Fonte da Benemola: Between a Rock and a Hard Place: 28th April 2021

 The Syncopating Six met in the lay-by, just past the cafe Sol e Sera at Corte Garcia north of Loule.

The cafe was closed and the leader would have taken a lot of stick about that, except that Ken is never sure where his stick is.

Instead he took the starting photo and Miriam kept control of the stick

Ken, David, Miriam (with Ken's stick) Jasper, Bica, Sergio and Frank M

The sun was shining as we set off upwards to the summit of Cepo (427m). We were all six in step at the start -we were the syncopating six - but as we got higher we became more ragged.

and as we passed some bee hives these two broke ranks and ran past he rest of us

and like the grand Old Duke of York whose men march to quicktime, when we were only half way up, we stopped for a drink and rest

The skies were still mostly blue but the clouds were stacking up. But what did we care.  We marched all the way to the summit.

and as we all looked east except from the camera man, we did not see the clouds rolling in.

A dyslexic ex pupil of Ros had been to the top of Cepo before her.

So with the first hour gone and the Rock conquered, we set off downhill towards the west and Fonte da Benemola and towards the darkening skies.

The rain has come. But it is not too bad.

Ken got suited up. But he forgot to put his back pack on. and where is his stick? 

where he left it.

heads down and lean into the rain.

But the rain quickly passed. This year has been great due to the rain. The colours are just fine.

Flowers

more flowers and i do not know what they are called

Red flowers

So we reached the font and the water was streaming down in torrents, but not out of the sky. The water in the font was more than we have seen for several years. The rain had gone for the moment. It actually had not been too bad. The colourfull rainwear had probably scared it away. 

And we had a proper seat

The font is at the bottom. It is is where the water tends to go. So we set off for the "hard place" which is Querenca on the hill.

And we just got there on time. We decided that the "prior to the end of the walk" drinks would be had in the square in Querenca.

No sooner had we sat down than the heavens opened.

Some were hoping that the rain would stay for an hour or so, and we could have a few more drinks, but no, after about 20 mins it stopped. And so the syncopating six were off, We marched down the hill, with Ken beating a rhythm with his retained stick, yomped across the fields and back to the start.

Statistics

Distance     17.0km (slightly longer than planned as Frank got lost)

Elevation     427m

Time            5 1/2 hrs but included time for lunch, and drinks at the cafe in Querenca

Pace             Fine

Weather        Great 

Frank M

29th April 2021