Funcho : 26 January 2022

It's the third time I have led this walk (8 May 2019 and 30 October 2019 if you fancy checking historic blogs) : Rod also led a version of it back  in 29 November 2017, but the blog seems to have vanished, though  some of John H's photos remain, and I have used them in this blog. One recurrent theme seems to be the varying numbers.....16 said they would come this time, but Gill hurt her back in the gym ( not Jim) so there should be 15......but when we turned up at the Silva cafe, we found a group of WAGS and I wondered if we would be up in the 20s : no fear, 'twas just a coincidence, the WAGS were off on a shorter walk, followed by a longer lunch. We said we might meet them on our return, and John H kindly did a group starter photo.....except really observant readers may note that he's been busy photo-shopping....

Standing L to R : Sergio, John H, Janet, Yves (virtually), Rod, Linda, Geoff, Frank, Jim, Ken, Peter, Tony, Kevin, Julie, tom, Steve

Kneeling : Sue, Hazel, Miriam, Maria, Dinah, Ros

We said our goodbyes to the WAGS ( Western Algarve Geriatric Strollers) and set off, with  a few  uneventful ups and downs till we approached the Funcho. When Sue & I did the recce of this section in December, it was dry : there hadn't been much rain since, but our vanguardian Bica found this:

looking at the walk instructions, I had said "....100% done....in October 2019....but 75% of route checked again in December or later. Doubt there's a problem with the balance...Water-crossings. None....."......well, just shows how wrong you can be!

Straight through wasn't practical . Ken used his Swiss army knife to saw some branches on the left without success ( following 4 photos from Tony) :

Frank paddled through one side, and Linda followed:

but others found a track on the other side, with Julie showing the way....

Unfortunately, by this time, 3 had declared UDI and marched off up the hill : Jim & Sergio found their way back down ...

 but Sue got a bit mislaid up there....

In the meantime, the remaining walkers enjoyed an early banana break...

In the distance, you could just make out the trig point we would be passing......just to the left of that central bush...

...whilst gentleman Sergio went to show Sue the way across the water...

So it was off alongside the Funcho ( river or just barragem?), with very low water levels:

Passing a minor hurdle....

which was a bit more precarious back in the day (2017)....

But where there was water, it was all delightfully pretty...

and a photo from Sergio....

Jim pointed out the church of Santa Anna , where we had walked the previous week and Ros had described the battle that had been fought there ( probably)...

Anyway, time for the first major assent, with a pause at the farmhouse ruin...

Before hiking to the trig, which  Linda climbed with great alacrity..

....though not all made it...

Down to the road, where Ken & Miriam, with Bica, made their excuses and left.....Ken not tempting his Achilles too much before he meets the Yetis, Miriam nursing  a glute strain.....though the 19.3kms they did, she admitted they might as well have stayed with us. Anyway, I was now 2 down at a bakers' dozen,  a bit more than the 10% allowance for loosing walkers...

Lunch beckoned, but I wanted to clear the second hill first ...this is what John H recorded in 2019...

And so to lunch...

Though I have still to find the ruin we dined at in 2017....

It was then downhill all the way ( nearly) , passing a slightly-hippy-looking camp:

back via barragem.....

...and a goat herd...

And so back for a well-earned Sagres...or coffee. No sign of the  WAGS, they must have eaten & departed...

Map and stats....a fast overall speed of 4.5kph.

Thanks to all who came

Geoff

Highest point

202 m

Lowest point

89 m

Total distance

22.8 km

Time spent moving

5:08 h

Track's recording time (including manual and automatic pauses)

6:11 h

Avg. speed (throughout time spent moving)

4.5 km/h

Average speed on flat terrain

4.7 km/h

Average uphill speed

4.1 km/h

Average downhill speed

4.6 km/h

around Messines, 19 January 2022

 An absolutely beautiful morning welcomed us all to intermarche Messines!

After fuelling up with caffeine we marched up a wee hill ( I don't recall it being wee...quite steep! Ed) to be rewarded with an amazing view of the surrounding countryside .

                      A disorderly group eventually turned around to face me for the group photo .

Miriam Ken Bica Frank Sue Julie Kevin Pete Linda Geoff Sergio Jim and wee Ros hiding behind Frank!
Sorry that Sue M and Karen didn’t make it due to something happening on the motorway .

He marched them up to the top of the hill and he marched them down into the valley below, to be rewarded with beautiful spring flowers . (I think the author is referring to her husband Jim, rather than the now infamous D of Y...Ed).

                             

Time for a banana and Quiche stop :


                                           

                              (Actually, that's your Ed opening a banana case for Mrs Ed's banana....)

Onwards mostly on the flat, hearing but not seeing the Lisbon train passing, we headed to our water crossing .....well it’s only a trickle....

After paddling through we approached the church  Santa Ana
Famous for a battle that was fought years before , our history teacher miss Ros informed us of the details ( please email Ross for more info if needed )
End of term questions…?

(Tut Tut author.....think this is code for Gill not paying attention to Ros....she was seen wandering about with her phone/camera....the battle was between 2 brothers, one who had recently returned from Brazil and wanted to inherit the land ; the other didn't agree, so fought him and, I believe  I  recall, won.....because he had cannon and cavalry. Quite a few casualties,  whose bones were buried in a mass grave in front of the church, suitably inscribed Requiescat in Pace, RIP. .......Full marks for ed?).

Onwards upwards stunning countryside and pine forests :

                                                 

Later a small hamlet, a riding school, a house named after our four legged friend Bica, and then an Irish digger driver from County Galway....

( The resolution isn't too good on Gill's phone....hint for a birthday present Jim...but the inscription is " Quinta da Bica"...Ed)

Lunchtime now approaching, and the usual sounds of "I’m hungry, are we there yet " were heard, but our leader pressed on. Another 10 mins became 20mins! All was forgiven as we saw our lunch stop ….. silence overcame them (or hunger ) as we sat and enjoyed views over the water .

(Unfortunately, the camera missed Linda doing some yoga contortions that made those less-supple of  us wince!...ed)

Eventually, creaks and groans, we had to get up and carry on, up a steep hill!
Yet 5 km later up and down, and up again, another pleasant surprise, fields of gold, sheep and lambsies, and a tasty looking black pig....

                                                           Beautiful Almond blossom


We were nearing the end of our walk, talk turned to beer and Ros went forward to get them in  but the cafe in the sun did not sell beer !!! So it was back to intermarche....

Cheers to you all and thanks for the company!

20.53 km
585 elevation gain
5 hours walking time
4 km an hour
Gill

Carrapateira Point – 12-01-2022

 

 

From the left: Ken, Sue, dog, Frank, Gill, Jim, Miriam, David and Ros. Sergio taking photo.

This spectacular hike has been voted unanimously the best hike of 2022.

 It was a great day out, with mild temperatures, sunny and a little wind. Just right.

We walked towards Praia da Bordeira then walked up the board walk.

Banana break near Carrapateira Point. My camera was straight, it was the se that was sloping down because of the big waves.

Awesome scenery on Carrapateira Point. 

We reached Praia Muracao and had a well deserved lunch. Then the going got tougher, with some alpine climbing and descent for which everybody was well prepared and trained. No ropes necessary.

At the highest point thus far Frank takes a break.

On the way back to Carrapateira, we begun the descent to Praia do Amado.

 

David and Ros on Praia do Amado.

 

Finally back at the café dos Amigos in Carrapateira, I spotted this interesting painting of the town, viewed from the perspective of a fish. 

 

I spent the rest of the afternoon wandering around Carrapateira Point admiring a beautiful sunset with the roaring waves as a soundtrack. What can be better than that? 

Waves crashing on Carrapateira Point. Turn volume up.