AROUND MESSINES.....Gill's first sole lead

 AROUND MESSINES

My first solo lead as Jim awaiting a double hip op. We had done this walk almost exactly two years before, but a recce of the first half with Marian , Geoff & Sue helped refresh my memory.

A beautiful morning welcomed 18 enthusiastic walkers,  albeit to an incredibly slow Intermarche cafe. I think the most this year ?...at least to start a walk, if not to finish!
Welcome to our new recruits  Kieran & Fiona and Hazel.

Fiona, Kieran, Gill, Geoff ,Linda, Tim, Jan, Martin ,Clare ,Peter, Miriam ,Susan, Marion, Hazel, Kim and John ! Alan of course behind the camera ! Dogs.   Bica, Rafa, Toby and Ziggy


We March up a wee hill ( as Jim would say ) for our photo and to look at the amazing view.

And then back down again.....albeit with a couple of false trails where we thought we could do better than the recce....but couldn't!

Spring flowers around the valley bottom where we all stopped to admire with a banana stop:

Before off again, but unfortunately the sheep and goats we saw on the recce, especially their little additions, had moved on. We did pass the remains of an unidentified rambler who once passed this way though:

We had 2 water crossing but thankfully stress free ( not like the week before !)

We all went under the rail tunnel , following leader's instructions....not like the Christmas Lunch Walk when half a dozen  declared UDI and clambered up the bank and along the track !

We reached the    Sant Anna church  and battle site :

We missed Roz  who normally would give us a history lesson ( hope the knee is on the mend )

Onwards through the pines then onto our 1 st glimpse of the Funcho or should I say a very dry Funcho:

Then it was time for our  wimpier friends to go back the shorter route ....all with a host of excuses and injuries...

After a long goodbye  the resilient 10 marched on . "Was it lunch time ?" ( John and Martin ), " no" said Gill so we went on to the chosen spot. I chose this spot because of it beautiful views across the water .

Sadly there was none … a boat without water is all we saw !

Ups and downs , beautiful views of the rolling hills and some low water in the distance:

Newcomer Tim shamed us by showing he could run uphill...

Finally on to the via algarviana  all the way home :

Unfortunately, this track had been tarmaced,  making it hard on the feet :

So we cut off a corner and headed  back, just in time  for Ross and Sue to join us for well deserved drink....they had been strolling  and lunching with the WAGS as they both had poorly knees.

Many thanks for your company
19 and a half km.....almost 1km less than before, due to shrtcut.

Gill

PS...Jim update
He came home on Sunday and he is feeling good ! 

Stats and map:

Jim up date
He came home on Sunday and he is feeling good ! 

24 January 2024 – RIBBA A TERINHO

 

AWW Walk report – 24 January 2024 – RIBBA A TERINHO

 

15 walkers and 2 x dogs. Tony, Peter, Marian, Miriam, Julie, Ken, Jill, Tim, Geoff, Sue, Dan, Trudy, Russ, Linda, Alan the photographer and the 2 x dogs Bicca and Toby. (Welcome back to Trudy and Dan our Canadian friends).

We met in Rasmalho and then drove 3kms further up the road to the start of the walk.  On behalf of Linda, Geoff asked the group to try and keep together and Alan offered to be back marker.  We started out at 10.15am.

The only wildlife today were cows who looked very surprised to see us, too big for Toby to try and catch.

We enjoyed some shade as we walked beside the gushing river.

 

Lots of flat sections to get us warmed up.

 

We were starting to spread out even though the water crossings were easy.

Now it was time to head up the valley one of the only main hills of the day.

The front group rested in the shade whilst Linda rounded up the back group.  Then it was lots of flat walking, enjoying the lovely views from the hill tops.

A rare photo of our photographer

We were enjoying some amazing January weather so took lunch in the shade where we could enjoy the lovely views back down to the coast. 

We headed off along the flat, zig zagging round the valleys.

We had one more steepish hill and then it was a nice downhill stroll back down the valley whilst enjoying a nice afternoon breeze.

The water crossings were very easy today.

 

Just a few muddy puddles but no other people, no houses, no cars, no tarmac.  Just beautiful Algarve sunshine, great countryside, healthy air and good companionship.

 

Back to the café for the post walk drinks and a very relieved Linda as there were no incidents this week.  The walk was 16 kms as advertised.

 

I did the same walk on the 8 February 2023 and the weather was completely different, we even had to eat our lunch standing up.....see

 AWW 2015-24: 8 February 2023...Rasmalhio (hopejandh.blogspot.com)

Thank you for joining me in this lovely part of the Algarve and thank you to Alan for the photos and Trudy for the extra ones.  See you all soon. 

Linda

PS Map & Stats: