Like a circle in a spiral
Like a wheel within a wheel
Never ending or beginning
On an ever-spinning reel
As the images unwind
Like the circles that you find
In the windmills of your mind.
Actually the second visit to Mike's Don Quixote walk this year, the last being in February, and you can refresh your memory here
Despite having this recent material to reference, Mike proudly proclaimed that the predicted walk would be:
"Time/distance (about): 5 hours 15 minutes/21 km
Overall rating: Very easy
Terrain: level (more or less)"
much as he had the previous occasion!
His written exculpation follows later, but as the last couple of blogs have been mild and uncontroversial, I thought I would take the opportunity to open the case for the prosecution early.
A more orderly group of 11 starters - exactly half the previous number -the shy and retiring Thyl took the photo to avoid undue publicity. As you can see, Maria made a comeback after meeting us by chance in Sta. Margarida a couple of weeks ago, and Hilke was back from her adventures on the Silk Road.
Stats: Total Dist: 23.7 km.; Moving time: 4 hr 55min.; Total Time: 5 hr 40 min.; Moving Avg.: 4.8 km/hr; Overall Avg.: 4.2 km/hr; Total Ascent : 362m (more or less level!); Max Elev. 147m.
The track - an expandable version can be accessed here
This time Mike didn't have Lindsey to virtually lead the walk with Bamboo Diagrams, (nor write his blog report) and bravely shouldered the responsibility of finding the way, and keeping the caravan on time, personally. To this end he set off up the 'level' climb to Alto de Raposeiras, (the clue is in the name) at a cracking pace, with which my GPS, set to walk mode, could barely keep up, let alone the rest of us - except Antje who slipstreamed him! Unfortunately the official photographer was left so far behind that no photos exist until we reached the first windmill!
Telephoto shot of Mike on the level going for the windmills. Even Tiggy was left behind!
It was during this phase that it is thought that an 'Asian Rynx' attempted to slow Our Leader down by slashing at his left calf. Unfortunately it didn't finish the task, being left in the wake, but we saw the evidence at the top of the level climb!
The dogs enjoyed the remnants of the previous night's rain, but we had a nice breeze, to get the Windmills going and some sun.
The rain had brought some wildlife out, and I slipped into David Attenborough mode to film a video of a dung beetle, with colour commentary by interested Walkers, but regrettably I have so far been unable to get it into a form to show here, so you will have to make do with a still.
The appearance of the dung beetles led to a joke by Ian S. which I can't recall but perhaps he will submit as a comment, which led to a grammatical discussion between Ian, Thyl and myself, and involved the use of the word 'onomatopoeically' which as far as I can recall was the first time this word has been used on a WW!
Soon after this, Maria came across some roses and Champagne which must have been left there by an anonymous admirer!
Rumours that an Elderly Gentleman disguised as a Walk Leader had passed this way minutes previously were unconfirmed, but since the Champagne bottle was empty, and thereafter he frequently visited the trackside foliage, you can draw your own conclusions!
After more conversation worthy of 'The Bloomsbury Set' (qv.) we reached the one and only Trig Point of the walk, Pardieiros, - and Mike managed to conceal his surprise (since it was a level walk) and rallied the troops for the obligatory.
Maria volunteered for the risky stuff as I scampered back after setting the timer and the Octopus, only just making it because of the spiky undergrowth. Thyl could clearly be seen by Maria, but alas the camera only captured his left elbow behind Ian S. If he had tried to hide behind Myriam, we may have seen more of him!
Lunch was a little later than normal, but we had around 13 km under our boots by then, and we waited for a spot with a view over the Pedralva valley.
After lunch, a short (but level) downhill allowed the leader to surreptitiously increase the pace to get back on his schedule, and if you took an average between the time we spent walking and the total time en route, he brought us back to Café Rodrigues bang on time!
However Myriam tried to sabotage his efforts by summoning help to put one of the jousted windmills back up!
I will now append the Leader's report verbatim, uninterrupted by comment or illustrations, to demonstrate what I and the other Bloggers have to work with!!
Herewith a very brief walk report. I see no point in waffling when there was little upon which to comment.
Walk statistics: Chief Blogger to complete. I will defer to his GPS because I have no alternative although I reserve my position that the walk was exactly 22 km, as advertised. Furthermore, had it not been for whatever activities, seemly or otherwise, may or may not have occurred at the rear of the column, we would have completed the course in 5 hours 15 minutes (again, exactly as advertised).
Walkers (11): Paul; Myriam, Maria (SHE’S BACK!), Hilke (returned to the fold after the summer), Ingrid, a brace of Ians, Chris and Antje, Thyl (most welcome after quite an absence) and Mike.
Dogs (4): Nandi, Tiggy, Maddie and Sambo (forget the political correctness)
Regrettably, Andrew and Lindsey had to cancel at the last minute.
Apart from the walk leader having a difference of opinion with a bramble (convincingly won by the bramble) shortly before arriving at the first wind turbines there was little else to cause unseemly merriment.
Don Quixote would have had a splendid time as we counted the best part of 60 wind turbines located in three separate farms along the route.
The obligatory photograph was taken at Pardieiro trig point (144 m) using Paul’s octopus.
The walk was advertised as level (more or less) and so indeed it was. However, the walk leader suspected that some walkers had surreptitiously smuggled spirit levels about their person to check on this assertion. In any event by the end, the spirit had been downed and there was no bubble left.
Di! Ecce hora! Uxor mea me necabit!
(A mention in dispatches for the best translation!!)
Back at the cafe´Myriam was preoccupied with fund raising and Anniversary card signatures so rather neglected the photography, but I took a couple from the comfort of my bar stool!
Re vera, potas bene.
Vescere bracis meis.
Apologies for the pseudo Latin tags, (Si Hoc Legere Scis Nimium Eruditionis Habes) but I fear I am regressing to the Lower Remove again. John H. please explain to those who may have missed out on a Classical Education.
I admit, I was still suffering the next day from the after-effects of the long sprint home (what hope for the RTC!) but it was a good level training walk, and let's hope that in the next few weeks we can find the odd undulation.
It's all to do with the training: you can do a lot if you're properly trained. Elizabeth, Queen
A good memory is one trained to forget the trivial. Fadiman, Clifton
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