AWW 2nd January 2008.

Penance 2008, or The Algarve Way and a Bit.

Penitents: John H., John O’., Lindsey, Andrew, Dina, Vitor, Janet, Peter, David

Dog (to bite the heels of the penitents): Beeroe, from Sonia and Peter’s Pantheon.
(Statistical intervention by Sub-Ed: distance, according to my Taiwanese bit of plastic: 15.32 kms)
The majority of the members of the AWW must have had a very boring festive season, as only nine turned up to expiate their sins on the hills north of Silves on a mild, damp and draughty 2nd January. The Leader had in fact been extremely generous considering the occasion, and had set a most un-WW start time of 10.00. This did have the advantage that everyone turned up before the allotted time, enabling a prompt beginning.

Parade of Penitents

Perhaps to reinforce the idea that this was a walk of penance, the party had only just started out, having walked the short distance along the Silves canal and up into Monte Branco, when the skies darkened and a heavy but mercifully short shower descended upon them. A couple of muttered ‘sorry we did this’ seemed to convince the Divine that the walkers really were ashamed of their excesses – a bit of a con, really, since they were simply questioning their sanity in turning out to walk at all. But He/She turned the water off anyway, and the ordeal continued under less threatening skies.
In fact, the walk along the undulating ridge towards Romano, on the Silves-Odelouca section of the Algarve Way, was quite uplifting, with blues skies and a steady breeze. He/She must be getting soft, they thought. The Leader joined in the spirit of the day, taking the walkers round the last hill (with a trig-point on it!!!) instead of over it, before the descent to the valley floor and a fairly brief snack/lunch stop below the ruins of Romano hamlet. Biting Dog had the best of this part of the day, with a wonderful swim in a convenient barragem.

Smile - we take the Low Road.

The Tale of the Dog and the Banana

The trial resumed with a stroll up to the São Marcos road at Vale de Linhares where veterans of the Algarve Way met up again with the pagan and his family who had so sorely abused them for parking on a public road. He seemed a completely different person this time around, with a welcoming smile and ready conversation. Perhaps pagans do penance too.
Then followed what the Penitents had feared when they started out – things began to go up and down a bit more seriously as the Updulator found his form, not only taking them over a couple of ridges the hard way, but through four streams into the bargain, as the route cut across country to re-join the Algarve Way for the return to Silves.

Praying for Dry Feet

The stream bit rather backfired, as some gentlemen of the party returned to childhood for a while, trying to soak each other through by hurling rocks into the water at critical moments. They were enjoying themselves far too much, and the water from above was duly turned on again just as the high point of the return leg was reached. He/She must have had a good Christmas too, because no sooner did it start than it stopped, and the walk down the ridge back towards Enxerim took place in excellent conditions.

Can we paraglide back?

As a final warning not to be bad this year, the river separating the group from their cars was running too high to cross, and everyone had to walk even further to get to the bar – and then some more to return to their vehicles. But people never learn, do they? Beer was consumed as if nothing had happened, and one lady member of the party was even heard touting for someone to share a BRANDY to put in her coffee. The very idea!!!!!

OK, who’s for a knees –up?

There are absolutely no statistics to record for this walk, as no one was carrying a GPS. It began at 10.00 and ended at 3.00, and we walked from the start to the finish. How’s that for precision, Paul?

Rule 110 iii c) says brollies are NOT ALLOWED.