Breaking the mould.

Last year was the worst winter in the Algarve since records began, until this year that is.

The whole world witnessed the tragedy that unfolded in Madeira with the unparalleled loss of life due to the severe winter storms and mainland Portugal has not been spared the vagaries of mother nature.

While last years winter served up record breaking temperature lows this year has been warmer but infinitely wetter. Grey skies and persistent rain have been an almost permanent feature since mid December and whilst there have been numerous instances of flooding the real problem has been the insidious intrusion of water into every nook, cranny and corner of just about every building in Portugal.

27th February and though the rain has stopped high tide and a strong westerly wind combine to drive yet more water into the streets and buildings of Santa Luzia.

Arriving on the 23rd. February we entered our house to be greeted with something like the scene from a horror movie. The walls glistened with condensation and our possessions, furniture, crockery, carpets and clothes were mouldering with fungal growth. The house glowered with an all pervading sense of decay.

Thus the tenure of our stay was to be spent washing, bleaching and disinfecting those of our possessions that were not immediately dispatched to the rubbish bins.

Having restored some kind of order we resolved to prevent further episodes with the introduction of a dehumidifier. Our sortie to Worten, the major electrical retailer in the new Gran Plaza shopping centre, revealed that this was by no means a unique idea.

There were non to be had at any price, anywhere. Two days and more than a dozen electrical retailers later, having finally got my tongue and brain around the Portuguese word desumidificador, we tracked one down to Makro in Olhao.

€119 secured us what appeared to be the last desumidificador available in Portugal.

The elusive appliance was set to work immediately and throughout the rest of our stay removed a minimum of 6 litres per day of moisture that would have otherwise condensed and dribbled down our walls.

After days of cleaning scrubbing and de-mouldering "Casa Stig" looks less like a scene from a horror film and more like it should.

There have been a number of developements started and one new business has opened in the village since our last visit just before christmas and I shall tell more of these in a future post.

New Horizons.

We have been in the pub business for over fifteen years and throughout that time we have experienced the steady decline of that famous and beloved institution.

Increased bureaucracy, supermarket beers that are cheaper than bottled water, rocketing business rates and energy prices and finally the ubiquitous smoking ban have all conspired to see last orders rung permanently in thousands of British boozers.

The Cross Green will we fear soon be joining the ranks of much lamented former community locals.

Joan and I came here as a temporary measure in April 2007 following the sale of the lease on our previous pub "The Hope Inn". My mother, though terminally ill, was still very active and more than a little demanding at the time and moving away was really out of the question, so a temporary tenancy of The Cross Green suited both us and the pubco.

My mother sadly passed away in March of 2008 just as the recession began to bite and as bookings for the working men's rooms here at the pub and consequently takings over the bar also began to evaporate like raindrops in the Portuguese sun.

It became evident that we would be fortunate to break even let alone make a profit.

We quickly came to the decision that another pub was not what we wanted, a move to Portugal would be preferable but I can not call upon my pension for another 5 years so that also was quickly ruled out.

To further complicate the matter the banking crash and credit crunch have so far thwarted all attempts to sell my late mother's house so, as executor of her estate, I am pretty much tied down until the economic situation improves.

Honest hard work then seemed to be the only option open to me and the search for a suitable position commenced in earnest towards the end of last year.

I am pleased to announce that the search ended yesterday with the offer of employment as airport passenger service agent for the low cost airline Jet2.com at Leeds and Bradford airport.
(Book your cheap flight via the link on the left of this page and I will see you in the airport!!)

"What's all this got to do with Santa Luzia?" I hear you asking.

Well not a great deal really apart from the fact that the summer months will be the busiest of times for me from here on in and my new prospects will severely curtail my ability to visit and enjoy it's charms. It is already clear that I will be unable to attend the fishermen's festival in August and I will find myself regularly yearning for Minha casa linda Portugese.

To this end I am paying a visit prior to taking up my new appointment on the 8th March.


I shall be in town from the 23rd of Feb to 2nd of March.