WAGS 2023.10.25: Dona Ana Now And Then

 This was a Boardwalk outing which we have been on several times before but where there are lots of changes from last time because the boardwalk itself keeps on growing and road and landscaping works are ongoing. Changes are nothing new in this area, as the Leader´s  Report makes clear - she has called her report "a kind of rant" and she has memories and archive pictures of this place going back to 2014. Read on.

The Report  (with the occasional editorial interjection in blue.)

First an email intro:-

Below a very informative and comprehensive report from Myriam for last week's walk which requires a title  and some titivation from you.  It is an exceptional report because unlike most walk leaders notes it not only recounts the details but also some background and history. It should be held as an example to all non-blogging leaders.

     Over to you for the pics and colour commentary 

            Paul

PS Don't mention the playoff . (What can he be referring to?)

Then Myriam´s report:-

The walk notice was to gather at Café Trindade, on the Ponte da Piedade road, at 9.30, then drive to Praia de Dona Ana to start the walk at 10.00.

Antje knowledgeably informed the Leader that Trindade doesn't open before 10.00.

To find a substitute, several cafés were suggested, which caused some confusion among the Silvense who are not very familiar with that area. After a litany of WhatsApp messages, it was unanimously agreed to skip the coffee and meet directly at Dona Ana a few minutes before 10.00. (There was no confusion on the part of the Silvense who were going to go to Dona Ana direct in any case, having grabbed their coffee on the motor way first).

Being off season, there were plenty of parking spaces. Only tough surfers of all ages were found getting ready for action.

The road entrance to that building looks none too secure

 The starter photo was taken, as before, on the steps of the beginning of the boardwalk. The official photographer had a hard time trying to get everyone in the frame. To make this unruly group listen was definitely not an easy task! Chris was there to see us off and witnessed the chaos. 

Once up the flight of steps to the highest point of the boardwalk, we could see the beautiful small beach and the rugged coastlines. The sea was clear and calm, a perfect day for canoeing and diving. 

 Since decades ago, Praia Dona Ana has been considered one of the most beautiful, if not the most beautiful, beaches in the world!! (Don't know who were the judges!) In some tourist sites, it still retains this reputation. 

Dona Ana October 2023

For Lagos old timers, there is a sort of melancholy when talking about this small beach. It looks different from before 2015 when work began to "requalificar" the beach. 

The requalification begins

 There were lots of protests from environmentalists and associations, claiming that the project would destroy the biodiversity of the marine life. The width of the beach itself was to increase from 40 metres to 80 metres!! Using sand taken from the seabed 2 km. away. This new sand was muddy, of a different grain and the colour tone was darker, a contrast from the original golden coloured sand!! 

Before

And After: note the seawall built to protect the new sands

 Almargem even planned to bring the case to Brussels, in an attempt to stop the destruction. Well, there is no point to continue on this issue!? Now the beach is double its previous depth, which brings much delight to beach seekers. 

Back to our walk. The sun tried to come out, after several days of rain. The temperature wasn't high, but the humidity was. We ambled easily on the boardwalk towards Ponte da Piedade. It was a straightforward route, no one could get lost there. Yet the Leader still needed Antje's guidance because several paths were under maintenance or construction. 

 

 We stopped many times to admire this fantastic coast. One never tires looking at it! Half way, Chris and a friend appeared from the opposite direction! He came to collect Sasha home! 

Landscaping in progress including planting of trees

Tree planting should encourage bird life, not many trees there at the moment

One of the few

The ever-expanding boardwalk

Sparrows nest in the walls of the lighthouse

(After passing the lighthouse or Farol, Myriam stopped the group so that she could deliver a lecture about the purpose of accents used in written Portuguese, in particular the use of the tilde (Port: til.)(~). All very well received by those present.)

 Further on, John and Myriam were immersed in a "serious topic" of conversation and were not immediately aware that there was a cyclist waiting behind, trying to overtake them. When we stood aside to let him pass, the Leader jokingly asked if there was a tinkle bell on the bike` for him to use. That triggered the cyclist to stop and we chatted for about 10 minutes!! He said that he did have a bell but, if he used it, he fell off the bike, so he didn´t. He was from the Republic of Ireland, spent a lot of holiday time in Lagos. A very well informed tourist, he was; he told John, the Scotsman, where to buy Haggis in the Algarve! And how to beat the Brexit bureaucracy by buying from either Amazon.es or Amazon.eire!! There you are! You can shop online to your heart's content now.  (He out-talked Myriam about 8 to 1.)

We walked all the way to the Wellness Resort backyard and then took a shorter route back to Dona Ana. The Ponte da Piedade road is still under "re-construction", not a very pleasant section to walk on at the moment, regrettably. 

The Track and the Statistics

 

 

 

One of our less energetic outings.

The Lunch

At Café Trindade, we were joined by Chris and Paul. The Menu do Dia of roasted Bochechas de Porco (pork cheeks on the bone) was very delicious, a bit too salty though.

 Some others had Frango Assado. 

and there was a fair selection of sweets

 The conversation at the table was very entertaining! But, sorry, I can't remember what the topics were. Perhaps John could help to relate them. 

 (Well one of the many topics was a debate about how old the oldest dog in the world was when he died recently. Some guessed 33 but the Leader used her technical skills on her mobile to establish that he had been 31. See article below.)

It was another day well spent! Thank you all for coming and for the fun shared!! 

(Photo credits: Hazel, John, Myriam and Tanja.) 

"The Dog It Was That Died."

The oldest dog in the world, Bobi, born on May 11th, 1992, died this Saturday, at the ripe old age of 31 years old.

A statement released on the internet by veterinarian Peter Dobias said, “My dear friends, today I learned very sad news: Bobi, the oldest dog in the world, passed away on October 21st, 2023. His owner, Leonel, was just six years old when Bobi was born in a small shed in the backyard, and they had a fantastic adventures together. Over the last few months, Leonel and I have been in contact. Deep down, we knew the inevitable would happen, even if that didn't make it any easier. When I met Bobi and Leonel in May, for Bobi’s 31st birthday, I was deeply touched by their love, connection and wealth of wisdom about longevity.” 

Also at the birthday event in May was Karen Becker, an Australian veterinarian, who also wrote on her wall that Bobi, a “sweet boy gained his wings”.
“Despite living longer than all dogs in history, his 11,478 days on earth would never be enough for those who loved him,” she added.

The death of Bobi, whose name is inscribed in the Guinness World Records since his 30th birthday, was also mourned on the Instagram profile of Le Terrier Studio, a photography studio for dogs, which photographed the beautiful boy.

(Report courtesy of the Algarve Daily News.)

And since I was lucky enough on the walk to have the company of five ladies all to my self, this seems to be a suitable bit of music to close with:-

Ex-CB adds.

Well I couldn't resist it. On reading of Johns heroic endurance (or tolerance) on the last two walks, I thought to myself "There has to be a movie in this somewhere!, -  but before I could write off to Richard Curtis for a mention in the credits, I found it had already been done!

Anyway, I hear a rumour that he will not have his harem (or is it pride -no pun intended ) for much longer. Well done John - a lesser man might have had a T shirt made. A bottle of wine for the best suggestion as to the T-shirt wording!