Zip a dee doo Dah, Zip a dee a. My oh my, What a Wonderful Day.
On the last last walk of the season, 13 turned up to walk, 15 for lunch with 14 intending to do the zipwire. The planned numbers were like a Yo-Yo (the toy not the biscuit)
At the start
Walkers were Ros, Alex (co-opted neighbour)Frank M, Lorna ( no intention of Zipping), Rose, Jan, Roger, Trish, Barry (John O’s grandson)Richard, Maria and Hazel. David was the photographer.
Also not in photo were Janice and John (my neighbours) who were co-opted to make up the numbers booked for the zipwire. they joined us at the end of the walking section.
The walk, as I had planned was very gentle: only 8km and very little hills. We meandered along beside the river Guadiana and then over a little saddle down to the small barragem to irrigate the fields in the valley.
The leader was a little confused on the route to be followed but Jan had been following the “masking tape” trail sign and brought us back on track.
It was warm, but Jan led us at a good pace: I am told that her pedometer registered twice as many steps as some others. I can understand that.
However at times, she relented and we all crowded in the little shade available
In about 1 1/2 hrs we were back down to the little river that flows from the barragem down to Guadiana. It is dry at this time of the year, but as it is our recent custom we stopped as one of our walkers needed a short rest and to take on some water, due to the heat.
Then it was round the corner and we reached the “Praia Fluvia de Alcoutim”
We took on some sustenance before our sea voyage across the tidal Guadiana. One of our number could not stop herself jumping into the river fully clothed and with her hat on. I would not say that she thought that it was a trig point that was upside down and full of water.
It was very relaxing at this point. But if Hazel was drinking water, and Rose could hold her beer at this time, despite thinking about the zipwire, then whose was the other beer on the table? Or was Rose just fortifying herself for the trip?
Didn’t they look happy and relaxed. You would not think that some were terrified at the prospect of having lunch twice. Once in Spain and then potentially on the way back to Alcoutim.
Then it was up and away and via the police box and the ferry we travelled back in time for our Tapas lunch in Sanluca de Guadiana, as arranged by Jan.
Everyone was grateful that we went up the hill to the launchpad, for the zipwire, by car rather than having to walk. However some were not grateful that we went up the hill at all.
Then there were the screams.
There were some who found it exhilarating: There were a few who did not make it back on the zipwire:
However we all enjoyed the day and the last walk of the season.
Technical Details
The walk was 9.2km and we we ascended approx 255m.
The zipwire was 750m
Frank M
