WAGS/APAPS: A Commercial for the Silves Tourist Board

 

This was how Rod presented the concept:

“Subject to the co-operation and fast breaking digestive capacity of the chief and fellow breakfasteers, I would like to propose a combined WAGS / APAPS perambulation for next Wednesday. This will be an urban and sub-urban walk with some cultural overtones, but worry not it won't  spoil our record by being excessively cerebral.
Starting point, although unlikely to be a source of coffee, will be the Cafe Chapim, which is a green (ish) prefabricated , even quite attractive from within, structure to be found beside the river in the main Silves car park, somewhat beyond the rather more illustrious Burger King. Alongside it you will find some equipment of physical training torture. This is available free for those that may need a pre walk warm - up , or even post walk for those who might feel they have not achieved their required exercise level. Mindful of darkening and cooler mornings we shall set off at 08.00”.

Cultural overtones indeed! The not very-well-known story is that Silves Camera have a vacancy for a mutli-lingual town crier-cum-tour guide (honorarium top-secret) and Rod hankers after the post. He wanted to hone up his historico/histrionico skills on a tame group, i.e. us APAPS, before putting in his application. So this week he switched from being an Inspector of Walking Standards for OFSWAG to being himself inspected. What will the verdict be?

Well, there we were at 08.00. The rest of the commentary is Rod´s – in blue ; the photos are by the usual suspects; editorial comments will be minimal(I think).

A few comments re Wed's walk ......

Present: John, Hazel, Paul, Myriam, Ingrid, Janet, Rose, Maria, Yves and Rod

(Statistically, 6.75km distance; Moving Time: 1 hr 52 mins; Total climb: 245 metres.)

Although announced as a walk for APAPS and WAGS  it seems membership  overlap is ever increasing.  Urban, sub-urban and cerebral was advertised, but after gathering in Silves car park on what was still a particularly warm day the absence of a caffeine fix might have had something to do with the cerebral element being rather less than evident. This was particularly so as far as the leader was concerned as he expected to count on a healthy dose of bullshit in his commentary about his home territory. Unfortunately for him the presence of Maria with her 35 years of residence in Silves and consequent local knowledge kept  him a bit quiet. (Excuses, excuses!)

 First stop of note was the city 'pelourinho'...although clearly had Myriam been so condemned then she would probably  have  found it more like a gallows!

                                                                                                                                                    PaulaDev Images 2016 TM

 

Yes, that´s a Manueline window, Paul

We wandered on up to the castle walls and gateway, of course making our obeisance to the mighty statue of  the great Dom Sancho 1 (no photo yet).

Dom Sancho 1 finally joins us                                                                         (picture added 04.09.2016)

 

                                                                                                              PaulaDev Images 2016 TM

 

We left the city past the cemetery , past the shameful shell of the once much vaunted Piaget Institute University and on to the base of the hill surmounted by the "Silves Windmill'. The thought of this challenging ascent was evidently too much for Ingrid, sympathetically supported by Maria, but the rest sumitted despite the now searing heat.

 

The windmill itself no longer deserves any pride of place amongst Silves' points of interest. The sails are but shredded remnants, most unlikely ever to turn again as one of the arms is firmly anchored to the ground. There is little that can be done, however, to spoil the rather splendid view.

                                                                                                              PaulaDev Images 2016 TM

 

(Good Lord – a WAPAPS trig shot !)

Returning  via Monte Branco  we re entered the city by the Church of N. Sra. dos Martires then ambling back up to the city heights by the Hospital and the old Misericordia complex, then down the steps past the Camara and away.

(The name of this statueified dignitary slipped our Tour Guide Presumptive´s memory for the moment, as it has that of your Blogger.) 

Back at the Cafe Chapim, in a tranquil corner of the park by the river we had a breakfast of modest choice and proportions compared to APAPS norms but adequate for the late hour lest it became lunch and therefore  presumably outside APAPS regulations.

Quotations to be seen at the end from Sappho (on the river bank) and Thomas Hardy and Lao Tze ( less salubriously in the café loos! ), all fluent in Portuguese.

And the verdict on the aspiring Tour Guide?

Fair to say, the jury is still out.