APAPS 25 05: Snakes Alive Or Unto The Hills

The rationale for this week´s walk was really quite simple. All of our last four walks had been flat - like Norfolk, very flat. In fact, the average ascent over the past month had only been 34 metres per walk. So I thought that it was time we did some climbing.

At Bom Homem, there were what now seems to be the usual set of Starters, that is 5 girls and JohnH.

Shortly after we set off, we came across this snake, feigning dead on the track as it sensed us approaching.

It was not very large, when seen in comparison with Myriam´s boot; its head is bottom right of the picture.

but, when provoked, it came to life and got out of our way smartly enough.

Then we could turn our attention to the sunny uplands. Even the first climb proved challenging, unfit as I was.

 The Rest and Be Thankful bench near the top of the first hill was as welcome as ever.

But after that brief respite, the rest of thewalk became, if I am honest, a bit too much in the way of climbing, at least for me, and I didn´t make much use of my camera 

Apart from the fact that there were hills and more hills, all of which the girls got up much faster than me, I can´t remember very much more about the walk and certainly don´t have anything much to say about it. Luckily, after not too long, we found our way back to Rest and Be Thankful for a bit more respite. 

Then it was just a matter of making our way back to the start and it was there that we spotted a familiar figure up to one of his favourite pastimes - taking photographs. It was Yves so the single man became two men, thank goodness.

So, Yves provided some much needed support and some excellent telephoto pictures and, what is more, he also provided material for the blog which follows in black script, written in his unique idiosyncratic style and with allusions which may be hard to follow if you are not well-versed in Yorkshire humour. Here is his piece. 

"APAPS outing of September 3, 2025; the conclusion thereof.

It was a very bright morning but already the intrepid APAPS had completed their SAPAPS training course in the unforgiving hills

The ladies were difficult to spot initially but ‘Echo location’ pinpointed their position among the remote boondocks.

Meanwhile, the Leader was determined to make the rendezvous at the appointed time and he marched ahead with great determination, weighed down as he was with ‘pretty rocks’ for Hazel… Chivalry is alive and to be found on dusty tracks.

As he neared the Finish line, an uncaring cyclist swooped narrowly past him at inconsiderate speed, almost beating the snapper’s reflexes, too!

"Oi, mind my toes !"

Be that as it may, the peloton of ladies was making steady and somewhat quieter progress until Maria spotted the snapper and warned the others of his presence: hair, mascara, lippy and action! ‘Smile, please?’

We duly gathered at the cars and exchanged greetings and other pleasantries  as befits old acquaintances and, boy, are we getting old !

The snapper had very little option but allow an inquisitive lady to play with his ‘big gun’; she was mildly surprised at its weight but recovered her composure sufficiently not to drop it, thankfully…

Maria is allowed to handle his equipment

And so the Happy Wanderers made their way to Para e Fica for their scrumptious version of the F.E.B, well deserved and enjoyed it was, too. Maria joined the party eventually after an ‘extra loop’ to Silves… Rod may not have been with the group but his influence is still enduring."

Thanks to Yves for that welcome contribution.

The Track and the Statistics

Well, with an ascent of 142 metres, we did achieve our aim of doing some climbing but we did not quite meet Cristl´s standard measure of climbing which is the height of Cologne Cathedral.

157.2 metres

 The Breakfast

Here the walkers were joined by Chris W, Hans, Lesley and Chris and Rachel D. A teapot was much admired - Portuguese ceramic, I believe.

There were oodles of toast .....

and the F E B was indeed substantial. in Antje´s words, "Breakfast was yummy. We all ate loads and the service was friendly." 

Yes indeed, the chef Eva came out to greet us in true hospitality mode.

Myriam cleverly took the group photograph

and Yves, having demonstrated his skills with  the big lens, then showed equal mastery of portraiture with the compact camera.

He even went backstage to record the kitchen crew in action working their miracles in a minimal space.

Closing Music

Last week  I attached some railway music reminding some of us of a railway line in Kenya, "The Good Old E.A.R. &H."

 Didn´t get much of a reaction to that, but I will try again. This Flanders and Swann song is a bit of nostalgia about the little old British railway lines and railway stations that were swept away following the Beeching Cuts in the 1960s - 5,000 miles of track torn up and 2,363 stations closed.

First, however, a recording of Richard Burton reading "Adlestrop," a poem about a sleepy little Gloucestershire railway station. It did not survive the Beeching Cuts.