Thou Shalt Not Miss Alte

                              

                                                           Thou Shalt Not Miss Alte

                                            Summer recess walk and lunch - 24th June, 2020.

From the left: Yves, Scott, Martin, Sarah, Roger, the local resident, Balthazar,  Sue, Terry, Jim, Nancy and the photographer and leader, Jan. 

Unfortunately, due to their work commitments we were without Linda and Russell. And further ailments and injuries prevented Ros, Ken and Miriam from walking, but they were able to join us for lunch.

We met up at the O Folclore restaurant in Alte for a walk planned to be shorter than usual due to the high temperatures and also to give us enough time to beautify ourselves before sitting for lunch. Well, it didn't turn out like that. We started a little later than the stated time due to a communications matter which made us a bit behind our scheduled time for lunch.    

So, we trundled up the high street and came upon a sculpture? Animal, vegetable or mineral?  No, it is Yves not social distancing!!!

Yves, given up social distancing.

As we manoeuvred around the sculpture we started our climb out of the village passing an amazing number of whitewashed houses with fine lace chimneys. 

These chimney stacks are a  common characteristic of Alte which led many to believe that it was once inhabited by the Moors.  Following our whippet, Sue, I realised that we were heading in the wrong direction so I doubled back to the sculpture and made the right turn.

Orange groves at the opposite side of the valley.

We were then given a clear view of the opposite side of the valley showing orange orchards in their splendid glory. We continued on the Via Algarviana path which took is down to a tarmac crossing where we turned left and headed for Termos. 

Has she hung her bike up for good?

Here, we left the VA route taking us slightly off-piste and eventually onto a road which led us to Alcaria Do Joao. At this point, we rejoined the VA, passing beautiful seeded fields and guessing, that these were owned by market traders. 

Beautiful maintained fields. Close to Terca.

Here we walked up into a small settlement where we turned left towards Terca.  We immediately took the GR13 route where we headed West and followed a flat gentle path flanked by tangerine groves. They oozed a citrus scent which followed us for some time. Here, we satisfied our thirst with the sweetness and juiciness of the fruit while, at the same time, making the best of some shade. 

Tangerine orchard.

We continued along this path which headed uphill to a junction where we turned into Santa Margarida where we have started many an AWW in the past with the lovely Terry A, one of the AWW’s great  leaders. We miss him so much for his leadership and his gentle manner when guiding. Here, we stopped for more water and shade while Jim suggested his body was leaking!!!!

Yes, another water stop.  

We climbed the steps to the Church and wiggled our way through the small streets. 

Wiggling through the Santa Margarida village.

Upon leaving the village, we followed the path to another small incline. Once at the top we had splendid views across the valley to a hamlet which I think is called Marcera. Here, at the cairn that I had made when recce-ing,  we headed downhill to a tarmac road. While Sue was edging her way down with the aid of her poles, Martin was shouting some encouraging words!!!!

Yves, on the hoof. Not, believing the leader!

Now, on the road, we had to take a long incline on tarmac accompanied by some less encouraging comments, " How many inclines???"  Well, it was just one long one!!! 

So, once we got to the top of the incline(s), instead of continuing on tarmac, we manoeuvred an overgrown path which ran more or less parallel to the tarmac road. Here, we congregated and had another water stop before turning left and headed downhill back into Alte. 

                                                      

                                  View of Alte as we were approaching. Clearly showing their flag                                                              painted on the rock. Now showing trees and houses on the bottom

Roger and Scott in deep conversation; how cold will that first beer be?

Among the beautiful, well-kept houses we meandered through the village's small 'ginnels' and 'snickets' heading for our lunch rendezvous, the O Folclore restaurant. 

Alte, is one of the most typical villages in the Algarve strategically situated on an elevated position, and was once used as a reference point for Portuguese sailors returning from their adventures. 

A local artist remembers past residents on their house walls.

As we were about 30 minutes behind our scheduled time, there was little or no opportunity for most of us to change into something more, er, fragrant; so then we congregated for lunch. 

Finally, the season has now ended but a toast was raised to Geoff for his co-coordinating duties. A big thank you to Geoff from us all! Thank you, also to the staff and Monica and Phillip, the owner's of the O Folclore restaurant, for providing an excellent lunch. Thank you also to Terry for his stats. 

May I take this opportunity to wish everyone a lovely summer, and I will see you in the Autumn. Keep safe! And, to quote the late, great, Dame Vera, who died this week at 103, "We'll meet again!" 

Last Walk of 2019 2020 season PLUS 1

At the last walk of the season, those present decided to keep walking provided the weather was fine: ie not too hot.

So we met at Cafe Miramar at the top of the hill at Malao. Jim drove up the hill, rather than cycled, as he usually does. We had a cup of coffee and then moved about 3 kms up the road to Sitio das  Eguas for the start. There were some whom we had not seen for a while, and there were others whom we will not see for a while as they are off to work.

The sky was bright, clear and blue.

John, Russell, Maria, Scott, Martin, Miriam, Ros, Frank M, Linda, Hazel, Alan, Sarah, Jim, Steve, Nancy, Yves and Bica.

So we set off down the hill and through the pricklies. But we are a hardy lot.

Still lots of water at the bottom, and Yves was desperate to show his prowess and skipping stones over the surface. His best effort was zero.

I do not know how he thought that he could throw the stone and then get down on his knees to take a photo before it sank.

But when you cross the water, then as day follows night, uphill follows water.

Some shouted "halleluiah" at the top

Others barely made it.

Even Bica found it hard, despite his swim before the start of the hill.

But as it always does, it leveled out and we all got together and wandered on.

Lunch was back at Cafe Miramar. Where some had coffee and others had beer.

Hazel collected the banana skins and was telling John that he would have to carry them to the end, when she suddenly saw that her car was sitting just in front of her. She deposited them in her boot.

Most were having a rest or chatting at lunch, but Frank was just fascinated by his boot, which seemed to have collected half the grass on the walk, both stuck in his socks and boots.

 Lunch finished we strode up towards the fire watch tower.

As we passed the cafe with the view that never opened and is now up for sale, "Bruce" came out to see us.

He took one look at this group of young athletes and said to himself: "I think that I will lie here and wait for dinner".

The leader appeared to lose control of the group. He is shouting and gesticulating, but everyone is doing their own thing. Typical AWW walk

As we walked past, the Ent from Middle Earth in Lord of the Rings woke up and tried to decide if it would follow. It did not.

And some were at the front, and some were at the back. 

And in the battle for supremacy of the cameramen, Alan took a photo of John taking a photo of Alan.

I do not know where Yves was hiding.

And we need to improve out social distancing.

Technical Details

The route:-

Distance 14.3km
Speed 3.7km/hr


Frank M
21/6/2020


Yves posts this photo to demonstrate his prowess.

The post lockdown AWW, also known as the Tartan and last AWW of the season that never was! Wednesday June 10th 2020.

14 walkers made it from across the Algarve to the start of the walk in Alportel. It was the first time we had met as a group since March and it was great to see so many familiar faces.  Alan, Jan, Kim, Frank, Jim, Russ, Linda, Ros, Martin, Nancy, Sarah, Scott, Roger, Miriam

We set off through Alportel.

 We set off through the wooded footpaths leading out of Alportel and came upon a wooden cross.  Ros looked very intently at it.

Carrying on down into the valley, we crossed over to the riverside and continued our shaded walk.  Frank had very kindly been out last Monday to cut some steps in the steep slope much to the annoyance of some passing mountain bikers whose gnarly track he had just ruined for our benefit!!

It was then time to leave the shade and head for the hills. 

 We came upon  2 new buildings and there was much discussion as to what they were for.  Martin said they were very bare. Kim asked Martin to speak in English and there followed several conversations amongst the group In Gaelic, Doric and Danish and of course some English. We thought the buildings were hunting lodges.










 Scott was very taken with the new build.





  











Then Frank remembered he had walked past a couple of years ago, pre new build, and here's the photo to prove it. How many AWWs can you spot?

Heading further on into the hills and the heat, we stopped in the shade for a water stop before the worst of the hills.

 We knew where we needed to go but there was no route through so we just had to go down and up again!

There was some discussion after the first climb about stopping for lunch but the decision was unanimous to get the final hill over with beforehand. 

 Frank came to the rescue after the hill by taking us off piste and finding a shady spot for lunch.  Miriam and Bica decided to sit apart from the main group to avoid Bica's begging for food!!

We then headed back down to the valley where we discovered that the fields of tartan purple thistles were well past their best.












 As it was now quite hot we turned off the valley road back into the shade of the river bed and finally back into Alportel.

Using up the last of the water

Keeping our social distanicng (well almost, there wasn't enough shade for that!) we enjoyed a well earned drink from the cafe in Alportel.

 At this point the group decided they didn't want this to be the last walk and to have an end of season lunch which was again unanimous.

Walk stats:  Length 15.7 km
                    Duration 3 hours 46 mins plus 20 mins for lunch
                    Elevation: 342m
                    Average speed: 4.1 kph

  Thanks to Alan for some of the photos and to Frank for help with the recce and of course the steps!

Miriam Wood
















Postscript from JohnH

Miriam has agreed that I can add this small postscript to her blog. The earlier walk led by Frank which she refers was from Fonte Felipe on 6th February 2019. This is the Starter photo from my archives which may help Ros and others identify most of the walkers who were there that day. The earlier photo by Frank is a bit distant.

The blog doesn´t list the starters - no wonder, there were about 27 or 28, and quite a few of them visitors, so the Blogger probably couldn´t remember all their names.

And for the ultimate bit of photographic nerdery, how about this, a photo of Frank taking that earlier photo.

That´s him,far away, up on the wee hill.