Sunday 24 February 2008

Monchique Weekend of Traditional Gastronomy


Head for the hilly town of Monchique for a tasty sample of local foods and musical entertainment

On Saturday March 1st and Sunday 2nd Monchique hosts the annual XVth Traditional Sausages Fair.

In addition to meat products there are exhibits of honey & jams, local brews such as Medronho and Melosa, and handicrafts made of cloth, wood and porcelain.

A number of local restaurants are taking part providing local recipes such as Assadura and Couve á Monchique.

During the weekend entertainment will be provided by the street-entertainers GigaBombos and the traditional music group Pilha Galinhas.

Evening entertainment is provided on Saturday 1st March at 6PM by Marco Horacio in his show Rouchinol Faduncho.
{Marco Horacio is a stand-up comedian that uses Fado to satire and humour.}

The Pop-duo Anjos (brothers Nelson and Sergio Rosado) are on stage Sunday 2nd March (from 6PM).

Local restaurants contributing to this Feast of Gastronomy include:
‘Charrette’ – Rua Dr Samora Gil
‘Palmeirinha dos Chorões’ – Rua Serpa Pinto, 23
‘Teresinha’ – Estrada de Fóia, Ceiceira
‘Jardim das Oliveiras’ – Sítio do Porto Escuro
‘O Fernando’ – Estrada de Fóia, Ceiceira
‘Luar da Fóia’ – Estrada de Fóia, Ceiceira
‘Tasca do Petrol’ – Corgo do Vale
‘Paraíso da Montanha’ – Estrada da Fóia, Saramagal
‘O Planalto’ – Pico de Fóia

Monchique is 25 mins by car or coach from Portimão and great place to visit for a change from the beach scenery at Praia da Rocha.

Links:
Flyer (Monchique local council):

Rouxinol Faduncho-Lisboa

Anjos - Olhar - te Uma So Vez

Gigabombos

Monchique & Foia photos

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Algarve Holiday Studio: http://www.geocities.com/algarve_holiday/
For a memorable stay at Praia da Rocha, Algarve!

Wednesday 20 February 2008

Festival of Medieval Music of the Al-Andaluz in Lagos, Algarve, Portugal

The 8th Al-Mutamid Music Festival takes place on Saturday 23rd February at the Lagos Cultural Centre, Lagos, Algarve, Portugal.

The Festival consists of the exhibition ‘Arab Musical Instruments’ and the musical performance entitled: ‘Women and the Music of Al-andaluz’ by the group MEDITERRANEA.

The exhibition is open to the public from 15:00 PM and the live performance of MEDITERRANEA starts at 9.30PM. Cost 8 euros.

MEDITERRANEA will perform medieval music from three cultures: Arab, Jewish-Sephradite and Christian.

Hear the beautiful voice of MEDITERRANEA’s Sonia Palma.

The Lagos Cultural Centre is located at Rua Lançarote de Freitas, Lagos.
Lagos is 25 mins from Portimão/Praia da Rocha by train or car.

Note: the Festival aims to remember the poet king Al-Mutamid.
al-Mu'tamid, the poet-king of Seville, lived from 1040 to 1095 and is considered one of the most outstanding Andalusian poets of his age.

Links:
al-Mutamid: The Poet-King of Seville



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Algarve Holiday Studio: http://www.geocities.com/algarve_holiday/
For a memorable stay at Praia da Rocha, Algarve!

Sunday 17 February 2008

34th Cycle Tour de Algarve: pedal action in the roads of the Algarve!

The Tour de Algarve heralds the start of national and international cycling events. A spectacle of colour and muscle power! The Tour consists of 5 stages starting in Albufeira and finishing in Portimão.

On Sunday 24th, at 14:30 pm enjoy the arrival of the cyclists at Portimão’s pretty Riverside area as they complete the Tour and the final stage.
The Tour de Algarve covers 800 km, with approximately 200 riders in 23 teams taking part.

1st Stage – Wednesday 20th - Albufeira – Faro 164,6 km
2nd Stage - Thursday 21st - Lagoa – Lagos 189,5 km
3rd Stage – Friday 22nd - Vila Real de St.º António – Loulé 207,7 km
4th Stage - Saturday 23rd - Timed/Individual Castro Marim – Tavira 34,0 km
5th Stage – Sunday 24th - Vila do Bispo – Portimão 193,5 km

Note: All over Portugal cycling competitions & races such as the Tour de Algarve, Tour de Portugal and Tour de France are followed enthusiastically.
There are cycling clubs and cycling is a popular sport, pastime.
And increasingly there is interest in cycle paths and cycling as a way to keep fit and exercise.

In the past cycling was a popular way to get about in small towns and villages and there is a desire to make cycling popular again as a mode of transport.

At Praia da Rocha you can rent a bike from Motorent. A great way to travel around and sightsee Praia da Rocha, Alvor, Ferragudo and Portimão!

Links:
34th Cycle Tour de Algarve – official site
Tour de Portugal 2007
(Tour de Portugal 2008: Prologue/Start from Portimão - August 13th 2008)

Other International competitions :
Tour de France 2008
Tour de Britain

Postscript:

The Tour de Algarve was won by the Belgian Stijn Devolder (team Quickstep).
Followed by the Frenchman Sylvain Chavanel (team Cofidis) in 2nd place and the Lithuanian Tomas Vaitkus (team Astana) in 3rd place.

The first man to arrive in Portimão during the 5th and last stage was the Austrian Berhard Eisel (team Milram).

Prepare your trip to Portimão for the Tour de Portugal !
Prologue in Portimão – August 13th, 2008.
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Algarve Holiday Studio: http://www.geocities.com/algarve_holiday/
For a memorable stay at Praia da Rocha, Algarve!

Friday 15 February 2008

Netnakisum: String Quartet debut in Lagoa, Algarve

Netnakisum, a ladies-only String Quartet from Austria create an entertaining and fun performance – sure to surprise and delight you!

You’ll recognise some familiar sounds in their arrangements delivered in a different and light-hearted way.

Netnakisum debut at Lagoa’s Municipal Auditorium on Saturday 16th February at 9.30PM. Ticket prices are 8 euros.

The Auditorium in Lagoa is in Rua Centro de Saúde.

Lagoa is 20-30 mins by car, taxi from Portimão, Praia da Rocha, Carvoeiro, Porches or Armação de Pêra.

Links:
Netnakisum live

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Algarve Holiday Studio: http://www.geocities.com/algarve_holiday/
For a memorable stay at Praia da Rocha, Algarve!

Tuesday 12 February 2008

Baroque Music Concert Series in Portimão

A series of concerts are being held in February, March and April 2008 at Portimão’s Council Town Hall.


The concerts provide an opportunity (free of charge) to hear a selection of baroque music played by different Ensembles, Quartets and Duos.

Lovely music with sounds from harpsichords, violins and clavichords!

Saturday 16th February, Ensemble D.João V

Saturday 1st March, Guitar and Flute Duo
(Nilton Esteves - guitar; Shaina K. Nazareth – Flute)

Saturday 15th March, Ensemble Vox Angelis
(Crucifixus recital; works by: Albinoni, Giovanni Gualberto Brunetti, Caccini)

Saturday 29th March, Ensemble Barroco de Sintra
(‘The splendor of Portuguese and Italian baroque music’. Works by: Pedro António Avondano, Carlos Seixas, Giovanni Battista Vitali, António Vivaldi & Arcangelo Corelli)

Saturday 5th April, Quartet Cordas Barlavento
(Works by: Johann Pachelbel, George Frideric Handel, Georg Philipp Telemann, Johann Sebastian Bach & F.A.Hoffmeister)

Note: all concerts start at 9.30PM and take place in Portimão’s Town Hall (Praça 1º de Maio; near the main tourist office and football stadium).

Flyer: Includes details of other concerts taking place nearby in Alvor and Mexilhoeira Grande.

Wikipedia on Baroque music
The term Baroque music is used to designate the style of music composed during a period that spans from 1600 to 1760.

J.S. Bach and G.F. Handel are often considered its culminating figures.
Some say the word baroque derives from the ancient Portuguese noun "barroco" which is a pearl that is not round but of unpredictable and elaborate shape!

Hence, in informal usage, the word baroque can simply mean that something is "elaborate", with many details, without reference to the Baroque styles of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.

Links:
A compilation of baroque music for your pleasure!

Carlos Seixas - Harpsichord Concerto in A Major

Johann Pachelbel - Canon in D

Antonio Vivaldi - "La Primavera"

Arcangelo Corelli - Sonata in G, Op.2 No.12

George Frideric Handel - Water Music 1717 (Suite I) '

Ave Maria' by Caccini (sung by Sumi Jo)

Georg Philipp Telemann - Concerto for Transverse Flute

Crucifixus (Cantemus Mixed Choir)



Algarve Holiday Studio: http://www.geocities.com/algarve_holiday/
For a memorable stay at Praia da Rocha, Algarve!

Wednesday 6 February 2008

Portimão’s skysurfing and parachute jumping weekends

This coming weekend (9th and 10th Feb; from 9AM) you can watch on giant screens the 1st leg of the Portuguese Cup of Skysurfing taking place at Portimão’s airfield.

During the competition there is a chance to win ‘tandem’ jumps.


A tandem jump enables you to experience a free fall jump as a ‘passenger’ under an experienced skydiver. You only need minimal instruction before experiencing the free fall at 300km/hr!

16th and 17th February, from 10AM, is reserved for the jumps in formation competition (VF4).

The Freefly competition takes place the following weekend, 23rd and 24th February, from 10AM.

Freeflying is a skydiving discipline which began by a group of skydivers who wanted to experiment with non-traditional forms of flight.

Note: all of the above will take place at Portimão’s airfield and is free of charge.
Entertainment in the form of bouncy castles will be available for children.
Portimão’s airfield is at Montes de Alvor Road. This road is off the EN125 road. Easily accessible from Praia da Rocha, Alvor or Portimão city centre.

If you prefer you can stay by the attractive Marina of Portimão and
watch an exhibition of jumps by the Portuguese Parachute Jumping Federation (Federação Portuguesa de Paraquedismo). This takes place on the Sunday's of 17th and 24th of February, from 4PM.

Time to watch the skies and let the adrenaline flow!

Links:

SkySurf ProTour 2008 web site