AGM 41 Portugal in Porto 2019 [Franz Kettele, Austria]

AGM Porto                                                                                                march, 2019

It was a big party as always also in Round Table times. The first AGM in sunny south area with warming temperatures and heartwarming friends.

It started with a Friday lunch in a typical Portuguese restaurant – fish, sea fruits, meat and a lot of very good wine. A very nice way to say welcome to all international friends.

The welcome dinner was taking place in an old palace, but the special thing was to remind us on the roots of Round Table and C 41. The restaurant is a social project in which all employee have a difficult past (such as drug abuser, ex prisoner or homeless people …) and the work in this restaurant is the possibility to find back in the society and to handle their own life. With the roots I mean that a part of C 41 is in my opinion the social part and this we should not forget.

After this nice dinner some of us had problems to find the right way to the hotel and had to ask in many bars – but finally with the sunrise they found also the hotel.

On Saturday’s morning we had a long city tour guided by professor of history who showed us very old places of Porto and told us the stories which you cannot find in any guidebook. A long walk – more than 3 hours – makes hungry and thirsty. So for lunchtime we went to a nice modern restaurant beside the river Douro. Again, best food from the Porto’s cuisine along with nice wine.

After this long walking and long eating it was necessary to take some rest, before we headed to the Gala dinner. Especially that the meeting time was quite late, because around 9 pm.

As expected, it was in one of the most beautiful club houses of Round Table and of course of C 41, with old colonial style furniture. An emotional banner exchange was much better than any food starter. Finally came the dinner, at late Portuguese hours, finished with a glass of an excellent Port wine. Again, a very special evening with the C 41 ers.

Dear friends of Porto – many thanks for this wonderful weekend and I promise that we will come next year again.

P.S. And then there was unexpected this Sunday lunch in Matosinhos of Porto (the fisherman area beside the sea). I have never n Europe eaten so fresh fish and seafood like there and this with an excellent Vinho Verde. Eating, drinking and talking – the life could be so easy and so wonderful.

Franz

C 41 Vulkanland Feldbach Austria