Anyway, there has been a minor blog gap, as you have probably noticed, because there was no WAGS excursion the previous week, the 20th of November. Apparently, this was because “ there was no quorum”.
Certainly, one of our number (who can´t make his mind up if he is a WAG or not) was away with the AWWs that week, but it´s not known how many other true WAGS were prepared to turn up – surely more than one?. And the potential Leader himself has confessed that he doesn´t actually know what constitutes a WAGS quorum. But whatever the case, there was no walk on that day.
Step forward this week, Terry A who promised us a walk as follows:-
“Hi Rod Nice morning,
“So Jill and I got out to look at some ideas I had for Wednesday great walk but a tad too long at 13.5 k so I will do another one off the top of my head which I know will be shorter.(my underlining:Ed.)
“Let’s meet at Messines our usual café Joao de Deus for ten o’clock if that cafe is not open just go 50 meters up the road to the café on the left. The weather looks like it’s going to behave fingers crossed. “
Thus beguiled, seven other WAGS joined Terry and Jill at this alternative café, eager to participate in this “shorter” walk.
Initial stages were reassuring - nothing to worry about, as the Leader´s report tells us. (Over to Terry for his report, in blue italics.)
Starters: Yves, Jim, Rod, Hazel, TerryA, Jill, Maria, Hilke, JohnH, and a hidden Becky
“After the wet weather we had a fine day forecast so we made the most of it, as the starter pic shows there were 9 participants, our usual café was closed but the standby café just 50 meters away was open and soon had us caffeinated up.
“It was about 10.15am start heading north out Messines following the railroad we even had the train to wave at, even able to walk under the line due to the very low water level.
Probably the 08.23 down, Alfapendular, Lisboa – Faro.
Maria and Rod being encouraged to go faster by a Portuguese dog-walking lady
“meandering on as you do we were soon taking layers off as it was very humid and good old was pumping out, the tracks were quite good the odd puddles but still firm, a bit of road, a bit of off road, more tracks etc, good conversation and banter mostly about you know what!!
“ All of a sudden we reached “?? how far are we going??” Good question. How far do you want to go? “Not as far as that” came the reply.
“A quick discussion followed; l said let’s head for the Café, so we headed home for the usual lunch time fare.
(A popular decision, I guess, because some people´s feet were hurting and the potential extra mileage might not have been welcome.)
“ It’s a fact now that the WAGs as a group, all have some problems or other so caution is the better part of valour, so don’t push your luck, walk, rest, live to walk another day. Thanks Terry.”
The Well-Equipped Walker
So we went back to the café from where we had started, João de Deus been firmly shut. Some sat outside, others inside.
A beer, at last!
The usual lunch time fare proved highly acceptable. Hazel had omelette and chips, which the camera man couldn´t capture, simply because so many hands were in there , blocking the view, busy snaffling her chips. Yves, typically Français, had baguette.
The tostas and bifanas were of a high standard; the ambience friendly; the service was attractive, if a bit disorganised; but again the camera man failed in his attempts to capture this aspect.
And meanwhile, absent friends in Fort Lauderdale were having a Texan fry-up.
photocredit: PaulaDev.
The Track and Statistics:
Total distance: 11.89 kms. (Just as well we did not do the full marathon.)
Total time: 3 hrs 18 mins. Moving time: 2 hrs 40 mins.
Total ascent: 314 metres.
A good walk and, from the critical tosta/bifana point of view, this café is a good addition to the WAGS list of watering holes. Worth a return visit.
What was initially striking was that the pristine toilets areas were larger in area than the café itself, but then, after a bit of exploration, one found that the whole building belonged to something called the Sociedade Columbófila de S.B.Messines. A pigeon fanciers` club in Messines! Well, I never. Who would have thought that?
And finally, an addendum: while some of us were merely walking and talking, Yves, on the other hand, was multi-tasking, i.e. taking artistic photographs as well.
Here are a few.
A country post-box
The old chair
The old cottage
photocredit: YvesFerrer lda pessoal
ReplyDeleteAnother good Blog, thanks John. Yves' artistic photos added special "flavours". 👍
Will be with you all for the Christmas lunch. 😘