AWW 2015-24: More Meanderings along the Funcho

Saturday 20 November 2021

More Meanderings along the Funcho

More Meanderings along the Funcho : 17 November 2021

This walk wasn't plan A , but time precluded a proper recce so it had to suffice : it was a repeat of 28 February 2020, back in pre-covid days. We had more walkers then...nostalgia buffs might like to check it out at :

https://hopejandh.blogspot.com/2020/02/a-meander-along-funchoandor-arade.html

Susan brought some Irish friends with her, who were spotted doing pre-walk exercises in the carpark . By the time my camera was out, all I could get was Susan instructing Sue :

So it was time for the starter photo:

But one of our more observant members realised we were one short...

So once Ros deigned to join us ( L to R ) : Ros Sue M, Sue H, Gill, Karen, Ann, Iggy and Susan we set off......without any four legged friends. Back in the day, we used to count how many Tilleys there were : now we count how many Sue's/Su's/Susan's/Susanna's..... We detoured to see Visigoth graves, which the new walkers hadn't seen.

I had said there was a short off-piste section.....nothing in the David league, but a little treacherous:

Anyway, safely on a proper track ( a feather bed after the rock of VA last week) we made good progress on a delightful sunny day, the chill having burnt off. The Arade looked very scenic:

and then past the Lynx farm, which looked as if it had been enlarged, but unfortunately the observation post and information boards, burnt in the fires, had not been replaced:

No sign of lynx....only Cycling John has the cudos of photographing one ( a challenge for Alan?)

Lunch was taken overlooking the Funcho: some liking it hot...

.....others the shade...

A lot of lollipop pines had been planted in terraces: some thought for wood ( but surely taller Scots pines would be better?) and some for pine nut harvesting ( but labour costs would be astronomical?). Any more ideas?

There was an option of an extra 4km, but this was declined. En route we were chased by a friendly dog in a blanket....unfortunately, the blanket fell off by the time the camera came out...