Will the Square be sorted out by September?

[EMM]

Snob far from it, working class from w london, but I do know one thing, you get what you pay for.
A comparable night out in Carvoeiro last week ( 0 salmao 2 starters 2 mains 2 deserts, 1 beer and wine around 65 euros ) the same here in the Southwest £90 a couple of weeks earlier, birthday dinner).
Last thursday in the Algarve, lunch for 5 incl 4 beers and house wine under 45 euros, basic pub type food.

The pound is strengthening, the UK weather is ****, Portugal is not that expensive, the square will be great when its finished in a few weeks.
Its going to be a good summer.

[floyd]

Agree on holiday costs. Just got back from Spain and there really isn't anything to worry about. If you can afford to live in England you can afford the Iberian peninsula. Our problem was we borrowed a villa from a friend of a friend who's been trying to sell for some years, so the cooker didn't work so we ate out more than we planned. But supermarket prices: 5.90E for a bottle of (just) drinkable gin. 4.50E for a whole chicken. However you could have paid 3.50E for a loaf of frozen Hovis - And some people were!
Large beer at a beach bar 3E. No probs.

[Gary/Gaynor]

May I suggest you look at the beach webcam you will find it is nearly deserted I wonder why Back in May 2005 I took 8 people out for a meal in A Gale and it cost me 140 euros for a two course meal plus drinks good food and very reasonable Im not sure what it would cost now but have noticed that CVO is now more expensive than Holland (which is by the way probably the most expensive place to live in Europe). Many businesses may just about survive this year but i predict next year will be devastating when the depression sets in. Hey but the stock market is going up and so apparently are house prices in the UK we shall see I still think the FTSE will drop below 3000 and house prices down another 20% and probably 40 to 50% in the Algarve (look at some of the local estate agents!!) EMM I still think your a bloody snob even if you are north of Petersfield

Gary

[Bruce Wallis]

Question is....what is south of Petersfield??

[Michael Crane]

Question is....what is south of Petersfield??

Where is Petersfield?

[redford]

May I suggest you look at the beach webcam you will find it is nearly deserted I wonder why Back in May 2005 I took 8 people out for a meal in A Gale and it cost me 140 euros for a two course meal plus drinks good food and very reasonable Im not sure what it would cost now but have noticed that CVO is now more expensive than Holland (which is by the way probably the most expensive place to live in Europe). Many businesses may just about survive this year but i predict next year will be devastating when the depression sets in. Hey but the stock market is going up and so apparently are house prices in the UK we shall see I still think the FTSE will drop below 3000 and house prices down another 20% and probably 40 to 50% in the Algarve (look at some of the local estate agents!!) EMM I still think your a bloody snob even if you are north of Petersfield

Gary

IMHO think you are way 'off beam' with your predictions, think we are now 'off the bottom' and by the end of the year will be on the way to recovery for 2010 and beyond. The FTSE is normally predicting what will happen six months ahead, the stabilisation in recent weeks is an encouraging sign.

[shanagarry]

I travel all over Europe in the course of my business and can assure any of you accusing the UK, Carvoeiro or Holland for that matter - that everywhere in Europe is expensive - depending on your lifestyle. Eating out can be an expensive extravagance if it is done every night - but if you do it when you are at home - then that is the lifestyle you have created for yourself. If you go out occasionally and do not shop around - then you have a problem and don't complain. Quality, Value for Money - all ineffective superlatives that have no real meaning in the current climate.

The prices being charged by many establishments has altered little in the past 12 months - it's our money that can't buy the same quantities it used to buy that is the problem.

You can 'exist' anywhere without having to spend a lot of money and I know that holiday time is not usually the time to scrimp and save - well it never used to be - but we are in changing times. It does no harm to have a reality check every once in a while and look at what you are spending before you get the money out of your pocket.

I have forewarned my crew that eating out every night is not an option this year and that the BBQ will not have time to cool down - not that that is any hardship. Shopping at LIDL and similar discount supermarkets as opposed to InterMarche will help leave ample funds for the treats.

All of this is an exercise in 'course correction' - painful as it might be

[steve]

An interesting reflection from someone who if memory serves me right used to regard O Patio as good value for money.

[Gary/Gaynor]

Petersfield is 15 miles north of Portsmouth which of course is centre of the the known universe. I have just looked at a map and now Im really depressed just found where I live now is in line with Ipswich !! Best country to eat in is Belguim good beer and very good food. Ones I have found a bit iffy which may upset MC is Turkey and Greece but as they say each to his own. I would also say CVO is in my top three. For the optimist who thinks its all over bar the shouting I think the stock market bounced up at least 20% 5 times from 1929 to 1931 but it was still a big bear market. The housing market began to drop around 1989 and there was a dead cat bounce in 1991 it took 10 years before it really recovered of course not allowing for inflation. The one thing you can be assured of next year is taxes are going to rise and standards of living are going to drop they have been for about the last 4 years many have just not realised this just took on more debt to compensate. My glass is still half empty

Gary

[redford]

Petersfield is 15 miles north of Portsmouth which of course is centre of the the known universe. I have just looked at a map and now Im really depressed just found where I live now is in line with Ipswich !! Best country to eat in is Belguim good beer and very good food. Ones I have found a bit iffy which may upset MC is Turkey and Greece but as they say each to his own. I would also say CVO is in my top three. For the optimist who thinks its all over bar the shouting I think the stock market bounced up at least 20% 5 times from 1929 to 1931 but it was still a big bear market. The housing market began to drop around 1989 and there was a dead cat bounce in 1991 it took 10 years before it really recovered of course not allowing for inflation. The one thing you can be assured of next year is taxes are going to rise and standards of living are going to drop they have been for about the last 4 years many have just not realised this just took on more debt to compensate. My glass is still half empty

Gary

Suggest new thread! This is all off topic

[Michael Crane]

....Ones I have found a bit iffy which may upset MC is Turkey ....Gary

[shanagarry]

Steve

In an attempt to keep this topic 'on course' I have sent you a pm.

[deadfred]

sorry everyone my fault for going off topic in first place, might be a idea to have a price watch type topic.
can`t wait to get back to cvo ,think the square will be ok when every think have been finished but would like to see some sort of seating and palm trees always like to sit in square and watch the world go-by,might just be good reason to spend
more time in a bar looking out on the world,don`t think my wife lynn will go for logic of this but who knows.

[Gary/Gaynor]

Im out next week so will try if I have the time to take some piccies as we look down onto the square.... Im also sure it will look fine when finished

[Bristle Si]

Hope the Square is sorted very soon for the sake of Carvoeiro. First time visitors may be put off returning if it's still fenced, etc.
One of my great loves when visiting Carvoeiro for our annual visit is sitting outside O Barco for lunch and a drink. Plus, sitting in the Square on an evening after dinner before going for a few drinks and laughs in a bar or two, especially Round-Up.
As for the economic situ, the £/euro exchange rate is a mare, so we cut our 2 weeks in Carvoeiro to 11 nights for this September. as for the food prices in Carvoeiro, unless one goes to places like Ele and Ela every night (we tend to visit there 1 or 2 nights in a 2 week break), i still think most places are pretty good value. Never been to O Patio...too expensive, but everyone has their favourites. good quality steak meal at one of our local pubs just north of Bristol is about £12, with all the trimmings. 3 courses, just over £20. Good value, good grub. Sorry off topic here.