A Special Weekend
Friday (Sexta Feira)
16h00 Work starts at Restaurant Roma, when most people are kicking back
with their first G&T of the weekend. It is a lively experience, setting up the tables
around the pool in the hot Algarvian afternoon. A sense of expectation arises while we
prepare for the coming evening, with RFM radio burbling out over the speakers with
excellent music to sing along with.
While I am exercising my karaoke skills, an SMS comes through from Group 5*. They will
maybe join us for dinner at the restaurant a little later.
21h00 Group 5 arrives and we are all introduced, while they sit down to a
meal with Nobilis Rose.
23h30 Work finally ends and all the waiters get to
sit down with Group 5 before setting off for the Hotel Cristal where we enjoyed errr...
not the BEST service... but a wild Mexican party ensured with the girls practising
their Abba dance routine.
02h30 A great evening continues at the Group 5
villa where more dance routines and swimming ensue. Suddenly there are shouts of fright as
two Liverpudlian guys appear out of the dark night, clutching a bottle of Jack Daniels and
three beers. I deftly remove one from the over-friendly chaps and the girls send them on
their way after exchanging short-lived pleasantries. What a lark! I have to give these
guys ten points for boldness
- imagine just walking in to a private party and asking for coke for their Jack Daniels?
Way to go lads!
Saturday (Sabado)
07h30 After tossing and turning on the couch all night I finally give up
and dip into the pool. I find a Times newspaper and catch up on the latest in the
Microsoft Saga. Looks like Bill is finally out of the dark judicial halls and into the
light, with a rosy future ahead for him and Microsoft. I give up on waiting for the girls
to wake up and pack my things.
09h00 My lust for coffee prompts me to walk the
few blocks back to Roma, through a wonderfully rustic morning. Dogs bark and growl at me
and lizards rustle around the sides of my dusty route home. I shortcut more tarred roads
and end up in someone´s olive grove. After fifteen minutes I arrive back home in the lush
sub-tropical garden of Restaurant Roma and set the kettle on the boil. Ahhhh Nescafé!
10h00 I spend an hour checking my e-mail and
surfing the web before returning to the Group 5 villa where I had left the Digital Camera
- bad move that, as I need it for a 14h30 appointment later today. After chatting
to the girls for a few minutes (who are all nursing their hangovers around the pool) and
being a little disappointed at not being offered a cup of steaming hot coffee (a lá
standard Portuguese hospitality at Jurgen´s house) I charged down to Carvoeiro main
square and attempt to do some banking. Alas, Caixa Geral Deposito, my bank, is closed on a
Saturday morning. This is kind of an alien business practice to me, however I shrug my
shoulders, mutter a little "não faz mal" and continue down to the Piu Cafe for
coffee on the square. I outline a few ideas for the upcoming nightlife section of
Carvoeiro.com and return home to design the site on the computer.
13h00 I enjoy a working lunch of cheese, bread and
coffee before setting out for my two-thirty appointment on the other side of Carvoeiro
near Monte Carvoeiro.
14h30 Take photographs of a new customer's
villa for rent on Carvoeiro.com and commence a cycle tour of a previously unexplored
section of Carvoeiro Town.
15h30 I arrive back home in time for a quick swim
and a last look at my designs for the new nightlife section.
16h00 Work starts
23h30 Work ends and along with two of my
colleagues, we venture down to Carvoeiro: me on my bicycle, Fernando on his huge
motorcycle and Bob on his little scooter. It must have been an amusing sight in any other
city, seeing three thirty-something guys cruising around on this strange medley of
transport. We enjoy a caneca* or three on the Estrada do Farol, while meeting and greeting
the usual pack of Portuguese and tourists. We stroll down to Bote disco and discover Group
5 preparing to go into their routine. "Just have to convince the DJ to play our
CD" whispers Jess. Seconds later the crowd is going wild as they do their dance -
completely impromptu I might add. Go GIRLS!!
01h30 or thereabouts I am feeling tired and
Fernando and I retire to the LSD bar. It is a fantastic place with an array of ominous
looking motorcycles parked in the little lane leading to the bar. We have a quiet
watermelon schnapps and chat to a few locals. I am starting to feel really tired now.
Eventually we gather the energy to rise and ease off home.
04h00 I grab onto Fernando´s motor bike and he
opens up the throttle. We are cruising at about 55km/h up the Estrada do Farol and
suddenly my handlebars get stuck in his. The world slows down as I lose directional
stability on my front tire (I swerve...!!) and my bike is catapulted across a gravel
section. Slow motion is in full force now as I see my bike leave me behind and I complete
three longitudinal somersaults across the dusty patch, tearing my shirt and leaving me
with a few little bruises. By now I am sitting on the ground looking at my bike while its
wheels spin around and around and around..... and I am laughing my head off. ROFL* -
Why is this funny? Shrugging my shoulders I cycle home and tumble into bed.
Sunday (Domingo)
12h45 I´m dreaming about Lara Croft and as I help her through the jungle
(always the gentleman..hehehe) her Nokia rings. I shrug the sleep from my head and reach
over for my Bosch Mobile phone. It is Group 5 and they want me to join them on the beach.
Mmmm...maybe.
13h30 I grab a yoghurt and catch up on the world
wide web - chat to my cousin in the UK (via Instant Messenger) and get live reports of the
Formula One Grand Prix in France (from CNN.com) as Schumie races home to yet ANOTHER win.
Isn´t he bored with success yet?
14h30 I race over to Chris´ spot in Carvoeiro and
catch Schumacher spraying the whole world with MUMM Champagne from his lofty perch on the
podium (again!). We chat and suddenly it is time for work again.
16h00 We have a wonderfully mellow evening out on
the terrace at Roma and all the guests are really friendly and interesting.
00h46 Now you have reached the end of my weekend.
It is 12:46am on Monday morning and I would just like to thank you for taking the time to
read this mail - I LOVE THIS JOB!
*Group 5 = a group of five English girls on holiday in Carvoeiro
*Caneca = a mug of beer (usually 500ml, almost a pint)
*ROFL = Rolling On the Floor Laughing
Cheerio
Nick - nick@carvoeiro.com
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