WAGS 15.02.2023: Rod´s Secret, or We Shoulda Known.

 

We should have known. Something was up, and we should have known.

It all started on the Tuesday when Rod, uncharacteristically, expressed concern about the weather forecast for the Wednesday; he then convinced Myriam to agree to a change of plan moving his walk from Odiaxere to Silves;  AND he also altered the Start time from 10.00 hrs to 11.00 hrs. Shoulda known !

And then on the Wednesday, during the walk itself, when we had scarcely done 4 kms, Rod was already talking about turning back. Then he kept asking what the time was. And then he even suggested that it was time to turn back "because it will soon be lunch time." Rod, who never ever thinks about lunch, talking about lunch time ! He finally allowed us ten minutes more along the path before turning back decisively. And back he went at a rate of knots. What was up? It would all become clear shortly.

Normally, by this stage in a WAGS blog, you would expect to be reading the Leader´s Report but, because he is having a birthday rest, this week we have let him off that reporting duty.

There were 7 of us all told, 5 WAGS, Rod, Myriam, Maria, Hazel and JohnH, and 2 AWWs by special invitation, Geoff and Sue Hill. They had been invited because, for reasons which it would be undiplomatic to go into in detail, the AWWs had had their walk called off. Whatever, it was good to have them with us and to catch up.

We met, at the revised hour of 11.00 hrs at the riverside café in Silves called Chapim where we enjoyed a leisurely coffee or two and, at about 11.20 hrs , crossed the Ponte Romano, walked along the track which passes Quinta de Mata-Mouros and its winery Adega do Convento de Paraiso. We were joined by two companionable dogs, one of them a Serra da Estrela mountain guard dog (not to be confused with Serra da Estrela cheese. Incidentally, Serra da Estrela cheese recently made it into the list of the 10 best cheeses in the world. 7 of them were  Italian. There were no French or British cheeses in the list.)

At the Adega, Hazel grasped the bell-pull at the gate but resisted the temptation to actually pull it as she had done once in the past.

On then, past a mysterious flight of steps, which someone will definitely have to climb next time.

And then past the grounds of the somewhat secretive Pura Vida estate.

We then halted at the holiday cottages of Tapada do Gramacho where Hazel fed us sweets and which was where Rod, as I have already said, acted decisively to turn back.

And back we went, pausing at the Adega as before where Sue and Maria discussed the sleeping arrangements made for the gatekeeper,

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and Myriam admired the fence work.

The usual grey heron was to be seen on the banks of the Arade

but Rod wasn´t interested in ornithology and he pressed on into Silves from where an ever increasing racket of police car sirens was to be heard. And there at the near end of Ponte Romana was a press car and representatives of the press. Something was indeed up and indeed something was going on.

And just as we reached the steps at the town end of the bridge, all became clear.

Rod shouted excitedly “Here comes the peloton!” ***

as all 257 riders in the Volta ao Algarve cycle race and their masses of support vehicles swept into view.

With a total mastery of time, speed and place, Rod had got us back at exactly the right moment for us to see the race. But his secret was out now – a hitherto carefully concealed obsession with cycle races.

***(Linguistic note:-

 In French, "peloton" literally means "ball," but it is most often used with the meaning "group." It's frequently used in the bicycling context, just as in English, but it can also refer to a group in a marathon or other sporting event. French “peloton” can also mean "squad" or "platoon" and, since we’ve told you that, you probably won’t be too surprised to learn that it is also the source of the English word “platoon.” )

Excitement over, we made our way back to Chapim Café ready for tostas and drinks, but their staff were overwhelmed by an unusually large group of punters so the chances of us getting refreshments there in reasonable time looked dim. Geoff and Sue quickly decided to move elsewhere and, soon after, the rest of us, prompted by Hazel, did that as well.

We adjourned to the nearby Plazza, a Café not a Restaurante, where we had a perfectly acceptable meal, with friendly service. Only disappointment was omission of tomato from Rod´s tosta.

                               Obvious piece of music to close