"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