Algarve BlogThis Algarve blog is intended to keep you in touch with the latest in Algarve affairs. Now that I'm living here, I'm attempting to keep you updated with what's going on in the Algarve and around those wonderful beaches. So, here's my regular take on occurrences in what used to be my favourite vacation spot...
but is now my favourite place to live. A Good Tourist Year...... For Algarve, it seems. Tourist income (or should that be income from tourism?) was up by some 9% on the previous year. Even allowing for the dreaded inflation of prices, that must mean that its popularity as a vacation destination continues to increase. Good ol' Algarve Tourism! Thursday 29 November 2007 ... A Rock and a Hard PlaceYet another British couple had to be rescued from the rocks at Albufeira's seafront recently. It seems to be a peculiarly British pastime, as the last instance that I can remember also involved Brits, and at the same location, unless my memory serves me ill! The problem seems to be a matter of moving between Fishermen's Beach and Inatel Beach. When the tide comes in quickly, the only way to go is up the cliff, which is fine if you're a rock climber and have all your gear to hand. When you're toting only beach kit, the ascent proves more problematic... The sea is often too rough around those cliffs to allow rescue by boat. This time, the unfortunate gentleman was brought to safety using climbing gear, but the lady needed a helicopter rescue. Time-consuming, expensive and, I shouldn't wonder, perhaps a tad embarrassing. So, if you're sunning yourself in Albufeira soon, and you fancy a change of beaches, go the long way round. It often works out to be the quickest route! Tuesday 27 November 2007 Hold the Cataplana!
All very well, but it would make me deeply suspicious of a deep pot of cataplana (fish and seafood stew). Who knows what might be nestling at the bottom! Sunday 25 November 2007 TAP DanceAs I pointed out further down this page, TAP, the Portuguese airline has hiked its prices by adding 3 euros to its fuel surcharge. I thought this would make it even more uncompetitive, but a recent headline suggests that it is winning awards for its sterling service! Friday 23 November 2007 Portimão PerilsIf you're looking to visit, or stay in, Portimão any time during the next eighteen months to two years, then your route planning may require a little more effort than usual! The 'old' road bridge that serves the EN125 has been closed to vehicular traffic while major repairs are carried out - and even the optimists don't think it'll be quick. Some remedial work was carried out in 2005/6, but further engineering reports suggested that the piles and underwater structures required major overhaul, muito depressa. So, unless you plan to walk across the bridge, or cycle, then it's out of bounds until further notice. Given that the bridge is 131 years old, it's perhaps a tribute to its constructors that it's lasted this long. But the works will mean that the other routes that cross the Rio Arade will need to carry the excess traffic flow, unless the authorities come up with another solution (and don't hold your breath on that one). One construction company has claimed that a new bridge, in the same place, would cost the same money and be finished within a year! Whatever may be decided, prepare for hold-ups and frustration if you need to traverse Portimão any time in the foreseeable future. Monday 19 November 2007 They're At It AgainI'm not anti-EU. I even moved from a country that probably is largely so, to a country that has embraced the Euro currency and is an enthusiastic proponent of a federalist Europe... ... But, sometimes, they make you just want to scream! Here's the latest bit of "bureau-lunacy" that's come to my attention:- A Faro charity, Santa Case de Misericórdia, which distributes food to needy locals has been told that it can no longer prepare its provender along the (undeniably healthy) lines of the Mediterranean diet. Instead, it must buy, heat and serve only frozen, processed meals!
The cooks, probably all ladies who have successfully raised hale and hearty families, are to be given training from an expert chef (in how to heat frozen meals?) and must wear hairnets and remove their wedding rings when at work. Was this move occasioned by a spate of illnesses and deaths caused by Misericórdia repasts? Apparently not - it's a purely pre-emptive measure, meant to stave off just such a calamity (pretty unlikely, but why let that get in the way of interference?) And this in a country where road deaths are a national disgrace! Surely, the life-saving efforts of ASAE might more usefully be directed at things that truly would make a difference! They should be ashamed of themselves, but I bet they're not. Saturday 17 November 2007 You Know When You've Been Tango-ed!As per my self-imposed resolution, I ensured that we made it to Faro's Teatro Municipal (also known, confusingly, as Teatro das Figuras). We went to see 'Tango Argentino', as I'd mentioned on this month's "What's On?" page. And... I'm happy to relate that it was wonderful. There were four dancers and five musicians. Instruments in use were piano, accordion, double bass, cello and flute. Given the amount that the flute featured, I'm guessing that the flautist was the band leader! The tunes were wonderfully evocative, and the choreography superb. If I had to carp, I suppose I'd rather have seen more dancing, since there were quite a few music-only pieces. I recognised one tune, which I have on a compilation called Mundo Latino. As well as the friends with whom we attended, we even encountered our Portuguese-language teacher, who had also greatly enjoyed the proceedings. One thing I learned is that, if you want to make a quick getaway after the show, you need to park elsewhere than in the theatre's dedicated parking area. We went for a stroll while the throng of traffic slowly thinned, then had a fairly easy time of exiting the area. Good job we weren't in a hurry! Wednesday 14 November 2007 Well, I Like It Here..They've done another of those polls that make you wonder about the results... This one was about the best places to live, based on criteria such as 'environment and social indicators'. I believe it was conducted by, or on behalf of, that august publication, Reader's Digest, which makes the outcome all the more peculiar... Portugal (and, by inference, the Algarve) came out well, but top place went to Finland. Now, I've never been there and I'm sure it's a lovely country, but... Finland? If I were to carry out a survey of the best places to live, one of my categories would be the level of immigration. That's because immigrants tend to vote with their feet. They decide where it would be best to live, based on their own, rather more vital, criteria, then they go to all the trouble of relocating, including lengthy separations from loved ones. Now, I've never heard that Finland has an immigration problem, which suggests that there's no large contingent of humanity shuffling in that direction... As to Portugal (and the Algarve) - well, it's a small country and last year's figures suggest 400,000+ legal immigrants. Enough said? Wednesday 7 November 2007 Mid-air Hot AirThere was supposed to be a strike recently, involving pilots and cabin crew of the Portuguese national airline, TAP. As things turned out, it was called off to allow 'further talks' to take place. The problem seems to have been triggered by government plans to increase the retirement age for pilots; plans which are now likely to be the subject of some swift backtracking. And, what was upsetting the cabin crews? Well, TAP had recently bought the Portugalia airline and hadn't evened up the salary structures, it seems. This meant that a Portugalia worker who had lots of experience and seniority could earn less than the basic salary offered to crew members flying TAP. Does any of this matter, you ask? Probably not, since I found, whenever comparing ticket prices, that TAP came bottom of the value-for-money stakes. Which means that, whether they're flying or not, it's extremely unlikely that I'll be taking up one of their seats. There are so many better value Algarve flights to be had that I'm amazed anyone flies with them. Especially through Lisbon airport where, as well as paying a high ticket price, you can also expect to enjoy poor service regarding waiting times and baggage handling. Monday 5 November 2007
Return from Algarve Blog to Home page Back to top
Blog Archives
|
I read where Algarve University is carrying out seawater
pollution monitoring using some equipment nicknamed
'artificial mussels'.
It
seems that ASAE, which is the Portuguese equivalent
of UK's Health and Safety Directorate, is worried that food
cooked from fresh local produce might not accord with the
rules from Brussels.
