WAGS @ 10 Anniversary Dinner

 It only seems yesterday that Chris and I decided we preferred not to overburden ourselves by racing even older geriatrics up the nearest hill and carrying our own sandwiches to sit on dusty ground and munch..

     The resulting inertia and indolence slowly morphed into the WAGS, a decreasingly active group of gourmets, gracing Solar de Farelo on this auspicious occasion.

Antje, Rod, Paul, Hazel, Maria, Myriam, Jyll, Andrew, Lindsey, Susan, Mike, Chris, John.

The select group was composed of Active WAGS (WAGSAL), Ex-WAGS (D*), Ex-WAGS (ND*) and  WAGS (Wives and Girlfriends), though there may be some dispute over which category some fitted best,

(*D = Dining, *ND =Non-Dining}

After a year or two of shorter walks, and an inexplicable desire to push a lot harder than necessary by certain leaders, I was forced to set some parameters  for a WAGS walk. These were (loosely) : Less than 10 km distance; less than 100m. height gained, not more than 3 hours walking time AND a hearty lunch together at the end,

Of course certain leaders delighted in pushing the boundaries earlier during the WAGS Hay (Hey) Days, but were unmercifully lampooned in the Blog of the walk.

Latterly however, as more of the WAGSAL inexorably progress to the WAGS(D) the walks have naturally declined until recently, as those who read the Blogs will tell you, they will be around half the length and height gained previously, yet strangely about the same duration.

Now to the Anniversary Food which was a degree grander than our usual fare as befits a Tenth Anniversary. Fernando, Mine Host at Solar de Farelo for as long as even the older WAGS can remember, produced a varied and interesting menu, of which we managed to stretch the chef to full potential.

WE were asked to order in advance to spare the kitchen on the Day, and our order was something like this.

Orange Duck - 3

Lamb shank - 2 

Black Pork cheeks - 2

Rabbit - 1

Oxtail -1

Baked Fish -1

Curried Prawns -1

Calf's liver -1

Mussels -1 

As varied as the conversation on the Strolls. The general consensus was that the food was good, the wine Quinta dos Frades ( from some unknown container in a large barrel) was better by the 3rd glass. and apart from being stretched on 2 sides of a long table, the banter was convivial.

   Of course I have to mention the Dining uniform - worn by all but 3 of the participants which was a Limited Edition T-shirt, in a fetching blue colour, designed in-house and inscribed with a  slightly edited version of some of the key phrases of Toby Keith's wonderfully poignant song - Don't Let the Old Man In. The title phrase was attributed to Clint Eastwood who at the age of 92 was still rising early each morning to direct movies.  It is an aphorism to live by, and can be applied equally to women and WAGS

Hazel´s oxtail

Mike´s mussels

Then some serious conversations:-

As old Bill the playwright said

" All the world´s a stage, And all the men and women merely players; They have their exits......

Who let the Old WAG out?

A rare picture of Johannes Esperansus emerging, blinking into the light.

and one more of the whole group

Of course there are other WAGS, who could not make it, but these participants were the  core of the group. Raise a glass to those that have passed on or were too unwell to turn out.

Thanks to Fernando and the WAGS themselves for maintaining the spirit. Several of the WAGS can be counted among the original walkers from 1996 who became the AWW and whose 30th Anniversary can be anticipated  next year. Our next function may well be the Annual Christmas lunch to be organised by Hazel with the forbearance of John.

Look forward to seeing you then!!

Don't Let the Old Man In

As Good as I Once was

WAGS Christmas Lunch 5 12 2024

 Never let it be said that the WAGS do not know how to enjoy themselves. On the contrary, they take their pleasures seriously.

In fact, it seems very seriously indeed, as this sequence of pictures from our recent celebration demonstrates.

Pré-pagamento, of course.

But it only took one maverick to see the funny side of things......

.....and that maverick was Chris Whittle who, with a shout of "Don´t they know it´s Christmas, drained his first glass in one go...... 

.....and suddenly everyone was smiling.

There was lots of food, 

and mince pies as extras, which even this trio seemed to have enjoyed, although they were not too sure about the smiling bit.

There was even ample food left over "para fora".

Many thanks to Hazel for organising this lunch again.

An as a post-script, a picture of some WAGS celebrating St Andrews Night, 30th November 2024.