The European
Vol. 1, Issue no. 22
May 8, 2007
Somewhere south of Viseu, Portugal

St. Tropez blazes, but don't panic

I'm off on the trail again, taking advantage of the French public holiday to do what the French call a pont-taking off the Monday to make a long weekend of it.

This time I'm in central Portugal to explore the area where my parents live. I've mentioned before how unspoiled and rural the Serra de Estrela is, but watch out in forthcoming issues about information on the region's food and drink, as well as its enchanting real estate opportunities. In the meantime, see how far your dollar will go in the Portuguese countryside with our cost of living index, and find out what the captains in the south of France have been getting up to.
 
Enjoy,

Leigh Fergus
Editor, The European

P.S. Our next Live and Prosper in Europe seminar will be held this September 2-4 in Barcelona. Email: events@internationalliving.com to reserve your place today.

Blunderbusses blaze in St.Tropez

by Piers Gladstone

While we were trying to decide whether to eat a crêpe or one of the tempting ice creams on offer at the old port of St. Tropez, a middle-aged man in jeans, blue  blazer, and stylish dark glasses strode purposefully through the crowds and past us carrying an old blunderbuss- style gun.

St. Tropez traditions

The Bravade de St. Tropez (bravade meaning "an act of defiance") is an annual three-day celebration of St. Tropez traditions and its patron saint, St. Torpes. The Fête du Capitaine de Ville occurs on the first day, to commemorate the forefathers and captains who defended the town, as well as to elect a new captain. In 1558, St. Tropez became a "Town of Privileges free of taxes and levies, with the right to raise its own army under the authority of a Town Captain elected by his peers, to defend the town and fight off invaders." This they did, even fighting off 21 Spanish galleons in 1637. In 1672 St. Tropez came under the protection (and control) of the French state, but the celebrations and choosing of a new Capitaine de Ville continue to this day.

A deafening bang

We emerged into the sunshine of the square in front of the town hall, with the obligatory tricolores fluttering from poles. A total of fifty men of mature years were lined up facing the town hall, chatting and kissing newcomers once on each cheek while shaking their hands. Opposite stood women and girls in traditional dresses and bonnets, and to the right stood the drummers and flautists we had seen parade past us earlier down by the port.

A deafening bang just behind us made us jump. As the smoke began to disperse, it became obvious that one of the men had discharged his gun. BOOM! Another one went off. No one seemed the least bit concerned. In fact, no one gave so much as a nonchalant Gallic shrug. With my ears ringing, I looked around for our friend. He was casually loading his gun. With straightened knees, he momentarily broke off conversation with his friend, pointed his gun at the floor and BOOM! An old man close by pointed his long muzzle-loader to the ground and pulled the trigger. It misfired, much to the amusement of his friends, who then showed him how it was done with smoky aplomb.

Partially deafened, we left the square and made our way to Place des Lices and ate moules marinières (mussels) and tuna steaks at Le Café to the clunk of the nearby pétanque games under the plane trees. The tables around us were filled with French families enjoying the sunshine, the food, and their mini-vacation. The conversation was halted momentarily when the firing squad arrived, this time letting off their guns in unison-a veritable volley of thunder. Vive la France!

P.S. The Fête du Capitaine de Ville occurs every May-this year on May 16. If you miss it, you can always catch the Bravade des Espagnols in June which commemorates the defeat of the Spanish galleons.

And the winning song is…

by Leigh Fergus

It's that time of year again-my friends are already planning what to eat and drink on May 12 in front of the TV. No, it's not another football or rugby tournament, but one of the most watched non-sporting events in the world: the 52nd Eurovision Song Contest.

A uniquely cheesy event, the contest was the brainchild of Frenchman Marcel Bezençon at the European Broadcasting Union. Devised as a way of bringing Europe and the Mediterranean together with one TV program broadcast live throughout the region at the same time, it was quite an achievement in pre-satellite days. Today it's more of a platform for formulaic pop or a fancy-dress romp-if last year's winning horror rockers Lordi (complete with gory masks) are anything to go by.

Vote for your favorites

The only qualification to enter is a vague geographic proximity to Europe-Morocco took part once, and Turkey and Israel are regulars.* Each country submits a singer or band and a song, and these musical representatives meet on the night in one venue. The previous year's winner gets to host the event (this year all eyes will be on Helsinki), and a vast talent contest begins. You can vote for your favorites by phone and text message, but you cannot vote for your own country's entry.

Previous competitions have revealed stars such as Abba, Céline Dion, and Riverdance (who performed in the interval), although current big names didn't always do so well-Julio Iglesias came fourth in 1970 before becoming an international heart-throb. Just don't expect much musical quality, it's more about sharing a kitsch moment with millions of other people-viewer numbers are said to have totaled more than 100 million in past years.

Viewing the Eurovision

In the UK, BBC 1 will be broadcasting from 8 p.m to 11:15 p.m.
In France, you can watch on France 3 and follow the fortunes of France entry, the Fatals (sic) Picards, singing "L'Amour à la française."
For more information, check out www.eurovision.tv 

*Entry is, in fact, open to any member in the European Broadcasting Area or the Council of Europe, if they broadcast the program the previous year and fulfill a few other conditions, such as paying a participation fee

Barging on the Barrow

by Len Galvin

River cruising is a popular holiday in Ireland, but the slower (and quieter) barge, or narrowboat, is a far better way to explore these charming waterways. Aboard a barge, you can throw a line around any riverside tree, and spend the night wherever you want (a cruiser can only dock at specific places), and venture into shallower waters than the deep-bottomed cruisers could ever navigate.

Timid Fish

We took An Bradán ("The Salmon," pictured here) from the 12th-century abbey town of Graignamanagh to the colorful town of Leighlinbridge, and back down to the tiny medieval village of St. Mullins, passing through dozens of black and white wooden lock gates. In a car, this journey would take you about an hour. On the barge, it took us a week, and felt like we'd been on vacation for six months.

My only complaint is the too-timid fish on this stretch of river-despite bringing two good rods, I caught nothing. But it didn't matter. Although the galley is sufficient for cooking, you'll find plenty of good restaurants and food-serving pubs along the Barrow; short a distance as we covered, we still passed 43 pubs, some doubling as provisions stores, hardware suppliers, and even a funeral director's premises.

The Barrow has several barge hire companies, including Barrowline Cruises (www.barrowline.ie) and Canalways Ireland (www.canalways.ie). When booking, ask for an itinerary of recommended berths, depending on your interests-golf…fishing…horse riding…hiking…etc. Barge hire for a week during this time of year costs from $1,200 to $1,800 in high season. You'll need a minimum crew of two to navigate the locks (but lock keepers are on hand to help, if needed).

What it costs to live in…Viseu, Portugal

by Leigh Fergus

In this occasional column, we report on the costs incurred to you, should you make the move to Europe. This week, we visit Viseu, Portugal, for the low down on some general items you'll be paying for.

The cost of living in central Portugal is one of the lowest in the country-much cheaper than the southern Algarve region and the area around the capital, Lisbon. Viseu is close to the mountainous Serra de Estrela, and an hour-and-a-half-drive from the university city of Coimbra and the Silver Coast. Low-cost carrier Ryanair flies to Porto from the UK as well as from Paris, France, and Tap Air has regular flights.

Rental of a modestly furnished, 700-square-foot, two-bedroom apartment in town will cost about 350 euros ($480) per month, and you could rent a small house in the surrounding countryside for that price as well. Portugal is one of the cheapest places to live in Europe, but grocery shopping in the inland rural areas is even more affordable than in the major cities of Lisbon, Coimbra, and Porto, as is accommodation.

The outdoor produce markets offer fresh fruit and veg that is organic in all but name, and smaller specialized shops, such as butchers and bakers, are usually cheaper than supermarkets like Pingo Doce or Minipreço. A wider selection of imported goods can be found in the Intermarché chain of supermarkets or the cash and carry Lidl chain. The following are examples of prices in a mini-market in Viseu: