Of rocks and vistas missed
G’day, les ‘sports’!
The Immigration officials in one of HM’s furthest outposts are on the ball, Christmas or not, and so it came to pass that this Blogueur was found on an aeroplane bound for colder climes, watched from a (short) distance by stern-faced gentlemen… All was not bad news however, the silver lining was in meeting again with a bunch of reprobates calling themselves ‘Walkers of the Wednesday’!
St Vincent was very kind to us and the walk was blessed with mild weather, only the tiniest threat of rain after lunch made us don water-proofs; they soon came off again. Rod had thoroughly recced the outing and his description was most truthful: ‘quite rough terrain’! Indeed, an awful lot of time was spent watching where to put boots and sticks among the boulders; naturally, this meant that the magnificent vistas could only be glimpsed occasionally, more so the pity… Thankfully, a group of such experienced walkers can deal with anything and no ankle was twisted, no shin was scraped, no knee was grazed and no new oaths were heard and learnt by this Blogueur! Quel dommage… Even the hounds were on nearly best behaviour: after quite some time on the lead along the cliff-tops, they raced across the wide Charneca de Sagres with youthful abandon; they deserve a biscuit, surely?
As a foot-note, we should do well to remember how fierce and effective the ladies in the group can be! Somehow the waiter at the Vigia Bar miscalculated our bill (not enough fingers or low batteries?) but the ever-vigilant Lady-Guardians-of-the-Purse soon told him in great detail the error of his ways. Not only was the mistake corrected but the few Walkers left at the Café were regaled with a free drink… Next time, shall we pay as as soon as the drinks are served: this way, any error can earn the whole group a free round? Just a thought…
One thing puzzles this Blogueur-photographer: why are so many walkers reticent to appear on pictures of the sea and coves as seen from the cliffs? Answers in the ‘Comments’ section? Merci.
The Worshippers:
Peter, Geraldine, Sue, Maria, Dina, Geoff, Ingrid, Frank, Myriam, Rod, Alex, Paul, John O’, Ian, Jim, Janet, Yves and John H.
The canines that worship them: Devana, Shelley, Misty.
Late converts: Antje and Chris, ably shepherded by Tiggy and Sasha.
The Pilgrim’s track:
The Stats:
Total Distance: 12.06 km (including an extra 400 m I did walking along the beach to check a geocache)
Total Time: 3 hrs 45 min.
Moving Time: 3 hrs 11 min
Overall Avg.: 3.2 km/hr
Moving Avg.: 3.8 km/hr
Total Ascent: 267 m.
Max Elevation: 88 m.
The Enlightened Worshipper-in-Chief:
Determination will win through!
HIS report on the celebration:
This was a walk round the extremities of the Cape to celebrate the Saint's Day (actually 22nd Jan for those who had forgotten!) of our Patron ...St. Vincent. (Not forgetting, of course, that he is also the Patron Saint of winemakers)
A goodly turnout of 20 set off from the only Bar that seemed enthusiastic or perhaps solvent enough to open for tourists near the Cape at this time of year..the Café Vigia.. at 10.00 on a cool and somewhat cloudy morning. The route took in the cliff tops along the south coast leading to the Cape and then north to Praia do Telheiro.
We looked into the sad remains of the Fort Beliche Pousada Restaurant (obviously far too expensive at the moment to repair after half of it subsided into the sea some time ago) and followed the stony path along the cliffs. Our acrophobic members kept well clear of the edge and dogs kept on a leash so we lost no one; nor indeed did we… even Paul!..suffer any twisted ankles. After a number of photo-stops we eventually arrived at the lighthouse now newly painted and dramatically bathed in sunlight where we picked up latecomers Chris and Antje. Having made our obeisances to our good Saint, we set off north over the rough track often used by mad cliff top fishermen (of whom today there were none) and through the unique local flora.
Thank you, Ingrid.
The cliff top path eventually arrives at dramatic outcrop overlooking Telheiro beach where our leading geocacher (or is it geocashier?) identified a cache that seemed to be halfway down a vertical cliff...We were disappointed that he left it there! From that point we had to walk some way up the side of the deep gorge leading to the beach before we could cross and meet the main track leading towards it. At the end of the track there was a steep scramble down to the beach itself; a beach used almost solely by occasional surfers, of which there were a couple of rather forlorn looking Spaniards. The track down was steep enough to cause the bathmophobics (you can check the definition if you need to!) amongst us to remain at the top; those who do not suffer from or who had overcome this unfortunate mental condition had their lunch by the deserted sands of this extraordinary beach overhung with dramatic cliffs, rain ravaged red sandstone gullies and threatening black clouds.
The post prandial scramble back to the top was achieved without any apparent undue stress and we set off back along the flatlands of the cape peninsular at a good lick. The ominous clouds produced but a few drops of rain and the sun reappeared for an uneventful return to the Café Vigia, where much time was spent admiring Paul's creative prototype RTC Calendar (any orders yet?). A walk of modest proportions perhaps but enough, we hope, to encourage St Vincent to keep an eye on us and to ensure the next vintage is a good one too.
Other lesser mortals’ impressions of the experience:
Rocky bits…
Smooth bits…
‘We are all prisoners of our own device…’ The Eagles; ‘Hotel California’.
The Lighthouse
And for the classics:
Lunch at the top for the lazier heathens
The loneliness of the long-distance geocacher…
More rocks...
Tall cliffs; Brave souls!
Walkers on the flat…
On the way down…
On the way up…
Back on the flat, phew!
A splash of colour, thank you, girls!
And so, the story concluded as it ever does, round the odd beer or chocolate…
The smiles say it all!
Tail-piece: even Santo Vincente could not do much about a little furry thing, as recorded by Santa Ingrid.
Praised be Rod, for leading us safely.
G’day, les ‘sports’!
The Immigration officials in one of HM’s furthest outposts are on the ball, Christmas or not, and so it came to pass that this Blogueur was found on an aeroplane bound for colder climes, watched from a (short) distance by stern-faced gentlemen… All was not bad news however, the silver lining was in meeting again with a bunch of reprobates calling themselves ‘Walkers of the Wednesday’!
St Vincent was very kind to us and the walk was blessed with mild weather, only the tiniest threat of rain after lunch made us don water-proofs; they soon came off again. Rod had thoroughly recced the outing and his description was most truthful: ‘quite rough terrain’! Indeed, an awful lot of time was spent watching where to put boots and sticks among the boulders; naturally, this meant that the magnificent vistas could only be glimpsed occasionally, more so the pity… Thankfully, a group of such experienced walkers can deal with anything and no ankle was twisted, no shin was scraped, no knee was grazed and no new oaths were heard and learnt by this Blogueur! Quel dommage… Even the hounds were on nearly best behaviour: after quite some time on the lead along the cliff-tops, they raced across the wide Charneca de Sagres with youthful abandon; they deserve a biscuit, surely?
As a foot-note, we should do well to remember how fierce and effective the ladies in the group can be! Somehow the waiter at the Vigia Bar miscalculated our bill (not enough fingers or low batteries?) but the ever-vigilant Lady-Guardians-of-the-Purse soon told him in great detail the error of his ways. Not only was the mistake corrected but the few Walkers left at the Café were regaled with a free drink… Next time, shall we pay as as soon as the drinks are served: this way, any error can earn the whole group a free round? Just a thought…
One thing puzzles this Blogueur-photographer: why are so many walkers reticent to appear on pictures of the sea and coves as seen from the cliffs? Answers in the ‘Comments’ section? Merci.
The Worshippers:
Peter, Geraldine, Sue, Maria, Dina, Geoff, Ingrid, Frank, Myriam, Rod, Alex, Paul, John O’, Ian, Jim, Janet, Yves and John H.
The canines that worship them: Devana, Shelley, Misty.
Late converts: Antje and Chris, ably shepherded by Tiggy and Sasha.
The Pilgrim’s track:
The Stats:
Total Distance: 12.06 km (including an extra 400 m I did walking along the beach to check a geocache)
Total Time: 3 hrs 45 min.
Moving Time: 3 hrs 11 min
Overall Avg.: 3.2 km/hr
Moving Avg.: 3.8 km/hr
Total Ascent: 267 m.
Max Elevation: 88 m.
The Enlightened Worshipper-in-Chief:
Determination will win through!
HIS report on the celebration:
This was a walk round the extremities of the Cape to celebrate the Saint's Day (actually 22nd Jan for those who had forgotten!) of our Patron ...St. Vincent. (Not forgetting, of course, that he is also the Patron Saint of winemakers)
A goodly turnout of 20 set off from the only Bar that seemed enthusiastic or perhaps solvent enough to open for tourists near the Cape at this time of year..the Café Vigia.. at 10.00 on a cool and somewhat cloudy morning. The route took in the cliff tops along the south coast leading to the Cape and then north to Praia do Telheiro.
We looked into the sad remains of the Fort Beliche Pousada Restaurant (obviously far too expensive at the moment to repair after half of it subsided into the sea some time ago) and followed the stony path along the cliffs. Our acrophobic members kept well clear of the edge and dogs kept on a leash so we lost no one; nor indeed did we… even Paul!..suffer any twisted ankles. After a number of photo-stops we eventually arrived at the lighthouse now newly painted and dramatically bathed in sunlight where we picked up latecomers Chris and Antje. Having made our obeisances to our good Saint, we set off north over the rough track often used by mad cliff top fishermen (of whom today there were none) and through the unique local flora.
Thank you, Ingrid.
The cliff top path eventually arrives at dramatic outcrop overlooking Telheiro beach where our leading geocacher (or is it geocashier?) identified a cache that seemed to be halfway down a vertical cliff...We were disappointed that he left it there! From that point we had to walk some way up the side of the deep gorge leading to the beach before we could cross and meet the main track leading towards it. At the end of the track there was a steep scramble down to the beach itself; a beach used almost solely by occasional surfers, of which there were a couple of rather forlorn looking Spaniards. The track down was steep enough to cause the bathmophobics (you can check the definition if you need to!) amongst us to remain at the top; those who do not suffer from or who had overcome this unfortunate mental condition had their lunch by the deserted sands of this extraordinary beach overhung with dramatic cliffs, rain ravaged red sandstone gullies and threatening black clouds.
The post prandial scramble back to the top was achieved without any apparent undue stress and we set off back along the flatlands of the cape peninsular at a good lick. The ominous clouds produced but a few drops of rain and the sun reappeared for an uneventful return to the Café Vigia, where much time was spent admiring Paul's creative prototype RTC Calendar (any orders yet?). A walk of modest proportions perhaps but enough, we hope, to encourage St Vincent to keep an eye on us and to ensure the next vintage is a good one too.
Other lesser mortals’ impressions of the experience:
Rocky bits…
Smooth bits…
‘We are all prisoners of our own device…’ The Eagles; ‘Hotel California’.
The Lighthouse
And for the classics:
Lunch at the top for the lazier heathens
The loneliness of the long-distance geocacher…
More rocks...
Tall cliffs; Brave souls!
Walkers on the flat…
On the way down…
On the way up…
Back on the flat, phew!
A splash of colour, thank you, girls!
And so, the story concluded as it ever does, round the odd beer or chocolate…
The smiles say it all!
Tail-piece: even Santo Vincente could not do much about a little furry thing, as recorded by Santa Ingrid.
Praised be Rod, for leading us safely.
The Video (ignore the year on the title page - finger trouble!)
Pilgrim’s Progress
“A pilgrim is a wanderer with purpose.”
Pilgrim, Peace
“St Vincent would have been proud of us!” RCB January 2012
