AWW 4 March 2026....Honey Cafe /Montes de Cima....Remembered?

 Honey Cafe /Montes de Cima....Remembered?

Back in the days of yor (well 2016/2017) BC ( Before Covid) we checked out a new route in this part of the countryside with intrepid reccee-ers Russell, Linda and Rose. It took us two or three saturdays to sort it, but we eventually had a 15kms walk, quite uppydowny , which we did in February 2017....this was back in the days when 15kms was considerd a short walk. The blog is at :

AWW 2015-24: AWW 22nd February 2017: To hill with Geoff – and back.

I had been wanted to retrace our steps for some time, and eventually with Ros, Linda and Sue managed to do (most of) it , so  our gallant band of 14 set  off having been suitabled caffinated at The Honey Cafe :

L to R : Tim, John, Steve, Kieran, Fiona, Dan, Trudy, Martin, Ros, Sue, Mike, Trish, Maura.....and Rafa.

Unfortunately (?), we can't walk up the first steep hill ( I recall David's  quip of whether that was what is called a hillstart...) as the path to the renovated ruin has been blocked off. With no official photographer ( Alan gone AWOL again) I had to deputise, so here are a few backsides:

The landscape had altered in the past 9 years , with the recovering  from the fires, new firebreaks/tracks  and whilst some was still surprisingly familiar, some wasn't.....try as we might on the recent reccees, we couldn;t recognise where Russell did his heroic deeds in 2017 :

Nor could we really recognise this hill...

Was it this one?

Probably not....but perhaps this one?

Anyway, we skirted both , but then...horror of horrors...I realised  I had been talking and walking and had missed our  turning! Various phone maps were consulted as to whether it was possible to carry on and find a new way back : if it was only a few of us, I might have concurred, but with 14 it was too risky, so it was " about turn" and we retraced some of our steps.....it was a nice day, lovely views, and if it wasn't for the 180 degree turn, I doubt many would have noticed.

Lunch called, some favouring a fallen tree:

others, a more conventional resting spot...

Without any more alarums, we rejoined the track we have done many times on our Monday walks ( CVO Ramblers) , though there was still a big puddle to navigate...Rafa showing the way through the middle...

 But strangely, all kept to the side...

When we did this section of the walk last on a Monday Walk, Linda had to limbo under a fallen tree...and in the wet...

But a kindly forrester had cut it down...

There were some landslips after recent rain...

One final water obstacle..

Then back for a drink!

Many thanks for your company.....there is still scope to explore this route further, perhaps starting from  Casais.....a task for next season! The doubling back at least added to the total of 15kms!

Map & stats...

Geoff