AWW 23rd October 2019

23rd October 2019. The Broad Highway to Benafim.

The usual flurry of late entrants brought the total number on this expedition to 12. List as follows:

Sue M, Ken, Miriam, Tony, Frank M, Jan, John D, Jim H, Isabel, Linda, Russell, David.
Bica and Jasper comprised the four - footer brigade.
A warm welcome back to Jan, fresh from her most recent encounter with terra firma, and John D, fit at last to rejoin us. Isabel and Tony were also taking part for the first time this season.

The starter photo shows the group surrounded by the ever growing vegetation outside Casa Benjamin, the designated meeting point for the walk. Coffee and biscuits were on offer before the start, and all arrived well in time to partake. Thanks to Dinah for laying on the refreshments.
I had asked some to park outside the village, but as it turned out, our car park was only half full, still not sure how that worked out, with nine cars expected. Never mind, eh?

The first leg (not quite half) of the trek, under grey skies and a little chilly, was across the hills to Benafim, following first of all half of my morning dog walk, and then heading up onto the side of the hill beyond Portela da Nave.

 I was interested to see how Jasper reacted. He normally takes off like a greyhound, and I don't see much of him until we get back to Covoes. With the group, as usual, he never strayed more than 50 metres or so ahead. Riddle me that, all you dog psychologists!

From just above Nave dos Sobreiros, we turned up and over the hill to join the track previously followed on my Penina walk. This time we simply continued westwards and descended to Benafim past the enormous citrus plantation, now some dozen years old, that lines the hillside above the village.

A short detour took us into Benafim and a fairly brief coffee stop at the one cafe out of three that stood open. Lunch was postponed, as it was only 11.30 when we arrived at the cafe.

From there we retraced our steps briefly before carrying on down the Loule road to reach the path signed  to the village Etar. Spurning the opportunity to observe the residuos of Benefim at close quarters, we turned left into the valley, where, on reaching level ground, we were accosted by a pair of rather noisy little dogs. Undeterred, we crossed the valley floor and walked under the hill before climbing the short distance to the edge of Nave dos Cordeiros.

The weather was brightening by this time, but it was also quite windy, so we took a little time to find a lunch spot along the track leading back to Alto Fica. The latter was reached with no further ado, to find that one of the two bars in this settlement straddling the Loule road has now closed. Never did understand why such a small place could sustain two watering holes...

No time for a stop today, as we embarked on the section of the walk I had only surveyed on Google Earth. On this occasion it was sufficient, as the tracks were all very obvious, passing a tiny settlement on the way which nevertheless showed signs of refurbishment. We finally joined the well worn track leading down into Nave do Barao and settled down for a pleasant  half hour in the sun at Cafe Barao.

Dinah and I ferried the drivers back to Covoes. End of another very pleasant and energetic day, and as Linda tactfully remarked, I didn't get us lost. Gee, thanks....

Basic Stats:  18k, mais ou menos, 5 hours including stops. Ascent, 315m