Early One Morning or Breakfast at SparrowFart

Three Hours to Breakfast

Either the last walk of 2006-7 or the first walk of 2007-8 - you decide! However it is always good practice to start with a meaningful epithet!!

Only dull people are brilliant at breakfast.

Oscar Wilde (1854 - 1900), An Ideal Husband, 1893, Act I

Again you decide who is looking brilliant in our traditional group photo taken at the start of the walk!

And while I am 'at it' - another appropriate quote:-

Sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.

Lewis Carroll (1832 - 1898), Alice in Wonderland

Mind that both of these statements were written in the 19th Century, and for some of us things have moved on since then, and one or two of us had not even been born when these utterances were uttered. Anyway, during the course of this walk, I doubt that any of the walkers had not been regaled with more than 'six impossible things' especially since there was much to catch up on since the Summer Feast - way back on the 9th June. I am sure I recall Ian S. explaining the novelty of his attire on this occasion by the fact that his 'lucky pullover was away at the cleaner's'!! And I believed that!

Anyway, without more ado, I will present you with, first, the Leader's 'brilliant' summation of the pre-morning's activities, (my editorial amendments in red) and then a few of the more flattering pix of the assembled company, with considered comments!

There appears to be some debate as to whether there is more than one sparrow that is awake at 06.45 hours and whether that particular sparrow or others of his brethren are responsible for a plurality of what sparrows are renowned to do at that early hour. Meanwhile, what follows is a report of SparrowFart 2007.

We could debate for hours the fine distinctions between SparrowFart (sic), Sparrow's Fart; Sparrowsfart or Sparrow farts, but we must concede that the originator and leader must be considered right in this matter, even though he goes against centuries of Etymological not to say Ornithological practice!! cf. this and this

Walk statistics: Total distance 11.9 km (12.6 km); Moving time: 2 hours 33 mins (2 hrs 50 min); Total time: 3 hours 05 mins (correct); Moving ave: 4.7 kph (4.4 km/hr); Overall ave: 2.33 kph (4.1 km/hr); Total ascent: 105 m.; Max elev: 75 m.(78 m.)

Leader Mike

Walkers (20): Lindsey, Andrew, Rory, Heather and Anna Symons (Mike’s son-in-law, daughter and grand-daughter), Ian Scott, Rod, Paul, Myriam, John and Hazel, Terry and Jill Ames, John Havery, Chris, Tina and Andrew Fielder, Janet, John O’Neill and Brian Holman.

Dogs (3): Oscar, Tiggy and Maddie.

Breakfast only (5): Jyll, Marguerite, Antje (with bandaged foot), Sue and Troth (Sue’s Mum).

Dogs (2): Maio and Hobo. What they and the other dogs that undertook the walk gleaned at the breakfast tables is an unknown factor but is thought to be considerable. Certainly Maio had a very contented look on his face at the end of the meal. (He strenuously denies this, and was rather disappointed at not having his breakfast brought to him in bed!)

See - I was nowhere near the breakfast!

Grand Total: 26 + 5 dogs. Last minute apologies for absence were received from Caro Bell who was suffering with a bad back. (Couldn't get it off the bed!)

Start/End point: Quinta das Espargosas, Odiáxere

Ostensible leader: Mike; de facto leader: Anna Symons (now aged 10 years) who directed the walk, using a bamboo diagram chart.

Assembling the multitude, taking the traditional photographs and generally doing morning exercises took some 15 minutes. So the field did not move off until 06.55 hours with Anna leading. The weather was perfect after the dampness of the previous day. Clear skies, pleasant temperatures and lovely views of the Serra de Monchique made for an easy and enjoyable 3-hour morning walk. The first sections, traveling eastwards, were alongside canals and thence, continuing eastwards beside the salt flats towards the Odiáxere River. We then made our way southwards by rough tracks besides the river until reaching the railway bridge over the river, not far from Mexilhoeira Grande. The route then took us westwards beside a fish farm and alongside extensive oyster beds and then along the shore of a lagoon. We skirted Palmares golf course, then walked eastwards over Mte. Baio from where we were able to enjoy fine views and where we had a further obligatory photograph before returning by way of two of the canals that we had passed down earlier. This provided a most welcome swim for the dogs. Chris, who recently climbed Mt. Fuji, has added a ‘Fuji Stick’ complete with bells to AWW accoutrements. One should now bow appropriately when addressing him.

Jyll and Marguerite did sterling work in ensuring that an excellent breakfast was ready for the eating on arrival. Only Terry and Janet swam.
Rod told the company of his e-mail contact with Pam and Ian, now living in France. Ian is seriously ill with a lung infected from asbestos inhalation, gained during his service in the Royal Navy. Sympathies were extended. Some members might wish to contact Pam who maintains the same e-mail address as before.

The first main obstacle was the 'Water Jump', which Jill A. took with no little grace and style!



While the rest of the 'Field' milled around and waited for the Leader to test the sogginess of the marsh beyond for supportability.




Note the long early morning shadows as John catches Myriam snapping as the group pass along the dyke.



Our Summit for the day - Monte Baio - 75 metres




How do you like these buns!!


No time for conversation - irons at work!


Myriam sees the funny side of it!




You know the sound of two spoons playing - what is the sound of one spoon playing!




The Leader - resplendent in turquoise!

As Sparrow's fart it was a good one, expertly led by Mike, and catered to a very high standard by Jyll with the assistance of Marguerite. For those of us that are rarely allowed a 'Full English' it was a morning to savour.

I will finish as I started with a couple of quotes:-

My wife and I tried two or three times in the last 40 years to have breakfast together, but it was so disagreeable we had to stop.
Winston Churchill (1874 - 1965) English statesman, author

and

Oh yes, there is a vast difference between the savage and the civilized man, but it is never apparent to their wives until after breakfast.
Helen Rowland ( - ____) English-US writer