AWW 2.04.2008 The Wanderers' Return or Two Dams for the Price of One

I would have been worried about this blog being published later than usual, had I not happened to meet a Very Senior Walker in one of Algarve's most fashionable shopping venues over the week-end. When I mentioned that I hadn't yet been able to wheedle a Leader's Report out of Rod, the response was that said Very Senior Walker could not give a toss about the blog. Much consoled by this salty breath of fresh air, I relaxed and let Rod take his time with his submission.
Wanderers' Return the day truly was, with Rod just back from the Antipodes and Mike from his Chilean adventure, both with a sufficiency of traveller's tales to regale us between Barragems do Arade and de Funcho.

The first event of note was that Ian S., stung by an earlier apparent reference to his personal navigational skills, managed to arrive at the right Barragem this time. Hence his look of triumph.

Now details for the record:

Leader: Rod.

Walkers: Chris and Antje, Ian and Diane W., Andrew and Lindsey, Vitor and Dina, David L, Yves, Hilke , Ian S., John H., Peter S., Mike, Val, Alex, Hedley, John O, and Antony Frew.

Dogs: Maddie, Nandy, Oscar, Tiggie, Pookie and Devinia

Tilley count: who knows.

Trig points: Nil

Statistics (courtesy Vitor):

Coordenadas da partida...... 37 14.325 - 008 22.671

Distancia percorrida............ 17,7 Klm

Média................................. 4,3 K/h

Media Gera.......................... 3,7 k/h

Tempo percorrido.................. 4h 07 m

Tempo parado...................... 41,09 m


The Starters at the no-longer-existing bar

"Now, when I was in Tierra del Fuego... "

And now the Leader's report:

"The billing as a short(ish) walk round the Barragem do Arade, along with the wonderful weather, produced quite a sizeable turnout...even though there was no pre-ambulatory coffee. The billing, in the event, turned out to be somewhat illusory as our dear leader added on an extra loop to take advantage of the lovely spring flowers, or so he said. The three to four hours turned out to be about five (although partly ascribed to a more than usual number of stops) (One unscheduled one when Nandy lost Mike, whose thoughts were possibly still far away in South America)
We set off from the no-longer-existing bar at the Barragem round the dam in a clockwise direction. There were a number of moans during the first two hours, that since nobody had even seen any water, they had been misled by the billing. (Can't imaging what they were complaining about.The next picture was taken at 9.44 a.m.; water very visible.)

The rebels were, however, quickly distracted by swarms of quite aggressive bees. Alex´s hair seemed, well quite understandably, attractive to them and disentangling them (achieved without a single sting) was the cause of one of the longer interludes.

I'll tak the A road and you'll tak the Bee road

On eventually sighting some water...below the Barragem de Funcho, the party temporarily split into two; some opting for a shorter route to the lunch site and others going up over the dam itself.

Tilleys and Non-Tilleys

The object of the latter was to get a view of the Barragem de Funcho and to see some unusual and very attractive Acacia trees. Lindsey, of course, was able to enunciate, without a stumble, the full Latin name and will doubtless be able to repeat it should anyone wish to know.

No complaints about the lunch accomodation

John O doing his Spike Milligan impersonation

After lunch the views of the dam lake became quite frequent and the moaners eventually realised they had indeed completed a circuit. (Then they started complaining about the tarmac.)
Enthusiasm was mildly diminished by the fact that the selected post-walk watering hole proved to be shut but a detour to Casinhas, before dehydration became too apparent, saved the day."

No complaints from these three.


"Always bring money along with your complaints" (Plautus)

CB's eggs:

Glad to see the wanderer's have returned. We too will be returning wanderers in due time, so I shall have to quote:

He travels best that knows when to return. For my part, I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel's sake. The great affair is to move. Stevenson, Robert Louis