The Christmas lunch, organised by Antje with Myriam as 'eminence gris' doing liason and decision making, was held at Cangalho Restaurant next to Lagos Zoo on 10 December 2025 to fit between travel plans and many other excuses.
15 representatives of Algarve's premier walking geriatrics were present, though I hasten to add that not all were Geriatric. Seven had actually participated in full walks this season, two were staunch supporters of the gourmet lunches and six were camp followers. I will leave it to you to ascribe roles.
By necessity this will largely be a photographic blog showing food, drink and a little flirting!
Sorry about the watermark on the cartoons but the WAGS budget does not lead to paying for untouched pix.
The food at Cangalho was very good despite the controversy over one of the dishes we had ordered, not being Bacalhau Sa Gomes but Bacalhau de Natas, The Javali stew was excellent and fortunately we did not have to cater for many bizarre diets!
Starters were very nice
Mains were more than adequate
Rich Jawali stew - my favourite!
Creamy Bacalhau
and some tasty desserts.
Good value including wine and coffee for €28.
But most were here for the flirting, and experienced Lotharios with over 80 Christmases behind them came to the fore,
BOGOF
Rod had, that very morning, had a lens replaced in his left eye, thereby increasing his (and everybody else's) insurance premium for next year!!
Maria and Rod
Rod and Hazel
Quick speech from the glass-eyed Hero
Paul and Antje
Paul and Maria
Myriam and John H.
Zenaida , Vanessa and Antje
Geraldine, Susan and Sonja
John and Chris
Lesley and Myriam
As I said , lunch was an affable affair, Rod toasted 'Absent friends ' and there was a plethora of risque and topical chats. Little to add except perhaps one of the greatest Christmas songs ever!!!
And maybe Starmers least favourite.
Disclaimer: Any political views expressd are not necessarily those of the author or of any member of the WAGS.
Should you feel aggrieved by the way you are represented in the photos or text above then -- TOUGH. The camera never lies and I am only enhancing real events for effect.
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.
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.
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Vanessa and John R
Hopes + Maria.jpg)
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