The Wednesday Algarve Dining Society with Silves in the background!
(Susan and Catherine stayed in the shade)
The Five that had the rare Limited Edition WAGS T-shirt
It is the time of year when APAPS morphs into WAGS, and more lie-ins are taken as the start time relaxes. Post walk nourishment moves from Eggs Bacon and tomatoes to tostas mistas and bifanas or prato do dia, according to the Leaders proclivities.
Given that, I have no idea whether this is the penultimate fling of APAPS or the season inauguration of WAGS. The attendees at this lunch were all WAGS or related to WAGS except two guests from Kenya, Rachel and Chris D, who have their second home in the Algarve. Lindsay and Andrew made a rare appearance. The remainder are the core regular walkers, John and Hazel, Rod, Yves, Maria and Myriam and the Irregulars, Terry, Paul, Chris & Antje with Susan and Catherine as reps of the WAGS Fan Club.
We have yet to see what will happen in the next WAGS 21/22 season as we have a shortage of leaders among the regulars, and we have that Bridge to cross. As long as it is not an uphill Bridge longer than 7 or 8km, we may survive.
This blog however was entrusted to my tender care by John, as he is reputedly 'Blogged out' having not only led almost all of the APAPS Walks and Blogged them, but also had to contend with a rival for his affections in Figaro, and greater demand for chefiness on his cooking nights, by having to discuss it at the WAGS Gourmet Group on Whatsapp.
I made my last contribution to the walking blogs back at APAPS 21.6 at the beginning of August, when I was lured out of my M-free mornings by Hazel's Congee. I smelled a conspiracy , but nevertheless we had a cracking Chinese/ jam and Bucks Fizz brekker, ad I felt obligated to contribute charitably to the brekker expenses, and also both literally and figuratively to the Blog.
I won't mention the minor hiccups that occurred during the flurry of reminders about the Lunch , but I hear tell that Hazel's assistant wasn't on top form, but saved himself by producing superb directions to the venue. All of us had been there before but for some, it was first time by car.
Social Parking
We met John, Hazel and Maria at a stone wall on the way to Clube Nautico.
Hazel's assistant alleged, that to go any further down the narrow road to the Clube would be tantamount to suicide, as if one met a car going in the opposite direction, there might be a lot of reversing involved.
Being a gullible trusting soul I took him at his word, and despite seeing Yves load his car with Hazel and Maria and head off into the Jaws of Death, I determined to indulge in a short invigorating walk with John and Myriam to Clube Nautico, along the bank of an irrigation channel.
Then Chris and Antje arrived, and said they would give me a lift so I abandoned John and Myriam, who was a bit slow to go as John strode off as if there was a beer at the other end.
Miraculously no harm befell us as we drove through the Valley of Death, though we had been expecting cannons to the right, left and in front, and we proceeded majestically along the 3-lane highway to Clube Nautico.
John had not managed to shake Myriam off, and they arrived together at almost the same time as we disgorged from Chris's car.
Clube Nautico from the landing stage
It is possible to arrive by boat from Silves or Portimao, but no one availed themselves of the opportunity, though Thyl's son, who runs a tourist operation, had brought another party to lunch.
Clube Nautico from the car entrance
Well as this is a lunch blog, I am not going to weave an enthralling story round the pictures unless they are particularly scandalous. I may put a title or a short comment beneath if absolutely necessary, but I will leave any comments to your good selves. If you cannot manage to load a comment then send me the text by WhatsApp or email and I will post them as received.
Yves making a play for Antje under the guise of posing for a phot0 .....
.....meanwhile Chris looking serenely indifferent in his natty Tilley LTM5 AirFlo
Andrew joins in......
and trumps Yves with a 3-some
Rod has his own harem,
I have my own fan base.....
......as does Terry with Rachel
I would hate to speculate what is going on here, but this was before the drinking started!
Next time Lindsey, look at the camera as Myriam is extremely photo aware
Catherine is enjoying the seating arrangements
Buy One Chris and get one free
Maria trying to get me interested in a Game of Sardines with her second set.
Maria being a real Algarvean has been nominated as our Sardine Expert, and as we are at the end of the season to fish them, one must never eat sardines without an expert to guide you. Only Maria and Hazel went for the sardines, and not only were they the last dishes to arrive at the table, but also Maria pronounced them as inedible and overcooked, and went off to take the Grill Master, Ivan to task. Not having as refined a palate as our Sardinista, Hazel was halfway through her portion by the time the cowed Ivan had whipped up a more satisfactory selection. So some fortunate diners experienced what a good sardine should taste like.
And now the food: As promised the 3 large plate of shrimps were very tasty, but alas by the time they arrived the photographers were too hungry to do other than dive in!
Main course options were personal choice.
Bacalhau Espiritual......
......Baby Squid with chips......
......Grilled black pork with chips......
......Chicken kebab......
....and the late-season sardines
I believe there were some mature squid on the grill, but I am not sure if anyone had them.
As we left towards 4:30pm, I snapped a quick pic of the grill with a couple of abandoned squid on it.
The food was generally judged as good, and the location and occasion successful. There was the tiniest of whinges about the TT's subsidising the drinkers yet again, but then who listens to the Chief Blogger.
Yves had brought his super camera to the lunch and took a pic from the side of the Nautico of Silves which is dramatic and amazingly clear considering the distance and light.
compare to mine taken with my OnePlus 9 Pro at the same time:-
Quite a dramatic difference, but I don't have to cripple myself lugging 10 kg of equipment, and I could buy a considerable number of Tilley articles with the difference in price.. Very good results though.
And now we are down to the end game! Reluctantly we parted as we all had to go and prepare dinner and it was almost 5 pm. John, Myriam and I worked off some calories by walking back to our cars. On the way Myriam couldn't resist a domestic goose chase although John opined they were ducks!
"Form a circle - she looks like a duck eater!"
And to finish a Curiosity. I fell down the YouTube plughole this morning looking for a suitable song/video about lunch and rivers. Weird stuff in the nether regions of YouTube but this one was quite intriguing. By a group called Ibeyi and called 'River'
Try holding your breath along with them. Do you think the hands holding them underwater belong to them or sadistic managers?
Have a good week! You might still have this in your dreams!
Had you looked, there was a grilled squid on my plate! Delicious, it was, too!
ReplyDeleteWhat a weird way to sing. No I could not hold my breath that long!
ReplyDeleteLots of good photographs and interesting read. There were 4 plates of prawn starter and yes they were delicious. Well done Maria for taking Ivan to task.