WAGS 1.03.2023: Zip It, or Hoje Não E Sábado

 When eight of us gathered at Pescadores for the slightly earlier than normal start time of 9.30 am, we noticed a rather eye-catching machine, a Polaris Sportsman 800, designed originally one imagines for off-road competitive stuff but in this case adapted for agricultural use, judging by the prosaic trailer attached to it.

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Myriam looked a trifle apprehensive at first when she was introduced to it by Rod.

but had clearly relaxed by the time the Starter picture was taken.

We followed well-known routes into the hills,

although one stretch of track was impeded by a number of fallen tree trunks seemingly deliberately angled across the path to impede progress. This, of course, provided Yves with a photo-opportunity. 

Camera Man at work

The Result

Then the hill rose inexorably in front of us. There really was no escape.

and some of is found the going quite a bit tougher than a year or two earlier.

We are still miles behind and three are already up on the ridge

A red bonnet was found, discarded in the effort to climb. I wonder what happened to it? Those first to the top had a long wait for the rest of us to catch up, but they were rewarded for their patience with some delicious biscuits produced by Hazel.

Hazel spotted (if "spotted" is the correct word to use in the circumstances ) a virgin cistus.

The rest of the walk was uneventful; the Leader threw in a piece of Grand Old Duke of Yorkery, i.e marching them along a path and then marching them back along same path just to fill in time, because (as he said) the plan was to get back to Pescadores at 12.30 precisely.

Paul was invited by WhatsApp to join us for lunch. The  conversation, which was strictly private and which has of course now been unscrupulously leaked to the Press, went as follows:-

JH: "Paul can we reserve a place for you at lunch today?"

PV: "Sorry John, not this week, as I am  enforcing my diet to get my beach body ready. I owe it to the ladies of Lagos who loiter on the beach hoping to catch sight of me!"

JH: "The ladies here say that you flatter yourself. The men say the flatter the better."

PV: "I bet it was only the flatter ladies who said that !"

How long will it be until the rest of us get the chance to see that finely toned "beach body"? Can´t wait !

Anyway, back to the serious stuff. The route homewards enabled us to appreciate the intricate terrace work in these hills; it´s just a pity that most of the greenery regenerating after fires and clearances is eucalyptus.

This next picture is a technical shot by Yves. His comment on it is 

"the test of d.o.f. shows nicely how responsive the lens is in bright conditions: from 1m. to infinity is good going!"

Well, if he says so......

Maria makes use of the hilltop wash basin

The track and the Statistics

and we did get back at 12.30. 

The the refreshments came in two instalments. First of all, drinks at Pescadores where we encountered an extremely talkative Camera employee, known of course to Maria, and where Myriam produced a magnificent box of birthday chocolates.

and then secondly, after Ingrid, Janet, Rod and Yves had left to do their own thing, lunch at Café Norinha where the remaining four where joined by Hilke,

There was carapau,

dourada,

and entremeada "com osso."

and large quantities of oranges were bought from the nearby fruit stall.

Now, readers who were not on this walk may possibly be wondering (or may be not) why this blog has as it´s title "Zip It, or Hoje Não E Sábado."

Well , at one stage in the walk, Myriam who was walking behind Rod called out 

"Rod, your zip is undone!"  

Rod, as any red-blooded male would do, immediately stopped to check the front of his Craghoppers trousers and found that all was in order. Myriam had in fact been referring to a zip in his backpack. And then Maria said

"Hoje não e Sábado "

and then told us about the old days in the Algarve before there were any supermarkets and when all the shops were closed on Saturdays; so this was a polite way of alerting a man to the fact that something was open  that should be shut. Perhaps the younger generation don´t use the phrase because shops are open all weekend nowadays.

I once heard a similar sort of alert being used one evening when I was working as mess steward in the Officers Mess of a CCF Camp at Cultybraggan near Comrie in Perthshire, when the Commandant Colonel came in for his pre-dinner gin and tonics with his trousers noticeably open. The Adjutant was alive to the situation and quickly said "Sir, your medals are showing." Situation saved.

After all that, there is only one possible piece of closing music of which I will give you two examples.

The first is a rather over-sentimental and cloying version by Walt Disney:-

and the second an altogether more bracing version by the Muppets who knew that their young audience didn´t mind a bit of violence:-