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AWW Walk Fonte Ferrea 17th May 2023

 12 walkers assembled at Fonte Ferrea  - shame the café wasn't open. Jan, Julie, Peter, Gill, Linda, Terry, Ros, Frank, David, Jim, Tony, Ken and Miriam taking the photo. We welcomed Peter ?Eichorn, who joined us for the first time.  He is an Algarve House House Harrier. Where was Alan the photographer when you needed him? Well actually he'd had a better offer to go to lunch at Loule camera with Carol,  as a thank you for putting Loule on the map with their success in the National Archery competition.  Well done to both. (2nd and first respectively.)  Bica and Toby were off exploring so didn't join us for the photo.

      

We set off at a fair pace following the river although there wasn't much water in it. It was quite a narrow path to start with  but eventually it opened out and we gradually meandered uphill for a while.  David carefully placed a new stone on top of a cairn.

   

It was warming up and the dogs found a great place to paddle and cool down.  The walkers had to make do with a quick drink.  Then refreshed, the dogs led us up the hill towards Cova da Muda.

Before heading through the hamlet, Linda realised Toby was missing but after a few shouts of "Torbee", he came rushing up and we headed up the road to find a convenient wall to sit on for a banana break.

Ros obviously had some urgent messages to read and Toby was hopeful of a treat after his wandering off.

Refreshed we headed down quite a steep shale path, avoiding the chickens and ducks in the house, before the path flattened out and we stepped it out along the valley towards Tareja.  Just before Tareja, we turned off up the hillside, passing the reservoir where the dogs had yet another welcome paddle.  We were surprised at how hot and humid it had become after the much cooler start to the day.

We headed up the hill towards the kennels we had passed on the previous walk, and came up across all the cork having been cut and stacked and loaded ready to go to the factory.  I'm not sure this tractor is still in service though!

     

We walked back through Cova da Muda, and came across an interesting house. First they had made good use of some spare cork and then Peter pointed out the ingenious contraption for  ensuring the smoke from the BBQ doesn't get in the windows. 

       

It was then downhill all the way, picking up with the river and heading back into Fonte Ferrea where the café was open.  We enjoyed our lunch break sitting at comfortable picnic tables and enjoying the drinks from the café.  It was lovely to see Sue Minnis who joined us for a glass of wine and collect the subs.

 

    

Walk stats:

Distance: 12.42 km

    Elevation gain: 298m

    Moving time: 2 hours 49 mins

    Average pace 13.37

   Calories 1467

Ribiera do Farelo : 10 May 2023

 

AWW Walk report – Ribiera do Farelo

 

8 walkers and 2 x dogs. Linda, David, Ros, Alan, Ken, Frank, Terry, Miriam and the dogs Bica and Toby (hiding in the shade).

 We met in Figueira and then drove 2kms to the start of the walk close to the Motorway bridge. 

We had a flat section to warm up before we headed up the secret hill.  

Stopping to take the starter photo along the way. Then all of a sudden, we arrived at the top of the hill to enjoy the lovely views, but most of all, a nice cooling breeze.

Everyone kept close to the leader through the narrow winding paths.

Then down into the hidden valley with lots of water for the dogs to cool off in and a few remaining wild flowers in this lush valley.

Only one water crossing as the others had dried up.  Ken was the “crossing model” today.

Then along the nice easy tracks enjoying the views across the baragem and the sounds of bird song.

We found a shady spot for lunch but this was cut short when Ros spotted the large Ants surrounding us.

 

We headed back along the flat to the cars and the civilization of barking dogs and roads.

 

Whilst enjoying refreshments at the cafe Alan complained there were not enough hills.  

There was debate about the distance as Alan said it was almost 16kms but Linda recorded 14kms.  Not much else to debate as fortunately there were no major incidents on this walk.

Thank you for joining me in this lovely part of the Algarve and to Alan for the photographs.

Linda.

"I Must go Down to the Sea Again" and again and again

We met at the cafe at Carrapateira. The leader had been travelling by ship around Japan, and on his return he needed to go down to the sea again. So he found 5 hills to look down at the sea again and again. However to look at and go down to the sea, everyone had to climb up the headlands to go back down.

We set off south towards Praia do Amado and climbed up to our first headland

The view DOWN to the sea At Praia do Amado was fantastic for all except David, who had seen it all before. Even Bica and Toby were impressed.

However, we did not go down to the sea at Amado then as we intended to do so later, but continued upwards, so we could look down to the sea at Praia do Muracao

We got the opportunity to go down to the sea at Praia do Muracao. There was not a soul on the beach. There were some surfers looking at the waves from the track, but they decided that the waves were the wrong kind of waves so they departed. Most of the group had lunch on the beach, huddled in the shade. The leader was not there to record as he was up on the headland still looking down on the sea. After lunch, we started back north and had to scramble up off of Praia do Muracao to get to the path up to the headland. Ros was off like the "Flash", clambered up the rocks and was on the headland before most of us had reached the path.

While Ros was off up the path, the rest of us were looking back down at the sea at Praia do Muracoa from the northh.

As Ros reached the headland, her breath was taken away and she just had to wait for the rest of us to catch up. We found her in raptures just staring down at the sea to the north.

And I must go down to the sea again and wander along watching the surfers, who obviously thought these waves were the right kind of waves.

And at the northern end of Praia do Amadao, we had to climb back up onto the headland. And despite it being the least elevation gain of the climbs we made on the day, as it was the last and as we were nearly home, it was probably the hardest.

And as we got to the top of the last headland and it was "going to be all downhill!!" back to the cafe, the leader decided to take a photo of the view back down to the south. As he got ready, the AWW crowded in to block the view. I thought that they had been camera shy. Not so.

And this was the view down to the sea that I had intended to capture.

And then it was back to the cafe, where the man behind the pole was not with us anyway.

Statistics / Lies Distance 15km Start time 09.30 Lunch about 30 mins Finish time 14.30 Time to leave cafe >15.30 (why leave when it is just beautiful?) Elevation chnage 430m

I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky, And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by; And the wheel’s kick and the wind’s song and the white sail’s shaking, And a grey mist on the sea’s face, and a grey dawn breaking. I must go down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied; And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying, And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying. I must go down to the seas again, to the vagrant gypsy life, To the gull’s way and the whale’s way where the wind’s like a whetted knife; And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover, And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick’s over. Frank M 4th May 2023