The Solution: 90 in any 180

Goldilocks had suggested that it might be too hot, or too wet, or too long, or too steep. However 3 bears and Goldilocks met in Arrifana, where the weather was just right.

The leader was having all sorts of problems with these phones in cameras and was getting ready to tear it apart with his teeth. The surroundings were much preferrable

We set off down to the beach. It was all very easy: And there was no soft sand

But the walk was to prove a little bit harder as we climbed up off the beach to the cliffs at the south.

But the views were grand.

At the top we surveyed the view and caught our breath. They still all looked happy.

We had a drink and moved off south along the edge of the cliffs. We came in sight of the seastack at Pedra da Agulha. Below us was an inflatable boat, and as we waved, all the occupants jumped into the water and started to swim for shore.

We made our way down to Praia do Canal, where we met the swimmers who had just reached the shore. I spoke to one of them whose name was Marian, without an accent, in English. She told me that they had approached a Group Travel Agent that she knew, to get them into Portugal and the EU, without getting their passports stamped. They had been caught up in this BREXIT nonsense. She and the others had houses here in the Algarve and wanted to be out in the sun for more than 90 days in any 180. They had left Southampton on a small coaster, and then transferred to the fast boat to get closer to the coast. However, the Albanian coxwain refused to land on the beach, as promised. He had seen strange people up on the cliffs, watching them through binolulars and waving. He thought that they might be immigration oficials. So they had swam for it. She advised that at the end of the summer the Travel Agent had advised that if they got to Calais, then he would arrange another fast boat to get them back across the channel (or at least out of French waters) to the UK. He could even arrange for hotel accomodation for at least a couple of months back in the UK. For FREE. We said our goodbyes and saw them trudge damply up the path towards the road. We took the easy route along the beach beside the cliffs. The leader had tried this walk along the beach for about 2 years, but each time the waves had been up to the cliffs. Today we had timed it for a low low tide.

At Praia do Penedo, we stopped. Bruce suggested we try stone skipping as there were so many pebbles on the beach. Geoff thought it would be better to play golf on Pebble Beach.

We scambled over the boulder field and started the ascent up to the headland, when SUDDENLY: there was an aparition: on the skyline LOOKING DOWN on us weary travellers was the Wicker Man.

No it was just Bruce, who had skipped over the boulders and up the hill just like the Flash. We moved inland and stopped in a shady location with grand seating for lunch. It had taken us 3 hrs 20 min to do 9.8km. But they were real AWW kms of up/down/clambering over boulders, etc.

We took our time over lunch and then circled north and west back towards Arrifana. We stopped at the Praia do Canal Nature Resort, which is a high end Eco resort in the middle of the Parque Natural do Sudoeste Alentejano e Costa Vincentina. You can only get there on an unmade road or foot. The cost for a room for one night this weekend is Euro 498.00. We just stood outside for a photo.

We arrived back in Arrifana. Passed the house which looks as if it is sliding into the valley and which the leader was by now too tired to take a photo. The cafe did not sell Sprite so we had home made lemonade, which burst the bank. But we deserved it.

This was a "proper" AWW walk It was 18.2km

And then as we left and got into our cars, the heavens opened and the rain came crashing down in torrents. A great day Frank M 8th June 2023