Rushed new travel rules lead to chaos - The Portugal News

Portugal’s National Newspaper in English.

Established since 1977. This week 16,587 copies · Facebook: 74,793 followers · Web: 392,410 page views last week · www.theportugalnews.com3 Jul 2021 - Ed. 1635 · €1.50 IVA included.

Toll roads now cheaper. P4

Millions head to the beach. P10

Funds for Brexit hit businesses. P12

New rules imposed on visitors from the UK travelling to Portugal, which were announced on 27 June and brought into force the following day, led to chaos and confusion, especially for teen travellers. (Photo: Lusa/Luís Forra) Full story P3.

Rushed new travel rules lead to chaos

2 The Portugal News ·3 Jul 2021 News

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Weekly Weather

Hot in the southBlue skies and high temperatures are expected in the south with a mixed bag of weather across the rest of the country.

LisbonIt will be feeling warm despite

intermittent cloud cover in the capital this weekend with tem-peratures peaking at 28 degrees. From Tuesday the thermometers are set to rise further with tem-peratures reaching highs of 30 and remaining there for the rest of the week although cloud cover will continue.

The northThe wet weather is set to

continue into Saturday with a 94 percent chance of rain but this is to ease on Sunday with temper-atures peaking at 20 degrees and dropping to lows of 15 degrees. From Monday there will be a less than 50 percent chance of rain each day and temperatures are to rise to highs of 23 degrees.

The centreIt will be warm and dry this weekend with daily highs of 27 degrees and lows of 17 degrees. From Monday temperatures are to rise again to highs of 30 degrees before creeping up to highs of 34 degrees by the end of the week, although there will be intermittent cloud and north westerly winds.

The south Sunshine and blue skies are

predicted throughout the weekend with Sunday being the hottest day with temperatures reaching 32 degrees and dropping to lows of 18 degrees. From Tuesday intermittent cloud is expected but temperatures are to remain steady with average highs of 31 degrees and lows of 19 degrees.

Over half of Portugal with vaccinesMore than half of the Portuguese population (53 percent) has been vaccinated against Covid-19 with at least one dose, which is equivalent to more than 5.3 million people.

According to the weekly vaccination report released by the Directorate General

of Health (DGS), 5,335,683 people have received at least one dose and 3,295,132 have their complete vaccination, which represents 32 percent of the population.By age groups, there were no significant changes in the last week in the elderly over 80 years, in which 98 percent (666,831 people) have already started the vaccination programme and 93

percent (634,488) are complete, according to the national health authority.Almost all people in the group between 65 and 79 years old (98 percent) also have at least one dose already administered, a percentage that drops to 64 percent (1,043,836) with regard to the complete vaccination against Covid-19.The largest percentage increase was recorded this week in the 50-64 age group, with 85 percent (1,847,758) of people in this group now having started their

vaccination and 51 percent (1,103,443) having completed their vaccination process.Regarding the age group between 25 and 49 years, the number of people who have started their vaccination rose from 26 percent to 35 percent (1,177,235), while 14 percent (476,675) have already finished the vaccination programme, according to the DGS.By regions, the North continues to lead in the number of vaccines administered, with about 2.9 million, closely followed by Lisbon and Tagus Valley, where more than 2.8 million doses have been administered.It is followed by the Centre (1.4 million doses), the Alentejo (424,000), the Algarve (328,000),

Madeira (209,000) and the Azores (188,000), indicates the vaccination report.As for the vaccination coverage of the population, the Alentejo is the region with the highest percentage of people with complete vaccination (37 percent), followed by Madeira and the Centre (35 percent), the North (34 percent), the Azores (32 percent), the Algarve (29 percent) and Lisbon and Tagus Valley (28 percent).Since the start of the Covid-19 vaccination plan on 27 December 2020, Portugal has received more than 9.5 million vaccines, with 8.3 million already distributed to vaccination posts on the mainland and the two autonomous regions.

3The Portugal News · 3 Jul 2021Front Page Story

N Daisy Sampson

Rushed new rules lead to chaosNew rules imposed on visitors from the UK travelling to Portugal, which were announced on 27 June and brought into force the following day, led to chaos and confusion, especially for teen travellers.

The Portuguese government announced that from 28 June anyone travelling to

the country from the UK would have to undertake 14 days of quarantine, unless that person had completed their Covid-19 vaccine, in response to the rising levels of the virulent Delta variant currently in the UK.The announcement itself left those travelling on Monday in complete confusion as Joe Mountain, co-owner of SandyBlue told The Portugal News: “I had my first call at 7am on Monday morning from a guest at the airport in the UK who was travelling with four kids between the ages of 13 and 16. They had checked onto their easyJet flight but when they

reached the boarding gate they were told they would not be able to travel. They told me that half of their plane was off loaded because of the rules regarding teenagers and vaccinations”.The confusion surrounding the situation came because while the Portuguese government had initially said that children under the age of 12 were exempt from needing a complete vaccine to avoid quarantine, those between 13 and 18 (on Monday) had to have a vaccine. A situation which Joe described as “impossible, because they are not vaccinating anyone under 18 in the UK”.“We were gobsmacked about the entire situation as this rule effects about 75 percent of our clients”.Reader Charles Barrett was

also astounded by the situation regarding teenagers. He told The Portugal News on Monday: “I noted today that your PM has imposed a travel ban effectively on families as people need to be double vaccinated. Given that children up to age 18 are not offered the vaccine and only 12 and under can travel without a double vaccination certificate what happens to the children left in no man’s land aged 13-18?“We were due to fly out a week on Saturday however unless the situation changes we either have put two children quarantined or we all quarantine for 14 days.“I don’t think Mr Costa has thought this one through or if he has it’s to effectively exclude families visiting and spending their money in the tourist industry this summer.” Following 48 hours of uncertainty, the Portuguese government then altered their travel advice for those travelling from the UK to Portugal with new regulations. The Government web site, Visit Portugal, which is under the Secretary of State for Tourism, updated their page concerning visitors from Portugal. On the site it now reads: “Passengers from the UK (Essential and non-essential travel) (need to) Comply with 14 days of prophylactic isolation on arrival in Portugal, orHave complete vaccination for 14

days. Children up to 18 years old do not need to comply with 14 days isolation when accompanying adults have proof of complete vaccination. Children under 12 years old are exempt of testing requirements. Young people from 12 to 18 years old must comply with testing requirements.”Joe Mountain said that he and his guests were happy that the problem relating to teenagers and vaccinations had been solved but added that the “there needs to be much better communication with the tourism industry, especially considering its economic importance particularly in the Algarve”.“The clarification of the rules is great for those who have completed their vaccines but we still have clients who will have to quarantine when they arrive if they have not had theirs yet. Luckily the Algarve is the perfect place for a quarantine holiday as you can rent out a private villa and have everything delivered to your door while enjoying the Algarve weather”. German red listMeanwhile, the European Commission will analyse whether the German decision to place Portugal on their travel red list due to Covid-19 “is proportional”.“The European Commission has been notified and is analysing

whether the measures taken by Germany in relation to Portugal are proportional or not,” a source told Lusa.The clarification comes after Germany classified Portugal last Friday as an area with “concern variants”, namely due to the spread of the Delta strain, which in practice results in a travel ban in effect since Tuesday.At the moment, Germany only allows German citizens or those residing in that country to travel from Portugal, who still have to undergo a 14-day quarantine upon arrival.The European Commissioner for Justice, Didier Reynders, recalled that, faced with similar bans imposed in recent months, the European Commission “had to intervene to ask that travel bans be avoided”.“We proposed the adoption of other mechanisms, such as tests and quarantines while defending that bans or similar measures on travel should be avoided”, Didier Reynders said when asked specifically about the German ban on Portugal.“[In these previous situations], we were able to make progress in several Member States, starting with Germany a few months ago, but also Belgium, Sweden and Hungary, which have moved towards creating a system without travel bans.”

The Portugal News · 3 Jul 20214 NewsNews in BriefToll discounts finally

in forceThe new toll rate discount model came into effect on 1 July, with the application of a 50 percent reduction along specific stretches of motorways, although electric cars are still not included.

The measure, which is in the State Budget for 2021 (OE2021), determines "a 50

percent discount on the toll fee, applicable to each transaction", with effect from Thursday, 1 July, 2021.The motorway stretches and sub-stretches covered by this measure are those identified in annex i to decree-law no. 67-A/2010, including in the Costa de Prata Concession: A17 - Mira (LC concession)/Aveiro Nas-cente, A25 - Pirâmides (Aveiro Oeste)/Albergaria (BLA con-cession), A29 - Angeja/Maceda, A29 - Maceda/(A29/A44); in

the Grande Porto Concession: A4 - Sendim/Águas Santas, A41 - Freixieiro/Ermida (IC25), A42 - (IC24/IC25)/Felgueiras; and in the Norte Litoral Concession: A28 - IC 24/Viana do Castelo.The 50 percent discount on the toll fee also covers the motorway sec-tions and subsections referred to in Decree-Law No. 111/2011, namely A22, which is part of the Algarve Concession; A23, from the Estradas de Portugal Concession; A23, from the Beira Interior Concession; A24, from the North Interior Conces-sion; and A25, from the Beira Litoral/Beira Alta concession.OE2021 also determines "a 75 percent discount on the toll fee

applicable in each transaction, for electric and non-polluting vehicles", but the Government ex-plained that "the implementation of the discount scheme provided for electric and non-polluting vehicles will imply the adoption of a significant set of technical oper-ational measures that the measure from entering into force on 1 July, 2021”.The Government is going to create a system of modulation of the value of toll fees for vehicles of classes 2, 3 and 4 for the road transport of goods and passengers, for the motorways covered by the new discount model provided for in OE2021.In this sense, “the toll fees for vehicles of classes 1, 2, 3 and 4 on the sections and sub-motorways of the A4 - Túnel do Marão and A4 - Vila Real-Bragança (Quint-anilha) motorways are reduced by 15 percent”, decided the Govern-ment, according to the resolution of the Council of Ministers, approved on 17 June of this year.

Approval of discounts The proposal for discounts of 50 percent on the toll fee for all vehicles and 75 percent for electric and non-polluting vehicles was presented by the PSD and

approved by parliament under the OE2021 law.The approval of the measure caused some controversy. Despite the opposition, on 19 May, the Minister of Territorial Cohesion said, in parliament, that she would comply with the OE2021 law regarding a 50 percent reduction in tolls in ex-SCUT (ex tolls free of charge for the user) from 1 July of this year.The minister highlighted that she has always defended the reduc-tion of tolls, but for it to be done

gradually "because the impacts are high".Ana Abrunhosa then pointed out that the 50 percent reduction of tolls in the former SCUT also "implies complex contractual issues" with concessions and sub-concessions, with whom it is necessary to "negotiate financial balances", considering that a large part of the concessions ends in 2023.The Government estimated an impact of €160 million annually due to this reduction in tolls.

Over a million digital certificates issued

Over one million digital certificates have already been issued by health authorities in Portugal. The certificates only recently became available in Portugal and their use only came into effect on 1 July. The digital certificates are designed to facilitate the return to free movement within the EU within the context of the Covid-19 pan-demic; the certificates should be free and work like a travel boarding pass, in digital and/or paper format.

Indian community growing fastThe Indian community was the fastest growing foreign communi-

ty in Portugal in 2020, having grown to 24,550 citizens. The Indian community has now surpassed the Angolan and Guinean commu-nity, according to the Immigration, Borders and Asylum Report (RIFA) released by Portugal’s SEF orders and immigration service. The report notes that the number of citizens from India more than tripled last year compared to 2016 and are now 9th on the list of the top-10 most representative foreign communities in Portugal.

Smoking contributed to deaths of over 13,000

More than 13,000 people died in 2019 in Portugal from smok-ing-related diseases, of whom 1,771 died from passive smoking. This is according to a Report by the National Programme for the Prevention and Control of Tobacco Use, by the Directorate-Gen-eral for Health. Latest estimates published in the report show that 11.7 percent of deaths in 2019 in Portugal were due to smoking; the majority were men.

5The Portugal News · 3 Jul 2021

The Portugal News · 3 Jul 20216 NewsNo refund for 40% of plane tickets cancelled About 5.5 million airline tickets were cancelled in 2020 by airlines operating in Portugal, of which 40 percent of passengers were not reimbursed - instead they have received vouchers or are still waiting for a solution.

The information from the European Court of Auditors (TCE), concludes that “the rights of air transport

passengers in the European Union remained on the ground during the pandemic” of Covid-19, namely in Portugal, due to successive cancellations and restrictions.With regard to Portugal, data from the TCE reveal that, in 2020, 5.5 million tickets were cancelled by the main airlines operating in Portugal, affecting about “87 percent of passengers on flights to or from Portugal”.Of the total cancelled tickets in Portugal, the TCE points out that close to 60 percent (3.3 million) were reimbursed to passengers during the year 2020.However, another 28 percent (1.6 million

tickets) were converted into vouchers for later use, “with no guarantee that passengers would agree”, while around 5 percent (more than 300,000 tickets) were unresolved by the end last year and almost 7 percent (360,000 tickets) were related to cases where passengers did not claim a refund or find a possibility of re-routing.The latter concerned in particular, tickets from low-cost airlines, which, due to the low price, meant that passengers did not seek a solution.With regard to the deadlines for refunding tickets in Portugal, the TCE points out that they varied depending on the airline, and “they increased exponentially after March 2020”, reaching a peak between June and September (between 31 and 59 days).Between September and December these

repayment deadlines “started gradually to return to normality”, the court points out.Annemie Turtelboom, member of the court responsible for the report, said in an interview with Lusa news agency that, “in February 2021, airlines in Portugal reported that they were already refunding air tickets between two and 20 days after the cancellation” of the flights.The data cited by the ECA in the report was transmitted by the National Civil Aviation Authority (ANAC) of Portugal, also taking into account interviews and surveys carried out with federations and associations, as well as information from the European Commission.However, not all national authorities have provided data to the court, which according to Annemie Turtelboom means that “it is not possible to compare” countries.

Air passengers “rights not protected”The European Court of Auditors (ECA) considers that the rights of air passengers in the European Union (EU) were not safeguarded during the pandemic, becoming “airline creditors” due to problems with refunds.

“We found that the rights of air passengers were not protected during the pandemic and, between March 2020 and March 2021, tens of millions of passengers had their flights can-celled and were very poorly informed about their rights”, says Lusa Annemie Turtelboom, member of the court, in an interview with Lusa News Agency.

On the day the ECA publishes the report “Air passenger rights during the Covid-19 pandemic: essential rights are not protected despite the Commission’s efforts”, Anne-

mie Turtelboom told Lusa that, “at this time, passengers are in fact the creditors of airlines in difficulty, in the sense that their money is in the airlines’ bank accounts and has not been repaid”.

Despite the fact that European legislation provides “certain rights, such as the right to reimbursement if the flight is cancelled, which was largely ignored during this pandemic” and led to these passengers “losing their money”, adds the official.

In addition to the problems with refunds,

Annemie Turtelboom also points out that, “during this pandemic, passengers were often forced to accept vouchers instead of refunds”.

“This is illegal, it is against EU law, which says that normally either it is refunded within seven or 14 days, depending upon the catego-ry, but that it must be refunded”.

Annemie Turtelboom points out that, at the same time, “airlines received an unprece-dented amount of public money, around €35 billion to help them survive and to prevent them from going bankrupt”.

At stake are the more flexible rules of the European Commission for state aid at a time of crisis caused by the pandemic, which led many EU countries to support their airlines, as Por-tugal did with TAP (first with €1.2 billion and more recently with €462 million) or with SATA (€133 million).

“But airlines have not always used this money to reimburse passengers. Our governments could and should have insisted that this public aid has to be conditional on the reimbursement of passengers”, points out the ECA member.

7The Portugal News · 3 Jul 2021NewsPre pandemic popularity

Mid table for Portugal in Covid-19 global rankingsThe US leads Bloomberg’s ranking of the 53 best countries to be in during the Covid-19 pandemic, while Portugal has been ranked in a lowly 29th position.

“Nearly a year and a half into the pandemic, the best and worst places to be in the Covid-19 era are increasingly defined by one thing: normalisation,” says Bloomberg.

The biggest vaccination campaign in history is enabling some parts of the world to begin to abolish the use of masks in the street, relax restrictions and ease barriers at borders. “The central point is the opening of an economy to the world”, says the financial news agency, adding that for that reason it has introduced a new element of analysis in the ranking - reopening progress.

Two new metrics on ease of entry and exit from a loca-tion and recovery of air travel were also introduced, along with 10 other measures that track different data, from mor-

tality rates to infected counts, freedom of movement and economic growth. This methodology introduced changes in the ranking and now “the US is number one, with rapid and expansive implementation of the vaccine”, after having had “the worst outbreak in the world”.

According to the study “restaurants are busy, masks aren’t needed for those vaccinated, and Americans are going on holiday again, encouraged by a vaccination that covers half the population, while a 1.9 billion dollars economic stimulus package (about €1.6 billion at the current exchange rate) and the increase in inoculation contribute to increased consumer confidence. Because of the shift in the ‘ranking’ focus, we are not comparing directly to last month,” Bloomberg notes.

In second place is New Zealand, followed by Switzer-land, Israel, France, Spain, Australia, mainland China, United Kingdom and South Korea, the latter in tenth place. “European countries like Switzerland, France and Spain are in the top 10 as they are opening the borders for vaccinated tourists, while hospitalisations are decreasing thanks to the inoculation,” Bloomberg said.

Portugal occupies the 29th place, after Germany (28th), being above Hong Kong (30th), the Czech Republic (31st) and Russia (32nd). Below Portugal we find coun-tries including Poland (35th), Brazil (41st), South Africa (42nd), India (50th) and Argentina (53rd and last place in the ranking).

Lisbon was the fourth most sought-after city, and Portugal the fifth most popular country in tourist bookings made in 2019, on the four private platforms Airbnb, Booking, Expedia Group and Tripadvisor, according to Eurostat.

The data from Eurostat, which results from a data-sharing agreement concluded in March 2020 by the European Union (EU) statistical office and the four platforms, shows that in

2019, the top city destinations for short-term bookings were the urban areas of Paris (15.1 million overnight stays), Barcelona (11.3 million), Rome (10.4 million), Lisbon (10.5 million) and Madrid (8.3 million).Porto comes in 10th place on the list, with 5.2 million overnight stays booked through these platforms.The five most popular destination countries for stays booked through the four private platforms were Spain (112 million nights), France (109 million), Italy (83 million), Germany (40 million nights) and Portugal (33 million).The 33 million overnight stays in Portugal corresponded in 2019 to 2.6 million stays, with 29 million overnight stays and 2.2 million stays recorded

by international tourists.Considering the regions, Andalusia (Spain) recorded the highest number of overnight stays in 2019 (25.9 million), followed by Jadranska Hrvatska (Croatia), with 24.5 million, and Catalonia (Spain), with 21.4 million.In the top 20, the Lisbon Metropolitan Area (11.7 million overnight stays) is in 9th place and the Algarve (9.4 million) in 14th.In the EU, 554 million overnight stays were booked through Airbnb, Booking, Expedia Group and Tripadvisor, representing 53 million stays which, according to Eurostat, means that 100 stays per minute and 150,000 per day were booked, in a universe of about 1.5 million guests who slept in a bed booked through one of these four platforms every day.On the other hand, two out of every three overnight stays were by a tourist from another country (372 million guest nights, or 67 percent of the total).

The Portugal News · 3 Jul 20218 NewsCaring in LagoaA new project aims to combine health support for the elderly, quality of life and well-being in the municipality of Lagoa.

As a western country, Portugal follows the European

pattern of aging. For this reason, over the years, some physical limitations may lead people to look for help with some of their daily tasks.The Santa Casa da Misericórdia of Lagoa is aware of these needs and wants to take a step forward, through the creation of two support mechanisms, the day care

centre and the home care and support services. “The new administrative board of Santa Casa da Misericórdia of Lagoa considers that it would be important to give some value to a building (already owned by the entity) and to create a project that has to do with the needs of the municipality of Lagoa”, said the head of Santa Casa da Misericórdia of Lagoa, Paulo Francisco, while was explaining the history of the building,

located at one of the entrances to the city.The building has a great legacy. In this sense, all renovations will always take its identity into account and maintain it. For many years, the place that was a hospital later became a health centre before the construction of the new one. After that, there was a period in which it had a continuous care service. At the moment, a new meaning is about to be given to these

Faro campsite reopens

walls that have always been linked to health.

Home care and support “Unfortunately, we have many elderly people living alone in Lagoa and many of them don’t have their families close to them. The home care that we intend to develop is a home care in which people can feel supported not only in terms of hygiene and food, but also medical care and wellbeing”, stated Paulo Francisco.“Through proximity support we want to have many different services that adapt to other sorts of needs, namely people’s health and well-being. For example, having company or just having someone if they need it”, said Paulo Francisco. The foreign community is also important for Santa Casa da Mesericórdia de Lagoa. However, they recognise that this community usually adopts

a very pro-active attitude to the elderly. “Many of foreigners want to be in their homes, but on the other hand, because they are alone in Portugal, they need that support, to have someone to look after them if they need anything - it can be the purchase of a simple object or medicines. Over the years, the entire population that is becoming older will be more demanding. And we want to be part of that process, providing these structures, meeting their hopes”, he said. “With the home care, we intend to allow them to stay in their homes, as they like to be, and to bring them the services they need - hygiene service, equipment, meals, but also to bring them someone who can read books to them, for example”, he highlighted.

Day centreThe day care centre will also have the goal of providing well-being

and happiness to the users. “There will be a dynamic of indoor and outdoor activities, such as visits to monuments and exhibitions. We will have young and dynamic teams always looking at each individuals, trying to understand their personal preferences - what that person likes to do”, said Paulo Francisco.In the beginning, they have programmed to start with 30 people in day care and 30 in home care. “From a sustainable point of view, we don’t want to increase the number of people and lose the quality of the service”.Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Lagoa is seeking funding for the project, du to this, there is still no date for the opening of the space, but they hope it will be soon.For further information, please visit their website at https://www.misericordialagoa.pt/

The new centre will preserve the history of the building

The new campsite officially opened on Saturday, 26 June, after 18 years of being closed and is already welcoming visitors at Praia de Faro.

The renovated Praia de Faro Municipal Camping Park reopened on 28 June, with a capacity for 689 people. This emblematic space is located between the Ria Formosa and the sea.

The opening of the campsite took place last Saturday but even before opening to the general public, it was symboli-

cally “premiered” over the weekend by groups of scouts and guides from the municipality.

With a total area of 20,372 square metres, this site now has 200 lots for camping and tents (575 people) and 24 lots for caravanning (114 people). However, due to the pan-demic, this space will work for now with limited capacity, which will adjust according to the pandemic situation. In addition to this, about a hundred trees have been planted at the site.

During the reopening, the mayor of Faro, Rogério Bacalhau, welcomed the end of a long battle to return this

emblematic space to public use. “This space should have been working for some time, but today, finally, we have here a unique space with all the conditions and a phenomenal location, with the sea to the south and the Ria Formosa to the north”, said Rogério Bacalhau, adding that “there is no other campsite with these characteristics”.

“From now on, everyone who wants to stay at the camp-site is able to”, added the president, by way of invitation.

Those interested in enjoying the new Camping Park may also contact the reception of the Camping Park, by calling 289 870 805 or by emailing [email protected]

N Paula Martins

The Portugal News · 3 Jul 202110 NewsOver 4.5 million visit Portugal beaches in JuneMore than 4.5 million people were on the beaches in mainland Portugal between 1 and 27 June, registering 259 red flags for full occupancy and 359 yellow flags for high occupancy.

According to the Portuguese Environment Agency (APA)

“During the first weekend of the start of the 2021 Bathing Season [5 and 6 June], more than 198,200 people were on the beaches in mainland Portugal, with 27 red flags

[full occupancy] and 28 yellow flags [high occupancy] registered," APA said in a statement.According to the APA, the majority of the 278 municipalities of the Portuguese mainland began the bathing season of coastal beaches on 12 June, with the

exception of the Algarve and part of the Tagus and West that started on 1 June and the municipality of Cascais that began on 29 May."During the month of June [from 1 to 27], it is estimated that more than 4.5 million people were on the beaches in mainland Portugal, having

registered 259 red flags [full occupancy] and 359 yellow flags [high occupancy]," informs the Agency.In this context, the APA indicates that the online app, Info Praia, which is available to download, is again active, with the aim of facilitating access to updated information on the beaches and the quality of bathing waters."On site, the indication of the level of occupancy of the beaches continues to be guaranteed by the green, yellow and red triangular flags," ensures the Agency.The green flags mean low occupancy, which corresponds to a use up to 50 percent, yellow is high occupancy, which corresponds to a use between 50 percent and 90 percent, and red is full occupancy, which corresponds to a use above 90 percent.For the second consecutive year, in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Government has published the capacities of the beaches in mainland Portugal, in order

to "ensure the safety of users and the protection of public health".According to the Government's ordinance, published on 14 June in the Diário da República, Nazaré beach, in the Tejo/Oeste region, is the busiest during the 2021 bathing season, with a potential occupancy capacity of up to 17,100 bathers.This year, the bathing season can run from 15 May to 15 October.The rules for access to beaches and bathing areas this summer, established by the Government in the context of the pandemic, came into force on 19 May, establishing fines ranging from €50 to €100 for individuals and €500 to €1,000 in the case of legal persons.Among the rules established (and whose non-compliance is subject to fines) is the use of mask in access to the beach and in the use of support, restaurants or sanitary facilities, the practice

of non-individual sports, the non-compliance with the social distance between people and groups, particularly on the beach, and the non-compliance with the rules for circulating on the accesses, walkways and walls.The concessionaires may also be fined for the lack of spaces with information about the rules or for non-compliance with the rules of the Directorate General of Health (DGS) in terms of hygiene and occupation limits of spaces such as toilets and restaurants.As a general rule, the diploma establishes for users and concessionaires the rules to fight the pandemic that are already known: respiratory etiquette, physical distance and hygiene of hands and spaces during the use of the beach.Before accessing the beach, users can check its capacity through information updated throughout the day on the mobile application "Info Praia" and on the APA website.

The Portugal News · 3 Jul 202112 News€80 million for Brexit hit businessesPlanning minister Nelson de Souza has said that Portugal will have access to a package of €80 million euros of European funds for companies and sectors affected by Brexit.

During a hearing, at the Committee on Economy, Innovation,

Public Works and Housing, the government official announced “a new programme to support the necessary adjustment for some sectors and companies from the

impacts arising from Brexit, an initiative launched during the Portuguese presidency [of the European Union ] with a global value at European level of €5 billion. Portugal will have the opportunity to access a package close to €80 million”, he said.Nelson de Souza took stock

of the development of several community programmes, focusing on the work carried out in the last six months, during the Portuguese presidency.In addition to the large programmes approved, totalling €800 billion, the minister highlighted smaller

envelopes, such as the “package obtained of more than €50 million in support from the European Union's solidarity fund being used in Portugal to reimburse municipalities for part of the expenses they had associated with Covid-19”.Nelson de Souza also recalled the approval of the REACT programme, representing a total of €2 billion, 70 percent of which has already been allocated.As for the structural funds, the Planning minister highlighted that Portugal was committed “to creating the conditions for them to move forward”.The regulations of several funds have been published, including the Feder and the Cohesion Fund, as well as “a regulation for the coordination of these European funds”, he said.

News in BriefOn the move

Almost half of Portuguese want to move house after lockdown is fully released, according to a survey by Century 21. In comments to Lusa News Agency, group CEO Ricardo Sousa said "demand has remained constant, even during lockdown". The company carried out the survey on 450 people over two phases, in October 2020 and in January 2021, to understand "the new needs and new perspectives that people have in terms of housing”.

Asylum applications downThe number of asylum applications in Portugal

dropped by 45.8 percent last year compared to 2019, which hasn’t happened since 2016, according to figures from borders and immigration service SEF. Of the 1,002 requests for asylum, the vast majority were made already in national territory, at such as border posts, housing units and prisons. The figures further show 80.2 percent of asylum requests were made by men and about 90.9 percent were under 40 years of age.

Four vaccines recognised by digital certificate

Only four vaccines are recognised by the digital certificate. Portuguese residents abroad who wish to enter Portugal presenting proof of vaccination against Covid-19 will only be able to do so if they have received one of the four vaccines approved by the European Commission, if they test negative or show recovery. These vaccines, which are being adminis-tered in Portugal and in most EU Member States, are BioNTech-Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca and Janssen.

The Portugal News · 3 Jul 202114 Business

Susana GuerreiroInterior Design & Architecture

Rua Manuel Teixeira Gomes, Nº949 A8135-016, Almancil - Portugal

37.080160, -8.045930

[email protected] (+351) 289 392 110

WWW.SUSANAGUERREIRO.COM

Hotel Industry Association to hold congress in Algarve The Hotel and Tourism Association (AHP) will hold its 32nd national congress between 11 and 13 November in the Algarve, the organisation announced in a statement.

“November 2021 marks the re-turn of the National Hospitality and Tourism Congress, organised by the Hotel Association of Por-tugal (AHP),” it said, adding that “from 11 to 13 November, in the Algarve, it is time to talk about the future of the sector.”“We are experiencing very difficult times in the sector, after years of great growth,” says AHP, questioning what “the future holds” and how the sector should prepare to keep up with it.“What trends, opportunities

and challenges will Tourism and Hospitality face? With the reo-pening of the world and recovery on the horizon, this is the time to rethink Tourism, the destination Portugal and business,” guaran-tees the entity.“It is time to get together again in Congress. We therefore invite the entire ‘Hospitality Industry’ and all those who work, interact or accompany the most dynamic sector in Portugal to join the 32nd edition of the National Congress of Hospitality and

Tourism.”AHP also ensures that the event “features renowned national and international speakers and opens opportunities to deepen relations between the Tourism sector, professionals who work in it and other social and economic areas”.The AHP held its last congress in Viana do Castelo in 2019, and the event was suspended in 2020, returning, “now to the Algarve region, where it had taken place eight years ago,” according to the association.

Hotel bookings forecast “extremely low” in August

The forecast for hotel bookings for August is only 46 percent, according to a survey conducted by the Hotel Industry Association of Portugal (AHP), which is considered a “very low” value.

These data were found by AHP, after a survey conducted between 7 and 21 June and which counted with valid responses from 610 hotel units distributed through-out the country.

Thus, for August, usually one of the best months for tourism, the forecast for book-ings is 46 percent, decreasing to 37 percent in September and registering a slight im-provement to 50 percent in October.

“Amongst the main conclusions of the survey, we highlight the high prevalence of refundable reservations, the decrease in group reservations, which represent less

than 20 percent of the total for 71 percent of respondents, and the rescheduling and use of ‘vouchers’ of postponed reservations from the previous year is below 20 percent, which demonstrates the preference for reimbursement.”

The executive vice-president of AHP, Cristina Siza Vieira, who presented the survey, also highlighted that 68 percent of respondents said they intended to strength-en their teams by hiring temporary workers.

However, of those 68 percent, 64 percent say they are “having great difficulty in hiring workers to respond” to this period, particularly in the Algarve, Centre and Alentejo regions, pointing to the change of area of various professionals and the unemployment benefits that some are still receiving.

Microsoft and Algarve University launch AI course

Microsoft and the Univer-sity of Algarve (UAlg) have announced the signing of a collaboration. The training, which will run from 25 Sep-tember to 30 October, aims to create the basis for executives and managers to define strate-gies, implement practices and evaluate results of AI-related investments. Registration will run between 1 and 17 September.

“The intention is to give tools to these decision-makers to better use this technology, which already exists, in the best possible way, with smarter and more profitable recom-mendations,” Microsoft’s chief

technology officer told Lusa.On the sidelines of the sign-

ing of the protocol, Manuel Dias said that the choice of the University of Algarve is due to the existence in the region of a tourist and restaurant sector where AI technology can be applied to “help in the economic recovery, helping decision-makers to launch ser-vices to capture customers and create margin, increasing their knowledge of the customer.

From a practical point of view, he exemplified with what he called the “integrat-ed and intelligent journey of a tourist” where from the moment he makes a reserva-

tion until he arrives in the city he can have the entire tourist offer “personalised” through “recommendation algorithms, advanced mobility patterns or the characteristics of that tourist”.

The dean of UAlg told Lusa that this “is not a course for computer scientists”, but for “decision makers” that will have the first contact with solutions that already exist in the market and that can serve them to “solve certain problems”, giving them tools that will “enable to strengthen the competitiveness of their companies by increasing their created value”.

15The Portugal News · 3 Jul 2021BusinessControversial new solar power plant plans

From olive press to student digsAn old olive press situated in the historic centre of Elvas (Portalegre) will be transformed into a residence to host 81 students, representing an investment of €4 million.

The signing of the contract for the adaptation of the former Lagar dos Lopes to a student residence took place in Elvas, and the work

has a deadline of 24 months.“It is an investment of €4 million, financed 50 percent by community funds”, said the Mayor, Nuno Mocinha, to the Lusa agency.According to the mayor, “the work should have already started” at the end of last year or the beginning of this year, “but the delay was due to needing to wait for approval from the Court of Auditors”.This investment will bring “more capacity” to “attract” students to the School of Agriculture of Elvas, educational institution located in the city and belonging to the Polytechnic Insti-tute of Portalegre (IPP), stressed the mayor.

“It is the contribution that the Municipality of Elvas can give to higher education, youth and attracting people to our territory. Some of these students, when they come, no longer leave, end up taking the course here, stay here working and end up starting a family. There are several examples in this sense”, he added.The municipality, which acquired the mill property for around €200,000, will build a residence consisting of single and double rooms and studios, with a total of 81 beds.Study and social rooms, a dining room and kitchen, laundry facilities and patios are other features of the residence.“We will have 60 single rooms, three one bedroom flats, two single suites and eight double rooms,” said the mayor.

The panels ware planned to be installed in an area of 137.05 hectares, where 553,722 photovoltaic modules will be mounted.

The project to install a large solar plant in the parish of Cercal do Alentejo, municipality of Santiago do Cacém (Setúbal), may imply the “artificialisation of rural areas”, warned the environmental association ,Zero, as local people sign a petition against the development.

“Zero is extremely concerned when we are facing an artificialisation of rural

space for the installation of equipment for energy production,” Nuno Forner, of Zero, told Lusa news agency.The project of this solar photovoltaic plant, that the company Cercal Power, S.A intends to develop in Cercal do Alentejo, foresees an overall investment of €164.2 million and the respective Environmental Impact Study (EIA) was in public consultation until 10 May.The initiative, which is raising criticism from residents, including petitions, has resulted from the merger of five smaller plants, “with production licenses already attributed” by the Directorate General of Energy and Geology, and the construction of a Very High Voltage Line (LMAT).The panels are planned to be installed in an area of 137.05 hectares, where 553,722 photovoltaic modules will be mounted, with a total injection power of 223.6 MVA (megavolt-ampere) to produce an average of

596,206 megawatts (Mwh)/year, according to the non-technical summary of the EIA, consulted by Lusa.For the Zero leader, Cercal Power’s investment in “areas that are currently used for agriculture and a small percentage for forestry production” has an impact on “some species with a high conservation status”, such as “the kite and Bonelli’s eagle”, he warned.These are species that “are very dependent on these agricultural areas for their food and, in some cases, for their reproduction”, stressed the environmentalist, who also criticised the construction of an LMAT “of over 20 kilometres” for “crossing areas where forest areas predominate”, which will mean “significant felling” of eucalyptus, cork oak and pine trees.Against the installation of the plant, about a kilometre from the village of Cercal do Alentejo, a public petition was launched on the Internet, by local residents, farmers and tourism entrepreneurs, which by 5pm on 28 June, when consulted by Lusa, had 784 signatures.The signatories of the

petition, which reads “No to the photovoltaic plant of Cercal do Alentejo” and which is also circulating on paper, are against the “intensive monoculture of solar panels” and criticizes the Portuguese Environment Agency (APA) for allegedly holding a clarification session “just two days before the end of the deadline” for public consultation.“The proliferation of solar power plants is the new phenomenon on the Alentejo coast, after the intensive berry, olive and almond greenhouses. Plans for mega solar power plants around small villages and towns with a tenth of this area have to be reviewed,” the document reads.Contacted by Lusa, the Mayor of Santiago do Cacém, Álvaro Beijinha, said he was following “calmly” the process, managed by APA, and noted that the licensing application “has not yet entered the chamber” to “assess the proposal” and “understand whether or not it can be approved under the Municipal Master Plan.“That moment has not yet arrived and we do not even know if the project will be

approved by the APA, so I appeal for people’s serenity, because it is not a given that there will be a photovoltaic plant,” he reassured.But if the APA gives the “green light” for the project to go ahead, “I’m sure it will do so with many conditions, such as the distance

from the town of Cercal, from homes, tourism and businesses,” the mayor said.The municipality, as part of the EIA, presented an opinion in which it raised “a number of reservations,” such as “proximity” to the town and “the felling of holm and cork oaks.

In the document, the council also warned of the need to “create tree curtains” to “minimise the environmental impact”, the mayor said, criticising those who are “trying to create noise” around this issue and “putting a bad label on Santiago do Cacém”.

The Portugal News · 3 Jul 202116 BusinessA summer filled with joy

Nowhere does summer quite like Quinta do Lago; and this year is no exception.

The resort is welcoming back residents, holiday makers and

property owners alike to enjoy the outdoor summer lifestyle in the heart of the Algarve, complete with

relaxed family events, sports and wellness activities and al fresco dining.Imagine tasty, fresh food made from organic, local produce, served on a table overlooking a sparkling lake, beside an ancient olive

tree or under a swaying palm, and enjoyed with your closest friends and family. From the mastery of new Asian Robata Grill restaurant, UMAMI, to the legacy of fine dining at the resort’s oldest restaurant,

Casa Velha, Quinta do Lago combines fresh and flavour-some food with location, service and atmosphere for unforgettable gastronomic experiences.Quinta do Lago CEO, Sean Moriarty, told The Portugal News: “Focusing on local produce is very important to us in Quinta do Lago. We have our own farm in the resort which we have expanded to two and a half acres and the restaurants use this to source fresh ingre-dients daily. You really can taste the difference of the farm produce.“We are also working on creating a close to zero carbon footprint menu, an-other example of how we are constantly looking to work sustainably.”A full summer calendar of family activities is also set to bring families together and make memories again once more. A weekly extrava-

ganza of joy, Friday Family Fun with KOKO presents an amazing menu of fresh pizzas, salads, burgers and desserts, with live music and a host of children’s entertainment, including face painting, games and golf play. Movies in the Park is also back, this year with a carnival theme, along with The Shack’s legendary summer parties, Bovino Steakhouse’s sizzling Brunch, live music days and relaxed poolside vibes with Dive In Movies and Sounds at Sundown at The Magno-lia Hotel, plus much more.“We are continuing with our programme of enter-tainment for everyone while following all the new rules in place, while we have also priced activities and events in a very exciting new way, giving even more value for money for families,” said Sean Moriarty.Elsewhere in the resort,

Quinta do Lago is home to an array of outdoor leisure activities. From three world-class golf courses, to The Campus multi-sports hub and abundant nature trails, Quinta do Lago is a haven for anyone seeking an out-door lifestyle this summer. Friendly sports tourna-ments, fitness activities and personal coaching is all on offer, as well as week-long experiences for children like Dance Camp and Golf Camp.“The Campus is becoming a destination it itself,” said Sean, “It really is such a pleasure to have it in the resort and it has become the base for new communities forming”.Whether you are visiting for holidays, are a local resident in the area or a property owner in the resort, Quinta do Lago is open for the entire family to enjoy this summer.

17The Portugal News · 3 Jul 2021OpinionUK quarantine – it’s just a matter of money and hidden agendasRules are rules, and there are no exceptions, unless you are rich or influential.

In other words, if you are one of the ‘global elite’ (or a British MP) the rules go out of the window. On

Tuesday, the UK Government reintroduced quarantine-free travel for senior executives. According to The Telegraph, the rules will only apply to companies with hundreds of workers. The UK government is in talks with UEFA and FIFA to exempt 2,500 VIPs and officials from the need to quarantine when they travel to Britain for the final of the Euros on 11 July. This has nothing to do with the fact that UEFA and FIFA threatened to take the final away from Wembley stadium and move it to Rome. As I write this, little has been said about the fans, but just wait, there will probably be a ‘deal’ for them as well. You could speculate that Boris wants to see the final from the comfort of Wembley’s royal box on 11 July, rubbing shoulders with the football elite. In addition to the 2,500 VIP’s an unspecified number of UEFA sponsors, football officials and broadcasters are likely to be given exemptions from the usual ten-day quarantine requirements. Then of course we hear that 140,000 fans have been authorised to attend next month’s grand prix at Silverstone. That’s 140,000 people shoulder to shoulder in ideal conditions to pass on Covid. Even Luis Hamilton is questioning the wisdom of this decision.

Portugal adopts vaccine passport or obligatory quarantine From Monday, 28 June, in order to enter mainland Portugal without the need to quarantine, you must show proof that you have been vaccinated, both jabs (unless you received a single jab vaccine such as Johnson & Johnson). Portugal has confirmed that children under the age of 18 will not have to quarantine on arrival, so long as they are accompanied by a fully vaccinated parent or guardian, but they must be able to show evidence of a recent negative Covid test. People in England can request an NHS Covid Pass via the NHS website or the NHS app… Note, this is different to the NHS Covid-19

app, which is used for contact tracing. You must be registered with a GP surgery to use the NHS app. Once logged in you can request an NHS Covid Pass. The system will generate a QR code, which lasts for 28 days. You can download a PDF copy or have it emailed to you.

This is in line with the EU the EU Covid-19 Vaccine Passport/Certificate, a one-piece document that can be issued to a traveller in both a paper and digital format. Holding such a document you will be able to travel throughout Europe without the need to quarantine or test for Covid-19. This was scheduled to be in place by 1 July, so Portugal is ahead of the game and has been issuing vaccine ‘passports’ for the last couple of weeks.

Probably most of us understand this decision, even though we might not like it. Portugal is suffering a worsening of the situation, especially in the Lisbon area despite the excellent vaccine programme and vaccine centres everywhere. One of the main reasons, a shortage of vaccinations being supplied by the EU. Why is that, you know the answer, the EU botched the procurement of the vaccines. Still in defensive and blame mode, the EU took AstraZeneca to court a couple of weeks ago claiming they had failed to fulfil their conrtact.

The company acknowledged its agreement with the EU allowed the option of supplying Europe from UK sites, but only once the UK had sufficient supplies. The full details of the company’s deals with the UK and the EU have not been made public. The court ruled, “All other measures sought by the European Commission have been dismissed, and in particular the Court found that the European Commission has no exclusivity or right of priority over all other contracting parties.”A report, published by the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) last week, suggested a poor early response to the health crisis and the

stuttering EU vaccine rollout had dealt a blow to confidence in the union’s capabilities. Majorities in France (62 percent), Italy (57 percent), Germany (55 percent), Spain (52 percent) and Austria (51 percent) described the EU project as “broken”.

Veronique Trillet-Lenoir told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that discussions were ongoing about taking a “harmonised” approach to travel rules with “third countries” such as the UK. In other words, if you are not in the EU you are out and will be victimised at every opportunity.

Confusion rulesMs Merkel and Emmanuel Macron are failing in enforcing their own agenda to make everyone quarantine irrespective of whether they are vaccinated or not. According to The Times, a “British government source” said Merkel looked “increasingly isolated”, adding: “A lot of countries will think it’s their own decision and not one to be decided in Berlin.” Fortunately, the official EU policy of vaccination passport

Angela Merkel

N Paul Luckman

“The views expressed on this page are those of the author and not those of The Portugal News”

is seemingly being adopted by almost everyone, except the UK, but perhaps the new Health Secretary will prove to be more reasonable than Matt Hancock.

Can vaccinated people still infect others?This is a question being asked by many people. Vaccines have been proven to prevent serious infection, and studies that show a reduction in transmission are building, but they aren’t fool proof. A recent study by Public Health England found that a single dose of either the Pfizer-BioNTech or AstraZeneca vaccine reduced household transmission by up to half. Preliminary scientific research also seems to suggest the Covid-19 vaccines make it less likely someone who’s vaccinated will transmit the coronavirus, but the proof is not yet ironclad.

ConclusionsThe EU Vaccine passport plan is a logical approach to living with Covid. It’s not perfect, as there are people who do not want, or for medical reasons can’t, receive

the vaccine, but until Covid is really under control, we will need to live with this project. The problem is that the UK won’t (yet) accept its own citizens returning from holiday WITH a vaccine passport or certificate. As I said earlier in this article, it seems that Boris will make exceptions when it suits him, but not for returning UK holiday makers. Do I sense an agenda?The total amount spent by UK holidaymakers on visits abroad came to around 43.4 billion sterling in 2019. The majority of spending is on holiday travel to destinations in Europe. It’s the most powerful market for European holiday destinations. It seems clear that Boris and Co do not want UK citizens to go on holiday, they want to keep the money at home. While pretending to give clarity and clear decisions, what we get is as clear as mud. Those who want to take a summer holiday in the sun are confused, the travel industry is in despair. An unnamed British MP said “the UK has become ‘Boris Johnson’s prison island’

The Portugal News · 3 Jul 202118 BusinessResidency and Tax ReturnsThe Sovereign Group has been assisting clients in Portugal with their fiscal queries for close to three decades. Whilst in the past these queries related mostly to property ownership or rental as well as providing support to foreign residents with regards to their tax returns, in the last year we have seen an unprecedented amount of individuals wanting guidance on the full implications of moving to Portugal and taking up tax residency.

To become a resident using an EU passport the process is relatively straightforward which involves a trip to the local town hall for the

residency certificate which is then registered at the tax department for the individual to become tax resident. For those without an EU passport the residency application is made using the Golden visa by investment route (requires a minimum investment of 350k€ in funds or 500k€ in property) or through a D7 passive income application (which requires passive income in the form of pensions, dividends, investments, rental income or self-employment). Sovereign Group can assist with both residency solutions and details can be found on our website. – sovereigngroup.com/portugal/Once residency is completed at the tax department the Non Habitual Residency (NHR) status can be applied for providing the individual has not been deemed a tax resident of Portugal in the five years prior to the application. Anyone becoming a

resident should avail themselves of the NHR programme with its ten years tax benefits and Sovereign has a full concierge service for NHR applications and will assist with the full understanding of how this impacts personal circumstances.However, before anyone becomes resident it is important to ensure that they have correctly structured their assets and income sources outside of Portugal in order to gain maximum tax benefits from their Portuguese residency. Sovereign’s Head of Business Development for Portugal, Shelley Wren, has over thirty years’ experience in investment advisory working with high net worth investors. Shelley works closely with the full remit of the SovereignGroup Services and can make recommendations according to clients’ needs and objectives, to guide them through the complexities of detailed tax guidance, residency in Portugal, the use of corporate structures, and how best to protect assets for secure wealth succession planning. Working in conjunction with our International team of experts we are well placed to support

cross border planning and solutions for our diversified client bank.In addition, and working with the Sovereign Portugal team, Shelley can advise clients on their Non Habitual Resident, Golden Visa and D7 Passive Income visa applications to ensure maximum tax benefitsMany recent enquiries to the Sovereign offices are from people who were not aware of their tax obligations and suddenly they now find themselves in a precarious tax situation with the Portuguese tax department. (See Sovereign’s article in last week’s The Portugal News).It is important for new residents to be aware of their fiscal obligation in Portugal. They must declare their Worldwide income via a yearly tax return. How they will be taxed depending on whether they are registered with residency at progressive rates (between 14.5% - 48%) or whether they have the NHR status. Sovereign can prepare and submit tax returns for clients. The tax year runs from January to December and the returns are submitted between April – June each year. Late submission incurs a fine and interest charges on any tax due.Many foreign residents are unaware that they can offset certain expenses on their tax returns.Whenever anyone buys something in a shop or contracts a service they will be asked if they want an invoice with their fiscal number. The answer can be yes because many of these invoices can be used for certain concessions on the individuals yearly tax return. Again, a topic for understanding on a personal basis of the benefits.When contracting a firm or individual for the provision of a service, or when completing a purchase, individuals should ask for a FATURA (proper invoice) with their name, fiscal number and property address on it. This invoice is thus automatically logged on the individual’s file at the tax department and may count towards the tax return. Eligible expenses are:

• Medical expenses (doctors, hospitals, pharmacy invoices)• Education expenses for children• Veterinary invoices• Hairdressers, beauty salons• Car and motorbike repairs• General household expenses - supermarkets, utilities etc• Restaurants and Hotels/accommodation• Old age residential homes in Portugal.

Faturas for the above sectors will be considered in calculating the final tax due in Portugal on the individual’s worldwide

income. However, note that only a percentage of the Faturas is used, with a maximum limit for each member of the household. For instance, for medical expenses 15% of the expenditure is allowed up to a maximum of 1000€ per person whereas for general expenses it is 35% with a maximum of 250 Euro.It is important to note that in respect of structural improvements on a Portuguese property, Faturas from the previous twelve years may be offset towards reducing a capital gain on the sale of the property. Equally for residents, the sale of a property abroad must be reported in the tax return in Portugal as part of the worldwide income. This also applies to the sale of shares, stocks and investments.At Sovereign we so often hear new clients say “Oh but I pay my taxes in the UK, I do not have income in Portugal” but there is a constant exchange of information between countries and it is no longer a simple matter of paying tax in the country of source. Double tax treaties must be triggered for individuals to obtain, for instance, their pensions gross of tax, and therefore plan to have the funds to pay the tax in Portugal when requested.Sovereign’s Portugal office has a full complement of long-standing bilingual personnel with a large team of qualified accountants who are experienced in dealing with complex tax returns with the various income sources of resident and non-resident clients. In addition, the office provides rental accounts services and fiscal representation and now has concierge services for assisting clients with their tax residency applications.The Sovereign Group has over 450 employees spanning Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Africa, offering ranges across market entry, trustee and director services, accounting, payroll, occupational and personal pension plans, employee benefit packages and incentive plans, local licenses and permits, company secretarial and company management. Additional specialist services include asset management, foreign property ownership, retirement planning, residence and immigration, bespoke corporate and private client insurance, as well as yacht and aircraft registration, ownership and management.The Sovereign Group is proud to have a global reach from a local point of delivery.

Whatever your fiscal query con-tact Sovereign today on: [email protected] or telephone (+351) 282340480.


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SUBPRIME, COVID-19 and the Portuguese Real Estate MarketBefore the subprime event, a lot of British and Irish citizens were choosing Portugal to buy property.

The economic health of those countries, combined with the favourable Portuguese

banking conditions, were a natural incentive to promote the Portuguese real estate market, especially in the Algarve and Cascais.The subprime crisis (2007/2008), triggered by the fall of the financial monsters Bear Searns and Lehman Brothers, had a domino effect on the Euro Zone, killing business, increasing sovereign debt and exposing vulnerable EU countries to a bankruptcy scenario. After that the Euro system was never the same and the following years were quite harsh to countries like Portugal. The retraction of the world economy made everybody become cautious before spending money and, due to that, property sales in Portugal dropped significatively. According to the Bank of Portugal, the building permits granted in 2014 represented only 32% of the licences granted in 2009. That reality was not going back to normal without appropriate measures.The Portuguese authorities have been working for the last 10 years to attract foreign investors into the national real estate market.Fiscal advantages like the NRH - Non-Habitual Resident tax

privilege (Regime Fiscal do Residente Não Habitual) allowed high tax reductions or even exemptions to pensioners and to other eligible candidates. The EU/EEE/SWITZERLAND residence certificate, available for residents or investors or to be used along with the NHR system to access the existing tax privilege, eased foreign fiscal domiciles in Portugal.The Investment Golden Visa (Autorização de Residência para Investimento) improved the settlement of investors and allowed them to live and work in Portugal, as well as to travel within the Schengen space. The Urban Centre Rehabilitation Programme (Incentivos para a Reabilitação de Centros Urbanos), set to protect and restore ancient buildings and The Rural Areas Programme (Incentivos para as Áreas do Interior), released to fight the exodus to the cities, also played its part on getting foreigners to invest in Portugal.This strategy made Portugal one of the most wanted in the world, being on the top of the rankings of the countries that have been chosen to live in and to retire to.By 2016, the real estate incentives, the settlement of the banking system, the golden

visas, the fiscal privileges and the growth of tourism in Portugal inverted the trend: the real estate market was reaching to the levels of the old days.By 2020, things were going quite well, being the real estate sector one of the main engines of Portugal’s economic growth.But then COVID-19 appeared.Did the pandemic have a

negative effect on the real estate market?One thing is certain: the disease drastically changed our daily routines, our work and our mobility. But it didn’t have a severe impact on the real estate market, like the subprime event. Nowadays, the focus of the foreign citizens keen to buy property in Portugal is oriented towards living in a safe environment with decent infrastructures, good food, good weather and amongst friendly people. This is one of the definitions of Portugal.Lockdowns and quarentine challenged the daily routines and created a new normal, by “imprisoning” us in our homes or, in a different perspective, forcing people to adapt their houses into their new online office, which may become permanent.That said, COVID-19 had no significant alteration on the real estate market and the shortage of property to sell in the most wanted locations is proof of that reality.To proceed with the real estate

sector strategy, the Portuguese law comprehends the D7 VISA, available for pensioners, retired people or foreigners with stable income out of real estate, intellectual property, financial investments etc.This visa was created to attract people with a settled life and financial comfort. Whoever lives in Portugal under this status, will generate economic trade and due to that fact, also wealth, tax income for the government and new jobs. Obviously the main reasons for the success of the D7 Visa are the same ones that made the Golden Visa successful: safety, good weather, good food and a friendly nation.The Portuguese real estate market is expanding as we speak, even through these harsh times. It is actually one the power engines that will make everything to go back on track. COVID-19 may have changed the world, but it didn’t change the will of our fellow citizens to choose Portugal as their new home.

Dra. Cláudia de Sousa Antunes

Cláudia de Sousa AntunesAG INTERNATIONAL | Law FirmDigital Helpdesk: www.aginternational.eu

20 The Portugal News · 3 Jul 2021 Property Insight brought to you byPub.

21The Portugal News · 3 Jul 2021Personal Finance brought to you byPub.

N Manuela Robinson, Associate Director

Blacktower Financial Management has been providing expert, localised, wealth management ad-vice in Portugal for the last 20 years. We can help with specialist, independent advice on securing your financial future. Get in touch with us on (+351) 289 355 685 or email us at [email protected].

This communication is based on our understanding of current taxation legislation and prac-tices which is subject to change and is not intended to constitute, and should not be construed as, investment advice, investment recommendations or investment research. You should seek advice form a professional adviser before embarking on any f inancial planning activityAvenam

The importance of being registered as a Tax Resident in PortugalIf you live in Portugal, it is likely to be in your interests to register as a tax resident – doing so will ensure that your worldwide income and capital gains are taxed in Portugal.

Understanding how to prove residency status to the Portuguese Tax Authority is not always straightforward, so,

here in the Algarve, Blacktower Financial Management is on hand to help you ensure you are registered correctly. In order to qualify for Portuguese tax residency, you will have to satisfy Finanças (Portuguese Tax Authorities) that you are resident in the country 183 days or more within the relevant 12-month period. However, you may still qualify for Portuguese residency even if you do not meet the 183 days test because you may still be deemed tax resident if you own a Portuguese property which is considered to be your ‘primary and permanent home’. Determining the correct tax status for your circumstances and long-term interests can be a complex process and, as such, is something that we can help you understand and get right.

Taxation for residentsIf you are a resident of Portugal for tax purposes, you will have to pay tax on your worldwide income, most forms of capital gains and, potentially, on income derived from property investments.If you have not been registered as a tax resident of Portugal in the previous 5 years, you are to benefit from the country’s ‘non-habitual resident’ (NHR) regime. To register for the NHR scheme, you must apply to the Finanças by 31 March of each year.As an NHR you are entitled to special tax treatment during your first decade in the country. For example:

• You may be able to receive your UK pension paying only 10% tax• You may be exempt from tax on earnings derived from dividends and royalties.• You may be entitled to the 20% flat rate on certain foreign source incomes (including salary earned from work in ‘high value’ professions as well as income from self-employment).• Tax exemption for gifts and inheritance to direct family members.• No wealth taxes.• Free remittance of funds to Portugal.

Even those without NHR status may find that Portugal offers a taxation environment that compares favourably with other EU countries. Income tax is levied on a sliding scale starting at 14.5% and reaching 48%

for the highest earners – while investors in Portuguese start-ups and other ventures may find that they are eligible for certain tax incentives. Every individual is likely to have different needs, so it is essential that you speak to an experienced cross-border wealth manager in order to make the most of the many potential advantages afforded by Portuguese tax residency.

Inheritance tax in PortugalGiven the uncertain financial future of younger generations, inheritance planning is an increasing priority for many expats. Fortunately, Portugal offers an inheritance regime that is much kinder than that of the UK and other EU countries. In fact, inheritance tax is levied in the form of stamp duty, which is fixed at 10% and applies only to Portuguese assets passed on to indirect or non-family members. Direct family members are free from any such tax.

Ensuring the Portuguese tax system works in your favourPortuguese tax residency offers many advantages, but it is still necessary to structure your assets and income in the right way and to ensure that you correctly declare your situation while also submitting your tax return on time each year.

Advice from Blacktower Financial ManagementThe management of cross-border financial interests brings with it as many challenges as it does opportunities. Blacktower Financial Management has the expertise necessary to help you ensure you can make the most of your expat and Portuguese tax resident status, not only in Portugal but also back in your country of origin. For more information about how we may be able to help you, contact one of the representatives at our Algarve office today.

Blacktower in PortugalBlacktower’s offices in Portugal can help you manage your wealth to your best advantage. For more information contact your local office.The above does not constitute adviceand guidance should be sought froman independent tax adviserbefore making decisions.

Manuela Robinson is the associate directorof Blacktower in the Algarve, Portugal, Withoffices in Quinta do Lago and Cascais.

22 The Portugal News · 3 Jul 2021


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24 The Portugal News · 3 Jul 2021 Community NewsAward winning student

Chaîne des Rôttisseurs visit Bon Bon

Algarve bike ridesSunday, 4 July - Easy /

Intermediate mountain bike ride starting in Estoi: We meet in the car park by the cemetery here (https://goo.gl/maps/hFhopAD9t-T8CJpP5A) at 09.15 am ready for a 09.30 start. This will be a ride of around 35 to 40 km and less than 500 metres elevation including a cafe stop somewhere along the way.

If you would like to come along to one of these rides, please do let me know either by text, or email! If a ride has to be cancelled for any reason, such as bad weather, then notification of cancellation will be via text, so please make sure that I have your mobile phone number ! Price for participation is €5 per rider per ride.

Riders are responsible for their own safety and should be able to ride competently on a variety of road surfaces and traffic conditions. You participate in these rides at your own risk and no person(s) or organisation(s) can be held responsible for any accident, injury or loss to yourself. Algarve Bike Rides have an accident insurance policy in place and you may be covered by this for any particular ride. To be covered, you must email your full name and date of birth to [email protected] at least 24 hours before any ride that you wish to be covered for!

Members of the Chaîne des Rôttisseurs, visiting Chaîne members and guests were welcomed at the Michelin star restaurant by the owner and their Confrere Maître Restauranteur Nuno Diogo.

In spite of the dull unseasonable weather, the stunning views of rolling countryside and distant mountains could still be appre-ciated.

This lunch provided the opportunity to sample the culinary philosophy and skills of the newly appointed young Portuguese chef José Lopes, who is one of the rising stars of a new generation of chefs.

The group was served a colourful dish of

cucumber gaspacho with squid and spi-der crab as an amuse bouche, followed by prawn and Chef José´s interpretation of the traditional Portuguese caldo verde. Redfish with fennel and curry was served as the fish course followed by another of Chef José´s twist on traditional Portuguese dish of black pork and clams, pork à Alentejana as the meat course. A refreshing tangy citrus dessert rounded off the meal.

The dishes were complimented by wines which had been selected by Maître Restau-ranteur Nuno Diogo from his extensive wine cellar. Commencing with a white from the Minho area, Hundos Antigos Alvareinho and followed by a Tejo wine from the wine estate Quinta da Lapa which has been pro-ducing wines for over 300 years. The third white wine, the oldest white, was produced in 2011 at Quinta dos Currais in the Beiras

region and was followed by a red Douro, Quinta do Frifo Grande Reserva 2015. The final wine, which complimented the citrus taste of the dessert, was Lagoalva Espirtito Unico late harvest.

At the end of the lunch José Lopes, his brigade and host Nuno Diogo were thanked by Dr. Jean Ferran, actin Bailli Algarve, for providing the group with such an inspira-tional event. Valerie Lantau

A student from Colégio Internacional de Vilamoura has been honoured in a National Geographic competition

Aristide Boileau, a Year 4 student, was distinguished by the National Geographic

Learning Team in the “Think Like a Plastic Detective” competition (part of Project Exploration 2.0) with his project for a water purification machine, created from recyclable materials. This innovative proposal to improve the world we live in was submitted as a video presentation, and featured the student’s eloquent description of the methodology, processes, and explanation of his project. His design, achieved by recycling PET bottles, allowed Aristide to create fresh water from seawater. The project thus earned the praise of the National Geographic Learning Team, which awarded the student 5th place among all the works presented worldwide. The enthusiasm and excitement generated by this competition, with

the aim of awakening students’ minds to the impact of plastic in the world and in space, also inspired Matilde Sequeira, who created a mobile dreamcatcher to represent the effect of plastic on sea creatures, as well as Henrique Lin, who designed a raft to transport small toys. Both entries, which were featured on the National Geographic Learning website, were commended “for their excellent content and understanding of the subject.” The interest in personal research was stimulated following an online distance learning session with National Geographic in March. In recognition of the Year 4 competition entries, the school was provided with several prizes for the students involved, as well as participation certificates for the whole class. These were presented at a class assembly by their teacher, Alison Stedman. Year 4 has continued to embrace

the challenges of the National Geographic Learning Team and joined the “Become an Animal Superhero” investigation. In this, the class learned about ecosystems, habitats, tracking systems and food supply chains, as well as the declining numbers of certain bird species around the world. The introduction to this project was once again accessed through a live online session attended by 100 classes from schools around the world, giving students the chance to virtually meet leading experts who specialise in species conservation, and learn more about their research. The students now have the opportunity to continue to explore this subject matter by completing a summer project about endangered species. CIV has future plans to nurture this inspiring partnership with National Geographic Leaning that has created so much enthusiasm in the school’s ‘little scientists’.

Aristide Boileau, a Year 4 student, was distinguished by the National Geographic Learning Team

25The Portugal News · 3 Jul 2021Experience N

Paula MartinsA weekend break in Leiria Leiria may not be the first city that comes to mind when we think about exploring new places in Portugal, but it could end up being a nice surprise.

A traditional visit to monuments, famous squares and museums, that’s what a popular

city trip usually includes. Leiria is no exception to this - it has a lot of history behind it - but I’m quite impressed with all the nature and atmosphere that comes together in the city. Despite being a city, when you are inside the green parks, you almost forget that you have cars, stress, and traffic very close to you. The only thing you hear is the water falling into the river.

Parque dos CaniçosAs a nature lover, I really enjoyed being at Parque dos Caniços because I found it amazing to have a waterfall in a middle of a city! However, there is very little information about this place on the internet - it is not a famous attraction. But please don’t miss the opportunity to get there anyway! This is the place I really recommend to sit on a stone and look at the landscape for a while or read a book.

Lis RiverThese waters belong to the river Lis, which gives the name of many important buildings in

Leira, namely the bus station. The river Lis plays an important role in Leiria’s identity, being one of the few rivers with its flowing in a south-north direction and, in the final kilometres, in an east-west direction.The river crosses the centre of Leiria, being followed by green areas and the Polis route - spaces which are much used for leisure and sports.

Polis RouteDivided into two paths - beige for pedestrians and green for cyclists - Polis is a walking path that passes through the middle of the city, skirting the Rio Lis scenery. Along the way, we crossed seven pedestrian bridges, all with different themes. My favorites were the one with a clock and the other was a bridge with a bar counter as if were drinking a beer while you were looking at the river. You can bring a snack with you and enjoy lunch there.

Paper museum and millIn Leiria you’re able to find many museums free of charge. This is one of them. According to the information on the museum, Leiria’s Paper Mill is one of the

first ones created in the Iberian Peninsula.Its legacy begins in 1411, in a space dedicated to the milling of cereals (corn, wheat and rye), the manufacture of oil and the production of paper had influenced the arrival of typography in Leiria and the Jewish culture.Outside the museum there is, once again, a beautiful park to visit and to take beautiful pictures (some of them will make it look like you are in a beach because of the sand close to the watermill).

Leiria CastlePerhaps the main attraction of the city, Leiria Castle, is a common destination for every single tourist. It’s almost mandatory to visit the castle (if you’re in shape, because the path is always climbing).Even if you aren’t a fan of history, there is no way to avoid this place, as the castle is visible from all over the city. It’s located on a hill, at the top of the city.If you choose to visit this castle, get ready for a trip to the past whilst also can finding a beautiful view over the city. At the end of the route, inside the castle, you will find a terrace with “windows” where you can sit and have a lovely moment. The castle has been closed for rehabilitation and has opened

again to the public on 22 May.

Charity plantsWhat I didn’t expect was to find; tiny potted lettuces on the street. Yes, I’m not crazy. On the streets, instead of planting flowers as a way to decorate the city, they also use plants that people can eat to decorate and bring colour the city - it’s a combination of decorating the streets and feeding the needy.

Famous Portuguese WriterEça de Queiroz was a famous Portuguese writer who wrote important books such as the Maias’ and the ‘Crime do Padre Amaro’. In spite of being Portuguese, his books

were translated into about 20 languages.Near the heart of the city, I accidentally found the house where he wrote one of his bestsellers. He lived there for a year and was inspired by the city to write Crime do Padre Amaro.Unfortunately the house is not open to visitors, but those who are curious can peek through the window – it’s a very old house without any reconstruction - or learn about his life by visiting an exhibition opposite the building with his name.Leiria is very easy to reach by car our bus. For further information about events in Leiria visit: https://www.redecultura2027.pt/pt/agenda

The Portugal News · 3 Jul 202126 CuriosityN Liam ShukerCloser than ever

Fancy a history lesson? Here is an in-depth look at the Anglo-Portuguese alliance, a treaty between England and Portugal.

The Anglo-Portuguese alliance. An alliance - the oldest alliance to ever exist – is shared

between two European countries - England and Portugal. Dated back the treaty of Windsor on the 9th of May 1386, Edward the third of England and Ferdinand the first of Portugal

signed the most enduring and durable pact in history. The treaty was signed by the Kingdom of England and the Kingdom of Portugal but has now succeeded to the modern United Kingdom and the Portuguese Republic. To put it in perspective, the Anglo-Portuguese alliance has lasted 635 years and 26 days; or 33,136 weeks

and 3 days; or even 231,955 days. And in those days, the world has seen countless conflicts and wars. But what makes England and Portugal so peacefully connected, despite having completely different cultures? Professor Edgar Prestage conveys in his journal article ‘the Anglo-Portuguese Alliance’ that the two countries shared similar norms many years before the treaty was signed, with “perennial trading and intermittent political relations existed” - noted to date back to the year 1147. Moreover, in the years 1325 and 1326, Alfonso the fifth of Portugal sent two ambassadores “to arrange the marriage between one of his daughters and the future King of England”.Therefore, since 1147, England and Portugal have been connected through relations, trade, and royal marriages. Indeed, along with the political and royal relations between the two countries, both England and Portugal have supported each other through wars, which according to the University of Manchester’s Dr. David Bailey - a lecturer in Portuguese Cultural Studies- “Portugal might not be Portugal today without John of Gaunt”. The Duke of Lancaster, John of Gaunt was an English prince who had married the daughter of the late King of Castile – an area in Spain. The Portuguese initially offered the special treatment for Duke of Lancaster that was to pass through Portugal so he could visit his daughter in Castille. However, this may have been a move to protect Portugal from stronger European countries, as each country sought allies – Castille turning to the French, and Portugal turning to the English. England and Portugal further supported each other in conflicts, including the seven-year war – a time in 1762 where Spain invaded Portugal, Britain allied with Portugal - and the Portuguese civil war – which the UK gave important liberal support to in the year 1828. Nevertheless, the professor claims that in terms of power, the English have had an advantage of the treaty, with the Portuguese “having the unfair deal of the alliance”.This is regarding an ultimatum given to Portugal by the Brits in 1890, which was to withdraw

from modern-day Botswana and refrain from colonising Africa. Consequently, the ultimatum is said to be a prominent cause the Portuguese Republican Revolution, ending monarchy in Portugal 20 years later. Reaching the 20th century, the countries further supported each other through wars including the first and second world wars. However, the fact that both countries did not ask each other for assistance meant that the alliance remained intact. Britain’s major role in both world wars is no illusion, however, Portugal is often noted as the “hidden ally”, as its major diplomatic motives benefited not only both sides of each war – specifically the Second World War -, but more importantly the winning side in both wars. In the First World War, Portugal helped the British to confiscate German ships in Portugal. This was met negatively by Germany, resulting in Portugal being allied with Britain in the war.Nevertheless, during Second World War Portugal remained a balance for Europe, Dr. David Bailey further conveys that the Portuguese dictator António de Oliveira Salazar “in part cemented his popularity due to his diplomatic success in maintaining Portugal’s neutrality during the Second World War”.

“Salazar tried to appease both parties, the allies by giving them and the axis by selling them tungsten [a rare chemical element which Portugal had the most of ]”. The Portuguese also maintained an effort to appease Spain’s Franco, because “if Spain’s dictator had been brought into the axis, the war may have ended up differently”. Furthermore, since the Second World War Portugal and the United Kingdom have each joined institutions that have overpowered alliances such as the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) and the European Union. These institutions combine several countries through an alliance or a political institution that can implement actions. The United Kingdom’s decision to leave the European Union may impact relations with Portugal through the European Union. In addition to Covid-19, forcing restrictions – that consistently change – and effect the Portuguese and Brits being able to freely travel, the question of what is next for the two nations is conscious. However, especially in a time which the start of Brexit is creating tensions between Britain and the EU, and the world is being forced through a global pandemic, the UK and Portugal seem to be closer than ever.

Edward the third of England – In May 1386, Edward the third of England and Ferdinand the first of Portugal signed the most enduring and durable pact in history.

Antonio Salazar - “Salazar tried to appease both parties, the allies by giving them and the axis by selling them tungsten [a rare chemical element which Portugal had the most of]”.

John of gaunt – Caption: “Portugal might not be Portugal today without John of Gaunt”.

27The Portugal News · 3 Jul 2021Curiosity

N Paul LuckmanAlgarve’s greatest asset is something it doesn’t have

Mongoose mothers solve inequality problem

Not many of us have a ‘love affair’ with the N125, yet it is amongst the Algarve’s greatest assets.

Why? Because although it is (was) the main

route from East to West of the Algarve, it was kept a good distance back from the beach front. Southern Spain, in my view, sadly permitted the construction of a coastal road, ‘marginal’ the A7 which for several hundred kilometres follows along the coast, the result, nonstop strip development.One of the great attractions of the Algarve is the couple of hundred kilometres of unspoilt countryside and beaches. Without a coastal road, there is no attraction for developers to build overlooking the beaches, except in tightly controlled areas thanks to good planning controls. Most of us, flying into Faro at some time or another would have realised, simply by looking out of the aircraft window, how unspoilt the Algarve actually is. As

you wander around places like Albufeira, Praia da Rocha or Carvoeiro etc you don’t realise that quiet and beautiful beaches, even some only accessible by boat are not far away. You have to see the Algarve by air to really appreciate how superb our coastline is. Most of us love the towns with their many bars, restaurants, cafes and night life, not to mention the shopping, but the balance between town and countryside is very well controlled. The Algarve coastline is around 200 kilometres, and official figures are difficult to find, but development is probably restricted to (in the region of ) 10 percent of the beachfront area, it’s kept in the main part to concentrated areas. The N125 doesn’t attract endless roadside hotels and developments, though it does attract many business outlets. Feeder roads take

you down to the beach areas and there is plentiful cluster development around the towns and villages, but a couple of kilometres along the coast and you are back into delightful unspoilt countryside and unspoilt beaches.Back in the early 70’s I met a man in Armação de Pêra who had the original plans drawn up by an American group to develop a ‘marginal’ from Armação de Pêra along the beach front towards Albufeira. It looked impressive and very well thought out, for developers! The deal was that they would develop the road at their own cost, but they would hold the rights to the land beside the road for development. Can you imagine that beautiful strip of beach and countryside lined with hotels and developments? Fortunately, their proposal was turned down by the planning authorities at the time.

Cascais has the Av. Marginal, 27 kilometres of what some consider to be one of the most beautiful roads in Europe. It is, inevitably, highly developed to the exclusion of the countryside, which is what probably would have happened if the Armação

de Pêra project had been given the go ahead. The superb beaches and countryside are one of the main attractions of the Algarve and rightly so. You can probably thank the N125 for that. So next time you are driving along the N125, with all its curves,

roundabouts, impatient drivers etc, just think how much you have to thank this road for. If you are in a hurry, now we have the motorway, it might cost a few Euros to use it, but it’s a great asset to road travel, and it’s even further away from the beachfront!

Banded mongoose parents do not know which pups are their own, leading to the evolution of a fair society, researchers have found.

Mothers in banded mongoose groups all give birth on the same night,

creating a “veil of ignorance” over

parentage in their communal group of babies.

In a new study, led by the uni-versities of Exeter and Roehamp-ton, half of the pregnant mothers

in wild mongoose groups were regularly given extra food.

This led to increased inequality in the birth weight of pups.

But after giving birth, the well-fed mothers gave extra care to the smaller pups born to the unfed mothers – rather than their own pups.

This resulted in the differences in size quickly disappearing.

Dr Harry Marshall, of the department of life sciences at the University of Roehampton, said: “In most of the natural world, parents favour their own young.

“However, in banded mongoos-es, the evolution of remarkable birth synchrony has led to the unusual situation that mothers don’t know which pups are their own, and therefore cannot choose to give them extra care.

“Our study shows that this ig-norance leads to a fairer allocation of resources – in effect, a fairer society.”

Researchers looked at seven groups of banded mongooses in Uganda.

Half of the pregnant females in each group were given 50g of cooked egg each day, while the other half were not given extra food.

They found that inequality at birth (measured by weight) was wider in breeding periods when food was provided than in periods where no extra food was given.

Professor Michael Cant, of the University of Exeter, said: “We predicted that a ‘veil of ignorance’ would cause females to focus their care on the pups most in need – and this is what we found.

“Those most able to help offer it to the most needy, and in doing so minimise the risk that their own offspring will face a disadvantage.

“This redistributive form of care ‘levelled up’ initial size disparities, and equalised the chances of pups surviving to adulthood.

“Our results suggest that the veil of ignorance, a classic philo-sophical idea to achieve fairness in human societies, also applies in this non-human society.”

The research team included Professor Rufus Johnstone, from the University of Cambridge.

Funding for the study, pub-lished in the journal Nature Communications, came from the European Research Council and the Natural Environment Research Council.

TPN/PA

Praia Grande. If the American backed proposal from the late 60’s had been approved, this beach would have been lined with hotels.

28 The Portugal News · 3 Jul 2021

www.gibson-portugal.com

With us everything revolves around real estate...

“It takes two years to learn to speak andsixty to learn to keep quiet.”

Our philosophy: Doing speaks louder than words.

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“Special houses in special locations”

With us everything revolves around real estate...

“It takes two years to learn to speak andsixty to learn to keep quiet.”

Our philosophy: Doing speaks louder than words.

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30 The Portugal News · 3 Jul 2021 TravelCruising on Covid-safe seasJonjo Maudsley sets sail on the maiden voyage of the MSC Virtuosa to experience the ‘new normal’ of cruising.

The day is finally here. The engines kick-start with a mighty roar,

the deck sways gently and the air grows thick with the clinking of champagne glasses. It’s sunset on May 20, 2021, and as I watch the port of Southampton fade into the horizon, the gravity of the situation finally hits me – cruise ships are back.Today, I am lucky enough to be on board not only the maiden voyage of the brand new €1 billion MSC Virtuosa, but also the first cruise to embark from the UK since the coronavirus pandemic brought this much-loved industry to a standstill.I’m excited for this four-day jaunt around the English Channel with a quick stop in Portland, but nowhere near as excited as cruise director

Gene Young. “This is a historic moment,” he tells me, emphatically. “We have been through 14 months of hell but now… We. Are. Back!”Gene is a charming and charismatic man, but I detect a hint of nervousness in his voice. As we all know, the entire cruise industry – in fact, the entire tourism sector – is watching this voyage with bated breath. Everything must go perfectly. One slip-up could send us right back to square one.No wonder, then, that the embarkation process has been so strict. Two days ago, I took a PCR test in order to show my negative certificate at check-in this morning. I had to fill in a health questionnaire, then bought special Covid-19 cruise insurance. I had my temperature taken as I made my way through the port,

then a nasal swab test. Once that came back negative, I was finally allowed to embark.Not a single passenger, I discover, tested positive at the port – but that doesn’t mean we can rest on our laurels. Even now, while on board, I am asked to wear a mask and observe social distancing in all public spaces. I have my temperature taken daily and the entire fourth deck is off-limits, acting as an isolation deck in case of an outbreak.The restrictions may be strict, but the end result is that I feel totally safe and able to enjoy the impeccable hospitality onboard the MSC Virtuosa.That experience begins in the Virtuosa’s gorgeous Italianate promenade. This boulevard is home to one of the world’s largest floating retail spaces, selling over 240 brands. One of the most prominent is

Swarovski, who have also shelled out the materials for the Virtuosa’s “million-euro staircase” – very glitzy.The promenade is also home to four speciality restaurants, several bars, a theatre and a Balinese spa . Four days is seldom enough to sample everything, but even so, I try my best to take advantage of my “Finest Four” dining package.While all guests are entitled to eat at any of the standard restaurants, upgrading to either the Duo, Trilogy or Finest Four dining packages is recommended. These allow guests to indulge in two, three or four restaurant experiences respectively. The standard of the food in these four venues is certainly a cut above.By far my favourite of the Finest Four is Hola Tacos. Here, I get to dine with Jacques, the mastermind behind this novel concept of Mexican street food served on the high seas.“In Hola Tacos, we have tried to create a unique concept,” he explains, “A fast, casual, affordable experience, with food to go.”The menu features everything from soft-shell tacos to nacho platters and burritos, all made with authentic ingredients (there’s nothing ‘TexMex’ going on here). The highlight is Jacques’ curated range of

mezcals, a high-calibre agave alcohol which, despite being of the same family as tequila, tastes more like Scotch whisky. Jacques takes me through a prototype mezcal tasting, an experience he will soon start to offer.Maybe it’s the mezcal in my system or maybe it’s the gentle rocking of the ship, but I sleep like a baby on my first night. Maybe, then again, it’s because of my cabin. While nothing fancy, the balcony cabins offer everything a couple or solo traveller needs, most of all an incredibly comfortable double bed. Those wanting something a little more special can upgrade to one of the Royal Suites in the MSC Yacht Club, and family cabins are also available for up to ten people.Speaking of families, I am especially struck by the great range of activities for kids. The Virtuosa’s top deck houses an adventure water park, featuring giant flume slides and high rope adventure trails. Below deck, there are a number of play areas for kids aged one to 17, the most eye-catching of which is the new Teens Lab, an AV club where young people can create a video memento of their time on the high seas. An arcade with bowling alley and an exciting Formula One simulator also feature.

Shore excursions are back on the agenda too, and my Covid-safe bubble gets to experience a leisurely trip around the Dorset countryside. We travel by coach from our dock in Portland, past the Cerne Abbas Giant hill figure on our way to the village of Minterne Magna. Here we enjoy afternoon tea and a (rather rainy) walk around the Himalayan Gardens of Minterne House.As one might expect, the experience is somewhat pared back by various restrictions – masks and social distancing notwithstanding, we are shepherded very strictly to make sure we don’t interact with anyone outside our bubble, and must of course take a temperature check on either side of our trip. But as far as experiences go at a time like this, this MSC shore excursion delivers to the best of its ability.All in all, it’s safe to conclude the MSC Virtuosa has proven, definitively, that cruising is not only a safe and viable form of vacationing, but can still go above and beyond expectations. Yes, there are numerous restrictions and inconveniences, but these hardly spoil an otherwise luxurious, decadent, relaxing and altogether exciting experience.

PA/TPN

31The Portugal News · 3 Jul 2021MotoringFirst Drive: Audi Q4 e-tronThere’s a lot of expectation riding on Audi’s new Q4 e-tron – but does it live up to it? Jack Evans finds out.

WHAT IS IT?It feels like a new electric car comes out each week, doesn’t it? Now, Audi’s Q4 e-tron joins the standard e-tron and e-tron GT in the firm’s range of EVs – and the brand predicts this to be its big-seller. In fact, Audi already admits it expects the Q4 to outsell all of its cars, apart from the ever-popular A3.Needless to say, there’s a lot riding on this car. It ’s got a cutting-edge platform and loads of innovative touches, but is it any good?

WHAT’S NEW?The Q4 is underpinned by Volkswagen Group’s ever-present MEB platform. You might have heard of it before because it ’s also used underneath the Skoda Enyaq iV, Volkswagen ID.3 and the upcoming Cupra Born.

So as well as the myriad electric vehicles already on the market that the Q4 has to compete with, it ’s already got a good degree of rivalry from within the Volkswagen stable too.Inside, we’ve got a blend of the very latest Audi technology, with a spacious and practicality-focused cabin. After all, if Audi wants this to succeed, it needs to cater for all sorts of drivers, families included.

WHAT’S UNDER THE BONNET?We got behind the wheel of the Q4 e-tron 40, which uses a rear-mounted electric motor linked up to 77kWh battery – the largest that the Q4 will be available with. Audi claims a range of up to 316 miles, while 125kW charging capability means that a five to 80% charge will

take just 38 minutes. Use a home 7.4kW charger and a full charge will take eleven and a half hours, so not bad for an overnight stop.In terms of performance, the Q4 manages the 0-60mph sprint in 8.3 seconds and will carry on top a top speed of 99mph thanks to 201bhp and 310Nm of torque. If you’re after more in the way of performance, then the Q4 50 e-tron is your best bet – it packs two motors enabling a faster sprint to 60mph and all-wheel-drive.

WHAT’S IT LIKE TO DRIVE?The Q4 moves off and away in a typically silent, electric fashion. The low-speed ride is a touch jostling – no doubt as a result of the battery weight – but it soon settles down, offering a good degree of support in the corners. The motor feels more than punchy enough too, and combines with well-weighted steering to provide a surprisingly involving driving experience.We left the car in ‘B’ mode for much of the time – this leaves the regenerative braking in its most aggressive setting and slows the car down when you lift off the throttle without the need for the

brake – though you’ll have to apply it in order to bring the Q4 to a complete stop. There’s no one-pedal driving here.Visibility is good – though the slim rear screen does make the rear view not as accommodating – and you sit relatively high, giving you a clear view of the road ahead.HOW DOES IT LOOK?Audi has nailed it when it comes to the look of the Q4. It ’s a special thing to see, with that huge front grille dominating the overall design of the car but appearing in keeping with its overall proportions. You can also customise the look of the Q4’s LED headlights – a gimmick, for sure, but one that is quite cool in reality.Audi is also offering a Sportback version of the Q4, bringing the more tapered look that has been applied to a variety of models in the firm’s line-up. It looks good, but to our eyes at least the regular car’s design is just right in the first place.

WHAT’S IT LIKE INSIDE?Slot in behind the wheel of the Q4 and the first thing you’ll notice is, well, the wheel. It’s almost square and has more than a hint of the Austin Allegro’s famous ‘Quartic’ wheel, but

actually feels great to use – and it looks cool too. We’re not such a fan of the black plastic buttons attached to it, which feel a touch flimsy in operation.Elsewhere, things are very good. We’ve got plenty of high-end materials while there’s a decent amount of space in the back too. When it comes to boot volume, the Q4 offers up 520 litres of room with the rear seats in place and this increases to 1,490 litres with the seats folded down. You do get more in Skoda’s Enyaq, however.

VERDICTThe Q4 is yet another accomplished, polished and premium-feeling electric car. It does feel like a turning point for Audi, as it pivots to create electric cars which will more than likely come to replace their regular cars in terms of popularity in a few years.

It just feels as though the biggest hurdle that the Q4 has to overcome resides within the Volkswagen Group as a whole. Using the same MEB platform means people will, undoubtedly, compare cars from Audi, Volkswagen, Skoda and Seat even more closely and, given that the Skoda Enyaq undercuts the Q4 in terms of price by some margin, it feels like it could be quite the competition indeed.

FACTS AT A GLANCEModel as tested: Q4 e-tron 40Engine: Rear-mounted electric motor with 77kWh batteryPower: 201bhpTorque: 310NmMax speed: 99.4mph0-60mph: 8.3 secondsMPG: N/AEmissions: 0g/km CO2Range: 316.

PA/TPN

32 The Portugal News · 3 Jul 2021 Books

N Sandra PereiraThe review

Ride a rail adventure beyond the Costas

Chanel - Collections and Creations - Daniele Bott

“You live but once, you may as well be amusing” – Coco Chanel

Coco Chanel’s contribution to fashion goes without saying. The combination of tra-dition, originality and style has always made it one of the most sought after brands.

In this book, the House of Chanel opens its private archives, revealing stunning designs created by Chanel from the 1920s onwards. Some of her original designs have been used in new and modern ways such as motifs for brand new garments, acces-sories and beauty products. There are 139 illustrations of which 83 are in colour. The book features many unpublished photos and original drawings from Karl Lagerfeld.

This is a rare insight into Chanel and what motivated her style. If you are unfamiliar with some of the older images this will be a great way to introduce yourself to the world of Chanel.

Inspired by the legendary ‘Chanel No 5’, the book explores five central themes – the suit, the camellia, jewelry, fragrances and make-up, and the little black dress.

The author, Daniele Bott is a journalist

who has written for Vogue. She is also the author of Chanel: Collections and Creations.

The book is a great size and the pictures are magical. The quality is excellent and this is the kind of book that needs to be dis-played for all to see and enjoy.

This is a stylish and glamorous read and will appeal to fashion and art lovers alike who are fascinated by the magic of Chanel.

Pop Art – Basic Art Series - Klaus Honnef

‘Art is anything you can get away with” – Andy Warhol

Pop Art has many fans. Whether you love or hate it, there is no denying the impact on our society and the art form still keeps evolving. Essentially this type of art provides commen-tary on world events and consumerism and incorporates commercial items like soup cans, road signs, photos of celebrities, newspapers, and other popular items.

Pop Art began as movement, which was meant to challenge fine art by including images from popular and mass culture. We all know the famous prints by now such as Andy Warhol’s Campbell’s soup cans or Roy Lichtenstein’s Girl with Ball. One of the key elements of pop art was mass production and using techniques such as screen-printing.

Some of the featured artists in the book are Andy Warhol, Allen Jones, Ed Ruscha, Robert Indiana, Jasper Johns, Robert Rauschenberg and Roy Lichtenstein.

The Basic Art Series has evolved into a best-selling art book collection. Featuring approximately 100 colour illustrations with

captions and a detailed introduction, this book covers important pop art works, as well as a portrait and brief biography of the artist. Klaus Honnef has been the curator of more than 500 exhibitions in Germany and abroad. He has written numerous books.

This is an ideal coffee table book. The book is a great size and the quality is high and I found it quite informative.

Pop Art is perfect for art lovers and will be a wonderful addition to any book collection!

Author Tom Chesshyre shares tips from his new book, Slow Trains Around Spain.

Rattling along a remote track towards Valencia, a blood-orange

sunrise bathed the carriage as we crossed a towering viaduct above a ravine.Down below, the shadow of the carriages flickered across an olive grove and a deer

darted by a winding river. A cheery conductor checked our tickets – just a handful of us on board – as we passed a speed limit sign: 20 kilometres an hour maximum (or 12 miles an hour) across the viaduct.Welcome to Spain, slow trains-style.

Spain may be our favourite destination for holidays, with 18 million of us heading there each year – when a pandemic doesn’t stand in our way, at least. But what do we know of the country beyond its Costas, islands and main cities?One enjoyable way to find out, once we’re able to travel properly again, is to take to its branch lines – shunning the country’s sleek new bullet trains – and settle in for a slow rail adventure.That is what I did back in the summer of 2019, before any of us had even heard of Covid, spending a month travelling 3,000 miles on 52 rides, while getting a little lost, quite happily, from time to time, researching my new travel book Slow Trains Around Spain.Starting in Figueres, Salvador Dali’s hometown in the northeast, the tracks led south beyond Barcelona, cut across Catalonia to Aragon and the north coast, before continuing on charming narrow-gauge trains towards Santiago de Compostela.From there, the lines span south to Madrid, west to Extremadura, east to Valencia

and south again via Granada to Seville – in what became a big wobbly ‘S’ of a route.Across parched plains, along rugged coastlines, into and out of sleepy towns, and between soaring mountains the trains went, revealing a side of Spain far removed from its tourist hotspots.All was easy to arrange. Simply log on to the app of Renfe (Red Nacional de los Ferrocarriles Espanoles), which runs Spain’s railways, or buy tickets at stations. Booking places to stay on the internet was a doddle, too.Here are some of my favourite stop-offs.Locomotive HeavenJust southwest of Barcelona, Vilanova i la Geltru is a peaceful seaside town with a pleasant beach, ancient labyrinthine lanes, a fine cathedral and the excellent Catalonia Railway Museum. This is the place to go loco (crazy) over some of Spain’s oldest locomotives, with Spanish train history explained. Visit vilanovaturisme.cat; museudelferrocarril.org.Aragon AdventureIn the province of Aragon, Huesca is a little city

(population 52,000) overlooked by a hillside with Spanish Civil War trenches reached via hiking trails. Writer George Orwell served for the Republicans here in 1937 and survived a gunshot wound. After paying homage, make sure you climb the cathedral tower for splendid countryside views. Visit huescaturismo.com.Galician GloryFerrol is a naval base renowned for its striking buildings with prominent conservatory-style windows. These are called galleria and were first created by shipbuilders, so seamen had better vision during storms. Ferrol is a quiet place with café-lined squares and is famous for being Francisco Franco’s hometown. Visit visitferrol.com.Hot StuffClose to Portugal in the province of Extremadura, Badajoz is another peaceful spot with a Moorish fortress facing the River Guadiana and its wonderful 15th-century Puente de Palmas bridge. The temperature soars in summer, regularly touching 40C. Don’t miss the great little

municipal art gallery. Visit turismoextremadura.com.Matadors and minesThe twin attractions of Almaden, a tiny town (population 5,000) in Castile-La Mancha, are its old bullring and ancient aluminum mine. The latter is 2,000 years old and closed in 2003. Now it is a United Nations-recognised historical site and underground tours include mine trains rides. Visit parqueminerodealmaden.es; turismocastillalamancha.es.

Slow Trains Around Spain: A 3,000-Mile Adventure On 52 Rides by Tom Chesshyre is published by Summersdale.

Tom Chesshyre

33The Portugal News · 3 Jul 2021RenatureN

Jake Cleaver

Grey Skies and Solar BoatsAlgarve Sun Boat Trips sets ‘sail’ into a bright and sustainable future - leaving no carbon footprints in their wake.

I was lucky enough to be invited to the launch of the first tourist electro-solar

catamaran in the Algarve. The company, Algarve Sun Boat Trips, is based in Portimão and was first started in 2017 by husband and wife team Pedro and Ana Mestre. The couple has always been very concerned with sustainability and protecting the environment, but they also love boating and taking people out to enjoy the incredible sights and sounds the Algarve has to offer. And so, they had the idea to try and combine these two things, and how better to do this than by tapping into the Algarve’s most abundant natural resource, the sun.For the last few years, they have been taking tourists on a scenic tour up and down

the beautiful Arade River (from Portimão to Silves) in, what was then, the first tourist electro-solar boat, a 7-metre mono-hull called the Sun Sailer. They are still very proud of this boat and it has been a great success, as it doesn’t only mean that they don’t leave a carbon footprint in their wake, but without the usual noise (not to mention smell) that petrol engines make, their stealthy sun-boat can cruise peacefully up and down this meandering historic river and offer tourists the chance to get up close and personal with the local wildlife that would usually be scared away.Now though, they have just got bigger and better. After a year of careful planning and building (by the solar boat builders, Sun Concept, in Olhão) their new boat

has finally arrived. It’s called the Sun Cat 1, and once again the company is ‘first out of the dock’ offering tours on the first electro-solar catamaran to hit the Algarve waters. It’s 12 metres long and with plenty of shade overhead from the solar panels, it has space for 30 people and is, indeed, a very sleek and luxurious place to relax. Pedro has done the math and said that a catamaran of this size would usually consume at least 215 litres of fuel per 100 nautical miles. And so, after a year, this new catamaran will save the environment from the emission of 50 tons of CO2. This is the future that they want for the Algarve and the planet.Here to enjoy the Sun Cat’s maiden voyage was, I suppose we might call her the ‘guest of honour’, the Secretary of State for Tourism Rita Marques, who was here in the Algarve presenting her “Tourism + Sustainable Plan 20-23”. Also on board were Nuno Alves from Turismo de Portugal, Miguel Barbosa from Portugal Ventures and, of course, João Fernandes, the president of the Região de Turismo do Algarve. There were also entrepreneurs from StartUp Portimão including SWRS:: Water Solutions, TULAlabs and Link-a-ring. All of them have supported the project

in different ways and are passionate about promoting sustainable tourism here in the Algarve. But, besides all that, I could tell that everybody was just excited to finally get to have a ride on this incredible and innovative new boat.Of course, when you have picked a day for a ride on a solar boat the one thing you can almost guarantee is that - it will be cloudy. And so, as you might imagine, the first question most of us playfully asked as we stepped on board was “Will the boat still go?”. To which the answer was “Yes, of course”. Ricardo Falé, the Sales and Marketing Manager, reassured everybody that the power is all stored in batteries under the floor and that there’s plenty in reserve and even on overcast days like this, it was still charging.When we had all settled in comfortably (not difficult) and everything was ship-shape, we cast off and set, I won’t say ‘sail’, but with nothing but the noise of the water lapping at the hull it did give that feeling like we were harnessing some kind of natural element to propel us forward, which of course, in quite a complex way, is exactly what we were doing.We glided silently out of Portimão Marina, Ferragudo and the intriguing Castelo de São João do Arade was on the

other side of the river and we headed out to sea and turned east. But this was to be a relatively short trip for us and we soon swung a U-turn around a rocky island and cruised slowly back. However, this new boat will allow Algarve Sun Boat Trips to expand their portfolio and instead of just going up and down the Arade, they can now venture out and provide trips along the beautiful coastline, past Carvoeiro and Algar Seco, and stopping at Benagil cave for refreshments (be that with a swim, or drinks from the onboard bar, or indeed both).The journey will also provide plenty of opportunities to take photos of the stunning beaches and rock formations along the way. And, speaking of which, Ricardo took the opportunity to show us all another futuristic feature of this pioneering new boat tour. Although it’s still in testing, the idea is that passengers will be able to download the Sun Boat app and, as they pass by the various different sights, everybody will get a ‘ping’ on their phone where they will see information about what’s coming up, along with challenges and encouragement to take pictures with it. This means they will not have to disturb the peace by getting on the megaphone all the time, and

at the end of the tour, the app will automatically make a document that combines all your experiences and gives you a nice little virtual memento of your trip.Their new boat will also allow them to host ‘Magical Sunset’ parties, and guests will be able chill out on the deck until it’s time to watch our favourite fireball disappear over the horizon. This is something that, Ana told me, is always spectacular.Their boats are also available for private rental and you can book them for private parties, birthdays, marriage proposals and (if that works out, which let’s face it, how could it not) even weddings.Despite the weather, I really enjoyed this little boat ride and I can just imagine how great it must be on a nice day - when the boats are truly ‘in their element’. After all, with up to 300 days of sun a year in the Algarve, it just makes sense to catch the rays from our nearest and dearest star, that way we won’t just have fun in the sun - but the sun will actually provide the fun. The team at Algarve Sun Boat Trips are looking to the future and figuring out how we can interact with beautiful natural places harmoniously and make tourism truly sustainable. To find out more check out their website: www.algarvesunboat.com/

34 The Portugal News · 3 July 2021 Arts

N Cristina da Costa Brookes

“Sun and Frost” by Svetlana Bakushina Svetlana Bakushina (Martins), is a pianist, piano

teacher, music producer and a filmmaker, who has lived in the Algarve for eight years.

Svetlana was born in Siberia, graduated from Novosibirsk College of Arts with

Masters of Music Education in Piano Pedagogy in 2001, and Novosibirsk State Technical University in 2006 with a BA of Cinematography. Svetlana is now based in Monchique and loves hiking in the mountains and spending time amongst wildlife. It also allows her to study music and listen to folk music, which is an endless inspiration to her.

Svetlana is also a member of the Union of Cinematographers of the Russian Federation and the Union of Photographers of Russia. She is an award-win-ning photographer with over hundred exhibitions in different countries, her digital works are owned by Novosibirsk State Art Museum, Omsk Museum of Fine Arts named after M.A. Vrubel and by private collectors worldwide. Short films directed and produced by Bakushina won multiple awards at prestigious

international film festivals. The Soundtrack composed by Svetlana Bakushina was in the official selection of Cannes Film Festival.

About her debut album “Sun and Frost”We also spoke about her as a musician and she told me that her debut album “Sun and Frost” is out now. We spoke about the story behind the concept of the album and she told me “Sun and Frost” is a loving tribute to her Siberian roots and is a full-length piano album of 14 original tracks, two of which are bonus tracks, recorded in a col-laboration with musicians from Portugal, Brazil, USA and Neth-erlands. The album was released on the 25 of May, 2021 and is available on digipack CD and all streaming platforms includ-ing Spotify, it would mean the world to Svetlana if you checked her album out via https://open.spotify.com/artist/1fGAIRdy-s4yhkkIJqz2bXL.“Each piece is an image, re-flecting impressions I experi-enced living in the hyperborean world: magical northern scenery, native people´s songs and drum rhythms, atmosphere of the for-est and the ocean.” Additionally, Svetlana has published a music sheet book of “Sun and Frost” (60 pages, soft cover) with all

the pieces from the album no-tated, alongside her debut album which can be purchased through her website https://svetlanabak-ushina.com/.

Piano LessonsSvetlana teaches piano students of all levels and ages whereby her teaching is based on classi-cal music education and where students can enjoy taking part in recitals all over the Algarve, “I always try to get my students to perform in different places including at the Russian Festival of Arts in Loulé that happens every year so they can play Russian composers.” Svetlana teaches in her private studio and at the Conservatório de Por-timão, where students can also have study support from her.

Content Creator When Svetlana moved to Por-tugal, she directed and acted in about 300 TV commercials, in collaboration with her husband Carlos Martins, where they focused on funny TV commer-cials and produced them in the Algarve for international clients, including the National Geographic Channel. Addi-tionally, Svetlana has a Youtube channel with 9,000 subscribers and uploads collab music videos,

music covers, documentaries and short films as well as funny TV commercials where some were produced in the Algarve. To watch her videos please check out https://www.youtube.com/c/SvetlanaBakushinaArt. In regards to video production services, Svetlana has profes-sional equipment, and writers are welcome to contact her about transforming their story either into a book trailer or a short film. Here´s an example that they produced based on a client´s comic book, also they made all of the visual effects (in the Algarve) https://youtu.be/rSl_PPaeLVE. Additionally, mu-sicians are welcome to contact her to produce their music video, here´s an example that they did for another client https://youtu.be/9NEGCrUcICU.

To keep up to date with all of Svetlana’s music and concerts please check out her Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/SvetlanaPianista. Any amateur or professional singers and instrumentalists can also contact her if they are in need of a collaborative pianist. To get in touch with Svetlana for collabo-rations or to book a piano lesson please email her at [email protected].

35The Portugal News · 3 Jul 2021AnimalsN Marilyn Sheridan

PETS FOR ADOPTION

TICO is a male cat of about 2 years. He is a very lovely cat, likes to play and for him it is urgent to be adopted rapidly by a forever family. Please don’t hesitate and call Corinna on 918552788 or send an email at [email protected]

TANSY is 7 years old, mid-sized and ideal for active people. Can be shy in the beginning but has a lovely and affectionate character. Email [email protected] to meet her (Lagos).

CLARA is a 10-year-old, medium-sized female known for her confident, happy and affectionate character. She is friendly and uncomplicated. Please email [email protected] to meet Clara (Lagos).

Do rodents make good pets? Sometimes called ‘pocket pets’, most small rodents – mice, hamsters, gerbils and guinea pigs – have cages for homes and usually make good starter pets for children.

I say usually, because they are not all sweet and asking to be cuddled, they all

might bite, and all have differences you should be aware of before embarking on a trip to the pet shop.

Most don’t live long lives - a mouse lives around 2 years, but a guinea pig can live up to 8 years – so it could be a long term commitment depending on which one is selected.Mice, gerbils and hamsters are entertaining to watch, easy to care for, and make very few demands on their owners. There are differences between them. The gerbil is larger and stronger, will stand on its back legs and has a furry tail and has bigger ears and eyes. Hamsters are stockier in build and have a short tail, but all are similar in behaviour. They are a bit skittish and harder to handle than some of the larger rodents, but some can learn to take food from your hand and, if trained from a young age, can be held, though gerbils retain some nervousness at being handled. Mice and gerbils like to explore and dig around for play, a toilet roll stuffed with paper is ideal, and hamsters enjoy running on a wheel or inside a ball outside the cage, but they need constant watching for the latter toy, and should never be left unsupervised.The downside is that mice and gerbils are social animals and you would probably have to get more than one. Two females would be better than two males, as the males would probably fight, and one of each would have the obvious outcome! But don’t put mice and gerbils together. With hamsters, it depends on the breed - Dwarf Hamsters are happy

in a group but Syrian Hamsters are territorial loners and will fight, bite or even kill any company. The Syrian Hamster or ‘teddy bear’ breed are known to be docile and enjoy being held.They can be kept in a cage or a tank with a mesh-covered lid, but be alert that the smell of ammonia from urine will build up more in a tank. Bedding will need changing more frequently, but as they ‘mark’ their territory with pee, they will get stressed by too much disinfecting, so a handful of old bedding should be left behind after cleaning. Mice and hamsters are nocturnal, so expect some noise at night and not much activity between dawn and dusk, but gerbils take naps throughout the day and often settle into a human sleep pattern.At the other end of the scale, guinea pigs (also known as cavies) are larger and can be kept indoors if you have the space, or outdoors in a hutch with a run, providing you can give them shade. Guinea pigs are sensitive to hot weather and can get stressed if the temperature goes too high. They are active animals, and will need a large hutch with a good area for exercise and exploring! They will also need plenty of toys, hides and tunnels to keep them healthy and happy - they love crumpled paper, tubes, tunnels – even an old sock stuffed with hay or straw will be dragged around as a

favourite toy!Again, you might need two of them, a good combination would be a neutered male with one or more females, two females, or neutered brothers (if they’ve been reared together). They can be quite vocal too, giving high pitched squeals, squeaks and ‘wheeking’ – especially around feed time!They need lots of clean bedding - shredded newspaper, dry hay or straw, plus sawdust or wood shavings for lining the cage or floor area. They will need

attention daily, as wet and soiled shavings need to be removed, and any uneaten food removed before it gets stale or mouldy. Once a month, the hutch should be completely cleaned out and disinfected. Any toys will need cleaning too.All are gnawing animals and so have large, chisel-like incisors. The incisors are rootless and grow continually. If they do not have material to chew, the incisors will not wear normally. Chewable toys can be as simple as the

cardboard from kitchen rolls or egg boxes, or special rawhide chews etc from the pet shop.All rodents, including those kept as pets, should be presumed to carry organisms. Although uncommon, these infections may have serious consequences and can be fatal. The very young, the elderly, those with chronic conditions or a weak immune system, and pregnant women should be particularly careful. Hands need to be washed after handling or cleaning out.

The Portugal News · 3 Jul 202136 Gardening

N Marilyn Sheridan

Why are my leaves turning yellow? You need to be a detective to find out!

I have a couple of plants where the leaves are starting to turn yellow, and I wondered why.

It turns out there are no straight answers for this, and you really need to understand plants to find out the reasons - and a gardening guru I am not! But a little detective work gave me some clues.Dehydration is the number one problem, especially after a sudden hot spell. The plant will shed leaves in order to try to prevent the plant dying. Sometimes the way the plant is being watered can be the problem – to encourage root growth, water deep, wait until the soil begins to dry, and then water again.

Overwatering is another cause, too much is just as harmful as too little! If there’s a green crusty appearance to the soil surface, this is algae, and it too is an additional symptom of overwatering. If the plant is in a pot, check if the pot has enough drainage, and if roots have turned black, this will indicate decomposition and almost certainly a death sentence. Try repotting it, cutting the black roots out and leaving only the healthy white ones. Sit back, and hope for the best!Pests can be a cause of yellowing leaves or at least yellow spottiness, and infestations can be caused by one of the following:

mites, aphids, mealybugs, thrips, scale, or whiteflies. Repeatedly washing the plants or applying an insecticidal or horticultural soap are treatments that are often effective as well as environmentally safe. Check the underside of leaves, which is where the little critters will hide - get your magnifying glass out, and try to identify any you find.Nutrient deficiencies can be a cause of yellowing leaves too, and if the top leaves of your plant are yellowing, or there is an unusual pattern of yellowing on the leaves, such as the veins remaining dark while the

rest of the leaf is turning yellow - it’s most likely a nutrient deficiency. The type of deficiency is where you have to bring your detective skills in, as each symptom needs different treatment. Deficiencies in potassium, nitrogen, calcium, magnesium and iron can all cause yellowing, some with or without brown spots or veins – and on top of this, you are supposed to test your soil to maintain a pH below 7!Temperature - a significant temperature change can leave the tips of your plants looking burned. Shifts in temperature–hot or cold–affects the health and colour of leaves. When prolonged cool temperatures or late spring cold drafts occur, your plants–especially tender vegetable plants such as tomatoes and cucumbers may lose their colour. Keep an eye on evening temperatures as well.Too little sunlight can cause yellow leaves to appear, and with partial shade varieties, too much sun can be the cause. Leaves are the solar panels of the plant; the place where their energy is produced. When a plant becomes thick and bushy, it sometimes blocks light from reaching inner and lower leaves. These leaves cannot photosynthesize

and chlorophyll production comes to a halt. Since the leaves are non-productive, the plant no longer needs them.Old Age– Sometimes a plant has just outlived its natural plant life, and is dying off!Mentioned above is testing your soil for pH. Fortunately, you can test soil pH without a soil test kit for next to nothing, and you probably have all you need in the kitchen – white vinegar, baking soda and distilled water. If you are really keen to try, collect 1 cup of soil from different parts of your garden and put 2 spoon fulls into separate containers. Add 1/2 cup of

white vinegar to the soil in the first pot. If it fizzes, you have alkaline soil, with a pH between 7 and 8.If it doesn’t fizz after doing the vinegar test, then add distilled water to the second container until the soil is muddy. Add 1/2 cup baking soda. If it fizzes you have acidic soil, most likely with a pH between 5 and 6.If your soil doesn’t react at all, it is neutral with a pH of 7 and you are very lucky!Lastly, please remember that whatever the cause of your plant’s illness, it may take weeks or even months for a plant to recover and return to normal growth. Good luck with your detective work, Sherlock!

37The Portugal News · 3 Jul 2021Home

N Marilyn Sheridan

Housework – love it or hate it? So our homes are just as we like them, the furniture is just right, the colour scheme is to die for and our knick-knacks are all on display.

The first thing we want to do is show it off – whether it be to the inlaws,

the outlaws or good friends. And what is that we do before they arrive? Cleaning! Dusting! Polishing! Of all the pointless jobs invented by man (or woman) housework must be at the top of the list.My other half will help if there is a tool involved – vacuuming suddenly becomes a novelty. Dusting I hate. As soon as you have finished, it’s time to start again. I am

a self-confessed shirker of housework, and I freely admit I will ignore it until I can literally write my name in it.So what is dust anyway? House dust is a mix of sloughed-off skin cells, hair, clothing fibres, bacteria, dust mites, bits of dead bugs, dog hair and dander, soil particles, pollen, and microscopic specks of plastic...Eww, gross, I mutter, especially as sometimes a specific percentage of dust is said to be skin, as much as 70 or 80 percent!

But why is it grey? Every time you sweep up, it ends up as grey stuff in your dustpan. Even if it is my skin cells I am collecting from the floor (again), I am not grey! It turns out that the particles of dust are so small, in fact are microscopic particles, and they don’t reflect light very well at all individually or collectively, which is why dust is grey. As a collection of small particles, they randomly scatter light through a process known as Mie scattering. And it’s everywhere, even out in space.So, what about dust bunnies – those clumps of stuff that accumulate under the bed? Turns out these are comprised of fabric fibres, hair, skin cells (again) and dust that are all held together by static electricity to make these visible fuzz balls.Every time we open a window or a door, we stir up and move around tiny, airborne particles that eventually settle around the house. I live in the country, and dust gets blown around all the time, and in fact has a reddish hue I can see coating my car. If the wind is from the south, we all get the Sahara dust blowing over Portugal, sometimes so heavy it is visible and a

breathing hazard.The latest aid to cleaning is said to be microfiber cloths. So what’s so special about them I wondered. Apparently, with millions of fibres, microfiber cloths lift and hold dirt, grease, grime, liquids and bacteria. These fibres include both positive-charged polyester fibres and negative-charged nylon fibres that actually attract and pull up whatever is on the surface you’re cleaning.Sounds good to me! But all microfibers are not equal. With microfiber, you get what you pay for, and bargain microfiber has fewer fibres, around 50,000 per square

inch. Since it’s the fibres that do the work, bargain cloths do not clean as well as quality cloths, nor do they last as long — only about 50 washings. Quality cloths have 3.1 million fibres per square inch apparently, and is the gold

standard in microfiber, and will last for 300 washings!Humans do shed dead skin, but most of it is carried away by water when we shave or bathe, ending up not on our floors but in our sewers. Now, don’t you feel better?

The Portugal News · 3 Jul 202138 FoodN Jake CleaverLink-a-ring Dynamic kitchen sharing scheme takes off

in Portimão

The trouble for lots of budding entrepreneurs who want to get

into the food business and try out new ideas, experiment and come up with new, fun

and delicious foods for us all to enjoy - is that they need to find a kitchen to cook it all in. This can prove almost impossible, as renting a kitchen that is safe, legal and fully equipped with everything

you might need can cost an absolute fortune. This means that lots of young chefs that might have a brilliant business concept, simply can’t afford to even get a ‘foot in the door’ of the food industry - let alone

into the actual kitchen to start cooking.That’s why a dynamic young trio, Pedro Esteves, Teresa Sequeira and Joana Esteves have come up with a solution to this problem and started their kitchen sharing project they call Link-a-ring.

How does it work?Well, they find a restaurant that has closed down and update it by turning it into an industrial, fully licensed and fully equipped co-working space. Here entrepreneurs in the food sector can, instead of renting their own kitchens for 30 days a month at a high cost, simply rent it for the time they will actually be using it.

Who is it for?As I said before, this works great for businesses that just want to test out a concept without having to invest too heavily to begin with. But it’s also good for restaurant owners who want extra space to cook for the takeaway side of their businesses, and also caterers, who as you can imagine, only need it occasionally when they have a wedding, for example, and so instead of having the expense of a kitchen that is spending the rest of the time unused, they can just book this co-working kitchen space for those specific days or times.

Where is it and what is their previous experience?The first space they have taken on is in Portimão. The trio has

experience in the restaurant trade and created a Digital & Handmade Hamburger place called Bomburgers in Faro, but more recently, due to the pandemic and people not being able to eat out in restaurants so much, they have adapted and started iTi Poke, the first Poke House in Portimão. This traditional Hawaiian bowl of fish, vegetables and rice is both extremely delicious and healthy (believe me, I tried it). iTi Poke is an exclusive takeaway service that they run out of the Link-a-ring kitchen. The packaging, I was also impressed to see, doesn’t have any flashy plastic and logos and is completely biodegradable. “You can put it on your compost heap”, Joana told me.

What else can they do for you?All this experience means that not only can they offer their clients the use of a fully equipped, industrial and legalized kitchen, but they can also help them out with all sorts of other areas of their business, including products, brands and concepts. Clients will also have access to a co-working office space, which Joana says is great for everybody, as if you run your own business, it’s easy to feel a bit alone and this helps create a sense of community with other businesses who can give opinions and help each other with problems.They also have a photo

studio. Joana is a whizz at taking mouth-wateringly delicious looking photos of food and can offer lots of help with how to get your brand out there.

Who’s in the kitchen?Currently, they have several brands developing their projects in their Hub, including Francesinha em Casa, Fille Douce Gourmet and BEQ (Barras Energéticas de Querença).

Their missionLink-a-rings mission is to offer practical alternatives to entrepreneurs in the catering and food sector and help alleviate some of the high investments and operation costs that running your own kitchen inevitably entails.

This means that talented young chefs will be a lot freer and less stressed about trying out new ideas and more likely to get their businesses up and running. And, speaking purely as somebody who likes to try tasty new food, this can only be a good thing.In these tough times, these ambitious and hardworking young entrepreneurs are thinking out of the box and helping everybody to work together. They are looking to expand and bring this concept to the whole of the Algarve to help any would-be chefs achieve their dreams.To find out more go to their website: https://linkaring.pt/

39The Portugal News · 3 Jul 2021Health brought to you byPub.

Treatment of chronic coronary diseaseCoronary Disease, or ischemic heart disease, consists of insufficient blood supply reaching the heart due to an obstruction of the coronary arteries. There are multiple causes for this occurring, the most common being atherosclerosis. The main risk factors for atherosclerosis are high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, obesity, lack of physical activity and smoking. This leads to the formation of atherosclerosis plaques and subsequent narrowing of the coronary arteries, preventing normal blood flow.

Typical symptom of ischemic heart disease is angina pectoris (or simply angina),

which is a feeling of discomfort or tightness of the chest, usually on the left side, irradiating to the neck or left arm, although it can radiate to other parts of the chest and even to the abdomen. Angina occurs when the heart muscle (myocardium) needs more blood than what it is receiving, causing the myocardium to become ischemic. The consequent lack of blood flow and oxygen to the cells causes chest pain.

Treatment options are as follows:

Medical Treatment, Percutaneous Treatment and Surgery.

Medical Treatment is indicated for the mildest forms of coronary heart disease, with prescription drugs in order to stabilize the disease, control symptoms and improve the prognosis.

Percutaneous Treatment consists in coronary catheterization, where stents (tube-shape device) are implanted in the artery to prevent an occlusion, maintaining the artery open, restoring blood flow and reducing ischemia. This technique has precise indications and very good results, a symptomatic improvement is immediately noticed by the patient and it has an important prognostic impact. It is necessary to

remain in hospital for a few days and the patient can resume their normal activity within a few weeks.

Surgical Treatment consists of surgery of the arteries of the heart, known as coronary bypass surgery. Chest arteries (internal mammary arteries) are used which are connected to the arteries of the heart, in front of the occlusions, thus restoring blood flow and decreasing ischemia. This is the most invasive option as to reach the heart, it is necessary to open the chest cavity. It is known as “open

heart surgery”. There are currently other

strategies available, using smaller openings in the chest which result in smaller scars (key-hole surgery). The patient usually remains in hospital for 5 days, and can resume their normal activity within a few weeks. Despite being the most invasive method, it is a very low risk procedure and according to medical studies, this method has a number of indications, allowing for better long-term results, less need

for drugs in the future, resulting in a clear improvement of the patient’s overall prognosis. It is undoubtedly the treatment method to be con-sidered in severe chronic coronary heart disease.

At the HPA Health Group, the Interventional Cardiology and the Cardiothoracic Surgery Teams work together as the “Heart Team”, from such a time as the initial diagnosis is reached until the most appropriate treatment in each case, for each individual patient is decided on.

The Portugal News · 3 Jul 202140 HealthStruggling to run in the heat? When the temperatures spike, it’s important to be strategic with your workouts.

Beautiful sunny days are one of the reasons why Portugal is such

a treat, but running in the heat can be a lot more tricky than you think, and if you’re not careful, you can easily max out too early and finish your first kilometre wanting to lie down in a hot, sweaty, exhausted mess.Yep, summer training isn’t easy – but you don’t have to give up on your outdoor runs just because of the sunshine. It’s a case of being prepared, sensible and adapting as necessary. We asked some experts for their advice on safely managing the heat with summer running…Why is running in heat so hard?

“Running in the heat causes a rapid increase in your core body temperature, which the body counteracts by redirecting the blood from our muscles to the skin to support the cooling process,” says NURVV Sport Scientist, Anna Kosciuk.Because of this, less blood is available to transport oxygen to the working muscles, and when your skin’s receiving the blood flow that would normally go to muscles, Koscuik says keeping pace becomes way more difficult: “The lack of oxygen quickly induces premature fatigue and results in a decline in muscle function, which can affect overall performance.”In this way, running in the heat is quite similar to

altitude training.That overheated, heavy feeling is never pleasant, and dehydration can also play a role in its intensity.When you haven’t drunk enough fluids, your body sweats less to stop you losing fluid more rapidly than you are replacing it, which means you have a harder time controlling your body temperature.How should you adapt your running technique in the summer?

1. Time it rightEven on baking days, it’s significantly cooler around sunrise and sunset during summer months.“A simple tip is to run in the morning or late afternoon, to avoid the hottest part of the day,”

says Randall Cooper, sports physiotherapist and CEO of Premax .Getting your run done first thing in the morning also leaves lunchtime free to focus on some all important recovery, like stretching and myofascial release.

2. Go slowCooper advises running a course that is mainly in the shade (woodland paths are good for this) and slowing your pace to adjust to the heat and humidity. It’s an obvious point, but the hottest day of the year is no time to aim for a PB.Although your pace may feel torturously slow, your heart rate will still reach between the optimum 50-85% because of the extra challenge of the hot weather.

3. Make sure you’re drinking water often“When you’re sweating more, you lose valuable fluids and electrolytes, which compromises the efficiency of the cooling process of the body,” says Kosciuk.Wearing a hydration vest allows you to sip on a 1.5-litre bladder of water as you go, so you don’t have to wait until the finish line to properly rehydrate.

4. Consider your gearWhen it comes to summer running, Cooper says “light, technical fabrics that wick sweat and allow the skin to breathe” are best.Microfiber polyesters and cotton blends with mesh areas and vents will help to keep you cool, and a hat and UV sunglasses are essential for keeping your face and eyes protected from the rays. Wearing a broad spectrum of SPF50 on hot days is a no-brainer for runners too.

5. Get a good pair of running socks“Specialist running socks will keep your feet dry to prevent blisters, as high temperatures increase the moisture in the shoes and often lead to painful wounds,” notes Kosciuk.

Shoe choice is equally important. “Get your trainers fitted to the shape of your feet and the function of your foot and lower leg,” stresses Kosciuk. “There’s no better way to avoid injuries than to ensure appropriate support and structure around your feet.”

6. Plan ahead for the end of the sessionHave extra water on hand, some small wet towels to place on the back of your neck or wrists, and know where you can get out of the heat and the sun into a cooler environment, says Cooper.Replenishing the body with cold fluids is also a vital part of your post-run recovery. “A good rule is to ensure your urine is clear [not yellow] two to three hours after the session has ended,” says Cooper.

7. Sleep it offRunning in the heat will be more stressful on your body, and getting seven to nine hours of sleep is vital to allow the body to repair and recover. “If it’s possible, sleep in a cool room between 17-20°C. However, I’d recommended not running an air-conditioner, as the dry air will cause further

dehydration overnight,” says Cooper.

A final word…Despite the disadvantages of summer running, learning to adapt to the challenge of hot weather can actually make you a more efficient runner. “For runners who successfully adapt and acclimatise to hot conditions, it can actually improve athletic performance,” says Cooper. “This is because the body learns to sweat more, which improves thermoregulation, both in hot and cold conditions.“Training in the heat can also lead to positive changes in blood plasma volume, reduce overall core temperature, reduce blood lactate levels and improve aerobic performance.”That said, it can also be dangerous to run outside in the heat as it increases your risk of heat stroke and other potentially serious heat-related illnesses.For this reason, Cooper says adapting to running in the heat should be done incrementally, over many sessions. “Not everyone responds to training in the heat in the same manner, so it definitely needs to be approached with caution,” he advises.

PA/TPN

41The Portugal News · 3 Jul 2021HealthHealth for a New Age

N Paula Martins

Changing our state within minutesIn Portugal, breathwork is becoming increasingly popular and I didn’t want to miss out on this new trend. So, I decided to do my first breathwork class at the Vale do Lobo Wellbeing Showcase.

The Vale do Lobo Wellbeing Showcase, was a week-long

celebration of self-care. It combined Vale do Lobo’s most loved wellness experiences with workshops by visiting international experts. Here you were be able to find activities such as yoga, clinical pilates, meditation, and breathwork workshops - which this article is about.From a beginners point of view, the most interesting thing about breathwork is being able to relax, while learning how to change our state of mind in afew minutes through becoming aware of our breathing - something that we do all the time, but we don’t pay enough attention to.“The rate of dysfunctional breathing affects between 80 to 90 percent of people. In fact, it’s very rare to meet someone who is breathing well”, said Richie Bostock, who is known as “the breath guy” and was one of the main guests of the Vale do Lobo showcase and was also present in the class that I attended.I recognise that I might belong to that number, as I’ve realised that it’s not easy to follow conscious breathing for more than maybe 20 seconds.

One-hour session in Vale Real Over an hour, during a session at the beautiful and peaceful Vale Real in Vale do Lobo, we did three different techniques in a session called Breathwork to boost energy & focus, guided by Matylda, a breathwork coach and psychologist.The first technique was called coherent breathing and the second was extended ex-hale, which Richie in his book ‘Ex-hale’, calls “twice the calm”. These nose breathing exercises are great for anxiety and stress. Then, the last technique was a breathing exercise through the mouth that was very powerful – there are people, who have experienced very different sensations after this.For Matylda, breathwork is more than an exercise, it is a passion that she brings from her heart and that makes her life a little bit easier even during business meetings and is able to change her state of mind within minutes.

How? “Sometimes when I do presentations for hundreds of people or business meetings I do breathwork just to slow down the breath. Basically I used that to switch my mood

and that’s what the session was today about. Reducing your anxiety, becoming calmer. These are tools that you have and you don’t need any pills - only the breath to quickly change your moods”.

“The Breath Guy” After the very relaxing breathwork, it was time for a talk with Richie, known as “the breath guy”, who had attended Matylda’s morning class.Richie Bostock was one of the most high profile guests and is a main figure in the field of breathwork. This was his first time in Portugal and Richie had travelled from the UK to present and teach breathing techniques that are increasingly popular worldwide.

The benefits are endless “Breathwork can be used in so many different ways. There are people who are using the breathwork to help with physical diseases, chronic illnesses, and there are people who are struggling with anxiety or depression. Furthermore, the breath can be used as well as an incredible form of therapy - the progress you can make in a single breathwork session you might not be able to get in six

months of therapy, it’s a very powerful tool that we all have for free”, said Richie. Richie has done a lot of work in hospitals where he helps very sick people. “The benefits are endless. Even for people that are in their hospital beds recovering, we can give them breathing techniques. You can even use breathing techniques as a form of cardiovascular exercise”.Besides all the physical and psychological positive effects, there are also emotional benefits that we should not underestimate. Richie is a living proof of that.“The Richie before breathwork is very different from the

Richie after breathwork”. Eight years ago, Richie was a management consultant. As a result of his busy corporate life he was always very worried, always thinking “what could happen?” or “what the future might hold?”.“I had a ten year plan that I constantly changed every two months. So I was very much in this state of feeling that I’ve to create structure in my life. For me breathwork help the most”, he told The Portugal News.“Through the breath, I’ve become aware of the various traumas and conditions of my life that made me feel like I had to be constantly in a state

of alert. Now I trust in life a little bit more and assume that the best is going to happen”, he concluded.

Coming days in Vale RealThe new wellbeing space, sponsored by SPRY, GUTSY CAPTAIN and 226ERS, will host Vale do Lobo regular experiences falling into categories of wellbeing, active,sustainable and meaningfulliving. All activities can be found at www.valedolobo.com/events and are open for everyone – Vale do Lobo’s owners, guests and general public - and can be booked online.

The Portugal News · 3 Jul 202142 Consumer Rights brought to you by

Count on our supportTel: 289 863 103email: [email protected] It is also possible to schedule Skype appointments Follow DECO Algarve on social media:

The advice provided on this page is provided by DECO.

The Portugal News is not responsible for any claims made by DECO.

N Paula Martins

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Credits and loans – What can we trust?There are more and more crazy money-making schemes. Find some advice here to avoid falling into any traps.

Take out a loan by phone Digital and new technologies are priorities for consumers’ lives and it is currently possible to take out a loan remotely.Know that, before joining, you have the right to be informed, in time, on paper or in another durable manner, of the identification of the institution that will lend you the money, the services to be hired and the terms of the contract.In the case of a distance contract, the consumer also benefits from a period of reflection, having the right of free termination, that is, up to 14 days after the conclusion of the contract.Consumers don’t need to provide justification and will not be penalised unless you have already received the loan. In this case, you will have 30 days to return the money, incurring interest until its reimbursement and eventually pay the stamp tax, if already paid by the financing entity.To exercise this right, the consumer must send, to the loan institution, a registered mail with

acknowledgment of receipt and keep the proof.

Borrowing money from strangers? If you’re in need and you don’t have anyone you can trust to turn to and the bank doesn’t make it easy, avoid adverts that promise money “on the fly”, as you could be getting into trouble!Sometimes, a lack of money leads consumers to expose themselves to “traps” that endanger their financial situation or their properties.Some of the requirements to get this type of loan are the guarantee of the property or even its sale to strangers, or cheques, which, despite being post-dated, can be withdrawn any time, or also issuing a debt statement as ‘proof of business’. As a rule, the main goal is to make an easy profit.Avoid these traps that promise cash on the spot that will charge you very high interests. They can even push you into a debt spiral(s) from which you will find it very difficult to get out of risking your property.

What can you do if you are a victim of online fraud? If you have been a victim of a scam, you must take action as soon as possible. If there has been a fraud or the misappropriation of accesses numbers to home banking and / or a bank card, the first step that the consumer must take is to contact the bank.You must call the contacts indicated in the respective contract or on the monthly account statements, also from the list of card issuers on the Banco de Portugal (BdP) website.You must request to cancel your home banking and/or card access numbers, indicating your account and/or card number.Then, the fraud must be reported to the police authorities (PSP, GNR or PJ). If unauthorised transactions or operations have been carried out, be aware that you might have to pay a maximum value of €50.It is important to alert the consumer to the obligation to comply with all safety rules online and in the use of the card as

well, always acting responsibly, otherwise consumers will be held responsible for the transactions carried out.Check the list of BdP card issuers here: https://www.bportugal.pt/sites/default/files/anexos/documentos-relatados/contactosdosesmissorescartoes.pdf

Don’t be the next victim of bank card fraud!The use of a debit card, ATM card and credit card are very noemal, but are their owners aware of the dangers they may face?Many consumers are victims of money-making “schemes”, through the misappropriation of personal data associated with cards to later use them, for example, to withdraw money or make purchases.How to prevent card fraud?1. Do not provide your personal details and bank card passwords;2. Be discreet at automatic payment terminals;3. When making purchases, always confirm the selection value;4. Beware of unreliable sites that

ask for bank details in exchange for discount coupons or rewards!Don’t push your luck, get informed and prevent fraud!

Pre-approved credit in 24 hours! Can I trust this?Easy credit can be expensive!The consumer must first assess which entities are involved in this operation and under what conditions they work.Consult Banco de Portugal and confirm whether this financial institution is correctly authorised to grant credits or acts as an intermediary.Analyse, in advance, all associated costs and clarify any doubts you have.

Social MediaOne of the most used schemes on social media seeks to get consumer data with the promise of pre-approved credit, requesting the transfer of an amount between €100 and €200 to complete the process. In the end, the consumer is harmed and the credit is refused.

43The Portugal News · 3 Jul 2021Property of the WeekSuperb quality villa with pool, garage and various terraces near Castro Marim GolfThis three bedroom and four bathroom villa with a study is located in a quiet little village near Castro Marim.

This beautiful estate was built to a superb quality standard and is

located only a two minute drive from Castro Marim Golf Club in the Eastern Algarve, which offers three Nine Hole courses – The Guadiana, The Atlantic and The Grouse as well as a Restaurant and Clubhouse Bar for memorable outings with friends and family.

This lovely two-storey property is approached via an automatic gate and cobblestone driveway and sits on the most elevated position of a nicely landscaped and private plot of land with beautiful country views.

The ground floor of the villa consists of an entrance

hall with a bathroom and a cloakroom and a light and bright living room with a study, a generous fully fitted and equipped kitchen with Kitchen Island and granite worktops and adjacent utility room in addition to a dining room with access to a cozy terrace.

The first floor comprises of three spacious double bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms.

At the back of this detached property you will enjoy a large sun terrace with a nice swimming pool (8x4 meters), an outside shower and a gorgeous BBQ area, ideal for al-fresco dining. The automatically irrigated landscaped garden has a nice design. It features extensive natural plants and a variety of

fruit trees and offers wonderful views while enjoying this peaceful and tranquil hilly countryside setting.

The property also benefits from a garage with direct access to the villa, double glazing, central heating throughout the house, air-conditioning, access to a terrace from all rooms, light ceramic floor tiles, high quality finishings, mature garden, country view, privacy and security and very important our days, fast internet. Energy Certificate class B.

If you love the countryside, this property might be perfect for you. Please contact Land & Houses Algarve at [email protected] or call 281 320 281 for more information.

PRICE: €595.000 · LOCATION: CASTRO MARIM · REF: LHV-1468

Telephone:(+351) 281 320 280

Email:[email protected]

Website:www.landandhousesalgarve.com

44 The Portugal News · 3 Jul 2021 Prestige

45The Portugal News · 3 Jul 2021Prestige

46 The Portugal News · 3 Jul 2021 Business Directory

Bureaucratic Services

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49The Portugal News · 3 Jul 2021Letters to the EditorThe opinions expressed here are those of our readers and not necessarily of The Portugal News. The Editor reserves the right to edit letters or refuse publication. Send your letters, which must include your name and full

postal address and should preferably be under 300 words, to: The Portugal News, Apartado 13, 8401-901 Lagoa. Email: [email protected]

N

Send your letters to: [email protected]

Super ExpressEDITOR, I live on my

own and do not own a car. I live very close to Pin-go Doce but find myself shopping every two days as certain items can be very heavy to carry.

I saw the advertisement in your paper with Super-Express and decided to try them out. I had a little problem with their website at first but it was soon resolved by a very friendly agent on the end of the phone. I finally got all my details in and submitted my order. It arrived at my doorstep within 20 minutes. The staff were ex-tremely friendly and help-ful and as a new customer I got some gifts; a hat, a pen, a lighter and a key ring. I would recommend this company to anyone as they were so polite, professional and efficient.

ANNA V. ALCOTT, By email

Portugal’s shame

EDITOR, My part-ner and I aged 50 and 59 would both like to be vaccinated against Cov-id-19. My partner is an Irish citizen, he has owned some land in Portugal since 2000. He does not have Portugese residency as this is not his main residency I am a UK citizen trying to get residence at the moment.

We were happy to see there is a dedicated website to register to get vaccinated for people without a health number at https://servicos.min-saude.pt/covid19/vaci-nacao-nao-utente

When we heard that they were vaccinating our age groups here in Portugal we were expecting to be texted with an appointment to come in. Alas nothing and after emailing, with no response, telephoning and going to the health centre and vaccination centre all we keep being told is we have to go back to our own countries to be vaccinated!

So this is Portugal’s policy is it? Vaccinate their own and let everyone else get ill?

We would like to go back to Ireland and the UK but feel it’s unsafe while restrictions are still in place. It would also mean borrow-ing money to make the trip

as we have both not been able to work since February 2020. Here we are quite isolated in the countryside, it makes more sense for us to get vaccinated here rath-er than risking a wait at an airport, a flight and public transport at the other end.

I have now made en-quiries with the Irish and British embassies in Lisbon to see if they can help or advise us on what to do next.

In a world where there is a pandemic going on as well as a growing anti-vax movement you would have thought the Portu-guese government would be happy to help out the few people that are in the country without a health number!

Shame on them. SAMANTHAWILKINSON, By

Email

Astra Zenica Vaccination Timing

EDITOR, I would like to bring to your attention the ludicrous situation that is now developing regard-ing the vaccination time-table and the Astra Zenica vaccine, which is leaving many in the most vulner-able age group exposed to greater risk for longer than is necessary.

I and my wife are in the over 70 at risk age group, we were given our first Astra Zenica vaccine at the beginning of May, as things stand we are not due to receive our second dose until the end of July and are not fully protected in this period.

Younger people that the first dose of AZ vaccine are now being offered the pfiz-er vaccine as a second dose and most people now seem to be getting this or the Johnson one dose vaccine.

This means that many in the most vulnerable age group who have had one dose of the AZ vaccine are still vulnerable and most younger people will have had the full dose, this is not logical.

There is no medical reason why the AZ second dose cannot be given after 28 days, indeed this was the original clinical recom-mendation and was only changed in order to make limited supplies go further.

The AZ vaccine is no longer given to anyone under 60 so surely there are now adequate supplies of this vaccine.

Studies in other countries have found that a mix of the AZ vaccine with a sec-ond dose of Pfizer is even more effective than 2 doses of the AZ.

I live in Tavira and the holiday season is upon us bringing many visitors from the North and Lisbon in particular.

I would urge you to reas-sess the situation to ensure that the vulnerable over 70’s age group is allowed to have the second dose after 28 days, the Pfizer vaccine is only 21 days”

ALEC EARNSHAWCabanas de Tavira

Global Warming

Mr Knight admits my arguments about global warming are “able”. Thanks.

That’s because I have friends in academe who study these things, and for the past fifty years I have been studying articles in scientific journals from Na-ture to Scientific American on many intriguing subjects.

I quote articles and pro-duce charts taken from sci-entific journals, Mr Knight quotes none. Instead, with-out any evidence, he claims I am quoting “the fossil fuel industry”, whatever that may mean.

Thousands of years ago the oceans were rising rapidly as the earth came out of the last ice age. That mega rise has reduced to 4 inches over the last 100 years. That figure comes from the various geo-physical surveys done by a consortium of government bodies, universities, and independent scientists, plus bodies set up by the UN to monitor sea levels, plus measurements made over a 50 year span by Russian and US satellites.

Doesn’t sounds like the fossil fuel kindjustury to me. What does your evi-dence say? And where does it come from?

You will see from my charts that current temper-atures are the lowest of any recent interglacials. Are you implying that the charts I quote are false? If so, where are your charts?

Here again is the link to the scientific charts I am

quoting:https://www.property.

org.uk/unique/blogs/Climate%20Change%20Charts.html

I agree there has been “a staggering loss of biodi-versity”, but that has not taken place over the past twenty years, but over the past 100 years. In fact the first red books were started 90 years ago. That is due to the use in agriculture by noxious chemicals de-signed to wipe out insects and creepy-crawlies, thus affecting the food chain. It is also due to the increase in scope of industrialised ag-riculture. And why is that? Over the past 100 years the population of the world has increased six-fold, it is that which is unsustaina-ble. What do you suggest Mr Knight? Mass human culling?

As for the oil lobby, what do you think will power all these new electric vehicles if there is no oil? Where will the electricity come from? And how much mining does there have to be to obtain all the noxious chemicals needed to create and run electric vehicles, solar panels and wind turbines? It ’s easy to boast about the benefits but everyone is hiding the snags under a large carpet. Do you actually know what it takes to create these so-called green en-ergy devices? Check them out, it might give you a shock. Then check which companies these “green” politicians are investing in. That’s where the political narrative counts.

JOHN CLARE. Arao.

BeggersEDITOR, To contin-

ue Mr Johnson’s theme regarding begging.

This practice besmirches the good name of Portugal and must put a dark stain on the victim’s experience here.

One such scary and unpleasant encounter with one of these often aggressive and odoriferous parasites would surely ne-gate and harm Portugal’s Tourist Board’s costly pro-motional activities abroad to promote Portugal.

But harassing tourists seems to be legal here as the police look on and do nothing.

At least one of these beggars is not starving

as he smokes ready made cigarettes and can afford a mobile phone.

And washing their hands? Well, that would be a start!

Perhaps it ’s me show-ing my age? Maybe the younger generations accept this practice as normal in today’s so called modern world?

While I’m on a roll, let ’s not use colonial spelling of the English language here ~ ‘tire’ (Deco) should be tyre and ‘flavor’ (book review) should be flavour...

Ray Scott, Faro.

Covid-19EDITOR, Kevin Bagley

is right, we do not want visitors spreading the highly contagious Delta variant. Sky news did a in depth report from Brazil where Covid-19 is out of control, raising the point that a new mutation (they do not, unlike the UK have the expertise to study new potential variants,) seemed to be killing pregnant women. Neither Portugal or UK wants that possible variant.

In your article “Any-one fancy a climber?”, Bougainvillea will not really grow up here, in the Algarve´s third level, serra but we do have a wonder-ful Russian vine which has beautiful white flowers, adored by bees, all summer at least. But it needs room.

D TAYLOR-SMITH,By email

Green amberEDITOR, we are

English, both retired, both fully vaccinated, we flew to Faro, on the 24 May, stay-ing in our caravan sited on a campsite, the campsite was struggling with lack of tourists, but welcomed us, then the UK put portugal on the amber list and we saw bemused frustrated British tourists rushing to get back,as most couldn’t af-ford to isolate, but we could, so stayed for a month,

and the portugease people despite having hardly any income, where friendly to us, as they usually are,we returned to the UK last week and are doing our 10 day isolation and had to pay over €400 for Covid tests, not cheap when you’re on a UK pension, anyway, our family around 10 of us have a holiday booked in the Algarve on the 10 August.

PETER BUCKBY, By email

A replyEDITOR , I would like

to write a comment to the article from Jay locally.

I agree with Jay stating that the government, like many governments in the world do not pay enough attention to our children

Jamming a stick up through the nose to your sinus which connects with your brains was a punish-ments 2,000 years ago in Egypt. Now, instead of taking some spit from the mouth for a Covid test which is 90% of the time false positive (if you had an egg or if you had flu 3 years ago the test will show positive) they are jamming a stick through the nose up to the brains of little children

One of the substanc-es on the stick which is supposed to desinfect the stick is known to cause cancer and the childs survival rate of Covid-19 is sky high.

Children are not dying of Covid-19 but should be tested so many times? Can anybody explain to me why?

To Mr. John Miller and Mr. Paul O´Byrne I just would say, be happy that you were not able to take the jab. At the moment there are more people arriv-ing at hospitals with severe adverse reactions after the jab than people with Covid, not to speak about the thousands of people who died already after taking the jab.

MARTIN, Silves. By email

The Portugal News · 3 Jul 202150 TV Guide SUNDAY 04/07/21

BBC One06.00 Breakfast.09.00 The Andrew Marr Show.10.00 Politics England.10.30 Sunday Morning Live.11.30 Murder, Mystery and My Family.12.15 Homes Under the Hammer.13.00 BBC News; Weather.13.15 Songs of Praise.13.50 Bargain Hunt.14.25 Escape to the Country.14.55 FILM: Clash of the Titans (1981).16.50 Spy in the Wild.17.50 BBC News; Weather.18.15 Countryfile.19.15 Antiques Roadshow.20.15 FILM: Yesterday (2019).22.00 BBC News; Weather.22.30 Idris Elba Meets Paul McCartney.23.25 FILM: Molly’s Game (2017).01.35 Weather for the Week Ahead.BBC Two England06.05 Life in a Cottage Garden with Carol Klein.06.35 Britain in Bloom.07.05 Gardeners’ World.08.05 Countryfile.09.00 Landward.09.30 Beechgrove.10.00 Saturday Kitchen Best Bites.11.30 Mary Berry’s Country House Secrets.12.30 Reel History of Britain.13.00 FILM: Into the Woods (2014).15.00 Athletics: Diamond League Stockholm.17.00 Flog It!17.45 The Yorkshire Dales.18.15 Africa with Ade Adepitan.19.15 This Farming Life.20.15 Our Wild Adventures.21.15 QI XL.22.00 Mayans M.C.23.45 ODI Cricket Highlights.00.45 Arctic with Bruce Parry.ITV London06.00 CITV.08.25 ITV News.08.30 Martin & Roman’s Weekend Best!09.25 Love Your Garden.09.55 The Masked Singer US.12.40 Australian Ninja Warrior.14.10 ITV News and Weather; Weather.14.20 FILM: Hotel Transylvania 3: A Monster

Vacation (2018).16.10 Tipping Point: Best Ever Finals.16.40 The Chase Celebrity Special.17.40 ITV News and Weather.18.10 FILM: Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s

Stone (2001).21.00 Harry & William: What Went Wrong?22.00 ITV News and Weather; Weather.22.20 Extraordinary Twins.23.20 Joanna Lumley’s Unseen Adventures.00.10 Tour de France Highlights.01.00 Shop: Ideal World.Channel 406.00 Everybody Loves Raymond.08.00 The Simpsons.09.30 Sunday Brunch.12.30 The Simpsons.13.30 Live International Rugby Union.16.15 Grand Designs.17.15 George Clarke’s Amazing Spaces.18.00 Channel 4 News.18.30 Formula 1 Austrian Grand Prix Highlights.21.00 The Handmaid’s Tale.22.20 Celebrity Gogglebox.23.15 First Dates.00.20 Fargo.01.25 Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares USA.02.15 FILM: 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of

Benghazi (2016).BBC Four19.00 Nicola Benedetti: BBC Young Musician

Winner 2004.19.15 Discovering The Bridge on the River Kwai -

Malcolm Arnold.20.15 Maps: Power, Plunder and Possession.21.15 World War Two: Behind Closed Doors.22.15 Britain’s Most Fragile Treasure.23.15 Petite Fille: Storyville.00.40 Discovering The Bridge on the River Kwai -

Malcolm Arnold.01.40 World War Two: Behind Closed Doors.02.35 Hemingway.

MONDAY 05/07/21

BBC One06.00 Breakfast.09.15 Morning Live.10.00 Homes Under the Hammer.11.00 Murder, Mystery and My Family.11.45 Island Medics.12.15 Bargain Hunt.13.00 BBC News at One; Weather.13.45 Wimbledon 2021.18.00 BBC News at Six; Weather.19.00 The One Show.19.35 Brexit: Six Months On - Panorama.20.05 EastEnders.20.30 Garden Rescue.21.00 Gold Rush: Our Race to Olympic Glory.22.00 BBC News at Ten; Weather.22.35 High: Confessions of an Ibiza Drug Mule.23.10 Cristiano Ronaldo: Impossible to Ignore.00.15 Have I Got a Bit More News for You.00.55 Weather for the Week Ahead.01.00 BBC News.BBC Two England06.15 Murder, Mystery and My Family.07.15 Sign Zone: The Repair Shop.08.15 The Super League Show.08.45 The Week in Parliament.09.15 Politics Live.10.00 BBC News.10.30 Wimbledon 2021.20.30 Today at Wimbledon.21.30 Heist: The Northern Bank Robbery.22.30 Newsnight.23.10 Weather.23.15 A Dangerous Dynasty: House of Assad.ITV London06.00 Good Morning Britain.09.00 Lorraine.10.00 This Morning.12.30 Loose Women.13.30 ITV Lunchtime News; Weather.14.00 Dickinson’s Real Deal.15.00 Tenable.15.59 ITV London Weather.16.00 Tipping Point.17.00 The Chase.18.00 ITV News London; Weather.19.00 Emmerdale.19.30 Coronation Street.20.00 James Martin’s Islands to Highlands.20.30 Coronation Street.21.00 Long Lost Family.22.00 ITV News at Ten; Weather.22.45 Extraordinary Twins.23.45 Monster Carp.01.00 Shop: Ideal World.03.00 FYI Extra.Channel 406.00 Countdown.06.40 Cheers.07.35 Everybody Loves Raymond.08.55 Frasier.10.25 Escape to the Chateau: DIY.11.25 Channel 4 News Summary.11.30 Posh Pawnbrokers.12.30 Steph’s Packed Lunch.14.10 Countdown.15.00 A Place in the Sun.16.00 Mend It for Money.17.00 Couples Come Dine with Me.18.00 The Simpsons.18.30 Hollyoaks.19.00 Channel 4 News.20.00 Devon and Cornwall.21.00 24 Hours in A&E.22.00 Kathy Burke: Money Talks.23.05 Sex Party Secrets.00.05 Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares USA.01.00 Couples Come Dine with Me.01.55 Bake Off: The Professionals.02.50 Wife Swap USA.BBC Four19.00 The Joy of Painting.19.30 The Cruise.20.00 Art of Persia.21.00 Turner: The Man Who Painted Britain.22.00 Simon Schama’s Power of Art.23.00 Frank Bowling’s Abstract World.23.30 Apples, Pears and Paint: How to Make a

Still Life Painting.01.00 The Joy of Painting.01.30 The Cruise.02.00 Turner: The Man Who Painted Britain.03.00 Art of Persia.

TUESDAY 06/07/21

BBC One06.00 Breakfast.09.15 Morning Live.10.00 Homes Under the Hammer.11.00 Murder, Mystery and My Family.11.45 Island Medics.12.15 Bargain Hunt.13.00 BBC News at One; Weather.13.45 Wimbledon 2021.18.00 BBC News at Six; Weather.19.00 MOTD Live: UEFA Euro 2020.22.10 BBC News at Ten; Weather.22.45 Crouchy’s Year Late Euros: Live.23.30 UEFA Euro 2020 Highlights.00.05 Bates Motel.00.50 Bates Motel.01.35 MOTD: UEFA Euro 2020 Replay.03.15 Weather for the Week Ahead.03.20 BBC News.BBC Two England06.15 Murder, Mystery and My Family.07.00 Bargain Hunt: Gadgets Special.07.45 Sign Zone: Gardeners’ World.08.45 Sign Zone: Beechgrove.09.15 Politics Live.10.00 BBC News.12.30 Wimbledon 2021.20.00 Today at Wimbledon.21.00 Forensics: The Real CSI.22.00 Cunk on Britain.22.30 Newsnight.23.10 Weather.23.15 A Dangerous Dynasty: House of Assad.ITV London06.00 Good Morning Britain.09.00 Lorraine.10.00 This Morning.12.30 Loose Women.13.30 ITV Lunchtime News; Weather.14.00 Dickinson’s Real Deal.15.00 Tenable.15.59 ITV London Weather.16.00 Tipping Point.17.00 The Chase.18.00 ITV News London; Weather.19.00 UEFA Euro 2020 Live.22.30 ITV News; Weather.23.20 Harry & William: What Went Wrong?00.20 Tour de France Highlights.01.10 Shop: Ideal World.03.00 FYI Extra.03.15 Winning Combination.Channel 406.00 Countdown.06.40 Cheers.07.35 Everybody Loves Raymond.08.55 Frasier.10.25 Escape to the Chateau: DIY.11.25 Channel 4 News Summary.11.30 Posh Pawnbrokers.12.30 Steph’s Packed Lunch.14.10 Countdown.15.00 A Place in the Sun.16.00 Mend It for Money.17.00 Couples Come Dine with Me.18.00 The Simpsons.18.30 Hollyoaks.19.00 Channel 4 News.20.00 Bake Off: The Professionals.21.00 999: What’s Your Emergency?22.00 999: On the Front Line.23.05 Naked Attraction.00.05 24 Hours in A&E.01.05 Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares USA.01.55 Undercover Boss USA.02.45 Wife Swap USA.03.30 Food Unwrapped: Sweet Tooth Special.04.20 Location, Location, Location.05.15 Coach Trip: Road to Tenerife.05.40 Kirstie’s Fill Your House for Free.BBC Four19.00 The Joy of Painting.19.30 The Cruise.20.00 Yes Minister.20.30 The Good Life.21.00 Hemingway.21.50 Michael Palin’s Hemingway Adventure.22.40 Philly DA: Breaking the Law.23.35 Art of America.00.35 The Joy of Painting.01.00 The Cruise.01.30 Motherland.02.30 Hemingway.

SATURDAY 03/07/21

BBC One06.00 Breakfast.10.00 Saturday Kitchen Live.11.30 Our Food, Our Family with Michela

Chiappa.12.00 BBC News.12.10 BBC Regional News; Weather; Weather.12.20 Wimbledon 2021.16.15 BBC News; Weather.16.30 MOTD Live: UEFA Euro 2020.19.30 MOTD Live: UEFA Euro 2020.22.10 BBC News; Weather.22.30 Crouchy’s Year Late Euros: Live.23.15 UEFA Euro 2020 Highlights.23.45 MOTD Top 10: Moments of Euro ‘16.00.15 MOTD: UEFA Euro 2020 Replay.01.55 Weather for the Week Ahead.02.00 BBC News.BBC Two England06.35 Wild & Weird.06.50 The Dengineers.07.20 The Dog Ate My Homework.07.50 Blue Peter: Almost Never Takeover!08.20 What’s Cooking Omari?08.30 Deadly Dinosaurs with Steve Backshall.09.00 Human Universe.10.00 Mountain: Life at the Extreme.11.00 Wimbledon 2021.20.30 Today at Wimbledon.21.30 Pride Live at the Apollo.22.00 Pride Hits at the BBC.23.00 FILM: Pride (2014).00.55 FILM: Summertime (2015).02.35 This Is BBC Two.ITV London06.00 CITV.08.25 ITV News.08.30 Martin & Roman’s Weekend Best!09.25 James Martin’s Saturday Morning.11.35 Simply Raymond Blanc.12.40 James Martin’s American Adventure.13.10 ITV News and Weather; Weather.13.25 ITV Racing: Live from Sandown.16.00 ITV News and Weather.16.05 ITV News London; Weather.16.15 UEFA Euro 2020 Live.19.15 UEFA Euro 2020 Live.22.20 ITV News and Weather; Weather.22.40 The Jonathan Ross Show: Special Guests.23.05 Tour de France Highlights.00.10 Shop: Ideal World.03.00 FYI Extra.03.15 Britain’s Brightest Family.03.45 ITV Nightscreen.Channel 406.00 Everybody Loves Raymond.06.25 Everybody Loves Raymond.06.45 Everybody Loves Raymond.07.10 Everybody Loves Raymond.07.35 The Big Bang Theory.08.00 The Big Bang Theory.08.25 The Simpsons.08.55 The Simpsons.09.25 The Simpsons.09.55 The Simpsons.10.25 The Simpsons.10.55 The Simpsons.11.25 Couples Come Dine with Me.12.30 Live International Rugby Union.15.00 Live W Series Motor Racing.16.15 A Place in the Sun.17.00 Kirstie and Phil’s Love It or List It.18.00 Channel 4 News.18.30 Formula 1 Austrian Grand Prix Qualifying

Highlights.20.00 FILM: The Post (2017).22.15 FILM: Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation

(2015).00.45 FILM: Sleepless (2017).02.25 The Last Leg.03.20 Hollyoaks Omnibus.05.20 Coach Trip: Road to Tenerife.05.50 Kirstie’s Vintage Gems.BBC Four19.00 Bill Oddie’s Top 10 Birds.20.00 Coast Great Guides: England’s South East.21.00 Beck.22.30 The Ruth Ellis Files: A Very British Crime

Story.23.30 The Killing II.00.30 The Killing II.01.30 The Killing III.02.30 The Killing III.

51The Portugal News · 3 Jul 2021TV Guide

Sunday 4 JulyMayans M.C. (BBC2, regions vary)

Sons of Anarchy, the hit drama about a motorcycle gang, may have come to an end in 2014, but its spin-off Mayans MC shows no signs of slowing down. The third series begins on BBC2 tonight, and a fourth has already been commissioned. The current run starts with a double bill, as the border Mayans and their California town are faced with a federal crackdown on illegal activity, while the grieving Galindo seems to have also lost interest in his legitimate project. In the second instalment, EZ puts a proposal to Bishop.

Monday 5 JulyHigh: Confessions of an Ibiza Drug Mule (BBC1, regions vary)

This fascinating five-part series tells the story of Michaella McCollum. At the age of 19, she boarded her first-ever flight, which took her to the party isle of Ibiza. It was a journey that would have an incredible impact on her life because, just a few weeks later, she was ar-rested at Peru’s Lima airport after trying and failing to smuggle a huge amount of cocaine into the country. The first episode focuses on how McCollum was initially recruited by a handsome stranger who charmed her before setting his dangerous plan in motion.

Wednesday 7 JulyRaising a School Shooter: Sto-ryville (BBC4, 10pm)

This documentary makes for harrowing viewing but offers an important insight into the troubling issue of school shootings in the US, as told by the parents of three youngsters who carried them out. They include Jeff Williams, whose then-15-year-old son Andy killed two classmates and wounded 13 students in 2001, Sue Klebold, whose son Dylan was one of the two teenagers behind the 1999 Columbine High School massacre, and Clarence Elliot, whose son Nicholas killed his teacher and wounded another in 1988.

WEDNESDAY 07/07/21

BBC One06.00 Breakfast.09.15 Morning Live.10.00 Homes Under the Hammer.11.00 Murder, Mystery and My Family.11.45 Bargain Hunt.12.30 Wimbledon 2021.13.00 BBC News at One; Weather.13.45 Wimbledon 2021.18.00 BBC News at Six; Weather.19.00 MOTD Live: UEFA Euro 2020.22.10 BBC News at Ten; Weather.22.45 Crouchy’s Year Late Euros: Live.23.30 UEFA Euro 2020 Highlights.00.05 Gold Rush: Our Race to Olympic Glory.01.05 MOTD: UEFA Euro 2020 Replay.02.45 Weather for the Week Ahead.02.50 BBC News.BBC Two England06.15 Murder, Mystery and My Family.07.00 Bargain Hunt.07.45 Sign Zone: See Hear.08.15 The Super League Show.09.00 BBC News at 9.11.15 Politics Live.13.00 Wimbledon 2021.20.00 Today at Wimbledon.21.00 RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden

Festival.22.00 QI.22.30 Newsnight.23.10 Weather.23.15 A Dangerous Dynasty: House of Assad.ITV London06.00 Good Morning Britain.09.00 Lorraine.10.00 This Morning.12.30 Loose Women.13.30 ITV Lunchtime News; Weather.14.00 Dickinson’s Real Deal.15.00 Tenable.15.59 ITV London Weather.16.00 Tipping Point.17.00 The Chase.18.00 ITV News London; Weather.19.00 UEFA Euro 2020 Live.22.30 ITV News; Weather.23.20 Chefs’ Burnt Bits.23.50 British Touring Car Championship Highlights.01.05 Shop: Ideal World.03.00 FYI Extra.03.15 Tour de France Highlights.Channel 406.00 Countdown.06.40 Cheers.07.05 Cheers.07.35 Everybody Loves Raymond.08.00 Everybody Loves Raymond.08.25 Everybody Loves Raymond.08.55 Frasier.09.25 Frasier.09.55 Frasier.10.25 Escape to the Chateau: DIY.11.25 Channel 4 News Summary.11.30 Posh Pawnbrokers.12.30 Steph’s Packed Lunch.14.10 Countdown.15.00 A Place in the Sun.16.00 Mend It for Money.17.00 Couples Come Dine with Me.18.00 The Simpsons.18.30 Hollyoaks.19.00 Channel 4 News.20.00 Location, Location, Location: 20 Years and

Counting.21.00 Grand Designs.22.00 FILM: Patriots Day (2016).00.40 Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares USA.01.30 Couples Come Dine with Me.02.20 FILM: Stonehearst Asylum (2014).04.15 Building the Dream.05.05 Location, Location, Location.BBC Four19.00 The Joy of Painting.19.30 The Cruise.20.00 Japan: Earth’s Enchanted Islands.21.00 The Joy of Winning.22.00 Raising a School Shooter: Storyville.23.10 Handmade in Japan: Mingei Pottery.23.40 Beck.01.10 The Joy of Painting.01.40 The Cruise.02.10 The Joy of Winning.

THURSDAY 08/07/21

BBC One06.00 Breakfast.09.15 Morning Live.10.00 Homes Under the Hammer.11.00 Murder, Mystery and My Family.11.45 Island Medics.12.15 Bargain Hunt.13.00 BBC News at One; Weather.13.45 Wimbledon 2021.18.00 BBC News at Six; Weather.19.00 The One Show.19.35 EastEnders.20.00 Eat Well for Less?21.00 Dragons’ Den.22.00 BBC News at Ten; Weather.22.35 High: Confessions of an Ibiza Drug Mule.23.15 MOTD Top 10: Euros Teams.23.45 Newscast; Weather.00.20 BBC News.BBC Two England06.15 Beechgrove.06.45 Murder, Mystery and My Family.07.30 Bargain Hunt.08.15 Sign Zone: Dragons’ Den.09.15 Politics Live.10.00 BBC News.12.30 Wimbledon 2021.20.00 Today at Wimbledon.21.00 RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden

Festival.22.00 Live at the Apollo: The One About.22.30 Newsnight.23.10 Weather.23.15 ODI Cricket Highlights.ITV London06.00 Good Morning Britain.09.00 Lorraine.10.00 This Morning.12.30 Loose Women.13.30 ITV Lunchtime News; Weather.14.00 Dickinson’s Real Deal.15.00 Tenable.15.59 ITV London Weather.16.00 Tipping Point.17.00 The Chase.18.00 ITV News London; Weather.19.00 Emmerdale.19.30 Eat, Shop, Save.20.00 Emmerdale.20.30 Martin Clunes: My Travels and Other

Animals.21.00 Diana’s Decades.22.00 ITV News at Ten; Weather.22.45 Heathrow: Britain’s Busiest Airport.23.15 The Motorbike Show.00.10 Tour de France Highlights.01.00 Shop: Ideal World.03.00 FYI Extra.03.15 Martin & Roman’s Weekend Best!Channel 406.00 Countdown.06.40 Cheers.07.35 Everybody Loves Raymond.08.55 Frasier.10.25 Escape to the Chateau: DIY.11.25 Channel 4 News Summary.11.30 Posh Pawnbrokers.12.30 Steph’s Packed Lunch.14.10 Countdown.15.00 A Place in the Sun.16.00 Mend It for Money.17.00 Couples Come Dine with Me.18.00 The Simpsons.18.30 Hollyoaks.19.00 Channel 4 News.20.00 The Supervet: Puppy Special.21.00 Escape to the Chateau: Make Do and Mend.22.00 Gordon Ramsay: Uncharted.23.05 Celebrity Gogglebox.00.10 100 Vaginas.01.05 Kathy Burke: Money Talks.02.00 Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares USA.02.50 Undercover Boss USA.BBC Four19.00 The Joy of Painting.19.30 The Cruise.20.00 The 39 Steps.21.25 John Buchan: Master of Suspense.22.25 FILM: Clash of the Titans (1981).00.20 Hemingway.01.10 Philly DA: Breaking the Law.02.05 The Cruise.02.35 The 39 Steps.

FRIDAY 09/07/21

BBC One06.00 Breakfast.09.15 Morning Live.10.00 Homes Under the Hammer.11.00 Murder, Mystery and My Family.11.45 Island Medics.12.15 Bargain Hunt: Rare and Unique Special.13.00 BBC News at One; Weather.13.45 Wimbledon 2021.18.00 BBC News at Six; Weather.19.00 The One Show.19.30 Not Going Out.20.00 Would I Lie to You?20.35 EastEnders.21.00 Death in Paradise.22.00 BBC News at Ten; Weather.22.35 FILM: Out of Sight (1998).00.30 Weather for the Week Ahead.00.35 BBC News.BBC Two England06.30 Murder, Mystery and My Family.07.15 Bargain Hunt.08.00 Sign Zone: Building Britain’s Biggest

Nuclear Power Station.09.00 BBC News at 9.12.30 Wimbledon 2021.20.00 Today at Wimbledon.21.00 Gardeners’ World.22.00 The Moments That Made Richard Wilson.22.30 Newsnight.23.00 Weather.23.05 Forensics: The Real CSI.00.05 Mayans M.C.ITV London06.00 Good Morning Britain.09.00 Lorraine.10.00 This Morning.12.30 Loose Women.13.30 ITV Lunchtime News; Weather.14.00 Dickinson’s Real Deal.15.00 Tenable.15.59 ITV London Weather.16.00 Tipping Point.17.00 The Chase.18.00 ITV News London; Weather.19.00 Emmerdale.19.30 Coronation Street.20.30 Endeavour.22.20 ITV News; Weather.23.05 The Jonathan Ross Show: Special Guests.23.35 Alan Carr’s Epic Gameshow.00.25 Tour de France Highlights.01.15 Shop: Ideal World.03.00 FYI Extra.03.15 Martin & Roman’s Weekend Best!04.05 ITV Nightscreen.Channel 406.00 Countdown.06.40 Cheers.07.35 Everybody Loves Raymond.08.55 Frasier.10.25 Escape to the Chateau: DIY.11.25 Channel 4 News Summary.11.30 Posh Pawnbrokers.12.30 Steph’s Packed Lunch.14.10 Countdown.15.00 A Place in the Sun.16.00 Mend It for Money.17.00 Couples Come Dine with Me.18.00 The Simpsons.18.30 Hollyoaks.19.00 Channel 4 News.20.00 Great Canal Journeys.21.00 Celebrity Gogglebox.22.00 The Last Leg.23.05 FILM: Amy (2015).01.30 FILM: The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014).03.10 Come Dine with Me.03.35 Come Dine with Me.04.05 Come Dine with Me.04.30 Come Dine with Me.05.00 Come Dine with Me.05.25 Coach Trip: Road to Tenerife.05.50 Kirstie’s Handmade Treasures.BBC Four19.00 Athletics: Diamond League Monaco.21.00 TOTP: 1991.21.30 TOTP: 1991.22.00 The Beatles: Made on Merseyside.23.25 FILM: Yesterday (2019).01.15 Sings the Beatles.02.15 TOTP: 1991.02.45 TOTP: 1991.

Pick of the Week

The Portugal News · 3 Jul 202152 Classifieds

Auctions

Business Opportunities

Damp

RISING DAMP gone forever. Free inspection visits. www.drymatportugal.com [email protected]

FIRES OF Portugal Wood and Pellet fires.

Chimney sweeping from 70€.

[email protected] 289 489 958 or 966 949 997

Chimney Sweep

JULY AUCTIONSLive Auction

Sat. 10th July - 10amLive Auction via Video

+ Audio LinkONLINE TIMED

AUCTION Mon. 5th July to Mon. 12th July

Closing at 2pm (soft close)

Further info + CataloguesTel.: 289 832 380

E-mail: [email protected]:

@ahaauctionhousealgarve www.ahalgarve.com

PetsJob Offers

Shoreland Properties Lda.Tel. 913223402 or 282763000

shorelandproperties@ mail.telepac.pt

All types carried out to a very high standard.30 years experience.

BUILDING WORKS

LEAKING ROOFS & Terraces. Problems

solved 30 years experience in Algarve.

Call 913 223 402

PAINTING & Decorating services

undertaken across the Algarve. Experienced, professional & reliable. References available.

Please contact John 910523512

[email protected] - www.

solqualitypainters.com

View these pages online

POOL TABLE 7ft, refurbished with accessories. Can be

delivered. €1200 Tel: 966 006 666

LARGE 4/5 bed villa, 3 baths, pool, 1275m walled gardens. Quiet

urbanisation Ferragudo area. Close to all

amenities. €569,000. Tel: 965 895 650.

Email: [email protected]

Announcements

AIRCO WITHOUT ugly outside unit! Contact us for info: [email protected]

Education

LEARN PORTUGUESE. Enjoyable 10-day beginners course

(online) starts 19 July. Private lessons online or in school. Weekly conversation classes.

Centro de Línguas de Lagos. Call 282761070.

Email [email protected].

For Sale Private

ALMOST NEW RangeMaster gas cooker with RM extractor hood

complete. 900cm wide with 2 ovens, seperate grill + 5 gas hob rings (1 for wok). Situated in Carvoeiro - buyer

collects. Contact: Robert 967 956 409

DYSON PURE Hot + Cool Link. Air

Purifier. Product as new €250. Mobile: 918 677

829/933 528 288. E-mail: susanharlowrob@gmail.

com

Health and Beauty

SHOULDER PROBLEM? Pain-free treatment! Guaranteed Improvement or your money back. Dr. Bock.

966 706 606

Holiday Rentals

BEACH LOCATION apartment in Quarteira, 2 bedroom apartment (sleeps 6) only 5 minutes from the beach, perfect location on the edge of Quarteira/Vilamoura near the beautiful beach, bars, shops and restaurants in Quarteira and close to Vilamoura Marina and Casino, from only €450 per week. For more information and photos, please phone 919873075

WORK REMOTELY

We are an Online International

Marketing Business operating in Personal

Development & Wealth Education. We are looking to partner with ambitious and

motivated individuals to support our growth in Europe and offer

an exceptional income earning potential. For

More Information Visit http://www.

growfaster2020.com/portugal

Property for RentKitchen Renovation

Don´t buy a new kitchen until you’ve spoken to us! We can renovate

your old kitchen at a very reasonable cost. Free,

NO-obligation estimates.

Call Jamie on 968 211 631 / 965 137

517 or email jamiekitchen83@

gmail.com

Save thousands of Euros!Lots of door

designs if needed.

George & Son

AFTER

BEFORE

LONG TERM rental Silves. 2 + 2 beds,

annex (2) & shepherds hut (2), pool and

exotic gardens with beautiful views. €1600

per month + bills + deposit. Available

August. Please contact sarahemery2016@

gmail.com Tel: 910 511 242 for

pics & more info.

LAGOS. OFFICE-SHOP for Rent 54 sqm. 460€ in good position and parking 919 291 716

VILAMOURA SPACIOUS 2 bedroom ground floor apartment, central location. 900 euros + utilities. Tel: 289314312

Property for Sale

Property Services & Building

Holiday Rentals

53The Portugal News · 3 Jul 2021Events

Removals & Storage

Wanted

Services offered

MAINTENANCE. HOUSE and Garden. Painting, electrical. Central Algarve. Call Ben 911 933 395

Vehicles

WE BUY foreign and damaged cars Destruction certificates issued Algarve Autospares 927716188

Cinema Listings

Cinema ContactsCinemas NOSwww.cinemas.nos.ptTavira, Faro & Loulé

Cinemas Algarcine· Portimão: 282 411 888 · Olhão: 289 703 332 · Lagos: 282 799 138 · Sines: 269 633 510

Cinemas Cineplacewww.cineplace.pt· Guia: 289 561 073 · Portimão: 282 070 101 · Leiria: 244 826 516 · Loures: 210 110 677 · Riosul: 210 114 352 · Viana do Castelo: 258 100 260

NOS Forum Algarve – Faro Black Widow; The Croods: A New Age; Four Good Days; The Man who sold his skin; F9:The Fast Saga; The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard; Extinct; Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway; Cruella; The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It; A Quiet Place Part 2.

NOS TaviraThe Croods: A New Age; Four Good Days; The Ice Road; The Last Bath; The Stand in; Stardust; Cruella; The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard; F9: The Fast Saga; The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It; Extinct.

NOS Mar Shopping - LouléBlack Widow (Pre-Premier only on the 7 July); The Ice Road; F9: The Fast Saga; Extinct; Raya and the Last Dragon; The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard; Demon Slayer; The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It; Cruella.

Algarcine – PortimãoThe Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard; Extinct; F9: The Fast Saga; The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It.

Algarcine – LagosF9: The Fast Saga; The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It; Extinct; The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard.

Algarcine – OlhãoThe Marksman; The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It; Extinct; The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard; F9: The Fast Saga.

Cineplace Algarve Shopping – GuiaColectiv; Cruella; The Perfect Candidate; Demon Slayer; The Marksman; Our Friend; The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard; Extinct; Spirit Untamed; The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It; F9: The Fast Saga.

Estação Viana Shopping - Viana do CasteloThe Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It; Extinct; The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard; F9: The Fast Saga.

Cineplace Loures ShoppingF9: The Fast Saga; Extinct; Colectiv; Spirit Untamed; Demon Slayer; The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard; Cruella; A Quiet Place Part 2; The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It; Our Friend; Raya and the Last Dragon.

Cineplace Leiria Shopping Colectiv; F9: The Fast Saga; Demon Slayer; The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It; The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard; Extinct; Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway.

Cineplace Riosul - SeixalF9: The Fast Saga; Colectiv; Extinct; The Perfect Candidate; Cruella; Demon Slayer; Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway; Spirit Untamed; The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard; The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It.

(PV) - Portuguese version(OV) - Original version.

Top Filmsof the week

The Ice Road

Stars: Liam Neeson, Mar-cus Thomas and Laurence FishburneGenre: Adventure, Drama, ThrillerDirector: Jonathan HensleighRating: PG13

Plot: After a remote di-amond mine collapses in a far northern regions of Canada, killing eight miners and leaving twenty- six more unaccount-ed for, an ice driver leads an impossible rescue mission to deliver a vital, 30-ton, 18-foot gas well-head and 300 feet of pipe up there in under 30 hours. However, neither the ice cracking under their wheels nor the arctic blizzards can compare with the challenges that await the drivers ahead. Can the truckers make it to the mine in time to save the lives of trapped miners despite thawing waters and a threat they never see coming?

Music

Lagoa Jazz Fest’21. The 2, 3 and 4 July at Anfiteatro Do Sítio Das Fontes de Estombar, Faro at 8:30pm. Tickets cost 10 euros and can be purchased on www.ticketline.sapo.pt

Orquestra de Jazz do Algarve. 3 July at Querenca, Loulé at 9pm. Tribute concert to poetess Sophia de Mello Breyner, with singer Ana Rita Inacio. Free entry but you must book a ticket at Cineteatro Loulétano. For more information, please contact 289 414 604.

Musical. 3 July at Fonte Benemola in Loulé, at 8pm with Mocoilas, Tiago Rego and Carlos Rosa. To book your place please email [email protected] or call 289 414 604.

Orquestra Clássica do Sul. 4 July at Auditorio Carlos Do Carmo, Lagoa at 4:30pm. Tickets cost six euros and can be pur-chased on www.ticketline.sapo.pt.

Theatre

Aldeia na Penina. Cultural and artistic activities on the 4 July at Aldeia da Penina, Loulé from 8am until 10pm. For more information and to book your space please email [email protected] or call 289 414 604.

Paranormal 2021. Running until the 11 of July at Teatro Villaret in Lisbon. Tickets cost 18 euros and can be purchased at www.ticketline.sapo.pt

“The Legend of the Barao” performance. 15 July at Nave do Barão, at 9:30pm. To book your place please email [email protected] or call 289 414 604.

Agatha Christie’s Mousetrap. Running until the 1st of August at Teatro Armando Cortez in Lisbon. Tickets cost 18 euros and can be purchased on www.ticketline.sapo.pt

Other Events

Photography Exhibition. “The Trails of the Algarvensis”, running until the 10 September from Monday to Friday at 9:30am until 13:30pm and 1:30pm until 5:30pm at Galeria Municipal João Bailote in Albufeira.

Coffee & Conversation for Expats. Every Wednesday at dif-ferent venues. “Join our get together for a great opportunity to meet other newcomers in the Algarve. For more information, please sign up to www.expatcentreportugal.com/events.

Loulé Town walking Tour. Thursdays from 10:30am to 12:30pm. For more information and to see upcoming dates please check out www.expatcentreportu-gal.com/events

Online Coffee & Conversation. Once a month on a Wednesday at 7pm. An opportunity to connect with other

internationals in Portugal and to ask any questions. For more information and to sign up please check out www.expatcentreportugal.com/events

Eat n’ Meet. Once a month on a Sunday at 12:30pm. The Expat Centre Portugal organize a lunch for new comers in the Algarve in and around Loulé. For more information and to sign up please check out www.expatcentreportugal.com/events

Learn Portuguese togeth-er. Learning the language truly helps to build connections. Their Portuguese classes are interactive and fun! New beginners’ and inter-mediate classes in Loulé start on a regular base. For more information and to sign up please see www.expatcentreportugal.com/events.

Let’s tee-off together. Join The Expat Centre Portugal in playing golf while exploring the beautiful Algarve. International new comers are looking forward to playing golf on a monthly base, discovering one golf venue at a time. For more information and to sign up please see www.expatcentreportugal.com/events.

Impressive Monet & Brilliant Klimt. Exhibition running until the end of June at Reservatorio da mae d’Agua das Amoreiras in Lisbon. Tickets cost 15 euros and can be purchased on www.ticketline.sapo.pt

Immersive Monet & Brilliant Klimt. Exhibition running until the end of September at O Centro de Congressos do Algarve in Vilamoura. Tickets cost 15 euros and can be purchased on their website www.immersivus.com or on www.ticketline.sapo.pt

Il Divino Michelangelo & Il Genio Da Vinci. Exhibition running until the end of September at O Centro de Congressos do Algarve in Vilamoura. Tickets cost 15 euros and can be purchased on their website https://www.immersivus.com/ or on www.ticketline.sapo.pt

Magical Garden. Running until the end of October at Jardim Botanico do Porto. Tickets cost 10 euros and can be purchased on www.ticketline.sapo.pt

Dino Park. Running until the end of Septemberin Lourinhã, Lisbon. Tickets cost 9 to 13 euros and can be purchased on www.ticketline.sapo.pt

Illuminati o Ritual – Escape Game. Running until the 29 of August at Templo Illuminati in Lisbon. Tickets cost 15 euros and can be purchased on www.ticketline.sapo.pt

Lisbon Legends. Running until the 20 of July at Ruinas do Convento do Carmo in Lisbon. Tickets cost 16 euros and can be purchased on www.ticketline.sapo.pt

Meet Vincent Van Gogh Experience. Running until the end of June at Terreiro das missas in Belem, Lisbon. Tickets cost 18 euros and can be purchased on www.ticketline.sapo.pt

Porto Legends- The Underground Experience. Virtual show that reveals hidden secrets and legends of the city and northern region. Running until 11 July at Alfândega do Porto. Tickets cost from 12 euros and can be purchased on their website www.portolegends.com

Workshop

Introduction to Generating Additional Income. A free and informative workshop for beginners and experienced investors to understand: What “passive income” is, what you need to do to generate it, what it can bring you. This workshop is for anyone who is curious about realizing a passive income, needs extra income for a specific project, or simply wants to know about a new way of investing. For more information and to sign up please see www.expatcentreportugal.com/events.

Become a thriving interna-tional. Coaching by Life Coach Ria van Doorn for internationals. Coaching for internationals, who seek guidance with: Identifying and achieving their goals, finding their purpose, coping with anxiety, loneliness or homesickness, caused by relocation. For more infor-mation and to sign up please see www.expatcentreportugal.com/events.

“Yoga, Meditation, Sound And Relaxation”. Workshop for parents and children with Sandra Marreiros. 3 July at Biblioteca Municipal de Lagos at 10:30am. Workshop is free but with limited spaces. To book your place please contact 282 767 816.

Lip balm workshop. 4 July with Sofia Mendes at Rua do Museu, n. º 8 in Penina, Loulé, starting at 10am. To book your place please contact Sofia on 937 550 882.

Church Hill Walking Event. 12 July at Figs on the Funcho, Messines, starting at 6pm. 6km guided walk following the pano-ramic lake Funcho to the iconic “Church hill” which should take 1 hour and 15 minutes, followed by an evening vegetarian meal. 20 euros per person including covert, main, dessert and wine. To book your place please contact Cheryl Smith on 912 595 539 or by email [email protected].

NOTE: Events are correct at the time of going to press and according to information given to The Portugal News. However, events may be cancelled, delayed or fail to live up to their billing.

Please send your events to [email protected] by midday on the Monday before publication. Please be aware that for legal reasons access to events at Estoril and Lisbon Casinos is reserved to those age 18+.

(Entrance for Children via Foyer Panorâmico)

54 The Portugal News · 3 Jul 2021 TakeABreak

Vincicode is a three digit number (eg.384), presented in alphabetic figures, like ABC, in which ‘A’ represents the first digit (number 3), ‘B’ represents the second digit (number 8) and ‘C’ represents the third digit (number 4).Cracking the code is not difficult. Just remember:Any even number is dividable by one digit number of 2, or 4, or 6, or 8.• Any odd number finishes with 1, 3, 5, 7, or 9;• Any number which is not divisable by any one digit number, 2,3,4,5,6,7,8 or 9 finished

with 1, 3, 7 or 9;• Any number divisable by 5finishes with 5.For example :Let´s crack ABC code when:1) A, B and C are numbers between 1 and 9, included.2) A+B+C = 10 (the sum of A plus B plus C is 10).3) C >A >B (Number C is larger than number A which is larger than B).(4) ABC ÷ 4 (The three digit code is dividable by 4).

When the code, ABC is dividable by 4, then C,the third digit can be 2, 4, 6 or 8.C can´t be 2 or 4, because it does not cover the conditions (1) and (2).If C=6, then A+B= 4, and options are: A=4 and B=0 => ABC = 406 and A= 3 and B=1 =>ABC= 316 code ABC=406 doesn´t cover condition (4)If C=8, then A+B= 2 and the only option is

A=2 and B=0 which doesn´t cover condition (1)then: Vincicode is 316. Now your turn: Puzzle 86. ABC is the three digit Vincicode number, in which A, B and C are numbers between 1and 9, included. Find the code ABC where : A+B+C= 6B > A = C ABC ÷ 3

Vincicode®, is a registered private intellectual property. Any type of reproduction or use, is subject to written autorisation of the author.Can you crack a VINCICODE®

To confirm your answer to the Vincicode®, or ask for more codes to crack, please send an email to: [email protected]

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QUICK CROSSWORD

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CODEWORD

Fill in the grid so that every row, every column, and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 through 9. Answers next week.

Last week’s Codeword SolutionLast week’s Solutions

Medium Hard

ACROSS 1 Trial deficit of trawler company? (3,6) 8. Allow a call at tennis (3) 9. At which the captain has fun and games? (6,5)11. From which nuts take turns (7)12. Strained in language (5)13. No gear can be this colour! (6)15. Many hurry to be virtuous (6)17. Follow back in the US? Never! (5)18. The range of half a circle maker? (7)20. Where that sinking feeling finishes? (2,3,6)22. Pointing right back? Rubbish! (3)23. Does it make things hotter for Communists? (3,6)

DOWN 2. As given by the auditory? (3) 3. 2 is one, and 13 endlessly mixed up (5) 4. Magnificent purse ordered with Belinda’s initial (6) 5. An elastic sentence? (7) 6. Takeoff? (6,5) 7. Sales went out – could be in an old newspaper (5,4)10. Residents of poor country facing wretched conditions? (2,1,3,5)11. Does it show the sporting record to be 20? (9)14. Larger kitchen utensil, say (7)16. A long harangue offers a measure for the plasterer (6)19. Some change but there’s nothing in it for the animal (5)21. It may be mined in 11 Down (3)

ACROSS 1. Unconventional (9) 8. Droop (3) 9. Gravity (11)11. See (7)12. Recess (5)13. Requisite (6)15. Javelins (6)17. Heading (5)18. More willing (7)20. Wage earner (11)22. Nothing (3)23. Doorstep (9)

DOWN 2. Hint (3) 3. Loop (5) 4. Rebellion (6) 5. Put things tidy (5,2) 6. Society (11) 7. Assailant (9)10. Worthy (11)11. Correct behaviour (4,5)14. Ingredient (7)16. Dealer (6)19. Wrong (5)21. Slippery fish (3)

55The Portugal News ·3 Jul 2021GolfEdge Golf College set to tee-off at TroiaTroia Resort is set to welcome aspirational young golf talents from across Europe as the brand-new Edge Golf College prepares to swing into action.

Ranked as Portugal’s second-best course in 2020 by Golf World magazine,

the stunning Portuguese resort has partnered with Edge Golf College as the next generation of aspiring professional players embark on an intensive three-year programme in a bid to reach the elite level of the sport.Written and developed by a selection of industry specialists, the carefully designed combination of higher-education curriculum, training time and tournament play will

provide students with every opportunity to hone their skills in all areas of their game.The course qualification offers a degree in Sports Business Management or Sports Coaching Performance, awarded by the University of Central Lancashire, which will also provide all the tools to pursue a career in the golf industry. The schedule includes more than 45 hours of practice per week, with Tróia’s state-of-the-art academy, newly designed driving range and

several short game areas all available for use.For the students, mastering the 18-hole Troia course will come in very handy for the commencement of the five-event Edge Golf Championships, with three being hosted at Troia and the winner gaining access to the 2022 Portugal Masters – a European Tour event.With monthly World Amateur Golf Ranking events available and an abundance of internal competitions, developing the players’ ability to compete at their best under the pressure

of a tournament will be made a key focus for the programme, which should provide vital experience on the path to becoming a fully-fledged professional.Students will also have unlimited access to Troia’s spectacular championship course, designed by the legendary American golf course architect, Robert Trent Jones Senior, with the stunning course challenging players with a combination of natural obstacles and clever design.The par-72 course stretches 6,317m along the sand-skirted peninsula, with panoramic views of the Atlantic Ocean and Arrábida mountain range and with a favourable year-round climate.Alexandre Barroso, director of golf at Troia, said: “We are absolutely delighted to be able to welcome the students at the Edge Golf

College to Troia, and really believe that the environment and facilities that we have here are perfectly suited to developing the young players from talented amateurs into professional prospects.“The design of our 18-hole course, with its narrow fairways and cleverly-positioned bunkers, will ensure that, even with all the training that the players can put in across our fantastic facilities, there will still be a daily challenge for them to continue to up their game.” Neil Connolly, co-founder of Edge Golf College, said: “We launched Edge Golf College in the hope of protecting the best players that Europe has to offer at amateur level. I think many countries have become used to seeing their best talents disappear to take up scholarship offers in the US – now we can finally challenge that.

“With the endorsements we have received from the game at large, including The R&A, the European Tour, and the French, Dutch and Portuguese golf federations, I think everyone agrees that we should be doing more to protect our future stars of the sport and I believe Edge Golf College has a great chance of doing just that.”There are three learning options available – remote, blended and residential – with a price point to suit every player’s budget.Edge Golf College has attracted players from all across Europe, but a limited number of places are still available for the first course at Troia, which starts in September 2021.Players interested in taking their game to the next level and pursuing their dream can register their interest on the ‘contact’ page at www.edgegolfcollege.com.

The Portugal News · 3 Jul 202156 Sport

Ronaldo kicks away armband

Bad luck for Portugal

Ronaldo was pictured throwing and kicking his armband following the game (Photo: Lusa/ Hugo Delgado)

Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo was filmed kicking away his armband after the defeat of the team against Belgium in the Euro 2020 tournament.

A visibly upset looking Ronaldo was seen first throwing his armband to the ground before then picking it up and then dropping it again as he made his way to the tunnel where he then kicked the armband in frustration at the loss.

A member of the squad is seen picking up the armband and trying to hand it back to the Juventus player with Ronal-do then refusing to take it back.

Ronaldo has not spoken of the incident but coach Fernan-do Santos sang his praises after the match. When speaking to press he said: “Ronaldo scored five goals in the tourna-ment. He didn’t score today but he was a true captain in every sense of the word.

“He tried to turn the game around. There’s no issue with Ronaldo.”

Santos then spoke of his disappointment in the result: “There are players crying in the changing room. They gave everything,” he said.

“Belgium had six shots, we had 29. Sincerely I don’t have many words.

“We believed if we won this one, we would have gone on to win the next one.

“They scored, we didn’t. It’s football.”

Portugal have crashed out of the Euro2020 tournament after “a lack of luck” in the game which saw Belgium move forward to the next round.

President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, said that he

thought that the Portuguese football team “played very well”, especially in the second half of the game

against Belgium, but “we lacked that bit of luck “ to win in Seville, Spain.The head of state was speaking to journalists at the end of the game between the Portuguese team, defending champions, who are now

out, after losing 1-0 to Belgium, at the Estadio de La Cartuja, in Seville.“We had some luck in 2016. In addition to playing well, we were lucky. Here [in Seville] we played well, especially in the second half, but we weren’t lucky. I’m sorry,” lamented Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa.A goal from Thorgan Hazard, in the 42nd minute, sealed the triumph of the Belgium team who head the FIFA rankings.“It wasn’t our night”, said Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa adding however that he would be congratulating the players of the national team and the head coach,

Fernando Santos, for the “great game”.The President recalled “three or four good missed opportunities “, but said that he did not feel disappointed because, “Portugal played well”.“We were exceptional in this game. We had the talent but we didn’t have the luck”.The President of the Republic did not go to Seville to watch the Portugal/Belgium match of Euro 2020, due to the epidemiological situation in Andalusia. Portugal was officially represented by the Minister of Education, Tiago Brandão Rodrigues.

Portugal’s player Pepe reacts at the end of the UEFA EURO 2020 round of 16 soccer match between Belgium and Portugal. (Photo: (EPA/Hugo Delgado)

Rushed new travel rules lead to chaos - The Portugal News

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