Newsletter April 2016

Margarida Sampaio @

I had always hoped that the whole April showers thing was something that only applied to the UK but sadly it is also a feature of the weather even down here in the sunny Algarve where the term “Abril águas mil” appears to be horribly accurate.

Temperatures have been on the up over the past couple of weeks, although it is still bitterly cold when the sun goes down, but while the flip flops made a brief appearance over Easter it is back on with the Wellington boots again as we dodge rain showers this month.

PICKING UP

Basically everything has now finally reopened in Carvoeiro for the summer season and we have some life back in the old town again!  The Easter period was actually pretty busy considering it being so early this year with talk of there being no rooms left in the local area and car hire companies bringing in more vehicles to meet the demands.

It is great to see people again in the town and for anyone who likes to head out in the evening for a spot of drinking, dancing and cavorting you will be pleased to know that all the usual haunts are up and running again with the Round Up Saloon, Mungo’s and Brady’s all back and serving up their very own special evenings for everyone.

EASTER FAIR

As correctly predicted by myself last month (just call me Mystic Meg) we did have the Easter fair returning again this year.  If you had a look on the new webcams you would have seen the little tents in the smaller square being put up for the event which helped to bring people down to the town over Easter.

These little events may not blow your socks off but they are a really important way to keep people coming into the town while also showing off some of the local arts, crafts and handicrafts that make great gifts to take back home.

Well done to all involved in the Easter fair, perhaps next year we will get the details about it more than a couple of days before and then we can let everyone know what is going on!

4 THE LOVE OF ANIMALS

One event that has been publicised well and will hopefully see lots of you making an appearance, is the 4 the Love of Animals event which will be taking place on Sunday, April 10 at the Carvoeiro Clube de Ténis.

This is the first time the event has been held and it has been organised by a very dedicated group of local residents who are trying to raise funds to  pay for the sterilisatoin of some 20 or more dogs that wander around the Sesmarias area.  If you have stayed in the area then you will have probably seen the pack of dogs and it is hoped that this treatment will help to stop more puppies from joining the gang.

The sterilization will be undertaken by VilaPet (located on the outroad), the local vets that already do a huge amount to help street animals in the local area, while any extra money that is raised on the day will be put towards any extra veterinary care that they may require and also to help fund a cattery to house more vulnerable and ill cats that can no longer survive on the streets.

Animal charities are very close to the hearts of many who visit the area so if you are able to come along and support this event the organisers (and the animals) would be very thankful!

If you are not all that into raising money for animals then why not just come along for the event as it will be a great way to meet new people and catch up with familiar faces.  Look out for a dog show, live entertainment, food, refreshments, children’s activities, a tombola, an auction and even a talent show!

PATSY LULU SHEILD

This past month we saw the return of the Patsy Lulu shield darts competition in Hemingways.  Pat was one of the most well known ladies in the village after having worked in Sullys for many years and then later in Hemingways bar.  In commemoration of such a wonderful woman each year the special darts competition takes place and it was great to see many people joining in again.  This year the worthy winners were Terry and Matt, however a big thanks needs to go to Angie and Tracey for all the cakes and cheesecakes and a special mention to Carol Mason who was the woman of the night – I am sure Pat would have approved.

WHATS NEW!

Nothing ever seems to change in Carvoeiro, however every month we always have news of things that are new!

The biggest news in the past month was the reopening of the Jailhouse, back under the management of none other than Jailhouse Dave.

There was a good turnout to welcome Dave back to his stage in the bar, said to be the first nightclub in the Algarve many moons ago.

For those of you who have been visiting Carvoeiro for a good few years, you will I am sure already be very familiar with Jailhouse Dave, his tunes and the famous “Yes and No” game (I hope this makes a come back).  If you have not given Dave a visit then it is well worth the stumble up and down the hill – a visit to Carvoeiro simply wouldn’t be the same without it!

Good luck to Dave and also to Lynne and Roger who were previously running the bar and kept the live music going.

CAVE RESCUE

This month we saw three people being rescued from the famous cave in Benagil.  Two German ladies and an eight year old had to be rescued from the cave after swimming round to have a look at it and then becoming trapped as the tide came in.

The caves in Benagil are often cited as being one of the new natural wonders of the world and I would highly recommend that if you are in the area you take the time to go and have a look at them – they are amazing, especially the main one with the big hole in the roof.

I would also suggest that you don’t try to swim out to the cave by yourself, as it really isn’t something you should be attempting, especially with a child.

You can visit the caves via boat, either picking one up in Benagil off the beach or you can get a boat trip directly from Carvoeiro beach to take you along to look at the cave and all the other beautiful sites between Carvoeiro and Benagil on the way – including the dramatic Algar Seco.

It is great that people travel to the area to take in the sites but let’s try to avoid any unnecessary call outs to the maritime police if we can all help it this year!

LAGOA WINE SHOW

Lagoa has been trumpeting the success of local wines for a few years now, gone are the days when the prospect of drinking the local wine was one filled with horror and instead the new and very drinkable wines of the local area are helping to bring new people to the region.

As part of the general promotion of local wines the local council will be holding the Lagoa Wine Show between April 22 and 24 – although it is not actually really in Lagoa itself just to make things confusing – instead it will take place at the Centro Congresso do Arade between Ferragudo and Parchal.

Look out for the obligatory wine tasting (perhaps book a taxi as it is never just a snifter you are given) and also live entertainment from Rodrigo Leão, António Zambujo and Deolinda.

AND FINALLY

The new government has very kindly given us back lots of our bank holidays in Portugal so it means we have plenty of time to take ourselves off for a picnic by the sea…or to sit in a bar and look at the beach from a safe and less sandy distance.

Don’t forget that April 25 is a bank holiday in Portugal, celebrating the carnation revolution and there is to be a walk from the square in Carvoeiro to mark the event if you are feeling energetic.

I will not be walking, it seems to be against the rules of a bank holiday…

Until next month

Margarida