APAPS 2017 no.12: Extravagância Esperança

They came from miles around, in different shapes and sizes, overcoming infirmities and other difficulties, all attracted by the prospect of a slap-up breakfast.

Janet´s car expired right on the door step, but she wasn´t put off by this petty problem.

A Starter photograph was taken,

but a man at the back wasn´t paying attention, so it had to be taken it again.

The walk  itself was almost totally uneventful. The cooking brigade left us about halfway round and hurried back to the kitchen. Chris and Jill went with them.

The Track and the Statistics

Paul´s device says nearly all that is needed.

All that needs to be added is: Total ascent  –  205 metres.

A slight detour was taken to view the Pagoda. On the way back, Rod paused to greet a 90 year-old friend, the owner of an extensive avocado plantation, and Myriam stayed to chat too.

Sascha leads the way home; in the far distance  on the path behind, two figures can just be made out – Rod and Myriam, well out of hearing range.

Back at the ranch, Hazel and Maria were busy with scrambled eggs, etc, and Ingrid (who had decided that an early start to her day was not what the doctor had orderd)  had arrived and was assisting with the bread (home-made, of course) and a house speciality, the chilli-spiked tomayto juice. (The etc. consisting of bacon, sausages, black pudding, tomatoes, mushrooms and, of course, baked beans – whether they are fruit or veg is still undecided.)

JohnH got busy with the Buck´s Fizz.

Food ready, some helped themselves

while Hazel made sure that our two specialist food critics were properly looked after before they began their assessment of the fare.

“What do youi think?”  Approving or disapproving? Difficult to tell.

Well, that´s one emptied plate.

And another.

Ah, that bread !  And a selection of marmalades.

And exotixc fruits.

Hazel spoke about her favouite charity, Open Doors,

and raised  Euros 140:- for which she is very thankful to all.

JohnH told a bad joke, just to save Yves the embarrassment of having to do so.

And, some time later, Janet´s Prince Charming arrived with his magic coach and whisked her and her car off to…..Colégio.

Thanks to all for their wonderful contributions to the breakfast, and also to Myriam, Paul and Yves for photography.

To close this summer´s blogs, a slightly philosophical quotation from Charles Moore who was recently reflecting in The Spectator on what makes a good conversation.

“The problem with so many social conversations (lunch, dinner, parties) is that talk is compulsory. This can be a helpful thing, but it penalises those who are interesting but shy, against those who are more assertive than interesting. Conversations among people engaged in an outdoor pursuit are quite different. They can start, stop, and resume without any embarrassment, and they rest on the reassuring basis of a common interest…….There is no requirement to chat at all, so when talk comes, it is unforced.”