Recent Events

For interest, this page contains events which we have held over the last year. It contains the description provided prior to the event and, as appropriate, some comments and photographs added afterwards.

More recent events include a 'slideshow' of photographs. The way these appear will depend on the device you are using :

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Tuesday 16th May

Casa da Vinha

Vale Fuzeiros, S.B. Messines

Lunch with a quiz

Arrival from 12:30, Quiz will start at 13:00

The quiz will be set by one of our members and will be in four rounds. You do not need to be a brain surgeon or nuclear physics expert - although the questions are in four themed sections all will be 'General Knowledge' level.

Casa da Vinha is a family-run traditional Portuguese restaurant serving good quality Portuguese-style food and is tucked away in the small village of Vale Fuzeiros, a few kilometres west of S.B. Messines. From the restaurant conservatory, where we will be sitting, there are lovely views south towards the hills.

The tables will be set up for four people so we’ll be in teams of four for the quiz.

You can book for your own team of four or we can put people together to make up a team. Just let us know when you make your booking if you would like to sit with specific people.

Combined price only €22.00 per person (€24.00 for guests and non-members)

Lunch Menu:

Couvert (Bread, butter, cheese, ham, etc.)

Vegetarian Lasagne or

Piri-piri Chicken or

Turkey with mushrooms or

Pork Loin in the oven or

Fish Fillets (probably hake)

- all served with salad & chips

Choice of house desserts as available on the day

Wine (Red & White), Beer, Soft drinks, Water and Coffee

It seems only a few days since CASA members met up at the Cabrita Winery for a wonderful wine tasting, (see item below) yet here we are celebrating another successful event. This month we have experimented with a lunch served around a four stage quiz. We have held small quiz's previously, for example to fill in a bit of spare time in a program, but we have never held a quiz as the heart of the event. Considering this was a new experience for our organisers it all went very well with the excellent food being served just at the right time. CASA had not visited Casa da Vinha (tucked away in Vale Fuzeiros) previously but our faith in this family run Portuguese restaurant was well placed and they did us proud. The couvert was more extensive than we had anticipated and all the main courses were substantial and tasty. The friendly service at this restaurant makes it a joy to visit. The select group of CASA intelligentsia were easily split into teams of four people to tackle the quiz - which had been set for us by another member who was unfortunately unable to attend herself. The scores were remarkably close - after 40 questions there was only a difference of 3 1/2 points from highest to lowest team score. The General Knowledge round surprisingly got the lowest scores, the teams doing somewhat better on the themed rounds. None of us knew that Faro Airport has a new name (Gago Continho apparently) as of June last year, this was the only question of the 40 which did not get a single correct answer! A good time was had by all, we will be holding another quiz lunch sometime, and we anticipate returning to Casa da Vinha.

Friday 21st April

Winery Tour with Tasting,

Cheeses and Charcuterie.

Silves area

Wine tasting at Cabrita Wines

near Silves

Join us for a CASA wine tasting on Friday, 21 April at Cabrita Wines near to Silves.

This will be an afternoon visit, commencing at 4.30 pm and will last about 1½ hours.

The visit will include a guided tour of the vineyards, cellar and barrel cellar, followed by a commented wine tasting of three wines from the Classic Cabrita Wines range accompanied by a light refreshment of delicious cheeses and charcuterie from local producers.

You don’t want to miss this new event! Here’s what ‘Vogue’ magazine had to say about Cabrita Wines: "The winery, which was founded in 2007 and produces whites, reds, and rosés, offers tastings in a second-floor space that’s replete with polished wood and beautiful vineyard views."

As this event does not include a meal we will provide a few suggestions for local restaurants which you might like to try for dinner afterwards, or a lazy lunch before.

PRICE: €25 for members, €27 for non-members.

On Friday 21st April a group of 26 from CASA visited The Cabrita Winery which is a family owned winery having been in the same family for 50 years; this was a new venture for us. The weather favoured us, and the expected showers held off which meant that we were able to spend sometime in the vineyard. It was here that we learnt about the growing process, and observed the owner turning the soil near his newly planted vines to aid the absorption of the coming rain ( gardeners note ).

Following this we were escorted to the fermentation room where we were given a brief introduction to the various steps in converting grapes into wine - including de-stalking, pressing, blending and finally the bottling and labelling process. Our next stop was the cask ageing room where we learnt of the use of oak barrels. It was interesting to note that the winery also deals with other local wineries and their wines.

The next stage of our visit meant that we were decanted ( no pun intended !! ) into the tasting room where we were presented with tables laden with charcuterie boards. Needless to say this part of the tour had been eagerly anticipated.

Each of the three wines to be tasted was introduced with a short talk about the wine itself and the foods that would complement it. Everyone was complimentary about the wines, and finally we were treated to a taste of a delicious limited edition Moscatel with an interesting history.

The afternoon ended with us forming an orderly queue to buy wine!!!

We would like to thank Cabrita Winery, and especially our knowledgeable guide Duarte whose presentations were informative and interesting without being too technical.

An enjoyable afternoon was had by all, with the advantage of CASA gaining some new members.

AGM and Dinner

Friday 17th March

at

Recanto dos Mouros,

Silves

Booking is now closed

In a quiet corner behind the Castle in Silves,
stands this restaurant, which has
become a reference in the national
gastronomic scene. The privileged location,
overlooking the castle walls, and the rustic
and welcoming space, give a special charm
to the delicious food.

(The road works which caused access difficulties

in 2022 are no longer a problem)

The AGM will take place prior to dinner and will

include elections to the committee.

All members are encouraged to attend the AGM

which is your annual chance to have a voice.

Schedule and Dinner Menu

Arrival from 18:00 when a welcome drink of Portuguese champagne and orange juice (i.e. Bucks Fizz) will be served. This will take place on the patio with views of the Silves Castle walls if the weather is suitable.

Please try not to arrive prior to 18:00 as the restaurant doors will not open until then, there is seating available on the patio area.

18:30 Start of 2023 AGM.

Note that only paid-up members may vote.

Estimated that the meeting will finish by 19:30 when dinner will be served.

Couvert/Starter of Bread, butter, olives,

plates of cheese, ham, sausage etc.

Main course, choice of:

Traditional Portuguese Lamb Stew

Traditional Wild Boar Stew

Turkey done in the oven, served with a mushroom sauce & chips

Bacalhau Espirito

Sweet: Choice of house deserts as available on the day

or fruit salad

Wine (Red & White) or Beer, Water and Coffee are included.

Members Price €28 pp.

Please specify your main course choice when booking.

Booking is now closed, we have 35 booked.

On the 17th March 33 members of CASA gathered at Recanto dos Mouros in
Silves for the club's Annual General Meeting and a dinner. A report from our Chairperson regarding the last year's activities, and some challenges we have faced, was followed by a brief financial report from the Treasurer and Honorary Auditor. During the 2022 AGM, new committee members were selected due to several existing members standing down for personal reasons. This year all but one of the committee indicated they would continue in position. We are pleased to
say that we did elect a new Membership Secretary, though we continue to be
in need of an additional person on the committee to assist with some
of the booking procedures as well as helping to choose venues for the
activities.

The outline of a coach trip for late October was presented, which would include for the first time visiting four cities in both Portugal and Spain, in the central Iberia region. Further details will be issued in our next club Newsletter - and on our website. We hope there will be sufficient interest for this trip to go ahead.

With the official part of the evening completed we were able to relax and enjoy an excellent meal served by the restaurant staff. This being our fourth time at Recanto dos Mouros, the food was delicious, and much enjoyed.

As a final note from this meeting, some members have felt that our full name 'Carvoeiro Association for Social Activities' has, over four and a half decades, become somewhat inaccurate, as we now cover the whole of the Western Algarve. In light of this, we asked members earlier to suggest new names retaining the short acronym 'CASA'. A vote was taken, and a new name was selected from a shortlist of nine which had been suggested:- 'Club for Algarvian Social Activities' is our new name!

[Some photographs follow]

2023

Pre-Valentines Lunch

Friday 10th February

at

Solar do Farelo

12:30 arrival for lunch at 13:00

Your menu:

Couvert

A main course, chosen from:

Fish Cataplana

Lamb Shank

Wild Boar Stew

Duck a l'Orange

Vegetable Casserole

A desert, chosen from:

Lemon Sorbet with 'champagne'

Fruit salad with cream or ice-cream

Pudim Flan

Coffee to finish

Water on the tables and 'serve yourself' wine

Price for members - €29, non-members €31

Limited to the first 34 bookings only

due to space limitations.

Being the right time of year we could not resist the temptation to hold a 'Valentines' themed event, so on Friday 10th February we met up at Solar do Farelo restaurant for a Pre-Valentines Lunch. We know the restaurant from previous visits, it is a delightful place to enjoy a meal. The food appears to get better and better with each visit! Due to the popularity with members we filled 33 of the 34 spaces in the conservatory. Thanks to the efforts of one of the committee (thank you Glenda!) we were able to appropriately decorate the conservatory for our meal. During the excellent meal we held a Valentines quiz, everyone getting a sheet of questions on arrival, these being self-marked just before coffee. Congratulations go to Avril and Kareen who were awarded the 1st and 2nd prizes respectively after a one-question tie-breaker. The quiz prizes were gererously donated by one of our members who was unable to attend the lunch.

In addition to the excellent meal, for which our thanks go to Sr. Fernando and his superb staff, and the entertainment of the quiz, we were also pleased to be able to welcome four new members to CASA. All in all a very successful lunch in every way.

Saturday January 21st

CASA Traditional

"After Hangover"

Dinner

Big Red's Steakhouse

in Alvor.

Following your weeks of

celebrating Christmas and the New Year

with too much to eat and drink

-

Join us for some

"Hair of the dog ...."

The Alvor beach is just a short walk away

if you need some fresh air before/after your meal.

Menu

Couvert

.....

Vegetable Soup

Or

Goats Cheese in a filo basket with red onion marmalade

......

BBQ Spare Ribs

Or

Chicken Kiev

Or

Seafood Bake (white fish, salmon & prawns)

.....

Sticky Toffee Pudding

Or

Apple Crumble with custard

Wine and Water included.

Pre/Post dinner drinks can be purchased at the bar.

Members price - €28

Arrival time 18:30 for service starting at 19:00.

As is our long standing tradition CASA started 2023 with our annual 'After Hangover Dinner', the purpose of which is to celebrate survival of a Christmas holiday season consisting of more eating and drinking than is good for us! It does tend to incorporate the old adage of taking 'A hair of the dog that bit you' as a cure. Big Red's Steak House in Alvor did us proud in this respect - not only was the food superb but the portions were huge, a number of participants leaving with doggy bags containing left over ribs or chicken!
As with most restaurants post-pandemic Big Red's was slightly short staffed, but those working made up for their lower numbers by working flat-out for three non-stop hours. Our sincere thanks to them all for their efforts to make the evening such a success. Our 43 members occupied the larger room while other customers filled the smaller.

Over our next few events we will be working towards attracting more members; Brexit has unfortunately driven a significant number of UK members back to their roots, some other nationalities have not yet returned to Portugal since they retreated 'home' during the pandemic, we hope to see some of these returning this year. Meantime we have some space for new members to join us for more events centred around just being 'social' in convivial locations.

Friday December 2nd

Thyme by Ruccola

near Alvor

Christmas Lunch

The Christmas meal here last year was just so superb

that we felt that we had to return!

The members price^* of €50 includes -

* Welcome drink: Bucks Fizz or Soft drink

* Garlic Mushrooms or Prawn Cocktail or Vegetable Soup

* Traditional Christmas lunch -

Turkey or Beef with all the trimmings or
* Seabass fillet with citrus butter & chives
* Vegetarian -

Filo basket, with stir-fried vegetables & sweet & sour sauce

* Traditional Christmas Pudding with Brandy Sauce or

Almond tart with cream

* Wine or 2 small beers, Water & Coffee with a mince pie!

Father Christmas is unfortunately unable to join us,

however his elves will be dropping off some presents......

*Non-members price is €55.

After a lot of hard work in the preparation, our final event of 2022 was held a little earlier than usual on the 2nd of December. 43 members, including a few guests, attended an excellent Christmas Lunch at the Thyme by Ruccola restaurant which is part of the Alto Golf resort in Alvor. This is a lovely location for a Christmas party with plenty of space to socialise during the arrival process, which we made good use of. The meal was, naturally, excellent and much enjoyed, the traditional Roast Turkey followed by Christmas Pudding was the most popular choice but the 'supporting cast' of Roast Beef, Sea Bass etc were also very much appreciated. Claudia and her staff provided superb service throughout the lunch, so much so that we included them in the distribution of Christmas presents during the coffee service! The only thing missing from our day was Father Christmas himself, hopefully next year he will be available to join us in the celebrations.

We also assembled a few donated items for the annual Castelo de Sonhos 'Shoe Box Appeal'.

Thursday 10th November

Dinner at

Cantino do Almareado

in Guia

at 7 for 7:30

MENU

Couvert
Starters:
    Ham and Cheese Board OR
    Vegetable Soup
Main courses:
    Filet of Sole
    Veal Stroganoff
    Vegetable curry
Desserts
    Fruit salad OR
    Chocolate Mousse

Includes: Coffee, Water, Wine

Members price

€26 per person

This was the first time CASA has visited Cantino do Almareado in Guia, by the end of the evening the consensus of opinion was that it should not be the last! Once we got ourselves sorted out with friends seated together and the staff were able to move freely around the room again the service was great and non-stop. The starter for most of us consisted of a board laden with bread, cheeses, cold meats and other nibbles, enough to satisfy anyone. Followed by very tasty main courses and finally the sweet – most of us choosing the chocolate mouse and finding it one of the most tasty in memory. The wine flowed steadily and the conversation and laughter intensified as members caught up with each other's backlog of news. It's two and a half years since we have been able to meet so freely and relaxed over an evening meal. It was great to be able to welcome some new members and guests in such a hospitable atmosphere.

Wednesday 19th October

Car Treasure Hunt

Motor Meander

followed by lunch.

The Treasure Hunt will start with coffee at

Bar Bacchus

at Porches Pottery

on the eastbound side of the EN125 near Porches.

Registration and Coffee starting from 10:15, first competitors depart 10:45.

The Simple Rules:

Each car must have a minimum of 2 and maximum of 4 occupants, at least one should be a member.
All non-member guests must take part in the same car as the inviting member.
The three teams solving the most clues along the route will win a prize plus hold one of the silver cups until the next Treasure Hunt

The Treasure Hunt is planned to take about 1 1/2 hours, it is NOT a race or rally.

The lunch destination will be

Flor do Campo

between Porches and Alcantarilha, this family-run restaurant is located on the eastbound side of the EN125 and has ample onsite parking.

On arrival one welcome drink per person will be served on the terrace, any additional drinks taken while waiting for lunch are not included in the price.

Lunch is expected to be served at 13:00 and the Treasure Hunt prizegiving will take place between courses during the lunch.

Menu:

Couvert

Mains:

Basquaise Chicken with rice or
Bacalhau c/natas or
Goat cheese salad

Deserts:

Red Fruit Tiramisu or
Tarte Tatin

Water, Rose wine, House white wine, Coffee

Price is €22 per person for lunch only

or €24 if taking part in the Treasure Hunt.

Plus €2 extra p.p. for non-members.

When you book in addition to your lunch menu choices please give us a fun name for your team, these team names and scores will be published here and in the November club newsletter.

Booking is now closed.

We have seven cars taking part in the Treasure Hunt and 26 people for lunch.

Getting our autumn program under way, eager members of the CASA Social Club (and a few guests) met on Wednesday the 19th October to hold our ever popular annual Car Treasure Hunt. Initially meeting up at Bar Bacchus at the Porches Pottery for a welcome pre-event coffee (or in some cases a Hot Chocolate) and a half-hour of socialising, the nineteen competitors set off in seven cars at intervals, each armed with a list of 27 clues to solve along the route. The 35 Km route took us over many small roads that even those who had lived here for 20+ years did not know existed! Only one team got significantly off track and was a little late arriving at our lunch venue - but still somehow managed to come joint 4th with 23 correct answers. The slight delay to our lunch at Flor do Campo (near Alcantarilha) allowed plenty of time for lots of animated discussion about the route and the questions while the papers were being marked by the judges. The afternoon's rain started just as we moved inside for our lunch which was very well received and much enjoyed. Between courses the results were announced and prizes distributed. We had to use a tie-breaker as two teams (The Bryanks and The Lost Tribe) each managed to score 26 points out of the possible 27. The silver cups will be held (after engraving) by the top three teams until the next Treasure Hunt when we do expect them back! However the Wooden Spoon for the poorest score may be retained as a permanent treasured keepsake! Overall a very pleasant day out, many agreeing this was our most challenging Treasure Hunt for some years.

Our thanks go to the staff of both Bar Bacchus and Flor do Campo for the excellent service provided at both locations. Also our grateful thanks to our members Daphne & Paul who spent many hours planning our very enjoyable and challenging Treasure Hunt for us; we have already started twisting his arm re next year.

The scores of all the teams in place order are:

The Lost Tribe 26 points & tie-breaker
The Bryanks 26 points
Terrible Trio 24 points
Clueless 23 points joint with
SuperSeekers 23 points
Newbies 14 points
Intrepid Explorers 5 points Wooden Spoon winners

Friday 20th May

Lunch at

Asia-Tokyo

Pria da Rocha

Portimao

This location proved very popular with members in both 2019 and 2021.

Arrival from 12:30 for service from 13:00

Non-stop buffet served at the table over multiple courses including sushi and other asian dishes. Not forgetting the Prawn Crackers and the ice-cream to follow!

If you want more of any dish just ask the waitress!

Members price is only €20 p.p. including the lunch, wine/beer/soft drinks and coffee.

This is the same as 2021 which is amazing value in the current economic environment.

Note that the problem some members experienced last year with local parking is not schedulled to start until June.

Friday April 8th

lunch at

Restinga Ria Restaurant in Alvor

1p.m. for 1:30

A breathtaking view over the Alvor harbour all
the way to Lagos, so come along and join us for
a superb lunch!

COUVERT
Bread, paté, butter, olives.

STARTER
Vegetable soup

MAIN COURSE
Fried shrimps with rice or
Duck Rice or
Grilled Chicken breast with Chips & Salad or with

Sautéed Vegetables & Rice
Vegetarian Option: Green Ratatouille with nuts

DESERTS

Egg pudding - Chocolate Mousse - Apple Pie & Ice Cream

Wine (Red & White), Sangria, Beer, Water, Coffee

Price €27 per person - Last booking date April 4

==============

We only had 17 members attend the lunch at Restinga Ria, most unfortunate for those who decided not to join us as is turned out to be an excellent lunch! The welcome drink (a refreshing Bucks Fizz with fruit) was very well received and the supply lasted through much of the meal. Those who choose the Shrimps received a 'dish to die for' and the Duck Rice was similarly delicious. The location itself was also perfect, the large windows providing a great view while protecting us from the rather chilly breeze off the sea. The friendly service and flowing wine made for an exceedingly pleasant afternoon. The last stalwarts remaining for a friendly chat until they had to be chased out. Our thanks go to Zelia and her staff for a lovely lunch.

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