Show-cooking || The Boa Esperança caravel’s colourful voyage designed to promote the Algarve throughout Spain has started on a high note.
Over 100 people – mostly representatives from Spanish entities, the trade sector and journalists – went aboard the 16th century replica in Seville last week (June 9) to take part in the regional tourism board’s (RTA) special ‘show cooking’ event centred on the Algarve cataplana – a traditional stew cooked in a clam-shaped copper utensil.
Preparing the food onboard was Chef Augusto Lima from Faro’s Tertúlia Algarvia restaurant.
The event was considered a success by RTA president Desidério Silva, who spoke to Spanish journalists from Sur Rádio, EsRádio, Cadena Ser and Diário de Huelva.
The jamboree, now moving on to Cadiz, Malaga and Almeria, is expected to extend to September with tourism protocols and friendships being forged along the way.
What it will all cost, however, is being kept firmly under wraps.
A call to the RTA press office elicited the response that they “could not give out that kind of information”.
Back in 2012, former tourism boss António Pina said the then Algarve Tourism Authority was trying to sell the caravel, as it just cost “far too much to maintain”.
The ship was originally purchased by the tourism authority in 2000 for €75,000 but it has cost well over €100,000 per year ever since.
Indeed, up until recently, Lagos ratepayers had been footing the maintenance bill. But now it is thought to be back with the RTA, which is meantime keeping very quiet about the cost of this promotional summer trip.
