WAGS 13.11.2019: Hilke leads in Paderne

Regrettably, with only 9 days to prepare for our next trip, (not easy), I haven’t time to do other than publish the pix from Hilke’s highly efficiently conducted walk .

The instruction were transmitted via Rod who harnessed the power of both WhatsApp and Gmail to communicate  with both techphiles and Luddites.

Dear Rod,

here are my instructions for Wednesday:

Meet in the carpark in Paderne near the Centro de Saude and the football stadium (coming from

the west: on the right directly after the cemetery; coming from the east: when you have passed

the very narrow part of the road in the town centre  and gone downhill, at the foot of the hill on the left) at 10 o'clock

sharp, at the foot of the statue. If you want coffee, there is a bar across the road.

We will have to go by car to the starting point, in as few cars as possible (around 5 minutes). The drivers

will have to be taken to their cars at the end of the walk.

The walk is between 10 and 11km long, easy walking on rural lanes, just one hill, long, but not steep.

If you want to walk, please inform Hilke via e-mail (hu.glienke@gmx.net)

or phone (282381588 or 912433963).

And, so the WAGS gathered for a 10 o’clock 'sharp' start at the appointed venue.

Well that's it folks. See you at the Xmas blowout on 11th  December

WAGS 06.11.2019: For the record Jim´s Estombar

As far as can be established, there has been no report on this walk.

There are however some photos to prove that it did take place:-

A new Tilley on the block

Rod reprises his elastic cheese trick

WAGS 30.10.2019: For the record Rod´s Messines

One girl on one knee scarcely meets the Patella criteria

Wed Walk 30 Oct. The foto says it all!! In spite of, or perhaps better,  because of that we had a pleasant and gentle walk near the top end of B de Funcho. No events this week to disturb the peace and tranquility of a  relaxed 7 km stroll. 

It was encouraging to see and have a chat with a Proteccao Civil gang who were doing sterling fire protection work along the roadside. But as they said they can only do a 5m strip along the road and too many landowners were still doing nothing.

No map from me as the good waiter who took the group foto left my phone in video mode  and in my excitement I never checked...soon out of battery!  Hazel sent some pics which I will forward in Email mode. The Joao de Deus tostas were quite adequate but on not top spot.       Jim B has offered a walk in the Estombar area....details to follow.

WAGS 23.10.2019: For the record- Benasafrim

Herewith a few emails with details of last weeks walk. If the professionals want to turn this into a blog feel free of course. I suppose I should educate myself into doing it myself but.......!

Ingrid warmed herself and everybody else by performing the hula-hula

Present: Tony W (plus dogs), Jim B, John & Hazel, Maria, Ingrid, Janet, Rod, Frank.

The walk was proposed subject to a quorum being present. Since it happened we must have had a quorum although  no definition of that was agreed.
We lamented the absence of Paul and Myriam, travelling yet again, as were  Terry and Jill. We sympathised with Yves, who has uncomfortably found out that those who live in glass houses shouldn´t pass stones,  and with Antje who now knows, if she didn´t before, what a pain in the neck is......speedy recovery to both and hope you join us again soon.
The day dawned somewhat gloomily but  things brightened up as the walk progressed....well the weather did if not everything else.
We set off from the Bensafrim Market Square café well within 30 minutes after the appointed hour, on a not particularly original (well some of it had to be of course!) circular route to the west and north of the village.

Everything started off uneventfully enough but perhaps that lulled us into inattentiveness. The demise of a chicken at the hands, well the jaws rather,  of one of the dogs was the first  misfortune.

After about 5k Hazel, still suffering from some podiatry  requiring asiatic affliction of her foot, opted for an early return to base and Janet decided to keep her company. So then we were seven.  Then, following a not particularly well chosen traverse of a hillside along a path no longer there, Jim came a bit of a cropper. Blood loss was contained and all limbs diagnosed whole so he manfully, of course, marched on.  Hardly was he back to normal when Tony developed some back related leg problems.  He accepted Maria´s offer of assistance with such alacrity that for a moment we suspected this was an ulterior motivated problem....how disrespectful have the WAGS become with each other these days!
(hope no lasting effects, Tony!)

Damsel in distress ?

Eventually we all managed to get back to Bárbero´s ….still in business... where tostas and liquids set us back rather less than half the amount we were ripped of at Galé last week.

The Track