Algarve Blog
This Algarve blog is intended to keep you in touch with the latest in Algarve affairs. Now that I'm living here, I'm trying to keep you updated with what's going on in the Algarve (on Portugal's southern coast) 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. Dawn RaidsIt seems that ASAE, the organisation that looks after the public's health in Portugal, has decided that UK foodstuffs are potentially poisonous! And it all has to do with a few shops in Algarve that style themselves as 'English' or 'UK' supermarkets. In truth, most are probably not much bigger than your average food shop, but a little exaggeration never did anyone any harm, eh? So what heinous crime have these outlets committed, that they should have been visited and, in some cases, temporarily closed, while the boys in blue rifled through the stacks of tins, bottles and jars? They have goods that are labelled only in English, that's what! Now, given that they're aiming at a predominately, if not exclusively, British and Irish market, one might think that the labelling is perfectly adequate. After all, I would imagine that most 'specialist' shops in the UK, selling, say imported foodstuffs to Chinese or Indian communities would get away with non-English labels... I may be wrong there, but I doubt it. Back to the dawn raids - the question arises: what if the jar, bottle or package is too small to accommodate two sets of labels, in Portuguese and English? Do you stick the Portuguese label over the English one, thereby rendering it incomprehensible to its likeliest consumers? So, what's the beef? Apparently, it has to do
with ASAE So just remember to check, when you're buying any favourite 'home treats' in Algarve. You might need to hire a translator before you can prepare your meal... Or, perhaps it's just a ploy to make non-Portuguese speakers eat out more often when in Algarve? Tuesday 14 July 2009 Back to BloggingLong time no blog! It seems like ages since I've been in Algarve (even though it was April). I left the rainy, cool UK very early this morning and arrived in sunny Faro in time to do a supermarket (mini)-shop and reach home for lunch. It's sunny, it's warm, it's lovely... it's Algarve! Wow, how I've missed it. And the good news is that my stray cats still remember me (well, those that were here when I left - the new pair don't know me from Eve, of course). More news when I've settled in and mapped out how I'm going to spend my time. I really felt like a tourist again, and was as excited as most others on my flight from UK. Now all I have to do is acclimatise to this lovely heat! And, watch out for my pics once I've visited Fiesa 2009!
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itself.
The labelling must be in Portuguese, so that ASAE
inspectors can read it without requiring
translation. I can just see the headlines now:
"Algarve Tourists Poisoned By Food Police! -
Inability to understand cooking instructions cuts
down holidaymakers in droves!"
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