A recent communication from an Algarve Beach Life reader
made me more envious than usual - since Beverley,
from Cambridge in UK, was
lucky enough to spend a chunk of her childhood here!
Rather than go on, I'll let her tell her own tale...
I don't think I have time to tell the whole story ... it covers at least 12 years!!
My parents discovered the Algarve when I was one year old (AND they left me at home with
nan!)
But...
... every year after that we went to Portugal on holiday
:)
Areias São João (before it was known as The Strip!) Castelo
and Albufeira town.
When I was nine, my folks turned round to me and said "We're moving to Portugal ...
You're starting at the Vale do Lobo school in a couple of months!"
Wow! What does a 9-year-old say to that except:
"OK!"
So, yes, I went to school there for a bit - until the fees went up so
much that a number of parents left in disgust and started up their own school - the
'Colegio de Vilamoura'. My mum was one of the parents.
Initially, the school was in the strangest of places - above a bank near the casino in Vilamoura! The
Câmara had very kindly donated the venue to the parents until a more suitable one was
found.
Eventually we moved to where the school is now - near the Vilamoura water tower (can't remember the actual name of the place - well, it was 25 years
ago!)
I remember the two rows of pre-fabs that were the class rooms! We had soup for lunch: a chap would come round from the local restaurant with his big (HUGE!) cauldron of 'sopa do dia' - and we had to bring in a bowl or flask from home to eat it from.
There were so few pupils that classes 8,9 and 10 were put together.
These were kids that were meant to be doing their 'O' levels - it wasn't great!
So, finally, my parents thought it was best to move me to the 'Escola Internacional do Algarve' in
Porches/Lagoa, where I did my 'O' levels - got 3 actually - passed my
Portuguese - failed my English!!
From 1982 onwards we lived in Quinta da Felicidade in
Vale de Parra. What a view - no golf course - no big Gale development.
I used to jump on the back of my Portuguese friend's motorbike and whizz down the
dirt tracks to Praia dos Salgados. We'd sit there for hours watching & laughing at the tourists!
(sorry!)
Our best restaurants were:
- Ramires in Guia (of course!)
- Cabanitas
-
Por do Sol** (Manuel used to be our gardener when we came out to Portugal on holiday!)
-
Dom Diniz
- and a heap of other places too.
Well, I'd better stop here - I could go on forever!
Best wishes,
Bev
See what I mean? How fortunate is that - spending your
formative years in the fabulous Algarve? If that doesn't
leave you with a sunny disposition, I can't imagine what
would.
Thanks to Bev for sharing - and I hope she feels free to
add to her Algarve reminiscences at any time!
(Since she didn't send any pics, I've added a few to
remind all and sundry about the Algarve's beauty and
diversity).
