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Faro, Portugal; Great Expectations, Oustanding View, But A Disappointing Breakfast Buffet

Harune Restaurant - AP EVA SENSES HOTEL Av. da República, 1  8000-078 Faro, Algarve, Portugal  Phone: +351 289 540 100 Email: book.eva@ap-ho...

Wednesday, November 30, 2022

Olhão, (Faro) Portugal: Hippocratic Oath? This Local, Family, So-Called Doctor, Seems To Have Taken The 'Hypocritic' Oath

Consultório Médico Mata Arthur (Dra. Maria Mata Arthur)
R. do Comércio n.º 121 - 1º andar
8700-427 Olhão, Portugal
Phone: +351 967 660 530
Prices: €€€€
I saw the glowing reviews about Dra. Maria Mata Arthur and how caring she was, making house calls and charging fair prices. We were new to Olhão and her office is a five minute walk from our home, so we decided to make her our family physician.

At first, she was very nice, caring and thorough, charging €35 for an office visit. Her hours were a bit odd, but being retired, it was not an issue for us.

I am a disabled combat veteran with several physical and mental disabilities, having served 20+ years in the military and over two years in combat zones - Bosnia, Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan. 

In April 2021, I developed long-haul COVID symptoms, the most debilitating of which, and still is, cognitive impairment - brain fog. I have trouble focusing and concentrating, bringing about a great deal of frustration as I have a very high IQ. I now have difficulty adding simple, one-digit numbers, having been able to do complex equations in my head, not on paper, before this disease came along and having been an excellent speller, I have problems spelling the simplest words.

My wife and I go to a US military hospital in Spain every 3 months because we were not residents for quite a long time (due to COVID SNS and SEF shut-downs) and care there is free for us. My doctor there could not figure out what was causing my cognitive problems, so he referred me for a brain MRI with contrast, which I got in Faro in October 2021, to rule out brain tumors and the like.

The results were in Portuguese, obviously, and my American doctor could not translate it, so I asked Dra. Maria Mata Arthur if she could translate it for me because I was obviously very concerned about what they had found.

Dra. Mata Arthur told me there were no tumors, but that I had some very small lesions. I replied, asking a question about the lesions and inquiring about if she would mind translating the whole document for me, a task I told her I would gladly pay her for.

I did not hear anything back for a few weeks, but she is not very good about answering emails, phone calls, or SMS messages, so I gave it some time. Weeks turned into months and I tried to find out where she went, what happened to her, thinking maybe something horrible had happened to her, her husband, their new twins, or the entire family! Why else would our family doctor just disappear?

Finally in January, my wife stopped by her office and found her present. She told Dra. Arthur how concerned we had been about her and her family, but Dra Mata Arthur began yelling at my wife, telling her how she did not think she wanted to be our doctor anymore because I 'asked too many questions'. There was nothing wrong with her or her family, she simply decided not to respond to my inquiries while I was dealing with this very debilitating brain disorder! Can you believe it?

So, I still do not know exactly what the MRI report says and I have no doctor to manage my care or refer me to a good neurologist based on the recommendation of my doctor in Spain back in December. I am not getting the care I so desperately need because Dra. Maria Mata Arthur neither wanted to bothered by me any longer nor simply contact me, tell me she thought I should get another doctor, and refer me to someone competent and close by.

Her behavior was and still is unconscionable. What about the Hippocratic Oath - 'Do No Harm'? She has harmed me greatly, delaying my care and making my life miserable, unnecessarily, for over four months now. She should be reprimanded for her unethical behavior and I am considering filing a formal complaint with the Ordem do Medicos. She should not be allowed to practice medicine. What a hypocrite!

CombatCritic Gives Dra. Maria Mata Arthur 0 Bombs Out Of 10 And A Spot On My 'WALL OF SHAME' ... More Bombs Are Better!

Zero Bombs Equates To:
Translation for Civilians: "Fucked Up Beyond All Repair"
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Title: Olhão, (Faro) Portugal: Olhão, (Faro) Portugal: Hippocratic Oath? This Local, Family, So-Called Doctor, Seems To Have Taken The 'Hypocritic' Oath

Key Words: Olhão, Faro, Portugal, Hippocratic Oath, hippocratic, oath, doctor, physician, medical, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, service, business, review, Yelp, TripAdvisor, Google, Facebook

Copyright 2022 - 3rd Wave Media Group And CombatCritic ™ - All Rights Reserved

Sunday, November 27, 2022

Tavira, Portugal: Had They Cooked My Steak As I Had Asked, They Would Have Been Rated Higher

O Castelo Cafe e Restaurante
Rua da Liberdade
Tavira 8800-399 Portugal
+351 915 087 614
Prices: €€€
Our friends invited us here as I had no idea O Castelo existed, well known in Tavira for their great steaks. The restaurant is tiny, just four tables, so it was fortunate that we had a reservation.

We were quickly seated and given menus, skipping starters as we had indulged at their nearby apartment beforehand. We ordered a bottle of the house vinho tinto (red wine) and a bottle of sparkling water. The wine was good and the water was, obviously, water.
Three of us ordered steak and one the Dourada (Sea Bream). I decided on the Ribeye with Peppercorn Sauce (medium well - €27+€1.50) as recommended by the chef even though it is on the menu and my wife the Sirloin with a butter, lemon and cilantro sauce (well done - €24+€1.50).
Sirloin
My steak was large, maybe 250 grams, but oddly sat alone on the big white plate, and came with a big bowl of fries (chips) to share between my wife and I. When I cut into it, I could clearly see that it was closer to medium-rare than medium-well. The sauces all came on the side in a steel boat and all were to our satisfaction. The server never returned to ask us us how our meals were, so I just sucked it up and ate the bloody meat, covering it with sauce so I did not have to see the blood.
Ribeye


Ribeye

I really do not care what others think, preferring my meat with as little blood as possible, that is simply my preference, but most times they either do not know how to cook steaks or give me my meat the way they think it should be cooked. In either case, it tells me that something is very wrong in a restaurant that specializes in steaks. 

Ribeye
My wife's sirloin came in three medium size cuts and was medium-well, not well done as she had asked, but was tender and tasty.

The Dourada was nicely presented with the fish, mixed vegetables, and potatoes on the same plate.
Dourada
If I remember right, the meals were supposed to come with salads, but we only received one small bowl of salad amongst the four of us.

The meal was nice and the service friendly, coming in at €60 a head, including tip, not horribly expensive for a meal, but much more than we had paid for similar meals at another Tavira restaurant a week earlier.

CombatCritic Gives O Castelo 6 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!
Six Bombs Equates To:

Translation for Civilians: "Good To Go"

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Title: Tavira, Portugal: Had They Cooked My Steak As I Had Asked, They Would Have Been Rated Higher

Key Words: Tavira, Faro, Portugal, steak, fish, Portuguese, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, business, review, Yelp, Zomato, TripAdvisor, Google, Facebook

Copyright 2022 - 3rd Wave Media Group And CombatCritic ™ - All Rights Reserved


Read Chris S.'s review of Castelo e Cafe Restaurante on Yelp

Seville, Spain: Same Old Costco, Different Country And Products

Costco Wholesale Sevilla
El Higueron, C. Ganímedes, 9
41015 Sevilla, Spain
+34955426650
Prices: €€€€
If you have seen one Costco, you have seen them all. With that being said, Spanish Costcos look pretty much the same, but offerings are not nearly as plentiful as in the USA.
They have familiar KIrkland brands of toilet paper, golf balls and so on, but many that we have been used to in America do not exist in Spain. Products include many Spanish brands and are tailored to Spanish tastes, as it should be, so when you buy a 'tortilla', you go home with a big, round omelet. I have been able to find tortillas I am more familiar with in their bakery department from time to time, They have some of the same products found in the US, thank God, like the big jars (2) of salsa I really love, but no giant jars of kimchee ... WHAT!

You can eat the same hot dogs, french fries, and pizzas as you are leaving the store, but you cannot order online, in Seville anyway, and have an item delivered to your home or the store.

I was able to save €500 recently on a 2022 Macbook Air (M2) over an identical laptop available in Portugal. Memberships are also much cheaper in Spain, more than half the price of a US membership. Finally, bring your US Costco card with you to Spain and you will be able to shop just as you would in the states.

CombatCritic Gives Costco Seville 7 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!
Seven Bombs Equates To
Translation for Civilians: "Shits & Grins"

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YELP WIDGET

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Tabelog - Official Judge - "Silver"

Booking.com - Frequent Traveler "Genius"


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Title: Seville, Spain: Same Old Costco, Different Country And Products

Key Words: 
Seville, Spain, Sevilla, Costco, discount, warehouse, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, business, review, Yelp, Zomato, TripAdvisor, Google, Facebook

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Saturday, November 19, 2022

Tavira, Portugal: Nikita - Not Thai, Not Japanese, Just Great Portuguese Food And Reasonable Prices

Nikita Restaurante
Rua Doutor Parreira 104
Tavira 8800-346 Portugal
+351 926 897 859
Prices: €€€€
I had no idea this restaurant existed before our friends, Tony and Catherine, invited us there this evening. On a tiny one-way street a block west of the river in a mostly residential neighborhood is a hidden gem you will not regret trying.
Spaghetti and Prawns

Very simply decorated, the room is warm, both literally and figuratively, and inviting. The service was excellent given that just one woman, likely the owner, handles the front of house while a gentleman, her husband or a brother most likely, whips up delicious meals in the back.
Tuna

We had a bottle of Dao (€13.50), a robust, deep red and oaky, just the way I like it, between us along with a large bottle of sparkling water.
Goat Cheese


Asparagus

For starters, I had the Mussels (€6.80) in a white wine and cream sauce, my wife got the Baked Goat Cheese (€6.50), and our friends the Asparagus (€6). My fresh, steamed mussels, a healthy portion for the price arrived with little visible sauce, but when I inquired if I had received the right order, the woman happily brought me a small bowl of sauce ... obrigado!
Mussels
My entree was the Grilled Steak (200g - €16.50) with Peppercorn Sauce (€1.50), accompanied by sauteéd veggies and roasted potatoes. The steak was perfectly cooked, tender, and delicious with almost enough peppercorn sauce. The veggies, zucchini, carrots, and onions, were perfectly done and scrummy even though I  do not usually like cooked carrots and the potatoes divine.
Peppercorn Steak

My wife ordered the Pork Loin (€14) with potatoes au gratin and sauteéd vegetables, the tender pork topped with a simple, light sauce that was also very good. Our friends had the Spaghetti and Shrimp (€15) and Tuna (€16) respectively, which I did not taste, but they seemed to enjoy very much.
Pork Loin

The bill came to €108, quite a bargain for the bottle of wine, two bottles of water, four starters and four mains, and a definite TravelValue ... OOH-RAH!

CombatCritic Gives Nikita 9 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Nine Bombs Equates To:

Translation for Civilians: "U.S. Marine Response To A Verbal Greeting Or As An Expression Of Enthusiasm"

Read More Reviews By CombatCritic:

Yelp "GOLD" ELITE '14/'15/'16/'17/'18/'19/'20/'21/'22 
  • Over 1.4 Million Views A Year
Read Chris S.'s review of Nikita on Yelp

Zomato - #1 Ranked "VERIFIED" CONNOISSEUR (13) - Over  4 Million Review And Photo Views ... And Counting #1 Reviewer in Portland, Oregon!
Tabelog - Official Judge - "Silver"

Booking.com - Frequent Traveler "Genius"


Google Maps - "Top Photographer" With Over 3 Million Views!

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Title:  Tavira, Portugal: Nikita - Not Thai, Not Japanese, Just Great Portuguese Food And Reasonable Prices

Key Words: 
Tavira, Portugal, Nikita, Portuguese, fish, beef, wine, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, business, review, Yelp, Zomato, TripAdvisor, Google, Facebook

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