AWW 18.01.2012: Loulé Late Edition

 

The surge of panic among the AWW occasioned by the non-arrival of the blog by the weekend following the walk, has been kept well concealed, except for an email this morning from Rev. Bob, which I quote:-

Hi Paul

Just wondered if there was yet a blog for Terry’s walk a week ago?

Bob

     It is flattering to be consulted as the Fount of All Blogdom, but seriously folks, I have been retired for two clear years now, although it hasn’t felt like it, - John H., my extraordinarily worthy successor has himself been attempting to retire (with as little success as I have), and the present Blogueur  Laureate, Yves, cunningly contrived some French leave in Oz over Christmas and did his utmost to conceal his return to the Algarve as long as possible.

The short answer was that owing to Yves invisibility, and John being fully occupied in reducing his Burns Night speech to the Immortal Memory from 22 pages of foolscap to a pithy, succinct 5 minute oration, I was yet again dobbed to organise the record of Terry’s splendid recreation of Loulé walks formerly by Maurice and Michael York back in the last century.  Thus, it being the Chinese Year of the Dragon, Myriam had decided that we must go to Lisbon for a family dinner, so we left on Friday morning before I had time to do much more than organise the photos and edit another set of 56 of Myriam’s short videos.

From a Feng Shui standpoint, 2012, the year of the Yang Water Dragon, brings many possibilities for good fortune.

  Needless to say, by the time the Water Dragon had been suitably welcomed, it was again Wednesday, and instead of sitting at my computer, I found myself at a grey and chilly Sagres, commemorating St. Vincent, the Patron of the AWW’s among other things - which is another story, hopefully to be posted by Yves shortly after this hits the press.

  And so without more ado, some pics and prose from Terry’s well-researched and most enjoyable Loulé Legathon!

A car park somewhere near Loulé

Leader: Terry A.

Led: Bob, David, Paul, Myriam, Rod, Lindsey, Maria, Ingrid, Chris, Dina, Geoff, Antje, Geraldine, Sue, Hazel, John H.

Dogs: Alfie, Rosie, Sasha, Tiggy, Misty, Rusty

Here is the track we followed (looking spookily like a map of Africa). John prepared this with his usual fine detail, but was crestfallen when the 2007 Google Earth image of the northern part of the area appeared to be covered by high cirrus. Unfortunately, despite patient explanations by myself on how to revert to the 2006 satellite pass which was on a clear day, he was unable to overcome the technical difficulties of producing a clear one, and with other more pressing engagements told me ‘to take it or leave it’! So I took it!

Stats:-

Total Distance:         21.61 km.
Total Time:               6 hrs
Moving Time:           4 hrs 57 min.
Overall Avg.:             3.6 km/hr.
Moving Avg.:             4.4 km/hr.
Total Ascent:             484 m.
Max. Elevation:         361 m 

Here is Terry’s report

Well we all managed to meet at a new departure point in Loule without too much trouble to start walking just a little past the 9.30 start time.  This new walk I had put together from Maurice Clyde's Loule   Walking Guides, he did several walks from this area and in time I will put some more together but as about 14 years have passed a lot has changed, as indeed to put on a walk from June Parker's walk books as well is getting very difficult, these people were pioneers in the past trying to show how great the Algarve is to walk in and it would be a shame if all these walks were lost just because we could not be bothered to seek them out and boldly go where they had gone before, that is why I asked Mike Pease for his collection of walks as I don't want to see them lost, I ask, is this going to happen to all the walk leaders as we get old and senile that ultimately the AWW  just fade away?   It is getting difficult to travel up and down the Algarve now so that's more pressure on  leaders, will Mike's Don Quixote ever ride again, or the moonlight capers every caper again? answers on a post card please.

Urban decay as we left the town

So what did we get up to!!  We climbed out of Loule heading North through newish urban developments to find the paths that had not met up with the asphalt man,

No asphalt .... yet

we also went to look at some very impressive rock formations of which I have no explanation for - maybe we will be enlightened by someone? 

Rocky?

 

In the meantime we had a look at our first trig of the day perched on top of a redundant Mill,

Where is Geraldine...........?

.........oh that’s where she went!

it must have been someone's eureka moment when he put a trig on top so we went off it search of the next one, this one was not so well preserved,

Trig Point 2: Where’s David........?

.........in a room with a view....

we had just passed a quarry were calcada was being cut by hand as it always had and yet the trig point had passed into history with the technology of GPS.

Loaded down with ‘Technology’

We walked down from the Ridgeway to the cafe by the old brickworks who's brick stack is just waiting for the right moment to fall down. 

Not just the brick chimney waiting to fall down...!

Luxury Lunch Venue

After lunch stop we walked down the river valley for awhile before turning South and starting to head back to Loule walking through green valleys, almond blossom coming out, good green grass between the trees;

Hello blossom!

on reaching the high ground we walked down the valley of Cruz da Assumada and the Vale da Rosa only a stone's throw from Loule, yet quiet and peaceful to walk,

The pace begins to tell............

under the Loule  by-pass and back into town; at times never more than ten km's out of Loule but far from the madding crowd most of the time.

Past some magnificent...............but well-guarded homes!

The weather was great, the walk was different but I hope interesting, thanks to all who came.

Terry    

Being very short of time, I anticipated that this blog might not have enough literary content, so I took the opportunity to persuade John and Hazel’s daughter, Geraldine out here (still) on a Christmas break, to pen something, to give us a different perspective than the usual grumpy cynical opinions of the resident bloggers. I think she probably found the challenge rather more congenial than last time she was here and Ian S. coerced her into transcribing his collection of rugby songs!

So here it is - interspersed with some rather irrelevant photos - but where else can I put them ..... no don’t answer that!

 

When Paul asked me to write a paragraph for the blog from a visitor’s point of view, I said ‘sure,’ and then found myself stuck for anything to say. A conversation on the recent walk had me re-reading the Winnie-the-Pooh books and discovering some highly appropriate quotes:

“ Christopher Robin was sitting outside his door, putting on his Big Boots. As soon as he saw the Big Boots, Pooh knew that an Adventure was going to happen ...” (all quotes from ‘An Expotition to the North Pole’, Winnie-the-Pooh, A. A. Milne)

Both times I’ve come to visit my parents (John and Hazel), Dad has reminded me to bring my hiking boots and I know that I’ve been volunteered for invited to the Wednesday walks. My boots were bought over ten years ago for a Duke of Edinburgh expedition and have seen more use in the Algarve than in Scotland. On my last visit, it rained on every walk and I was very glad of their clunky, thick leather – not quite Big Boots but close enough.

Geraldine and the ‘Big Boots“!

And as they walked, they chattered to each other of this and that ...”

John tests his Big Boots

This seems to sum up the relaxed, friendly atmosphere among the AWW and I’ve always felt welcome with them. I’ve enjoyed listening to people talk on these walks and sometimes, when not too breathless, I even join in. The topics of conversation are wide-ranging, from tips on adding chocolate to chilli-con-carne (which I definitely plan on trying out) to a small debate about Eeyore’s eating habits (thistles, Mum, I was right!).

“ ’I think,’ said Christopher Robin, ‘that we ought to eat all our provisions now, so we shan’t have so much to carry.’ ”

The AWW’s own Nell Gwyn

Oddly the things I remember best after a walk are mostly food-related. I know that we’ve walked through some beautiful areas and seen some amazing views, but what I recall clearly is the enjoyment of stopping for lunch, and the unexpected treats – such as the piece of chocolate from a box Frank produced and shared out, or the cut-up orange and crystallised ginger that Maria offered around. This probably says more about my love of food than the walks. What I enjoy most is the end of the day however, when I combine the activities of both Pooh and Roo until I feel human again.

Antje and Sasha take a rest...........................................and so does Sue!

“ Then they all went home again. And I think, but I am not quite sure, that Roo had a hot bath and went straight to bed. But Pooh went back to his own house, and feeling very proud of what he had done, had a little something to revive himself.”

P.s. My Biggish Boots have now been replaced by Decathlon’s finest.

Many thanks Geraldine - it is so nice to have a guest author... who will be next?

Aaaaaah ..... the best bit.  

Hazel was hungry, and ordered a bifana while we finished our ‘refreshments’. Of course it had to be shared!!!

It could have been a lucky walk for the ladies, as we found an item of clothing near the path - but alas it didn’t fit any of them!

One size fits all.......

And of course the videos - poetry in motion!

The morning walk

 

Lunch and after.

“Making a blog is a craft, like making a clock; it needs more than native wit to be an author.” Bruyere, Jean De La

“Happiness is not being pained in body or troubled in mind.” Jefferson, Thomas