AWW 29.02.2012 The walk the Ladies proposed!

AWW 29.02.2012 But the ladies would not play…

‘tis only once every four years and we outnumbered the ladies by a fair margin; some of our younger fellows had made an extra effort to look at their more presentable for the occasion: toupées were glued on, Tilleys were pinned on, shirts were patched on…All to no avail: the ladies pretended not to notice! Being the prudent chap that we all know and some love, John O even took the precaution of going away on ‘important business’, just in case. He needn’t have bothered, we were treated with all the spontaneous indifference that could be mustered.
Our leader for the day had opted for a stretching route, with a loop or two craftily added to the original recce; even HE was unsure at times but his innate sense of direction and a modicum of luck eventually saw the troop safely back at the Café. After our exertions - thank you Rod, the cardiologist’s invoice will follow- the beer tasted even sweeter than normal: were those hills steep? In fairness, we were duly warned, so perhaps we should not complain too loudly.

              
Our new Masonic Grand Mistress striding into what looked innocuous enough, but not for long…

The river crossings were mildly entertaining and we did learn some fluent Belgian.

                
Wet water!

Some slopes, however, were another thing; in some instance(s) we encountered about 37 of the 76 known species of thorns in the Algarve along the 1-in-3 section, soon to be followed by the other 39 species on the remaining 1-in-4 section… Lindsey could have told us all about them but she had a note from her Mum excusing her PE for this walk.

                           
           How the group clambered up without any turned ankles is remarkable!

As usual, there were many minor points of discussion that might have merited inclusion in the Blog but discretion being the better part of valour, this Blogueur had to turn a deaf ear to an animated, and lengthy, exchange among the Gang of 4 + 1 about ‘quality vs quantity’; on a Leap Year Day, mark you! We may be enlightened on the next such occurence?
The clear weather had encouraged several Walkers to bring their cameras and an avalanche of good pictures clogged up the Sapo line to Algoz: all cannot be included but they will be saved and properly archived; watch this space if we should suffer a dull day. Thank you all for your contributions, they are truly appreciated!

The Starters:

John H, Terry A, David, Antje, Paul, Alex, Janet, part of Terry M, Liz, Tina, Myriam, Yves, Ingrid, Chris, Dina, Frank, Rod, Ian.

The wolfpack:
Sasha, Tiggy, Rusty, Misty, Shelley, Rosie.

The route:

The stats: or a combination thereof

Total Distance:                     14,72 km
Total Time:                           5 hrs  04 min
Moving Time:                       3 hrs 58 min.
Overall Avg.                          2.9 km/hr
Moving Avg.                          3.7 km/hr
Total Ascent:                         629 m.
Max Elevation:                      397 m.

The Leader:

     

The Leader’s Report:

Well at least  there were plenty for them to choose from...the men outnumbered them 10-8 for once!!  And so we set off from Alferce on yet another warm and sunny day... It is difficult to go anywhere but up or down from Alferce  so on this occasion we went down...and down right to the bottom of the Ribeira de Monchique valley. Crossing the river was no real challenge in the absence of rain for so many months, but even so there were a number of foot-fussy folk who needed a pause to dry their toes.  We started ascending the other side before the possibility of a second crossing; that was indeed fortunate  as somewhere at that point the foul-smelling effluent from a pig farm way above made the stream distinctly undesirable. So we wound our way ever upwards through open spaces with dramatic views of the the Monchique Serra over the valley (framed, of course, by inevitable pylons, and soon to be spoiled yet further by the proposed feldspar mine!) and then through cool shady eucalyptus groves. With the top of the ridge still someway above but at least in sight, we swung off on to a contour track for a while. This seemed to lead nowhere except for an apparently licensed but fortunately unoccupied beehive zone, and right at the end we set off up a narrow track...well, it might have been a track 2 or 3 years ago but since then used only, it seems, by javali! A few muted oaths and moans could be heard as we struggled up though tight and thorny undergrowth but nothing verging on mutiny!  At last the top of the ridge was reached and we  set off along the relatively level ridge-top track; at least level for a while until we ascended once again to the Montinho trig-point: the high point of the watershed ridge  dividing the Monchique and Odelouca river valleys.  There we stopped for lunch looking directly across the valley towards the Picota massif, a glimpse of the coast to the south and the hills dividing the Algarve from the Alentejo to the north.
Then we set off northwards back  along the ridge track and crossed the Monchique to S. Marcos road   following a track that swung round westwards along the ridge. From this winding track mostly through eucalyptus plantations, there were  intermittent  views  back down the valley or over rolling hills to the north.

After 3 or 4 kms the track descended sharply back down towards the Monchique River which we crossed at the point where the Monchique-S.Marcos crosses it as well.  We crossed the road and immediately ascended up a dirt track towards Alferce.

This was a green and shady track through medronho and cork trees winding slowly upwards until it came to an abrupt end amongst a few cork trees.  Progress had to be up a very steep slope through cork oaks until we reached a farm at the top. 

    

From here it was an easy walk back  to the village and to much needed refreshment at the Café Caixinha.
Well ladies, you had your chance...the next time February 29th falls on a Wednesday is in 2050, see you there!!!

 

Life’s ups and downs…

 

                  
Tina can walk on water                                                                 Ingrid cannot…

 

Andante, con brio;


Andante, ma non troppo;

Andante, moderato;


Adagio…

                                               

Through the blossoms, and upwards to live life on the edge:

Some hills were an experience not to be missed, said Rod, the Fibber… The Tilley hats tell the truth:

But the views were richly deserved:

         

 

Trig-point and re-orientation:

               

The down before the next up:

                                                 
                                                                               

           

                                              

And so, to beer…

     

                                    

Gourmet corner, by popular demand:
Plat du Jour named after the famous Roman general Tittus Gallicus and his lieutenant Chorus Palmus, both well-seasoned characters with a hint of sharpness and yet so tender...
Pour le déssert: Jam sponge-cake servi avec custard chaud, s’il vous plait…

 

That’s all, folks! Barring the caption competition (John’s choice of picture!): submissions on a postcard (if the technicalities are too much) to the Blogueur, merci!

                                             
(May I say now that it has been extremely nice to know you all; when the Present Mrs. Blogueur sees this, my days will be numbered on one hand…)

‘Fortune favours those who dare, but the meek shall inherit the earth they walk on…’ (Anon.)

AWW 22.02.2012: M.D.N.A.

No, not Madonna’s new Album but “Myriam Does Navigation Again”. On the occasion of her 67th birthday, as a special present I arranged for her to be allowed to lead a walk  - an adaptation of one we had done before - but by following a GPS track, which I uploaded to her hand-me-down GPS.
So, this explains the several off-course excursions: there had to be a reasonable answer to deviations!

I was resigned to the task of preparing not only this blog, but a Leader’s report; however with a surge of energy belying her years, she commenced a report before dinner, and completed it the next morning!
Yves also volunteered to do the whole blog, but as I have the report and most of the photos to hand, it will be passed to him in his role as Chef Blogueur to edit and add colour commentary (don’t mention the Scottish Rugby prospects v France this weekend!)
Thank you Paul for the very kind reminder not to upset sensitivities: ‘prospects’ will not be mentioned at all, only results and once only at that: Wales A LOT!-England Not-quite-as-much!; France A VERY LOT, Monsieur-Scotland A Lot LESS... C'est la vie, c'est le sport...
The weather was perfect for walking, the views were spectacular and the western Algarve was just as it was meant to be.

The Track: (click to enlarge)


Stats:
Total Distance:          17.5 km
Total Time:                 5 hours
Moving Time:             4 hours
Overall Avg.                3.5 km/hr
Moving Avg.               4.4 km/hr
Total Ascent.              360 m.
Max Elevation:           171 m.

The Fully-Equipped Leader:

The Grateful Led


John H, Ian W, Tina, Chris, Myriam, Frank, Maria, Peter, Hazel, Paul, Antje, Ingrid, Rod, Alex, Terry A., Janet,Terry M., Yves, John O’, Liz
And of course, Sasha, Tiggy, Misty, Ember, Rusty, Shelley, and Brontes

Now for the Leader’s Report:

“Me?! Leading a walk?” That was my instinctive response to the suggestion that I should try to lead one. It must be a joke! Which AWW would have the blind faith of following my navigational skill?
After much persuasion from my role models, Mike & Jyll and the promise of the undying support from my GPS mentor, I finally succumbed to the temptation of testing the AWWs’ trust in someone who thinks every walk has got a new route!
Let us begin the story from the morning. Paul and I left home with 21 walkers on the list. Some kind soul had gallantly volunteered Dina's attendance. Knowing that she had gone off to Spain with Almargem on a Carnival week-end hike, she would only arrive home late on Tuesday evening (or early Wed. morning!) and would not manage to get up early!
So, 20 were actually expected. We arrived Café Zig Zag at 9 am, thinking that we would be the first to arrive, being the nearest. But there were already quite a few early birds! It was nearly 9.30, but 2 were still missing. By public consensus, we agreed to drive off at the exact time advertised in as few cars as possible to the starting point. At 9.25 am, Paul received an SOS call. The Blogueur and the computer wizard were driving round the centre of Vila do Bispo, but simply could not find the Café.
If they had read the instruction carefully, the appropriately named Café would literally be located on a zig zag road!
Well, what can we say: OUR GPS was spot-on! We did arrive to Vila de Bispo without a hitch...
Anyway, we did manage to drive off with 20 Walkers on board and on time. After the usual starting photo, we headed for the Ambiental Trail.

The weather was as gorgeous as nearly every day of this Winter. The temperature was rising by the kilometre. There were several stripping stops before we reached the headland leading down to Castelejo Beach.

Heading for the miradouro.

                   One way down                                                           and another way

From the beach we turned left, climbing up the steep cliff to the guard house. Obviously we paused to admire the view and take a breather. The scenery is as stunning as ever, a reminder of why we came to live in the Algarve and are still here!

The long climb up

Going over the top

From there the paths were flat and wide and we were able to walk 3 or 4 abreast. We picked up speed and also increased the topics of conversation.
As the group was big and everyone tried to have a chance to chat with everyone, we started to stretch out a bit. Nobody minded it because we were so immersed in the conversation, we just kept on walking at our own pace. My goodness, only if all the conversation were recorded!! All the problems of the world would have been solved! The demand for Scottish independence would never have been made; Greece would not have got into such a sorry state; Portugal would have been a cheaper place to live in (once upon a time it was!); Germany would not have been so upset; African politics would not have gone berserk; the sex maniac French banker would have been jailed long time ago! There were even arguments over which country is the most corrupt!! Without a doubt, rugby was mentioned.  That is a subject beyond my comprehension. I will leave it to the fanatics to discuss it.
It has already been established that this would not be mentioned again, but Leader's prerogative must be respected, even if the subtleties of a sound trashing at the hands of the wily Welsh or the classy French are beyond ladies' grasp...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Some serious matters were considered... and dismissed.

As the leader was paying full attention to analysis given by the experts, she forgot to read (or misread!) the GPS at 4 different turnings. Fortunately the mistakes were corrected quickly. The Walkers were made to walk a few hundred metres extra. There were no complaints within earshot. Thank you, all, for being so tolerant!

At Torre de Aspa, the usual group photo was taken. The Gang of Four even posed as a row boat. Jim would have rectified their posture! From there we continued at a good speed. By that time it was mid-day and there were cries of hunger pains!

Tourists at the Torre

 

 

Four oars and a cox

The lunch spot was at a T-junction, with some stone statues under the trees. There were benches, stone pedestals, stone slabs, road side banks, etc., enough seats for everyone. As we had dawdled a bit at the beginning, we could only allow 15 minutes for lunch, much to the disgruntlement of not a few.

Sculpture is not just for looking at...                                  I know a bank...

Without failing expectations, the gourmet couple produced a very colourful salad and a dessert of mango and framboise. Terry M. offered a round of first grade chocolate. Surprisingly, when all fine bone china and silver cutlery were packed, it was within the allowed time (mais ou menos!)

Ready, Steady....Eat

The satisfied group continued at a good pace on good paths. We met quite a few cars, some with very considerate drivers, others were not! We passed working farms, cattle grazing on very dried grass (we need rain!) and some abandoned houses.

 

Ca-moo-flage?

Where have they all gone?

 

All the way it was easy walking. At a T-junction the leader waited at the corner to make sure everyone turned left. She counted only 16: 4 were missing!! A few minutes past and still no sign of the lost ones! Only then she was told that they had made an unauthorised split off down a very steep short cut and were waiting for us on the road!

         
It WAS steep…                                                                ‘Anyone seen Godot?’

From there we descended towards Cordoama.

Starting the final climb

Nearing the top

The dogs had a good run and dip in the sea, before we made the final assault up the steep climb to the cars.

That was another steep one…

Ascent accomplished!

Well, we all made it, without mishap. In no time 19 of us (Frank went home straight away) were back to Zig Zag.
Surprisingly, Janet and Ingrid produced a huge cake each. They generously baked them to celebrate the 3 walkers (Yves, Rod and Myriam) whose birthdays are in February. Good wishes were given and gratefully accepted. We even raised glasses to wish Marguerite (who shares the same day as Rod) a Happy Birthday, and one to Sue Hill whose birthday was earlier in February. The cakes were delicious. I had 2 slices of each (Frank’s share)! Other snacks were also produced and we munched and chatted jovially.

Beer and cakes!!

Thank you, Janet and Ingrid.

Taking over the café

Paul had ordered 4 calendars with scenic photos taken during the RTC. He kept one for himself. Much consideration had been taken to decide who should get the other 3. Finally we decided that one should be given to the overall winner of best attendance of RTC, Rod; one is for the most supportive RTC couple, Mike & Jyll and one is for Ian Scott who is one of the 8 original RTC Walkers still around.

Thank you, all, for making this day special. My apologies for making several navigational errors. I will try to improve.
I am proud to announce that the average age of this walk is 65 years 11 months and 1 day, calculated to the exact day. Liz, being a visitor, is not included in the statistic.

Here endeth Myriam’s debut report, on the second walk she has led by GPS. I hope that encourages some of the others to have a go, as it would be nice to have some new leading techniques to discuss in these pages!

“We will either find a way, or make one.” Hannibal

Addendum (by request): Gourmet Corner

Salade de Prawns: Catch enough prawns for two hungry Walkers and toss them in a mixture of rocket, broad leaves, sweet-corn and cherry toms; add lemon mayonnaise and a dressing of olive oil and herbs; serve cool.
Mangue au coulis de framboises: catch enough mangue for two; coulis the framboises; share with hungry and drooling co-Walkers.

Odd sightings along the way:

 
A forest of broccoli 

 

 

                                                                                    Rock and Horse?