HUNDREDS OF life-size dolls were displayed in many of the Algarve’s villages on Monday, May 1, in order to mark Dia do Trabalhador (Worker’s Day). Following an age-old tradition, handmade dolls bearing slogans commenting on issues affecting the country and its workers were on show outside doorways, on balconies, in cafés and at the roadside. Traffic virtually came to a halt on the EN125 at Quatrim (Moncarapacho), as dozens of motorists slowed down to view a 2km long exhibition.
Some of the dolls clearly served as a form of protest; for example, in Estoi, several bore poems referring to the chaos in the village caused by the building work taking place in the main squares. They also criticised the local câmara. The Resident’s Caroline Cunha visited exhibitions in Montenegro, Estoi and Quatrim, which covered the topics of Bird Flu, recent tax increases, the health service, the region’s fishing industry, Circo das Celebridades, folklore dancing, nuisance caused by skateboarders, problems faced by farmers, water sports, as well as traditions such as needlecraft, breadmaking and the distilling of liqueurs.
