It´s been a period where many things have been changing here, and today really brought that home to me. We have a new road just opened, which will increase the ease we can all access keyparts of the central algarve (but won´t reduce accidents as some of it is terribly designed), new planning regulations with regard to construction (PROTAL)(bad news really, beacuse so few people are correctly informed and it creates false effects within the property market), a new name (ALLGARVE) which is a bit of a joke really, as no-one seems to know about it (or care about it either). It is also clear that, on a general scale, there is a drive towards quality, sustainable tourism and development, and this is an excellent thing for the future of the Algarve.
Strangely enough, it was none of these things that really brought home to me the changes occurring around us. I skived off work early today, and went to the beach with the family. We have always gone to a certain part of the beach, just off the beaten track, and with a family run beach bar (a little shabby, but with excellent food, and well priced). There was a small car park, with no charge to park there. It was never too busy, but just busy enough.
So, today we arrive at the beach, 2 kids and about 500kg of plastic buckets, spades, etc. etc and the car park has been removed (we have to take a ticket from a machine, where an old bloke used to stand and say hello, give you a ticket and wait for you to leave and settle your account). the beach bar has been demolished, along with the massive palms that used to stand next to it (definitely now in someone's garden) and replace with a new hi-tech looking bar, with a sister restaurant nearby.
It all looks very nice, and inviting. So we went to the beach, dug holes, nearly drowned the kids, saw some pink people sunbathing (WHY?) and then went for a snack and a drink. Service was good, food was poor, and by jingo it was expensive (3 times the price of a coffee anywhere else).
We came away a little sad that a tiny piece of the real reason we love to live here has disappeared for ever. The tourists and new people will never know about Raffy´s bar, but it is a crying shame that it only exists in our memories and photos. Onwards and upwards I suppose, but I miss it. Am I getting old?
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January on the beach, no-one around!
All about my life-ordinary or is it? Experiences from the UK, growing up an working in London, and living and working in the Algarve with my (expanding) family
Translator
On the beach
January on the beach, no-one around!
Blog Archive
Things I am going to write about
- Algarve mentality
- The company called goat
- Ebookers are ewankers if you ask me
- Algarve driving tips
- I am selling something and you must believe me
- Wankers I have met
- Inspiring people I have met
- Are my ears normal?
- The original Algarve hippy
3 comments:
I never agreed with the name "ALLGARVE". It is a stupid name invented by some minister. It should be "Algerve". The end.
And Algarve should invest much less in tourism. In fact, the whole country should invest much less in tourism. Tourism is the typical thing that happens in third world countries. Portugal is not far from being one of them. He should invest more in education, industry and science. Tourism should be in the last place, because tourism practiced here is for the pour naked feet brit tourists that go to spend a weekend at Algarve, and that is not profitable.
Whilst you clearly have a problem with tourists, you have to face the facts that if we cancelled all the tourists tomorrow, the Algarve´s economy would collapse. Overnight.
It is impossible to invest in public services and improvements to this country without income-hence the need for tourism to fund this.
Perhaps you have some wonderful idea how we can fund the country without tourism?
That is because we closed all our industry in the 70's, 80's and 90's. Tourism was not representative then as it is now and we could live.
If a terrorist attack happened, the Portuguese economy would drop just like that (happened in Benidorm, Spain). Investing in industries is safer, creates more jobs and it is the only way to come out of this stone age we live. We have to produce more than we import. Of course CEE doesn't help by imposing the milk quota. We are drinking milk from abroad (Euroshopper, etc), or mixed milk. And this is just the tip of the iceberg.
Now about me being against the tourists, it is not true. But tourism only generates seasonal income, and not as much as you say. Most tourism companies are multinationals, which means that most of the money doesn't go to Portugal. I live in Portugal for 27 years and I'm not sleeping. By investing more in tourism, we are getting ourselves deeper in the mud.
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