VA Day 6 : Messines to Arade dam

 VA Day 6 : Messines to Arade dam

The preliminaries for this walk could take an entire blog in themselves, but a precis to put it in context! This sector is from Messines to Silves, and at 28kms was deemed too long for a day walk, so plan B was to stop at the Funcho dam, but that would be too short at about 14kms. Plan C was to add the PR1 loop at the beginning, but that would be back to too long at 21kms, especially as four walkers were flying back  the next day. Plan D was then to add a bit at the end, finishing with an off-route walk back to Arade dam. This seemed OK, other than we would miss the church in Messines, so plan E was to add that to the start : but you guessed it, that would be too long & involve a lot of tarmac. By then, your co-ordinator was getting caught in cross-fire from those with local knowledge and those  keen to lead and became past-caring. Plan F was thus created, starting at a Dutch nursery on the outskirts of Messines, but meeting at Messines to have a coffee at Cacadores by the bus station. But that wasn't deemed  acceptable for AWW caffeine adicts, so a route to a better coffee shop was planned. In great danger of running out of alphabet, the leader made an executive decision : coffee at Cacadores, start at nursery. Though it wasn't to be....

An added confusion to the carsharing plans ( always a subject of confusion) was that Sue & my results of the covid test, due after 3 hours, hadn't arrived by the evening. Plan Z+1 was hastily devised in case we had to retest the next day, only to realise that poor Alan would be stranded in Messines ( or was it the barragem?...). Plan Z+2 catered for that as long as Ros read her emails that evening and drove to the dam rather than Messines. At 10pm, sighs of relief, negative results received after 10 hours, back to plan whatever!

Hence, it wasn't far short of a miracle that all who were supposed to turn up at the barragem actually made it.....though newcomer Peter had decided that we were all a load of wallies and decided to give his inaugural AWW walk a miss. We drove  to Messines , where the leader did some quick thinking as the Cacadores coffee shop was shut, though he found an acceptable ( to us)  establishment nearby....called Fabico Proprio, which sounds as if they made their own fabric, but think it means they make all their oewn stuff...bread, pastries etc. So far so good, though I omitted to say that Ros woke up suffering from the after-effects of her booster, and couldn't make it......though Sergio then appeared, thinking we were doing Plan A and he would turn back at a suitable point....

So, 12 set off for the nursery, what else could go  wrong?

I soon found out, being attacked by a vicious Panda boot lid....at least I was laughing, and thanks to Alan's plasters that also helped me breathe...

Off and away at last, we paused for our starter photo:

The usual suspects....plus Alan the photograper

Past the donkey stables....

.....and on to the Funcho, where the water levels were quite high....

...though the usually-submerged buildings were visible....

Rain wasn't forecast, but we did get a few transient drops....

But then the sun came out again,  giving beautiful views....

There was some debate over whether to have an early lunch or carry on to a proper picnic spot, but here's the place the canny leader had recce-ed before...

With not only great views, but seating for two....

It was then that Sergio realised we weren't walking the full 28 kms, and going back was as long as continuing, so he continued with us, there being a spare  car space going back from the dam.

A short uphill after lunch ( a leader speciality) before the Funcho dam came in sight and was crossed.

It was then all flat towards the Arade, where we departed from the VA trail and back to the cars...

Thence the drive to Messines, to find Cacadores open, so drinks and mince pies curtesy of Miriam.

Thanks to Gill & Jim for recce and walk leading, to Alan for photos and Susan for stats......though for VA purists, there is the little matter of Messines to Dutch Nursery to do one day...

17.2km ( or 17.4).....Moving 3h 31m, total 4h 27m, av speed 4.9kmh....

Geoff