WAGS 2024 02 07: Blossoms and Birds

Before the walk started, 6 of us assembled at the Bensafrim Market place. First to arrive was Yves, at 8.30 am, or so he first claimed,  as is his practice in order to capture the early morning atmosphere.

And grim enough it was too.

Later on,  Yves realised that he was not on Central European time and that he had actually arrived at 9.30 am, but that still allowed him to capture this early morning blossom image.

And when we had the Starter Photo, things were looking much brighter, as they do at the end of this piece.

Six Starters; JohnH, Geraldine, Yves, Rod, Hazel and Maria.

Photo taken, the next imperative was to book a table at our lunch spot.

Maria and Nélia taking early orders for the lunch.

 

Then past some energetic dogs, and up to a remote farmstead

where Yves went walkabout and JohnH scanned the landscape to check on him.

Rod led us up into the highlands

Hazel spotted some special mimosas and brought out her camera and this was the result 

Yves was sporting a new titfer. (Oh no ! Not one of those.)

But that did not stop his camera from working well

Then, ever mindful of the need to get back to the Restaurante for lunch in good time before the non-walking lunchers start to complain, Rod shortened the route, and turned us back to the route we had come on

and this gave Hazel and others to take images of the spring blossoms
 

then down a gentle hill,

past some new mimosas

and some watchful vacas

and so back to base.

The Track and Statistics

Average speed of 3.6 kph ??? 

Slow Mo. just about sums it up.

The Lunch

Yves did not stay for lunch-  presumably he was under pressing instructions from Mme F. to buy a birthday cake on his way home, but the remaining five were joined by four 

non-walking lunchers

There was frango assado and sopa

There was quail (cordoniz), which some of us did not even realise was in the menu

There was pernas de frango no forno

There was also fish, i.e. sole, which got rave reviews but which did not photograph at all  well.

Mimosa then reappeared.

but then disaster struck. A large volume of JohnH and Maria´s vinho tinto went flying across her table - I have no clear idea of what happened - but there was mega mopping up as a result.

Meanwhile, Antje was greeting an old friend from Lagos.

while Rod mentally rehearses what he is going to put in his Leader´s report.

Then  on to the puds - I have no recollection of what they were. For example, what was this one?

 

Well done, Rota Algarviana.

Meanwhile, outside the café.........

At this stage, the attentive reader may be wondering why this blog´s title has included the word "Birds.". Well, in Old English and Middle English,  "burd " meant " maiden" or "lady." In some dialects, it became "bride." So even today  the same sounding word means a female. And in today´s Urban Dictionary, one gets the usage "pulling a bird" i.e. how to attract a young lady. 

Now, when I was young, one of the most guaranteed of success ways in "pulling a bird" was to own a Ferrari.

a 250 GT SWB model for example.

Paulo a Pé , always a contrarian, has taken the opposite route.

If only he can just unlock the door to his dream machine....

ah! which he does at last, then it is all plain sailing...look at the results !

My thanks to Hazel,  Myriam and Yves for their photos.

And there will be room here for a Leader´s Report if there is one. Ah, just in time....

"John, Hazel, Geraldine, Maria, Yves and Rod gathered at  Behsafrim Market cafe on a pleasnt enough morning.  First stop,  of course, was the Rota Algarviana Restaurant to ensure that we had a lunch table reserved and  the various pratos do dia duly noted. That done we continued on our way along the minor road towards the Baroes. We turned off,as usual, up the dirt track to the north on the corner of which live a bunch of good looking and well kept but noisy hounds. This track winds its way upwards before near the top of the ridge another track forks off to the left dropping down  towards a ruined farmhouse that seems  somewhat surprisingly perhaps, to have attracted no interest despite its situation in a quiet valley overlooking a small lake. The track passes this before climbing sharply up to an undulating ridge.

This continues northwards until it comes to a crossroads on the high point.

We were faced with a 3 way choice. The longest reaching more than WAGS statutory limits and the shortest would get us to about 7k.  Well you guessed it!.....the thought of incurring the wrath of Blod, this time aided and abetted by she who normally actually walks, left us in no doubt that we should select the shortest route lest we overshoot the now also statutory 13.00 hrs time limit.

The return route looped round and joined up with the outward route and resulted in our arriving 1min 30 seconds EARLY!!.....in fact Paul and Myriam had barely time to make themselves comfortable before we arrived, accompanied,  contrary to expectations, by Chris and Antje. Menu choices had been made by telecommunication. At least I can confirm the soup was of high standard!

Rod"

Closing Music

Still on our theme of walking songs, how about his this oldie...