WAPAPS 2016 - 2024: September 2016

Sunday, 25 September 2016

WAGS 2016: Somewhat Bravura, or the Week I became a GID

Rod led the WAGS walk on 21st September in the environs of the Bravura Barragem. We started at 10 am and finished at the reasonable hour of 1 pm and a wee bit. And so it was that I had got back home mid-afternoon and there I was relaxing, with not a care in the world and nil on the agenda, when I was confronted rather abruptly by a delegation of AWW ladies complaining vociferously about the photography in the recent AWW 20th Anniversary Blog. This delegation of two had actually diverted by some considerable distance from its normal way home in coming back from that day´s proper AWW walk over in Estoi purely in order to confront me in my own den!

If it had just been Janet voicing her disappointment that I had ruined the Alambique group photo for her by sticking my hand in front of her face just as the shutter did what shutters do, well, then I could simply have accepted the blame and conceded mea culpa. (That´s Latin, by the way, for “I´m the first to put my hand up”. In fact, Janet was graciousness itself about that incident.) But this was an altogether different kettle of fish.

The complaint had been lodged with the AWW Police (a.k.a Ingrid) and they were now onto my case. The Police alleged (with some justice, it has to be conceded) that Ingrid had been given insufficient exposure in the photo album of the Anniversary Lunch. “What was I going to do about it?” was the clear message. Feebly, I tried to explain that, due to Ingrid´s habitually retiring nature, neither of the expert photographers on duty that day had been able to capture a sufficiently well-focussed and characterful portrait of her. All to no avail; I had to do something. Luckily for me, Hazel came in at that point and served tea and cakes, saving me from further embarrassment and allowing me to escape.

The only solution that I could think of to mollify the AWW Police Force was that I would go back to the Blog and doctor it somehow to provide the additional vital exposure. (You can get to the results later.) And just to think - there I had been - congratulating myself that, after the 20th special, I was done with blogging for evermore.

And then, on top of this trauma, I get an email from Rod the next day presenting me (!) with his Leader´s Report and suggesting oh so gently that I was to do another blog, this time for the WAGS. It was at this stage that I mentioned to Hazel that I had been hoping to be done with blogging for good. Not much sympathy to be had there. She came out with a real put-down for my blogging; she called me a Glorified Intellectual Donkey –a brilliant bit of phraseology, enclosing as it does one word of, possibly, admiration within two of pure ridicule. A bitter pill with just a wee drop of sugar inside. Ah well. GID it is.

The Track

The Profile

Just look at that slope at 2.25km

The Statistics

Time: 3hr 17 min. Distance: 9.55 km. Total climb: 310 metres.

The Leader´s Report

John & Hazel, Chris & Antje, Peter, and Maria, plus Peter´s spaniel Davinia. This select band set off from the Barragem de Bravura parking place under Rod's guidance. The Hello and Goodbye bar was showing signs of opening but not to the extent of the Hello part! The walk was in the hills to the south and east of the dam.

It involved a rather steep and slippery descent (but maybe better down than up!) and then a rather more gentle ascent to the long ridge to the east.

Steep and slippery it certainly was.

We passed the rather gloomily signed track to Miséria ……

Oh! the burdens of Leadership

but in the event the area has been made more cheerful by the construction of a large irrigation dam holding a surprising amount of water.

On to the ridge top and we then wound our way down to the lake and back to the by then fully functional Hello and Goodbye. The price, which always puts Paul off, was not that bad....at least the Tostas came with a bit of fruit!
The distance of almost exactly 10k and the time of 3 and a bit hours was just about spot on the WAGS norm.

Well, it would have been interesting, if Paul had been there, to see what he would have put out on Trip Advisor about Hello Goodbye. The the all-enveloping warmth of the Filipina hostess´s welcome will be a lingering memory to start with. The number of instructive or prohibitory tri-lingual notices pinned on the walls particularly in the washrooms gives the visitor ample educative reading material. And definitely worth the visit is just to see how steep some prices can be; one welcomes and learns from such an experience. Euros 4.50 for a caneca shandy could be said to take the biscuit, if it weren´t for the fact that that is the same price they charge for a simple tosta. No pão caseiras, but the fruit was nice. VAT on the food as well as on drinks was levied at 23%, but it may be allowed that the news that VAT on restaurant food has been reduced to 13% hasn´t yet had time to penetrate such remote areas. But, hey, the car park was free!

And now if you wish to see the blog of the 20th Anniversary Lunch newly embellished with a portrait of Ingrid, you can find it exclusively on the WAPAPS 2016 blog site at:-

http://hopejohnh.blogspot.pt/2016/09/aww-20th-anniversary-part-2-lunch_19.html

That should keep the AWW Police off my back; I just hope that their legal advisors don´t find something amiss.

And that´s it; another blog done, without too much waffle, I hope.

GID

Monday, 19 September 2016

AWW 20th Anniversary: Part 1–The Walk

Pre-amble to the 20th Anniversary Blog

Traditionally AWW blogging, as instituted by Paul, was a mixture of factual, photographic and statistical record, along with diverse and inconsequential commentary, not infrequently irrelevant, mildly scurrilous and gently mocking. As one trying to follow in those his footsteps, this scribe has found this a difficult blog to put together because, much as he would have liked to maintain Paul´s ethos, he is even so very well aware that our two Anniversary Co-Organisers, Rod and Myriam, share a strong aversion to anything that remotely smacks of waffle, both firmly adhering to the completely admirable dictum that “brevity is the soul of wit” (a nod towards Shakespeare was not uncommon in Paul´s day as Blogger-in-Chief), and he would not wish to offend them (at least, not on this occasion) by disregarding their preferences. This blog therefore will consist very largely of Rod´s own writings, which will be in black in the following pages. Editorial asides will be in blue or orange, will be low key and kept to a minimum - well, that´s the present intention anyway. You will find four parts to the blog – the Walk, the Lunch, a Photo Album, and then a Miscellanea.

And now, without further ado, please give your undivided attention ( a catchphrase frequently used in Blackadder, I believe)… your undivided attention, I would repeat, to Rod.

From idle chatter with Myriam, as one does!, about how long we had been tramping the hills came the realisation we had been going 20 years and we ought to do something about it in terms of an anniversary event. Thus was born the idea of a shortish walk in Maurice Clyde´s old stamping ground and a lunch at one of his local restaurants which we would jointly organise.

Little did we imagine that 50 past and present members would appear and that 3 of them would come over from the UK specially for it. What was even more impressive was that, despite record September temperatures, 23 would actually join the walk which the leader (Rod) had only slightly tailored to suit the circumstances.

stamping ground and a lunch at one of his local restaurants which we would jointly organise.

Early arrivals were looking keen and were already boosting their energy reserves.

The Starters

Those brave and seasoned souls surely deserve a mention.

Back row: JohnO (AWW Supporters Club Rep), Chris, Tony Webster, Rod,

Middle row: Myriam, Judy Cooper, Antje, Marian, Nick, Pam, FrankM,

Front row: Rose, Jane Cook, Hazel, Francisco, Yves, Paul, Jan, Carla, and George,

On her haunches: Maria, and on the side lines: Ingrid, Janet, JohnH.

The Statistics and the Track

The walk from Cafe Sustelo followed some easy tracks and footpaths to the north of Poço Barreto, partly following a walk appearing in Maurice´s own walking guide book.

A neighbourhood Vigilante patrol, just checking

Among the returning veterans was this 48 year-old Rohan shirt.

And, in accordance with tradition, blood was shed

There was little shade to be found

and two hours was enough in the heat, and the ever noble Yves came back in his car to collect a couple of wayward stragglers.

Towards the end - Poço Barreto in sight

Paul´s splendid personally designed T-shirts featuring the AWW name, the blue blob, the cistus flower, and the ship and ravens of St. Vincent (our patron saint for those that remember), were distributed, proved very popular and were at once donned by many.

Autograph signatures were collected for Myriam´s personal shirt. Following a post-walk drink or two and a freshen-up (well in some cases a total reformation!) at the Bar Sustelo we repaired just along the road to O Alambique to meet up with everyone else.

Reformed Characters indeed

End of Part 1. The narrative continues on Part 2.

(Go to

http://hopejandh.blogspot.pt/2016/09/aww-20th-anniversary-part-2-lunch.html

for Part 2)

AWW 20th Anniversary: Part 2 - The Lunch

A group photo was taken just before lunch; quite remarkably, Rod managed to get 50 people to leave their drinks, to line up outside, to look at the camera at the same time, and then to go back inside the restaurant, all in less time than it takes for a chilled Sagres to lose its cool.

It ´s just a pity that the paparazzo responsible for the picture paid less than proper attention to protocol and waved his arm in front of Janet´s face at the critical moment. Oh dear! his copy book with her blotted once again, she won´t forgive him this time.

The 20th Anniversary Fifty

Back to Rod.

Marlene, O Alambique´s proprietor, had prepared a splendid repast, enjoyed with great conviviality and bonhomie. Myriam too did a splendid act as hostess with the mostest, delighting everyone her specially autographed T-shirt.

The feast culminated in the appearance of a splendid cake decorated, of course, with the emblematic blue blob and cistus flower.

Following that, a siesta was encouraged while one of the co-organisers rambled on (his words, not mine) about the origin and activities of the AWW.

He particularly welcomed Esme, our founder Maurice Clyde´s widow, Judy Cooper, widow of Ian, a founder member and participant of the first Algarve Way walk, and Jane Cook a frequent early walker... all of whom had come from the UK just for the event. He was also very happy to see Tony Webster, and Ricky Cruz who, along with Rod were on the very first AWW walk in September 1996, also Francisco Graça who was an early walker, facilitated our relations with Almargem, and was the creator of the joint names of Algarve Way and Via Algarviana.

He emphasized that the Algarve Way/Via Algarviana was Maurice´s brainchild, that many early walkers, especially Hedley who had walked with the Saturday walkers before the creation of the AWW, were involved in reconnoitering the route that was eventually first walked as a whole in October 1998 by Maurice and Ian...no longer with us, Mark Harman...too ill to join us, Ian Angus...resident in Spain, Tony Webster, Myriam and Rod (proud of the fact he believes he is still the only person to have covered it on foot and horseback)...still with us! Since then it has been wonderfully mapped and waymarked by David and Terry, the latter having now covered it probably more times than everyone else together. In the meantime the Almargem version, for which they took on the Via Algarviana name, has been separately mapped and waymarked.

He went on to laud the work of various Hon Secs...namely Lindsey, Janet, Tina and David, and those who had organised special events, particularly Paul for creating the RTC, for creating the blogs (now ably backed up by JohnH) and for being the unchallenged fashion style setter: Mike P for his Moonlight Walks and Sparrowfart summer walks and breakfast a role now taken on by Antje and Chris: Rod for walks in different locations in Spain and the Alentejo: and David for many recent events including the Rota Vicentina walks.

He particularly mentioned the many leaders, not already named, who have guided (or does he mean sometimes misguided?) the AWW all over the Algarve amongst whom there were present:-

Thyl, (and his better half Gita.. a frequent early walker and composer of the early AWW anthem – see later), Ian Wilson, Lindsey and Andrew, Ian Scott, Jim, Hilke, JohnO, and Nick and Pam. He went on to say how lucky (or should it be well prepared?!) we had been to avoid any serious accidents. The record was slightly marred only by Anna Rose (also a frequent early walker) breaking her leg during a walk in Madeira, and Yves who managed to convince the Bombeiros to rescue him from a precarious position on a west coast cliff.

Who - Me? …… Qui - Moi?

He finished by pointing to the future and asking where were all the organisers of new events and volunteers for specific roles....these days everything seems to be organised by the Hon. Sec. David. There is an obvious risk in being a one man band...so come on step forward!

This was followed by Mike P with some amusing reminiscences about some of the events he had organised, and then by Janet who said how happy she had been on so many walks and who stated her preference for keeping them free of rules and regulations...and even guidelines!!

During the open floor afterwards, Esme emotionally expressed her appreciation of the event as did Tony Webster. Hedley, Frank W, David, and Ian W.had their say before Hazel finished with an appropriate Deo Gratias.