By Jenny Grainer features@algarveresident.com
Jenny Grainer arrived in the Algarve to live, work and raise a family in 1968. She is a freelance writer and her book ‘Portugal and the Algarve Now and Then’ has sold more than 2,000 copies.
Right now is my perfect time of year. The sun is hot but not too hot, the mornings and evenings cool but not too cool and the urge to do things is strong enough to make me pleasantly tired when I go to bed, sleep well and wake up wanting to live each day to its fullest all over again.
I’m not a terribly domesticated woman but even I have been motivated to remove the winter grime from the windowpanes and pluck the odd weed from a flowerbed.
The garden table has been cleared of debris ready for summer outdoor entertaining and my husband has finally removed some rust from my beloved 2CV and is preparing it to receive a little face-lift (pity he can’t do as much for me).
While the economical situation may be all doom and gloom, I’m not an economist so can’t point the finger at who is responsible, or do myself any good by worrying about it.
I certainly know that Portugal is not the only country that has been spending beyond its means with many new home/ car/ plasma TV owners bearing the burden of heavy bank loans to repay, but at least in our small local world I can see where some of the money has been spent for mutual benefit and can luxuriate in a few of them.
I have lived here since 1964 and newcomers cannot begin to imagine the extraordinarily rapid changes that I have seen in the Algarve in both infrastructure and lifestyle.
I doubt that anywhere can more obviously show the changes that EU money has brought to this country, and whilst not all of it has been well spent, there is still so much to enjoy whilst weathering the storm.
For anyone who likes to live within their means, the Algarve is humming with inexpensive things to do, with lots of well known artists invited by local councils already advertising their dates and venues.
If you don’t already receive it, why not go to your city hall and request their Agenda Municipal? All you have to do is give them your name and address and it will be mailed out each month.
If you’re on a budget, there are always lots of things on offer for a few euros and many organised shows are in town squares at no cost at all.
Aside from the rather more expensive golf, there are many indoor and outdoor sports to entertain the children in the long break – and what better way for children to integrate and pick up the Portuguese language?
I’m looking forward to my first picnic of the year with members and friends of our church in Portimão, the ICF. There’s nothing quite like sitting by the river at the Fontes in Estombar while eating a few grilled sardines (grills thoughtfully provided by Lagoa Council) on a thick chunk of bread with a bowl of salad.
Someone will no doubt bring a guitar and we will sing a few songs. There will be a lot of others enjoying the day too probably on the beach or up in the hills.
Throughout the summer, there will be Medieval Fairs and food festivals, visitors and family to stay with us and for those of us who don’t have to work in the tourist industry, there are lots of things we can either enjoy or retire to our homes or afar to get away from it all whenever we want to.
This is also the time of year when a lot is in the planning stage. After the huge success of the Algarveans Experimental Theatre’s production ‘Allo! ‘Allo!, everyone is taking a well-deserved rest and will no doubt be announcing future plans shortly.
As a writer I am thrilled to bits that we in the south are going to have our very own international book festival in September called Lit. Algarve.
Writers of all genres will be here in various places from east to west, so will publishers, literary agents, translators, editors and readers.
The public will be able to mix and mingle with authors, attend workshops, lectures and seminars.
You will be able to listen to authors or poets reading their works, join in a poetry slam or a marathon story-tell which you can join in too.
And as participants will be speaking in a variety of languages there should be something for everyone.
Mark it in your diary now Lit. Algarve September 16 and 19 – see you there.
