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Two weekly episodes from 'Portugal's newspaper for expats, since 1989' - The Resident News Review & The Resident Interview
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9 JAN 2026 · In this episode, our sixth, Natasha discusses her three news picks of the week including people dying waiting for ambulances, the Portuguese response to Trump's action on Venezuela, and unexpected, positive changes at Lisbon airport.
Natasha and Carl welcome your views each week too, and suggestions of topics and tangents that they might explore behind and beyond the headlines.
Published Fridays 3pm
Contact Natasha – natasha.donn@portugalresident.com
Contact Carl – carl@carlmunson.com
More at www.portugalresident.com www.portugalresident.com
8 JAN 2026 · Our guest today is Erik de Vlieger, who tells the story of the Portuguese notary he fell in love with at first sight (and had to marry), and shares his unique approach to life in Portugal as a businessman and "very happy" resident.
Erik is an experienced Dutch businessman, investor, and founder of Carvoeiro Branco, one of the leading real estate developers in the Algarve. He also co-owns Palm Properties Portugal and started to buy real estate in Portugal as early as 1996, after moving to the Algarve in 2006.
He aspires to make a meaningful contribution to the country by facilitating the development of middle-class housing, businesses, and other opportunities. Beyond business endeavours, Erik is an avid football fan, attending matches regularly in Portugal and Ajax Amsterdam to support his favourite teams.
Outside of sports, Erik has a love for art, demonstrated by his impressive collection.
More - https://carvoeirobranco.com/meet-our-ceo-erik-de-vlieger www.portugalresident.com
19 DEC 2025 · In this episode, our fifth, Natasha attempts three news picks of the year here as we countdown to Christmas, with some inevitable digression given the year it's been, including disasters, incompetence and suspicious circumstances, as we go into 2026.
Stay close to home is Natasha's serving suggestion for the year ahead, where it seems the pace of progress and change will not be letting up.
Natasha and Carl welcome your views each week too, and suggestions of topics and tangents that they might explore behind and beyond the headlines.
Published Fridays 3pm
Contact Natasha – natasha.donn@portugalresident.com
Contact Carl – carl@carlmunson.com
More at www.portugalresident.com www.portugalresident.com
17 DEC 2025 · Our guest today is Paul Rees, who as well as being a Resident columnist, heads Rural Properties in Central Portugal, after many years visiting, living and working in the Algarve.
As "an innovative investment business operating in Portugal's rural property market, we buy, renovate and sell properties in some of Central Portugal's most beautiful towns, village and countryside areas," says Paul who moved from the UK to southern Portugal in 2002.
He relocated to the rural central region in 2019 where Rural Properties was established.Â
Paul created the Local Heroes property advice service for Pure Portugal - a network of 30 property advisors across Portugal, working with local Councils, architects and potential buyers. He has advised hundreds of private clients and overseen a variety of property projects in rural Portugal.
A degree holder in Marketing and with a career in product management, fundraising, business development and property development, Paul has honed a deep awareness of what customers want and how to supply products and services that fit their needs.
More - www.rural-properties.com www.portugalresident.com
12 DEC 2025 · In this episode, our fourth, Natasha discusses her three news picks of the week including her considered response to Portugal's very recent 'top economy' award, praise for the nation's PJ police who have 'dismantled' a major Chinese money laundering operation, and her surprise at American citizenship concerns.
Natasha and Carl welcome your views each week too, and suggestions of topics and tangents that they might explore behind and beyond the headlines.
Published Fridays 3pm
Contact Natasha – natasha.donn@portugalresident.com
Contact Carl – carl@carlmunson.com
More at www.portugalresident.com www.portugalresident.com
10 DEC 2025 · Our guest today is Fred Phillips, who came to pre-Revolution Portugal in the 1970s as a holiday-maker, and ultimately stayed to become a husband, father and founder of a notable company in the Algarve.
Creator of the phrase - 'The Golden Triangle' - Fred's story as a new arrival in, and lover of Portuguese culture, is remarkable, heart-warming and highly impressive.
It's a far cry from, but seminally connected to his early UK days, when as a Kellogg’s Corn Flakes 'poster boy', he had his first taste of the power of advertising and visual design.Â
From his early and fascinating days, working in a Faro hotel to establish himself and birth his business dream, Fred has since come into contact with most of the movers and shakers, who together created the Algarve we know today.
Atelier do Sul have helped countless businesses from hotels and resorts to estate agents and restaurants with their branding and communication design covering corporate identity, graphic design signage, exhibition displays as well as digital and web design.
More - https://atelierdosul.com/company/fred-phillips/ www.portugalresident.com
5 DEC 2025 · In this episode, our third, Natasha discusses her three news picks of the week including a heartfelt tribute to the outgoing President, acknowledging the good he has brought to his two-term tenure that might be easily overlooked in the political heat of the present day.
The conversation turns also to next week's general strike, assessing its likely impact and outcome, concluding with some analysis of Portugal's persistent and inexcusable standing levels of poverty despite perpetual political promises and not inconsiderable EU funding.
Natasha and Carl welcome your views each week too, and suggestions of topics and tangents that they might explore behind and beyond the headlines. www.portugalresident.com
AI-generated content
2 DEC 2025 · Our guest today is Resident Columnist Alastair Leithead who describes himself as a "Portugal trainee, freelance journalist & co-luxe entrepreneur".
After many years as a BBC foreign correspondent, Alastair Leithead is now permanently based in Portugal where he and his wife Ana have built an off-grid tourism lodge called Vale das Estrelas.
They hold events, host retreats and run a small boutique hotel in Odemira based around wine tourism alongside a wine/travelogue podcast they produce on the Alentejo region. Alastair writes blogs both on the challenges of his is new off-grid life in the countryside and on Portuguese wines.
He continues to contribute to the BBC, and is a media consultant with an interest in countering misinformation and disinformation. He has worked on projects focused on countering Russian disinformation in Ethiopia and the Baltic states and is currently experimenting with pre-bunking approaches.Â
More - www.portugalresident.com/author/alastair-leithead www.portugalresident.com
This episode includes AI-generated content.
28 NOV 2025 · Published Fridays 3pm
Contact Natasha - natasha.donn@portugalresident.com
Contact Carl - carl@carlmunson.com
More at - www.portugalresident.com www.portugalresident.com
26 NOV 2025 · The guest today for our inaugural interview is Bruce Hawker, founder and CEO of Open Media, the company that publishes The Resident alongside Essential Algarve magazine, Portuguese language online news source Barlavento, and other niche media projects.Â
Bruce talks about his early life in Portugal, his impressive adventure in international publishing emanting from Portugal, and how he and the team have weathered numerous circumstantial storms along the way.
Our conversation concludes with his plans for the future of the business in print, digital media and events as well as his hopes and vision for Portugal in the coming years. www.portugalresident.com
Two weekly episodes from 'Portugal's newspaper for expats, since 1989' - The Resident News Review & The Resident Interview
Information
| Author | The Resident (Portugal) |
| Organization | The Resident |
| Categories | News , News Commentary , Society & Culture |
| Website | www.portugalresident.com |
| info@portugalresident.com |
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