AWW 2015-24: Terrible Threes go Hiking: Malao 23 Dec 2020

It was a bright sunny morning when we met at the cafe at Malhao. Ros had backed out as she could not see the top of Malhao from home due to the low cloud. So there was only 3.

You can see some low cloud sitting right in the bottom of the valley

However we had a cup of coffee, took the starting photo and set off.

Roger and Sergio, plus photographer Frank M

It has been a momentous year. Everything has changed.

At Malhao they have recognized this and have adapted. They realized that there is a now a pent up demand to travel. They have installed a new bench so that the hordes of tourists in summer 2021 can look at the view.

Specially positioned for summer shade and the fantastic view. See below

It is a fantastic view and location for walking

But we could not sit and gape all day. We had lots of kilometres to explore.

The pace was high as daylight is rationed at this time of year

Frank and Roger set a cracking pace so that even Sergio had trouble keeping up, or was this when he had been hiding behind a bush?

As we scaled the first hill, the sun came out and more and more layers were discarded. With insufficient space in their bags they were improvising about how to carry and keep cool

Showing a little too much knee in his improvised kilt

But the leaders plan came into operation. Deep water.

It was just about up to my knees, but some have knees that are elevated. And Sergio, he just floated across the water like a water skipper.

And it was cold, but not as cold as the Sagres that I eventually had at the end of the walk. Both were very pleasant on a warm walk

And as the days are lengthening, and we move into spring, we can see that new life is all around us. The flowers are out The bees are collecting honey and the lambs are frolicking in the fields.

I am convinced that my phone has a cataract like its owner

As we approached the halfway point, we crossed the Malhao Almadover road. There was further evidence of the momentous changes occurring in Portugal this year. We were now in the Alentajo. A new town has been built just off the road. When we passed this point last year, it had been planned but not started. They did not even have a name for it.

Road to Nowhere

And now

I understand that Corte Fidalgo is twinned with Livingston new town in Scotland

We stopped for lunch after clearing all the water hazards.

As we sat munching our Melton Mowbray pork pie, there was a rustle in the undergrowth and a dog jumped the fence and snarled at us. Frank gulped down the last of his pie, just in case it made a lunge for it. Roger is a dog man and stood his ground.

Obviously it was the sheep dog. The sheep had been ignoring it, so it decided that we posed a threat to the flock and had to be sent packing. No idea what this little thing was doing in the middle of nowhere.

Anyway, we took the hint and off we went.