For the first time in more than 100 years, the Algarve has a resident Rabbi to serve its growing Jewish community. Zev Schwarcz, 50, hails from Chicago and arrived to live in Albufeira, with his wife and three year old daughter, straight from New […] »
More than a quarter of a century ago, when he was a sculptor’s apprentice, Sören Ernst used to be regularly sent to a basement at the end of a long day chipping away at stone, to take plaster casts of clay models in preparation for their casting […] »
Portimão’s borough council led by Manuel da Luz has decided to pave the way for a “participatory budget” – open to all voters and residents with ideas for their town, for up to 200.000 euros each. In the initial stages, citizens will be able to tender […] »
This year may well see an end to events under the “Allgarve” cultural programme. Although resisting the demise, ERTA, the regional tourism board, is advancing with an alternative plan for 2012. At a press conference last Friday, António Pina revealed […] »
But, apparently no-one misses it! The “Allgarve” programme began in 2007, under the direction of the then Minister for the Economy Manuel Pinho. It received annual budgets to the tune of five million euros, but, said Cecília Meireles, “it really […] »
Traffic on the Via do Infante (A22) dropped by 48.1% in December last year, compared to the same month in 2010. “Estradas de Portugal” give “the economic situation and the tolls” as the reasons for the dip. According to EP statistics - which show […] »
The number of fake euro coins in circulation has dropped over the past year, but the €2 coin continues to be the most notorious bogus coin – responsible for two thirds of the total number of falsified coins detected. In all 157.000 fake coins were […] »
Sociologist Elísio Estanque has launched a book this week on the rise and fall of Portugal’s middle class. Entitled «A Classe Média: Ascensão e Declínio», it shows how “in just a few decades” Portuguese society went from a predominantly rural one […] »
Financial difficulties are preventing hundreds of Portuguese families from covering their mortgage payments. Emerging data shows that there has been an 18% increase in the number of homes returned to banks by families and estate agents – while banks […] »