Soon to Decamp for Portugal

James Gardens LBC Toronto in Seasonal Colours

For the third winter in a row, my wife and I will fly out of Canada New Years Eve to spend the first three months of 2018 in the Portugal’s Algarve region. There we can avoid ice and snow while continuing to bowl outdoors.

Even though our location in Vilamoura is not as convenient for bowls after the Vilamoura Lawn Bowling Club closed in October 2016, we still play at Valverde LBC in Almancil, where we have very kindly been accepted as members. We also discovered last year that there are 4 bowls rinks at the Balaia Golf Resort, close to Quarteira, that are open to play for visitors. We will also give them a try this coming year since this facility is open on Tuesdays when Valverde is closed for green maintenance.

Apparently there is another close bowls green at the Praia da Oura resort in Quarteira. I have never been there. Some on-line posts seem to suggest it is quite run down. Others suggest that it is only open in the winter. Pictures show a location close to the ocean so it may be quite windy. The surface is carpet.

I have described already the many reasons lawn bowlers might prefer to go to the Algarve for the winter months.