From the Aljezur International School:
We are holding our annual Spring Fair on Saturday 16th May. It is shaping up to be the best event yet, with an amazing selection of stalls selling all sorts of crafts, jewellery, paintings, food, drink and other treats. There will also be Capoeira demonstrations, performances by our students and talks on sustainability, as well as games and face-painting for young children. The highlight of the day will be a performance by world music band, Yemadas.
The Algarve Branch of the Royal British Legion (Portugal) held their first-ever west coast luncheon last week in Aljezur.
Members (some of them newly-recruited former service personnel) and guests enjoyed the afternoon on the terrace of the Pont’a Pe Restaurant in Aljezur, overlooking the Rio de Aljezur.
Organiser Sue Howe declared: “It was a lovely opportunity to extend the reach of the RBL here in Portugal along the West Coast and we had a very good turnout.
“Members old a new had a terrific time, and apparently the laughter could be heard echoing from the lower terrace, right up to the street above.
“It was a great success—with a promise of more to come—and the funds raised have been put towards the Poppy Appeal”.
There will also be a lunch for the Central Algarve branch at the Holiday Inn, Armacao de Pera on Wednesday 20th May which again is open to RBL members, and non members alike, with no extra charge for non members.
Cost is €16.50 per head and bookings (no later then May 18) should be made to Alun Roberts at:
Amovate have been asked to promote this Event for very worthy cause by Solange Escobar the Director of the Farmacia who is a “friend” of Amovate and its Members.
She has sent a message and asked us to publicise the event in the hope that many of you will join in the fun.
The Message Reads:-
Hello,
The Aljezur Farmacia will be holding on May 10 2015 (Heart Month) a walk in solidarity to promote a healthy lifestyle whilst raising funds for two local institutions.
Having regard to the contingencies that the pharmaceutical sector lives today, with the challenge for any company in the industry, you must make choices but then it is necessary to provide a service that requires, reliability and proximity to that end I hereby invite you to be part of this our faith and ask for your support by sponsoring this event which will start with a walk around the historic route of the castle of Aljezur.
The meeting point is the pharmacy and the walk will also end at the same point, Then a class of Zumba, for all to participate and then the Farmacia staff will take measurement of blood pressure and blood sugar all this with a minimum stake of € 2.
We would like to reward participants with gifts, water and bags, for that we have your help and about 200 participants!!
Calls to me it now to participate!!
Yours faithfully,
Solange Escobar
FARMÁCIA ALJEZUR
Av. General Humberto Delgado S/N
8670-001 Aljezur
T: 282 994 438
F:282 994 440
Christina Vandermeulen, Vale da Telha resident and Amovate member is now today (Monday) completing the 10th day of her 250-mile charity walk from Cape St Vincent to Fatima.
Christina has now left Lisbon and is well on her way to Fatima to complete her 250–mile journey which began at Cape St Vincent on April 18th.
She crossed the River Tagus yesterday—by ferry, not walking on water, although we wouldn’t put it past her!—and spent the night at an Ibis hotel before leaving the capital from The Parque das Nacoes (The Nations Park), site of the Expo’98 World Exhibition, to continue north.
EARLIER:
Excerpts from Christina’s en-route diary:
Day 5 Vila Nova da Milfontes to Porto Covo (20km) then onto Sines (another 10).
The day started well but then we found a farmer had planted thousands of olive trees all over the track. The track was gone, so I crossed over the land for more than an hour, but then on the other side everything was blocked so I had to climb over various obstacles. Quite an adventure—Hi! Hi! Then I had a surprise when Vicky and George and friends arrived to walk with me for a while. And for dinner Fran and Peter joined us. Thanks, everybody. So, tomorrow a day off!
Day 7, after a day’s rest, we started in Vila Nova, cloudy but OK. A woodpecker followed me for a little time and a koekoek. There were lots of pine trees, a lot, a lot. We stopped at 16.00 after 26 km, in a nice place on the Costa Azul; Brejos Da Carregueira de Cima. I had a shower and a good meal, 7.50€ all included, even the chocolate mousse! Then a nice foot massage from Leo. And tomorrow I walk 22km then we are in Troia, ready to take ferry boat. Night, night.
April 25 Day 8 Another beautiful day, we left the ferry boat in Setubal and found a hotel in Azeitona, for only 50€ breakfast included. Day 8 was long, long, long! Nothing exciting happened, but it must be done.
Day 9 we had a good night in a beautiful hotel, and it was raining the whole night. But I was happy, and there was nice cloudy weather for walking, the smell of the countryside was so nice. It was a long day all on the same N10, from Setubal to Cacilhas and then we arrived in Lisbon looking for a hotel for a good night’s rest before I resumed the walk at Parque das Nacoes
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Christina has opened an account in the name of the Charity at the BPI bank in Aljezur and you can make your donations to the following Account Number:
BIC : BBPIPTPL
IBAN : PT50 0010 0000 3948 2281 5023 3
She has also placed collection boxes at various businesses in and around Vale Da Telha, so please give generously…
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Remember, this is the route Christina has planned:
Christina Vandermeulen—Walking From Cabo de São Vicente to Fatima.
(9am start each day)
Day Lunch Overnight Distance (km)
1: Cabo de São Vicente Vila Do Bispo Carrapateira 24.7
2: Carrapateira Chabouco Vale Da Telha 18.8
3: Vale Da Telha Rogil Odeceixe 21.6
4: Odeceixe Sao Teotonio Odemeira 25.1
5: Odemeira V-Nova Da Milfontes 29.6
6: V-N Milfontes Santiago do Cacém 37.4
7: Santiago do Cacém Melides 22.6
8: Melides Troia 39.0
(Ferry boat to Setubal)
9: Setubal Cacilhas 35.5
(Ferry boat to Caiso do Sodré, Lisbon)
10: Caiso do Sodré (via Parque das Nações) Alverca Do Ribatejo 31.6
11: Alverca Do Ribatejo Azambuja 26.1
12: Azambuja Santarém 26.5
13: Santarém Pernes 21.5
14: Pernes Minde 24.1
15: Minde Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fatima 13.5
TOTAL Km: 397.6
ENDS
by Matt D’Arcy
(Photograph Gallery below———-don’t forget to click on an individual photo, and it will present itself in a larger format). Thanks to Alan Smith for the use of his photographs, taken on behalf of AEZA.
Jan Cragg With Best In Show Winner Digby
DIGBY IS TOP DOG
More than 150 people—and 54 dogs!—attended the first-ever Costa Vicentina Fun Dog Show held at Vales, Aljezur on the Algarve’s West Coast last weekend.
And the event, held in aid of local animal charity AEZA, was such a success the organisers pledged to repeat it next spring.
People came from as far away as Albufeira to enter their dogs into the show, competing in 15 classes, with local entrant, Digby, a Goldens De Santo Quintino (Golden Retriever), winning the prestigious “Best In Show” award.
It completed a hat-trick of triumphs for Digby and owners Jan and Ken Cragg, after he won the won the cherished “Best in Show” award at the 2013 International Algarve Fair in Lagoa, when he was just 11 months old.
Two weeks ago at a National Dog Show in Montijo he walked away with first prize in the Open Class.
And in Saturday’s Costa Vicentina show he first won the Best Movement (Trotting) class, then the Pedigree Dog class before scooping the show’s top award.
So, even though Digby isn’t exactly “The Biggest Dog In The World” after his movie namesake, he’s certainly making big headlines in this part of the world!
The show was designated as a “Fun” dog show and Regina Zimmermann entered into the spirit of things by having some imaginative face paint applied to win the “Dog Most Like Its Owner Class” with her pet Angelina.
Show organiser Wendy Smith said afterwards: “The whole aim of the event organised by ‘Friends Of AEZA’ was to raise awareness for the local animal shelter in Aljezur, which is run by our local animal charity AEZA, (Associação Ecologista e Zoófila de Aljezur or Association for Environment and Animal Protection of Aljezur) and to help raise some much needed money which we managed to do in what was a very successful day.
“The 54 dogs entered in various classes were all winners in my eyes. It was wonderful to see people coming from as far as Albufeira to enter their dogs, and there was also a great mix of nationalities.
“All the volunteers helping to make it run like clockwork deserve a massive thank you—a pat on the back to everyone.
“We also owe a huge thank-you to people who donated cakes, sausage rolls and lots more, and to Bob and Sue for manning the BBQ all day.
“Lots of pennies were raised to help Kerry Gross and all the volunteers to make life better for the dogs and cats at Aeza Canil in Aljezur.
“WELL DONE EVERYONE…and we’re now looking forward to next spring!
“We were asked by so many people if we were going to repeat it next year and as it went so well the answer is a resounding ‘yes’!”
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Classes and first place results
