The leader:
Our esteemed Chief Paparazzo had problems with the angle of his dangle and that led to unfortunate consequences but a little lateral thinking helped as can be seen below…
Please do not adjust your set!
The troop: Val, Paul, Rod, John O’, Tina, Hilke, Lindsay, Yves, Frank, John H, Hazel, Antje, Myriam, Dina, Ingrid and Maria
The canines: Sasha, Shelly, Naughty Misty and Bullied Ember
The Track: John’s hard work, thank you!
The stats: Courtesy of RCB
Total Distance: 15.37 km.
Total Time: 4 hrs 35 min.
Moving Time: 3 hrs 45 min.
Overall Avg.: 3.3 km/hr.
Moving Avg.: 4.0 km/hr.
Total Ascent: 422 m.
Max Elevation: 446 m.
The pre-start GPS contradiction:
Steadying against the dreaded Sagres pitch and roll…
Much against Terry’s recent form: three rainy strikes and the sun was out! A glorious day, as the determined band of walkers and their dogs met for early coffee in Salir. The starting line-up was quickly arranged but the morning rush-hour traffic delayed the picture-taking quite badly: no fewer than five cars in less than four minutes! And then, two more cars as we set off, and a van, not to mention a tractor!
Some wag mentioned that they had all waited for Ingrid, who had arrived with a bang, to be safely parked and away from her car, but there is no substance to this…
Salir, peaceful, pretty in the morning sun…
Needless to say, this Blogueur had to defend the honour of Les Bleus against all-comers and their ill-considered views of what actually constitutes a spear-tackle and and a red card; in the end, all almost agreed that the punishment was deserved and that Wales had no-one but themselves to blame for losing to a gallant French side…I think. (In your dreams !! RCB) Roll on the Final!
There was also much speculation about the impending confinement of Madame la Présidente, she of high renown married to he of low stature: the consensus reached was that nine months is the accepted ball-park figure for these things (unless you are an elephant, it was pointed out) and the interest shifted to the sex of the baby with opinions shared equally. (Stop Press: Baby girl Giulia born Oct 19th as we were walking - only 4 months after The President's divorce!)
After a very scenic never-ending climb, lunch in the shade of trees was disturbed by a noisy squabble between Misty and Ember. Little did we know that the squabble would later degenerate into a more serious fight in which poor Ember suffered some cuts to nose and paw; interestingly, she received more sympathy than your average walker cracking a nail or splitting a hair…
Tending to a wounded hound, with the end nearly in sight…
The leader soon had his followers back at the café for a cool beer; there he displayed a photograph printed on canvas of himself and Jill near Alvor that received a lot of admiration. The group also reached near agreement on a commemorative T-shirt for the 10th edition of the Round The Corner walk; there will be some light tweaking and a list will be circulated for orders: please make sure that you provide the correct details of size and numbers requested as this will be a one-off run for the price quoted, thank you.
With rain forecast for Sunday and later, this may have been the last of the hot summer walks and a good, enjoyable walk it was, too! ‘Thank you’ to our leader and all who helped with pictures, banter and general good humour!
The Leader’s report:
My first walk of the new season and the sun was out in all its glory, which after leading my walks last season all in the rain must come as a shock to many including me, so long may it continue.
We all met at the right place at the right time for pre-walk caffeine intake, all 17 of us: that is a good turn-out for one my walks as people are a little worried that I might throw a hard one in (who? me?).
We started with a little detour through the back streets up to Salir's impressive Igreja and down the many steps to the the old Salir road to be asked by my friendly post lady: ‘Where are you going?’, "If only I knew"; no doubt I will be intensively questioned later.
We made our way out into the countryside, the paths kept changing all the time, as we walked through a cultivated area, one of the cisterns had a little water in it for the dogs to have a drink, and a local lady materialized to do a little washing.
‘Lavandière du Portugal…’
We were heading for the dry river (Rio Seca) to walk up the river bed and pathways, the only chance you get to walk this lovely valley as once the rains come and the river flows again its just not possible.
Blue sky, dry track, lovely!
Duck! Or grouse…
lovely old ‘Fonte’, cool pool
Someone must know why this traditional little gem is being bricked up!
Very hot in the valley but it got hotter as we had to work hard to climb up the mountain through mature cork woods all newly divested of their bark to reach the ridge line and to have lunch;
Fed, watered, dogs calmed down, ready for the ‘off’ again…
Sorry if it was a bit steep for some but after lunch it was all down
‘A bit steep’?
Big hill, small lady…
Rod's dog Misty decided to put his new dog Ember in her place over who is going to have the last biscuit, the argument carried on later with Ember needing to have first aid and a nice white bandage on front leg; (First Aid by Myriam) it’s usually walkers we bandage up.
There, there.. 
‘I’ll limp too, feels better now?’
‘Well done!’We went for a bit of a circle round Salir to avoid a hill, yes, I know I am getting soft but it was very hot and the post-walk beer was calling.
Back at the water-hole
Well, thanks for coming, it was nice to lead and get out with you all again.
Terry.
Early autumn and the colours in the hills are changing ever so subtly…
“All’s well that ends.”
“Walking is as natural to man as talking is to woman; in truth man often walks when woman talks…” Old Indian proverb.
Bonus Videos by Myriam
Somewhere near Salir!
Cry “Havoc” and Unleash the Dogs of War!!
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