Newsletter June 2016

Margarida Sampaio @


Summer is here! I know calendar wise we are still a little way off but we finally seem to have sunshine and high temperatures! Winter seems to have continued forever in the Algarve this year, the last time it was so miserable was probably about five years ago and even then we saw some sunshine in May! Instead the past month has been horribly wet and cold, when we did have a few days of sunshine the rain clouds would build up again. I feel genuinely sorry for anyone who made a trip over here last month in hope of some sunshine and I just hope that they weren’t put off entirely by the weather because I can assure you May is usually a beautiful month in the Algarve (I promise!).

SUMMER FUN June sees the return of loads of fun and entertainment in Carvoeiro and all across the Algarve and we have lots in store this month to enjoy. First date for the diary has to be June 10 because this this will be a bank holiday in Portugal. If you bought a Portuguese diary or calendar at the start of the year you may have found things a little confusing because half of the bank holidays we are having aren’t even written in them. That’s because with the austerity measures put in place during the crisis we had lots of our lovely bank holidays taken away (not sure how much it really helped productivity buy hey ho). Now we have a new government they have given us back our bank holidays but too late for the printers sadly. June 10 is a Friday so we will be expecting an influx of people from other parts of Portugal for the long weekend and be sure to do anything official wise the day before or earlier if possible because if the weather is good then I am sure everyone is going to be fully in holiday mode here.

BLACK AND WHITE NIGHT Black and white night will be making a return to Carvoeiro this year on June 18 and it looks like being another massive party night for the town so start thinking about what you will be wearing! It is not mandatory of course to wear black and white for the night but you will draw considerable attention to yourself if you step out in red… For those who have not been lucky enough to experience black and white night before, this is a celebration of the summer solstice and is marketed as the first big summer party of the year in the Algarve. The event is free and takes place throughout the streets and down on to the beach of Carvoeiro, with little stages in various places for live music and dance, the main stage in the square used for the big acts and then it is down to the beach for a DJ set to dance into the early hours. The atmosphere at the black and white party is incredible and the place is absolutely packed so make sure you get down early if you want a parking space because lots of the roads are closed off for the party. It is also a good idea to book a table in a restaurant if you want to eat out on this night, if you don’t then you will be lucky to get something to eat and last year there was a distinct lack of food available elsewhere. This really is an event for the entire family and is one not to be missed, if you want to find out more about what is going on or would like to see pictures from previous editions then have a look at the Facebook page of the event for more details.

LIVE MUSIC Lots of the bars have already started their live music programmes and entertainment schedules for the summer but you know we are in the holiday season truly when the music starts back up on the central stage in the square by the beach. Live music is back thanks to sponsorship by the businesses in the square with live acts every night of the week. During June we will have Jorge Rodrigues playing on Mondays and Fridays, DJ Alexandre Ramos on Tuesdays and Saturdays, Ricardo Sousa on Wednesdays and Sundays and the Arte Viva Duo on Thursdays. The music in the square is great for families with dancing actively encouraged at all times! The atmosphere is always friendly and it is a great way to relax and enjoy the views, the warm evenings and music from some great local acts. If you prefer your music inside then there is a concert scheduled to take place by the Algarve Jazz Orchestra on 11th June from 9.30pm at the Lagoa Auditorium. Tickets for the concert, which features singing from Maria Anadon, cost €8 per person and this is a really great Jazz orchestra to see if you like your music a little funky! Because there really is something for everyone in the Algarve you can also take yourself off to an international dance music festival this month in Parchal! The Free Your Mind festival will be taking place at the Centro Congresso do Arade in Parchal, between the entry on to the old bridge in Portimão and Ferragudo. The aprty will be starting at 6pm and going on all through the night until 6am – so be sure to take your dancing shoes for this one! Tickets are available to buy from Fnac beforehand or online of you want to get discounts.

INTERNATIONAL ALGARVE FAIR The International Algarve fair is back in Lagoa again this June, taking place at the Fatacil showground on June 4 and 5. The main event focuses on local businesses and service providers so if you want to find some garden furniture, speak to someone about air conditioning or sort out some insurance this is your place (I hope I am not overselling here!). All joking apart this is a great event and is the place to go to catch up with faces from all across the Algarve, I generally bump into people here that I haven´t seen since the last fair! There are lots of different food options at the fair and they make a mean caipirinha if that’s your thing. You can also watch Kiss FM do some live broadcasting and see some local acts do a bit of singing and dancing at the same time. One of the biggest draws to the fair though has to be the fact that it also incorporates the Algarve Dog Show. If you are fan of dogs then this is the place for you and you can enter your own four legged stars into the various different categories – you still have time to get involved and to give spot a bath!

EAT YOUR WAY AROUND LAGOA The second stage of the hugely popular Rota do Petisco (Tapas Route) is coming to Lagoa and 72 participating restaurants and eateries will be taking part in the local area until June 26. The idea behind the route is that a small tasting dish or a dessert and drink are on the menu especially for the route and you are encouraged to drop in and to sample as many as you can while the event is on. If you buy yourself a passport and have it stamped in every place you visit then you can even be entered into a prize draw. This is a really great initiative and the perfect excuse to drop in to lots of different restaurants that you may never have considered before. Lots of the menu items feature traditional style dishes and this is a great opportunity to really try a taste of Portugal without having to spend out on a full meal as the idea is to eat the tapas dish and then move on to the next place. You can find out more details about the route by visiting www.rotadopetisco.com or by having a look at their Facebook page for more info.

WHATS NEW There is always something new in Carvoeiro but this month we have something a little different – it is not a bar or a restaurant but instead an antiques shop! The new shop is located on Rua do Barranco (the out road) near to the Chinese shop and sells a great variety of furniture, ornaments and general bits and pieces. Great to see another new initiative in the town and also something different to the usual – well worth having a little look at if you have the time. AND FINALLY If you were in Carvoeiro when Benfica won the league in may then you have had a little taste of the football fever that is about to ensue in the town. On this occasion we had half naked men hanging out of car windows while brandishing flares and shouting and cars lapping the town while beeping their horns and a bit more shouting. The Euros football competition is starting on June 10 and you can be sure there will be plenty of drama to come. Every bar, restaurant and shop in the town will be showing the games I am sure and you will be unable to avoid the whole event as the Portuguese are pretty keen on the beautiful game. When Portugal plays, expect service to stop and the town to be glued to the TV..and if they win…wait for the celebrations to begin! The place will no doubt also be packed for the England games and expect a good turnout from fans of all of the other nationalities too as you can usually find some home supporters somewhere in Carvoeiro. Love it or hate it, you won’t be able to avoid football this month in Carvoeiro. …Well I am off to go and practice the national anthem and to find an oversized flag to wave

Until next month Margarida