APAPS 20.7: Reflections

 A reasonable quorum of seven gathered at Mira Rio for a 7.30 am start where we welcomed Rod´s return to the walking side of things.

                                                            Terry, Jill, Becky, JohnH, Maria, Yves, Myriam, Rod.

 It was a peaceful morning with the river full from the high tide. A moment of panic shortly after the start when our professional photographer let slip that he had left his equipment back in his car. Terry and the Leader looked at each other and simultaneously said

“You can´t get the staff these days!”

plus other rather less complimentary remarks. After all, what´s the point of engaging a photographer who doesn´t bring his camera? Well, he was politely asked to nip back to the car and fetch his gear, which he did at some speed. And just as well he did so, because he was then able to take this atmospheric early morning shot.

Regular readers of this page may remember that recently we challenged Yves to contribute to the blog, and this week he did so, describing what happened next. (Those of a sensitive disposition may wish to look the other way for the next paragraph.)

So over to Yves:-

Quote

"Yves, balls in the water, over there!"

Now, when that cry went out I was naturally taken aback a wee bit: it sounded like like an instruction, an order almost from our own 'Petit Caporal': 

I tried to object that access to the water was difficult and the water might be cold but my protestations fell on deaf ears: 

"Come on, you can take a good picture of balls dangling in the water!"

When it comes to tricky or sometimes mildly perilous tasks, I am no shrinking violet, most of the time, but my mouth went a bit dry then: the walks and the blog are for consenting adults but there are limits!

Only when I came past a large bush that was blocking the view of river did everything become clear, to my and most other people's relief or disappointment...

A bullet had been dodged, phew!

                                                                          The Petit Caporal

Unquote

And this - thanks to Terry for the photo - was what it was that had now become clear to Yves.

                           Ah, it´s the little things that make us walkers happy.

A bit later, we turned away from the canal and then moved uphill, where we found signs of recent bulldozer activity: some new tracks through the bush plus a huge boulder placed in the middle of an existing road - quite why, no one knows. It was too much even for Terry to shift.

After that effort, the rest of the walk was taken at a fairly relaxed pace.

The pace was so relaxed in fact that when we came to the Vale da Lama village we stopped for a leisurely chat with a friend of Maria´s who presented her with some flowers

and who also educated the rest of us on the use of plastic water bottles to stop dogs from messing in your garden.

The Track and the Statistics

The Breakfast

Back at Mira Rio, we were joined by two very tanned Whittles, returned from their trip to the Azores in time for the Event of the Week and we were very excited to meet up with Paul resplendent in his latest Tilley, a Fedora so we are led to believe. 

As I am sure Ingrid and Janet will confirm, it was worth waiting for the unveiling of this new classic.

The extra black material is to protect his ears from the airstream when he is driving his open top jeep-type vehicle.

Hazel provided green vegetables from her ever-productive horta.

The meal was of the Restaurante´s usual excellent quality and great value, with melons provided on the house.

Sometimes we like to conclude the blog with something entirely unconnected with either walking or breakfasting, so here is a brief anecdote from France.

The price of gas in France

After careful planning, the thief got past security, stole the paintings, and made it safely to his van with the loot. However, he was captured only two blocks away when the van ran out of gas. When questioned how he could mastermind such a daring crime and then make such an elementary error, he replied

“Monsieur, that is the reason I stole the paintings-

                    I had no Monet

                       to buy Degas

                          to make the Van Gogh

                              Je Magritte rien.

        I am telling you this tale because I figured I had nothing Toulouse:”

                        See if you have De Gaulle to tell this to someone else."

And, for our finale, Edith Piaf rolls her Rs to perfection.

APAPS 20.6: Safety First

The heading picture is what faced drivers heading east on the N269 towards Poço Frito at 7-15 am last Wednesday. Not designed for easy driving. Myriam very sensibly pulled in and waited for ten minutes. Safety is our motto of the moment.

There was a reasonable turn out of seven in the early morning sun at Café Martins

and without too much preliminary ado, they assembled for the Starter picture.

Although this walk was all over familiar ground, the Leader did make one small mistake which was seized on and for which he was teased unmercifully. Lucky that the followers did not notice the two or three other errors. Apart than that, not much to report, so this will be a mainly photographic record. 

At the clump of old oak trees which have figured before in this blog, Terry noticed that one of the limbs was drooping a bit

so he re-adjusted it. Hopefully, it will be good for a few more years now. But that was a risky move, Terry. Next time. please wear your safety helmet; those branches are heavy.

Yves got up to his usual little game of balancing ever more impossible rocks on other impossible rocks.

Shortly after this, Jim and Yves decided that they had had enough and headed off on a short cut towards the nearest tarmac, 

hoping no doubt to thumb a lift back to the Café, while the rest of us followed a more roundabout but uneventful way back to base where Hazel was patiently waiting for her breakfast. The Leader was just about to drive off down the road to look for Jim and Yves when, in a miracle of good timing, they arrived having indeed managed to thumb a lift in Paul´s khaki green jeep. 

Safety is our motto. but I don´t know about those brakes or was the van used to bring it to a stop?

The caption to the following picture (and I don´t know who wrote that caption) reads 

"I´m glad I got out of that alive".

The two passengers who emerged may have been a bit shaken but that didn´t stop others from wanting to have a go.

The Track and the Statistics.

The Breakfast

Adequate if a trifle disappointing would be this critic´s verdict.. The cook´s technique for frying eggs seems to involve an element of simultaneous scrambling. Paul´s photography presents the food in a different light.

Another disappointment at the meal was that it had been anticipated that Paul would unveil his very latest Tilley hat,

but he had forgotten to bring it and was wearing the same old same old. Janet and Ingrid will just have to contain their excitement for one more week

Coming back to the safety theme, Myriam gave a presentation on her new First Aid kit

while the enthralled audience marvelled at its contents.

There is some debate about whether mascara provide any safety benefits; meanwhile, away from the walking, Yves has been continuing his series of estátuas mascaradas pictures.

If there are any more statues near you which have not yet been masked, please let him know.