What the stars say about the euro crisis

The euro was launched in a blaze of euphoria on 1st January, 1999. We take midday in Frankfurt as the natal moment. You can look at the euro’s natal chart here

Appropriately for a currency, the ascendant Libra’s ruler is Venus, a key indicator of wealth and prosperity. But Venus is in Capricorn, indicating that this wealth must be hard-won. Clearly the young currency has some painful growing up to do. The Sun too is in Capricorn, and Saturn – ruler of both Sun and Venus in this chart – is in Aries.

Saturn is the disciplinarian of the horoscope. Modulated through Aries, Saturn will be an enthusiastic but headstrong and impulsive teacher, without the patience and compassion that a young, vulnerable Capricorn currency needs to feel secure. Even more challenging is the opposition with Saturn’s ruler Mars in Libra. This is ennervating, as the energy to gets things done is bogged down in endless Libran talks on the Saturnine themes of discipline and austerity.

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The Aljezur Sweet Potato Festival: Worth a Visit

Each autumn, Aljezur celebrates the sweet potato and its importance to the community by holding a Festival.

The 2011 event ran from Thursday to Sunday, from midday to midnight, except on the Sunday, when it closed at 9 pm. It takes place in the Espaço Multiusos, a vast, one hundred metre long metal shed set among steep wooded hills with views across the valley to the old town and castle.

Aljezur was founded in the tenth century by the Arabs, but in 1249 was taken by a band of knights of the Order of Santiago. They attacked the castle so suddenly that the moors had no time to defend themselves.

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A22 tolls a reality: Guide to Payment Options and Charges now available in English

The long-anticipated toll charging system for the Algarve’s A22 motorway came into effect on 8^th December 2011. The system covers the length of the A22, but some toll-free, short journeys can be made, particularly between adjacent exits. For example, it is possible to cross the bridge from Spain using the A22 and transfer to the N125, or to travel from Bensafrim to Lagos, without incurring a charge.

The normal toll rate for class 1 small cars is 9c/km. The class 1 journey from Lagos to the airport currently costs €6.60 including IVA. Toll rates for 9-seaters, SUVs and other larger vehicles are higher. There are no toll booths as such. The system captures number plate information using cameras mounted on overhead gantries, and automatically creates or updates an account for each vehicle identified.

Originally scheduled to be introduced in April, the A22 tolls have been strongly resisted by local residents and businesses. This is despite the exemptions and discounts being offered temporarily to people living or working in adjacent council areas. Visitors to the Algarve, particularly the Spanish, have also opposed the measure, going so far as joining with the locals in demonstrations involving hundreds of vehicles.

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Top 10 reasons to relocate to Portugal’s Western Algarve

1. Climate

3,000 hours of sunshine per year, cooling ocean breezes to moderate the summer heat, and seasonal rainfall all contribute to a great climate. No wonder Andalusians have been snapping up holiday homes in the area!

2. Accessibility

Faro is among the best-served warm weather destinations for cheap flights from UK and European cities. The 2h 30m flight time puts it within easy weekend reach. A modern, fast motorway network connects the Western Algarve to Faro, Seville, Lisbon and beyond.

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Is There a “Value Premium” in Sustainably Built Homes?

Quantitative research has been lacking to support this contention. However, as reported in award winning US blog Jetson Green, recent research conducted by the Earth Advantage Institute, an Oregon-based non-profit organization, found that new homes with a green certification (US Green Building Council’s LEED in this instance), sold for 8 per cent more than new homes without a certification. Moreover, existing homes with a green certification sold for 30 per cent more than homes without such a certification. The research was carried out in several districts in Washington, Oregon, and was based on sales between 1 May, 2010 and 30 April, 2011. While there were differences from district to district, the overall results strongly supported the notion that both new and existing homes with a green certification have higher sale values.

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Census 2011: the Algarve Population Has Grown by 55,000 in the Past 10 Years

Census 2011: the Algarve population has grown by 55,000 in the past 10 years while depopulation of the interior continues.

According to the preliminary results of the 2011 census, the Algarve and Madeira are the two regions of Portugal showing the largest increase in population over the past decade.

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No Shortage of Finance for Portuguese Property Purchases

Despite the general slow-down in the Portuguese property market, there are plenty of lenders ready and able to finance purchases by non-residents. However, the loan-to-value (LTV) ratios are lower and the interest spreads are higher than a couple of years ago, with affordability is a key issue.

Yours for 25% down

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Onyria Golf Resorts Opens its 27-hole Palmares Golf Course

On 11th June, Onyria Golf Resorts opened Onyria Palmares Golf, a 27-hole course conceived by Robert Trent Jones Jr. and situated at Palmares in Lagos.

The works on the new golf course were initiated in January, 2009, and represent an investment of 10 million euros.

The inaugural event, a two day “shotgun” tournament, took place on 11th and 12th June. The first day was dedicated to tour operators and journalists, and the second day to corporate guests of Onyria Golf Resorts. Golfers were able to speak directly to the architect Robert Trent Jones Jr., who was present on both days of the event.

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British family opt for eco home in AlmaVerde, Portugal

Increasingly buying a property overseas for environmental reason is becoming the norm and that’s exactly what the Keet family did when purchasing their four-bedroom home in AlmaVerde, Western Algarve.

AlmaVerde Village and Spa is a member of an invitation-only membership organisation called Sustain Worldwide, whose member developers and professionals are creating many of the world’s foremost sustainable luxury homes, resorts and communities.

Phil and Jane Keet, both aged 49, and their four children, Lucy (16), Sam (15), Emily (13) and Daisy (10) from Hythe, Kent, purchased a detached villa with private swimming pool for €450,000 (£390,000) as a long-term investment and somewhere for family and friends to enjoy.

Phil Keet says: “The environmental reasons played a huge part of the decision process. The development has been built with the eco system in mind as a haven of peace and sustainability. It boasts reduced energy consumption, the economical recycling of waste, the use of sustainable building materials and water conservation.”

AlmaVerde’s villa properties’ eco credentials include adobe bricks which are made onsite, and the Coolhouse cooling and heating system, which reduces energy consumption by as much as 94 per cent over conventional air-conditioning and produces a pleasant all-year round temperature of 26C.

AlmaVerde is a luxury eco resort, located in Western Algarve, which was launched several years ago. Today, more than 80 individual villas, set in their own grounds, have been built and sold, and spa facilities opened onsite last year.

“The Western Algarve is one of the less developed parts of Portugal and is relatively unspoilt. We wanted somewhere peaceful away from city life,” Phil adds. “The climate is good all year round. There is plenty to do in the surrounding area and the coastal/beach facilities are excellent.”

The family purchased off-plan and found the buying process very straightforward. Phil says that prices are now about 25 per cent higher than when they bought. The family plans to use the property two or three times a year and when not in use will rent it out and depending on the season can expect weekly rates of up to €1,800 (£1,560).

Written by: A Place in the Sun Friday, May 13, 2011

Algarve AlmaVerde AlmaVerde Village and Spa eco Portugal property in Algarve property in Portugal Sustain Worldwide Western Algarve

Found in Spain; Lost in Translation

On a recent trip to Seville, I was idly leafing through the hotel chain magazine. I suppose the idea of these publications is to draw the reader in with articles of general interest, and to hit them with advertorials promoting new destinations, refurbishments and so on. Aiming to appeal to the international traveller, the articles appear both in the local language and in English. As befits a publication reflecting luxury values, considerable care is taken over the photography, typography and layout, even the quality of paper stock used.