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Newsletter July 2007 - archive
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by: Carol Carpenter |
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Hello again we are now back in sunny Algarve after
spending a very cold, wet and miserable month in England.
On arrival our plan was to go straight to our boat (our home in UK) for
the first few days during which we would motor her up the
Gloucester/Sharpness canal and River Severn to Upton where she is up for
sale. However the rain was so torrential that after a difficult drive
along the M4 we had to book into a grotty B&B otherwise we might have got
washed into the canal!! Roy’s operation went well and his stay in Hospital
was only for one night. This was followed by a fortnight of rest and
relaxation, two trips to the Hospital for Physiotherapy and short walks
aided by a pair of crutches. I was a little concerned that he might be a
very bad patient as he is normally a very active person, but I was wrong
and he was excellent. There was only one hairy moment! It was when I
suggested that he might not be using the crutches correctly, after
listening for a while he decided to try walking as I had suggested. Oops!
not a good idea as he almost fell ( A over T ) and the air was blue for
the next half hour. I made a very hasty retreat to the bedroom until he
calmed down. After settling him on the sofa with newspaper, crossword
puzzles and plenty of goodies he soon cheered up.
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We were very lucky to be staying with friends in Great
Malvern, whose apartment was once an Old School House. Although the house
has now been converted to six apartments, it has retained much of its
charm and still has the old arch stone windows in many of the rooms along
with very high ceilings. Nestling between the hills and surrounded by
beautiful gardens, it is an idyllic place to live.
Our friends had lived in Lagos for five years until last summer, when they
found the heat quite unbearable so decided to move back to the U.K. They
are both in their 70’s and now prefer to spend only the winter months in
the Algarve.
Great Malvern lies in the foothills of the Malverns which are popular for
walking and bird watching. The village is very picturesque but also very
hilly, not the ideal walking place for Roy but he managed very well.
Malvern Theatre is very well known and all shows that leave London to go
on tour appear here first. It is also within walking distance of the
apartment. The Abbey Hotel was very impressive as was the Priory all of
which were built of the same stone as the Old School House. There were
many quaint shops and also a small Art Gallery. The scenery was absolutely
stunning and we thoroughly enjoyed our stay there. Unfortunately due to
the very bad weather, I was unable to take photographs of this beautiful
village, but did manage to photograph the view from the apartment windows
early one morning along with one of Roy in his sexy support stockings.
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After our stay in Malvern we then moved on to visit
friends and family in Thornbury, Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire returning
to the Algarve on 6th June.
On arriving we were a little disappointed to find that even in the Algarve
it was far from flaming June. It wasn’t raining but was still quite chilly
in the shade and has remained so. We are still glad to be back though and
very much prefer the warm windy weather here than the gloomy wet U.K.
Walking through Carvoeiro I noticed there is now a new Barclays Bank at
the top of restaurant hill. It must have only taken them a month to build
it as I am sure it wasn’t there when we left. There is also a new Tapas
Bar which is next to Catz Pyjamas named Tom Singelo. Apparently it has
been open for a year but the owner Antonio and his wife Anna have only
recently erected the sign displaying the name. Unfortunately everyone
thinks it is his name and are always shouting hello Tom although in fact
the name means (Tom - meaning tone or colour of wine and Singelo - meaning
simple ) a simple wine bar - I think that’s rather sweet. On Saturday, we
decided to go in for a quick drink, before going on to
Bojangles
for their 1st Anniversary Celebrations and, whilst we were enjoying a jug
of Sangria, Karen and Nick came along on an evening walk about. In the end
they decided to join us and of course we spent the rest of the evening
eating Tapas and drinking Sangria. The food was delicious and the Sangria
was the best we had tasted for a long time. The service was good, the
staff very friendly and it was very reasonably priced - of course we never
did get to Bojangles. We returned a few days later with friends Sandy and
Gordon (Rampage) as he is known. In the evening we met up again for a
delicious meal, albeit a little more expensive at Simca restaurant in
Portimao. It only seats about 15 people and you do have to reserve a
table, but it is really something special. The starters are huge as are
the main courses, so if you go, I advise you not to have lunch. They are
closed Sunday and Monday - for reservations 282423057 or mobile 914836369.
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Please
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Nikki Beach Restaurant & Bar has opened on the Marina at
Portimao and is very impressive but also very expensive. We took a
leisurely trip over on the ferry from Ferragudo the other day had 1 small
beer and a white wine and soda which cost us €12! A bottle of wine ranged
from €20-€50 and if you really wanted to push the boat out €200 - €400 for
champagne. Guess we won’t be regulars then! although I am sure it will
attract the wealthy tourist. Sorry no photos it was purely a spur of the
moment visit.
Getting back to Carvoeiro, Flic-Flac Bar has been re-named to
Brady’s Irish
Bar with live music. The Irish Band Klonakilty, play there on Tuesday
and Thursday evenings and what a lively Duo they are. Linda and Nigel
performed to a full house last Thursday night playing a variety of ballads
etc along with well known Irish songs and the applause at the end was
deafening. They are very talented and will also be playing in the square
during July and August.
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Please
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There is also a new Art Gallery next to the Anteak Bar
called Celebrity Vaults Algarvida which looks very impressive and worth a
browse around. The new apartment block opposite is well on its way and
seems to be a lot higher than the block next to it, but maybe when it is
complete and painted it will look less oppressive.
There are still no changes to the square or the road closure but I will
keep you informed if and when things start to happen. The pavements are
still quite bad and very slippery even after all the work they did in the
winter. There seems also to be a lack of GNR presence at the moment.
Tourists and locals are again parking outside the little supermarket in
Carvoeiro, making it very difficult for the buses to get past. Last year
they would have been quickly moved on by the GNR. This year on my travels
I have not seen one Policeman?
The development of Hibiscus Gardens and
Monte Santo
resorts are well under way, stretching from Quinta do Paraisio over to
Carvoeiro Tennis Club. A Sales Office has just appeared in Sesmarias on
Quinta da Lapa looks as if it is going to be a huge development. At the
moment there are so many new houses up for sale the re-sales will
definitely be affected.
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Please
find large photos
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A new Law has been introduced this year which enables
foreign vehicle owners to purchase car tax from any finance office in
Portugal. The new car tax disc obliges all owners of foreign cars which
have not been matriculated and which have been in Portugal for more
than180 days to pay Portuguese road tax. There is also a new residency law
which was created in August 2006. The Camara Municipal now has the
authority to issue a document called a Certificado de Registo which is
valid for 5yrs. After 5yrs, if an EU national decides to stay in Portugal
for longer, they must then renew this document, by going to their nearest
SEF office to apply for a residency card that is valid for 10yrs. This has
led to waiting times dropping significantly and has saved the public a lot
of time.
Last but not least Congratulations goes to a young lady who lives on our
estate. She is known on the
forum as
"lil*madam" and she has just won first
prize in the 7ª Corrida Fotografica de Portimao. The exhibition of the
winners opens 30th June on the riverside in Portimao and lasts for two
weeks. Well done lil*madam from both of us at 43.
That’s all my news for this month and hope you all enjoy reading this
newsletter. We are now off to the Recinto da Fatacil in Lagoa to watch
‘Off The Wall’ - a Pink Floyd tribute band.
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Adeus
Carol. |
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