Thursday 23 July 2009

AWW 22.07.2009: Sparrowfart 2009

A blogger's life made easy by a Leader who not only with his wife hosts a most convivial post-ambular breakfast but also the same day files a very prompt and complete Report: this follows without further ado.

" Walk statistics: Trip odometer: 12.7 km; Moving average: 3.0 kph; Stopped time: 17.19 minutes; odometer: 0001288; Maximum speed 16.2 kph!; Moving average: 4.2 kph;Total elapsed time: 3 hours 18 minutes (or 3 hours 7 minutes depending upon information source). If all that makes sense good luck to the CB.


(Click to enlarge)


Sparrows (12): Rod, Rory Symons [MP’s son-in-law], Andrew Fielder, John H (standing in for CB), Chris, Terry A, Robert Michie [guest] , Frank Wilson [guest] , Ian Scott, John O’, Jim, Mike (ostensible leader). Yves signed in but failed to appear [Perhaps held up researching the walk’s nomenclature]
Sparowettes (12): Veronique van Cauter [MP’s house guest]; Heather Symons [MP’s daughter], Anna Symons (12) [MP’s grand-daughter], Hazel, Tina, Hilke, Jill, Alex, Chris Michie [guest], Linda Wilson [guest], Ingrid, Janet
Sparrow Chasers (4): Oscar, Nandi, Maddie & Rusty. Deserters: Sambo & Tiggy who went for an independent dawn walk-about
Brekker Preparers + Supporters Club (8): Jyll, Marguerite, Antje, Sue, Troth, Michael, Deirdre, Gérard (van Cauter)
Total Participants: 32 [With apologies for any omissions – the leader suffers from finger impairement syndrome– only 10 ].



There, that completes quite a few words of the obligatory task for a Walk Leader. What follows can be regarded as an appendage.
Regrettably the CB was absent, purportedly attending to the minutiae of ensuring that his latest piece of gadgetry – to whit a geo-campervan, meets the latest and highest technological standards. We await with interest the Chief Bloggerette’s view towards her new nomadic lifestyle. We also look forward to seeing her mounted on one of the geo-cache-mobikes provided within the campervan.


The mini-multitude (24) set off briskly only 10 minutes behind schedule at 06.55 hours with no night apparel visible and all apparently bright eyed and bushy tailed. After passing along two canals with no one falling in we ascended by a cross-country route to the Vale da Lama trig point (39 meters).

From thence the route took us along and above salt flats where we were able to observe grey heron, black winged stilt and storks.


Our Leader at Muddy Bottom

After negotiating a short, muddy, rough section alongside the Odiáxere river we gained a path that overlooked the river and which led to the railway bridge between Odiáxere and Mexilhoeira Grande stations. This called for a little dexterity to negotiate but, fortunately, with no accidents.






No one fell in so there was nothing to laugh at. From thence across the railway line and onto a good raised path with prawn raising (?) ponds either side that leads westwards, parallel to the sea and a large lagoon with much oyster farming activity (price: about €0.20 per oyster). On joining the Palmares golf course major developments have made it necessary to pick a route along the great earthworks that are preliminary to golf holes being constructed. This is followed by a relatively easy ascent to the ridge that is dominated by the São Roque apartment complex. The track now took us eastwards towards the northern edge of Palmares GC which we skirted before taking the gravel road that passes over Mte. Baio (100 m). This road is easy, mostly downhill walking and leads back to the two canals on which we started.








This proved a welcome watering hole for the Sparrow Chasers. We arrived back at Quinta das Espargosas at 10.10 hours where the Brekker Preparers were awaiting us with a splendid breakfast under canvas.














Rod did the honours in his inimitable style and many willing hands made light work of clearing away the breakfast dishes and disassembling the shade covers.


Since it now seems somewhat obligatory for the walk leader to submit some sort of poetic reference to the walk activities [maybe this is a test of his/her educational accomplishments] the best that I can come up with is:
'Dawn is a miracle, sweeping away night's darkness and returning the beneficent sun that makes life possible on this minor planet, this dust speck in the universe. If dawn came only once a year we would all gather on the hilltops to see it and celebrate. We would hold festivals and issue proclamations and utter prayers of thanksgiving.'
Hal Glen Borland (1900-78) was an American author and journalist who, besides his articles, poems and novels, also wrote books on nature, sometimes with his wife Barbara Dodge Borland, and nature watching tended to make him wax philosophical and at length [Sounds a bit like certain AWWs]."



Friday 12 June 2009

AWW 10.06.2009: Mata and Natter


"Nothing is more hopeless than a scheme of merriment." (Dr. Johnson)

The editorial sub-committee (Paul) decided that it would be too much to expect the Leader (Paul) to lead the walk, to report it, and to blog it as well , in addition to having to catch a flight to UK at crack of dawn the following day. Said sub-committee therefore "invited" DCB to do the report and the blog. Mindful of the great doctor's strictures against humour, DCB decided, from the outset, that this would be a totally serious, factual journal, but this resolution was hit for six from the very start by Myriam. First, she masqueraded as a sort of security official, taking photographic identities of all participants until she was somewhat confused by Dina's arrival in a car sem condutor. Can't blame her.



"How did she manage that?" (Click to enlarge)

And then she and Hazel indulged in some tomfoolery at Misty's and Rod's expense:






Anyway, enough of that, back to the facts.



The start: Barao Sao Joao, 9 a.m. The route: through the Mata Nacional.

Our leader: Paul.
His supporting cast: Myriam, Ian S., the Whittle Four (Chris, Antje, Alex and Marcela), Dina, Yves (the invisible driver), Rod, Terry M., Ingrid, Hazel, JohnH.

The dogs: Misty, Tiggie, Sambo, and Maddie (welcome back indeed!)

And the stats, courtesy of Paul:

Total Dist.: 14.3 Km; Moving Time: 3 hrs 17 min;

Total Time: 3 hrs 44 min.; Moving Avg.: 4.3 km/hr;

Overall Avg.: 3.8 km/hr; Total Ascent: 335 m.
Max Elev.: 183 m.

The Starters




The track

We set off, downhill briefly, and then south-westwards along a winding and shady path with panoramic views down to the coast over farming land where strip agriculture was noticed which led to reminiscences by Yves about his youth and the girls in the Land Army, info from Alex about the limited height of modern corn hybrids, and a few choruses from Oklahoma. Maddie was doing well but Ian was solicitous and ensured she had regular water. We rested a while beside a calm pond where Paul temporarily let his guard down, admitting that he hadn't actually recce'ed what was to come next.












Alex discovered a natterjack toad which attracted considerable attention from everyone except the paparazzi who seemed to be asleep on the job, so that it's neccessary to import a file picture of this creature (aka Bufo calamita) for the edification of the herpetologists among us.




Rest and nature study over, the group now moved out from the shade and up to the park ridges which at first sight seem to be dominated by modern windmills or aerogeradors. This encouraged Yves to educate us about some of the symbolism involved with these monsters.




(Copyright: Yves Ferrer S.A. @2009)

But then, just as one had thought they'd gone out of fashion, a trig point showed up, tradition reasserted itself, and TOTPPic was taken.





By now the temperature had risen well into the thirties, the track seemed to stretch into infinity, and the dogs needed more water, which was nearby.









But the Leader proved merciless to the humans, accelerating the pace and heading straight up an almost impossibly steep scree, at the top of which he waited, sadistically filming the struggles of us lesser beings. He must have been inspired by the Sean Connery/Sidney Lumet film "The Hill." Just take a look at Paul's video to see how steep his hill was, and also how concerned Maddie was about Ian's progress. (A few of us more canny ones circled round to the right.)


Then on and on we went. Not even a pause for lunch, apparently because the Whittle Quartet - by accident or design, I know not - had left their packed meals in their car. Hazel, somewhat famished, decided to eat on the march and asked Myriam for assistance in "taking her banana out" (from her knapsack.) That was done,but what Paul then said to Myriam about his banana cannot properly be repeated in this family magazine.
The next stretch proved pretty relentless going, northish and then eastish along an undulating but never-ending ridge through farm areas.

At last, more water for the dogs was found near a cross-roads where we came across some Via Algarviana markers, whereupon Ingrid pulled rank (as one of DL's All The Trans-Algarve Way belles is entitled to do) and demanded a photo-opportunity for herself and all the other belles de la jour, all gathered around the sign.
Les Belles

When asked if he had got all the signage into the picture, the paparazzo replied, with a modicum of gallantry, that he hadn't been looking at the words.


Further on, Rod convened a brief seminar on agricultural machineries of the early 20th century and, at Pedro Branca, he and Ian exchanged reminiscences about walking in Sierra da Aracena with some guys in some vans whose dog's water our dogs had helped themselves to uninvited.











Thereafter homewards, the race to be first to the bar being a deadheat between Ian S. and JohnH. Thirsts were quenched, and lunches taken at last, albeit Marcela looked a trifle unsure about her pao a pedras , or was it a rock bun?


In the background, the regulars only had eyes for each other :-


while Antje flourished her new gizmo:-




and Myriam was as active as ever, while we bade farewell for the summer to Terry M., returning to UK, and debated a bit lethargically whether there might be a walk next week or not; the concensus being that it would depend on the direction of the prevailing wind, so probably not.
Probably no more until the SparrowFart, a name immensely intriguing to Yves.


" I am but mad north-north -west: when the wind is southerly, I know a hawk from a handsaw." (Shakespeare)

But the last word is with Dr. Johnson:
"Your manuscript, Sir, is both good and original; but the parts that are good are not original, and the parts that are original are not good."

Friday 5 June 2009

AWW 03.06.2009: Blown Away in Benagil

A Black Day for Tilley Owners everywhere!! Antje’s pristine LTM6 AirFlo hat was caught by a capricious gust on today’s walk and tantalisingly landed on an unreachable ledge below the cliff on which she was standing. No potential Chris Bonington’s stepped forward, so the hat may still be there until the next gust flings it into the Atlantic, where it may float for some months, unless washed ashore. This is where owners thank their foresight for buying a Tilley, as the Guarantee Against Loss comes into play!

After the marathon blogging of our tour to Spain last week, and the unblogged (or more importantly, unphotographed) 17 km. Alternate AWW Bikini Walk, by Ingrid and Alex along the coast last Wednesday, it was time to return to norms, and Ian S. volunteered his famous Benagil Aperitif Walk.

The well-established procedure is that unless the Leader is a Certified Qualified Blogger, he submits his report via email to the CB, DCB or ADCB depending on who is ‘On Duty’. This is then edited and decorated with pictures from the Walk with a Garnish of Statistics.

But not this time!! Ian’s Server was apparently playing up, so the text for his report was hand-delivered to the CB very promptly on Thursday morning, in what I hesitate to call longhand! He did explain that it had to be in Block Capitals as his joined-up writing was illegible!

After pretending that I could read it all, I immediately put it through the scanner on my computer, but it totally defeated my sophisticated OCR (Optical Character Recognition) System, and I was forced to transcribe it using pure intuition.

scan0010

Now do you get the picture?

Below is my attempt to render it in a decent font!

Benagil Starters

Stats: Total Dist.: 11.6 km.; Moving Time: 3 hrs; Overall Time: 3:30 hrs; Moving Avg.: 3.8 km/hr; Overall Avg.: 3.3 km/hr: Total Ascent: 309 m.: Max Elevation: 51 m.

The more observant may notice that I have omitted the customary track of the walk in the interest of saving online storage! Please refer to previous incarnations of this blog, where very similar routes are displayed

What a Silly Tilley

Leader: Ian S.

Mad Hatters: Myriam, Paul, Terry A., Jill, Chris, Antje, John H., Hazel, Dina, Terry M., Yves, John O’, Alex, Ingrid, Frank, David B., Judy.

Mad Dogs: Rusty, Tiggy, Sam.

On a sunny, breezy morning we set off from Benagil on this Classic Short Coastal Walk to Senhora de Rocha and back.

As usual, the views were stunning, and after reaching Praia da Albandeira we diverted to view Cormorant Rock. (CB’s comment: That was not what he called it at the time!)

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‘Cormorant rock’ – Antje, having commandeered Chris’ Tilley points out the ledge on the way back.

Here Antje’s Tilley, aided by a gust of wind, departed for a new life on a cliff ledge, out of reach despite all efforts.

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It’s down there somewhere!

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Antje was brave to take this picture!

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Myriam was even braver to lend her camera to her!!

On then to Senhora de Rocha for refreshments. Here Judy decided to opt out due to blister problems.

Unknown to the rest of the party, Terry M. was able to use his latest communication gismo to contact the Portuguese Maritime Reconnaissance Unit with a request that they fly a sortie to locate the Lost Tilley.

AWW 03.06.2009 Blown Away in Benagil 007

Sure enough, on our return walk the aircraft appeared flying at low altitude along the cliff tops. Unfortunately no hat was sighted. The walk concluded without further incident.

P.S. The Air Force has advised that Chris and Antje will receive their ‘factura’ in the next day or so.

CB’s Comment: Thanks Ian – was that a close approximation to your hieroglyphs? Luckily, the Tilley Guarantee includes Maritime Reconnaissance expenses, as well as Elephant Tracking!

Another talking point was that John H., stung by the comments about his ‘Empire Builder’ shorts on the Aracena trip, had opted for a rather daring pair of Rohan ‘Bjorn Borg’s’

He was absolutely right to stand by this sign and pose for a photo!………..

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………although the depiction of falling boulders is inaccurate and rather arty-farty!

Myriam became startled at Senhora de Rocha, when he suddenly produced a banana from his pocket!

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Our designated leader also posed in an insouciant fashion, confident in the knowledge that on this walk, he would get back to the start if he kept the sea on the left!

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Blue, Red and White!!!

Ingrid, not to be outdone by the CB’s gadgetry, has taken to sporting a GPS and a camera on the various straps about her person. AWW 03.06.2009 Blown Away in Benagil 027

She now needs a Tilley Hat to become ‘One of the Boys’!

Yves had a few spasm’s of Montezuma’s Revenge at Senhora de Rocha, but we all prayed that he would get back without an accident. He hastened to inform us that it was not his wife’s superb Lasagne the previous evening that had brought it on!

Like a Ghurkha’s Kukri, no Wednesday Walk is complete without some spillage of blood, and true to form the leader obliged on the way back, after a brief skirmish with a gorse bush.

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…….do we not bleed?

Luckily Alex has her First Aid Badge, and after some immediate cleansing in the field, she finished him off in the bar at the end of the walk.

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Ouch! ouch! More please!

Most were able to get out of the sun under a large umbrella back at the Benagil Bar.

05 grouping

Thanks to Ian for a nice gentle stroll – which is what we all needed, - and with the cooling Atlantic breeze was not at all arduous. I am confident that the season can continue much longer if we either start earlier or walk in the coolest places!

“And all your future lies beneath your (Tilley) hat.” Oldham, John

“Her hat is a creation that will never go out of style; it will just look ridiculous year after year.” Allen, Fred A.



Post-script: one of Paul's latest pedal extremities.

AWW On Tour: The Aracena Movies 25-28th May 2009

A short selection, culminating with excerpts from Myriam's superb presentation speech.

On the first afternoon, Rod affirms his commitment to the democratic leadership ethos:


Next day, Paul gains geocaching glory, with assistance from Antje and Andrew:



Day three, no bullshit from Alex, commonsense about bull fighting:



That evening we take a balcony view over our base, Alajar:


And later on at La Pena, Myriam excels with her delivery of a deserved tribute, in both words and kind, to the "Great Leader":



She is a fan ! :



Rechargeable batteries the answer perhaps?:



Comparisons are odorous, as Andrew (Aguecheek)said:



And it gets bigger as time goes on:




Myriam's impromptu laudatory speech was made on only a few minutes' notice, developing Ian S's suggested theme of the Moorish Invasion, the History of Spain and the Significance of the Sausage, and delivered entirely without the aid of alcohol. As Paulo a Pe says "What a woman!!!"
If not an Oscar, she deserves a BAFTA.

Thursday 4 June 2009

AWW On Tour: The Aracena Tales; 25-28th May 2009

The Great Helmsman:  Rod

Algarve Liberation Army: John H, Hazel, Hilke, Andrew, Terry M., David L., Chris, Antje, Paul, Myriam, Ian S.

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We braved El Toro! (Note the carefully sited cistus which conceals a possibly offensive item – or does it!)

       Early in the trip, I contemplated the Herculean task which would confront me in blogging this trip, (not least because of the incessant clicking of digital cameras by the Chief Paparazza and her co-conspirators), so devised a cunning plan to share the workload.

       It would be a great idea (I declared confidently) , that since we had the CB, ACB and ADCB all present, as well as the Tour Leader, that rather than have a day-by-day photographically-illustrated account of the activities, to have each of the incumbents submit a textual snapshot of their lasting impressions of the trip – a kind of Quadrophonic Blog on the lines of the Canterbury Tales.

       It would have worked much better had not the four days away resulted in a backlog of mundane priorities for the writers, which except in the case of David, resulted in a long delay in submission to the detriment of clear memory of the events!

       As it was, my own domestic tasks meant that it took rather longer to reduce the 300 photos taken by Myriam and my own 100 to manageable proportions. John H. reduced his to a mere 26,250 kb, and David rejoicing that Dinah had not allowed him to take the camera, had his prose submitted by the morning after we returned!

The recently arrived AWW Tourists in the Praça Mayor, Alajar.

So without even more procrastination here is:-

 The Updulator’s Tale.

As one who is not a frequent traveller, I do tend to be impressed more easily by ‘furrin parts’ than those who are habitual globe-trotters. I was however not prepared for the wonderful experience of the last few days in Andalucia. Perhaps on reflection I was the more delighted because of the similarities between the Sierra de Aracena and the English countryside rather than the contrasts which confront one here in the Algarve.

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Alajar from above – plenty of shady trees and no Eucalyptus!

Especially impressive is the network of footpaths which does not owe its existence to forestry work or the carving out of firebreaks but rather to the preservation of old cart and donkey tracks carefully confined between sturdy stone walls. And alongside these byways the broadleaved trees, chestnuts in particular, provide the shade which is again reminiscent of English country lanes at their best, and even beyond that the feel of fallen leaves underfoot creating softer going for the walker.

DSC04307 copy Shady characters

I also took great pleasure in the peace and cleanliness of the towns and small villages through which we passed and in which we spent time.

Los Marines

Abiding memories of the trip? Quite a few, in addition to the general feeling of well-being created by the surroundings and the climate.

- finding myself drinking the same amount – on two successive evenings – as the CB.

CB’s note: I didn’t realise I was that ill!!

Myriam AWW Aracena Trip 25-28.05.2009 024The Updulator gathering material!

- The look on the face of the barman at La Corcha as he carefully emptied the contents of the de-caff sachet into my cup of hot milk after I had failed to locate it.

- The expression, as of a panting dog, adopted by one I.S., as he attempted – successfully – to attract the attention of the same barman through the window on finding that the place had closed two minutes before he arrived. How does he do it?

- The disappointment on the face of Terry M. on discovering that his terribly old-fashioned mobile-cum-general life-preserver was not lost after all and that he would not be claiming for a new one.

- Our diminutive oriental paparazzo taking pornographic photos through the legs of……

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……Andrew as he carved one of his newly-acquired sausages at lunch.

- The bemused expressions on the faces of a succession of waiters and waitresses as the said olientar rady ordered pot after pot after pot of agua caliente. Had she asked for towels as well, we might all have started to anticipate a happy event, but perhaps fortunately the linen stayed in the cupboard.

- the elaborate preparations made by the town constabulary in Alajar for the twice-daily arrival of the local bus, which only just manages to fit into the width of the square. Without this task one feels that they might just be out of a job.

The Down-side?

- the diet, apart from the fascinating meal provided ‘on the mountain’ on the last evening. Spain seems to provide Europe with half of its vegetables – why don’t they consume any themselves?

- the fact that we were not in town for the 5th World Congress of Dry-Cured Ham. Now there is one event that should not be missed. Can you imagine the reaction of some wives when told that their beloveds were going to such a gathering? It’s in the tradition of really bad US comedy films.

- having to shower in mud on the second evening. When I want a free facial scrub I’ll ask for it.

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The Updulator offers his nuts to a donkey!

- having tried not to watch the bull-fight on the bar TV, discovering that we were to take refreshment overlooking a real bull-ring. If ever confronted, sword in hand, by a matador with horns on his head, I would know precisely what to do.

- not being within reach of a TV to see the defeats of two of my favourite football teams. Masochism is my middle name.

 

The Empire Builder’s Tale

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Tilleyed and Rohanned to perfection John surveys his Empire

Memories of Alajar

It's 5.30pm on Wednesday, 27th May. The Alajar town square is all but asleep in the sun; the barman serves David L with a last cooling drink and then closes his doors until 8pm, exactly as Ian S and John H emerge from La Posada in search of refreshment prior to going sausage shopping. In desperation, Ian makes faces through the bar window. Taking pity on him,the owner brings out a couple of cool ones, goes back in and locks his doors again. Silence falls.

A closed bar in Alajar

A closed bar in Alajar

At 5.45pm, the bar doors open so that the proprietor of the small grocer's shop and his friends can leave after what has clearly been a long lunch and then close again. The proprietor enters into his shop. Silence falls.

At 6pm, the town policewoman, all 5ft 2 of her, appears from the Mayor's office to patrol the square. There are no miscreants to be seen, so she has no cause to bring out her notebook, let alone wield her 4-foot long truncheon; even the Estrangeiros' cars are legitimately parked and cause no offence other than to casual photographers who might want a picturesque shot of town architecture. No reason there for tickets. Her patrol over, she returns to the Mayor's office. Silence falls.

At 6.15pm, Ian S rouses John H and suggests easing along to the grocer's shop in search of sausages. The shop is open but dark and still; through in the back office, the proprietor can be seen, reclined in a vast armchair, deep in Falstaffian splendour and post-prandial sleep. Dealing in sausages is not, at this time, an option, and even the paparazzo forbears to click. Ian S and John H return to the closed bar. Silence falls once more.

(Things perk up about an hour later, when another bar is found open - in which the barman of the closed bar is taking refreshment - Ian S's sanity is restored and the sausage shopping resumes, and that successfully, as we all saw later that evening when Myriam made her sausage presentation to Rod at La Pena Restaurante, Balcon de la Sierra.)

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The Empire Builders preserving modesty!!

The Great Helmsman’s Tale

Whilst I guess we are all pretty accustomed to cork trees, quercus suber as well as quercus ilex of course, seeing them juxtaposed with chestnut, castanea if you prefer, and both giving sun-dappled shade to centuries old mule tracks is a rare sight indeed and very different to the arid trails we see here at this time of year. 

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We chose the best time of year to head off to these unique hills; not too late to feel the summer heat and still in time to see the fresh spring growth and colours. So a dozen of the WW’s  somehow managed to arrive in Aracena at the appointed hour and checked in at their respective hostelries before gathering for the inevitable beer, mostly, and a modest afternoon warm-up walk.

This didn’t tax the systems too much, but gave everyone a good idea of the wonders of the countryside and a first sight of  porcos ibericos on the hoof......we were to see a lot more of them on the table over the next day or two!

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Then it was time to assimilate the pleasures of our hostelries. Pity we couldn’t all be in one, but since 3 or 4 in a room didn’t seem a popular idea, space did not permit !  Whether everyone made the right choice (or had it made for them !), who knows !?  In any event our hosts in La Posada de Alajár, Lucy and Angel, and in Finca La Fronda, Charles, Reyes and Alec Wordsworth, did everything to make everyone happy and comfortable (even if Lucy and Angel were unable to make water come out of a stone),   They made up for it with a good dinner highlighted with a rather splendid beetroot gazpacho. 

Next day walking became somewhat more earnest...please refer to the blog statistician for distances, ascents and descents, average speed etc. Starting from the village of Alájar a gradual climb through chestnut forests  took us up to over 800m. with great views to the south and west.

First stop was the charming village of Castaño del Robledo where we stopped for a while in the shady main square. A few beers went down the hatch and Andrew went off to the local purveyor to stock up on sausage, cheese and bread for his lunch.  From there we set off in a southerly direction through undulating, more varied countryside.

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Eeny, Meeny………..

Lunch stop was under the shade of an inevitable cork tree....Andrew had bought so much local produce that he was able to feed almost everyone. The highlight of the stretch was Paul finding a cache under a waterfall (well he didn’t actually, Antje did).

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Cache in Hand

  By the time we reached the next village of Sta. Ana La Real it was getting quite warm and another drink stop was more than welcome, The owner of the bar seemed particularly proud of the fact that they had recently had a vote in the village allowing women to assume certain important functions....it was soundly defeated !  In any event we saw none chained to the Town Hall steps !   Can’t think why I particularly remembered that !   The last leg of the day was along the verdant valley floor back to Alájar and a beer or three in the village square inn. 

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Spot the Ball!!

Dinner that night was at the top local pub..El Corcho.  The owner Pepe or whatever his name was, had once won a substantial prize in El Gordo..the Spanish lottery.. and invested heavily in his village centre premises. As the name implies it is decorated in nothing but cork.....the ceiling, painstaking designed and executed by two American hippies, apparently, is really something to behold. 

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Pre dinner drinks were enlivened by a 42 inch TV showing the San Isidro Bull fights from Madrid.....for some this tarnished their appetite for what was to follow!   What did follow when we eventually sat down at a long table was about a hundred kilos of assorted pig products and cuts crammed on to every inch of the table. Valiant efforts by some made certain inroads into this but on the whole we were soundly defeated !

 Myriam AWW Aracena Trip 25-28.05.2009 179 Not a silk purse in sight!

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Start at Finca La Fronda – Day 3

Clearly something was needed the following day to walk that off and, led by Alec Wordsworth and his splendid Irish Setter, we did just that !  We set off at a spanking pace....oh to be youthful again ! .... up his favourite path, which he had apparently just cleared, almost vertically up behind Finca La Fronda.  This was off-piste stuff the likes of which some leaders go for in the Algarve!   The last stretch down to Alec’s home village of Los Marines was a  stunningly beautiful chestnut valley, tranquil and full of birdsong. The inevitable bar stop was certainly necessary.  From there we headed along a contour track towards Aracena,  a beautiful national park valley which has recently hit the headlines as it is destined to have a motorway through the middle of it.  We certainly wish the many protesters well.   At one point we opted to take a path which was waymarked,  but obviously a while ago.

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It started off well enough between stone walls but eventually degenerated into thick brambles....this was more pioneering WW stuff.!  So thick did the brambles become that we were forced to scale, well actually more or less knock down part of the wall to get to clearer territory the other side.

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Another brick off the Wall

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Alec ‘Safe hands’ Wordsworth

This was a good shady point for lunch too. 

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The sun always shines on TV……

All was well for a while until the descent towards the outskirts of Aracena, when the scrub thickened and became almost impenetrable again.

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WWs are never defeated by such challenges however and we eventually emerged on the outskirts of Aracena.  Some of this had taken it’s toll however and Charles Wordsworth was called in to take three of the walking wounded back in his SUV.    The remainder carried on down to the next little village of Linares some 200 metres below.  There, in the beautiful little square-come-bullring some very necessary refreshments were had and Paul singularly failed to find another cache which he should have!

CB’s Comment: No-one volunteered to help, preferring to gobble ice creams in the Bull Ring Café!

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Before the climb – still smiling!

Then came the real challenge...the final 250m. climb back to Finca La Fronda.....quite a long haul up at the end of the day! 

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Drinks on the terrace at Finca La Fronda

After drinks in Finca La Fronda courtesy of Charles Wordsworth, we enjoyed the culinary highlight of the trip at La Peña restaurant high above Alájar village. A great dinner, mushroom being one of their specialities, to finish up with by any standards.

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The Famous setas… and jamon!

The only walk next day was round the fantastic caves under Aracena hill and castle and a wander round town to stock up on the famous local sausage and cheese.  Must go again sometime !

The Scribe’s Tale

Well after that – not much I can add. Being temporarily off my feed (and drink) for the first two evenings, I can probably remember more than most - but I will spare you the embarrassment. Here are a few vignettes.

It was going to be a fairly brief walk on the afternoon of our arrival, but just outside Alajar at the beginning of the path, Rod discovered a route board with an alternative loop on it which he delightedly adopted……..

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….much to the chagrin of Ian, who had arranged an early appointment at El Corcho.

   A pair of local Horse Rustlers on a motorbike caused us to step smartly out of the way as they careered down a dirt road with  a ‘Dapple Grey’ horse we had seen earlier in Alajar on tow!

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There were no less than 5 Tilleys out and about on this trip.

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Here they are artistically presented with an Honour Guard of less meritorious millinery.

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Rod interrogates a pair of Graffiti Artists at a cemetery

 

A lovely local dog accompanied us on the last stage of Day 2. Unfortunately he was used to sleeping in the fields with the sheep and was riddled with ticks.

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My new best friend!

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Close your eyes and guess who!!

On Day 3 after lunch, when we were trying alternatives to the bramble-filled caminho, David and I found ourselves on the other side of the wall from the Leader and the rest. It was then, in a moment of inspiration that we decided to form the AWW Formation Gate Climbing Team!

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This is our speciality move - the high degree of difficulty Simultaneous Surmountation!

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John always got ‘nervous’ on steep descents!!

After the ‘Grotto of Marvels’ in Aracena on the last morning, where we were not permitted to take photos, there was some time to search for sausage and jamon.

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Hamming it up!

Only four of us made it up to the XIII C. Castillo de Aracena and the oldest and most significant church in the town. Myriam and I went to find the geocache there and Chris and Antje went for a romantic interlude!

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The old ruins.

Stats for the Trip

                        Day 1              Day 2             Day 3

Tot Dist                    7.9 k                     19.0 k                  21.3 k

Moving Time        2:07                      4:42                     5:15

Total Time             2:30                      6:17                     7:23

Moving Avg.         3.7                         4.0                       4.1

Overall Avg.          3.2                         3.0                       3.0 

Tot Ascent              298                        603                     726

Max Elev.                649                        834                      881

And this wouldn’t be complete without an appropriate quote from Geoffrey C. and his Spanish brother

Certes, they been lye to hounds, for an hound when he cometh by the roses, or by other bushes, though he may nat pisse, yet wole he heve up his leg and make a countenance to pisse.    Chaucer, Geoffrey

 

Jamon and Chouriço wait for no Senor.

Chaucer, Pedro