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.
Most events include a 'slideshow' of photographs. The way these appear will depend on the device you are using :
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You may see below the first picture a row of thumbnails and a play button or a black bar. If a black bar appears then to access the controls for the slideshow 'hover' over the black bar below the visible photo, click the play button (extreme right) to start, click again in the same place to stop/pause the slideshow. If you just see one picture (without black bars or thumbnails) then click on the picture to start your browser slideshow software.
Friday 8th December
Traditional
Christmas Lunch
with all the trimmings
We return to the excellent
THYME by Ruccola in Alvor
Arrival from 12:30 for lunch at 13:00
Christmas Menu:
Welcome drink: Bucks Fizz or Soft drink
Starters –
Garlic Mushrooms or
Prawn Cocktail or
Vegetable Soup
Main courses –
Traditional Christmas lunch -
Roast Turkey or Beef with all the trimmings
or
Salmon with sparkling white wine sauce, herbs and
caviar
or
Vegetarian - Filo basket, with stir-fried vegetables
and sweet & sour sauce
Desserts –
Traditional Christmas Pudding with Brandy Sauce
or
Cheesecake with red fruit coulis
Coffee with a mince pie
Includes Wine or 2 small beers, water
PRICE
€50.00 per person (€55.00 for non-members and guests)
This is the same as last year!
We will be doing table assignments,
so if you want to sit on the same table as special friends
please tell us when you book and we will do our best.
(Maximum 8 people per table)
The restaurant capacity for the meal is 50 people.
Update 19 October:
We are pleased to say that we have received a preliminary confirmation that Father Christmas expects
to join us again this year after his recent absence.
Booking is now closed.
Thursday
16th November
Lunch
We return to the great value ASIA-TOKYO
restaurant in Praia da Rocha for Lunch
As with our previous visits this is an
'all you can eat'
meal served to the table.
The menu will include
- Sushi - Chinese dishes and Ice Cream to finish.
12:30 for lunch starting at 13:00
Price of €22 for members
(€24 for non-members)
includes: wine/beer water and coffee
This is only €2 more than in 2021,
which is a bargain.
Booking is now closed.
Thursday 26th October
Traditional Car Treasure Hunt
(aka Motor Meander)
with Lunch
Meet at the coffee shop
(known locally as Pedro's)
behind the market in Algoz
from 10:00 to 10:30 am for
Registration and Coffee.
First competitors depart 10:45
the last by 11:15.
Approx 40Km drive over 1 1/2 hours
following cryptic clues
The Simple Rules:
Each car must have a minimum of 2 and maximum of 4 (adult) occupants, at least one must be a CASA 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 each team about 1 1/2 hours,
it is NOT a race or rally.
The lunch destination will be
O Foral restaurant in Foral
(about 5km north-east of Algoz)
Full lunch including a welcome drink (Sangria)
wine, beer, soft drinks, coffee.
The lovely lunch menu offered to us by
O Foral is:
Couvert -
Bread, Butter, Olives, Carrots, Tapas, Chef's Surprise
Starter choice of -
Melon with smoked ham or Vegetable soup
Main course choices -
Sea Bass with potatoes and vegetables in the oven
Vegetable Curry
Roasted loin of pork with plums
Fried beef with pepper sauce and fries
Chicken merengue "Napoleon"
(Chicken Stew made with cream, brandy and mushrooms)
Sweet / Desert -
This will be served as a buffet - a range of dishes will be presented on a buffet table for everyone to choose.
Prize-giving will take place during lunch
PRICE (members & non-members)
Lunch Only -- €25
Treasure Hunt with Lunch -- €27
Last day for booking = Friday 20th
please specify starter & main choice
for each person
AND a fun name for your 'team'.
Booking is now closed,
We have 10 cars taking part and 33 for the lunch.
For many years C.A.S.A. Social Club has run a 'Car Treasure Hunt' (aka "Motor Meander") during the autumn, usually in mid-October. There is no real 'Treasure' involved of course, the winners simply receive a small prize and hold the Silver Cup until the next year when we take it back for the next prize giving. This year we had ten teams taking part (28 people), which is the highest number we can remember having. Competitors met at "Pedro's coffee shop" (Official name Pastelaria Requinte e Tentações) in Algoz. After a welcome cup of coffee, contestants were set off at intervals on their quests to find answers to 35 questions - some simple others requiring a little more brain power or observational skills. Approximately two hours later, after wandering the lanes between Algoz and Messines, everyone had arrived at our lunch destination, which was the "O Foral restaurant" in Foral. A glass of Sangria was enjoyed while our judges marked the answer papers then we all enjoyed a most excellent lunch, O Foral did us proud with great food and lovely service, the desert selection offered being particularly impressive.
During the lunch we held our 'prize giving'. Main awards going to the three top-scoring teams, with a very special wooden spoon to the lowest. The overall scores were:
Placings and scores for the ten teams. (In place order)
Wednesday 20th September
Traditional
'English Afternoon Tea'
to celebrate the end of the summer
(and the tourist season!)
Terrace of the Club House at
Vale De Milho Golf Club
Carvoiero
Your tea (as photo above) will consist of:
Assorted selection of finger sandwiches
Fresh made cakes
Scones with fresh cream and jam
Unlimited tea or coffee
Two glasses of prosecco
Arrival from 2 o'clock,
1st glass of prosecco served when you arrive,
sandwiches & 2nd glass served at your table from half past.
Scones & cakes served when you are ready
(so they can be served fresh).
Price €17 each for members.
Booking will close afternoon of Thursday 14th Sept.
Booking is now closed.
Our second attempt at something completely new for the CASA Autumn season saw 21 members gather at the Vale de Milho Golf Club for our " Traditional English Afternoon Tea". The weather turned out to be perfect for us, the previous extreme heat - and the rain - held off, and we enjoyed a very pleasant afternoon on the terrace with views of part of the golf course.
The sandwiches were excellent - the cucumber sandwiches naturally with the crusts removed – and went down very well with the Prosecco and endless pots of tea. Considerable discussion arose about the correct order to apply jam and cream to a scone, but no consensus was reached. The delicious cakes, presented on lovely bone china tea stands, were likewise eagerly devoured, the vast supply of food being reduced to just a handful of left-over sandwiches. There was much laughter which seems to indicate a successful event and one of our American members was delighted and intrigued by their introduction to this fixture of traditional English fare. It seems likely that we will be repeating this next year!
Many thanks to the very friendly and helpful staff for their hard work and support.
8th September
2 1/2 hour hands-on Art
(painting) session
with respected tutor
Tracy-Jane Pooler
Members price of €17.50 for the session includes:
Tuition with all art materials provided
Whatever you produce is yours to take home
1 coffee/tea/soft-drink from the cafe
Fun!
No matter if you have never held a brush in your life,
or want to 'brush-up' a technique
All levels welcome
5th September -
Booking has now closed
we have 10 budding artists booked.
10:30 to 13:00
Roosters Bar near S.B. Messines.
Roosters serves snacks / 'English pub food'
and will be open for lunch afterwards
(optional, not included in the price)
Max 12 people for the lesson,
no limit for any lunch
As all food is prepared to order -
if you want to lunch we suggest
pre-ordering this when you arrive
as this will reduce your waiting time.
For 'significant others' with nothing much else
to occupy you for a couple of hours:
1. large off-road car park,
2. the cafe/bar will be open,
3. plenty of seating (inside or out),
4. free WiFi,
5. well-stocked charity bookshop
(in aid of the local Bombeiros)
- what's not to like?
On September 8th a small group of the more artistic CASA members gathered at 'Roosters' restaurant (on the N270 between Messines and Paderne) for an art lesson given by Tracy-Jane Pooler. The subject was a woodland scene executed, believe it or not, in black Quink ink and salt! Our members however proved to be up to the challenge, producing some credible images. Comments from our artists indicate that they enjoyed the session and some look forward to a future session working with another medium. After two and a half hours thirsty work the challenge was passed over to the kitchens when most of the group sat down with Tracy for a well earned lunch.
The event kicked off the CASA autumn schedule of just five events, the first two being new for the club – the second being just a couple of weeks away when we experiment with an 'English Afternoon Tea' (with the addition of prosecco of course) at Vale De Milho Golf Club. This will be followed in October with our traditional Car Treasure Hunt and Lunch – assuming that last years winners return our silver trophies in time!
Friday 7th July
Dinner at
O' TASCO restaurant
North of Portimao-Penina
Maximum 30 people - first come etc.
This dinner is now fully booked,
booking is closed.
19:15 for 19:45
MENU
Couvert
Bread, toasts, cheese, sausage, olives, butter,
sardine pate, home made paté, boiled shrimps
Main Courses
Grilled prawns with rice and salad;
Turkey strogonoff with rice;
Grilled chicken breast with mushroom sauce,
fries & vegetables;
Pork medallions with pepper sauce,
fries & vegetables;
Grilled fish (bream or sea bass)
with potatoes & vegetables)
Desserts
(to choose on the day)
Chocolate or mango mousse,
Crème caramel,
Sweet of the day,
Fruit salad,
Ice cream,
Pineapple
Includes wine, beer, soft drinks, water & coffee.
Price will be €27 for members and €29 for non-members.
Last day for booking was 29th June,
booking is now closed.
Please specify your main course choice.
_____________________________
Friday July 7th saw a sell-out group of 33 members and guests arrive at O'Tasco for C.A.S.A.'s last spring 2023 event. We had been warned ahead not to arrive earlier than we had booked as the staff might not be available, however we were very pleased to find everything ready – including the bar being open – on arrival of the committee and a few very keen early-birds. As soon as all 33 had arrived the service promptly started and continued non-stop for almost three hours. The food was excellent, the grilled fish in particular producing gasps of amazement. The range of deserts on offer was vast - making a choice was not easy. The location on the covered patio at the front of the restaurant was a good choice, the recent heat-wave was ameliorated by a gentle breeze making for near perfect conditions for an evening meal. A lot of friendly chatter throughout the meal indicated we had a happy crowd and all those we asked said they had had a very enjoyable meal and a good time. A great choice of venue – but then we have been here before so knew we would be fine. Our great thanks to all the staff at O'Tasco for the excellent service and a most enjoyable evening.
Our program will continue, after the summer break, with TWO new events in September.
Friday 9th June
Hawaiian-style
Luau / Dinner
A CHOUPANA
EN-125 near Mexilhoeira Grande
ANOTHER new event for CASA!
Our normal 'dress code' for dinners is relaxed!
you are invited to dress up (eg fancy shirt / grass skirt!)
** this is not compulsary **
but we will provide a pre-made lei for everyone
and a prize will be given to the most
entertainingly outfitted man and woman.
The event will include a demonstration of Hawaiian Luau
dancing - including 'poi ball twirling'.
It should be fun!
Food will be served over several courses with choices available,
To include:
Price is €30 for members, €32 for guests
Last day for booking is Tuesday 6th June
We will be seated at three tables with a maximum of ten people at each,
thus a maximum of 30 people in total.
The cash bar will be open for anyone wanting pre/post dinner drinks.
If you arrive before 6:30 please wait in the bar area
(the area to the right)
for us to complete preparations.
The meal and included drinks will be served from 7.
It may not have been 100% Hawaiian, and perhaps a native Hawaiian might not have recognised it at all, but we did manage a reasonable interpretation of a Luau in the Algarve! The dancing was done in a tarmac carpark not on a sandy beach with behind it not the Pacific Ocean but the EN125 at night - but in it's own way it worked.
Months of planning and shopping for props paid off. The restaurant ( A Choupana near Mexihoeira Grande ) did us proud with an amazing feast of Sardines, Fish, Chicken and Leitao with supporting cast including very tasty salads and naturally enough – chips.
Following the main courses the ladies (almost all of them, spanning three generations) joined one of our committee (a dance teacher in a previous life) for a lesson in Hula dancing (rather like line-dancing) to the tune of 'My Little Grass Shack'. By the end of which we all knew the words if not the moves! Following this was a demonstration of 'Poi Ball Twirling' (originally a Maori cultural tradition) which held us enthralled and then for anyone who had remaining capacity cake and ice-cream were served.
Since the pandemic some of our events have seen relatively low attendances, but we were delighted when this evening was a sell-out and all 30 available spaces were booked.
Everyone had made an effort towards Hawaiian dress for the evening, including several ladies in grass skirts and some very colourful shirts on the gentlemen; the final 'event' of the evening was the awarding of prizes to the 'most entertainingly' dressed man and woman. The bottles of Malibu going to Avril & Roger.
An excellent evening's entertainment, not only enjoyed by us but, as far as we could tell, also by the staff of A Choupana - who had probably never seen anything quite like it! We send our thanks to Monica and her staff for their hard work and support. We have already booked to do it all again next year!
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:
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.
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
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
Price for members - €29, non-members €31
Limited to the first 34 bookings only
due to space limitations.
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.
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:
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:
Deserts:
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.
The scores of all the teams in place order are: