An Apology to the Portugese Police

Recently I blogged disparagingly about the open sale of drugs in Portugal ..... 

Algarve Plagued By Drug Peddlers

.... well, how was I to know that the Portuguese government has totally abandoned fighting drug dealing?

The Good, The Bad And The Saintly

Now that I have given Portuguese policing and drug policies a kicking, heres the lighter side of the week.

A skateboarding Cow, is leading the Forca Portugal party

This is a life size (and more than lifesize?) Red Indian

in a shop window ... no shame :-)

Matts bar has the laziest bar staff on the strip

(trust me, if you ain't got tits, you ain't getting a drink)

Libertos outside disco is a fantastic venue (and not LOUD!)

And finally ................ What can I say, living legend!

Sir Cliff Richard .... having a "Summer Holiday"

Not a bad week, despite the "Charley salesmen"

Drugs in Paradise

The Trip to Portugal was good ..... weather hot, accommodation really excellent, but man is it expensive for UK tourists in Europe now. The collapse of the pound (goddamn you Gordon Brown!!), means that beer and food costs are on a par with, or even more expensive than at home.

I suspect that my European Odyssey's are largely over, and I will be looking outside the Euro Zone for value in the future, but that's not why I am writing, no its another matter that prompted this blog.

In Albufeira on the Algarve, the Beaches and Restaurants, were the haunts of "African Migrants" (aka illegal 'asylum seekers') who try to sell you "Rolex's" or "RayBan's". To be honest it was a bit of a pain, but apart from the fact that it was Africans, and not the Albanians who operate in the Eastern Mediterranean, it wasn't anything new.

No, the one remarkable feature of this holiday, was the open sale in the streets of drugs ..... you could hardly walk around, without being asked if you wanted "Smack, Charlie, Smokes?" .... this 'offer' was usually made by Portuguese (or dark skinned men) in front of children and families, with little or no police interference.

Most of this drug dealing was centred on "The Strip" and how the Portuguese police can't clean it up is beyond me.

'The Strip' is, as you can see, is a mile long strip of bars, interspersed with Restaurants. Hardly un-policable, so you have to ask why the Portuguese police do nothing?