Our saga of Figueira restaurants continues. Yesterday we had decided to have lunch at another of our old favourites, Buzio, in one of the side streets away from the centre of town. When we got there, the door was ajar and we could hear people moving around but there were blinds preventing anyone from opening the door further. Not completely locked up but clearly not open for business. Another disappointment! Maybe we’ll stroll that way again today just to check.
As it was, we went back to the restaurant we often call “the glass box” because it has a sort of enclosed terrace just like a glass box, O Picadeiro. We might well become regulars at that place.
While I’m listing disappointments, I should mention the coffee in the breakfast room here at our hotel: quite a disaster. Coffee with milk - weak and watery. Cafe americano - stronger but bitter. We’ll sample their cappuccino tomorrow!
Despite yesterday being Sunday, however, the Chinese shop on the seafront was open. The Chinese shops here and in Spain are astounding, selling everything from small electrical good to clothing to kitchenware to stationery to cosmetics to souvenirs. Phil wanted some ear buds so he can listen to stuff such as chess commentary on the computer without needing to share it all with me, just an item both of us thought about and forgot to pack! At home he listens to such things in the study while I get on with things elsewhere in the house.
The good weather continues here. Maybe I’ll walk out to the lighthouse later.
Skimming through Facebook this morning, I noticed a friend had posted a link to an article from The London Economic, with the comment: “So that’s why they don’t stop the boats”. The headline read: ‘MIGRANT HOTEL KING’ ON COURSE TO BECOME FIRST IMMIGRATION INDUSTRY BILLIONAIRE
The subheadline read: Graham King has a contract with the Home Office that will last until September 2029.
It turns out Graham King is a former caravan park and disco tycoon who was catapulted onto the Rich List this year after cashing in on accommodating and transporting arrivals due to the UK’s migrant crisis. He now has an estimated net worth of £750 million and is on track to become a billionaire soon thanks to a contract with the Home Office that will last until September 2029.
There is a shortage of accommodation for asylum seekers and the problem is exacerbated by the delays in processing them. Ending up living in a meagre hotel room is not a solution of you are escaping war or famine or persecution.
And inevitably people like Graham King grow rich on other people’s misfortune. It’s not just the people smugglers putting people in unsuitable boats to cross the channel who benefit from a system that isn’t working; it’s Graham King and others like him. I read recently about a manufacturer in Germany making money from selling inflatable dinghies to people smugglers!!
The world is still crazy!
Oddly enough, when I saw the post on Facebook this morning I had difficulty accessing it. When I reached the point where they ask you “accept cookies” the whole thing froze. I tried to go bak, but it was still frozen. I exited Facebook. When I went back in the post had disappeared! Had some algorithm somewhere blocked it? I suspect it may be so. I was able to find the article on the internet anyway, but I don’t like feeling controlled!
Now, to finish on a lighter, more trivial note, in the middle of the might I was scrabbling around in the semi-dark, trying to hang a new roll of loo paper on the hanger in the bathroom. I was reminded of this little item from columnist Arwa Mahdawi’s list of things that annoy her:
“Do you hang your toilet paper under or over?
Sounds trivial, but this is something that has the potential to irritate you several times a day if you have incompatible positions on this issue. (Over is superior, obviously.)”
I’m with Area Mahdawi on that!
Life goes on. Stay safe and well, everyone!
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