WAGS 2025 11 05: The Inaugural Wallies

 On this Wednesday morning, our Leader Rod, decided for reasons undivulged, to cancel his planned walk and, instead,to summons us to lunch at Odiaxère´s Fogo De Lenha. And so the Wallies were inaugurated.

Here are the pictures. All that remains is for Paul to add a few or more words to commemorate this occasion, which may not be the last of its kind.

Thankyou John for holding the blog place for me. I had promised to do it after the meal, but as there were more demands and other things since Myriam's return from the Silk Road it somehow slid off my todo list until another week and another walk had passed.

    I have managed to overcome inertia at last, and with another visitor imminent, I had better rush to publish.

   Yes John was almost right - it was an inaugural Wally's (Western Algarve Light Lunchers and Yakking Society) lunch but I seem to recall a previous blog that mentioned the the WADS (Western Algarve Dining Society).That acronym had been kicked into touch (not by George Ford - he would have missed) as being dangerously close to WAPs (Western Algarve Parkies) another group close to Chris and myself. OK another triumph of Acronymity over substance, but WALLYS was far more descriptive of the intent.  No doubt I will be castigated by Antje, Head Dinosaur of the APEs (Apple Phone Enthusiasts) How do they survive without a back button and so many confusing menus? Anyway Antje is convinced that we have too many channels, and even though she has been elected as ADMIN of the WHY channel, her first contribution was 'I don't know what to do, can you delete me?'

Anyway to the lunch,. Myriam, as I noted was recently back from an extended safari into China. What did she bring to the party?   Peanuts! Not just Marks and Spencer peanuts, but highly sought after, CAP PEMANCING , Fisherman Brand, roasted and lightly salted in the shell, peanuts from Malaysia.   I must say they are very good after all the honey coated and otherwise contaminated KP type nuts we have grown accustomed to in the Western world. I had rather she had kept them for my Happy Hours at home and Quilter Nations Rugby matches, than unleash them on the mostly unappreciative  Light lLunchers, but she is like a missionary, sharing the good things!

I had earlier requested that we might perhaps move the lunch  to a slightly more upmarket venue as it was just lunch with no associated walk, but that was dismissed as Fogo de Lenha is good enough for WAGS!! AS it was WALLY's rather than WAGS I had hoped for a better response, but declined to argue and we had some very average slow food in Fogo de Lenha, the chips being particularly poor, Tough meat and over-grilled baby poulet, barely out of the egg, from the size, were two of the choices,

 

Fogo's take on fish and chips was almost unrecognisable compared to the vodka battered specials from Ol' Bastards,

  

Desserts were average but not worth a mention really,

Here they are - the Wallies, with JohnH cleverly ducking out by hiding behind the camera.

Inaugural 9 : Rod , Antje, Myriam, Paul, Chris, Maria, Hazel, Leslie and camera man John

A rare thing, Rod joining us for tucker at lunchtime, but it seemed that his Wednesday evening extravaganza was uncertain,  

    I am of the opinion that if we are doing the lunch thing seriously we need to up the edible quality, not Michelin star, but more cheffed than cooked, How do you all feel about members taking it in turns to choose a themed lunch and location for days when we are not walking for one reason or another. Could be a favourite place or even one that has heard to be good from friends. Off the cuff we could try Italian, Thai, Indian, Japanese, English, Scottish, or Fish  and Antje could perhaps prevail on her BFF at Oasis to prepare some Ramen or Rendang.

. Here the possibilities are enormous and the best thing is, one doesn't have to be a Walk Leader to propose a lunch, nor a blogger to describe it.

   I don't propose to add any mystery to this episode, we have just had one of the heaviest storms in years over the weekend, culminating in a possible tornado in Albufeira which killed a woman. Lagos got off fairly lightly, with only temporary flooding in the Teenage Astronaut's square.

One other item of note is that I published an old photo I had found, on the main WAGS channel, which was the subject of the usual apathy, apart from Maria who recognised Maurice, Myriam and myself, but couldn't put names to the rest. Another version of the photo is below.

This I believe is from 1999, on the 2nd Cross Algarve walk. We had been joined by my ex RHKP colleague Neil McCabe (next to Myriam) who was living in France, and two Spanish walkers , Paco (left ) and Mercedes (2nd from right , being comforted by Maurice) The question is 'Who is the ghostly figure looming over Paco's shoulder and what are the two objects hanging above Mercedes' head?'

In sum as inaugural lunches went it was pretty ordinary, and unlikely to be long remembered.

Unlike Mr Creosote (NB don't watch if you are about to eat!!)