Rentals

[Bruce Wallis]

An interesting thread.
I think EMM has it about right.
All I will say is that I believe that the Algarve and Carvoeiro has a good and loyal following, and careful positive marketing will always prevail.

The English tourist industry may get a short term knee jerk boost for this year, but I think that people will soon discover that pound for pound, even at a deflated pound/euro rate, the Algarve gives far better value for money, and our visitors will return. Sooner rather than later, if the UK has a summer like last year.

[Gary/Gaynor]

Bruce

I hope your right and all returns to normality soon but I think this is said from the heart not the head. My loyalties are shared between Portugal and the UK.
Lets just take a look at some headlines from last week and today.

February 9 billion defecit another record wait to see the one for March it will make your eyes water.
Car production down 59 %
Unemployment up by 138000
A member of the MPC now wants the goverment to borrow another 90 billion to stem unemployment
We will be more in debt soon than when we had to go to the IMF

This is just one weeks worth of dire news and it will get a lot worse.

The Algarve is more expensive than the UK I visit both regularly but am glad I dont go to where EMM lives as the food there sounds dreadful

In my heart I feel exactly like most on this site and wish this sorry episode had never started and all was like the good ole days but you can keep your heads in the sand its probably a wise choice.

Today I will sort out my tomatoe and chilli plants as they need repotting already !!

Have a nice weekend

Gary

[EMM]

We live in the SW where tourism and leisure are about the only jobs left.
The only way food outlets can offer the prices they do is to buy ready prepared in bulk.
There are a few excellent gastro pubs cooking with Fresh food plus a number of high profile names but these are not cheap.

Just ask you self where all the chicken comes from or " meat products " used in pies etc.
its certainly not fresh, it may not ( probably not ) be English.

catering speak, Freshly Prepared. = De frosted that day
Home cooking = Heated /re heated( fried , boiled, roasted or baked ) on the premises.
( not prepared with fresh ingredients and cooked to order ).


Gordon Ramsey may not be everyones cup of tea but his attempts to rescue failing retaurants ususally start with hin finding that
FRESH food has usually been abandoned in favour of freezer packs as they strive to save money.
I am not running the UK down, we actually live here for most of the year, but we know where to go and what to buy if we want good food.

[EMM]

PS.

Just been listening to the R4 food programme.

Its much worse than I thought .

[Gary/Gaynor]

EMM

What is much worse than you thought

Gary

[EMM]

The amount of prepared ( not fresh ) freezer pack,. portion controled food of dubious origin used in the majority of UK food outlets.

Its a muli million £ busines, Fresh food will soon be a rarity.

[Gary/Gaynor]

Well our local pub Red Lion Swanage usually has local fresh veg supplied and meat is also supplied by the farmers in and around Dorset. Once a dish is sold out then it's sold out, nothing coming our of the freezer there so you have to book early for your Sunday beef and Yorkshire pudding or else it's the fresh local reared chicken which is just as nice. I do agree though there are some places, especially the big chains of pubs everything comes out of a freezer. Gary and I have had some gruesome meals this is why we tend to go the Dorset pubs which promote fresh local produce as much as possible.
Gaynor