WAGs 2024 02 21: Marginal Improvements, or How´s The Odelouca Barragem?

 An easy blog to produce, this week, because not only do I have a Leader´s Report, thanks to Rod, but I also have a Leading Photographer´s Commentary to go with it, thanks to Yves.

I´ll start with the latter composition. This may disturb the strict continuity of the narrative and may lead to a degree of repetition, but  I am confident that you, dear Reader, can cope. So let Yves begin.

"Yesterday’s crop of ‘images variées et avariées…’ Some of us were a tad early and walked up the track opposite the café to capture the bridge and the river.

Others were a bit more leisurely despite the very precise instructions from the Leader that we must depart sharpish at 10.00 towards the Barragem!

Then, precisely on the dot of 10.10 and while coffee was enjoyed, a water-bowser from Silves Bombeiros hove into view and blocked our intended route… 

(Editorial Note: Yves produces no evidence to support his assertion that the vehicle was a water-bowser. No water was seen. Some are of the more serendipitous view that it was actually topping up the Café´s wine supplies, but no matter...)

We calmly finished our drinks: it was sufficient that the Leader be worried about time-keeping: HE could face the wrath of other angry diners later.

At the Barragem, Rod was instructed to "stand and look pensive" which he tried to do.

but he soon gave that up as a bad job and started to walk, albeit thoughtfully.

Once on the move, the small group performed its well-practiced routine of spreading and contracting rhythmically; indeed, some gaps became considerable and some were intently peering into the distance to ‘spot’ others. All was soon in order and on we went to wake up a young chap from foreign parts: a Roman, or summat like that, like… The poor chap was alarmed initially –he had not seen anyone in a week! 

He thought that we might steal his shiny solar panel or, much worse, scoff his spaghetti! W reassured him that we had no such intentions: for one thing, the solar panel was too big to carry and for another, the spaghetti was not fully cooked yet…

                   Yves clears the way and then builds a cairn to commemorate his efforts 

This now leaves only one question: how long with the small cairn built during a lapse in the climbing remain in position?

The stones may look big but they are very precariously staked… Can a fun ‘book’ be opened?"

And now to Rod´s Leader´s Report.

"It was a splendid spring morning, sunny and warm, when John & Hazel, Maria,Yves and Rod met up for coffee at Parreirinha snack bar in Odelouca. We drove up to the Odelouca Dam carpark for traditional foto records..

.the area could do with a bit of a makeover but still has a great view over the lake towards the dam itself.

Picture date 21 02 2024

Same view: Picture date 18 11 2020

From there we set off along the track above the water. 

We forked off up hill and wound our way towards the top of the first ridge. All along this there are ever expanding views  over the lake. The recent rains have added perhaps a meter or so but the  water level is still low, and for this time of year when it should be near full the situation is obviously very concerning. 

Picture Date 21 02 2024

Picture date 18 11 2022

  Much rain for what remains of the winter looks doubtful however  so present alarm is clearly justified.   In any event we continued on to enjoy the warm sunshine, the views and the early spring flowers. 

The peace was then disturbed by the sight of a car parked in a somewhat unlikely spot high on the next ridge. Curiosity obliged to  us to take a short diversion to investigate. As we approached it became evident that it bore a Romanian number plate and protruding from the rear door were a pair of unclad  legs. These showed evidence of life and proved to be attached to an equally unclad  torso....the bit between fortunately being clad by some brief shorts.  

Romanian camper car, complete with solar-powered batteries, fridge and plug-in cooker

The head, when we eventually saw it,  registered  considerable apprehension at being goggled  at by what he clearly thought were a bunch of thugs about to finish him off or perhaps some plainclothes GNR. In any event we calmed his nerves and found him to be a young  Romanian travelling Europe and had found a quiet spot where he said he had seen no-one for a week!  We  left him in peace to enjoy the spaghetti which was evidently to be his next  meal.

As for our meal, Maria did a splendid job, co-ordinating food orders from the walkers and from those still abed in Lagos and communicating them back to the café.

We continued for some while before the now normal pressures to get back in time for lunch....particularly since Paul, Myriam, Chris and  Antje were all there waiting...obliged us to  cut things a bit short so we went back the same way we had come.

 This Parreirinha snack bar establishment is very popular at lunchtime and some of the pratos do dia had already run out. There seemed to be enough to keep everyone reasonably happy however so the Chief Blogger can take over!

The Track and the Statistics

Very modest stuff indeed, but then the purpose of this particular  walk was to assess the comparative water levels which one hopes that some of the  previous date-marked photos will have facilitated.

Lunch

By the time I reached the table, there were already seven of us sitting down but unusually there was no wine on the table. I quickly ordered my usual modest quantity and received some very strange looks....surreal even Then it dawned on me that the others were all waiting to see if I approved of the newly-arrived Bombeiros Tinto Reserva 2024. It passed the test and they all (except Rod) rushed to fill their glasses.

Rod was interrogated as to the success of his recent botox operation.

There was ample food:-

Lulas

Pernas do Frango no Forno

Bitoque de Peru

Porco Portuguesa (mas sem Amêijoas)

A kind lady from Nelson, east British Columbia took the photo.

Then some desserts ranging from the sweet,

through the very sweet,

 

up to the serious health warning sweet level

Fashion Note

Yves is becoming quite attached to the Tilley Hat idea and seeks advice on how to acquire on for himself

Closing Music

We will take a break for 1950´s pop music this week (although we do have a special request from Paul from that era waiting in the wings) and shift instead to West Coast Jazz and some Gerry Mulligan