algarvePLUS November '25

MORE FLAVOUR THAN YOU EVER IMAGINED

Wooly jumpers at the ready (better still, cashmere from Leodoro), hoodied track suits on the shopping list as well as trainers from all those new stores in the Designer Outlets (bargain prices, and only the teenagers recognise them as last season’s). The wood store is loaded up, the marshmallows are waiting to be toasted, and Stricty on Saturday night is becoming an increasingly attractive option. As soon as the clocks move back, the mind set works accordingly, and regardless of the daytime temperatures, we get into next-season mode.

Think of all the dishes that become cold weather favourites. Thick soups, glorious casseroles, steamed puddings topped with a syrupy sweetness. Think of the scarves and gloves waiting to be extracted from a box at the back of the wardrobe. Think about the books you’ve promised yourself you’ll read (do you hard copy, Kindle, or go the audio route?), and the exhibitions and music events, outdoor adventures and indoor workshops that will be competing for your attention. November is something of an action-packed month here and there is so much to delight, whatever the temperature (and we’re better off in that score than elsewhere in Europe).

So, enjoy every day, celebrate plenty, and share those pleasures. Producing this issue has been a real pleasure for us. New contributors joining the team, new stories to investigate, more readers to please. Happy November.

Susi Rogol-Goodkind, EDITOR +351 965 581 831 | susi@rogol-goodkind.com

CONTACTS

MARTIN GOODKIND

Publisher +351 963 146 398 martin@algarveplusmagazine.com

KIM COLLEY

Art Director

+44 (0)7973 426196 dk.colley@btinternet.com

(COST OF CALLS AT YOUR MOBILE PROVIDER’S RATE)

According to the originators of The Smell of Olhão – Edwin Hagendoorn, Arthur van Amerofgen, Nelli Konstantinova and Will Kohlen – this homage to the town is something completely different, a balanced mix of the raw and beautiful drawings by Edwin combined with sincere stories, cubist architecture, and local recipes. Just the thing for travellers and expats with an acquired sense of smell and taste. ezowolf.nl/

Herbs – the perfect addition to your garden – and your table. See page 70

Botané Studios is the name of this incredible artificial flower collection that is like no other. Each flower is carefully crafted to evoke the sentiment behind it— whether it’s a symbol of love, a gesture of gratitude, or a timeless way to celebrate a special moment. Flowers hold an unparalleled ability to communicate what words cannot, making them one of the most cherished ways to express emotions. Available in the Algarve at Dunas Living in Almancil. Dunas-living.com

Another key opening. Early this month there’ll be a new Zé e Maria space in Olhão specialising in American vintage for both guys and girls, and alongside the clothing you’ll find stylish vintage decoration pieces, chosen by The Houses. @zeemariaolhao

Claus Porto has relaunched its Deco Collection of hand creams. The packaging, inspired by classic gouache tubes – made from postconsumer recycled (PCR) aluminium – is a tribute to those who see beauty in the details. A special and useful object that fits in your pocket, your desk drawer, your travel kit. In your life. clausporto.com

Hurray – Lauren and Pam should be ensconced from the start of this month in the all-new Algarve Candle Company headquarters, on the roundabout at Quatra Estradas. This has been a major initiative, and the results of months of planning - and building – have culminated in a brilliant, and sparkling super store. Lots of Christmas ideas to discover. algarvecandleco.com

Welcoming guests is an art. More than just opening the doors of your home, it’s about creating an atmosphere of welcome, beauty, and distinction – a gesture that manifests itself in the smallest details. In the history of hospitality, silver is a symbol of sophistication and tradition. Leitão & Irmão, with over 200 years of legacy, not only creates the finest Portuguese jewellery, but also unique decorative pieces. leitao-irmao.com

The new collection of handcrafted vases from OIiveira Decor in Tavira combines organic shapes and natural textures to bring warmth and personality to any space. Each piece, unique in its finish, reflects the beauty of authenticity and the charm of timeworn details. Available in a range of styles, sizes and colours, priced from €75. Check them out in store. byoliveira.com

Celebrate the best. Leodoro has opened its very beautiful doors in Almancil at Av José dos Santos Farias, BL136 Loja B, where you’ll find the finest softly-coloured cashmeres, and elegant leisurewear. Visit Wednesday to Saturday, 11h00-18h00, and other days by appointment. leodoro.pt

The zenith between elegance and balance, the Suspicion console is daringly sculpted in stone and fills any room with lavishing luxury. It is the epitome of intricate equilibrium, joining marble with fine brass lines, and wow factor. luxxu.net

shove book up a teense

Algarve – A Culinary Journey dives into the heart of the region with a rare and sensitive perspective, weaving together life stories, traditional recipes, untouched nature, and cultural heritage. It introduces 70 recipes, 40 created by some of the most renowned names in Portuguese gastronomy, and 30 by Algarvian chef Noélia Jerónimo. The English and Portuguese language versions are available at Amazon, €50

Shopping with heart

CTHE ALGARVE IS KNOWN FOR ITS BEACHES AND CHIC RESORTS — BUT AWAY FROM THE POSTCARD VIEWS LIES ANOTHER KIND OF LUXURY: GIVING BACK. ACROSS TOWNS FROM ALJEZUR TO TAVIRA, NEARLY 30 CHARITY SHOPS TURN PRE-LOVED CLOTHING, FURNITURE, AND HOUSEHOLD GOODS INTO TANGIBLE CHANGE FOR LOCAL PEOPLE AND ANIMALS

Words: ELISABETH LEONARD

ASTELO dos Sonhos, based in Silves, channels every purchase into helping struggling families, the elderly, and those at risk of social isolation. The charity provides food baskets, essential household items, and emergency help when crisis strikes – vital work for people with nowhere else to turn.

In nearby São Bartolomeu de Messines, Arm in Arm runs both its main shop and The Charity Barn. Funds pay for food, rent support, and essential supplies for families hit by poverty or sudden unemployment. For many expats and locals alike, volunteering here is a way to give practical help while

building friendships across cultures. Lighthouse Portugal, based in Portimão, channels its shop proceeds into educational and social programmes for disadvantaged children and teenagers. The charity runs study centres where students receive homework help, tutoring, mentoring, and lifeskills support to reduce school dropout rates and help young people thrive academically and socially. Every item sold helps fund safe spaces where youth can build confidence, stay engaged, and look toward brighter futures. Few charities in the Algarve are as cherished as Madrugada Portugal, which operates inviting stores in Lagoa, Lagos, and Luz. The organization provides end-of-life palliative care and cancer support services at no cost. Every euro spent on a pre-loved

dress or book helps fund nurses, equipment, and home visits for people wishing to spend their final days in comfort and dignity.

The Red Cross (Cruz Vermelha), with bases in Faro and Tavira, channels proceeds into emergency relief – from ambulances and disaster response to community health projects. Likewise, the Salvation Army shop in São Brás funds outreach programmes that feed families, provide shelter, and deliver practical aid to those in need.

Alerta, a distinctive shop in Silves, turns retail revenue into firefighting muscle. Its earnings purchase protective clothing, breathing apparatus, and other lifesaving gear for local bombeiros – the volunteer firefighters who protect the Algarve’s forests and villages.

Beyond their charitable missions, these shops promote sustainable living. Buying second-hand keeps textiles out of landfills and cuts the impact of fast fashion, saving water and carbon emissions.

While the treasure hunt can reveal designer pieces or beautiful Portuguese linens, the real appeal is the mix – well-kept everyday essentials alongside occasional vintage finds and distinctive home accents. Each shop reflects the community that donates to it, offering character and sustainability rather than mass-produced sameness.

There’s another, more personal form of giving – these stores need even more than customers; volunteers keep the shelves stocked, price donations, style

window displays, manage social media, and welcome shoppers. No retail experience is required – just goodwill and a willingness to lend a hand.

For expatriates looking to integrate into local life, volunteering is a gateway into Portuguese culture. It’s a chance to practise the language, meet new friends, and feel connected to a region that welcomes so many with open arms.

Supporting these shops is simple: donate quality clothing, books, furniture, or household items; browse their racks for treasures; or offer a few hours of your week to help them thrive. Most have active Facebook or Instagram pages that share new stock, special sales, and volunteer opportunities.

Friends of AAG (Associação Animais Guia) and the AGA Cat Charity in Albufeira rescue, sterilize, and rehome abandoned cats and dogs while educating the public on responsible pet care. While the Refúgio dos Burros (Donkey Sanctuary), with shops in Carvoeiro, Lagoa, and Ferragudo, funds the rescue and lifelong care of abused and neglected donkeys that once toiled in Portugal’s fields and now find refuge thanks to sales of second-hand goods.

Cacela Dog Haven, Carlota Charity Shop (A Cadela Carlota), and Paws Charity Shop in Cabanas de Tavira raise money for veterinary care, feeding programmes, and safe havens for bandoned or mistreated dogs.

Meanwhile, the stylish Woolf Charity Shops – part of ARA (Animal Rescue Algarve) with branches in Almancil, Loulé, and Troto –support a state-of-the-art shelter that rescues, rehabilitates, and rehomes hundreds of animals each year. 101 Donations Charity in Guia helps keep Tiny Shelter running – a volunteer-driven rescue for dogs needing medical attention and loving homes.

PORTIMÃO UNFILTERED

beaches, big skies, and a community that actually shows up in winter

WASHED IN THAT CINEMATIC ALGARVE LIGHT, PORTIMÃO LOOKS DREAMY FROM ABOVE – GOLDEN CLIFFS, A LONG RIBBON OF SAND, BOATS SLIPPING OUT WITH THE TIDE. BUT DRONE SHOTS ARE THE APPETIZER, NOT THE MEAL

Words: NICK ROBINSON, ALGARVE ADDICTS

TO REALLY taste Portimão you have to get down to street level, sip a coffee by the river, chat to the people who moved here and stayed, and notice what the town does when the summer circus packs up.

That’s exactly what I did – I spent a day (and change) wandering, meeting locals and new locals, and jotting notes while my ice cream melted faster than I could eat it.

Where it sits and why that matters

Portimão lies in the western Algarve, roughly 70km west of Faro. You’ve got the A22 zipping you in and out, and a train line that slices through town with all the pragmatism of a good Portuguese sandwich: simple, reliable, and no fuss.

It’s one of the Algarve’s largest urban areas – busier than its reputation suggests – and that size quietly shapes daily life. You feel it in the longer off-season, the year-round events, the choice of cafés and supermarkets and barbers and bakeries (always a test of a town’s soul).

If you’re scouting a base for beach days, winter living, and quick connections, Portimão passes the sniff test.

Neighbourhoods that locals don’t always call by name Portimão’s districts are a little fuzzy because, well, people use the names that work for them. Around the beach you’ll hear Praia da Rocha as a catch-all. It’s the high-rise postcard: hotels, apartments,

beach clubs, a boardwalk, and that huge sweep of sand that pulls you down like a magnet. Scoot west and the coast keeps serving: smaller coves, caves and winding cliff walks.

Swing north from the river mouth and you hit the Marina, the Jupiter Marina Hotel with its rooftop restaurant that stares straight across the Arade, and the Museu de Portimão (a superb riverside anchor in a former sardine cannery). Keep going and you roll into Ribeirinha and Centro, Portimão’s old-town and central grid of everyday life – shops, cinemas-past, and a Modelo/Continente reference point that older residents still use as if it were a star in the night sky. Push further north and it opens into Alta Boavista and the newer retail sprawl.

To the west you’ve got Alvor – technically its own parish, spiritually very Portimão – whitewashed lanes and a gorgeous estuary boardwalk. Across the river: Ferragudo and Parchal, postcard pretty and worth your appetite.

Say “Portimão” in some corners of the internet and someone will tell you, chin held high, that it’s the ugliest place in the Algarve. The high-rises do divide opinion. If you want only cobbles and low eaves, you may prefer elsewhere. But here’s the thing: a city is more than its skyline. Portimão’s strength is how it works. It’s walkable. It’s got beaches you can actually stroll to. It doesn’t turn into a ghost town in January. And (this is vital) it has a community that organises itself rather than waiting to be entertained.

The people who chose Portimão

I met Lena, a Ukrainian therapist who teaches tai chi and offers holistic massage. She loves the cliffs (“not just beach-beach-

Below, top left clockwise: the Portimão Museum, housed in the former Feu canning factory, is a celebration of the fishing industry; quiet backstreets in the centre of the city; local cafés and long-established restaurants abound; the Portimão marina. Opposite page: the Bela Vista hotel, a landmark of luxury in Praia da Rocha

beach,” as she put it) and the way winter brings space to breathe. Summer is a high-energy drumbeat; winter is a slow waltz. She thrives on the contrast, using the quiet months for meditation and recalibration.

Then there’s the Portimão Digital Nomads crew. Started in late 2021, the group blossomed into a lively network with weekly meetups, chats, and spontaneous dinners that have nudged more than a few Lisbon dwellers south. I met organisers and early members over breakfast.

What struck me wasn’t the hype; it was the follow-through. They actually show up – help newcomers find rentals, a dentist, a running route, the right café to work from on a rainy Tuesday. It’s the difference between ‘scene’ and ‘community.’

Kat moved from Las Vegas with her partner. No car. They chose Portimão because it’s the right size: hospital, mall, trains, the riverfront, the beach – everything within easy reach on foot, bike, or bus. High-rises? For them, a feature, not a bug: “lock up and travel” living with minimal maintenance. Summer crowds? Manageable. Winter? Blessedly not dead.

Manuela, Italian by passport and Algarve by practice, lives in Alvor – a small-town soul who needs quiet lanes but loves being five minutes from Portimão’s buzz. She and the nomad admins keep the WhatsApp groups humming and newcomers oriented. Later I sat with Maria, who first wintered here and just never left. “Blue sky by the ocean, 300 sunny days, good food, kind people – and still in Europe.” Her read on the market? Prices have climbed; rentals, especially long-term, are scarce; and she’s seen winter-to-winter rental prices jump in the 20–30% range on her own apartments. Not gospel, but it squares with what I’m hearing up and down the coast.

At sunset, Eduardo and Jennifer, Peruvians with Italian passports, told me why they chose Portimão over Faro and Lagos: walkability to the beach. From their building it’s one block to the sand. “In winter it’s not a ghost town,” they said. “There’s always something to do.” That refrain came up again and again.

The beach run (with a gelato interlude)

You can argue all day about which beach is best, but Praia da Rocha is the star: broad, beautiful, almost flamboyant in how it shows off. Keep driving or cliff-walking west and you hit a string of lookers – smaller coves, ochre cliffs, natural arches the colour of toasted brioche.

Between beach stops I went hunting for coffee and ended up with ice cream that melted like a time-lapse. I’m pretty sure half of Portimão watched me juggle a cone with the grace of a man holding a hot coal. We stumbled into one of the local Italian chains that now feel like institutions (No Solo), and I went for the salted-caramelsomething I could barely finish before it turned into soup. Not my best decision; certainly not my last.

Lunch with a view (and a brief case of real-estate vertigo)

If you’re courting a client, a rooftop table at the Jupiter Marina will do it. The river spreads out in front of you; the masts nod; a single ferry plods over towards Ferragudo. It’s the kind of vista that steals phrases from your mouth.

On the way there I drove through Praia da Rocha’s newer apartment blocks – slick façades, crisply-styled lobbies. Price tags? You’ll find new-ish two-bedrooms advertised around the midhundreds of thousands, and front-row sea views pushing higher. It’s premium Portugal by the beach; low-cost this is not. Meanwhile,

everyone I spoke to agreed: long-term rentals are the hardest part. If you’re moving here, arrive with time, contacts, and a Plan B (or chat to Algarve Addicts).

Summer vs winter: the energy shift

Summer is big here – live music on small stages and big ones, DJ sets that pour down stairways to the beach, bustling restaurants, and a steady parade on the boardwalk. It’s electric, occasionally chaotic, often delightful.

Winter? That’s when many of us fall in love. You can meditate on the sand at sunrise and hear your thoughts. You can walk the dogs along empty waterlines. Cafés know your order; the riverfront slows to a heartbeat pace; and the town keeps its lights on. Not every Algarve centre can say the same.

Getting around (and out)

You can live well in Portimão without a car. The train can hop you east to Faro or west to Lagos; local buses cover the city and beaches; bikes make sense if you pick your routes. For aerial thrills, there’s a nearby airfield with regular skydiving and a small hop to Lisbon on certain schedules; search for Fly Sevenair. It’s not Heathrow, but it’s handy.

Food, music, little pleasures

Old town – Centro – has that everyday Portuguese mix I adore: dadand-daughter pastelarias, butchers who cut to your nod, and family restaurants where the daily dish still feels like a handshake. Down by the river, afternoons slide into evenings with cold beer and live guitar. Across the water, Ferragudo makes a strong case for dinner –charcoal smoke in the lanes, terraces under strings of bulbs. Beach clubs in summer are their own species: sundowners under umbrellas, the clink of glasses, DJs who know exactly when to drop a

track that tastes like margaritas and cool moves.

Faro? Lagos? Carvoeiro? Why pick Portimão? Faro is a cultural sweetheart – with a gorgeous old town and university vibe – but you don’t walk to beaches, you plan for them. Lagos is a looker with history in its bones and smaller, wildly picturesque coves –but that beauty can feel far from your front door if you’re up in town. Carvoeiro is charming, with the dramatic cliff amphitheatre around the beach – but it’s tighter, pricier per square metre, and far more seasonal.

Portimão’s pitch is practical romance: you get urban convenience plus real sand underfoot in ten minutes. You get a winter with a pulse. You get a community that doesn’t wait for a tourism board to do the inviting.

No, Portimão isn’t one long Instagram lane of azulejos and bougainvillea. Some corners are workmanlike, some blocks could use a hug. But the city’s superpower is usefulness wrapped around a spectacular coastline. If you come for a week and only skim the beachfront, you’ll miss 80% of its story.

Fast facts & gentle advice

Services: Big enough for hospitals, malls, concert halls, museums, prestigious art galleries like Meinke Flesseman. Great markets, too.

Walkability: Excellent around Centro, the riverfront, and Praia da Rocha.

Beaches: Many, immediate, and varied – from wide familyfriendly expanses to cinematic coves.

Community: Digital nomads, retirees, families; lots of mixednationality friendships; plenty happening in winter.

Property: Buying is straightforward but not cheap along the front. Long-term rentals take persistence and local help.

Mood: Summer buzz, winter exhale.

IT’S A BRAVE NEW WORLD FOR THE PORTUGUESE MOVIE INDUSTRY WHICH IS TAKING GIANT STRIDES IN ATTRACTING INTERNATIONAL PROJECTS AND SUPPORTING LOCAL INITIATIVES

Words: DEBBIE REYNOLDS

CAMERA ACTION! I

LIGHTS

N RECENT years, Portugal’s creative landscape has flourished thanks to state support, brave and passionate independent filmmakers and an emerging network of production services and incentives designed to attract global projects.

Much of the buzz around this vibrant, evolving sector is largely thanks to the work of the Portugal Film Commission which was established back in 2019.

We spoke to executive director Ana Marques who explained the initiative behind the programme: “The Film Commission was set up following the creation of the Tourism and Film Support Fund, which aimed to attract film and audiovisual productions to Portugal and position the country as a leading shooting destination.

“Building on this, and given that several international productions had already chosen Portugal as a shooting location, the Portuguese Government

decided to set up a structure dedicated to supporting and promoting the sector, while also strengthening the international visibility of the country.”

The Film Commission was entrusted with the mission of fostering synergies between the creative industries and tourism, enhancing Portugal’s visibility as a destination.

“At the same time, it works to consolidate Portugal’s position as an international production hub, promoting the country in close collaboration with regional film commissions, the diplomatic network, and sector associations and companies,” says Ana.

“Its work is also aligned with the national framework of filming incentives and international co-production agreements, with the aim of reducing bureaucratic obstacles and streamlining the filming process in Portugal.

“Today, the Film Commission operates within the Portuguese Institute for Film and Audiovisual (ICA)

and continues to focus on these priorities, ensuring that Portugal is recognised worldwide as an attractive, competitive and sustainable destination for film and audiovisual production.”

Reaping results

The strategy is certainly paying off, with the most recent successes being the feature films Heart of Stone and Damsel, both of which were filmed in Portugal and featured on Netflix in 2023, ranking for several weeks in the Top 10 (English Movies).

The American spy action thriller Heart of Stone, featuring Gal Gadot, was filmed in Lisbon, Aljezur, Viseu and Vila Real, while the fantasy adventure Damsel, featuring Milley Bobby Brown, was shot at Tomar’s Convent of Christ, the village of Sortelha in the district of Guarda, the Douro Valley and the Serra da Estrela.

“Star Wars: The Acolyte, which premiered in 2024, was partially shot on Madeira Island with the support of the Cash Rebate Incentive, also demonstrating Portugal’s appeal to high-profile international productions,” says Ana.

Other noteworthy titles are the American production Arachnid, the Disney+ original series Si Es Martes Es Asesinato, and an episode of FBI: International.

Closer to home, the first season of the Netflix drama TV series Turn of the Tide (Rabo de Peixe), filmed mostly on the Azores São Miguel island, achieved a remarkable global reach, appearing in the top ten in 15 countries for at least one week and amassing 31.5 million hours viewed worldwide in just one month.

Based on a true story of locals finding cocaine washed up on the shore, the first season premiered in 2023, with a second season released in October this year and a third season already confirmed and filmed.

And not forgetting, of course, the HBO hit House of The Dragon, the prequel to the global phenomenon Game of Thrones, which was partly filmed in the village of Monsanto in the Castelo Branco district. Its unique medieval granite boulder houses and Templar castle were the perfect setting for Dragonstone, the ancestral seat of House Targaryen.

Another notable production filmed largely in Portugal was the 10th film in the Fast and Furious saga, Fast X, released in 2023, starring Vin Diesel, Charlize Theron, Jason Momoa and local actors Daniela Melchior and Joaquim de Almeida.

Key scenes were filmed in Lisbon, Vila Real, Viseu and the A24 highway near Vila Real with noteworthy

locations in Lisbon including Miradouro da Graça, the steps of Lisbon Cathedral and the 25 de Abril Bridge.

“These examples show how Portugal has become a reliable and attractive destination for both international projects and local productions with global impact, benefitting from diverse locations, skilled local crews, and competitive incentives. I think our greatest success so far lies in understanding that the internationalisation of Portugal is a truly symbiotic process. On one hand, it strengthens the Portuguese sector through co-productions that bring together highly skilled local teams and experienced international crews,” says Ana.

“On the other hand, we see both Portuguese and international projects supported by our Pic Portugal incentives achieving remarkable results, whether through recognition at major international festivals or by reaching global audiences,” she adds.

Portugal Business News reported that the Portugal movie industry saw a turnover of €1.4 billion in 2023 with the local film sector producing 101 films in 2022.

“Supported by public policies and the Pic Portugal incentive scheme, the sector combines independent cinema, international co-productions and projects developed for streaming platforms,” explains Ana.

Award-winning

There have been several examples of international recognition that confirm this momentum, such as Miguel Gomes winning the Best Director award at the 77th Cannes Film Festival last year.

His historical adventure and comedy drama film Grand Tour, inspired by W Somerset Maugham’s travel book The Gentleman in the Parlour, was praised for its adventurous narrative and stunning cinematography.

“Portuguese animation has also gained prominence, collecting international awards, and with Portugal featured as the focus country at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival last year,” Ana points out. “Last June, Portugal was honoured as the country of focus at the Guadalajara International Film Festival.”

Ice Merchants by João Gonzalez was the first Portuguese animated film to win an award at Cannes (2022) and was among the five nominees for the Oscar award for Best Animated Short film in 2023, celebrating the first time that a Portuguese film had made it to the final.

All these reflect a broader dynamic – Portuguese films are competing and winning awards at major

Portugal Business News reported that the Portugal movie industry saw a turnover of €1.4 billion in 2023 with the local film sector producing 101 films in 2022.

international festivals, while international productions continue to choose Portugal for their shoots.

This recognition is also felt in global markets and festivals where the Portugal Film Commission is present throughout the year, consolidating Portugal’s position as a strategic player in the global film and audiovisual landscape.

As to why international filmmakers are increasingly choosing Portugal, Ana says the country is both practical and inspiring as a filming destination.

“The diversity of landscapes and settings – from Atlantic coastlines to historic cities, rural landscapes and contemporary architecture – allows Portugal to double for multiple geographies within short distances.”

“The country also benefits from highlyskilled crews with extensive international experience, most of whom are fluent in English – and that Spanish and French are also widely spoken.

“In addition, Portugal offers a competitive incentive scheme through Pic Portugal, which brings together powerful resources designed to support

productions of different scales, providing financial assistance to both high-budget and smaller projects.”

Full support

The scheme also includes an all-important Scouting Programme, which supports international producers exploring filming locations by covering expenses and allowing up to two scouting missions per project.

Portugal’s geographical location and infrastructure are equally attractive: excellent connectivity, light conditions that allow for extended shooting hours, and a film-friendly environment where permits and logistics are handled efficiently.

“Finally, Portugal offers a unique cultural positioning: as a member of the European Union with strong coproduction agreements and a privileged connection to Portuguese-speaking countries, it serves as a bridge to a market of over 250 million people worldwide.

“All of these elements, combined with a tradition of hospitality, make Portugal a destination of choice for international productions.”

coming up

THE PORTUGAL FILM COMMISSION hosts the Green Film Lab Workshop in Lisbon from November 7 to 9. This training initiative by the Torino Film Lab focuses on sustainable practices and is aimed at European industry professionals and sustainability managers, with or without an associated project.

DOC’S KINGDOM INTERNATIONAL SEMINAR on Documentary Film takes place in Odemira from November 14 to 19. Celebrating its 25th anniversary with a special edition featuring film screenings, debates and other activities, it will include the institutional presence of the Portugal Film Commission.

THE FILM COMMISSION will be present at FOCUS London from December 8 to 9, sharing a stand with the Loulé Film Office. The space will invite professionals to discover the attractions and incentives offered by Portugal. The event hosts professionals from film, audiovisual, advertising and gaming, positioning itself as a hub for learning and networking.

That Portugal offers a vast choice of locations – from historic cities to architectural treasures to breathtaking wide-open spaces –is why international film makers are making this country their first choice. Top left clockwise: Sintra National Park; Figueiro da Foz; Obidos castle; Mafra National Palace

WRAP YOURSELF IN WOVEN HERITAGE Tradition | Elegance | Social impact

In collaboration with the master artisans of Bhuttico, Kozii presents the exclusive Kullu Shawl Collection—crafted in ne merino and pashmina wools.

Each piece re ects Bhuttico’s award-winning craftsmanship and the timeless beauty of Himalayan weaving. By wearing these hand-woven pieces, you’re not just embracing luxury — you’re supporting a cooperative that has empowered generations of weavers since 1944.

Each shawl is a unique piece of wearable art— exclusive, timeless, and yours alone.

PORTUGUESE RUGS HAVE EVOLVED FAR BEYOND THEIR MODEST ORIGINS. TODAY THEY BLEND TIME-HONOURED TRADITION WITH A CONTEMPORARY AESTHETIC, OFFERING SUSTAINABILITY, RESILIENCE, LUXURY, AND A TOUCH OF EFFORTLESS ELEGANCE. FOR THOSE REASONS, THEY DESERVE A PROMINENT PLACE IN ANY HOME

Words: ELLI TOWNSEND

I TOP FLOOR

NTERIOR STYLISTS agree that a wellchosen rug is one of the most overlooked décor elements, yet it can instantly elevate a room’s atmosphere and unify its components. Like a picture frames a wall, a rug frames a specific area, brightening dim spaces, adding cosy warmth, or masking minor floor imperfections.

Bold, saturated hues become focal points against neutral palettes, while muted tones provide subtle texture and sophisticated restraint. A rug can echo a travel memory, reflect cultural influences, signal a commitment to sustainability, or spark conversation.

Designers love using rugs to tell a story – whether it’s the timeless elegance of Persian motifs, the worldly charm of Moroccan kilims, or the contemporary flair of abstract art designs. Portugal, too, brings its own distinguished mark, blending centuries-old weaving traditions with regional influences for a uniquely striking aesthetic, and many modern rugs now incorporate eco-friendly qualities that suit today’s homes. Whatever your budget, style or lifestyle, we have options from classic to contemporary, eye-catching to low maintenance, all designed and made in Portugal.

Opposite page, top left clockwise: two examples of rugs, throws and cushions from Burel’s collection; two design detailed pieces by Tapis. Page 24, left clockwise: the intricacies of traditional Arraiolos work; two examples from RUUG; Arraiolos rugs showing the signature stitch. Page 25, two from Rug’Society

BUREL FACTORY

Portugal proudly showcases an icon that honours its modest agrarian roots and deep love of the land. Burel wool is experiencing a vibrant resurgence thanks to its unapologetic simplicity, eco-friendliness, and durability – qualities at the heart of the slow-living movement.

Burel is derived from old French bure, referring to a coarse woollen cloth. Historically, burel was fashioned as a protective clothing for shepherds during the chilly winter months. Today, Burel Factory’s home goods collection spans blankets to cushions, wall art panels to curtains, and rugs to tableware. Each piece adds visual chemistry and enhances acoustic harmony by reducing echo.

Inspired by Serra da Estrela’s rugged beauty, Isabel Costa and João Tomás rescued the abandoned Penhas Douradas sanatorium in 2006, converting it into the Casa das Penhas Douradas – Burel Expedition Hotel – and discovering the historic Lanifícios Império textile mill that now powers Burel Factory.

Wool from Churra, Bordaleira and Mondegueira sheep arrives in large bales. It’s cleaned, blended and softened, then run through three vintage carding machines to create a uniform ‘wick.’ This is then spun into the desired thickness and wound onto bobbins that feed looms weaving the yarn into xerga – a robust, acoustically dampening, thermally insulating material.

Today, Burel Factory operates two hotels, flagship stores in Lisbon and Porto, and an online shop that ships heritage-rich fabric worldwide, always blending timeless design with uncompromising quality, using slow, sustainable production and certified, culturally rich fabrics crafted through artisanal expertise. burelfactory.com

RUUG

If sustainability lies at the core of your home décor, then RUUG’s line of handcrafted made-in-Portugal rugs – using repurposed cotton and local craftsmanship – is your go-to. Born from a deep respect for Portuguese craftsmanship that blends resourcefulness and artisanal weaving, RUUG was launched in Lisbon during a personal turning point: while preparing for motherhood, founder Mariana wanted a project that blended beauty, purpose, and eco-living.

RUUG exemplifies that ethos with its commitment to care, quality, and conscious living, bringing warmth and individuality to a home while treading lightly on the planet. For Mariana, it is a blend of traditional weaving techniques that produces minimalist aesthetic for modern interiors. Most RUUGs are limited-edition releases – seasonal or small collections – so every design feels unique. Each rug carries the subtle imperfections that only reclaimed fibres can impart, turning what might be waste into a visual interesting narrative.

By upcycling existing materials, the adventurous company dramatically reduces textile waste and the demand for virgin fibres. The rugs are also designed for practical longevity: they can be machinewashed

RUG’SOCIETY

without compromising their structural integrity, ensuring easy maintenance. Thanks to the use of textile leftovers, prices are fair. RUUG rugs turn waste into warm, timeless style that honours Portugal’s textile heritage responsibly. For Mariana, it’s about creating home pieces that are both aesthetically timeless and environmentally responsible.

ruugstore.com

For a splash of luxurious inspiration, look no further than Covet House’s Rug’Society brand. A fusion of craftsmanship and contemporary art, it emerged in 2016 with a clear mission: to transform rugs into works of art. Rug’Society blends time-honoured craftsmanship – like handtufting and over-tufting – with bold, contemporary designs and an eclectic aesthetic.

Using premium materials such as natural wool and botanical silk, the company has dedicated itself to creating unique, exclusive, and luxurious rugs that convey emotion, stay ahead of trends, and remain firmly rooted in artisanal tradition. Essentially, each piece functions as a striking art installation.

In recent years, the luxury rug market pivot towards

authenticity, craftsmanship, and sensory richness. Environmentally-friendly trends drive demand for high-quality wool, silk blends, organic fibres, bamboo, upcycled fabrics and responsibly sourced dyes. Buyers increasingly seek bespoke pieces – turning rugs into personal signatures.

Texture also plays a central role, with highpile, layered weaves offering tactile depth. Bold abstract motifs, oversized geometric patterns and maximalist colour blocking inject drama, while many designers still favour neutral, earthy bases accented with deep jewel tones that reflect the landscape.

Finally, vintage-inspired or over-dyed rugs evoke heritage aesthetics with faded hues and aged patinas, yet are updated with modern twists and improved longevity, marrying character with contemporary luxury. New collections aren’t released on a set schedule, but Rug’Society currently offers ten lines: Urban, Shaggy, Geometric, Neutral, Classic, Botanical, Kids, Studio, Undertone, and Lounge Rugs. rugsociety.eu

For the discerning customer seeking a design collective that seamlessly blends a refined colour palette, sustainability, handcrafted artistry, luxury, and a contemporary approach, Tapis Studio absolutely deserves a place on your list.

Based in Porto, this company has earned a stellar reputation in the luxury rug market for its exceptional quality and innovative designs. Each rug is reminiscent of a Gaudi masterpiece: fearlessly designed, impeccably crafted, and striking enough to transform any space into a work of art that sparks conversation. tapis-studio.com

HORTENSE GALLER Y ARRAIOLOS

If you’ve heard of Arraiolos – a village some 30 minutes north of Évora – you’ve probably also heard of Portugal’s answer to the Persian rug: the Arraiolos rug.

Although the precise history the Arraiolos rug appears to differ from source to source, it is believed that the expulsion of the Moors from Lisbon in the 15th century allowed them to resettle in Arraiolos – an area that was more tolerant of their faith. They brought their textile skills, giving birth to the Arraiolos rug.

Though often considered more of a tapestry, the technique used to make the ornate rug – called the Arraiolos stitch – uses locally-sourced wool to craft the half-cross stitch onto a canvas backing. The result is a rug that permits intricate patterns, yet is durable and soft to the touch.

Early motifs drew on Turkish and Persian influences such as floral patterns, the four elements, and life symbols but, over time, Portuguese symbols were woven in to reflect the country’s varied landscape. Today, Maria Hortense Canelas of Hortense Gallery Arraiolos observes that designs are shifting toward modern patterns, yet classic styles remain highly sought after.

In 1985, 19-year-old Maria launched her Arraiolos rug venture, quickly expanding to shows in New York (1987), opening stores in Cascais (1988) and Arraiolos (1994), and later exhibiting in Texas, Toronto and Brussels – culminating in a custom rug delivery to Pope Francis at St Peter’s Square in 2015 that was supported by Alentejo tourism.

Maria confidently affirms she can craft any pattern a client envisions, creating a one-of-a-kind Arraiolos rug. Her artistry knows no bounds – each rug embodies dedication and quintessential Portuguese symbolism. hortensegalleryarraiolos.pt

CELEBRATED THIS MONTH, DIA DE SÃO MARTINHO IS SYNONYMOUS WITH CONVIVIAL GATHERINGS AND NEW WINE, A TRADITION THAT IS ESPECIALLY VIBRANT IN THE ALENTEJO REGION, MARKING THE CEREMONIAL OPENING OF THE TALHAS – THE LARGE CLAY AMPHORAS IN WHICH WINE IS FERMENTED AFTER THE GRAPE HARVEST

Words: LÍVIA MOKRI

TASTE AND TRADITION

EVERY 11 NOVEMBER, the people of the Alentejo gather in homes, taverns, and wineries to open their talhas, paired with roasted chestnuts, quince, walnuts, and hearty Alentejo dishes. This annual ritual is more than a festival; it’s a cultural anchor that has survived centuries, uniting generations around clay vessels filled with tradition.

The celebration has also gained global recognition through events like Amphora Wine Day, founded by Herdade do Rocim in 2018. The festival invites winemakers from Georgia, Armenia, Italy, and beyond, emphasizing the Alentejo’s connection to a broader world of amphora winemaking.

This ritual reflects an unbroken link between ancient Roman winemaking practices and modern Portuguese culture. Grapes are harvested and placed directly into talhas, often without crushing. The fermentation is spontaneous, relying on indigenous yeasts, and occurs without temperature control. The amphoras are sealed with pine resin and beeswax, imparting subtle flavour notes. This ancient method creates wines that are intensely terroir-driven, earthy, and distinctively fresh – a taste of history in every sip.

Talha wines: style and character

Talha wines are prized for their authenticity. With minimal intervention, each vessel reflects both the terroir and the unique craftsmanship of the potter who made it. Wines are often unfiltered, rustic, and profoundly expressive.

Many white and orange Talha wines undergo extended grape

skin contact, producing amber or orange hues. These wines feature aromas of citrus peel, quince, dried herbs, and sometimes a resinous note from the amphora’s interior coating. On the palate, they are textured, tannic, and mineral-driven, offering depth and a lively acidity. They pair well with cod dishes such as bacalhau à lagareiro, grilled octopus, or sheep’s milk cheeses. Their tannic grip also complements roast chicken and spiced vegetables.

Red Talhas are typically bright and juicy, with vibrant acidity and flavours of wild berries, sour cherry, and Mediterranean herbs. Their structure makes them food-friendly and approachable. These wines are ideal for the region’s hearty meat dishes, from porco preto (Iberian black pork) to lamb stews and charcuterie platters.

Petroleiro blends are a traditional blend of white and red grapes that creates a coppery, refreshing style embodying the rustic creativity of rural winemaking. They are much enjoyed as a companion for grilled sardines, tapas, and, of course, roasted chestnuts during São Martinho celebrations.

Amphora wines’ revival Alentejo’s amphora tradition resonates globally as part of the rising interest in natural and low-intervention wines. Events like Amphora Wine Day and the formal recognition of Vinho de Talha DOC have brought international acclaim to a practice once at risk of disappearing.

Producers now bottle a portion of their Talha wines, extending their reach beyond local taverns, yet many continue to honour tradition by leaving wine in amphoras until Saint Martin’s Day, preserving the seasonal rhythm.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR TASTING TALHA WINES

FARRAPO BRANCO BY GERAÇÕES DA TALHA

A full-bodied white wine with austere elegance and a defined texture. Intense aromas, marked by notes of ripe apricot, natural freshness, and the subtle micro-oxidation of the amphora, which lends it depth and complexity. An enveloping palate, with a remarkable balance between power and lightness, finishing long and with a mineral vibrancy. The wine pairs well with Bacalhau à Brás, Octopus à Lagareiro, cured cheeses, and ovenbaked dishes with roasted vegetables. geracoesdatalha.com/en/ product/farrapo-whiteamphora-wine-2019/

MENINO THOMAS AMPHORA WHITE BY BAENA

MOURÃO

A medium-straw-coloured wine with an excellent nose and aromas of pear and tropical fruits. Its elegant palate offers a light, balanced acidity that lends freshness, mineral notes, and a lingering finish. It pairs well with cold soups like gazpacho or melon soup, seafood, white-meat poultry, salads, vegetable pies, and soft, sweet, and semi-sweet cheeses. tesourosdebaco.com/vinho/ vinho-branco/baena-mouraomenino-thomas-anforabranco-2023/

VIDIGUEIRA VINHO DE TALHA BRANCO DOC BY ADEGA COOPERATIVA DE VIDIGUEIRA

This cooperative winery makes its Talha wine as artisanally and manually as possible. For this wine, the members of the cooperative deliver grapes of the traditional white varieties: Antão Vaz, Roupeiro, Manteúdo, Diagalves, Larião and Perrum, some of them almost extinct. They give unique and intense flavours to the wine, making it perfect for pairing with fish and meat dishes.

adegavidigueira.pt/loja/vinhosbrancos/vidigueira-vinho-detalha-doc/

This amphora white wine presents the fruity and fresh characteristics of the grape varieties, dominated by the earthy, almost chemical notes from the talha; textured wine supported by acidity. It pairs well with fresh salads, pasta, and fish that enhance the earthy notes of mushrooms, beets, truffles, and fresh citrus notes. portugalvineyards.com/ en/alentejo/12233-fitapreta-branco-de-talhawhite-2023-5600301740299. html

MENINA ANA AMPHORA RED BY BAENA MOURÃO

A medium ruby-coloured, fresh and youthful wine with elegant aromas of ripe red fruits and a light floral note. It’s structured on the palate, yet lively, with great harmony and an elegant finish. Ideal pairing with appetizers, grilled fish dishes like tuna and swordfish, white-meat poultry, bifanas, and soft, sweet, and semi-sweet cheeses. tesourosdebaco.com/vinho/ vinho-tinto/baena-mouraomenina-ana-amphoratinto-2023/

MILLENNIAL TINTO BY TALHA DE FRADES

Millennial is a young wine from young vines of the Aragonez, Trincadeira, and Moreto grapes. Produced from a five-year-old young vineyard located in Vila de Frades, it is aged for five months in amphoras and one year in bottle. It’s a balanced wine with good acidity, freshness, and some fruit. Serve it at a temperature between 16–18°C, straight from the bottle. However, it needs to be decanted before drinking. talhadefrades.pt/loja/p/ millennial-tinto-2022

MUSKET ROSÉ 2023 BY TALHA MAFIA WINES

This rosé has an intense pink colour and medium viscosity. A blend of white and red grape varieties fermented with skins and indigenous yeasts in clay amphoras. Aromas of pomegranate and grapefruit, with a light touch of smoky pepper. Medium body, fresh acidity, soft tannins, and a bright, textured finish. Perfect with grilled sardines, watermelon and feta salad, or spicy Korean fried chicken. talhamafia.com/pt/product/ musket-rose-2023/

FRESH FROM AMPHORA

BRANCO

BY HERDADE DO ROCIM

This is a wine that fully respects the ancestral method of making amphoras wine. Typically Mediterranean, it is produced in the Vidigueira sub-region, in clay amphoras. Fermentation takes place with indigenous yeasts of the region and without any additions or corrections to the musts.

Aged for two months of skin contact inside the talhas. The wine presents a golden colour. Pronounced mineral pearl aromas, with mouthwatering notes of wet earth. On the palate, there is striking acidity, freshness, and tension. rocim.pt/produto/fresh-fromamphora-branco/

Going thedistance

EVER SINCE LEARNING ABOUT THE EN2 ROUTE IN PORTUGAL, I HAVE BEEN WANTING TO DO IT. THE ROUTE BEGINS IN CHAVES AND ENDS IN FARO (ALTHOUGH I DID IT IN REVERSE) AND COVERS 739KM. AND IT IS SOMETHING EVERYONE SHOULD EXPERIENCE

Words: BEN AUSTIN

THE LEGENDARY EN2 passes through 11 districts and 32 municipalities, taking in an extraordinary variety of Portuguese landscapes.

In the north the lush green valleys of the Douro and Dão wine regions, heading south to the rolling plains of the Alentejo and finally to the golden beaches of the Algarve.

At the tourist office in Faro I picked up the EN2 passport and my first stamp. Inside there are the 35 towns to visit and each blank page has a QR scan code which tells you where to get the official stamp – locations vary from tourist offices, to Câmaras or fire and police stations. From Faro, I headed first to the Loulé Câmara, and with a new stamp and a bona fide ‘boa viagem’, I was on my way. First to São Brás and then out of the Algarve, up through winding hillside roads, with views down into the expansive flatlands of the Alentejo.

On the road

The Ford Focus has a sports mode, so making use of the extra humph, I attacked the bends and accelerated through the corners, like some would-be rally driver, my EN2 playlist pumping out some classic rock, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Led Zepplin and Neil Young. Later, some Beatles and Floyd.

Next stop, Almodôvar. There are large-scale metalwork sculptures on the roundabouts by artist Aureliano Aguiar, assemblage pieces made up of found parts. I particularly liked the fire engine, with a brave fireman clinging onto the back, his arm raised up to the fire station behind, beckoning his fellow bombeiros on. The importance and well-deserved respect for fire fighters in Portugal is a constant, with the stations and engines all beautifully maintained. And they are always happy to oblige a weary EN2 traveller with an official stamp.

On to Castro Verde, home of the striking 16th-century Basílica Real de Castro Verde. Enriched with blue azulejo panels depicting the legendary Battle of Ourique, it also houses the Treasury of the Royal Basilica. This is truly a gem of church. At Aljustrel and Ferreira do Alentejo, I got my stamp from a motorbike chapter, was given a couple of free beers and chatted to a small group of locals, a bit of politics and life in the Alentejo, my Portuguese just about holding up.

I drove on, through small villages and stretches of treelined roads, the setting sun, glimmering and glistening through the branches. I headed a little off piste, towards Alcácer do Sal with the robust Igreja de Santiago in the centre and narrow cobbled streets decorated with coloured streamers. A short walk along the riverbank is the Museu Municipal Pedro Nunes, a fascinating collection of Roman artifacts and intricately carved altars, with gilt and azulejo adornments.

In Torrão, waiting for the municipal library to open to get my stamp, I had lunch in the picturesque square. It was one of the best meals of the trip: oven roasted lamb shank, the mouth-watering meat falling off the bone. I took a stroll – bright blue and white painted houses next to derelict crumbling façades; old posters promoting bullfights peeling off the walls, and iconic ceramic panels advertising ‘Nitrato do Chile’ and ‘Mabor General’ tyres.

At Viana do Alentejo, I was the only visitor at the Castelo. The entrance to the church, exquisitely carved in stone, shows weather-worn sea creatures on the columns. And the tile-lined chapel boasts an impressive altar.

Under heavy skies, I headed to Montemor-o-Novo, home to Portuguese nobles and monarchs in the 15th and 16th centuries. I saw an imposing building, covered by emerald ceramic tiles, and I was taken, as ever, by the distressed painted doors and the whole faded grandeur.

In terms of accommodation, I had purchased camping equipment in Faro but allowed myself a few days of B&B to break in the journey. That evening, I booked a room at Marchanta, a lovely quinta beside the Tagus River with a stable, a tiny chapel, a pool, and birdcages.

The next day

Over a long rattling single-lane iron bridge at Porto de Muge, it was then round bends and turns to I parked up and took in a well-designed mural featuring images of agricultural life. It was Saturday morning; there were market stands selling bric-a-brac and the cafés were

The EN2 is a journey through the heart of Portugal, connecting centuries of history, traditions, and unforgettable scenery in one continuous road.

full. Down the back streets, past old, dilapidated palaces interspersed with freshly painted houses, crisp in blue, orange and white.

At the Coruche museum, there were two exhibitions. One an incredible collection of iron age and Roman antiquities, ceramics and tools, medieval artifacts and modern era displays of period shoes, dresses and carnival masks, and one room showing the history of cork manufacturing in the region and the products.

The other exhibition was a socio-documentary by the photojournalist Fausto Giaccone, O Povo em 1975, capturing the rural response to the Carnation Revolution. Powerful images of local villagers, their faces a mix of joy, optimism and uncertainty.

Then it was Mora, passport stamped at the Museu Interactivo do Megalitismo (a repurposed train station, with a stylish wood interior) displaying aspects of prehistoric life. The interactive sections were faulty, but I rather liked the life-sized seated man and the models of the early villages and menhir formations, a peculiar feature of the region. The Menhirs of Alto da Cruz, near Brotas, are a set of stones forming a cruciform and date from the Neolithic and Chalcolithic periods.

Couldn't resist

Back in the car, I saw signs for the Fluviário De Mora and my inner child screamed out: “I wanna go and see the fishes!” As an adult, I couldn’t argue with that.

The aquarium is a popular attraction with large tanks full of all manner of freshwater fishes. There were turtles resting, stacked on top of each other, and outside sea otters scurried about. The rain forest amphibians and snakes were a draw in a darkened section. A fluorescent frog under UV light happily hopped along a mock smoky forest floor, a yellow puffing snake slithering and swaying, its forked tongue darting in and out, tasting the damp air.

An easy drive on to Avis, stamped at the smart fire station, with its gleaming fleet of red and white trucks at the ready. Up to the church and ancient castle tower. In the streets below, a flatbed truck ladened with bags of onions and watermelons announced the sale of its wares through a loudspeaker.

At Ponte de Sor and Abrantes, (stamped at a GNR station, which I loved), I heard that there was a folk festival nearby in Ortiga. I headed there, enjoyed the wholesome vibe, and chatted to some Germans who were cycling to the Boom festival, as you do.

On to Sardoal, a pretty little town with an impressive church, then Vila de Rei, with its pine forests. This is the centre of Portugal, marked by the Picoto da Melriça. From this Geodesic point, you get a spectacular panoramic view over the vast territory.

I pressed on to Sertã. As legend has it, the wife of a Lusitanian nobleman, who died in battle against the Romans, threw a sertã, a frying pan, full of boiling oil from the battlements of the castle over the Romans, forcing them to retreat.

I lunched at Ponte Romana, which has a beautiful terrace view of the old Roman bridge and then headed to Pedrógão Grande by the lake where the water was crystal clear and invigorating in the summer heat.

Staying cool

Back on the road, I pushed into the woodlands of Góis. In the town by the Royal Bridge over the Ceira River is the Praia Fluvial da Peneda, a river beach with a mini waterfall. You can sit in the restaurant/bar with your legs in the water whilst enjoying a cold beer. Heaven.

In Lousã, I went up to the castle, which was constructed in the second half of the 11th century. Then on to Vila Nova de Poiares and Penacova, and from the vantage point of Penedo de Castro, there is a sensational view over the Mondego River and the surrounding landscape.

Next stop, Santa Comba Dão, a delightful town with old alleyways and a creek running through, with gorgeously vibrant yellow and orange Aztec marigolds by the edges, scenting the air with their sweet perfume. Picture perfect.

The final stages

Then it was Viseu. I loved this historic town, which dates back to the pre-Roman period of the Celts and Lusitanians. The cathedral is imposing, and beside it stands the striking statue of Duarte I the Eloquent (due to his writing abilities) who reigned for only five years (14331438) before succumbing to the plague. He continued maritime exploration and conquests in Africa.

I really enjoyed the Grão Vasco Museum next to the cathedral, which features the remarkable set of retable paintings by 15th century artist Vasco Fernandes. Other notable artists in the collection include Columbano Bordalo Pinheiro, José Malhoa, Alfredo Keil and others. On the ground floor was an exhibition of lithographs by Paula Rêgo, a bit of a treat as I adore her work.

Vila Nova de Poiares came next and then São Pedro do Sul, which has a famous thermal spa, so I treated myself to a relaxing hour taking the waters there. At the Igreja Matriz in Castro Daire I was drawn to the gothic wooden carved skulls and skeletons, a reminder of ‘Vanitias’.

In Lamego, the campsite is situated next to the Santuário de Nossa Senhora dos Remédios, a Marian shrine being the site of a pilgrimage, with major festivities and a parade in September. The view from the tower overlooks the Baroque staircase (686 steps) – pretty breathtaking, and not just the climb up.

At Peso da Régua, in the heart of the wine region, I went to the Douro Museum, housed in the historic Casa da Companhia. It was a fascinating experience, with old film footage, exploring the region’s identity and landscape. The complimentary glass of Port overlooking the river was a nice touch. Afterwards I had a goat stew lunch, a local delicacy, which was delicious.

On the final leg to Vila Real, which boasts the best fire station on the trip, and the lovely Jardim da Carreira. I stopped in Vila Pouca de Aguiar and Pedras Salgadas before arriving at my journey’s end – Chaves

The Kilometrozero bar there is traditionally the starting point of the EN2 and dedicated to the whole experience. The next day I took a walk to the castle and around the charming old town, with brightly-coloured painted houses and shops set off against the granite grey rock.

I had done it. Visited all 35 stops and collected all the stamps, for that I was a bit proud of myself. The EN2 is a journey through the heart of Portugal, connecting centuries of history, diverse traditions, and unforgettable scenery in one continuous ribbon of asphalt. A road trip quite like no other and an unforgettable experience.

HEAVEN SCENT

NOT TRADITIONALLY KNOWN FOR ITS ‘ HAUTE PARFUMERIE ’ , PORTUGAL IS NOW PRODUCING MORE INTERESTING AND ADVENTUROUS PERFUMES THAN EVER BEFORE. HERE ARE SOME OF THE VERY NEWEST, RIGHT IN TIME FOR CHRISTMAS

Words: SANDRA GATO

PERFUME is a very personal thing, everybody says. True. That is why it is so hard to choose a fragrance for someone else. Because, more than fine ingredientes, perfume is made of emotion – hopefully bottled in a beautiful container. We all have scents we associate with certain times of our lives, or the people who made a difference, and the feelings those fragrances evoke when we experience them again is so powerful it can move us to tears.

Aroma is such a strong emotional tool that marketing experts use it to sell: the fact that we associate certain smells with specific stores or hotels is not innocent. It is a clever (and very pleasant) way of playing with our olfative memories and, again, emotions.

For decades, France was the country we’d go to for a perfume. In the 90s, the United States became an option too. And now 100% made in Portugal fragrances are getting better and better and turning into a real option.

CLAUS PORTO

Claus Porto is probably the first name that comes to mind when we think about Portuguese scents. The company has been around since 1887 and although best known for its exquisite soaps (the shape, the texture, the wrapping), their colognes are a key feature in their collections. Certain that tradition is their soul but also keen to be in keeping with the times, Claus Porto has launched, across the years, fragrances created by perfumists – highly-regarded international professionals that had no trouble finding inspiration in this country and developing perfumes that send out messages of individuality.

The most recent one was introduced at an event that took place under the beautiful new structure created by the Japanese architect Kengo Kuma for CAM in Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian. The lush greenery that makes the Gulbenkian gardens one of the most sought out natural oasis in Lisbon was the perfect background to be introduced to Soleil Zeste. This time round, the perfume is the result of an interesting colaboration between Claus Porto and Monocle, the international lifestyle and cultural magazine.

A big fan of Portugal, Monocle’s editor-in-chief, Tyler Brûlé, told us that this ‘marriage’ was as organic and natural as it could be, made of true mutual respect and, yes, love. “Soleil Zeste is luminous and optimistic, the scent of a new beginning”, says Brulê. “It is classy, laid-back and universal, a cologne for everyday life”.

Created by Daphné Bugey – a world famous perfumer who designed fragrances for the likes of Gucci, Kenzo and Giorgio Armani – this newest addition to the Claus Porto

collection is a green citric fragrance that makes itself noticed without imposing.

Frédéric Blanchon, director of Claus Porto’s business unit, adds that: “With Soleil Zest we manage to create a dialogue between our heritage and Monocle’s global approach. It is modern and timeless at the same time”.

With Christmas approaching fast, Soleil Zeste can be a great gift idea, and it can – should – be worn by both sexes. Available is a 100ml Eau de Cologne, a 10ml travel size bottle (sold separately) and a Hand & Body Wash. On sale exclusively in Claus Porto stores, at clausporto.com, Monocle stores and monocle.com

Leme creates fragrances that, more than being made in Portugal, are inspired by everything Portuguese, namely history. Their main collection takes us back to the 15th and 16th centuries and the Portuguese Discoveries, a time when our ancestors departed from Lisbon in wooden boats to, literally, conquer the world. We weren’t the only country interested – many other nations were on the run – but the fact is many areas of the planet became part of our vast empire. It is that historic bravery, the will to face the unknown against all odds, the courage to leave what you have in search of a better place that defines, still today, the Portuguese collective personality.

And it was that spirit that Leme (the word means rudder, a boat’s steering wheel) planned to capture in a series of fragrances called Perfumes com Estória, that are inspired by Brazil, India, Ceuta, Japan, Madeira island and Cabo das Tormentas (Cape of Storms).

More recently, but still following this country’s historic path, Leme launched Lisboa 1497 – the date refers to Vasco da Gama’s departure to India in search of valuable spices. The mission behind the creation of this beautiful fragrance was to transmit, through a scent, the warmth of a summer day in Lisbon, the freshness of the river’s water, the smell of the boat’s wood on Lemon, linden, freesia, orange tree but also seaweed, amber and cedar, all together for a journey of a lifetime.

Launched earlier this year was Porto 1394, a celebration of the city where Infante D. Henrique – the visionary man beyond the Portuguese Discoveries – was

born and the year of his birth. Again, this is a scent that translates a city into an aroma: notes of camelia, grapes (Port wine), sandalwood and a bit of nutmeg (a reminder of the rich Indian spices that the Portuguese sailors searched for).

In a sentence: scents of today inspired by the glories of the past; or fragrant history lessons. Either way, incredible aromas named after Portugal’s two main cities that will shine wherever in the world.

(instagram.com/leme_perfumes_com_estoria_/)

Luz by Salsa Jeans is the first perfume by the most famous Portuguese jeans brand. Present in more than 40 countries around the world, Salsa Jeans is known for its quality materials and impecable fit. Jeans are not the easiest piece of clothing to buy, especially for women, whatever their shape, but Salsa always seems to have the right pair for every girl and that is what makes them so special.

It’s easy to understand that a label so focused on women’s needs wants to take it to the next step: to come up with a fragrance that could match their style.

Since we’re talking about a denim and jeanswear brand, the idea was to create a scent that would appeal to women who share the brand’s values: relaxed but elegant, easy going but sure of what they want.

Luz is versatile and exudes a sophisticated simplicity, ideal for going for brunch with friends at the weekend as well as for a work meeting on a weekday. In terms of olfative notes, it can be defined as a fruity floral with its generous mix of pear, tangerine, bergamot, neroli, jasmin, amber and, for a touch of sweetness, vanilla.

As Daniela Neto, Salsa Jeans Marketing Manager, says: “Salsa has always been an innovative brand, very focused on clients’ needs. We launched our first perfume so we can offer more than clothes: a sensorial experience that represents the style and the strength not only of our brand but also of the women who wear it. Luz was created for those who relate to our core principles”. And who does not relate to comfort, vision and quality? salsajeans.com

SPA AWAY

I WANTED TO SHARE WITH YOU MY FAVOURITE SPAS IN PORTUGAL – ONES THAT LINGERED WITH ME NOT FOR THEIR HIGH-TECH, TOP-OF-THE-RANGE FACILITIES, OR GOLF COURSE VIEWS, BUT FOR THEIR THOUGHTFUL TOUCHES, CONNECTION WITH NATURE AND IN THE SMALL LEARNED RITUALS I TOOK HOME

Words: EMMA CAMPUS, DESIGN ESCAPES PORTUGAL

TRAVELLING PORTUGAL has been a lesson in how many different kinds of calm a country can hold. From wild Atlantic cliffs to slow Alentejo plains and the cool breath of the mountains from North to South, each place has its own language of wellness. It makes sense when you think about the history of this place... when the Romans arrived on the Iberian Peninsula in the third century AD, they brought with them their love of liquid: wine, aqueducts and sanitas per aquam – health through water.

Ruins across the country, from Chaves in the north to Comporta in the centre, and in Monchique in our Algarve, show the Romans’ endless fascination with these wells of wellness. They show, too, that clearly luxury in Portugal didn’t start with tourism, with hotels or on beach sunbeds, but began with the rich waters that flow through the country.

Here are a few of my top favourites, discovered on my Design Escapes Portugal travels:

CASA DE SÃO LOURENÇO

For the mountain air and restorative silence seeker

Leaving the coastline for the interior of Portugal always feels like stepping into a different grammar of life – and into the mountains even more so. Casa de São Lourenço sits in and amongst the peaks of the Serra da Estrela, where the air is oxygenated, cool and clean and days are built around walking across granite plains and swimming in high-altitude lakes before retreating to a spa where the steam spills out onto dramatic views of wide valleys.

The spa here is discreet, but being wrapped in mountain light and cedar-scented steam rooms makes even a short treatment feel immediately uplifting. Therapy rooms offer vistas of crag and pine, so your relaxation is accompanied by the slow, uncompromising patience of the mountains. If you want a reset that involves altitude and silence, the Serra is a rare and precious option.

casadesaolourenco.pt

COMPANHIA DAS CULTURAS

For the artisanal and ritual-minded Companhia das Culturas surprised me with the kind of pleasures that feel both simple and sensual. Set near the ancient salt pans of the Algarve, the estate is carefully restored by its owner Eglantina, with an unhurried farm-to-table restaurant and the Algarve’s only hammam, tucked into its white-washed geometry. The ritual of the steam felt timeless – reminding me of those Romans – grounding, and utterly restorative. Every treatment I tried used their own artisanal spa products, 8950, made with foraged ingredients from the surrounding olive groves and rolling countryside filled with wild thyme, rosemary, and citrus trees. Each scrub and massage felt like a conversation with the land, scented with the Algarve itself.

Afterwards, I wandered the pathways and watched the sun slip across the plains, feeling that rare kind of ease that only comes when design, nature, and thoughtful craft exist in perfect harmony.

companhiadasculturas.com

QUINTA DA COMPORTA

For the mindful, nature-rooted traveller

Comporta is the kind of place that turns simple things into rituals: rice paddies, long beaches, and a light that softens everything. Lucky, as winter is my favourite time of year here – the crowds are gone, the beaches stretch endlessly with hardly a soul in sight, and calm feels effortless, with easy access to some of the best spas in the country.

While I love the spa at Sublime Comporta (the area’s first 5* hotel), it was at Quinta da Comporta where I discovered the Oryza Spa, a sanctuary celebrating the land’s rice-based heritage.

SÃO LOURENÇO DO BARROCAL

For seekers of authentic, understated luxury

There’s a gentle elegance to São Lourenço do Barrocal, set deep in the Alentejo countryside near the town of Monsaraz and the largest manmade body of water in Portugal, the Alqueva Dam. The estate was once a working farm and olive grove, and its transformation into one of the country’s most authentic and award-winning luxury hotels feels incredibly respectful of its history – nothing here is superfluous, yet everything whispers refinement. Their Susanne Kaufmann spa is a study in understated luxury: vaulted treatment rooms in the old stables, natural products, and a rhythm of services that lets you choose silence over spectacle. I spent an afternoon in the steam room, followed by a body treatment using organic formulations, then walked through the estate’s vast vineyards feeling quietly rewired for slow living. The next day, a meal at Herdade do Esporão added to our connection with the place for its organic, zero-waste approach, making lunch feel like a seamless continuation of the spa’s philosophy. barrocal.pt

Treatments incorporate refillable, rice-derived products and body rituals inspired by the famous rice fields themselves, making every session feel deeply rooted to place. Something important for any Design Escape.

One early morning, I cycled to the Comporta Yoga Shala nearby as mist lifted off the paddies. The class overlooked endless green rows, the combination of bird calls, storks chattering and breath work to the rhythm of the waves over the distant sand dunes, becoming one of my favourite sensory memories from Portugal. quintadacomporta.com

PRAIA DO CANAL

For the active wellness explorer

It’s no secret that the Algarve’s wild West Coast is my favourite place for a quick and immediate infusion of energy, where restoration comes from total immersion in raw, rugged landscape. Praia do Canal, an architectural hotel and spa, is wrapped in wind, salt, and the dramatic energy of the Atlantic. Nestled within a wild nature reserve, the retreat’s spa feels perfectly in dialogue with its surroundings. While small, each room offers a cosy and restful respite. Treatments are simple, restorative, and utterly grounded in place, inviting both action and stillness in equal measure.

During our stay, we rented mountain bikes and explored coastal tracks, then headed out on foot for hikes to cliff-top sunsets, letting the sounds of waves and birds set the rhythm. The activities offered the perfect counterpoint to our retreat, and for anyone seeking sea air, mindful movement, and a spa that complements rather than competes with the landscape, Praia do Canal is an unequivocal choice. praiadocanal.pt

VICEROY OMBRIA

For the high-tech, design-minded spa seeker

I know that the October issue of AlgarvePLUS included great praise for the spa at the brand-new Viceroy Ombria, and although I’m not usually one to recommend large resort stays or international hotel groups, this one is something special, tucked away from the buzzy coastal resorts and nestled in the hills.

The spa itself unfolds across three floors, each designed to guide you deeper into stillness. A thermal pool both inside and out, steam rooms, sauna, and a cold ice bucket for the bravely invigorated.

Treatments focus on Portuguese products, locally crafted formulations from the Azores made with volcanic mineral-rich oils from Ignae, essentially avoiding the usual international brands. Guests can also start each day with complimentary yoga classes on the terrace, letting the valley air and soft light set the tone for a day of calm. The programme feels entirely holistic, from movement like reformer pilates and infra-red light treatments to a spa café that honours slow, mindful nourishment. We spent eight hours here and I could have done more. viceroyhotelsandresorts.com

THERMAL THOUGHTS

From the hills of the Algarve to the rice paddies of Comporta, the olive groves of Alentejo, and the high mountains of Serra da Estrela, each retreat offered me a different way to reset, restore, and reconnect with both body and landscape. Some invited me to move, cycle, and hike; others asked me to be quiet, still, and surrender to steam, scent, and touch. Taken together, they formed a map of calm across the country – a reminder that wellness is as much about thoughtful design, local products, and mindful rituals as it is about luxurious facilities. Wherever you choose to go this winter, Portugal proves there’s a spa to suit every rhythm, every need, and every kind of quiet you seek.

POOLING RESOURCES

HOUSE HUNTING IN THE ALGARVE? OR PERHAPS PLANNING A GRAND BUILD? WANT TO BE ABLE TO WAKE UP IN THE MORNING AND TAKE A LEISURELY DIP BEFORE BREAKFAST? IF YOUR DREAM PROPERTY DOESN’T COME WITH ITS OWN POOL, OR YOU ARE AT THE START OF A COMPLETELY NEW PROJECT? HERE ’ S WHAT TO DO...

Words: LUCY MAYER Pool designs ARCHITECT JUTTA HOEHN

I’VE BEEN taking a look at all the pros and cons of building your own pool. The first thing you will need to do is establish a budget, and this isn’t just for the actual build; landscaping and the cost of maintaining and heating a swimming pool long-term is not for the faint-hearted.

Costs will of course differ depending on which part of the region you’re living in, with regards to materials and labour, but you should be prepared to spend at least €7,000 to start with. Choosing the correct team to construct your ideal pool in the grounds of your existing property, or the one you are buying or building, is another major consideration. You’ll need a consultation and then a design where detailed plans are produced alongside a quote. If you are having a dream home designed and constructed, your architect will almost certainly look to incorporate that special element, often planning the build around it. Just look at the work of the exceptional award-winning architect Jutta Hoehn (algarve-architecture.com).

Although it is no longer mandatory to apply for a license to build a pool, you need to be fully aware of procedures – the process appears to have been simplified, but this obligation covers all types of pool construction systems, regardless of the project.

The designing of your pool is where you are going to have the most fun. There are many options to consider, from infinity and saltwater systems to ones with underwater lighting and mosaics and tiles, to multi-level pools. Another thing that you will need to work into the equation is what will the pool be used for. I know, this sounds like a daft question, but some people will require a larger space for training and exercise while others may be fair-weather swimmers and prefer something more manageable like a plunge pool.

Timing

So, when is the best time to get started? Pool experts all tend to say that autumn is a good time to commence your build here in the Algarve. The peak tourist season is over so there should be fewer construction delays and contractors should have more availability leading to quicker installation times. The weather is also cooler, which is optimal for construction workers, and the ground is dryer, which is ideal for excavation and the installation of the pool.

Style right

Of course, all pool designs are going to be personal, and trends change just as fashion does. According to international pool

This page: Today anything and everything are possible when it comes to contemporary architecture and pool design. That Almancil-based Jutta Hoehn leads the way is unsurprising – she sculpts detail upon detail and designs properties where water is a key feature

specialists Pebble Technology International, one of the standout trends in 2025 is ‘sleek minimalism’, a design philosophy that emphasises clean lines and geometric shapes that create a chic, sophisticated look. The team says that rectangular pools with infinity edges and Baja shelves (a wide, shallow area built into a swimming pool, often called a tanning ledge or sun shelf) are increasingly popular, as they provide a contemporary, resort-style experience.

It’s not surprising that contemporary is the order of the day when it comes to pool design, especially in the Algarve where a lot of the new properties are ultra-modern and minimalist in their own design. But what about the more traditional villa which may not be able to take such a style?

This is where landscaping is important. If you have a country style garden with lots of foliage and plants, a very sleek, rectangular pool is probably going to look out of place. Alberto Tassi and Cristina Oliveira, founders of Oásis Biosystem, have a lot of experience with Natural Pools. Also known as a ‘bio-pool’, this is a chemical-free, self-cleaning swimming space that mimics the purity and design of a natural body of water. Instead of chlorine, it uses a filtration zone filled with aquatic plants and biofilters to maintain clean, healthy water.

Oásis Biosystem describes how natural pools are divided into two zones: the swimming area and the regeneration zone – working in harmony to keep the water crystal clear without harming the environment or your skin. These pools look like they are a part of the landscape and would not be out of place surrounded by trees and foliage that you are more likely to find at a traditional style villa.

When it comes to maintaining your pool, you will probably want to have a team on hand that will visit your property regularly to carry out spot checks and cleaning.

Just Pools Algarve specialises in pool maintenance and says pools do require constant care to ensure that they continue to be beneficial and do not become a burden or hazard to people and

your property itself. The team says the idea that a pool doesn’t need to be maintained when it’s not in use, ie in winter, is a myth. Just Pools says keeping your pool chemical levels balanced at all times will prolong its life. Not keeping them level could be a costly mistake worth avoiding; if the pH is too low, acidic water will corrode the grout in your pool and loosen tiles while if the pH is too high, alkaline water starts eroding your pipework leaving you with a leak on your property. The monthly cost of maintaining and including chemicals varies enormously and will depend on the size of the pool, and of course the location – prices are undoubtedly much higher in areas like the Golden Triangle due to labour fees.

Then there’s the age-old question that comes with building a pool – to heat or not to heat? In the summer, you may not need to, but come winter, if you are going to be using your pool, you’ll need to carefully consider the costs because the size of your pool and the method you are using to heat it mean that they vary.

The annual cost to heat a pool in the Algarve can range from approximately €600 to over €2,000, with a heat pump generally recommended to help keep the costs down.

Safety is of course a major element that also needs consideration, especially if you are going to have children using your pool. Water safety experts strongly recommend pool gates or fences around the perimeter that can be locked. Anti entrapment drain covers can be installed to help prevent hair and clothing getting caught in them, as well as anti-slip pool surfaces and pool covers that can completely cover the pool when it’s not in use.

So, in conclusion, owning a property with a pool is a sure way of boosting your physical and mental health. It will also boost the overall value of your property should you one day wish to sell, and will set you on the path to your dream Algarve lifestyle. However, it’s important to not get carried away and first understand the ongoing costs and expectations before undertaking your project.

It almost wasn’t meant to be

REGULAR CONTRIBUTOR, SALLY DIXON ON PART 2 OF LOSING A HOUSE IN THE ALGARVE, FINDING IT AGAIN, AND BELIEVING IN SIGNS ALONG THE W AY

To take on a massive project – turning a derelict farmhouse into a home –requires not just imagination, but some serious grit and determination. And also a willingness to accept, when it comes to paperwork, that nothing is final until it is

IF YOU WERE here last issue, you’ll know I had taken a sizeable step towards leaving behind my London life of 30 years to begin a new, sun-soaked chapter in the south of Portugal. To recap, after some searching I’d finally found the perfect ruin to renovate (I have a thing about derelict buildings), my offer was accepted, and everything was set to start the legals… until, heartbreakingly, I lost it. Here’s where I pick the story back up.

The plot twist I didn’t see coming

The thing you need to know about buying property in Portugal is a small but very significant detail called ‘preferential rights’ or ‘preemption rights’. In the simplest terms, one of the rights states that if you sell rural land here, your adjoining neighbours (provided their land is also rural) have the legal right to buy it first.

I actually think it’s a brilliant idea: it keeps land in local hands and protects the character of rural communities. But when it suddenly applied to my purchase, I nearly cried. Once my offer was accepted, I was told that every single neighbour with adjoining land would have to be contacted formally to check if they wished to exercise their preferential right. I did not see this coming.

Thankfully, my lawyer and estate agent handled the letters for me. If I’d had to knock on doors with my limited Portuguese, I might never have emerged again. I was reassuringly told that it’s rare that anyone actually replies and says they do want to exercise that right. Predictably, after an agonising wait, the news came back – one neighbour did want to exercise their right. Gahhh! And just like that, the property slipped through my fingers. Cue the tears.

By now you should know the thing about me is that I’m all about the ‘signs’. I genuinely believed that was the universe’s way of telling me this particular ruin wasn’t meant to be mine. I remember standing in my London kitchen that evening thinking, “the dream’s gone before it even started”.

A

sign from the universe

A week later, out of the blue, I received a text message from the agent. The owners wanted to proceed with my offer after all, if I was still interested. I couldn’t quite believe what I was reading. It turned out the neighbour’s land was actually classified as urban, not rural, so the preferential right didn’t apply.

The sellers came back to me, and of course I immediately said yes. It felt like fate had intervened, the ruin had been handed back to me and this home was truly meant to be mine. On completion day, I flew out to Portugal and met some of the heirs. They were warm and gracious, I could feel how special the property had been to their family, what it meant to them, and how hard it was to let it go. I felt honoured to be entrusted with breathing new life into a place that clearly held so many special memories. I let them know that it was my intention to keep the spirit of the old farmhouse and not demolish it.

It’s a long long long way from central London living to the wild countryside of the Algarve, but the thrill of a new life in a very different setting, and the challenges of developing land and property to make it your own, must be one of the greatest pleasures in life

Farewell, London – hello, new beginnings

In the past month, I have finally completed the sale of my London home. I’m writing this now from a small village in Yorkshire, my birthplace, while I sort out the last pieces of paperwork for the Portuguese property.

Closing the door on my London home for the last time felt surreal. My oasis of calm in the big city had been my cocoon for more than two decades. I renovated it, loved it, sometimes cursed it, but ultimately it was where I grew up as an adult. I cried buckets leaving it behind, though the tears were mixed with excitement.

I signed the completion papers for my Portuguese ruin in early June 2023, yet I’m still waiting for various documents to be processed. The slower pace of Portuguese bureaucracy is something I’ll need to adjust to, though I’m trying to see it as part of the adventure rather than an obstacle. Friends and family say, “It could be years before it’s finished!” I just need to hold on to the thought that everything happens for a reason and flows as it’s meant to.

Next comes sorting my visa, finding a temporary rental in Portugal while the renovation happens, and, most exciting of all, diving into the final stages of planning and design of the farmhouse with my architect Eduardo Demony. I’ve already spoken to relocation specialists Algarve Addicts who seem like the perfect people to help guide me through some of the red tape of moving countries. I’m grateful for their advice; there’s only so far Google search can take you when you’re knee-deep in working out which visa to apply for and where to rent for the best.

Hiccups and hopes

Of course, there have been hiccups. A paperwork error years ago recorded the land’s size incorrectly – apparently someone typed a ‘2’ instead of a ‘1’, which now has to be officially corrected with the land registry and tax office before I can submit my planning application. Hence I’m still waiting on paperwork two years later.

At first, I groaned. It felt like yet another hurdle delaying the dream. But oddly enough, the timing has

If the first half of this journey was about courage, selling up, and starting over, the second half is shaping up to be about patience.

worked out. I couldn’t apply for planning until I’d sold my London place, anyway.

The universe really does work in mysterious ways. Now I can finally indulge in over-thinking floorplans, debating tile colours, and imagining the interiors that will one day transform the ruin into the beautiful farmhouse I’ve dreamt about for years. Evenings often find me scrolling through Pinterest, saving pictures of rustic beams, terracotta pots, and earthy hues. Design indecision is apparently my new hobby.

Lessons in patience

If the first half of this journey was about courage, selling up, and starting over, the second half is shaping up to be about patience. I’ve learned that any kind of paperwork in Portugal requires a few extra months (then double it) to come back. And sometimes it comes back, and you’re told it’s not right, so you have to start all over again! The slowness can be frustrating, especially for someone fresh out of London’s ‘everything-now’ culture. But I’m learning to take a breath, accept the long pauses, and let Portugal set the tempo.

The good life beckons

It still doesn’t quite feel real. The farmhouse of my imagination is slowly becoming a reality, one signature and stamped document at a time. Next on my to-learn list (aside from Portuguese, of course!): growing vegetables, caring for olive and carob trees, and making sure the house is both fire-safe and earthquake-ready – slightly daunting for a city girl whose previous gardening experience involved a few potted indoor succulents.

But standing on that hillside, looking out over the land, I know this is the beginning of the life I’ve been chasing; slower days, sun-warmed evenings, and the chance to give an old house a new story. Every stumble so far, the preferential-rights fiasco, the land-size typo, the endless paperwork, has led me here.

Perhaps that’s the real sign/lesson I was looking for all along – it’s all about the journey not the destination.

CROSSING ALL BOUNDARIES

MARI ARP IS A CONTEMPORARY ARTIST WELL KNOWN FOR HER FABULOUS FIGURES, UNIQUE TECHNIQUES, FLAWLESS FINISHES AND OFF-THE-WALL THEMES. HER LATEST WORK FEATURES BILLBOARD MODELS ASSUMING UNUSUAL, EXOTIC OR ILLOGICAL POSES WHILST CLAD IN FASHIONABLE SWIMSUITS

Words: CAROLYN KAIN

MARI ARP’s multi-media pictures created at her studio in Berlin are on show at Galeria Côrte Real in Paderne and also gracing the walls of the prestigious VilaLara Grand Hotel in Porches.

Mari’s imagination is prolific, although even she would be hard pressed to picture the scene that took place on Manhattan Beach in 1919.

Ethel Bleibtrey, an already well-known American swimming champion, had gone to practice at the lido when she was arrested for removing her stockings. Otherwise modestly attired, with her arms, neck and body covered in a swimsuit, it was still forbidden for women to bare the lower female extremities for public bathing.

When news of her arrest reached the national media, the public outcry was enormous. She was charged like a common criminal but due to having so much female support she was not convicted of what was termed ‘nude swimming’.

Bleibtrey was no ordinary woman. She went on to win three Olympic medals and set three world records, and she was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame. For the ordinary female in the USA she played an important role spearheading a campaign that in due course changed the rules for women’s swimwear.

She is the sort of heroine admired by Mari Arp. She was an icon of the people, a glossy image to be held in high esteem and given special treatment!

Whatever subject Mari Arp approaches, she achieves a flawless image using montage techniques with the application of acrylic and charcoal pastels. Sometimes the subject appears against an over-painted or graphic background and finally the multi layered picture is coated with a crystal clear veneer.

In the USA the rules were strictly enforced and Bleibtrey was not the only lady swimmer to have been arrested before the new regulations were applied. In Europe, the worst punishment was a fine but nevertheless, as in the USA, in 1919 a high standard of modesty had to be maintained.

Rules varied from place to place but generally the lady must be covered from the shoulders to mid thigh. Police officers and beach inspectors could be found patrolling seaside hot spots with measuring tapes to hand. To undertake their work, a lady’s thigh must be measured from the top to the knee. The number of inches had to be divided in half and then compared to the amount of fabric covering the upper leg. Requiring mathematical skills, the officers and inspectors ensured that the ladies were complying with decency rules. They had the authority to fine anyone who failed their inspection or to tell them to leave the beach. They did not deny that measuring ladies thighs at the seaside was a pleasant aspect of their work and they regretted it when attitudes and rules changed and as a consequence their jobs became redundant.

This social shift in the mid 1920s to more practical types of swimwear was due to designers like Coco Chanel and Jeanne Lanvin who no doubt are legendary fashion icons that Mari Arp admires.

POINTS OF INTEREST

Throughout Europe regulations regarding dress code on the beach changed at different speeds. Under the Dictatorship of Salazar, Portugal was one of the slowest to loosen restrictions.

DECREE LAW 1941

PUBLIC MORALITY – women’s bathing suits must include ‘shorts reaching the thigh’ (calçao justo na perna) OFFENCES TO DECENCY – concerns about beaches (atentados ao pudor) FOR MEN – full suit – (fato inteiro)

Pork broth with grilled pork shoulder, smoked green beans, and figs

THE WORK OF CHEF RAFAELA FERREIRA OF EXUBERANTE RESTAURANT AT THE 5-STAR ALTIS PORTO HOTEL WAS RECOGNISED BY THE REPSOL GUIDE WITH THE AWARD OF THE

‘ RECOMMENDED ’ RESTAURANT SEAL IN 2025. SHE HAS SHARED HER RECIPE FOR THIS DISH WITH US – IT IS EASY-GOING, LOOKS GREAT, AND TASTES SUPERB

SERVES 2 COOK 1HOUR 15 MINS

INGREDIENTS

 260g pork shoulder (presa)

 200g green bean

 To taste: coriander flowers

FOR THE BROTH

 150g pork shoulder

 10g onion

 70g leek

 1g garlic

 7g ginger

 250ml water

 1 fig leaf, 2 nasturtium leaves

 To taste: salt, pepper, olive oil, Port wine vinegar

METHOD

FOR THE BROTH

1 In a hot pot, drizzle a little oil and sear the meat.

2 Once nicely browned, add the sliced leek and chopped onion and garlic. Sauté for a few minutes until the vegetables start releasing their juices.

3 Add the ginger and cold water. Let it cook slowly, without boiling, over very low heat for 1 hour.

4 Remove from heat, add the chopped fig leaf, cover the pot, and let it rest for 30 minutes.

FOR THE BEANS

5 Blanch the green beans in boiling salted water for three minutes, then remove and cool them in cold water. Place the beans briefly over hot coals for 30 seconds to give them a smoky flavour.

FOR THE PORK

6 Grill the pork shoulder to the desired doneness.

7 Cut the figs into wedges and season with olive oil, fleur de sel and Port wine vinegar.

TO SERVE

Arrange the pork on the plate, add the green beans and figs, and finish with the broth and fresh leaves and flowers. Serve immediately and enjoy.

EXUBERANTE , Altis Porto Hotel, R. de Jorge de Viterbo Ferreira 30, Porto. T: 229 766 200 W: restaurantexuberante.com Open daily for lunch and dinner.

Near the Palácio de Cristal gardens, Clérigos Tower, and the Alfândega, Exuberante is an elegant yet relaxed bistro that presents a gastronomic concept focused on national and seasonal ingredients, with a special emphasis on vegetables.

The menu, designed by Chef Rafaela Ferreira together with Chef André Cruz of Feitoria (1 Michelin star), is divided into four categories – To Share; From the Meadow and the Sea; Main Courses; and Desserts – with an invitation to end the gastronomic experience with an elegant cheese trolley offering a varied selection.

MEET THE ARTIST

IT ’ S NOVEMBER AND PEOPLE ARE ALREADY PLANNING THEIR SEASONAL GIFT LIST. AND WHILE IT IS TRUE THAT A DOG IS FOR LIFE, NOT JUST FOR CHRISTMAS, A PORTRAIT OF A MUCH-LOVED PET IS SOMETHING THAT WILL LAST FOREVER AND BE HUGELY APPRECIATED BY ANIMAL OWNERS, EVERY DAY OF EVERY YEAR

JILLY MENPES SMITH is an artist known across the Algarve for her brilliant portraits of favourite pets. “Often that painting is a special gift between partners, friends or family, but it is also a tribute to that four-legged, tailwagging delight that has brought so much joy to its owners,” she says.

Jilly, who grew up in London, has lived in the Algarve now for some 37 years, longer than most ex-pats, and she has witnessed first hand how the Algarve, and especially the central Algarve, has flourished to become first-choice for many.

Her client list has also developed over the years, as her work reaches out and touches so many hearts. “I adore all animals, but I love

painting dogs first and foremost,” she smiles, “so many are just irresistable. And of course I am often commissioned to paint portraits of muchloved dogs that have sadly passed away – the resulting artwork becomes something to treasure and also to pass down through the generations and valued far more than a photograph.”

But it is from good, clear photographs that Jilly captures expression and focuses on even the smallest detail – the raised ear, the sparkling eye, the tuft of hair. And clients will often contribute with special stories that add to their pet’s personality and Jilly’s interpretation.

Each portrait takes a few weeks to perfect, and using acrylic on canvas, a marvellous depth of colour can be achieved and intricate highlights become a feature.

ESPAÇO LUZITANO FARO WALKING STREETS

A vibrant space blending artisan ceramics with the warm tones of Autumn. Come and discover our curated selection of season-inspired and sustainable pieces.

Rua Ivens 5, Faro

Rua Vasco da Gama 28, Faro Insta; espacoluzitano

Espaço-Luzitano

Espaço Luzitano

Assisting expatriates with their fiscal matters for over 30 years www.eurofinesco.com . info@eurofinesco.com

We understand your tax implications in Portugal, advise you of the alternatives and help you achieve your goals

GREAT BOOKS

AND HERE ’ S THE NEXT ROUND. CERTAINLY DIVERSE. BOOKS YOU ’ LL LOVE... OR POSSIBLY NOT, BUT THIS MONTH ’ S CONTRIBUTORS TO THIS COLUMN WERE SINGING THE PRAISES OF THEIR CHOSEN TITLES. GOT ONE YOU ’ D CARE TO SHARE? DROP US AN EMAIL, WITH ‘ BOOK REVIEW ’ IN THE SUBJECT LINE AND WE ’ LL BE IN TOUCH

ANN SCHUTTE WAS DELIGHTED WITH... A VERSION OF YOU

By April Lee Fields Published by CreateSpace

A Version of You is a brilliant and deeply immersive memoir that pulls you into the vivid, emotional landscape of April Lee Fields’s life. Written in a poetic and evocative style, the book doesn’t just tell a story – it invites you to experience it. Fields has an extraordinary ability to make readers feel exactly what she feels. Her reflections on love, travel, loss, and identity are not only personal but powerfully relatable.

The memoir chronicles about one transformative year on the road across continents, as Fields journeys through Asia, Australia, and the US, all while navigating an equally intense inner voyage. You see the world through her eyes – sometimes with humor, sometimes with painful realism –and each chapter offers an intimate window into her evolving sense of self.

What stands out most is the emotional depth and honesty in her writing. The narrative is rich with sensory detail, and her introspective voice creates a unique connection with the reader. There are moments of laughter and lightness, balanced by raw, grounded truth.

A Version of You is a moving, unforgettable read that lingers long after the final page – more than a memoir, it’s a shared human experience.

BURFORD HURRY WAS OVERWHELMED BY...

ALL THE BEAUTY OF THE WORLD

By Patrick Bringley

Published by Simon & Schuster

If you look forward to visiting museums and galleries then this is a book for you. It is also much more. It is a luminous account of Patrick Bringley’s retreat from the world into the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York after he is traumatised by the death of his 26-year-old older brother from cancer. He then takes us with him into his workplace where for over ten years he was on duty everyday as a gallery guard.

While you read, turn the pages slowly as this is not a book to skim through. Patrick has stood next to some of the world’s most beautiful art for hours, sometimes days at time and he has researched the beauty he describes. He gives them to us through his eyes and words exploring and processing everything from Michelangelo’s drawings to patchwork quilts. All done with equal awe, passion and interest.

We are not spared the essence of his working day. We learn that eight hours of standing on wooden floors are better and easier to stand on than marble. We wear the blue suit of the Met Guards, chat to colleagues who at times become friends, listen to conversations, assist curious visitors with answers to questions. However, it is when he writes about the art and the ache of his anguish on the death of his brother that you will learn not only about the Met and her contents but how he heals himself through his experience at the Met. I know I did.

ROB DOES JUST LOVED...

THE THOUSAND AUTUMNS OF JACOB DE ZOET

By David Mitchell

Published by Sceptre

It must be my restless nature, making me not the most avid reader. But sometimes I encounter a book that hooks me from the very first sentence. Introducing The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet, the perfect combination of historical and literary fiction. All wrapped in spellbinding sentences, fascinating plot twists and language full of wisdom. It is a love story, an adventure, a study of corruption and a glimpse into a hidden world.

I loved about it at the time was the front cover. Remarkably Bright Creatures is Van Pelt’s debut novel, a magical story of love, loss and hope. It centres on Tova Sullivan, a 70-year-old widow working as a cleaner at an aquarium in a fictional town on the coast of mystical Washington State, always late at night in order to avoid human company.

But here is the remarkable twist... the story is told through the eyes of a Pacific Octopus called Marcellus, locked up in captivity at the aquarium. The story that slowly unfolds over Van Pelt’s 355 beautifully written pages will leave you desperate, not only for Tova to make a human connection, but for Marcellus to find his freedom.

This hidden world is Dejima, an island just off the coast of Nagasaki, which has been adapted as a trading post between the Dutch and Japan. The year is 1799 and the story is set against the background of Japan as a highly isolated country and the Dutch, known for their manipulative and highly dishonest behaviour, as they try to wrest further trading concessions from the Japanese each year. In the final chapters, the British enter the stage, creating a bloody imperial war.

David Mitchel treats us with sentences like “Self-pity is a noose dangling from a rafter” and “The readiest apologies carry the littlest worth”. This novel deals with what one believes and where one belongs and the relationship of the individual with country and culture. Did I say mesmerizing…?

LUCY MAYER IS ENTRANCED BY... REMARKABLY BRIGHT CREATURES

By Shelby Van Pelt

Published by Bloomsbury

I have always adored reading and was well known as a child for constantly having my nose in a book. These days, my go to is usually a thriller full or twists or a pacey crime-fiction novel, but last year I came across a beautiful artwork of an octopus online and, immediately drawn to it, investigated further and found out that it was in fact the cover-art for a new book by a writer I had never come across before, Shelby Van Pelt.

They say you should never judge a book by its cover but I was thrilled when my lovely mum presented me with this one as a surprise gift a few weeks after I told her about it, even though the only thing I knew

JAN BOSS IS ENTRANCED BY... LONE WOLF

By Jodi Picoult

Published by Hodder& Stoughton

It didn’t take long for me to become fascinated by wolves and also, through their own words, by the main characters. Luke, the wolf man, is involved in a car accident and lies comatose in hospital.

Edward, his son (estranged from the family for the past seven years) and Cara, Edward’s younger sister, disagree about the continuation of their father’s life support.

A court case results, where long-held secrets are brought into the open. These unexpected revelations add excitment and tension, the ultimate one being kept for the last few pages.

In the meantime, the reader is introduced into the world of wolves and the behaviour they have developed to keep the pack together. These insights are flashbacks from Luke, who spent two years in the wilds of Canada as part of a wolf pack! However, the other characters also get to relate their past experiences, as all of the chapters are dedicated to one of them, written in the first person and often in the present tense. I very much enjoy this style of writing.

The book is well researched, not only regarding wolves but also relating to the medical aspects of someone in a coma.

Recently I was given another of Jodi Picoult’s books; I shall certainly take time to read it!

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Off road riding through the Ria Formosa Forest

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BEACH SEEN

WHEN LOOKING FOR THAT ONE-OF-A-KIND PIECE OF ART, CONSIDER THE WORK OF DANIELA GEORGESCU OF SHELL ART. HER STUNNING CREATIONS, COMPOSED ENTIRELY OF SHELLS, LITERALLY BRING THE SEASIDE INTO YOUR HOME. WE CAUGHT UP WITH HER BETWEEN EXHIBITIONS...

Words: LAURA SHEA

AP Tell us about your upbringing and life before settling in Portugal.

DG I was born in September 1975, in Constança, Romania, right by the Black Sea. My childhood was divided between time at the seaside and in the countryside with my grandparents, which shaped my love for nature and simplicity. My father’s side of the family has Greek roots, and from him I inherited a deep love for the sea. Losing him when I was 18 left a big mark on me, but his influence and our shared connection with the ocean has never left me.

Later, I became a primary school teacher and supported myself with different jobs. I travelled widely, living in places like Switzerland and Italy and working on cruise ships, for the American company Royal Caribbean. I moved to Portugal in 2007.

AP What led you to shift your focus to art, and to shells, especially?

DG Art wasn’t always part of the plan. During the pandemic, I started experimenting with shells – first with candle holders made of broken shells – and slowly discovered that this was my language. Working with shells allowed me to connect my memories, family, and love for the ocean into something lasting.

AP Why did you decide on Portugal, and especially the Algarve? Do you see yourself staying here permanently?

DG Portugal felt like home from the beginning – the ocean here has the same pull as the Black Sea of my childhood. I had to choose between Lisbon and the Algarve, but I chose the Algarve for the climate, of

course, and because of the friendliness and warmth of the people.

The light, the calmness, the lifestyle – it suits me. I’ve been here for almost two decades now, and yes, I see myself staying for the rest of my life.

AP Did you study art in any form?

DG Not at all. I never had formal art education, and for a long time I didn’t think of myself as an artist. But shells and the ocean sort of found me at a time when I needed healing and direction. It turned into a passion, and now I can’t imagine my life without it.

AP Where do you get your inspiration from for each piece?

DG Nature is my main source, especially the ocean. Sometimes the shells themselves guide me – their colours, textures, or imperfections spark an idea. Other times, it begins with an emotion, memory or theme, like growth or resilience, and I search for the right shells to express it.

I work with organic, flowing forms because they mirror how life really feels: resilient, imperfect, but beautiful.

AP Do you source shells and then create work or do certain things trigger a plan?

DG Both. I mostly work with locally collected shells – mussels, oysters and coquina (known here as Cadelinhas), many of which are reclaimed from local restaurants (like Salga and Barril) thanks to the owner and cooks. Ideas can also come first. For instance,

if a client has their own shells with special meaning, I can integrate those into a bespoke design. Or I will buy shells from accredited international suppliers when a design requires a certain colour or shape that I can’t find in Portugal.

AP Do you think that you’ll ever shift to a different medium?

DG I sometimes use natural fibers (fisherman’s net), acrylic paint for the backgrounds or gold leaf, but shells are always at the centre of my work.

I don’t see myself ever shifting away from them completely... they are my true medium. They are my language.

AP Does each piece tell a unique story or is it a narrative on the natural world?

DG Both. Each artwork reflects something personal – family, resilience, transformation – but also a broader narrative about the sea, time and nature’s cycles. My pieces are intimate but also universal.

AP Can you tell us your favourite piece and why?

DG Two come to mind although that’s hard to choose. Growth represents a new stage in my artistic career – it’s very meticulous and detailed, and it pushed me forward as an artist.

Another one, Your Hugs, is deeply emotional, inspired by my dream of family and belonging.

AP What is your biggest piece to date?

DG My largest piece is Blue DNA, which is 90x155cm. It speaks about the ocean

running through my veins, my strong connection with the sea, and my family – especially my father, whose early loss shaped me deeply. It’s a tribute to that bond, which always ties me back to the water.

AP Do you do bespoke pieces? Is there a general price range or guide?

DG Yes, I create bespoke artworks. Collectors often approach me to design something meaningful for their space. Prices vary depending on size, shells, and complexity. It’s hard to give a fixed price, because it depends on all of those factors combined, but as a guide, pieces usually start from around €350 for a 30x30cm, framed work.

AP How would you sum up you workand indeed, your life?

DG My art is more than decoration – it’s a way to bring the ocean’s story into people’s homes. Each shell carries its own journey, and I give it a second life. I don’t follow trends… I aim to create timeless, calming pieces that connect to something larger than ourselves.

Without children, my artworks are my legacy, reflecting personal memory, family and the rhythms of the sea.

Outside my home studio, I find inspiration on long walks along the beach with my black Labrador and my better-half, feeling the sand, the waves and the wind.

One day, I hope to have a dedicated studio where I can fully immerse myself in creating art that transforms nature’s beauty into a lasting, living story.

CAFÉ BARRINHOS, Almancil

CAFÉ BARRINHOS DOESN’T SHOUT FOR ATTENTION. YOU COULD DRIVE PAST IT A DOZEN TIMES WITHOUT REALISING THERE’S A LITTLE SLICE OF LATIN AMERICA RIGHT HERE IN ALMANCIL. IT’S RELAXED, REAL, AND QUIETLY GOOD AT WHAT IT DOES, SAYS DAVID CAMPUS OF AUSTA. TIME TO TRY SOMETHING NEW, TO TASTE A DIFFERENT STORY, AND TO LEARN ABOUT THE WARMTH OF A FARAWAY HOME

THIS YEAR, in a world that is becoming increasingly divided, polarised, and politically pitted against each other, intentionally seeking out genuine moments of connection between different cultures and communities has become even more important to me. The act of eating has always brought humans together. And, as well as being one of my favourite hobbies, it’s one of the simplest and most powerful ways that I believe cultures can be shared, understood, and appreciated.

Through many meals on our travels both in Portugal and beyond, I’ve been lucky enough to build connections with people from near and far, to grow my understanding, and to learn about traditions and customs that have been brought to life by those sharing them... usually one bite at a time.

With the news last month that

Venezuelan activist Maria Corina Machado was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize – a Ballon d’Or of shared compassion and human harmony – I was struck by both her story and reminded that there’s a surprisingly large Venezuelan community living in the Algarve.

And where there’s a large community, there’s often a richness of flavours waiting to be discovered, so I made it my mission to hunt down a Venezuelan restaurant – to taste the food, explore the cuisine, and get a sense of the culture they bring with them.

Lucky for me, I didn’t have to go far, as right around the corner from our very own restaurant, I discovered Café Barrinhos, a little piece of Venezuela tucked away in the sunny backstreets of Almancil.

The little tasca sits on a quiet corner with a roadside, sun-catching terrace out front, the scent of beans and simmering broth drifts from the kitchen, while the gentle mix of Spanish and Portuguese chatter

FOOD

Popular dishes that are favourites in Venezuela. Great flavours

DECOR

It’s a café, with a friendly cosy café atmosphere. Absolutely real

PRICE

Allow €10 to €15 per person

gives out a warm, easy rhythm.

Of course, walking in, unsure what I will find, the service is immediately friendly and genuine – the kind that made me feel at home even though I was trying something new. The staff explained each dish, offering stories about the recipes and their roots in Venezuelan home cooking.

I began with a big bowl of ‘sopa de carne de vaca’ – a rich, slow-cooked beef soup brimming with tender vegetables and an unmistakable Latin comfort. The kind of dish that feels like someone’s grandmother has been watching over it all morning, juicy and tongue-tingling. Then came the ‘arepas de carne mechada’ – cornmeal patties split open and stuffed with strands of slow-shredded beef, sautéed in tomatoes, peppers, and just enough spice to wake up the soul, crisp on the outside, soft inside. With just enough space I squeezed in the smoked pork chops too – juicy, with a delicate smoky crust.

Café Barrinhos doesn’t shout for attention. Around me, local builders, Portuguese families, Venezuelan expats and some Europeans in the know dropped in and out for lunch, quick coffees and slices of ‘tres leches’, chatting with the staff like old friends. The echoes of that morning’s headlines, the weight of the world’s troubles, and the noise of rising, relentless division all seemed to fade away right there.

CAFÉ BARRINHOS , R. do Emigrante 115T, 8135-128 Almancil / 289 395 152 / cafebarrinhos.metro.rest / Open Tuesday to Saturday 10h00–15h00 and 18h00–22h30. Sunday 10h00–16h00. Closed Mondays.

A collaboration in bloom

HOW GRIEF, FLOWERS, AND THE HANDS OF LISBON GRANDMOTHERS TRANSFORMED A PERSONAL FAREWELL INTO AN ART FORM THAT CAN ADORN YOUR WALLS

Words: SALLY DIXON

IT WAS during the pandemic that Luz Editions first came on to my radar. On a trip to the Algarve, in between Covid-19 lock downs, I was happily daydreaming about one day owning a property in Portugal and making it my home; staying in Olhão and interviewing the lovely Olivier and Stéphane from Zé e Maria for this very magazine. In the store, I spotted a linen tea towel by Luz Editions that captured my heart, featuring a beautiful screenprinted black and white photograph by Portuguese photographer Artur Pastor. It perfectly captured the emotion of rural Portugal that I felt so drawn to be a part of. It was far too fancy to be used as a tea towel and so I bought it in the hope that I would soon be framing it and displaying it on the wall in my new Portuguese house. That was two years ago, and I still haven’t quite brought that vision to life. But I’m getting there, as you will read elsewhere in this issue. So, I was delighted when I was asked to interview the creative mind behind Luz Editions, Paula Franco, to hear all about her latest collaboration with photographer Carla Coulson.

When Paula first began following Carla Coulson’s blog in the early 2010s, she felt an immediate kinship. Both women were navigating new chapters abroad, Carla leaving Italy for Paris, and Paula moving from Paris to Lisbon, with both sharing a profound love for photography. “I admired her work for years,” Paula recalls. “But more than that, I admired her authenticity.”

What began as quiet admiration turned into mentorship. Paula herself trained in photography and later sought Carla’s coaching in creativity and photography, first in Paris around 2017 and again in 2019. Over time, the relationship evolved from mentorship to friendship, grounded in their mutual belief that art should be as meaningful as it is beautiful. That shared love of art and creativity would become the seed for their newly launched collaborative project, The Beauty of Living and Dying, a limited-edition series that merges photography, embroidery, and deeply personal storytelling.

A flower for a farewell

The series grew from one of the most tender and difficult periods of Carla’s life. In 2020, as the world locked down and freedom was restricted, her father was nearing the end of his life faraway in her home country of Australia. With limited space and materials, she began photographing simple flowers, some fresh, others fading, against a black cardboard backdrop. This creative inner world was a welcome escape from the uncertainty of the global pandemic.

“Some of my flowers were in the stages of dying, just like my father,” Coulson writes in her blog. “I saw them as beautiful just as they were when they were in full bloom.” These poignant images, ethereal black and white studies of peonies and anemones accompanied her on the journey home to Australia to say her goodbyes to her beloved father.

In anticipation of the strict quarantine regulations on arrival, Carla printed her Covid-19 project onto fabric to while away the hours waiting to see her parents. She began embroidering gold thread into the prints, stitching memories, grief, and love directly into the linen. Once released from her quarantine restriction, Carla writes: “I saw my father as an old man at the end of his life still beautiful as the lines blurred with the tall handsome man I knew as a child. I saw life in all its stages as beautiful and everything in the world seemed to hold wonder… even in heartbreaking circumstances, there can be beauty, dignity, and creativity.”

A new life for the images

Last year, Paula remembered Carla’s powerful images and suggested they collaborate to bring the work to a wider audience. “I knew this work of hers that she never put on the market because it was something very personal,”

Paula explains. “I thought it was such a symbolic, touching series, very different from her usual colourful style.” Paula adds: “I wanted to give the photographs a second life, to show that art can evolve.”

Paula, already known for her Luz Editions brand, had the previous experience of reimagining historical photographs, such as the works of photographer Artur Pastor that so captivated me that day in Olhão. She proposed printing Carla’s floral images on linen to create keepsake artworks. Carla loved the idea but suggested adding embroidery to deepen the tactile, handcrafted feel.

That led Paula to partner with A Avó Veio Trabalhar (translated as “Grandma Came to Work”), a Lisbon-based collective of women aged around 65 to 90 who specialise in traditional needlework.

Threads of meaning

The involvement of the grandmas adds a profound layer of purpose to the collaboration. Known locally as “specialists in optimism,” the collective offers older women a sense of community and pride by putting their lifelong skills to use in contemporary projects. Their slogans of ‘Old is the new young’, and ‘Grandma is not for sale, but her products are’ tell a little of their enthusiasm for what they do. “They teach each other, always within their age group,” Paula explains. “It’s not just about embroidery, it’s about giving these women a reason to leave the house, to keep learning and connecting.”

Each of the three linen prints, titled Beauty, Dignity, and Grace, is screen printed by Luz Editions, then delicately handembroidered by the grandmas in shimmering gold thread. The tactile imperfections of screen printing and stitching lend the

work warmth and depth. “When you screen print, the photography loses a little of its perfection,” Paula says. “But that’s what I find beautiful, we cannot always expect things to be perfect.”

A limited edition with heart

A limited run of each image will be produced, making the series as rare as it is meaningful. The works will be available through both Carla’s and Luz Editions’ websites, with shipping available across Europe and to the UK. Hot off the press, the collection has launched just in time for the holiday season, making an ideal gift for those seeking something personal and purposeful.

For both artists, the collaboration represents more than creating a beautiful object; it’s about making something imbued with story and soul. “We want to touch people’s hearts,” Paula says. “It’s so important to separate an object you buy with something that has meaning, that has conscience, that has purpose and a story. If someone pays a little more for this piece, they know why, they know the meaning behind it and the hands that made it.”

Carla’s images, born out of loss and love, have found new life thanks to Paula’s vision and the skilled stitches of Lisbon’s grandmothers. Together, they’ve transformed grief into art, creating keepsakes that honour not just the beauty of flowers, imagery, and craftsmanship, but the dignity of life’s final chapter.

It looks like my tea towel will be getting an equally captivating wall partner!

To view the collection online head to https:// carlacoulsonprints.com and https://luzeditions.com

THE PLANTS THAT FLAVOUR OUR FOOD HAVE A HISTORY THAT GOES BACK CENTURIES, SOMETIMES MILLENNIA AND, IN ADDITION, THEY HAVE OTHER QUALITIES THAT ARE OFTEN MEDICINAL AND SOMETIMES ALMOST SPIRITUAL. THINK CAPERS, BASIL, ROSEMARY AND THYME

Words: BURFORD HURRY

FLAVOURFUL

IT HAS TAKEN me a lifetime to really get to know plants like these. In South Africa, I got to know thyme in the stuffing in the Sunday roast chicken or the Christmas turkey. I grew up with rosemary – it was used in our cooking and planted in our gardens. Grown but not celebrated as she is in a Mediterranean patch. Capers and basil took a little longer to become part of my plant list.

When I was in my thirties, many of my summer holidays were spent in Greece and on the Greek islands. As the ferry chugged and slid over crystal clear blue-green water into the bay of yet another island harbour I was seeing for the first time, my excitement grew. It was not the thought of buying ‘mother of pearl and coral, amber and ebony, sensual perfume of every kind’ mentioned by Cavafy in his poem Ithaka, but to see what was growing there. That is how I discovered capers (Capparis spinosa). They were growing between rocks almost all the way down to the port; their exuberant green growth and fragile delicate flowers and independent growth fascinated me.

I was reminded of capers again here in the Algarve when our gardening group was visiting Cordoba one May to see the patios. I found a couple of plants volunteering on the old walls of the mosque and in the retaining stone wall above the Guadalquivir river close to the Roman bridge. Seeing them I was excited enough to take cuttings but unfortunately the cuttings didn’t take. Later, in Seville, I discovered I had pickled caper pods in my salad. Unfamiliar to me, I asked the waiter what they were. After that, although fascinated by capers, I didn’t set out to find plants. However, one day visiting a nursery just outside

Charm for the garden, flavour for the table. Previous spread, main picture: tray of basil plants (Ocimum basilicum). Right hand page, top image left, clockwise: rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus); caper (Capparis spinosa) and thyme (Thymus lotocephalus)

Seeing rosemary covered in a tight tapestry of flowers and alive with bees fills the spring and early summer garden with excitement. Her leaves sprinkled on a roast of lamb studded will take the dish to another level.

Moncarapacho, I happened to glance down and see a small caper plant in a pot. Immediately, money changed hands. It was November, so I literally dug out a small hole in the stone wall below the house and planted her in a handful of compost. She took a couple of years and summer waterings to settle but settle she did and once established there were enough seeds to cover the walls around her with plants, and for the ants then to carry the seeds up to the top terrace and start another colony of capers there. They all grew strongly, they still do – no watering ever.

Looking back, I was fortunate to find a plant that had no thorns – she is not named spinosa for nothing. However, even with thorns, I would have her, as once established she is so easy to grow and puts on a glorious spring and summer display, her flowers tumbling with large black bumble bees. Added to that, I would have had an endless supply of caper buds and pods and even leaves to pick and pickle.

It was also a learning curve for me with basil (Ocimum basilicum). I had got to know about her as a teenager when I read a fairly grisly poem by Keats who described how a distraught Isabella buried her lover’s head in a pot of basil and watered it with her tears. My curiosity was further reinforced by a painting by Holman Hunt of a beautiful and barefoot Isabella weeping inconsolably over the pot of basil.

Curious, I bought basil seed and sowed it and then planted the seedlings in our herbaceous border on our small farm outside Johburg. I was impressed by what germinated. Each plant grew strongly and I loved the smell of the crushed leaf but I never thought of using her in food. It was only later in my life that the leaves found their way onto my plate.

Today, I know that tomato summer salads need basil. Every year I buy seedlings from the supplier in the market and plant them in home compost in large pots.

Fresh leaves are picked throughout summer, chopped and added to a vinaigrette of lemon juice, garlic, brown sugar, sea salt and olive oil. The clove-like taste of their leaves improves the flavour of any tomato salad. The leaves also enhance a good bready salmorejo or ice-cold gazpacho. Nothing quite like chopped basil leaves.

Zandi, a good friend of mine, not to be outdone, makes an amazing pesto with handfuls of fresh basil leaves.

What would we do without rosemary? Wild or unkempt with or without flowers, shrubby or sprawling, it is an invaluable plant in our mediterranean gardens. So easy to grow, too. I remember years back and newly arrived in Loulé, seeing a rough patch of soil with a line of cuttings stuck higgledy piggledy into the rough ground on the edge of a quinta, unwatered and unloved, and I wondered whether they would survive. However, they did, and years later are still there – today a bit worse for the wear and tear – well they are at least 20 years old – but they are still growing. So that just goes to show you that if a plant likes where she is growing she will survive no matter what you throw at her.

Seeing rosemary covered in a tight tapestry of flowers and alive with bees fills the spring and early summer garden with excitement. I found my pink one in the mato and she flourishes here, doing better than her more glamorous cousin bought from a nursery. There are other slightly different colours but the blues are probably the most attractive. Trimmed into carpets of green or blue, or left spikey or cutting out some of the smaller branches of an older bush to expose her sweeping bones as Rob does, you can create a variety of points of interest in the garden.

Dead or alive she is valued. In Ibiza I have seen branches of rosemary cut and dried destined for autumn and winter fires. The smoky perfume gives a comforting feel to a room. Her leaves sprinkled on a dish of oven-roasted sweet potatoes, butternut wedges and heads of garlic in olive oil, or a roast of lamb studded with rosemary twigs will take the dishes to another level.

Our local thyme is something else. Forget the thyme (Thymus vulgaris) that we are used to with its modest leaves and stalks and white flowers. Our local thyme (Thymus lotocephalus) has leaves and stalks that have strongly scented leaves and are ideal for use in our food. What is even more interesting is that she is endemic to the Algarve, particularly in the Loulé municipality. Among other places she is found in Vale Telheiro, on a hillside below Loulé, and in Tor.

She would be lovely in our gardens, too. She grows in low woody clumps and flowers mauvey pink in the height of the summer. However, for a couple of reasons don’t try to dig up those you find in the mato. They don’t transplant easily. Far better to take woody cuttings in September or October and once rooted plant those out. Flora-on continental (flora-on.pt), the website for indigenous plants in Portugal, points out that she might well become extinct in the wild as her habitat becomes covered in buildings. So bear that in mind if you have her growing naturally or planted on your property and treasure her. Not growing any of these herbs yet? Why not give them a try? Capers, rosemary and thyme are dead easy to grow and last for years. Although ephemeral basil is also easy and if you let her go to seed you will have spring volunteers. Problem solved. With all these herbs your garden and your table will benefit.

“Always

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WEIGHT LOSS THAT LASTS

LOSING WEIGHT HAS BEEN, AND ALWAYS WILL BE, A MUCH-DEBATED TOPIC IN THE WORLD OF HEALTH AND WELLNESS. WE’VE GONE FROM CHASING THE LATEST FAD DIET TO TRENDING WEIGHT LOSS INJECTIONS. IF YOU’RE TRYING TO LOSE WEIGHT HERE’S HOW TO COMBINE SCIENCE-BACKED STRATEGIES WITH REAL-LIFE HABITS THAT STICK

Words: SALLY DIXON

WHILE I’M NOT qualified to comment directly on weight loss injections, pharmacological tools such as these may indeed seem powerful (and for some they are a game-changer). But like many health solutions, they’re not a ‘one and done’ magic bullet. As with many aspects of wellbeing, sustainable weight loss still depends on addressing the wider context of metabolic health, hormonal shifts, and lifestyle.

Eat for energy, not just fewer calories

Nutrition remains at the core of sustainable weight management. A gentle (and I emphasise gentle) calorie deficit is beneficial to prevent muscle loss and minimise stress on the body. This will look different for everyone, based on your individual body composition and lifestyle demands. Rapid weight loss, whether due to a crash diet, medication, or even life stresses, may trigger hormonal stress responses that slow progress, cause the body to store more fat, and potentially compromise long-term health. Focusing on practical nutrition tips

that become a way of life rather than a one-off diet can help sustain weight management long-term.

Build colourful meals around lean proteins, legumes, non-starchy vegetables, nuts, and whole grains.

Cut back on refined carbohydrates and ultraprocessed snacks – they can spike blood sugar and drive cravings.

Eat protein first at breakfast to help stabilise blood sugar.

Stay hydrated – aim for eight glasses of water or other unsweetened fluids daily.

Include 30g of fibre each day (work up to this gradually if you don’t have much fibre in your diet currently) to support gut health and satiety. Reduce snacking. But if you are prone to it, keep healthy snacks handy. Hummus with carrot sticks,

apple slices with nut butter, roasted chickpeas, a piece of fruit and a few nuts.

If your health status allows (check with your medical provider), consider an ‘eating window’ of ten hours, eg eating your meals between 08h00 and 18h00. This gives your digestive system a chance to rest, reduces evening calorie intake and may help the body manage glucose more effectively. Many people will naturally consume fewer calories by eating within a time window, without deliberate restriction.

Establish set mealtimes and try to reduce chaotic eating patterns.

Eat slowly and reduce distractions during mealtimes (I’m talking watching TV, working on your laptop, scrolling through your phone).

Lifestyle habits that accelerate success

Eating well can kick-start change, but lasting success comes from the habits that support it. By simplifying it into three key areas it’s easier to see where you can make some positive changes to your lifestyle:

Move more

Add daily walking or light activity breaks to reduce your sedentary time, especially after meals. Combine resistance training with moderate-intensity cardio eg cycling, swimming (plenty of opportunity for that in the Algarve!), dancing.

Sleep well

Aim for seven to nine hours of quality sleep as this can help regulate hunger hormones (ghrelin and leptin). Poor sleep may make you more likely to overeat and crave sugary, high carbohydrate foods.

Establish a consistent bedtime routine - dim the lights and ditch the screens one hour before bed.

Stress management

Cortisol, released as part of the stress response, drives abdominal fat storage when it’s frequently triggered. Incorporate yoga, breathwork, meditation, or even short walks outside to help reduce cortisol. For women especially, avoid excessive high intensity workouts and fasted exercise as the body may perceive this as a stressor.

Midlife metabolism

For women in perimenopause or menopause, fluctuating hormone levels can trigger hard to shift belly fat, slower metabolism, muscle loss, and sometimes anxiety and sleep disruption. Who signed us up for all of this?! The good news is that introducing some key lifestyle habits can help ease you through this transition stage of life and help address weight gain.

Strength train twice a week. Think body-weight exercises, use resistance bands, or weights – whatever works for you. And remember, if you’re building muscle then the scales may go up rather than down, this isn’t a bad thing!

Prioritise protein with every meal to help protect muscle.

Add calcium-rich foods – dairy (if you can eat it), dark leafy greens, tofu to support bone strength. Get moving every day. A brisk 20-minute walk or dancing round the kitchen counts!

Setting realistic goals and managing expectations

Nutrition remains at the core of sustainable weight management. A gentle calorie deficit is beneficial to prevent muscle loss and minimise stress on the body.

Realistic goal setting is a key aspect of successful weight loss. Getting into the outfit you wore when you were 22 in less than two weeks is not a realistic goal! Tracking health gains, such as improved energy, sleep, and mood can help keep you motivated beyond the number on the scale.

How to keep that motivation going

Set short-term milestones – like improving your daily step count or meal prepping nutrient-dense meals three times a week.

Celebrate non-scale related victories, such as better sleep, reduced sugar cravings, or looser jeans.

Focus on your ‘why’ – it may be to have better energy to play with your kids/grandkids or protecting your health long-term. Remembering the reasons you started can help keep you going.

Keep a daily diary – sometimes it can be hard to see the successes when they’re not immediate and this can feel demotivating. Adding a couple of lines to your diary every day about how you feel may help you see the bigger picture of how far you’ve progressed.

Sustainable weight loss isn’t about chasing a number on a scale, it’s about finding your strength, restoring balance, improving wellness and feeling confident in your own skin.

NEED SOME HELP WITH IMPROVING YOUR NUTRITION AND LIFESTYLE HABITS?

Portugal has a few specialists who can offer support, advice, and health coaching.

Hannah Sharpe da Rosa, Lagos @hannahdarosa Karelle Laurent, Loulé, karellelaurentnutrition.com

Adriana Alexandre, Faro, nutriadrianaalexandre.com

Ruth Jamieson, virtual practice, empoweredwellness.co.uk

Sally Dixon is a qualified Nutrition & Lifestyle Coach currently furthering her studies with a BSc in Nutritional Therapy.

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IT’S NOT NECESSARY TO BE AN EXPERT IN BRITISH ARCHITECTURE TO ASSOCIATE THE NAME OF CHRISTOPHER WREN WITH ST PAUL’S CATHEDRAL. IF YOU’RE PORTUGUESE YOU CAN PROBABLY DO THE SAME WITH DIOGO BOITACA AND THE JERÓNIMOS MONASTERY. WE LOOK AT THE NAMES THAT BUILT THE HERITAGE

Words: CAROLYN KAIN

THE PORTUGUESE are justifiably proud of the extraordinary fortification, the Torre de Belém, erected close to the Jerónimos Monastery and designed by Francisco de Arruda. It stands on the bank of the River Tagus and the two buildings were constructed more or less simultaneously early in the 16th century.

It’s likely that as an estrangeiro you will have visited both places and been impressed by what you’ve seen. Perhaps you did not know that in 1940, when the rest of Europe was at war, the area in and around these buildings was the site of Portugal’s World Trade Exhibition. Attracting three million visitors, much of what was erected for that extravagant event has subsequently been demolished. It is well worth commenting on the exhibition itself, the significant items that remain and the architects who designed them.

The exhibition was held in the early years of Salazar’s Dictatorship. His intention was to forge a sense of national identity and promote Portugal’s achievements as a colonial power. Each of the country’s eight main colonies was represented by a huge pavilion that celebrated a mix of Portuguese and local cultures.

Alongside the pavilions, a massive water mirror was illuminated at night, restaurants and gardens with pillared entrances were showcase features; there was a monumental fountain, the like of which had never been seen in Portugal before; a faithful replica of a 17th-century galleon; and a full-size pagoda. For several months marching groups, acrobats and dancers in national costumes paraded around the specially-decorated avenues waving flags and banners.

A favourite gathering place for visitors was located in front of the Jerónimos Monastery. It was an enormous square with formal gardens named the Jardim da Praça do Império. This area was newly created for the exhibition, and with its fountains, mosaic coat-of-arms and layout it has hardly changed.

Nearby, the Monument to the Discoveries (Padrão dos Descobrimentos) has a particularly interesting history. It is the most-visited monument in Portugal but when it was first conceived for the exhibition it was made of fibrous plaster and one third of the size we see today. Like most other items it was destroyed when the exhibition ended.

Only late in the 1950s, and due to popular appeal, was it decided that it should be rebuilt. By then the architect Cottinelli Telmo, who was responsible for the overall design of the stylized caravel and the figures along the prow, had died. Fortunately, his drawings survived and Leopoldo de Almeida, who had sculpted the 33 figures, re-carved them in stone. The engineer António Monteiro oversaw the recreation of a much larger monument and in 1960 it was inaugurated with an interior space that contains a museum, an elevator and access to an upper terrace.

Similar to the 1940s World Trade Exhibition, the Lisbon World Exposition, Expo ’98, brought together the country’s greatest architects to commemorate 500 years of Portuguese discoveries. Situated at the mouth of the River Tagus with the theme The Oceans: A Heritage for the Future, it has become a hot spot for visitors heading for the riverside restaurants, the funicular, the Vasco da Gama Tower and the Oceanarium.

Expo ’98 brought together the country’s greatest architects to commemorate 500 years of Portuguese discoveries.

The Museum of Popular Art (Museu de Arte Popular) is another remnant from that event. Designed by the architect António Camelo, it was fortunate to survive the period of general demolition when the exhibition closed in December 1940. Instead, it was adapted from a temporary pavilion into a permanent museum by Jorge Segurado and reopened in 1948. Containing samples of folk art, the items are laid out region by region and continue to attract visitors, especially the Portuguese. Inside and outside the building there are some attractive original murals in bas-relief which give a glimpse into how other pavilions might have been decorated.

At the heart of the complex is a graceful outdoor concrete canopy draped between two mighty porticoes that frame a view of the river. Designed by Álvaro Siza, it covers a public plaza, the space so huge and the concrete of the canopy so thin it seems to defy the laws of gravity.

Siza, a Pritzker Award winning architect, began a star-studded career at 25 with an enigmatic structure, the Casa de Chá da Boa Nova, perched on boulders two metres above the sea, near Porto. He is also celebrated for his construction of the Serralves Museum in Porto. The museum project began in 1991 and took eight years to complete. The building is within a pre-existing established woodland urban garden; the landscape has been brought inside so that the visitor is offered far more than just the museum’s exhibition.

The other architect directly involved with Expo ’98, Eduardo Souto de Moura, chose similar surroundings, when commissioned by the artist Paula Rêgo to construct a museum in Cascais to house her paintings. This was a small fenced forest in an urban area. The minimalist building in a slightly elevated position is configured into four wings with permanent exhibition halls, all of which have views of the gardens. Like Siza, he has been awarded the Pritzker Architecture Prize and like him was taught by the Portuguese father and Professor of the Modern Movement, Fernando Távora.

No mention in this article of the word ‘Manueline’, but the style is so glorious its creators are deserving of a page of their own, and will have next month.

GLYN PARRY

ALFA PENDULAR

Faro, September 2025

Camera: Nikon D850

MJ: “I love that this is in monochrome to let the very dynamic motion speak for itself. The placement of the lighter background building is essential for differentiating the train from the similarly toned sky. Lots of great leading lines, including the tracks, which also help frame the train.”

1st place

Public transport

Mike Jeffries, this month’s Portfolio judge, is an avid hobbyist and an occasional professional photographer. He has been a member of the Saint Louis Camera Club since 2010, where he has served on several committees, ran their PSA interclub competitions and is a member of the print committee. Mike’s work can be viewed at mikivus.com

ROGER FULLER

ALL ABOARD FOR VILA

REAL

Faro, September 2025

Camera: iPhone 16 pro

MJ: “There’s so much to appreciate about this image... the inviting open doors into the darkness, the colourful graffiti, the overall mystery, the feeling of place and space. All technical aspects of the image have been considered and executed well.”

2nd Place

KEVIN SANDERS

SCOOT ON

Faro, September 2025

Camera: iPhone 14

MJ: “Ah, a great capture of today’s public transport. I really like the juxtaposition of these modern modes of movement with the building and sidewalk more of yesteryear. Good colours help tell the simple story. I do note a vertical perspective issue with the left and right borders, and P sign pole, which could be straightened in post processing. Still, it’s a standout image.”

4th place

SÉRGIO FLORES PEREIRA

FAST TOURISM

Faro, September 2025

Camera: Fujifilm X-T5

MJ: “What a great visualisation of ‘life in a blur’. This image represents the essentials of public transportation: faceless individuals encountered for brief moments, some by their avoidance of you, some by their engagement. I might have cropped a little further in on the left, but otherwise I think this artistic rendering tells a great story, one worthy of recognition.”

3rd place

INA TANZER

TUNES STATION

Tunes station, August 2025

Camera: Sony DSC

MJ: “A great capture of life at the station. We’ve all been there, but who else took the shot? Good vision. It’s a little overexposed in distance and sky, but the leading lines give it a great perspective, and the motion of the traveller on the right helps tell a story.”

5th place

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SCORING POINTS

THE AUTHOR PG WODEHOUSE LOVED GOLF AND REVELLED IN THE RANDOM WONDER AND CRUELTY OF THE GAME. “IT IS THE GLORIOUS UNCERTAINTY OF GOLF THAT MAKES IT THE GAME IT IS,” HE WROTE. BACK THEN, THE LIMITATIONS OF THE EQUIPMENT WERE JUST AS MUCH OF A CHALLENGE AS THE BUNKERS AND LAKES

Words: CHRIS PARTRIDGE

MIND YOU, Wodehouse learned to play in the days when golf was much more of an art than a science. Balls were made of gutta percha, and clubs had glorious Scottish names like niblick, mashie and jigger.

Today, high technology and science rule the game. The modern golfer is armed with an arsenal of gadgets that is transforming every aspect of the game, from practice and preparation to course management and post-round analysis. For the player seeking every possible advantage, these devices are no longer luxuries but essential tools for unlocking potential.

The most significant leap in golf technology has occurred in the realm of launch monitors, devices that track the movement of the club and the ball in the course of a stroke and the resulting trajectory, revealing the club path that caused it, the spin axis that shaped it, and the landing angle that determined its roll.

Portable personal launch monitors have been a game-changer even for amateur players. And devices like Rapsodo MLM2Pro and the

Above: Trackman 4 performance enhancing software. Below: Rapsodo MLM2Pro measures metrics like carry distance, ball speed, launch angle, and spin

FlightScope Mevo+ offer accurate data at reasonable cost. They use high-speed cameras and/or radar to measure metrics like carry distance, ball speed, launch angle, and spin.

Launch monitors are great on the course, but the real magic happens in their simulation software that allows you to play almost any course in the world, in the privacy of your own home. With these devices, a net in your garage or a bay at the local range can be transformed into a virtual St Andrews or Pebble Beach. This allows for meaningful, data-driven practice regardless of weather, making improvement a year-round pursuit.

At the pinnacle of this category sits the TrackMan 4. Using dual radar technology, TrackMan provides an unparalleled depth of data, capturing over two dozen parameters from club and ball flight. It doesn’t just tell you that your drive went 250 yards – for the serious player or coach, it is the undisputed gold standard for understanding the ‘why’ behind every shot. It is, however, not cheap at a price around €20,000.

While launch monitors decode the full swing, the quest for a perfect putting stroke has its own technological saviour: the putting analyser. The Blast Motion Golf Swing & Putt Analyzer is a prime example. This small sensor clips onto the end of your putter and, via a connected app, provides instant feedback on the metrics that define a consistent stroke. It measures tempo (the ratio of backswing to forward swing), face angle at impact, stroke path, and impact location on the putter face.

Seeing that your backswing is consistently too long or that you are leaving the face two degrees open at impact provides an objective truth that the ‘feel’ of the shot alone can often obscure. This immediate, quantifiable feedback is the fastest way to ingrain a reliable, repeating putting stroke.

Of course, technology’s role extends far beyond the practice ground. On the course, the humble rangefinder has evolved into a powerful caddie replacement. Laser rangefinders from brands like Bushnell provide pin-seeking accuracy, but the modern edge belongs to advanced GPS devices. The Garmin Approach S70 golf SmartWatch not only shows front, middle, and back distances on the green but full-colour, high-resolution course maps, a ‘PlaysLike’ distance feature that accounts for elevation, and a ‘Virtual Caddie’ function. This AI-powered caddie analyses your historical shot data, considers the current layout of the hole, and factors in wind to suggest the optimal club and strategy. It’s like having a knowledgeable local guide on your wrist for every round, on every course in the world.

This concept of an on-course assistant is taken even further by dedicated GPS units like the Arccos Caddie System. Using a suite of sensors screwed into the end of each grip and a phone in your pocket, Arccos automatically records every shot you hit. This passive data collection builds a comprehensive database of your true on-course performance. The system then uses this data, combined with AI and data from millions of shots from other users, to provide real-time caddie advice. It doesn’t just know the distance to the bunker; it knows, based on your driving dispersion, the percentage chance you have of finding it. It can advise you to lay up to your ‘Smart Distance’ for your most accurate approach shot. All this without the sneery sarcasm and barely concealed contempt of many a human caddy with a much lower handicap than yours.

Even the fundamental tools of the game – the clubs and balls themselves – are getting smarter. TaylorMade’s r7 Quad driver introduced the world to movable weights nearly two decades ago, a concept now commonplace in drivers and fairway woods, allowing players to finetune ball flight. More recently, TaylorMade’s MySpider GT putters incorporate a ‘pure roll’ insert engineered to promote immediate topspin and reduce skidding.

On the ball side, the OnCore Vero X1 features a proprietary ‘Aerodynamic Metal Core’ that is claimed to enhance stability in windy conditions. While the gains from any single piece of equipment may be marginal, the cumulative effect of a bag fitted and optimized with technology can be significant.

The era of high-tech golf gadgets is not about replacing skill or the timeless joys of the game. It is about replacing ignorance with insight. These devices provide a bridge between the subjective ‘feel’ of a shot and the objective ‘real’ data behind it. They empower golfers to practice with purpose, play with strategy, and understand their games on a deeper level than ever before. In a pursuit where a single stroke can be the difference between frustration and elation, having a digital caddie in your pocket is the ultimate modern advantage.

It would be fabulous to know what PG Wodehouse would have made of all of this. The sight of a golfer struggling desperately to get out of a bunker in eight shots despite being ladened down with every conceivable high technology gadget would certainly have reduced him to paroxysms of mirth.

It’s Inti time again!

My favourite Alpaca knitwear has just arrived, and I couldn’t be more excited.

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NEWSREADERS - A POTTED HISTORY

When the British Broadcasting Corporation first came ‘on air’ back in the early 1920s, newsreaders were simply anonymous voices. The very first was a man named Arthur Burrows, who read the initial radio news to the nation at 6pm on 14 November 1922. It was said that what the BBC required was an “authentic BBC voice” which was taken to mean someone speaking accentless English. It wasn’t until the Second World War that newsreaders started to become ‘personalities’ in their own right and the public began to know and recognise their names. The first ‘named’ newsreader was one Frank Phillips, who actually identified himself!

By the early 1940s, the public had begun to recognise the voices of pioneers like John Snagge and Alvar Liddell. Bruce Belfrage became especially well known when a bomb fell on Broadcasting House in 1940 and he stoically continued to read the news. Interestingly, Yorkshireman Wilfrid Pickles also became a BBC newsreader during the War as it was felt that his Yorkshire accent might put off or confuse any Nazi spies or possible imitators.

In the 1950s, newsreaders like Richard Baker and Kenneth Kendall became household names. By tradition, all were men, although there was an experiment in 1960 when Nan Winton was given a chance to read the news. However, viewers thought at that time that it was unacceptable to have a woman presenting the late-night news – and it took another 15 years for women newsreaders to be employed. Sir Trevor Macdonald, who joined ITN in 1973, was the first Black newsreader; today’s News programmes reflect the ethnicities of 21st-century Britain.

NEW CHAPTERS

THE BBC IS THE OLDEST AND LARGEST GLOBAL BROADCASTER, GOING BACK TO NOVEMBER 1922, ALMOST 20 YEARS AHEAD OF THE US. OVER THE DECADES MANY OF ITS NEWS PRESENTERS BECAME HOUSEHOLD NAMES WITH INSTANTLY RECOGNISED VOICES AND FACES, AND WENT ON TO FORM AN ELITE OF THEIR OWN

Words: JILL ECKERSLEY

Angela Rippon became the BBC’s first, permanent, regular female News presenter in 1975, though there had been ‘experiments’ with women newsreaders before. Angela was born in Plymouth and studied ballet as a child. Her journalistic career began when she joined the Western Morning News as a reporter, at the age of 17. She soon branched out into TV, presenting the Eurovision Song Contest and Top Gear, and covered the wedding of the Prince of Wales and Lady Diana Spencer in 1981. She was a co-founder of TV-AM in 1983 and then worked in the United States for a short time.

Angela stunned the TV audience when she stepped out from behind her newsreader’s desk to show her high-kicking dance routine on the Morecambe and Wise Show in 1976. She became a regular presenter of the BBC show Come Dancing, the predecessor to Strictly Come Dancing, and took part in the latter as a contestant in 2023. She presents the consumer programme Rip-Off Britain alongside Gloria Hunniford and Julia Somerville. Angela is also a Patron of the Old Tyme Dance Society and says that although she isn’t a trained dancer, she has always been involved in fitness and practises yoga. She has written books on keeping fit aimed at older folk, saying she has no intention of retiring, as well as the Victoria Plum stories for young children. Angela has been married, but now describes herself as “happily single”. She lives in Kensington, and was awarded a CBE in 2017 for her services to dementia care.

SELINA SCOTT

Yorkshire-born Selina Scott studied at the University of East Anglia and trained as a journalist with DC Thompson in Dundee. She became a newsreader for ITV in 1981 alongside Alistair Burnett and Sandy Gall, and during the Falklands War she was a Forces pin-up. Selina was involved in the launch of the station’s Breakfast Time in 1983.

In the 1990s, she moved to Sky TV and produced documentary films on European royalty, including Prince Charles and the monarchies of Greece and Spain. In 1995, she moved to the USA to work for CBS, where she was one of the first British journalists to interview Donald Trump in a probing documentary about his honesty.

that she had got what she needed from the interview, and consider whether she liked him or not! The President-to-be was clearly not impressed, sending her angry letters after the programme was screened and later referring to her as an ‘unattractive loser!”

working for Sky and combined her TV work with running her 200-acre farm in Ryedale, North Yorkshire, which she describes as a “nature haven” for endangered species and is the base for her business producing natural fibres. A dog-lover, Selina is active in animal welfare and conservation.

MICHAEL BUERK

Michael Buerk presented the BBC News between 1973 and 2002. Originally from the UK’s West Midlands, he had planned to join the RAF as a career but unfortunately failed the sight test. He was a journalist as well as a newsreader and his work hit the headlines in 1984 when he reported on the famine in Ethiopia. He said at the time: “I had never seen anything like this. I was used to reporting on drought and hunger, but I had never seen death on that kind of scale before.”

His harrowing reports were, of course, seen by Paula Yates and then Bob Geldof, and so were indirectly the inspiration for the record-breaking fund-raising efforts of the pop music community, first in the megahit single Do they know it’s Christmas? and later the massive Live Aid concert in Wembley and Philadelphia in 1985.

During the late 1980s, Michael Buerk worked in South Africa, reporting on the end of the apartheid system. He fell foul of the regime and was eventually expelled from the country.

He retired from news reporting in 2002 and, always outspoken, expressed some controversial opinions about women TV presenters, resulting in Anna Ford describing him as a “dear old-fashioned chauvinist!”

Michael presents The Moral Maze on BBC Radio Four. He is married with twin sons and lives in Surrey, where he is an active supporter of the work of the Red Cross.

Your money

RICARDO CHAVES OF ALL FINANCE MATTERS IS HERE TO HELP PEOPLE UNDERSTAND WHAT IS ALLOWABLE (AND NOT) WHEN IT COMES TO FINANCIAL MATTERS IN PORTUGAL. AFM EXPERTS CAN ADVISE YOU ON HOW TO DEAL WITH BOTH BUSINESS AND PERSONAL TAX MATTERS TO ENSURE YOU ARE IN THE BEST POSSIBLE POSITION

QWe have an offer to sell our property, but one third of the payment will be received in the three years following the deed. How do we declare this on the tax return? Do we have to pay taxes before we receive the total amount of the sale? Although you’ll receive part of the payment in installments, the property’s ownership will be transferred at the start and you’ll need to report the sale on your personal income tax return, which is due between 1 April and 30 June 2026, with the tax payable in August 2026. In this tax return, you will report the total sale amount and pay the capital gains tax accordingly. It’s important you understand your tax responsibilities since you’ll be paying taxes on funds you haven’t received yet; you should keep that in mind when agreeing to this deal on offer.

QWe are planning to move to Portugal next year and would like to understand what the requirements are to be eligible for the NHR 2.0 and if it is worthwhile in our case. Most of our income is based on dividends from several companies in Europe and a few property rentals in the UK. First, to be eligible for the NHR 2.0, also known as the Tax Incentive for Scientific Research and Innovation (TISRI), you need to become a Portuguese Tax Resident, and you cannot have been a tax resident of Portugal in the previous five years, or benefitted from other tax incentives, such as NHR 1.0, Return Program, or Youth IRS. You must work for a Portuguese entity, including any of the NHR 2.0 routes, and have an eligible profession in such entity.

This means that you could, for instance, create your own Portuguese company, provided this is in the sectors of activity that are eligible in the programme (IT, media, R&D, etc). However, you must have the necessary level of academic qualifications (minimum bachelor’s degree) and professional experience.

There are several possible approaches: you can create your own Local Service Company that provides management or consulting services to the foreign holding company. If the income aligns with TISRI’s eligibility criteria, this could

grant access to the regime’s benefits. Or you can use an EOR structure that can simplify compliance while still allowing the individual to benefit from the TISRI program.

The TISRI/NHR 2.0 is valid for ten years and allows for a flat 20% tax rate on local income while potentially exempting foreign-sourced income from Portuguese taxation.

However, to meet TISRI requirements, the Portuguese company must generate at least 50% of its revenue from foreign clients, including the holding company or other international entities.

In your circumstances, it means that the dividends from your several companies would potentially be exempt in both the country of source and Portugal. The rental income from UK properties would be taxable in the UK but exempt in Portugal.

QWe are planning to purchase a car in Portugal or import one from the EU. Is it worthwhile to set up a company to deduct the VAT?

Regarding your plans to establish a company in Portugal and purchase a car under the company’s name, I can confirm that a Portuguese company can deduct VAT on an electric car purchase up to €62,500 (plus VAT). For a plug-in hybrid (with a minimum electric range of 50 km), VAT is also deductible if the cost does not exceed €50,000 plus VAT.

Please note that importing a car from another country may involve specific rules, and we need to verify these with the company handling import and registration of foreign cars. Typically, when you import a car, you pay VAT at customs; however, depending on the circumstances, you might be able to buy it VAT-exempt. If the car is purchased in Portugal, you can deduct the VAT, which can be applied to your future VAT liability or refunded after one year of activity.

Setting up a company solely to claim VAT deductions on a car purchase is generally not advisable, since expenses like social security contributions and management fees might outweigh any potential savings.

You can only deduct VAT if your business activity is also subject to charging VAT.

Send questions you may have to info@afm.tax for possible inclusion in AlgarvePLUS.

To consult directly with the experts at AFM, email info@afm.tax

REMOVALS

REMOVALS

• Weekly removal service to and from the UK, Portugal and Malaga, Spain

STORAGE

• Weekly removal service to and from the UK, Portugal and Malaga, Spain

• Full or part packing and wrapping service

STORAGE

• Storage warehouses located in the UK, Algarve, Lisbon and Malaga, Spain

• Storage warehouses located in the UK, Algarve, Lisbon and Malaga, Spain

• Shop online with any furniture retailer and have your items delivered the following week

• Shop online with any furniture retailer have your items delivered the following

• Full or part packing and wrapping service

• Fully insured, secure and alarmed

• Fully insured, secure and alarmed

• One/multiple items of furniture

• One/multiple items of furniture

• One box to full house removals

• One box to full house removals

• Villa to villa moves within the Algarve

• Storage available for long or short term

• Villa to villa moves within the Algarve

• Storage available for long or short term

• All customs paperwork and procedures taken care by our in house customs experts

QI’m a foreign expat working in Portugal on a full-time contract. My employer has informed me that my position will be made redundant due to “restructuring.” They’re calling it “extinção do posto de trabalho”. I’ve worked here for almost four years. What are my rights under Portuguese labour law in this situation? Can I challenge the redundancy ?

AIn Portugal, “extinção do posto de trabalho” (elimination of the job position) is one of the legally recognised forms of individual dismissal under the Portuguese Labour Code (“Código do Trabalho”). However, this type of dismissal is only lawful when certain strict criteria are met. As a foreign expat, you are entitled to the same labour protections as Portuguese citizens, provided you are working legally under a contract.

Let’s break this down into key elements: legal requirements, your rights, severance, and how to challenge an unfair dismissal.

1 Under Legal Requirements for Redundancy (Article 368 of the Portuguese Labour Code), an employer can only legally dismiss an employee for “extinção do posto de trabalho” if all the following conditions are met: The position is genuinely being eliminated due to economic, market, or structural reasons (eg financial difficulties, reorganization, technological changes).

No other employee is performing the same functions in a different department or location that could be offered to you as an alternative.

Going legal

LEGAL EXPERTS NELSON RAMOS AND ROBERTA RAMOS WHO, TOGETHER WITH THEIR SPECIALIST TEAM AT RAMOS & ASSOCIADOS IN ALMANCIL, ADVISE CLIENTS ON VARIOUS ISSUES. THIS MONTH, THEY EXPLAIN THE LEGALITIES WHEN A CONTRACTED EXPAT WORKER IS MADE REDUNDANT

The decision is not related to the employee’s performance or behavior – it must be strictly objective and based on the company’s operational needs.

The employer must follow a formal dismissal process, which includes providing a written communication explaining the reason for the redundancy, allowing the employee to respond in writing (usually within ten working days), notifying the relevant government labour authority (Autoridade para as Condições do Trabalho – ACT), observing proper notice periods and severance pay obligations.

If any of these requirements is not met, the dismissal can be considered unlawful.

2 The notice period the employer must provide depends on your length of service; if less than two years, 15 days, to over ten years, 75 days.

As you mentioned that you’ve been working for almost four years, you are entitled to at least 30 days’ notice or payment in lieu of that notice if the employer wants you to leave immediately.

Regarding severance pay, under current rules (as of 2025), you are entitled to 12 days of base salary, and seniority bonuses per year of service. There are caps and additional rules depending on when your contract started, but this gives a general idea.

3 You can challenge the dismissal in labour court (Tribunal do Trabalho) if you a) believe the redundancy is a pretext for discrimination (eg targeting foreign workers, whistleblowers, pregnant women); b) if you suspect the position isn’t truly being eliminated; c) that someone else was hired to replace you soon after; d) the procedures

weren’t properly followed (eg you weren’t given a written explanation or opportunity to respond).

You usually have 30 days from the dismissal date to file a legal claim, so act quickly. It’s advisable to consult with a labour lawyer or seek assistance from the local labour authority (ACT).

4 As an expat, you are not exempt from redundancy, but your employer must not use your foreign status as a justification, and if your residency or work visa is tied to your employment, you may need to inform immigration authorities and explore your options for staying or finding new employment. In some cases, job loss can affect your residency rights, so it’s important to get immigration advice as well.

5 You should request all documents in writing, especially the dismissal notice with the justification, consult a labour lawyer – even a one-time consultation can help assess the legality of the dismissal. Contact ACT, they can intervene if they detect irregularities in the process; document everything, emails, notices, your contract, pay slips – keep a record.

Summarising: redundancy in Portugal must follow strict legal criteria, you are entitled to notice and severance based on your service length, you can challenge the dismissal in court if it seems unfair or improperly handled. Expats have the same rights as locals under labour law. Seek legal advice early, especially if your residency depends on your job.

Email questions for Ramos Associados to martin@algarveplusmagazine.com

Ramos & Associados Sociedade de Advogados SP RL Avenida 5 de Outubro, 169–171, 8135-101 Almancil

T: 289 413 063 / E: info@nramoslawyers.com / nramoslawyers.com

The Algarve’s premier Italian restaurant — and your local reference for tasteful living, in collaboration with our interiors and lifestyle shop.

ERNEST FOLI

O Corpo da Dança Studio

Rua Capitão João Carlos Mendonça 23, Olhão

By appointment, 965 755 769 nadastangos.olhao@gmail.com

A special opportunity to see works by the late abstract artist, discovered only after he passed away in Olhão in 2023.

NUNO CERA

In The Pink

Praça da República 69-75, Loulé in-the-pink.com

Opens 28 November

One of Portugal’s leading visual artists, known for his deep engagement with space, time, and the emotional layers of urban life, in a solo exhibition of key works from three significant long-term series.

ROMAN MARKOV

Galeria Corte-Real Paderne 961 528 679 corterealarte.com

Albufeira in Quieter Times, oil on canvas, 120x100cm

DAVID YARROW

In the Pink Advisory Quinta Shopping advisory@in-the-pink.com

A curation of monochrome works by this exceptional photographer.

RUI VASCONCELOS

ANDRES MORENO Vale do Lobo d’Artes Vale do Lobo 962 012 111 taviradartes.com

Playa Verde, mixed media on canvas, 200x140cm

SHEILA BUCKLEY

República 14, Olhão republica14.pt 7 November to 14 December

A solo show –not to be missed!

Municipal Museum, Faro, in collaboration with Artadentro 919 328 019, artadentro.com, Until 11 January

Soluço is the name of this exhibition which brings together a series of drawings and engravings that take landscape and nature as their point of departure. Vasconcelos’ work is included in some of Portugal’s most important contemporary art collections.

MICHAEL F. RUMSBY

ArtCatto

Vila Vita Parc, Porches artcatto.com

Sunday Afternoon, acrylic and pen on canvas, 99x99cm

MAGDALENA MOREY

Tavira d’Artes Tavira 962 012 111 taviradartes.com

Both Sides Shape Us, mixed media on canvas, 80x65cm

JISBAR ArtCatto, Loulé 289 419 447 info@artcatto.com artcatto.com

Candy David Jaune 7406c, Resin + custom spray and acrylic, 60cm high

Loulé Criativo

E: loulecriativo@cm-loule.pt, FB: @loulecriativo, IN: @loule_criato. W: loulecriativo.pt EXPERIENCES

IN THE SHADE OF THE ORCHARD

Date: 4 November, 09h00–13h00

Location: Loulé Price: €45

Partner: Joana Almeida Registration: j.banha.almeida@gmail.com

A walk through the traditional mixed dryland orchards and seeds forgotten in time, in the heart of the Algarve Barrocal. Experience the life that these ecosystems harbour and understand their importance in the balance of local biodiversity. Enjoy a wonderful picnic and tasting of local products.

AMIGURUMI CROCHET

CHRISTMAS BALL

Date: 7 and 8 November, 10h00–13h00

Place: Oficina dos Têxteis, Loulé Price: €35

Partner: Graça Rodrigues Registration: nini.4011@ hotmail.com

TILE PAINTING

Date: 7 November, 14h30–17h00

Location: Oficina do Barro, Loulé Price: €35

Partner: Bernadette Martins Registration: bernadetteceramics@gmail. com

Amigos do Museu

CREATIVE EMBROIDERY

Date: 7 November, 18h30–21h30

Location: Palácio Gama Lobo, Loulé Price: €40

Partner: Flávia Ferreira Registration: flaviaferreiradias@gmail.com

MAKING ORANGE FILHÓS AND SWEET POTATO PASTRIES

Date: 15 November, 15h00–17h00

Location: Casa da Cultura, Loulé

Price: €40

Partner: Ana Figueiras Registration: mercadoeuetu@ gmail.com

HAND WEAVING WORKSHOP

Date: 22 November

Location: Oficina dos Têxteis, Loulé

Time: 9h30–13h30

Cost: €50

Partner: Susana Mendez Registration: susana.m.mendez@gmail.com

Museu do Traje, São Brás, 966 329 073, admin@amigosdomuseu.com

Collective Art Exhibition Opening 8 November 17h00

Quiz: Helping Hands Algarve 11 November, 19h00 (in English)

€3.50 to take part

Christmas Fair 23 November, 10h00–15h00

Free Choice Photography exhibition

Algarve Photographers Group

28 November, 19h00

On until 29 January

Concert: Swing Guitar with João Duarte, Luís Hilário and Matt Lester

29 November, 17h00

Tickets: €10 / €7 (Amigos) Org: Amigos do Museu

Fado 30 November, 21h00

Entrance: €5

Reserve tickets with Filomena at 926 354 516

GRA Ç A PAZ

Gama Rama Gallery

Rua do Prior 13, Faro 961 371 891

12 November, 15h00–18h00 Register by 7 November gamaramagallery@gmail.com €45, plus materials

Join artist Graça Paz for an inspiring creative session exploring how journaling can enhance and nurture your artistic process.

VINE & DINE

Vila Vita Parc Porches

The Wine Cellar Sandeman: 7 November, 20h00

Domaine de la RomanéeConti: 28 November, 20h00 Two more in this series of fine wine dinners celebrating the world’s most distinguished estates. Legendary names. Rare vintages. Expert hosts. Visit the website for more details and to book.

1 November STEAM TRAIN Steam Train are an acoustic vocal trio with a unique approach to American music. Dirk Buchwalsky has a background in rock and roll drumming, Fernando Júdice in jazz bass playing, and Mansel Kedward in celtic folk and US bluegrass music. Think Rhythm & Country.

8 November

LENA YOUNES Portuguese singer-songwriter and breathwork facilitator turns

República 14, Olhão

republica14.pt, reservas@republica14.pt, All peformances 19h00 and 21h30

pain into poetry, blending soul-stirring folk with spiritual introspection.

15 November

ROUGE MANOUCHE This Gypsy Jazz Quartet take inspiration from the gypsy melodies and rhythms of American jazz steeped in

MUSIC

Amigos de musica

Os Agostos, Santa Bárbara amigosdemusica.org 11 and 13 November

Doors open at 18h00, concerts begind 19h00 London-based Russian pianist Katya Apekisheva and Czech violinist Pavel Fischer will give two concerts. On the 11th, works by Mozart, Brahms, Smetana, Tchaikovsky and Grieg; on the 13th Bach, Tchaikovsky, Schnittke, Janacek, Pavel Fischer, Kapustin and Kreisler. Tickets, €30, include refreshments and drinks. To book, email reservasconcertos@gmail.com For membership enquiries contact helga.hampton@gmail.com

the aura of 1930s Paris. The quartet has Betty Martins on vocals and violin, João Campos Palma on accordion, Luis Fialho on guitar and Luis Henrique on the doublebass.

22 November SUNSHINE IN OHIO Sunshine in Ohio is a group of musicians passionate about the Mountain Music of the Appalachians. Their sound blends bluegrass, blues, jazz, and gospel, creating an atmosphere that transports the audience to an imaginary America filled with cowboys, cacti, and great stories.

29 November

MANEL FERREIRA TRIO Guitarist, composer, and singer-songwriter from Sintra, Manel Ferreira blends musical styles as diverse as the places he has ventured through, with a backpack on his shoulders and a sevenstring guitar in hand. Expect flamenco, tango, and fado with nuances of Jazz.

WORKSHOPS

Galeria Meinkeflesseman

R. Infante Dom Henrique 126, 8500-639 Portimão 917 937 564 galeria.meinkeflesseman@gmail.com meinke-flesseman.com

LIFE DRAWING SESSION WITH JILL STOTT

1 and 15 November 14h00–17h00

All abilities are welcome from beginners to experienced artists. Email the gallery to reserve your spot.

CERAMIC WORKSHOP WITH ESTHER MEIJER

28 November 10h00–13h00

Ceate a unique artpiece with a LED lamp at the top.

Figs on the funcho

912 595 539 hello@figsonthefuncho.com figsonthefuncho.com

14–18 November Seasonal Celebration: Gourmet Vegetarian Holidays

17 November, 11h00–15h00 Cooking Workshop Vegetarian Mediterranean Lifestyle

WALK AND ART FEST, BAR Ã O DE S Ã O JO Ã O 7-9 November, Lagos info@algarvewalkingseason.com

FORGOTTEN FOOD FESTIVAL

Until 15 November, Querença geral@qrer.pt

ALGARVE MUSIC SERIES

Until 16 November, Faro algarvemusicseries.com

ALJEZUR SWEET POTATO FESTIVAL

28-30 November, Ajezur festival-batatadoce.cm-aljezur.pt

MONCHIQUE WALKING FESTIVAL

29 November–1 December, Monchique festivalcaminhadasmonchique.pt

EXPERT

FINANCIAL SERVICES FOR EXPATS AND BUSINESSES IN PORTUGAL

Our dedicated team offers personalised, professional accounting and tax solutions tailored to your specific needs. With deep expertise in Portuguese tax law and international fiscal matters, we ensure your finances are managed with precision, integrity, and care.

Accountancy

Tax advice

Tax Relocation Services (including the

Fiscal Representation

Property Rental Compliance

Personal Income Tax

And finally

ONE CAN GET AGGRAVATED BY THE SMALLEST THINGS BUT ANTHONY MARTIN DOES DELIGHT IN THE OCCASIONAL MOAN. THIS MONTH, HOWEVER, WE AGREE WITH HIS SENTIMENTS WHEN IT COMES TO INACCURATE WEATHER FORECASTS AND INCONSIDERATE TIME KEEPING

DID YOU, like me, on Friday October 26th bring in the sunbed mattresses and the chair cushions, put covers on the parasols, drop the level of the pool water and batten down the hatches, get batteries for the torches, make up an emergency suitcase to keep by the door and check the house insurance policy?

And after that, did you, like me, flop into a chair exhausted but relieved that you have done all you can –bar nailing plywood to the window frames – to mitigate the effects of Saturday’s expected hurricane?

I mean, we’ve all seen TV footage of hurricanes in the West Indies and southern American states. Roof tiles stripped off, cars on their roofs and palm trees bent at a right angle. It may not have happened here yet but the warnings went out and there is always a first time

And did you, like me, on Saturday the 27th, put everything back whilst cursing the meteorologists and your weather app? I use AccuWeather – the name being the best example of an oxymoron as I have ever heard – but you may as well stick your foot out of the window to see if your bunion throbs or, if you haven’t got a bunion, tie a piece of seaweed to an olive branch and if it sings Land of Hope and Glory, it’s going to rain.

reasonably close to my bank only to find when I got there that the new all-singing, all-dancing machine that, if asked nicely, will dispense obscene amounts of cash, was out of order, as was the normal Multibanco version.

C’est la vie... c’est l’Algarve. And while I’m in moan mode, I left my house yesterday to travel three kilometres into town only to find that, without warning, the road out, and in to our village has been blocked by two of the largest road-digging machines and enough sand to make your own beach. We now have a ten-kilometre diversion to get anywhere. Yes, after 40 years, we are getting mains water and sewerage. And it will only take another two-‘ish years to complete the job.

To some here, it is considered polite to be 15 minutes late. I was taught that it’s better to be ten minutes early, and sit in the car, than two minutes late.

Perhaps the app is only accurate if you sign up for the ad-free version, which is US$24.99 per year. However, if you do that you will not only lose the excitement of never knowing what the tomorrow’s weather will bring, but also ruin we Brits’ conversation starter.

It is amazing, but as I progress through life, I become more and more frustrated with things that just don’t work or do work but definitely don’t do what it says on the tin.

Yesterday I spent 40 minutes looking for a parking space

We came here for a different lifestyle and we certainly got it but I can never get used to the Portuguese idea of timekeeping. One lady I know told me that it was considered polite to be 15 minutes late. How come? In my book that says “my time is more important than yours” whereas I was taught that it’s better to be ten minutes early, and sit in the car, than two minutes late.

And that brings me to other subject. Why are we kept waiting for hours at the hospital when the 20-minute slot we have been allocated has come and gone? Why does it take a supermarket a week to restock basics like butter or oranges? And why, when you turn up for a concert that states ‘curtain up at 21h30’ does the curtain not move until a good hour later?

It is now early November and the country has had its local elections. Out of all the parties looking for votes not one was pushing for Pontualidade, or as you and I know it, ‘Punctuality’. Had they, they would have got my vote. But hey, that’s enough of the negativity. Regular readers of this page know that I am a massive fan of this country, warts and all, and love being here. Not knowing what’s around the corner keeps us on our toes – it also keeps our blood pressure on the move, and that’s a good thing... isn’t it? I for one wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.

CHRISTMAS MARKET

19-21 DEC

Feel the magic of the season come alive. Three afternoons of festive tradition, with live music, warm drinks, sweet treats and workshops that spark delight for all ages. This is how Christmas is meant to be felt.

NEW YEAR’S EVE GRAND GALA

31 DEC

Welcome 2026 the way life deserves to be celebrated—fully, joyfully, and surrounded by those who remind you why every year is worth marking. For one night, paradise finds its place on earth, the sky lights up and magic unfolds.