Newsletter June 2008


by: Carol Carpenter
The May weather here in the Algarve has been a little disappointing to say the least. The first two weeks were great but it didn’t last long, with the rest of the month overcast with cold winds and rain. According to the locals this has been the worst May on record.

We enjoyed a very nice meal at A Colina Restaurant in Colina Village with friends the other night, the menu was interesting as they had a lot of new dishes- Melon soup being one of them which was really tasty. The ambiance was good and the service excellent. On a warm evening you can dine overlooking the pool area although we chose to dine inside the restaurant as the evening was a little chilly. This restaurant is well worth a visit if you are looking for something a little different. It is advisable to book because they do get very busy especially in summer by contacting Nuno Diogo, the owner at tel. 962441493 or www.rest-colina.pt.vu
 

 
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We have also enjoyed a meal at Christian’s Kitchen in Lagos; it was called Café Ketchup at one time, located on a side road Rua D.Vasco da Gama which is near the Tivoli Hotel. Again it is advisable to book as it only seats 30 - tel. 282181311/ 964519209 email: christianskitchen@yahoo.dk
 
As many of you know, Rachel and Sergio have opened a new bar on restaurant hill called Talvez, where we used to eat a few years ago as it was once a Tapas bar. It is really lovely inside similar to Rascal’s bar, tastefully decorated with dimmed lighting, crystal chandeliers and candles. Sergio’s delicious cocktails, of which I had two, are as potent as ever. I am sure they will do very well here as it is a really good location and we wish them the best of luck for the future.
 

 
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Bojangles bar has closed apparently they lost the licence due to the noise problem. The rumour was that they were trying to take over Rascal’s but have since pulled out.
 
Staff from four Algarve bars took part in a cocktail competition at the Innside Caffe. It was the first round of the cocktail academy competition, where the winner goes on to compete in the final in Lisbon in December, after points are accumulated over different stages. Innside Caffe staff won several awards and also won the award for best cocktail on the night. The competition stops during the summer as all the barmen are at their busiest but will resume in October.
 
The Bote nightclub on Carvoeiro beach is under new ownership. Paul the owner who is English has lived in Carvoeiro for three years. He is changing it to a Tapas Bar upstairs with a Disco bar on the ground floor, unfortunately they would not allow us to take photos but we are invited along for the opening night. This was to be on 7th or 8th June, but when Roy went in last week and spoke to Simon the manager, he told him it would be opening in July. We will wait and see but I hope to have some good photos for the next newsletter.
 
I have just learnt that Nigel from Klonakilty is teaming up with Barney and they will be performing as "Whitecrows" at Majas on 14th and Poppys 29th of June. The music will be mainly Blues and if successful they will play there once a month. Nigel will still be playing at Brady’s bar with Linda as usual.
 
Local residents of Carvoeiro took on visiting tourists from Manchester in a fund raising football match for the Refugio dos Burros, the Estombar donkey sanctuary. The players put on an entertaining match for spectators at the Lagoa stadium. The game finished at three all and went into penalties to decide the winners. After a very tense shootout, the Carvoeiro players came out the victors winning with six penalties to five. They raised 300 euros for the charity.
 
The changes to the square and the new car parking facilities should go ahead in October. Apparently there are plans for a new car park but at present exactly where has not been decided. Carvoeiro held its first beach wedding a few weeks ago, according to friends. I was not there to witness this event so unfortunately there are no photos. It was a Portuguese couple and I am sure there will be a lot more weddings in the future.
 
There is not a lot of change in the village to report other than a new estate agent opposite Primavera. Do we really need another? We went on a walk about the other Saturday and bumped into big Will outside the Roundup bar who was talking to Libbe, the owner of Happy’s, and they both agreed to pose with Roy for a photo shoot. I called them the Big, Bad and the Ugly, we know who the Big is but I’ll let you all decide on the other two. They are always good fun and will do almost anything for a laugh. It is still very quiet in Carvoeiro, even in the restaurants, so I do hope trade picks up soon.
 

 
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The International Algarve Fair was again a success. Every year they make improvements to this event. The garden feature area was really great and in addition to the display gardens there were garden and equipment suppliers. The gardens were judged by, BBC Groundforce presenter Kirsty King. There was also a Champagne Bar staged by Sheraton Algarve, which provided a really relaxing setting. The Pavilion was the setting for the new range of cars from Fiat, Seat, Honda and Opel. There was a new Arts and Crafts Marquee and the Central Area offered every type of service and products that you could ever need. In the Arena were all the food and drink stands, the Cornish Range sold out of their pasties very quickly and they had a huge queue waiting for more. This company are leaving the Algarve for pastures new, they are moving to Australia. Their pasties are very authentic and I know Roy will be sorry to see them go. There seemed to be more entertainers walking around this year jugglers and clowns to keep the children entertained it was a really good weekend. The next Fair will be held in September.
 

 
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The Fiesa, The International Sand sculptures official opening was a success. Everyone was amazed at the variety and size this year. The theme is Hollywood and there is a sand Charlie Chaplin welcoming visitors into the exhibition, definitely well worth a visit.
 

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Getting away from Carvoeiro area in case anyone is interested there is a new kids play park called ‘Planet Play’ in Almancil, it is located on EN125 just before the Faro turn off. I am sure you are all thinking it’s a long way to go but knowing children as I do they very quickly become bored and if you are unlucky and get a few grey days it’s a nice ride out. The total area is 800sqm and it is full of little green Martians, rockets, planets and stars painted on the walls. The owner is convinced that ‘Planet Play’ will be great fun for both children and parents. Inside a gigantic area there is a huge tubular structure creating a space effect, where kids from four to twelve years old can play. Four cannons are strategically placed on a first floor balcony for the kids to imagine they are part of a space battle. A long corridor with ropes will allow children to slide through before jumping onto a gigantic foam pillow. The park is also equipped with a toddler’s area for children up to four years old, with a smaller balls pool. A bar with healthy food and drinks will be in the area for the grown- ups. Café tables create an indoor esplanade with direct access to the play park so parents can keep an eye on the kids. There is also an adult’s area with a billiard room and television room equipped with a big screen and comfortable sofas. One and a half hours at the park will cost 7 euros per child. The park will be open every day from 10am until 7pm and Friday and Saturday it is open until 9pm. For more information, please contact Joanne Dawes on 289393545.
 
I have just returned from the UK (which is why this newsletter is so late) after spending the half term holiday with our grandchildren, it was also our grandsons 9th birthday, which I always try to attend. Unfortunately it rained the whole week except for Thursday. We decided that as they were now climbing the walls after being shut in for so long, we would take them to ‘Magicland’ in Cirencester. This is a softball park with slides and climbing equipment. They all had a brilliant time and we got five minutes peace from the incessant whining of “I’m bored” I imagine ‘Planet Play’ to be very similar if not better, given the fact it has entertainment for the adults and not just coffee.
 
Steen (Webmaster) has been in the Algarve visiting for a few weeks. Roy and Rene met up with him for a few beers and a meal last week. Last night we arranged to meet him in Talvez bar for a few drinks before he returned home to France. It was a really nice evening but unfortunately he had a very early flight the next morning so did not join us in Brady’s bar where we finished the night off. It was really great to see him and we look forward to his next visit.

Once again, sorry for the delay, I am already working on July’s newsletter - definitely no peace for the wicked !!

Ciao

Carol
 


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