WAGS 2025 05 14: Return To Aguas Belas But No Skinny-Dipping

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The morning started, somewhat unusually, with a spot of spring-cleaning. You see, a couple of days previously, I had done a very short recce for the walk and had noticed that the memorial plaque for Maurice Clyde was festooned with snails or caracois and had sent a picture of it to Myriam and now as I drove to Café Para e Fica for the start of the walk, there she was.........  


all kitted out with green rubber gloves, scrubbing away like billy-o,  


and as she did so, passing traffic stopped to see what she was doing


Then, on to Para e Fica where normal service resumed and the Starter pic was taken

The Starters: Lesley, Myriam, Maria, ChrisD, Antje and JohnH


The Aguas Belas directional sign lay "half sunk a shattered visage" not  quite as dramatic as the shattered statue of Ozymandias but still some reason for despair at vandalism.

But chin up - the flowers were blooming

and the Aguas Belas valley, which had been a scene of dusty desolation after heavy logging two or three years ago, is now green again. 


There were hills to climb but we got that over and done with early on on the walk


and added our little bit of cairn at the top of the ridge.


Myriam and Maria making good use of the flowers while they are still there.




Then it was off the ridge and down into the valley and to the delights of walking accompanied by the sound of running water.



Talking of water, I asked the group to stop at a particular little stretch of water. This was the place where in March 2018 Hazel had inadvertently gone for a swim. See the sequence which follows.










A little bit further along the path, Antje harvests some wild mint


and then we all have to negotiate long stretches of flooded track.




No walk for Maria would be complete if she did not meet some friend and this time it was Hilda, an old friend and one-time neighbour from Silves at her country cottage. We were invited in for wine and chouriços but time was pressing for our lunch and there was very fierce looking dog so we declined.


And as the Leader staggered towards the finish, well in the rear, he heard a bird singing very loudly; this he was able to identify with his bird app. as a nightingale. One mentions this solely to serve as a link to the closing music.

The Track

We seem to have spent a lot of time just standing around.




Lunch



ChrisW was able to join us for lunch


Vitela com Esparguete


Carne Alentejano

The wine was OK and the service very good.


Molotov was a bit rubbery



The Salada da Fruta was excellent - no tins had been opened in the making.


Then, on the way home, a bit more cleaning of Maurice´s plaque but it still needs some vinegar or lemon to dissolve the hard calcium





And now the closing music that was promised.








Comments

  1. Myriam19 May 2025 at 21:40

    It was very pleasant to hear running water in our walk! A soothing sound which we had missed in the past decade(?)
    Those were the days when we equipped ourselves with different "gadgets/devices" to cross riverlets. Thank you, leader, for the beautiful walk!

    ReplyDelete

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