WAGS 02,03.2022: Porto de Mos Saunter

 

Well here I am, sitting at my computer when I should be out lunching with the dwindling number of Active WAGS. At first glance the above statement seems wrong and frivolous.  The more commonly quoted 'Procrastination is the Thief of Time seems more apposite, especially in a situation where the blog for Wednesday 2nd march is only just being written on Wednesday 9th, when 6 good persons and true are out following Rod uphill and down dale.

       The sense is though, that some people in order to be on time, waste time by thinking how to be punctual and lose time without knowing it. That is why Oscar Wilde quoted that Punctuality, for those who do not know how to manage their time, is a thief of time.

      The modern interpretation is that chronic procrastinators waste their life.

They are getting nowhere fast because they fail to get things done. What they manage to do is mediocre at best.

They only act out of necessity in the last possible moment.

They fail at studying, work, and relationships, and they never act on their big dreams.

Then comes the shame, social exclusion, and low self-esteem.

The chronic procrastinator is wasting time on unimportant things. Instead of doing what he/she thinks he/she ought to do, they watch Youtube (or Porn)  and TV, or clean the house for five hours. How can we get from this to saving time and being successful by procrastination?

NB Reader, If any of the topics listed above have affected you in any way ........ grow a pair!!

When you wait until the last moment and then hurry to finish, you are spending as little time as possible on the task. That makes you efficient. 

I thank you for appreciating my efficiency.

         In fact I did not procrastinate.   Until Sunday afternoon I was under the impression that the erstwhile CB of the BMA ("Les Baladeurs du Mercredi en Algarve" ) was dusting off his equipment, and giving it a pull through with a greasy rag, firing up his Gallic wit and  bracing himself for the final game of the 6 Nations series where Les Bleues seem to hold all the cards --   but only after polishing off a dazzling blog about Porto de Mos. As a Blogger incumbent it would give him a platform to broadcast his pride in victory. However he dispelled this rumour by replying to Antje on receiving her report, that his nib was bent and ironically pretending he thought there were better and cleverer guys to do the job.
            Well I think we may have a problem in the very near future.

Back in the Mists of Time long after the Algarve Wednesday Walkers were founded in a previous Mist of Time, I wrote the first ever Algarve Wednesday Walkers Blog Post entitled 'What For?' ( which can be found if you have time by clicking the link.)
It has a photo of some pre-2006 RTC walkers, and a potted history, and the reasons I thought we should subscribe to this new blogging lark.

         And so I wrote the first 168 blog posts on my own until I finally persuaded John, who has marvellous literary credentials, to join in as DCB on 14th March 2007.

   And over the years that has been the Full unpaid editorial staff with later fleeting contributions from Yves and Antonio de Montanha, who passed like ships in the night
        We have tried, but no volunteers or joiners, much like the original AWW and WAGS walkers who have produced more leaders than bloggers, but far fewer of these rara avis than walkers.  Now that I am rarely walking, and concentrating my energies on eating and banter, I  feel that I have realised my lifelong dream of being the Alistair Cooke of the Algarve walking scene and have little more of interest to offer.
  As a contrast the present iteration of the AWW are almost all leading walks and blogging their own walks.  How has this come about?

Colours of the Algarve

In conclusion to the commentary, I must add to John's dissertation of 23rd of February in which he covered natural laws like Murphy's Law and the Buttered Toast Phenomenon.  There is another law  that affects us all ; Parkinson's Law.

No, not the James Parkinson who first named the disease formerly known as 'Shaking Palsy' which has been around since pre Christian era, but the Cyril Northcote Parkinson, who first published the adage about work and time in 1956

In essence Parkinson's First law is the adage that work will expand to fill the time allotted for its completion.
Deadlines can cause procrastination or even prompt people to fill their time with trivial matters.
  How true this is. 

Parkinson's Second Law states an even more relevant fact for most of us. - 

“EXPENDITURE RISES TO MEET INCOME"

I think we have all experienced this, especially if one is married. This law applies to Governments as well as persons.

Parkinson’s Third Law says that any development is a path to complication, which, in turn, is the end of this path. But here what has been said does not need to be taken literally, but should be treated philosophically. It is important to always remember that growth leads to perfection, and the next inevitable stage will be decline or even complete disappearance. 

   Are the WAGS approaching Nirvana or oblivion?

I Blogged therefore I Was!

Can the WAGs walk if they are not Blogged? 

Lets hope Murphy's Law does not apply.

And now to the walk description: 

We rarely need to recce routes as we seem to be happy with the 20-30 we use most, so one of the original reasons for blogging is invalidated. Nowadays routes are recorded and stats recovered by a variety of methods, phone, watch, GPS, so all we have to do is remember to start and stop the device. Everyone now has a camera phone, so we don't need to bring a real camera and transfer to a computer. Regularly 3 or 4 of us contribute photos. The leader is asked to provide a walk report, which varies in length and by who wrote it.   

    And that is the raw material with which the Blogger has to work.  This week instead of the usual select,  cut, paste, rearrange I am going to publish this as a Naked Blog - not for any salacious reasons , nor because I am sitting here dangling my bait, but to demonstrate what arrives on the Bloggers devices on the Thursday to Tuesday between blogs - if you are to be responsible for a blog. Here goes!

First item is the (optional) monograph from the Blogger on any subject he chooses to inform and elaborate upon.

Then the Walk report (by Antje this time)

On yet another beautiful sunny day 9 'WAGS and one "Waglet" met for a cliff walk starting at Porto do Mos beach in Lagos.
In no particular order John,  Hazel , Maria, Rod, Myriam and Paul, Yves and Peter( guest or WAG on trial?)
(Waglet Geraldine) and Antje.
I had left Sascha with Chris as I was concerned about the processionary caterpillars which had been present last year in the pine wood towards the top end of the path. As it turned out, not one nest was to be seen.
A slightly delayed start, as O Antonio agreed to serve us  despite just opening  and were still putting out the chairs. The position of the terrace just above the nearly empty, beautiful beach invited to tarry.
John decided that his Achilles' tendon needed more rest to recover,  so we set off without him, slowly ascending the steep and ever more crumbling path along the cliff.
An uneventful, enjoyable walk was had and as usual discussions about a variety of subject could be heard. Naturally the present upsetting and dangerous  political situation was high on the agenda.
The customary photo at the trig point above the cliffs looking down onto Luz was taken and then we turned land inwards to start our return through the little pine woods,  along the narrow fenced path past the Eagles Nest and then on the road along Boa Vista Golf Course. 
New houses on the Golf Course had been finished since we last walked there.  The landscape is changing all the time, but I did  recognise the turning back towards the cliff path😀 and eventually down towards Porto do Mos beach.
We had arranged  to meet for lunch at Aqui ha Gato  restaurant in Lagos and were driving off in convoy having waited quite some time for Yves to be ready.
I had given him the Cafe name as  Gato.
He found us despite this misinformation, so theSatnav in the new Merc works well.
Chris and Andy had booked a table for us and were waiting in the covered verandah. The noise inside with us all talking was quite horrendous so we asked to go outside. A slightly grumpy waiter  set up tables outside. These had then to be moved again as we had moved beyond a yellow line marking the border of their terrace.  The neighbours from above are quick to complain and call the authorities.

We all forgave Pavlo the waiter his outburst when we learnt that he is Ukrainian and very concerned about his mother back home.

The food was served and all seemed to be happy with their choices. Photos will no doubt appear in the blog.

Stats:

Volume off (unless you like heavy metal!)

This is from my Huawei Watch/One Plus 9 phone combination. With Rod you get the Full Samsung Treatment and Outdoor Active, and from John - who knows what his current devices are.

Then the photos: These come in in dribs and drabs, apart from when the blogger has taken enough of his own to start. Below are what arrived for this blog, and have to be edited and arranged to fit the blog report: Unfortunately I did not make a note of who took this collection of photos, As to post them on the blog, I have to download to a file from the WhatsApp and email photos I receive and also recently Yves uses a professional document sender, We Transfer to send his photos in one go original size, already edited and some with titles. 

Have you tried this Antje?

Oh what fun!!

Whose is the disembodied hand and why is it pointing there?

(I think Yves took these as they have an arty feel)

Not sure of the provenance of these below. either John, Myriam Rod , Yves or myself

Joie de vivre

Leading from the front

Onwards and upwards

Some had to think a bit.....

......some went straight through

Waiting for Godot

And then there were these, again unknown provenance, but needed sorting and editing.

Starters at Cafe Antonio:

Geraldine, Maria, Paul, Hazel, Myriam, Rod, Antje, Peter, Yves (taken by John).

P.P.R

And there you have it - The Full Monty of Blog Materials for the walk from Porto de Mos on Wednesday 2nd, and the luncg at Aqui ha Gato afterwards.

Your choice: you can make a plan to give the blog a narrative or procrastinate, save time and  pass it on.

     Do we have anyone willing to take on the editorial and compositional duties. I feel I have done my share over the last 16 years as has John for almost as long. And I am pretty sure that Rod, and John would appreciate some volunteers to lead a few walks. You are all capable and some, Terry, Ingrid, Antje have done so. Consider the options.

And last the usual novelty value added items.. This is what the future looks like if in fact we have not reached the bottom of our decline. It is entitled  'The Fall'

Full screen is better.

Thank you all for your avid attention over the years!!

And last of all my future wake up/work out music, a slightly eccentric version of Walking Blues by the Joanna Carson Band. Wow this lady really goes for it!!

Full screen and full volume - should get you up for it too