Algarve - The 1969 earthquake

As a young teenager living in Lisbon, I had first hand experience of the 5.5+ Richter Scale earthquake that shook Portugal at 02:40 on the morning of 28 February 1969. My strongest memory is of our our new young puppy getting the blame for shaking my parents' bed, the building shaking and the next morning seeing the phone and power lines outside the house were down, as well as the afore-mentioned puppy taking to the air on all four paws after peeing on a live 24V downed phone cable!(There was no permanent damage to him! :) ) I wasn't aware of the the effects of the quake on the rest of the country. Today, SUL INFORMAÇÃO, the Algarve online daily, has published an interesting article (in Portuguese) about the impact of the earthquake on the Algarve, together with photos. More here: http://bit.ly/MBXfSz

Economist Article on Portugal's Jeronimo Martins Group - (Pingo Doce/Biedronka)

This weeks's edition of The Economist has an interesting article on the growth of Portugl's Jeronimo Martin's group growth into a leading Retail Chain not only in Portugal, but also in Poland through Biedronka and now in Colombia. See: http://econ.st/1mL5E71

And now for something Completely Different..... Iberian Goat and Sheep Cheese Course!

This has just come through my perusing of the Ovine Times:

The Center for Dairy Research at the University of Wisconsin in the USA is organising a one day hands-on workshop on the Goat and Sheep Milk Cheeses of Spain and Portugal. Portuguese Technical Expert Mariana Marques de Almeida  will be present at the course.

So any of you in the mid-west wanting to learn about Iberian Cheese now is your chance!

http://bit.ly/1hW19EH

and for those of you who can't attend....

Stop Press: Portugal - Airports - Off-site Car Hire firms to be charged from 1st April 2014

It appears that recently privatised Portuguese airport operator has bowed to pressure from the main "Big" car hire operators with counters at their airports and has decided to levy a charge of between 10 and 17 Euros for each car hired at the airport from "non-licensed" car hire firms.

Article here (in Portuguese) in today's Diario Economico on-line edition: http://bit.ly/1cLfoHR

 While I am not against private companies charging for services, this substantial levy will have a very severe effect on the "low-cost" and independent car hire operators PARTICULARLY at Faro Airport which services the Algarve region.

In recent years, the Economic Crisis, the introduction of tolls on the A22 Via de Infante Motorway and the increased cost of flights, has made the Algarve, and particularly, its extremities more and more expensive to visit.

It may well result in several local Algarve car hire firms folding, creating more unemployment, as holidaymakers may well decide the Algarve is becoming to costly a destination.

 I cannot see ana.pt going back on this under commercial pressure but the implications will be profound.

Lisbon - Love it! Great Alternative Video about Lisbon

Great Video here by Ovella Blava Films about Lisbon:

Lisbon - Love it from Ovella Blava Films on Vimeo.

Huile d'olive d'origine Alentejano, Portugal

Quelques liens utiles:

http://www.allentejo.com/?page_id=88

http://www.herdadedasmargaridas.com/

http://www.coopmourabarrancos.pt/

Deutsche Marine "Gorch Fock" - Alongside Portimão Naval Wharf - 16 February 2014

We had the pleasure this afternoon of visiting the "Tall Ship" of the Deutsche Marine "Gorch Fock", moored along side the Portuguese navy quay in Portimão.

More on this history of the vessel here (Wikipedia):

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gorch_Fock_(1958)

 A few days ago I had the pleasure seeing her of Praia da Rocha in the company of another "Tall Ship", a scene that cannot have been seen in Lagos Bay for decades.

These vessels are amazing and allow for the continuance of training of real seamen and women who know the sea in all its tempers.

Some photos here (more to come):

February, 1954 - The Algarve covered in snow!

There is a wonderful story with photos (in Portuguese) in today's online edition of Sul Informação about how the Algarve was covered in snow during February. 1954

"....Também em Lagos nevou com abundância, constituindo um “espectáculo maravilhoso nunca observado nesta cidade.” ..."

"....also in Lagos in snowed in abundance a "wonderful spectacle never seen in this town..."

The article can be read in full via the following link:
http://
bit.ly/OqaWG5

Lisbon Cathedral/Sé Patriarcal - Times of Mass

Have a look at this link on wikipedia for information on the Sé de Lisboa.

(Sé Patriarcal - Lisbon Cathedral) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lisbon_Cathedral

The Dioscean Website shows that at the time of writing Mass is said at:

Sé Patriarcal - Tuesdays to Saturdays at 18:30

 See: http://bit.ly/1bWn1NI

Direct flights from Portugal to Greece!

There are no direct flights by low-cost or regular airlines from any airport in Portugal to Greece at present.

In terms of low-cost, the best bet might be vueling.com via Barcelona.

Getting from Portugal to Greece and other Eastern Mediterranean Destinations can be a problem.

Portugal - Trains - Valenca to Lisbon on Saturdays and return weekdays

The following is the current timetable for trains from Valença, Portugal to Lisbon Gare Oriente, Portugal on Saturdays. (Source: www.cp.pt)

Portugal - Trains - Valenca to Lisbon on Saturdays

The following is the current timetable for trains from Lisbon Gare Oriente, Portugal to Valença, Portugal on weekdays.

Portugal - Trains - Valenca to Lisbon - Weekdays

The Jewish Legacy of Portugal

A really interesting article about the History of the jewish Population in the Portugal!



.: Jewish Legacy in Portugal: Set out on a journey of discovery through towns, cities and villages, of a heritage rich in memories evoking the Jewish presence in Portugal...

Travel from Malaga, Spain to Lisbon, Portugal

Guided tours will be difficult and expensive if they exist, as will be a private driver.

There is no direct train service from Malaga to Lisbon. It would be necessary to travel from Malaga to Madrid and then to Lisbon. Spanish railways site, www.renfe.es indicates that, at present, it could take between 20 and 24 hours to make the trip by rail depending on how many changes one has to make.

If one wants to get from Malaga to Lisbon directly, the quickest way will be by the twice daily TAP-Air Portugal flight from Malaga Airport to Lisbon Airport. See: www.flytap.com

Note these flights may be operated by a sub-contractor and may be operated by aircraft as small as 19 seater Beechcraft 1900 turboprop aircraft.

As regards private chauffeur services one could try some of these services (located via google.es):

http://bit.ly/1jSwmbR

or

http://www.chauffeurservicesspain.com/index.php/1/welcome/

or

http://www.blueskyluxurycarhire.es/chauffeur-hire.aspx

The distance from Malaga to Lisbon is about 700km and will require a drive of about 6 to 7 hours(without stopping), a considerable bit of which is on toll roads.

There is a daily overnight long-distance bus services operated by alsa.es between Lisbon and Malaga

Depart: Málaga 21:00 (Spanish Time)
Arrive: Lisbon Oriente: 06:00 (Portugal Time)

Transit time: 10h 00min (Possible Bus change in Seville)

New Ryanair Routes - Lisbon/Faro, Lisbon/Porto, Porto/Rennes, Porto/Limoges

At a press conference in Porto this morning, Ryanair.com announced the following new routes as from April 2014:

Lisbon - Faro - Daily

Lisbon - Porto - 5 x weekly

Porto - Limoggies - 2 x weekly between 1st July and 30 September

Porto – Rennes - 2 x weekly between 1st July and 30 September

Thanks to Sérgio Bastos - http://www.lowcostportugal.net/ for the heads up!

Direct train from Santiago to Lisbon?

There is no direct train service from Santiago da Compostela to Lisbon.

Currently, the best rail connection is as follows (info from: www.renfe.es (Spanish Railways)):

Depart Santiago da C: 16.05
Arr Vallodolid:            21.34
Depart Valladolid:       23.22
Arrive Lisbon:             07.30 (next day)  

Long-distance bus operator alsa.es offers the following daily service:

Dept: Santiago da Compostela: 12:00(Spanish Time)
Arr:  Lisbon Oriente             20:45(Portuguese Time)
(This bus also continues to Lisbon Sete Rios Bus station)

E agora Porto? - JN - Best European Destination 2014

An editorial(in Portuguese) in today's Jornal de Noticias celebrating the growing profile of Porto as a European Travel Destination



E agora Porto? - JN

Porto - BA starting Porto to London Heatrow Flights - from March 31, 2014

It has just come to my attention that BA are starting twice-weekly flights between Porto Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport(OPO) and London Heathrow from the end of March 2014.

This is excellent news for Porto, given that the city has just been awarded more accolades as a Top European Travel Destination.  

Porto, Portugal - Best European Destination 2014

Brussels-based non-profit organisation, European Consumers Choice, has just announced that the city of Porto, has again been elected Best European Destination 2014 in an on-line Poll.

More here: http://www.europeanbestdestinations.org/top/europe-best-destinations-2014/

This result, along with other awards that other Portuguese cities like Porto, Coimbra and Lisbon are regularly winning, shows that Portugal is a destination for all seasons and tastes and not just a summer destination for sand, sun and wine!

Força Portugal!!

Air Canada Rouge - Low-Cost to Europe, including Lisbon, Portugal.

Air Canada's low-cost venture "Rouge" will start transatlantic services from Montreal and Toronto to Europe as from May 2014.

Initial Site here: http://www.aircanada.com/rouge/en/

Project routes are:

From Montreal:

Barcelona - Start Date: June 4, 2014
Nice - Start Date: June 22, 2014
Rome - Start Date: May 25, 2014
Athens - Start Date: July 1, 2014

From Toronto:

Lisbon - Start Date: June 21, 2014
Barcelona - Start Date: May 8, 2014
Venice - Start Date: July 1, 2014
Athens - Start Date: July 1, 2014

Flybe launching - Porto(Portugal) to Birmingham(UK) route - April 2014.

This news is about a week old but have kept forgetting to write it up.

Flybe.com are starting a new route between Birmingham, United Kingdom and Porto, Portugal as from 12 April 2014.

There will be four flights each week.  

Lisbon, Portugal - Fado Restaurants

If you are looking for restaurants offering Fado in Lisbon, have a look at the following, all of which recently jointly advertised in the February 2014 edition of the easyjet.com flight magazine promoting the heritage of Fado:

www.cafeluso.pt

www.timpanas.pt

www.adegamachado.pt

Memories of Lisbon

Just found this on youtube.com

A wonderful historic video of Amalia Rodrigues performing in the Adega do Machado in the Bairro Alto in Lisbon in 1989.

Acabou de encontrar isso em youtube.com

Um vídeo histórico maravilhoso de Amalia Rodrigues realizando na Adega do Machado, no Bairro Alto, em Lisboa, em 1989.

Viens de trouver cette vidéo sur youtube.com

Une vidéo historique merveilleuse d'Amalia Rodrigues chanter dans la Adega do Machado dans le Bairro Alto à Lisbonne en 1989.

Flights direct from Seville to Berlin

The main low-medium cost airlines operating between Seville and Berlin are airberlin.com and vueling.com.

Although airberlin.com does operate some direct flights from some Spanish Airports to destinations in Germany, the bulk of its flights are via its large hub at Palma da Mallorca.

vueling.com also operates Seville to Berlin via its hub at Barcelona. 

Alternatively, one can consider flying via Malaga Airport. However, it takes 2 hours just to get to Malaga Central Station and then at least another 30 minutes to the Airport on the local urban rail service.

Easyjet.com, Germanwings.com and Airberlin.com operate Malaga to Berlin.

Horse riding opportunities in the Lisbon area.

I understand from a contact that the schools shown in the following link are located in the area of Cascais/Guinho which is +- 45 minutes  by car from Lisbon..

http://www.quintadamarinhahipico.com/schools.php

Trains from Salir do Porto to Porto and Lisbon

There is one connection per day from Salir do Porto to Porto requiring changes as follows:

14h51 Salir do Porto

15h41 Leiria

16h58 Leiria

18h10 Coimbra-B

18h33 Coimbra-B

19h35 Aveiro

19h47 Aveiro

20h35 Porto - Campanha

Takes over 5 hours.

There are two trains a day with connections to Lisbon as follows taking +- 3 hours:

Salir de Porto 12h59

Lisbon Entrecampos15h47

Salir de Porto 18h59

Lisbon Entrecampos 21h58

Transport from Lisbon, Portugal to Odeceixe

There is a coach daily departure from Lisbon by http://www.rede-expressos.pt/ as follows:

Lisbon Sete Rios Coach Station Dept: 17:30

Arrive Odeceixe: 21:05

There is a longer route which really only works on weekdays..

Take the bus, (renex.pt, rede-expressos.pt) or train (www.cp.pt) from Lisbon to Lagos and connect with a http://www.eva-bus.com/ service:

Dept     Arr

Lagos: Odeceixe:

08:45    10:01

13:45    15:07

16:40    17:58

18:20    19:38

19:15    20:33

Algarve - Musical instrument rental

A list of some businesses in the Algarve who undertake rental of musical instruments:

Faro

http://www.doremi-som.com/luz_som.php

Dó-Ré-Mi Cor & Musica Lda. - Som Instrumentos Musicais
Rua do Alportel nº 188 A/B
8000-291 Faro
Algarve - Portugal

Email : doremi.som@gmail.com

Telefone - +351 289 822 383
TM - +351 917 213 380 / 919 260 901

Albufeira

http://www.festadamusica.com/

A Festa da Música
Edificio Belavista
Loja 18
8200-083 Albufeira
Portugal

Tel: +351 289 515 897
E-mail: afestadamusica@sapo.pt

Portimão

http://portimusica.com/

PORTIMUSICA - Instrumentos Musicais
De: Hermenegildo Pedro Regino, Herdeiros

Urb. Boavista, Lote 4 c/v esq.
8500-303 Portimão
Portugal

E-mail: comercial@portimusica.com
Telefone: +351 282 416 814