WAGS 02 .11. 2022: Odelouca Dam Memories

 

I suppose you could blame it all on the leader but for 6 folk to turn up at 3 different meeting places must be some sort of a record! However whatever the cause and effect we set off from The Casa de Pasto  Parreirinha for the announced drive up to Odelouca Dam only some 20 minutes late. It was a splendid sunny and warm day for a modest turn out...John & Hazel, Maria, Dina, Frank and Rod...

and we parked in the usual Dam area to be greeted as is becoming all too frequent these days by the sight of an enormous machine defacing the countryside for some uncertain purpose. 

We set off along the lateral track now quite some way further above water level than the last time  we were around these parts.  

 The water level is indeed perceptibly lower and we could see parts of the valley we had not seen since pre-dam days....distant memories indeed.  

Water Levels November 2020

Water Levels November 2022

Water Levels November 2022

(This map shows the extent of the Odelouca Dam.

It stretches a long way and clearly there is still a lot of water there but.....

and here are some files from the archives reminding us of how the valley was before the dam filled up.)

May 2009

Now back to Rod´s report.

We had a heart starter ascent to upper levels until we reached the main through track which we followed for a bit until we reached the major saddle X roads at the foot of the  northern Cruzes trig point. 

Hazel spotted some wild life

 Although we were within meters of the trig point we eschewed that challenge and headed south along the ridge with dramatic views overlooking the Monchique River valley to the NW. 

 Half way along we opted for a slightly lower track which avoided some of the ups and downs along the ridge track before we rejoined it and descended to the main road.

 This left us with a sharp sting in the tail ascent to the cars. One or two wisely waited for those who made it to come back down with the cars. 

The Sting in the Tail

From there we repaired to the Parreirinha bar ....once again arriving a bit too early.  Had we walked for another 30 mins or so it would have been more comfortably empty.

In any event the lunch choice was ample and  all very efficiently produced. 

Omelette

Frango piri piri with chips AND rice

Entremeada grelhada with chips AND rice

Alheira  (see below) also with chips AND rice

Melon slices.

(Archive photo from last year. Same Casa de Pasto)

 A largely uneventful and drama free walk and yet again we managed to make it less than 8k although the height gain and loss perhaps more than made up for it.

Roderick Frew

Regarding the Alheira sausage, I´m not sure if it is an Alheira de Vinhais or an Alheira de Mirandela -- but Maria will know for sure. Here is a bit about the history of Alheiras from WikiP.

Alheira  is a type of Portuguese sausage, made with meats (usually pork, veal, duck, chicken, quail or rabbit) and bread.

Although alheira derives from alho (garlic) and was once used to describe any sausage seasoned with it, not all present-day alheiras contain garlic, though it is still a common ingredient.

The type of sausage that became known as "alheira" was invented by the Jews of Portugal, who in 1497 were given the choice of either being expelled from the country or converting to Christianity. Those conversos who remained and secretly retained their beliefs avoided eating pork, forbidden in Judaism; this put them at risk of being noticed not to hang sausages, traditionally made of pork, in their fumeiros (smokehouses).^[1] As a way to avoid attracting the attention of the Portuguese Inquisition or in rural areas the Portuguese Christians, they began to make sausages from other meats such as poultry and game, mixed with bread for texture.^[1] With time, the dish spread to the remaining population and became an example of typical Portuguese cuisine, though nowadays its preparation is no longer strictly guided by Jewish dietary precepts.

And what else has been happening in the WAGS world? Well, last week Paul followed up his previous week´s 425 word comment and came up with a 399 word comment on the Blog to the effect that he had had no choice but to accept a Wednesday lunch time appointment from his, and I quote, "Buttock Masseuse." That is not disputed. The great news is that his loyalties still lie with the WAGs and their lunch meetings, very much so since he has now pushed the boat out and, as readers of the WAGSAL WhatsApp Chat (are you still with me?) will know, and indeed will have seen from the pictures in the chat, he has invested in a top of the range Massage Chair which presumably takes the place of the hands-on Buttock Masseuse.

We can, I am sure, look forward in the future to receiving details of its specifications; how many rollers, how many air pads etc. Does it have audio? Does it charge one´s mobile phone? Does it dispense drinks? 

His comments are always welcome but it would be really great if while he is away on his cruises he could submit full length contributions perhaps in the style of Rudyard Kipling´s Plain Tales from the Hills, with for instance pen portraits of his fellow passengers They will, surely be full of erudition, as was his latest comment with its references to Monty Python´s The Black Knight and an almost correct quotation from Kevin Costner´s Field of Dreams.

We do hope that the cruise ship does provide massage facilities.

Thanks to Dina, Hazel and Rod for photographic contributions.