WAGS 2024 03 27: Frohes Neues Jahr, or Better Late Than Never

 On Wednesday we all took it in turns to wish Tanja Happy New Year on her return from hibernation, all except that is for Rod who, for reasons known only to himself, wished her Happy Christmas. Good to see her back.

The weather was pretty mixed to say the least:- 

"So foul and fair a day I have not seen" Shakespeare Macbeth Act 1 scene 111

but we experienced walkers who have seen it all before made light of it. Not so the younger generation of AWWs who reportedly called off completely..... Algarve Wednesday W...ps perhaps.

Anyway, to the Leader´s report, by Rod:-

A stormy forecast might have discouraged a few WAGS but no, all who said they would come, came indeed. So John and Hazel, Tania, Maria , Myriam, Antje and Rod all turned up at Odeáxere for a coffee before heading off towards the Barragem de Bravura. We stopped off at a track heading west some way before the dam to start walking. 

 This track, as far as most of us remembered,  had not been ventured along since AWW days (possibly 2006) when we once did a Round The Bravura Walk reaching 29.9k... we then walked twice round the carpark to achieve 30k!  This time our mission was somewhat more modest. We headed off down towards a finger of the dam lake....long since dry....along a narrow footpath.

 Some way along this path we came across a couple of young ladies (or whatever you call them nowadays) leading two Shetland ponies with kids (human ones that is). 

We stopped for a while to chat about their provenance etc.....I subsequently learned that their good boss, who is the tenant of the big Quinta across the road, is apparently not the flavour of the month locally! (That´s a cryptic remark if ever there was one.. tell us more !) 

Hazel continued her search for the perfect cistus

and Maria found evidence that the "No Fires " rules are not being observed.

On we went along the dried shoreline for a while before heading up a track across the road. 

Up here is the entrance to the aforementioned Quinta- It is gated and adorned with private property signs, although the gates do not appear to have been actually closed recently. Inside  a wide track ascends northwards, at the foot of which was a truck manned by fully clad bee-keepers who warned us off going their way. 

In any event we turned off a narrow path to the north outside the gates signed to Alamos. This path is a steady climb through still eucalyptus clad woods.....

..... to the Alamos trig point. There we stopped for a while for a breather and  the essential trig fotoshoot. 

Maria can still do it !

From there the descent was on the windward side and the wind certainly got up just at that point bringing with it driving rain as well which, somehow or other, Tanja and Myriam managed to record on their mobiles despite the downpour. 

 We were by then all more or less suitably clad,  so dampened but somehow still vertical we reached the bottom, where the bee-keepers´ truck had been parked, and we headed back through the gates. Then

a pause to munch some chocolate.

The original intention had been to head further south and complete a loop back to the cars. But lunchtime loomed and, discretion being the better part of valour, we returned along the same stretch. This enabled us to arrive back at the cars and then on to the restaurant more or less on the dot of 13.30. Only Chris was waiting patiently, Paul evidently having found some alternative activity which seemed to have taken precedence."

Thanks, Rod.

The Track and the Statistics

Average speed only 2.9 kph ! Surely not ?

The Lunch

At Churrasqueira Snack-Bar Lopo, Odiáxere. The usual friendly service, excellent bread and cheese, and a satisfactory choice of dishes.

The previous week, we had had white socks; this week Myriam decided to ring the changes:

Which glass holds more?

Antje took charge of settling the bill.

Closing Music

"Walking On the Moon" apparently a favourite of Paul´s, by The Police, or Sting, or both.