media Upload & Schedule Like most online photo editors, Canva lets you share your posts directly to social media platforms, or you can schedule your posts, allowing you to plan days or weeks ahead. In addition to the above, Canva also provides you with a collection of useful graphics, fonts, audio tracks and more, to help you bring your projects to life.

In a nutshell, Canva is a complete graphic design suite for small businesses, and you don’t need any prior experience as a graphic designer to create a professional design in minutes.

With the free plan, you have absolutely nothing to lose, so

JASON GR ANVILLE East Algar ve Digital T: 9 1 6 9 8 4 6 6 8 / E : j a s o n @ e a s t a l g a r v e d i g i t a l . c o m / W : e a s t a l g a r v e d i g i t a l . c o m

WE LOOK FORWARD TO CELEBRATING A NEW YOU.

Jim

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BEHIND THE ENIGMA

Publisher: The Royal Collection Trust Genre: Factual

By John Ferris Publisher: Bloomsbury Genre: Factual

This official souvenir publication celebrates the Platinum Jubilee of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II through 70 photographs chosen to illustrate memorable events in the reign of Britain’s longest-serving monarch.

Delightfully informal family photographs of The Queen as a young girl, as a young wife and mother, on holiday and enjoying the company of her children and dogs, are joined by more formal images illustrating the official life of the monarch, on grand state occasions, such as the Coronation, the State Opening of Parliament and Trooping the Colour – not to mention her memorable encounter with James Bond.

Each photograph is accompanied by resonant quotations from speeches given by The Queen over the years, from her wartime Children’s Hour radio broadcast at the age of 13 and her first televised Christmas Day broadcast in 1957 to her speeches welcoming Commonwealth leaders and US Presidents to Buckingham Palace.

Love of family, fondness for animals, a keen sense of humour, a staunch belief in the Commonwealth as a force for good in the world, and gratitude to all the people around the world who go out of their way to help their communities – these are among the themes that come across from this photographic journey through a remarkable life of duty and service.

The first authorised history of GCHQ, revealing how the intelligence, cyber and security agency has helped to keep the country safe for 100 years.

Written by intelligence and security expert Professor John Ferris, with access to our historic archives, the book strips away secrecy to an unprecedented level.

Behind the Enigma covers our origins in World War One, through to Bletchley Park and World War Two, to the present day, offerng a unique insight into major international moments of the past century, including the retreat from Empire, the Cold War and the Falklands. The book also explores who cryptanalysts really are and how they think and act, and includes stories of the people from our past and how they contributed to national security.

Interestingly, the recruitment process, ‘four British grandparents rule’, with exceptions allowing women in Jerusalem and colonials in Hong Kong, thus ruling out German Jewish exiles and second generation ethnic Brits, while allowing in disgruntled Oxbridge grads like Philby and Blunt, is discussed with more honesty than I expected.

A detailed history of a world most of us only encounter in fiction but I’m positive this is only the tip of the iceberg.

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THE QUEEN: 70 GLORIOUS YEARS

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G I V E N T H AT I T ’ S T H E Q U E E N ’ S P L AT I N U M J U B I L E E T H I S Y E A R , DAW N A N N A N DA L E H A D A B I G C H O I C E O F B O O K S O N T H AT V E R Y T O P I C , PAC K E D W I T H S TO R I E S A N D P H OTO G R A P H S GOING BACK FOR 70 YE ARS . SHE’ S PICKED H E R FAVO U R I T E , A LO N G W I T H T H E T H R I L L E R S A N D K I L L E R S T H AT W I L L D E L I V E R M A N Y HOURS OF READING PLEASURE

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By Dana Schwartz Publisher: Piatkus Books Genre: Historical fiction Can you imagine Dracula, Frankenstein, Mary Shelly and Lord Byron having tea? Let’s start there and chuck in a beautiful heroine, half a pound of buried secrets and a dashing body snatcher. Cast your mind back to 1817 and stir vigorously.

Hazel Sinnett is a lady who wants to be a surgeon more than she wants to marry. Jack Currer is a resurrection man who’s trying to survive in a city where it’s too easy to die.

The two have a chance encounter outside the Edinburgh Anatomist’s Society that Hazel thinks nothing of it at first. But, after she gets kicked out of renowned surgeon Dr Beecham’s lectures for being the wrong gender, she realises that her new acquaintance might be more helpful than she first thought. Hazel has made a deal with Dr Beecham: if she can pass the medical examination on her own, the university will allow her to enrol. Without official lessons, Hazel will need more than just her books – she’ll need bodies to study, corpses to dissect. Rather conveniently for her, she’s made the acquaintance of someone who digs them up for a living.

Unmarked graves, mysterious chaps skulking around graveyards and all manner of general creepiness make this a rather marvellous gothic tale of goodies and baddies but, most predominantly, of love.

My favourite passage in the book is this: “Somebody should tell you that you’re beautiful every time the sun comes up.

Someone should tell you you’re beautiful on Wednesdays. And at tea time. Someone should tell you you’re beautiful on Christmas Day and Christmas Eve and the evening before Christmas Eve, and at Easter. He should tell you on Guy Fawkes Night and on New Year’s, and on the eighth of August, just because.”

How wonderful.

IN THE MIDDLE OF AMERICA

By David B Lyons Publisher: David B Lyons Genre: Thriller Set in 1997, and told from the point of view of seven diametrically opposed characters who all live in Lebanon, Kansas, this is a very different kind of thriller where you have no idea of the crime that is to be committed until you get to the end, and no, I didn’t work any of it out.

Running along the lives of these characters, to whom we are a fly on the wall, is the story of

Sarah Jane Zdanski, a local journalist. A very different America to the one of today, I found some of the reading quite uncomfortable.

Through Sarah Jane’s story, we see how the entertainment industry was run by middleaged men, and where the ‘casting couch’ was evident. Men decided how she should wear her hair, what dress she should wear, and even dress-up for a ‘lunch’ with her boss. In the wake of the #MeToo movement, this kind of behaviour is thankfully on the way out, but is a stark reminder that not too long ago it was the norm. There are some very difficult issues raised in this book, many still faced by Americans today; mental health, sexuality, cost of healthcare and race.

Fascinating, definitely an edge of the seat page turner. My only criticism is, and maybe it is just a personal thing, but I found the explicit sex scenes rather unnecessary.

Sweaty fornication is possibly best left to the imagination in my humble opinion. Having said that, I will be looking for more of David Lyons’ work.

THE IMPULSE PURCHASE

By Veronica Henry Publisher: Orion Genre: Chick lit Delightful escapism, one of those adorable tales of happiness, with a few little glitches along the way, but you know it’s all going to be wonderful in the end.

Cherry, Maggie and Rose are mother, daughter and granddaughter, each with their own hopes, dreams and even sorrows.

They have always been close so, when in a moment of impulse, Cherry buys a gorgeous but rundown pub in the village she grew up in, it soon becomes a family affair. All three women uproot themselves and move to Rushbrook, deep in the heart of Somerset, to take over The Swan and restore it to its former glory. Cherry is at the helm, Maggie is in charge of the kitchen, and Rose tends the picturesque garden that leads down to the river.

Before long, the locals are delighted to find the beating heart of the village is back, bringing all kinds of surprises through the door. Could Cherry’s impulse purchase change all their lives – and bring everyone the happiness they’re searching for?

Escape to the glorious Somerset countryside with this joyful and uplifting story of family, love, and hope. I adore a happy ending which makes you go all gooey and say, ahh, that was nice, when you finish a book.

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QUINTA DO LAGO

T

HIS YEAR, Quinta do Lago marks its semicentennial year of unique history. Over the years, it has become a place of constant inspiration, a celebration of an active, outdoor lifestyle and treasured family moments. Quinta do Lago is the dream realised of property developer André Jordan: “I sat on the hill, looked across the marshlands and I had a vision of what would become the Quinta do Lago Master Plan.”

The hill he was sitting on, now the setting of Casa Velha restaurant, was then a crumbling 300-year-old farmhouse that could be reached only via trails through pine woods. “Within ten minutes, I knew I wanted to create a high-quality resort that reflected the local character and style,” he had said.

That was in 1972, and golf was an essential part of the story.

I N F O @ Q U I N TA D O L AG O . C O M

William F Mitchell’s initial 27-hole golf course (now the South and part of the North course) was chosen to host the Portuguese Open in 1976, and a further eight times in the following decades. In 1998, Denis O’Brien acquired Quinta do Lago, and under his leadership it has become the leading golf and real estate resort in Europe, with the creation of a third golf course, Laranjal, new restaurants, children’s playgrounds, the Paul McGinley Golf Academy, founded in 2011 by the captain of the 2014 Winning Ryder Cup team, and the high-performance sports complex, The Campus. Golf is the very heart of Quinta do Lago, and continues to attract a vast international audience. The €7million investment in the South Course alone, just last year, has raised the already exceptional standards even higher. Coaching and support to golfers in the resort’s world-famous academy is supported by state-of-the-art analytical and performanceenhancing technology – wherever you are on you golfing journey, the academy welcomes you.

Golfers receive a custom-fitting experience with trained TaylorMade technicians, testing hundreds of club and iron combinations, ensuring the best fit for every player’s physical characteristics and swing. In addition, there are half-day to five-day Golf School programmes, junior teaching programmes, golf camps and workshops available at the Paul McGinley Golf Academy.

+351 289 390 700

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A GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY

Paving the way T U R N Y O U R O U T D O O R S P A C E I N T O I T S O W N L I T T L E P I E C E O F H E AV E N , W I T H M E A N D E R I N G P AT H S A D D I N G A S P E C I A L P E R S O N A L I T Y. T H E D E S I G N R O U T E Y O U TA K E C A N G O I N A N Y D I R E C T I O N , F R O M S L I C K A N D S O P H I S T I C AT E D , T O U N D E R P L AY E D A N D A U N AT U R E L

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ROSIE PEDDLE

OR YOU to create a garden path that is as beautiful as it is

practical, consider your needs before you start construction. A path allows you to take a leisurely stroll through your garden, but it also serves as access for work and maintenance.

Decisions should be made in advance, including important technical ones about compacting the ground and the type of edging, as well as the final choice of topping. You can vary between a formal or informal look for different parts of the garden.

The classic way to start is to use a garden hose to outline a route. It is easier to move a hose around than it is to change direction once you start construction. This often happens when a lawn is removed and replaced with ground cover planting.

Desire lines exist, in public spaces and private. The shortest route to the washing line, bins or the BBQ will usually be taken, whether or not it is via a path. So, if you

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GRAND IDEAS

Think about the twists and turns to introduce different vistas, natural stone, and planting of herbs and shrubs that will love the setting

are not sure of an exact route, why not create a wider area, when a path can become a gravel garden? Taking a garden path between large rocks creates a bit of tension and interest and is common practice in Japanese-style gardens.

Make your garden path at least 1.25m wide. Two people should be able to walk comfortably side by side along it.

The more traffic, the wider the path, and consider adding a smooth slope between steps for wheelbarrows etc.

Add some curves – remember, there are no straight lines in nature! Paths that follow any contours are easier to use and can avoid steps altogether by using gentle ramps.

A slightly meandering path adds interest and creates a sense of relaxation, as well as creating planting spaces. But remember to keep it simple: a path that winds around too much is just annoying.

Varying the materials also adds interest. For example, use gravel or shredded plant material for informal areas where path edges will merge into the planting. For high traffic areas, choose more solid materials such as cobblestones bricks, stepping stones, or large flat stones. It

is possible to combine gravel with stones to give spaces for low growing plants. You need to remember what happens when it rains – leave some permeable surface for water absorption and to avoid causing erosion on slopes.

If you are opting to go Mediterranean-style, then lawns won’t be in the equation, so this is an opportunity to decorate your outside spaces with hard landscaping using local materials. Portuguese calçada is a fabulous design feature and instantly give a sense of place.

Incorporate lighting if you plan on using your path after dark. Solar lights can be placed 2m to 3m apart. The aim is to light your path for safe passage after the sun goes down, not transform it into an airport runway and ruin your view of the heavens. Mark where you might wish to have a pipe laid under the path for any watering systems or cables.

Focal points positioned at the end of paths help to draw the eye up, provoking curiosity and providing a visual clue to the destination. They can include a special tree, garden benches, shady corners and large plant containers, or somewhere to view the sunset, glass in hand...

ROSIE PEDDLE

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mgapsec@gmail.com

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CONFEST Horse Association site, Estoi 26-27 March, 10:00–16:00 Gardeners will be celebrating! The first Mediterreanean Gardening Association, Portugal (MGAP) spring event since 2019 will be held over two full days. Native plants and plant seeds will be on sale, as well as ornamental and container plants, unusual plants from arid and tropical zones, fruit trees and herbs, and a large range of succulents.

This is an opportunity to buy the best and benefit from the advice and guidance of the knowledgeable local nursery owners. And you can pre-order plants to collect at the show. There is ample parking, and a plant crèche where purchases can be left in safe hands while you enjoy the many attractions of the day.

Hot meals, refreshments and bar facilities will be available and all funds from the catering will go to CONFEST. There will also be a range of organic produce and products for sale.

The popular MGAP Book Shop will have new and second-hand gardening and natural history books for sale.

An MGAP Plant Sales table organised by members will have plants from their gardens and members will also provide gardening advice and plant identification for visitors. All funds raised will go to support the work of MGAP/APEJECM.

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Spring mediterranean garden fair

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Be anything but conservative. All you need is the space, and the imagination, to create something truly individual

PHOTOGRAPHY PLUS

DARYL GABIN

The Boardwalk Where Carvoeiro When February 2022 What’s special The angle of composition and use of black and white to enhance.

Advice to others Get down to a perspective that the eye doesn’t normally see. Low aperture and watch angles for horizontal and vertical lines.

Camera Canon EOS R6

Dan’s view Great perspective and use of composition. Black and white adds another element.

T h e we a th e r 's g e t ti n g b e t te r a n d th e o u td o o r s b e c ko n . H e n ce th i s m o n th 's th e m e – Ta ke a Wa l k – a s th e l a te s t c h a l l e n g e to m e m b e r s of th e A l g a r ve P h o to g r a p h e r s ’ G ro u p (a l g a r ve p h o to g r a p hy. c o m). D a n B i rc h ( i n f o @ b i rc h p h o to g r a p hy. c o m) p i c ke d h i s f avo u r ite s . . . a n d it wa s n ' t e a s y !

Interpretations LUDI STIEBNER

These boots are made for walking Where Outside Café Bexiga, Parragil When October 2016 What’s special How to make ordinary walking boots look special.

Advice to others

Be creative and play around with the colour saturation/ vibrance and Gaussian Blur on Photoshop or other similar programs

Camera

Nikon D200

Dan’s view Great composition and framing and love the psychedelic colours!

Good bit of fun!

FRED BOS

Walking & Resting Where Hills north of Soalheira When February 2021 What’s special Spotters Place for Hunters.

Advice to others Only shoot with your camera!

Camera Nikon P7800

Dan’s view A great reward for a great walk, sitting for a rest and admiring the view.

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Walking on the edge

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Where Praia da Terra Estreita When Summer 2020 What’s special The lifeguard was completely oblivious to my presence while walking, which made his contemplative walk more natural.

Advice to others Look for contrasts, like hard light and pronounced shadows, to achieve a look like this.

Camera Canon 7D Mark II

Dan’s view Great composition and love the black and white that adds to the landscape of barren beach.

GOVERT SAKKERS

Together we are strong Where Faro Island When April 2014 What’s special The close coordination between the dogs.

Advice to others Let the light do the job and wait for the right moment.

Camera Canon 60D with Sigma 18-250 lens

Dan’s view Love this, but love dogs! And the connection they have, captured here.

The family-run Amesbury Abbey Group offers an elegant retirement in country house style at Monte da Palhagueira.

For those who are looking for the reassurance of constant professional care, our nursing care may be the way forward. Alongside all the benefits of residential care, our nursing care adds the additional security of 24-hour care provision from qualified nursing professionals.

Our team spend a lot of time getting to know each resident as an individual, learning their preferences and understanding their concerns, working hand in hand with GPs and other associated care professionals to provide outstanding personalised nursing care.

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Our exceptional care team treat all our residents with respect, dignity and friendship, and our nursing home has a warm, family atmosphere. Each individual aspect of our nursing care is designed to give our residents the best possible quality of life and the highest standards of 24-hour care.

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For further information, please contact Senior Sister Hazel Gordon at T: +351 289 990 900 E: mdpnursinghome@amesburyabbey.com Monte da Palhagueira, Gorjôes, 8005-488 Santa Barbara de Nexe, Algarve www.retirementvillageportugal.co.uk

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FLAVOUR TECHNO PLUS PLUS

THE WORLD OF B I R D W AT C H I N G H A S B E E N R E VO LUTI O N IS ED BY TH E SMARTPHONE. INSTEAD OF PAC K I N G A P I L E O F B U L K Y BOOKS, BIRDERS CAN D O W N L O A D A N A P P T H AT H O L D S D E TA I L S O F E V E R Y B I R D, W IT H P H OTO S , H I N TS O N I D E N T I F I C AT I O N A N D EVEN RECORDINGS OF SONGS

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smartphone to a spotter scope to take good quality pictures at long range, and microphones can be attached to record songs and cries.

You don’t even have to have a mobile signal for most functions, which is just as well for a hobby that takes people to the remotest parts of the world.

The best birding apps aim to provide a birder with all the information needed for a solid identification even of the most exotic rarities (and to distinguish between the little brown jobs). Most are available on Android and iOS. A highly rated app of the traditional kind is Collins British Bird Guide, which contains all the information in the books but with a bunch of features such as the ability to create lists of sightings quickly and easily, with the location automatically added using the phone’s GPS. The app also has a range of recordings to aid identification.

One of the most sophisticated apps out there is Merlin Bird ID, developed by Cornell Lab of Ornithology in the US, but covering the whole world. It works by asking the birder five questions about the target, and can back the identification up by comparing the birder’s photographs with an image database using artificial intelligence.

It is said to be incredibly accurate even with fuzzy images, as long as the bird’s plumage and shape are sufficiently distinct.

One of the big promises of Merlin Bird ID is that it will get even better as more data is generated by users and the technology improves.

AI is also giving smartphones the power to identify birds by their songs and calls. Birdsong recognition apps usually invite you to record a 30 second clip of a song or call, which is then compared with a database, and a list of the top matches is displayed. At current levels of technology, the identification is good but not perfect.

Merlin Bird ID can identify songs as well as visuals, using spectrograms, images that capture the frequencies, loudness and duration of each call. The same technology is used by Spotify to identify music tracks.

A great alternative is Bird Song ID from Sunbird, which has a database of the 135 most common species and an audio reference library of 250 songs and calls. The

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STRICTLY FOR THE BIRDS

The latest apps make it easy to identify even the most unusual of birds and some include sound references, too

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TECHNO PLUS

The Gosky adaptor is a great piece of kit to keep everything ready and steady to capture those images

identifications are accompanied by a photo and descriptions of habitat and so on, to help narrow down the options.

The Warblr song identification app has the added appeal that the data is made freely available to scientists for research and conservation projects.

Audio quality is a big limitation in smartphone recordings, however, because they are designed to record your voice, close to the microphone. You can improve matters considerably by using an external microphone, and there is a huge range on the market including professional ‘shotgun’ mics that can pick up a bird coughing at a hundred yards, but these can cost hundreds of pounds.

A cheaper alternative is Joby’s Wavo mic (€51.20), designed mainly for vloggers but substantially improving audio quality on birdsong recordings too. It comes with a shock mount and a foam cover to reduce wind noise (though you can also get those fluffy wind covers as well).

The mount has a camera-style tripod mount so you will need a clamp to attach it to the phone. Take a look at Joby’s GorillaPod Mobile Audio Kit, which includes the mic, a mount and one of Joby’s tripods with flexible legs that can attach to any convenient post or branch for secure photography – it costs €219.95.

Birdwatchers have been ‘digiscoping’ or attaching digital cameras to spotter scopes for years, to get good images at reasonable cost, but now they are using smartphones instead.

A huge range of adaptors for securing smartphones to scopes or one eyepiece of a binocular is available, but you get what you pay for and it is worthwhile going for a more robust and easily-adjusted unit such as the Gosky adaptor. It has a neat cup that rotates onto the scope’s eyepiece securely, and a holder for the phone that swivels to bring the camera into alignment with the scope.

A good accessory for this rig is a Bluetooth remote camera trigger so you don’t joggle the scope when taking the picture.

Digiscoping is taken to the next level with the Swarovski dG spotter, which has a digital camera built-in. You look through the eyepiece for a live, optical view of the bird, and the camera simultaneously digitises the view and sends it via WiFi to a companion app on your phone. You will also need Merlin Bird ID. First, observe your bird. The scope’s magnification of just 8X means many birds will be quite small, but once the image is on the phone you can zoom in on it to allow Merlin Bird ID to get to work, and it seems to work even on some rather fuzzy photos.

Some traditional birders will lament the automation of an identification process that used to rely on encyclopedic knowledge and expertise. Others will groan at the price – an eye-watering €1,479 ish.

WHERE NOW PLUS

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70s

ANTHONY ANDREWS North Londoner Anthony Andrews had more than 20 years of experience in showbusiness before he became a household name, and something of a heart-throb, in the 1981 TV series, Brideshead Revisited. He had dancing lessons as a child and considered several other careers before getting a job as a stage-hand, and later Assistant Stage Manager, at Chichester Festival Theatre.

He appeared on TV in many different roles – he was the original choice to play ‘Bodie’ in The Professionals before Lewis Collins took over the role, but it was Brideshead that made him a star. He also appeared in the bomb-disposal thriller series Danger UXB, spent some time in Hollywood with film roles including The Scarlet Pimpernel, and much later, the role of 1930s PM Stanley Baldwin in The King’s Speech.

However, theatre remained his first love, ever since he was taken to see My Fair Lady as a ten-year-old schoolboy. In 2003, he was playing Professor Higgins on the West End stage – a demanding role in very hot weather – and drinking so much water that he was rushed to hospital with ‘water intoxication’ and had to spend three days in intensive care. He recovered well and has continued to work, saying during a recent interview “I don’t think actors ever retire – the parts they get just become smaller and dustier! But the audience reaction is such a privilege!”

He married fellow actor Georgina Simpson in 1971 – he describes her as ‘his greatest friend’ and the couple have three grown-up children.

Whatever happened to…

F R O M H E A R T-T H R O B S T O H A I R S T Y L I N G , A L L T H O S E M E M O R I E S O F Y E S T E R D AY S TAY V E R Y M U C H A L I V E A N D B R I N G B A C K F O N D R E C O L L E C T I O N S

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JOHNNY ROTTEN

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John Lydon, better known as Johnny Rotten, and his fellow Sex Pistols, shocked the music business and half the country when they swore at TV presenter Bill Grundy in 1976. The great British public loves to be outraged, and Johnny has been happily outraging them ever since!

Born in London and a lifelong Arsenal fan, he was a school rebel with green-dyed hair when he met the other Pistols and formed the band. Songs like Anarchy in the UK and God Save the Queen horrified parents, and made Rotten and Co the idols of punks everywhere.

When the Sex Pistols disbanded, Lydon formed Public Image Limited, with whom he released eight albums. He appeared on TV in I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here in 2004, and in a series of adverts for Country Life butter. His autobiography, Rotten – No Irish, No Blacks, No Dogs was published in 1995. Lydon has made a career out of saying what he thinks and expressing opinions on everything from Middle Eastern politics to Brexit and Donald Trump. “I support no Government anywhere, ever, never,” he says. But he revealed a completely different side to his ‘Johnny Rotten’ persona when he revealed in 2020 that he is the full-time carer for his wife Nora, whom he married in 1976, and who is now living with Alzheimer’s. When describing his role he expresses what many carers feel: “The real person I love is still there!”

80s

30s

SALON HAIR DRYERS Until the late 19th century, washing and especially drying women’s long, flowing hair was a complex business. That is until a French hair stylist, by the name of Alexandre Godefroy, came up with a solution. He simply added a kind of hood to a giant hose and then attached the hose to a hot air source like a gas stove chimney pipe. His ‘hair dressing device’ was rather large, had to be hand-cranked, and required his clients to be seated throughout. It took time for improvements to be made and with the invention of the vacuum cleaner in the early 20th century, women improvised. Original vacuums sucked warm air through the front and blew it out through the back. Ingenious women simply reversed this process to dry their hair! The first patent for a portable hair dryer was granted in 1911. Although they began to be used in salons and at home in the 1920s, they were heavy, inefficient, and had a tendency to overheat so that users risked electrocution!

By the 1930s, hooded models made of metal or plastic were in use in hairdressing salons and were seen as symbols of modernity. Advertisements often featured rows of smartlydressed women reading fashion magazines under a beehive-shaped salon dryer.

Permed and wavy hairstyles involved sitting under the dryer in rollers, and it was only in the 1960s with the fashion for long, straight locks or Twiggy-style ‘bobs’, that lightweight, hand-held dryers came into general use.

Advertisements often featured rows of smartlydressed women reading fashion magazines under a beehive-shaped salon dryer.

Ellen Tyne Daly is best known for playing the joint lead in the hugely successful 1980s New York cop drama, Cagney and Lacey, alongside Sharon Gless.

Tyne played the part of married working mother Mary Beth Lacey and the series won four Emmy awards for its pioneering portrayal of police-precinct life for women officers. Mary Beth was never just a mum and the storylines often reflected the conflict between her family life with husband and sons, and her demanding police work.

Tyne came from an acting family and actually gained her first Equity card at the tender age of 15. Born in Wisconsin, she began her career in ‘summer stock’ (the equivalent of repertory theatre) on the East Coast. After Cagney and Lacey, she continued with roles on US television and in the theatre.

Just as Mary Beth was seen as a feminist role model back in the ’80s, Tyne continues to support equality, and not just for male and female actors. She has recently spoken out in favour of more inclusion for people of colour on stage and screen as well as other liberal causes like reproductive rights. She also supports the right of women actors to age naturally without the aid of hair dye and face lifts and is happy to be seen with her natural grey locks!

“Women, all women, need to advocate for each other!” she says.

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TYNE DALY

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EXPAT INFO PLUS

Financial security through retirement T O E N J O Y T H O S E W E L L- E A R N E D R E T I R E M E N T Y E A R S , YO U N E E D TO P L A N A H E A D , B U I L D U P YO U R S AV I N G S A N D P R O T E C T T H E M F O R T H E L O N G - T E R M F U T U R E , S AY S S H A R O N FA R R E L L , PA R T N E R , B L E V I N S F R A N K S

After retirement Regular reviews allow you to adapt your strategy to suit your changing circumstances and goals, such as incorporating new family members, addressing health issues or relocating. It enables you to keep up with the ever-changing tax and pensions landscape, including new opportunities that could work in your favour.

Retiring in Portugal If you plan to retire in Portugal, review your retirement strategy early. Consider your residence status and cross-border tax implications and adapt your estate planning to suit Portugal’s different succession rules. Careful planning is the key to minimising taxation and maximising the available opportunities so you can enjoy your dream retirement for as long as you need.

For the best results, take specialist, cross-border advice.

All advice received from any Blevins Franks firm is personalised and provided in writing. This article however, should not be construed as providing any personalised taxation and/or investment advice. Keep up to date on the financial issues that may affect you on the Blevins Franks news page at www.blevinsfranks.com

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Your pension options Pensions are usually the foundation of retirement, so deciding what to do here may be one of life’s most important financial decisions. Pensions are complex, and with so much choice available, you must take great care.

You might benefit from consolidating several UK pensions into one to provide a coherent, more cost-effective investment platform for your retirement income, but first establish what would be the most tax-efficient approach for Portugal. Receiving income in sterling also exposes you to conversion costs and exchange rate risk.

British expatriates here have chosen to transfer their UK pensions to a Qualifying Overseas Pension Scheme (QROPS), which have provided flexibility to take income in euros, more freedom to pass benefits to chosen heirs, and protection from further UK lifetime allowance charges. But pension rules frequently change so keep up-to-date and always take regulated, specialist advice before making pension decisions to protect your benefits and establish the best option for you.

Keep an eye on the UK’s lifetime allowance. The UK caps how much you can hold in combined pension benefits (excluding State Pension) without paying extra tax. Once your funds exceed the limit, you pay a tax charge whenever you access your money – 55% for lump sums or 25% for income or transfers to an overseas pension. This also applies to non-UK residents.

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Before retirement As retirement draws closer, it’s time to start planning how you want to spend your golden years and ensure you are on the right track financially. There are steps you can take today to help make your retirement goal a reality.

Will you be able to afford to retire when you want to? What is the best strategy for withdrawing from your business or employment? What pension options do you have? Can you retain your existing wealth and assets? Where do you want to spend your retirement years? These are all questions you need to ask yourself and plan around.

Let’s say that you aim to retire in a few years and move permanently to Portugal. You may have concerns about whether you can afford your preferred lifestyle without having to sell existing assets. Perhaps you have a business to sell and are unsure how best to convert your years of hard work into a retirement nest egg. Then there are the complex residence and tax implications of living in a different country.

Professional financial advice can prove invaluable here, especially with an adviser who understands Portugal and can provide cross-border advice covering both countries. A good adviser will take a holistic view of what you have – your savings, investments, assets, pensions – together with what you want – your income requirements, estate planning wishes – and an objective assessment of who you are – your circumstances, timeline, goals, risk appetite – to design a personalised retirement plan for you.

You also need to protect your savings and retirement income from inflation. As the cost of living rises, the value of your money falls, so that in the long-term you could have considerably less spending power than you have today.

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ETIREMENT can last 30 years or more.

While the earlier we start forward planning in our careers the better, it gets more important the closer we get to retirement.

And we need to continue taking steps to protect our retirement savings after we’ve started drawing our pensions, regularly reviewing our arrangements to ensure we continue meeting our retirement goals.

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ADVICE PLUS

YOUR money

Are contra-deals acceptable here and what does one have to declare if, for example, I supply a restaurant with cutlery, and they pay me the equivalent in meals?

If a client, instead of purchasing your products, offers to exchange them for a service or product that he provides, you have not gifted anything but rather received payment in kind, instead of in cash. Therefore, it’s still a taxable transaction and you should invoice for your products and credit the client account, against the invoice that he will serve you as supplier.

Please note that in some instances, a restaurant meal may not be fully tax deductible. Therefore, it would be advisable to see if you have other ways of making this trade. If you were offering a service instead of a product, eventually it could be better to make a personal trade rather than a business trade.

I am planning to be away for several months over the summer and would like to ‘unofficially’ rent

The staff in my small office have worked hard and been loyal during the recent difficult trading times.

Can the business pay them a thank-you bonus and can that be claimed back against taxes due?

If you decide to compensate your staff, this will obviously be a cost that you can deduct from your profits. Please be aware that in most cases, bonuses are liable for social security contributions and personal income tax, which means that €1,000 gross equals a cost of €1,237.50.

If, however, you have a company, you can decide by the end of the year to offer ‘balance sheet bonuses’. These bonuses will not be liable for social security and can be paid during the year, providing they were determined by the board prior to the year end.

Please note that this is an allowance available only for companies and not sole traders.

Email your finance questions for Ricardo to martin@algar veplusmagazine.com for inclusion in the f ir st available is sue of A lgar ve P LU S .

To c o n s u l t d i r e c t l y w i t h R i c a r d o C h a v e s , e m a i l r i c a r d o @ a l l f i n a n c e m a t t e r s . p t

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my home to people I know. I am not AL and have no intention of doing this regularly, but three months’ rent could be put to good use. How do I deal with this, as they want to put the money into my bank account and have asked for an invoice (I am retired and do not have a company)?

There is not such thing as ‘unofficially’, as it is very difficult to hide from the tax authorities. You may have heard about Common Reporting Standards, which means that countries and financial institutions automatically exchange information.

Please note that if you decide to rent your property out for three months, you are not required to have a rental licence. The Rental Licence (AL) is for touristic lettings, where you rent for short periods of time (< one month).

If you make a rental contract for three months, you simply need to register your contract with the tax authorities, pay the stamp duty (10% of one month’s rent), and obviously include this rental income in your tax return.

The rental of a Portuguese property is always liable for tax in Portugal, irrespective of your residency status.

The tax rate is 28% (it may be less if you are a resident and have a low income).

ALGARVE P L U S

Given the low levels of interest that are being paid in savings accounts, should I invest in cryptocurrencies? How does that system work?

Please note that I am not qualified to offer any investment advice. Cryptocurrencies are digital assets, created using computer networking software that enables secure trading and ownership.

If you are a tax resident in Portugal, you need to declare your worldwide income here, but income from cryptocurrencies, or a gain made on the sale of them, is not taxable in Portugal, because the authorities consider that cryptocurrency is not a technical equivalent to ‘currency’.

Portugal is one of the few countries that do not tax this type of income yet, but please note that there are exceptions; for instance, if the cryptocurrency is owned by a company, any gains will be taxed as per the corporate tax code.

Also, if trading cryptocurrency is your business activity and registered as such, you need to declare the income, and the gains would be taxed.

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R I C A R D O C H AV E S I S O N T H E P LU S T E A M A N D A N S W E R S Y O U R Q U E S T I O N S O N T H E I S S U E S T H AT A F F E C T Y O U R LI FEST Y LE I N TH E ALGARVE . TH IS M O NTH , H E D ISC US S ES T H E TA X I M P L I C AT I O N S O F PAY I N G S TA F F B O N U S E S , CO NTR A- D E A L S I N B U S I N ES S , A N D C RY PTO C U R R EN C I ES

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EXCHANGE PLUS

Brexit and the effect on exchange rates U K / E U T E N S I O N H A S H A D EC O N O M I C C O N S EQ U E N C E S F O R E X PATS L I V I N G HERE, AS THE POUND AND THE EURO F LU C T UAT E A LO N G S I D E P O L I T I C A L D E B AT E S . J O S É A L M E I DA R E P O RTS

Brexit in 2022 While it now over six years since the UK voted to leave the EU, Brexit uncertainty continues to influence the GBP/EUR exchange rate.

Currently, the main point of contention is the Northern Ireland protocol. A key part of the deal agreed between the UK and EU in 2020, the protocol allows goods to flow freely between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. However, the protocol is extremely controversial, as goods destined for Northern Ireland from the rest of the UK are subject to additional checks and control.

Both the UK and EU accept that the protocol in its current form isn’t fit for purpose, but while the EU seeks to alter the existing agreement, the UK has repeatedly said it wishes to rip up the protocol and has threated to invoke Article 16 in order to suspend parts of the deal.

While the UK subsequently walked back these threats, GBP investors remain concerned by some of the language used by Liz Truss since she took over negotiations in late 2021, and this continues to act as a headwind for the pound-euro exchange rate in early 2022.

At present, Truss and European Commission vicepresident, Maroš Šefcovic, are still deliberating the NI protocol, and hoping for an agreement to be reached.

The financial market is constantly in flux, which can make it difficult to ensure that you are getting the most favourable exchange rate on your currency transfer.

Currencies Direct offers not only highly competitive exchange rates, but also a range of additional services that can help to limit your exposure to currency volatility.

People often find using a high street bank doesn’t get the best return for their money, and that they can get more by using a currency specialist like Currencies Direct. Many banks charge additional fees and don’t offer competitive exchange rates, while expert currency providers can secure excellent rates and move your money without transfer fees. If you’re using a bank to make regular transfers such as moving monthly payments abroad, the costs can quickly add up, whereas, with an expert provider, you’ll soon start seeing the savings on your transfers.

A specialist provider like Currencies Direct can also help you time your transfers to get the most out of your money. As Europe reopens, and currency market movement fluctuates, timing could make a significant difference. At the start of 2021, the EUR/GBP exchange rate was £0.90 and by May was £0.86, which on a €200,000 transfer would be a difference of £8,000 in just five months.

Brexit has caused volatility to increase substantially in the GBP/EUR exchange rate since the referendum. With this volatility expected to extend well into 2022, it might be prudent to take steps to protect your international transfers from any unpredictable currency movements.

Currency Direct has helped over 325,000 individuals and businesses move money abroad since 1996. It has an ‘Excellent’ Trustscore on Trust Pilot, over 20 global offices, and a team of more than 500 currency experts.

For more detailed information , please contact the loc al of fice T: 2 8 9 3 9 5 7 3 9 or register at c u r r e n c i e s d i r e c t . c o m / p o r t u g a l to get regular updates on the currency markets , (u s e A l g a r v e P L U S m a g a z i n e a s t h e r e f e r e n c e) .

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Should the two sides manage to reach an agreement, the pound could enjoy a bit of a relief rally. On the other hand, if talks break down, we might see prolonged Brexit uncertainty continue to influence Sterling for months to come.

In addition, as we emerge from the pandemic, it will become clearer as to what impact Brexit has had on the UK economy, which could also drag on GBP exchange rates.

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T THE BEGINNING OF 2021, the pound was roughly 15% weaker against the euro than it had been on the eve of the referendum.

While the GBP/EUR exchange rate has trended broadly higher over the past year, this is more down to COVID developments and the differing monetary policy between the Bank of England (BoE) and European Central Bank (ECB). Those Brexit developments that influenced GBP/ EUR in 2021 largely had a negative impact on the pairing, with the UK’s repeated threats to suspend parts of its withdrawal deal with the EU proving to be a particular source of weakness.

With the pandemic becoming less of a concern, Brexit begins to have a greater influence on the GBP/EUR pairing.

Boxes arrive at my shops on a daily

outfits. And I must admit, I am perfectly

basis and it feels like Christmas and my

pleased with my choices.

birthday all on the same day.

Inspired by the new arrivals I have designed

The arrivals are a result of attending

a limited number of matching gemstone

fashion shows, scouting for new labels and

necklaces with silver pendants, which are all

the final choice for next season’s collection.

“made by me in Portugal”.

For this spring-summer season I was looking for a few different things: ◆ natural textiles such as cotton, preferably bio-cotton, linen and bamboo ◆ happy colours in shades of blue, lilac and red combined with white and crème ◆ labels, which produce mainly in Europe or Portugal.

The question of where clothes are made becomes more and more of a decision maker for me these days when signing a new brand, I know that a label with “made in Europe” or “made in Portugal” on a garment guarantees that a certain standard for its production has been met. And to me it also means supporting the local community and keeping the carbon footprint low.

With great excitement the first boxes

HOMEWARES: Rua das Lojas, Rua 5 de Outubro nº 68

have been opened, the garments

FASHiOn And AccESSORiES: Rua José Fernandes Guerreiro, nº39

steamed and are now arranged on racks with groups of matching

OPEn: Monday to Friday 10.00 -13.00; 15.00 -18.00; Saturday: 10.00 -14.00 cALL: +351 964 222 612 inSTAGRAM: martina.loule/ www.martina-loule.com

DATELINE PLUS

THE agenda T H I S M O N T H ’ S S P E C I A L S E L E C T I O N O F T H I N G S WO R T H S E E I N G

E X E R I E N C E S

A R T

CRAIG ALAN

CERAMIC WORKSHOP

ArtCatto, Loulé 289 419 447 info@artcatto.com artcatto.com On now

Ben & Nadrali Ceramics You pick where!

918 431 446

Loulé Criativo 27 March, at Quinta da Tor 968 427 271 geral@quintadator.com for details

C O N C E R T S

REPUBLICA 14, OLHÃO reservas@re-criativarepublica14.pt

D STRINGS Museu do Traje, São Brás 20 March, 17:00 966 329 073 admin@amigosdomuseu.com

Two performances of each concert, at 19:00 and 21:30 5 March: João Afonso has set several works of classical

Diogo Ramos and Wilson Severino play acoustic versions of great hits from artists like ABBA, the Beatles, the Bee Gees, Elvis Presley, and Stevie Wonder.

João Ferreira quintet

literature to music. This should be a rare treat.

12 March: Tabea: Alternative indie folk, with chill and dreamy vibes.

19 March: Bayan Quartet + João Roiz Ensemble – string quartet and accordion quartet – bring Richard Wagner’s great orchestral music to audiences it usually doesn’t reach.

26 March: João Ferreira Quintet: Jazz from the 50s and 60s by great composers of the time, as well as original compositions by the group members.

THE RUSSIAN TRIO Amigos de Música Os Agostos, Santa Bárbara amigos-de-musica.org 22–24 March Ticket €30 Three fine artists, Evgeny Sinaisky, Aleksey Semenenko and Kirill Timofeev, are from three different cities, but come together as a trio for this special two-concert programme. For information and to book tickets, email reservasconcertos@gmail. com

IF YOU HAVE ANYTHING YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE EMAIL susi@algarveplusmagazine.com

ALGARVE P L U S

OLIVE OIL SOAP WORKSHOP & WINE TASTING

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Workshops suitable for parties, holidaymakers, retreats, teambuilding days, hen parties, kids parties, or groups of friends wanting to enjoy an exclusive pottery experience. Prices start at €35 per person; experience is priceless.

‘Fragile Simplicity’. Shadow box – wood frame, tulle, cotton, sticks, acrylic and oil paint on acrylic glass.

102x127cm

DATELINE PLUS

THE agenda M A R K E T S

FARMERS MARKET Quinta Shopping 6 March, 10:00–13:00

84

The freshest local produce, fruit and veg, bread that’s almost straight from the oven, regional products including oils, spicy sauces, sausages and cheeses.

And while you shop, the Grupo Folclórico will entertain with music and dancing, from 11.:30.

ALAALGARVE P L U S

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BIO MARKET Republica 14, Olhão Every Wednesday, 10:00–14:00 Glorious selection of seasonal produce from local growers.

F O O D T H E A T R E

THE GREAT PRETENDERS Museu do Traje, São Brás 11 March, 19:30; 12 and 13 March, 16:00.

Tickets €10 (Amigos €8) Call 966 328 073 to book Written partly in rhyme by Algarve resident Carolyn Kain, The Great Pretenders takes a look at historical facts, and Britain’s role in bringing the Portuguese monarchy to an end.

The play’s narrative begins during the 19th century, when several noble and royal families had ambitions for their daughters to marry one of Europe's most eligible bachelors, Prince Carlos, a relative of Queen Victoria, and heir to the Portuguese throne.

The potential brides, portrayed as larger-than-life caricatures of real people, try to impress the Prince with their various and sometimes dubious attractions! Dressed in stylised

Steampunk costumes, their bawdy and hilarious behavior simultaneously startles and excites the Prince.

When Republican politics begin to have an impact on Portugal’s monarchy, the humour grows darker: Princess Amélia of Orléans regrets she was the Prince’s chosen wife. Worse is to come, as Britain and Queen Victoria challenge Portugal over land in Africa.

The situation becomes increasingly more serious when Cecil Rhodes gets involved. The play ridicules his pious and pompous personality making topical references to his statue, his heart of stone, and his little-known relationship with Mr Pickering.

THE FARM HOUSE PROJECT POP UP Casa Rosa, Olhão Dinner Friday 25 March Brunch Sunday 27 March In their inimitable style, The Farm House Project will be serving up dinner with a seafood/street food theme, with a slight Asian twist, in the luxurious private villa, and brunch the following day.

For details, menus, and to book, email thefarmhouseproject.pt@ gmail.com

Y��� ��rs�n�� l�ndsc���� DESIGN | CONSTRUCTION | MAINTENANCE

T: +351 289 397 165 E: info@cape-gardens.com W: cape-gardens.com

LAST WORD PLUS

AND

finally

ALGARVE P L U S l 8 6

H E I S N OT O N E F O R C O N S P I R AC Y T H EO R I E S , N O R I S H E / T H E Y I N FAV O U R O F T H E N E W R U L E S O F W O R D S T H AT QUESTION THE VIRTUE OF SOME OF THE FINEST WRITERS AND S O N G S T E R S . A N T H O N Y M A R T I N I S N OT A H A P P Y P E R S O N

W

ITH OVER 60 percent of the world’s population now having been implanted with the Bill Gates microchip (Pfizer) and/or the George Soros mind-altering drug (AstraZeneca), the epic push towards the total subjugation of the proletariat continues.

I loved writing that; it doesn’t matter that the statement is total rubbish, or to those with a lackof grey matter, accurate. It can also be an ‘alternative fact,’ that wonderful term invented by the Donald’s advisor, Kellyanne Conway. But it is amazing just how many people believe that this, and other balderdash, has to be true, because they read it on Facebook or Twitter.

I am not, per se, against those people who refuse to be vaccinated because they genuinely believe that there has not been enough prior research. I strongly disagree with them, but it is a valid argument.

However, I have no time for those who bang on about conspiracies, who waste time and words on their theories regarding Princess Diana, Madeleine McCann, Kennedy and Monroe.

This has been on the cards for a long time. For years we have been drip-fed facts that weren’t factual, truths that weren’t truthful and scenarios that were dreamed up by egotistical attention-seeking B-list celebrities, together with the media, to gain popularity, sell newspapers and create the feeling within the insecure of being on the back foot.

This, all coming at the same time as the surge of social media usage, until finally, no one knows which way is up.

A textbook description of population destabilisation.

Keep on like that and you’ll have rioting at vaccination centres, blocking of the roads, patients being pulled out of hospitals and groups with a complete disregard of the law... Hold on a sec, that’s already happened, they’ve obviously activated the microchip and the lunatics are finally in charge of the asylum.

And now it’s the turn of language to be in the sights of the reformers. I am writing this as just one of Microsoft Word’s 1.2 billion daily users who will be affected by their latest wheeze, which panders to over-sensitive, paranoid and easily-offended folk.

We are all used to, and indeed welcome, spellcheckers to okay our text before finalising; but the latest wristslapping intervention is, for me, a tweak too far.

Type certain words that are felt might offend the ‘I’m different, treat me as such’ and the ‘inclusiveness’ section pops up, a dotted purple line appears underneath, and a box suggests typing something else. If said word is, and has been for years, part of our language, as long as it is not offensive or derogatory, why should it be placed on the naughty step?

Who decides if a word is offensive? It is now suggested that postman must become ‘postal worker’ and Neil Armstrong’s words when he stepped on to the moon, should be “a giant step for humankind”.

The singer Adele, giving her acceptance speech after winning the top three BRIT awards, said she was so proud of being a woman. Twitter went berserk and accused her of being a TERF, this being modern parlance for a transexclusionary radical feminist. No, I don’t know either, but calling herself a woman somehow upset the trans community.

So what now happens to the talented artists and songwriters who used the word ‘woman’ in a song’s title – Whitney Houston, Aretha Franklin, Roy Orbison, Billy Joel, John Lennon, and not forgetting Percy Sledge with When a Man Loves a Woman?

That should drive the trans community into a frenzy.

Will their songs be banned from playlists? Will they and those who wrote about women be cancelled? How about Oscar Wilde, Ted Hughes, Thornton Wilder and Louisa May Alcott? Will their plaques be removed, and their statues thrown in rivers? Will future generations’ education be censored? It is frightening to realise that we are not that far away from burning books.

Spellcheckers: the latest wrist-slapping intervention, is for me, a tweak too far.