News and current affairs from the Portuguese Algarve.

[Erngath]

Me too, and my husband. Lifelong non-smokers. Cancer runs in my family and heart disease, in his.

Neither of us have ever smoked.
Not a decision made for health reasons but it just never appealed .
A fortunate decision.

[Erngath]

A college acquaintance used to puff away at a bent briar pipe piled high with Balkan Sobranie.  It smelled wonderful and gave me a longing to follow suit, which I never did.  He sported a big, black, bushy beard at the time which was also quite unusual for an eighteen-year old, but then he was a product of a Public School education.  A few years ago I saw his photo online minus beard which I didn't recognise at first, although the name sounded familiar.  It was an obituary... he died of lung cancer in his mid-fifties.

Our daughter  in law's mother was a heavy smoker.
She died of small cell lung cancer at age 62.
She didn't live long enough to meet the two beautiful granddaughters that she and I would have shared.

[Anthro]

A college acquaintance used to puff away at a bent briar pipe piled high with Balkan Sobranie.  It smelled wonderful and gave me a longing to follow suit, which I never did.  He sported a big, black, bushy beard at the time which was also quite unusual for an eighteen-year old, but then he was a product of a Public School education.  A few years ago I saw his photo online minus beard which I didn't recognise at first, although the name sounded familiar.  It was an obituary... he died of lung cancer in his mid-fifties.

I also know of people here who have never smoked and yet die due to lung cancer. Tuberculosis is a serious and huge health issue in my country. The condition, as far as I know, is multi-faceted and lung disease has many manifestations. HIV is one of them and in the mining industry, as well.

[Eleanor]

Lally is a thoroughbred Cocker Spaniel.  I'm not a snob about dogs, but the breeder does a deal with our local dog rescue service.  He donates one puppy to the rescue centre from time to time.  Someone like us sees the cutest puppy and buys it, and the funds help keep the rescue service running.

There is a bulldog and a Staff upstairs.  The Staff terrifies people because they think she is a Pitbull, although Staffs are on the Portuguese list of dangerous dogs in their own right.  Whilst she is terrifically strong, she is also terrifically gentle, and particularly loves young children.

The reference to Calpol for Lally was not a joke.  We are laying in essentials so that if we choose to self quarantine we could do so for an extended period.  Should it hit properly, I don't want to be going near a vet, doctor, hospital, or supermarket, if those can be avoided.  The pharmacist knows it's for Lally, and was quite happy to issue it.  If the Calpol is not required, we have wasted only a few cents.

We have a good friend who runs a very decent Chinese restaurant in Lagos.  Her business is under pressure, because she and her husband are Chinese, and punters are wary of the Chinese connection.  She has shut down to take a well-earned winter break, and has needed to explain to customers that she is not going to visit China.

Best wishes for your food bank visits.  I would class those as high risk if the infection takes off in your locality.  Our strategy is based on avoidance.  But you will surely know your personal situation much better than I do.

Just for the sake of avoidance, the following is NOT a joke.  We now have an Eeyore or two next door to us.  They were installed roughly a month ago to keep short the grass in our neighbour's orange orchard.  They look cute, but my god, they are noisy.

Today was all a bit of a joke, although not all that funny.  Most of the people who run this  stuff are old and at risk themselves.  But they were all there today,  doing what they do.
 
We did have to stand outside in the rain to wait , but it wasn't actually pissing down.  So nothing lost.

Do they have Food Banks in Luz, or anywhere close by?  Are there any English people who qualify?

I do qualify.  And much gratitude I have for this.

[ShiningInLuz]

Today was all a bit of a joke, although not all that funny.  Most of the people who run this  stuff are old and at risk themselves.  But they were all there today,  doing what they do.
 
We did have to stand outside in the rain to wait , but it wasn't actually pissing down.  So nothing lost.

Do they have Food Banks in Luz, or anywhere close by?  Are there any English people who qualify?

I do qualify.  And much gratitude I have for this.

My answer is that I have looked and not found any.  I would be most happy to deliver essentials to the local needy, but I cannot for the life of me locate any needy.  I know they exist.  I just cannot find them.

[Eleanor]

Food banks are funded by The EU but also get donations from local supermarkets.

They will have a Portuguese name in Portugal which you could probably find on Google if you put in "Food Bank."

[Eleanor]

Banco Alimentar.  Several Links on Google.

[ShiningInLuz]

Banco Alimentar.  Several Links on Google.

Thanks, but that is not the crux of the issue.

We have a modern church, which should be the heart of the community.  Except it is permanently closed.

We also have an extensive agricultural neighbourhood, so many less well off grow their own.  Personally, I like a paysan diet.  It's tasty and healthy.

 

We have a café opposite us which closed just months after we moved in.  It's in the wrong place and it tried to be ultra-cheap.  That business model is all naff.  It attracted poorer Portuguese customers who thought that more than one bottle of beer was more than they could afford.

So there was a roll call of those in the vicinity in need.  I just don't have my hands on it.

[ShiningInLuz]

Things are kicking off big time around here.

The Portuguese football league has been suspended.

The school in Luz that we send our grandkids to, the Gonçalo College, is shutting for 2 months as a precautionary measure.

Our kids have now decided that they too need to take precautions.  That includes stocking up at Iceland.  Plus some Calpol in case their little one catches covid-19.  And they have decided to 'self-isolate', which means keeping away from the old-timers, to avoid infecting them.  Convivial cups of tea and a chat are now banned.  However, if the grandchildren are now off school and at home, playing in the garden, I will be out in the Algarve sunshine to let Gonçalo enjoy some fun with them.

 

[ShiningInLuz]

Just as I say Baptista is working normally, it changed its approach.  To control the number of customers in the supermarket at any one time, Baptista is now operating a policy of 1 customer in when 1 customer leaves.  Plus you now need to wear a face mask to gain entry.

As we have no face masks, we had to scarper to Lagos to a Portuguese nationwide supermarket chain called Pingo Doce.  There a security guard told customers upon entry that if they attempted to panic buy to stockpile, the excess goods would be removed from them.

Swapping to Edinburgh, our much beloved Uncle Angelo died on Thursday, not from coronavirus.  He was elderly, in his 90s, and his children had thought it wise to put him in a care home.  Basically, removed from his normal social contact, he lost the will to live, and lasted only a few weeks in the home.

That point is relevant to coronavirus, because a lot of 'wrinklies' derive a great deal of enjoyment, joie de vivre, from mixing with their friends.  Take it away, and what is the point of living?

Boris managed to mangle my CV contingency plan today.  It was geared around surviving 14 days in self-isolation.  Now that recommendation appears to be 12 weeks for senior citizens.

We simply are NOT going to self-isolate for 12 weeks.  So I need to draw up plan B ASAP.  Fortunately plan A involved making sure that our car is always filled to the brim with petrol.

We might be driving into Lagos for a lot of takeaways.  There is no delivery service here.  But we won't go short on food.

 

[Miss Taken Identity]

Just as I say Baptista is working normally, it changed its approach.  To control the number of customers in the supermarket at any one time, Baptista is now operating a policy of 1 customer in when 1 customer leaves.  Plus you now need to wear a face mask to gain entry.

As we have no face masks, we had to scarper to Lagos to a Portuguese nationwide supermarket chain called Pingo Doce.  There a security guard told customers upon entry that if they attempted to panic buy to stockpile, the excess goods would be removed from them.

Swapping to Edinburgh, our much beloved Uncle Angelo died on Thursday, not from coronavirus.  He was elderly, in his 90s, and his children had thought it wise to put him in a care home.  Basically, removed from his normal social contact, he lost the will to live, and lasted only a few weeks in the home.

That point is relevant to coronavirus, because a lot of 'wrinklies' derive a great deal of enjoyment, joie de vivre, from mixing with their friends.  Take it away, and what is the point of living?

Boris managed to mangle my CV contingency plan today.  It was geared around surviving 14 days in self-isolation.  Now that recommendation appears to be 12 weeks for senior citizens.

We simply are NOT going to self-isolate for 12 weeks.  So I need to draw up plan B ASAP.  Fortunately plan A involved making sure that our car is always filled to the brim with petrol.

We might be driving into Lagos for a lot of takeaways.  There is no delivery service here.  But we won't go short on food.

 

"That point is relevant to coronavirus, because a lot of 'wrinklies' derive a great deal of enjoyment, joie de vivre, from mixing with their friends.  Take it away, and what is the point of living?"

This is very relevant- I was looking for the study I used  many years at Uni. about self harm- self isolation. I recall about the situation where prisoners who are hel in self contained  isolation units are more likely to suffer various forms of mental illness including a desire to kill themselves as opposed to being held in the main social cells.

We do have skype and other communication facilities- here on this very forum is one!

[Robittybob1]

"That point is relevant to coronavirus, because a lot of 'wrinklies' derive a great deal of enjoyment, joie de vivre, from mixing with their friends.  Take it away, and what is the point of living?"

This is very relevant- I was looking for the study I used  many years at Uni. about self harm- self isolation. I recall about the situation where prisoners who are hel in self contained  isolation units are more likely to suffer various forms of mental illness including a desire to kill themselves as opposed to being held in the main social cells.

We do have skype and other communication facilities- here on this very forum is one!

Lucky for us wrinklies we have the Miscarriage of justice forum.

[Eleanor]

Lucky for us wrinklies we have the Miscarriage of justice forum.

Exactly, Rob.  What would we all do without it?

Apparently The Bar Tabac in Melrand was selling tobacco yesterday, but no drinks, so half a dozen people were standing outside smoking and chatting.

[G-Unit]

Eight people arrested in eight hours for breaking rules of Portugal’s State of Emergency
https://www.portugalresident.com/eight-people-arrested-in-eight-hours-for-breaking-rules-of-portugals-state-of-emergency/

[Venturi Swirl]

Eight people arrested in eight hours for breaking rules of Portugal’s State of Emergency
https://www.portugalresident.com/eight-people-arrested-in-eight-hours-for-breaking-rules-of-portugals-state-of-emergency/

Probably all ignorant drunken Brits (thought I would save SIL the job of making that observation).