Fatima and Forum Friends

 
Whenever I visit Carvoeiro, its no secret that I dine mostly at Colombos restaurant in Estrada da Farol. I like the ambience of the place, which I find welcoming and cosy and the food is to my taste! Of course, to enjoy good food, you need a good cook and here I would like to introduce Fatima! Whatever 'mood' I am in whether it be happy, sad, grumpy, melancholy I can be sure of one thing, that when I enter Colombos I will always receive a cheerful smile and warm words of welcome from Fatima.

This genial, even tempered lady has been cook in Colombos for 17 years; as long as the establishment has been in the hands of the present owners. When I spoke to Eugenia, wife of owner Marcus, she told me Fatima had always been the same good natured, friendly and hardworking person as she is today. I marvelled at this! Cooking is not always the easiest of tasks, especially when preparing meals 6 days a week and often for large amounts of customers; imagine in the high heat of summer how hard that can be? I'm sure I could never handle it in her cool calm manner. But you have to enjoy your work, love it, to want to stay in a job for such a time. Although I'm speaking mainly of Fatima here I am also aware that all the girls work hard to make the customer feel welcome and that they have a great regard and respect for each other and it shows in the way they work together.

Owner Eugenia and Fatima
But Fatima isn't only a cook, she's a mother too and single-handedly  has raised 2 fine sons, which again, is no easy task. Raising a family with 2 parents can have its difficulties but being the only parent whilst having to earn a living too, is harder still. Her life has not been an easy one.

I was dining there one evening and had just finished a peppered steak meal 'Tornedo 'A' Chefe', cooked perfectly, when Annette asked if Id like a sweet? I usually have ice-cream but she said "Have you tried Fatima's chocolate mousse?"
I said no. I was then told "You must. Its really good", so I did and have to say it was absolutely delicious. I gave Fatima the 'thumbs up' sign as she peeked through the serving hatch; her rosy cheery face smiled back. But I was unaware that Id eaten the last serving.
There were at least half a dozen lads at a nearby table who had also finished their meal and I heard them ask for 'Chocolate mousse'. It was getting late, after 10pm but Annette went to the kitchen and a few minutes later I heard the whirring of a food mixer ! I was told that Fatima was hard at work mixing a new batch of mousse! That's what makes this dessert so luscious and tasty; it is always freshly made with fresh ingredients of egg whites and good quality chocolate. So that night, everyone, including me, came away from there completely satisfied! Another enjoyable evening not only at a very nice bar but amongst friendly folk.

So, 'Muito Obrigada' Fatima for the excellent dinners, your chocolate mousse and your welcome smiling face. Saude!

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I had arrived in Carvoeiro on a Wednesday after an early flight and having left home in Lincolnshire at 3 am, I was feeling very tired and I knew it would take me a couple of days to get over the journey. However, there was a special couple I was due to meet on Friday and this was something I had been looking forward to for some time.
Before my Hols, John had sent an e-mail saying that he and his wife Chris would be in Carvoeiro 3 days prior to me and would I have lunch with them at Smilers; I readily agreed!

I've known John for a while now, over a year I believe and I used to enjoy reading his jokes and comments on the forum posted under the name 'The Limey'. For some reason I thought at first this was a London chap but of course Chris and John were residing in that beautiful county of Dorset and I felt immediate interest as it was home to one of my favourite authors 'Thomas hardy'.

John had put on a topic, asking about something mysterious he'd seen in CVO's square outside the Dancone Ice-cream shop. I answered with something silly saying could it be a UFO & little green men? and John sent me an e-mail, written in 'green' ink! That is how we began and through John I met his charming wife Chris and we became 'forum friends'.
We had a common interest: writing; me with my scribbles on here and John with his poetry. When he sent the first poem I thought I was dealing with a professional writer and with successive poems was convinced that he wrote for a living but no, John writes purely for pleasure, as a hobby and writes on folk that he knows and from his life experiences. All I know is, they gave me a great deal of pleasure to read!