APAPS 6: Stone Skipping and Mental Arithmetic with Rafael

 

This outing was a repeat, partially in reverse, of the Ilha de Rosario stroll which we had done on 22nd June (APAPS 1). This time, however, we were accompanied by two senior inspectors from the  quasi-governmental organisation OFSWAGS, namely Rod and Paul, presumably sent to check that our harmless little offshoot APAPS breakfasting group was  maintaining the expected Standards of Walking. We were also joined by Ros for the first time and by Myriam´s honorary grandson Rafael, and the combined result of this influx of  youth and vigour certainly brought the average age of the group plunging down, although to be honest it didn´t do much to accelerate the average moving speed. At times our pace was positively geriatric but perhaps that isn´t too bad a thing on such hot mornings.

Back Row: Paul, Rafael, Yves, Rod, John.

Front Row: Ros, Myriam, Hazel, Maria, Janet, Ingrid.

This was how the event was advertised:-

Next Wednesday we will have breakfast at Restaurante Mira Rio, a few kms west of Silves on the back road through Odelouca towards Portimao/Monchique. For those wishing to walk before breakfast we will start that bit at 7 am. The distance will be about 9.5 km but for those who wish to stick to the canal paths only – no hills - it will just under 6 km.

As it turned out, no-one took the easy option and the total distance was 9.25 km taking 2 hrs 45 mins.

We started pretty smartly at 7.05 am after some early coffees, skirting round the back of the Mira Rio building just to remind Myriam of where she had seen some ducklings a few weeks before.

Photo Point lived up to its name,

and Aristotle gave a demonstration of what happens when one uses the camera back to front - there´s a philosophy in there somewhere -

and when one uses it the right way round,

A diversion away from the canal and over the hilly bit gave us a total ascent for the morning of 231 metres. For some reason, there was a gloomy conversation about cryonics ** on the way up the hill. Can´t think why – the climb wasn´t that bad. After this we progressed over the sunlit uplands, with Rafael showing some of us up with his determined yomping.

We came down from the hills on the Falacho side where we met the old man with his dog who has the cottage and horta near the road. Maria had a long conversation with him, the gist of which was his complaint that he had had to stop selling his vegetables commercially because of the punitive tax burden that resulted.

Then, a 15 minute banana pause at the Clube Nautico which never ceases to entertain, even if there is never anyone there behind the bar.

Freshly written words of wisdom from such eminences as Albert Einstein, Anon, and the Dalai Lama adorned the walls. Aristotle could not compete and he consoled himself by trying to remember how to play “stone skipping” with Rafael down on the beach. By the way, there´s quite a lot on the net about the physics of stone skipping – for example

“ This question can be answered two ways. Practically this is only a special case from this; Height of Water 'Splashing' and this; meteorite-like impact of a drop of yogurt problem.

Approach 1. Bernoulli's Principle; v^2/2 + p/rho = constant

The velocity is transferred to pressure as explained by Bernoulli. This Pressure is at maximum on a Stagnation point. At this point the pressure pushes the object back, the force vector is perpendicular against the surface. If the Object don't spin, it will flip because of this push at front edge. When the object is spinning it retains balance and sinks to the water with increasing pressure to the point where it has no vertical velocity left. Then these pressure forces push the object back so that it has again vertical velocity, but now it's upwards. The stone jumps up from the water. Etc., etc.”

If that grabs your interest, just Google it. It´s all to do with the angle of the spin. 

Time was now pressing, Hazel wanted her breakfast, and we positively cantered back along the canal to the restaurant.

The two OFSWAGS inspectors were invite to be seated and breakfast orders were taken, Somehow or other, Yves got his meal before anyone else, this probably having something to do with the fact that the Mira Rio proprietors spent several years in Luxembourg and can understand his blandishments when he speaks French to them while the rest of us are left in the dark.

Apart from that minor glitch, Maria controlled the ordering and distribution of provisions with her customary efficiency; the two Inspectors got a particularly obsequious dedicated personal waiter service – the thinking being that they might be more lenient in their report if we butter them up. And talking of butter, thanks to Hazel for providing genuine manteiga de leite de vaca.

All ate well and Hazel´s and Ingrid´s platters took joint first prize for colourful presentation,

That´s non-alcholic, btw.

The meal was rounded off with melon, courtesy of the house.

To conclude, thanks to Myriam and Yves for photographic assistance and particularly to Rafael for challenging us with his arithmetic. Can you follow his long division method?

This elegantly proves that the average age of the 11 walkers was 64.36.

We now await the OFSWAGS Inspection report with some trepidation but we will not hold our breathe – such quangos can take years to publish their findings.

 

And this week´s closing quotation:-

“You have to be dead before they freeze you.”

** Cryonics For Dummies - J.Summerfield.

Wiley Imprint, 2015. ISBN 879-2-772-036948-8.