Bonjour tout le monde!
Bienvenue sur le Blog à la Nouvelle Vague, en voiture!
Following in the footsteps of illustrious predecessors is never an easy task but this Blogueur has little fear of failure: he has a lot of experience in that field! Allons-y…
The third walk of the season and an easy one, much to the chagrin of some hardier souls who would like to begin the serious training for RTC as early as possible: have they no mercy for more pedestrian walkers? The worthy leaders had done a remarkable recce job and we did not get lost once, although sticks were quite another matter. Thurprisingly, the total tally of Thilley hats theemed to be leth than thought.
A good, short walk in late summer heat, ably led by Lindsey and Hilke!
The track: Sections of it look remarkably similar to last week’s…
The Stats: as provided by the FCB
Total Distance: 10.05 km
Total Time: 2 hrs 37 min
Moving Time: 2 hrs 16 min.
Overall Avg.: 3.8 km/hr.
Moving Avg.: 4.4 km/hr.
Total Ascent: 138 m.
Max Elevation: 102 m.
And here is the leaders’ report:
Poço Barreto, October 5, 2011.
Leaders: Hilke and Lindsey
Present : Val, Ingrid, Hazel and John, Paul and Myriam, Bob, John O’, Chris and Antje, Rod, Jim, Maria, Yves, Andrew H-W and UK LDWA visitors,Nick and Pam
Please note that Misty and Yves have eventually made their peace, although not quite kissed and made up…
Dogs : Misty, Alfie, Tiggy, Sasha and Ember (aka the New Dogs)
Distance covered – 10.6kms
Time Taken – 2 hours 40mins. Maurice had said it would take 3 hours.
There was a large turn out of 19 trusty walkers and 5 dogs who all arrived at Poço Barreto and Restaurant Sustelo. Val had got slightly lost but managed to arrive just in time. Two visiting walkers joined us – Nick and Pam who are on holiday in the Algarve and are friends of Terry Ames and keen walkers in the UK.
There is always one out of step isn’t there?
This walk was first walked in 1994 by the Saturday Walkers and Maurice Clyde so Hilke, Lindsey and Dina spent several hours and 2 recces in August to find the easiest routes. Several houses had been built, barriers erected and tarmac laid in the intervening years.
We continued passed Casa dos Sonhos (the house of an ex-AWW who has since returned to UK) and on to a tarmac road. Maria found an old friend and had to stop for ‘Bom Dias and Conversas’ and we then arrived at the little village of Tufos.
We then crossed a 5 ways junction and headed around Quinta da Figueirinha and had good views of Monchique.
After that we headed south towards a cork factory and a fairly difficult route through olive and fig groves trying to avoid new buildings.
The figs were quite tasty, apparently.
At this point Hilke had to phone the owner of a malicious dog to keep it in the house as we passed. On a previous reccie the dog rushed out from the side of the house and surprised Hilke, Lindsey and Dina – the dog was only doing its job, but rather fiercely.
We then had to walk SE along the Alcantarilha road, over the railway line and took a track to the left and walked along a canal. The dogs swam and drank.
We cut through an orange grove and headed back to the Railway Station and beers at the Bar. It was now quite hot.
Gilets, Thilley hats and Paul’s beard (soon to come off).
A well-earned rest, except for Myriam: a paparazzi’s work is never done…
Indeed, we welcomed Nick and Pam to the fold; Nick may have already learnt an important lesson: never leave a cold beer unattended within reach of thirsty walkers! Luckily, said beer was located and re-united with its rightful owner before it became warm…
Lastly: the miracle of the day: how did blind Rod manage to help Antje find her wayward stick is not entirely clear…
Rod, looking but not necessarily seeing;
Antje, clearly delighted to have found her stick again…
Many thanks to the contributing photographers: all submissions were of the first order!
And finally from Myriam’s Walk-Lar Production Studio, a short video of the event:_
Well done, Blogueur, you have made it!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations!!