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.