APAPS 24.05: Season´s Grande Finale

The Leader´s Report

If you think that is not JohnH´s normal style of writing, you are correct. He got Chatbot to do it for him by asking it:-

Please write a 250 word blog about our annual early morning cross-country walk which had to be cancelled because of persistent rain. Instead we adjourned to eat a full English breakfast complete with two types of sausage, washed down with Bucks Fizz,after which the grown-ups played with their mobile phones.

Great solution: saves hours of sitting at a PC, bottle of red at one side, waiting for inspiration to strike.

The Coffees, the Preparation and the Helpers

 

The Ingredients

All making up the Full English Breakfast !

Plus the Fruit Platters

The Accommodation

First class sat inside.

Third class left outside in the drizzle.

The Photography

We were lucky that Yves remembered his camera and that Paul and Myriam also contributed some fine portraits. Yves, however, seldom does selfies so, just to record that he was at the meal, we find that he makes an appearance in some pictures where in real life he didn´t oughter be.

The two wonderful chefs

The Outside Group Photograph

Never before has the taking of the group photo been so disciplined. It was raining so we all dashed outside, stood for a couple of moments and then dashed back in, wiping wet shoes on the mat.

Then it was OATS.

OATS being Yves´ sequence of pictures of everybody on their mobiles which he has entitled "Old Age Teenagers." 

Thanks

 

to those who contributed supplies for the meal, to the Chefs and the Washer-uppers, to Chris Davis for extra bubbly, and for the donations to Hazel´s charity raising €115.

P.S.

The question was asked about the difference between a Mimosa and a Buck´s Fizz. A Mimosa is for American wimps - equal parts orange juice and bubbly -  whereas a Buck´s Fizz is for the hardened European cocktail drinker - no more than one part orange juice and at least two parts bubbly.

APAPS 24.04: Herdade 2024 07 24

A hot day made for a short walk, possibly one of the shortest on record. And a very small group again. Obviously, only a very brief report is needed.

The Starters in the Herdade Bom Homen, up the prison road.

The distant trig point looked inviting but we resisted the urge to climb it.

and very soon made our way back to the car for a water pause. .

 

Our journey home was interrupted by a passing flock of sheep and goats.

The Track and the Statistics

Moving time, scarcely 1 hour, ascent 91 metres although to some it felt more, and distance a mere 3.2 k. For a walk of 3.2k, Myriam travelled 37 k and then 37 k back. There´s dedication for you !

The Breakfast

Regrettably small numbers of walkers and eaters do not justify the special ordering breakfasts, so we resorted to Plazza Pizza once more.

First of all, the Chinese Tea Ceremony.

Three went for their English Breakfast with or without frankfurters.

But the Leader, in a fit of pique, broke with tradition and went for the Plazza Salada.

Good value.

And to close, nothing to do with APAPS, but to record the fact that Hazel managed to catch her bête noire. O´Malley, Figaro´s dad who has been terrifying peaceful cats in the neighbourhood and in the process boosting Hazel´s vet´s income quite considerably. O´Malley had made the mistake of intruding via our cat flap and then got trapped overnight in Casa Esperança. Next morning, a slightly bloody struggle ensued with JohnH at the receiving end until Hazel wrestled the feral cat to the floor and caged him. Some effort !

We then transported him 20k up the São Marcos road and set him loose near Talurdo. 

Will he find a new area to terrorise or will his homing instincts bring him back ? Watch this space. 

And with that, APAPS takes a break for a few weeks.