AWW, 20th December 2023. Timber, Sand and Salgados.
I had anticipated no more than half a dozen takers for this walk, expecting that many people would have already departed for far-flung destinations, but in the event we were thirteen at full strength, though not all did the full whack. Those participating in this penultimate walk of 2023, were:
Linda, Russell, Julie, Tony, Alan, Eileen, John D, John R, Richard, Gerry, Karen, Steve and the Laird of Covoes. Toby and Ziggy went along to see that we came to no harm.
A very warm welcome back to several of the group. Great to see Russell on walking form again, and to reconnect with John Davey, here for his 90 day allowance. Karen managed to prise Steve away from the golf course for a couple of hours, and Eileen found the walking more to her liking than our more recent adventures.
The whole thing was intended to be a winding down outing before the Christmas blowout, and so it turned out to be. The original title was Sun, Sand and Salgados, but we saw very little of the first, but a great deal of very stout timber, on the boardwalk towards Armacao da Pera. The weather throughout was cloudy and a little chilly if standing still.
All but Linda and Russell,, Richard and Gerry met at the Apolonia cafe near Gale beach, where we enjoyed some very reasonably priced coffee - as it turned out, we should have gone back there afterwards!
The first leg of the walk involved a straightforward trek along the boardwalk between Gale and Armacao. We picked up Richard and Gerry near the Salgados lagoon, and soon came to the rather rickety old viewing platform, where I had hoped that we would stop and watch the bird life on the lagoa. Sadly, the climb up the rather unsafe ladder put off all but three, so our watch was brief, and the descent even more awkward than the ascent.
Lots of BIrd Life on the Lagoa
All got down safely, and the trek continued. Toby and Ziggy were running to the side of the boardwalk, and we could have had ´an encounter´when we met the local shepherd, a considerable flock, and two or three of his dogs. Fortunately, all the four-legs were on best behaviour.
I had wondered whether the boardwalk bridge across the river into Armacao might be completed, but Eileen had warned me in advance that this was not the case. Richard wandered right up to the point where the completed boardwalk currently ends, and retailed to the rest of us that there is still a gap of several metres between that point and the bridge structure, so a crossing was impossible.
After a quick survey of opinion, it was decided to take a landward swing around the lagoa rather than walk the whole way back along the beach, so we meandered along sandy tracks for quite a while, passing one set of buildings that had clearly once been a place of riotous entertainment, before heading back seawards, to reach the beach at Praia Grande, location of several protest gatherings against the proposed development of Salgados, thus far successful.
The final leg was a simple walk along the beach back to Gale. The sand near the tide line was firm enough not to be too tiring on the legs, and we made it back in quick time. On my suggestion, we eschewed Apolonia for a cafe just up the road from the beach. Bad decision. It was (cough) rather expensive, but the coffee was reportedly of good quality, and the white wine acceptable. Half an hour of chat, and all departed after a satisfactory, if unusually short, Wednesday outing.
We walked just over 10k, no idea how long it took, and we must have climbed at least 20 metres - mainly over the dunes to the beach, and off the beach to the cars! Thanks to all for your company, see you next time. Thanks, as ever, to Alan for the photos.
