Algarve walking weather at its best, sunny, cool and unlike our descendants in the AWW, age and experience at the planning stage meant that we didn't require any dire warnings, plastic lixo bags or assorted water play paraphernalia to get round the track.
The track was as dry as it looks on the map!
A Statistically enhanced track and stats from Rod's ViewRanger App which arrived after publication. You may see the walk is broken down into Flat, Downhill and Uphill in each of the categories for Distance, Speed and Time plus altitudes achieved and total gain and loss of Altitude. The most comprehensively statted walk since we began records. The Tilley count was only 3/10 however, with Frank electing to wear a flat cap.
The starter photo alas was a failure as, while a new camera app installed took a photo after 15 seconds, it turned out to be rather inadequate and blurred when finally viewed on the computer screen. However about 15 minutes into the walk, there was a casually posed photo at a Poco (was it The Poco?) which had everyone in except the photographer, although Tony nearly avoided it by racing into the distance.
Rod writes (in green):
A rare, for this year anyway, spectacular vernal equinox day greeted us and was a welcome change from the previous week when we wimped out. Chris, Antje, Janet, Paul, Ingrid, Tony, Frank,Terry and Jill accepted Rod's proposal to reestablish last week's walk. All gathered for the usual leisurely coffee at Cafe Sustelo in Poco Barreto before ambling off at around 10.20. Well in the event we rarely reached ambling pace since some symptoms of lumbar stenosis slowed our leader's normal spritely gait to at times almost a hobble he was unable, despite best efforts, to conceal.
Soon after the start we came across a parked car which prompted some speculation as to why it was there and how it arrived.
The first event of note was the sight of a shiny blue car parked somewhat incongruously in the middle of gorse shrubs some distance from any track. Good citizens that we are, fotos were taken and location marked in order that the intrepid National Guards of the Republic could be advised and follow up any possible crime in which said vehicle might have been involved. (PS..the GNR were but whether they did remains to be seen).
Permanently parked quite a long way along a pedestrian access only track.
There were no attempts to conceal the identity of the car and hence the owner, and the popular conclusion was that it had been dumped by joy riders.The IPO test and Insurance had expired in 2016, but recent rains made it look in reasonable condition. We took care to avoid leaving fingerprints and footprints at the scene, and noone checked the boot for a corpse!
Babes in the Wood!
On we went until our leader, neighbourly chap that he is, felt obliged to pay a visit to a fellow local landowner to pass the time of day. He gave up the offer of a coffee and recuperative medronho to hasten and catch up with his flock patiently waiting at a crossroads.
The group held up for some time as Rod chatted to a neighbour who is trying to sell up and move out. Liquorice and aniseed balls were exchanged and consumed.
Following this distraction the rural path descended to where in times gone by some local disaffected citizen had plastered his empty house with graffiti rants at all and sundry. Now he has evidently moved on, or up, and the house has been acquired by a more responsible, and clearly more monied individual with so far less to complain about.
Little else, other than the odd baying of hounds, disturbed our enjoyment of the emerging buds and blooms of the spring countryside and of course good company as we completed a circuit which was pretty much spot on WAGS guidelines.
Towards the end we came across a new and unexpected stretch of tarmac. Usually means that a member of the Camara lives somewhere towards the end of the facility.
Janet taking samples of the local flora for propagation in Sargacal.
We arrived back at Cafe Sustelo for our muscle building protein at around 1 pm which was exactly as it should be.
To cap a very pleasant day even the Tostas at Cafe Sustelo were up to our demanding culinary standards. (Although they had not yet arrived when the pic was taken, and were consumed before I could react with the camera when they did arrive!)
Tony had an issue with the odour of one of his dogs who had found something choice to roll in, and had departed early to procure some Febreze.
A good walk, perfect weather, fully WAGS compliant and good company. Unhappily Yves had succumbed to a chest infection, so fortunately the sporting activities of the last two weekends did not have to be resurrected.
Won't break any records, but very enjoyable and 174 meters of climb!
Looks very good and entertaining; unlike the guy who came here, wearing a long black overcoat and toting a tape-measure 'In case' he said...
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