WAGS 25.03.2020: The Quarantine Diaries: Week 2

     

    Here we are in Week 2 of our social distancing, and to be fair it has not made a great impact on us so far. No worries about lack of toilet paper (our 3 bidets are proving their worth); we go for our daily walks - more together now as Myriam has less other agenda; and cooking, eating and washing up pretty well the same stuff as before, except the lack of fresh fish may tell soon. And of course our WAGS Walks and Lagos Cafe Society Saturday meetings, are sorely missed.
      Lack of touring round cafes and road testing Tostas Mistas may even prove to be a good thing in the long run as I can control my home made ones calorifically, and if I hadn't stocked up on Lays Gourmet crisps, sundry snacks and peanuts, I might even be losing weight soon.

Variation on a Theme for Tosta Mista com Tomato 

The Lagos Rarebit

Not having to depend on a fixed starting time, Myriam and I played it cool and started our walk out at Porto de Mos at 1145am. Played it cool was a bit of an exaggeration, as it was actually quite hot by then with little breeze, so we didn't feel the benefits of the Atlantic cooling as we walked along the cliffs.  Our purpose was to perform maintenance on my  'CacheWalker Porto de Mos geocaches, a series of 5 caches and a Bonus, set out on the area between Porto de Mos and the Luz Obelisk and escarpment.. This is inevitably slower than a WAGS walk as time needs to be spent re-finding and inspecting the caches.

The starter photo, in  which we practised an advanced form of social distancing does not show me in such a good light as I have to squint at the screen in the brightness. Photo was taken with the Delfie Art App, which enables you to take a photo and simultaneously add the photographer into the final pic. You will note that we have brought our Q-car (See HERE ) on a trial run. (Good Runner, One Lady owner For sale at any reasonable offer!)

Unlike some (and I may go into this later) - we took the Social Distancing (or more correctly - Physical distancing as Myriam has just interjected over my shoulder) seriously.

Soon after we started we saw a seagull trying to chase off a hawk. A bit further on my 10x zoom OnePlus 7 Pro came into it's own and I caught this snap which I have tentatively identified as the Common Kestrel.

Nearly missed this next one!

We probably met less than a dozen people along the way, mainly foreigners, and all moved wide on the path as they passed, which was heartening.

The difficulties of photography while walking as a pair - the same subject different locations.

 Makes one hark back to the photographic orgies we had when  I could snap any of the assembled multitude!!

Pedra Negra - smaller than last year but a stunning contrast to the sandstone and azure sea.

Luz hove into view and in the distant background the objective of  Day 1 (E-W) of the RTC. Those were the days!!

Alas at the Obelisk. I realised I had forgotten to bring my WAGS Graffiti spray to mark the occasion, so had to make do with a black permanent marker on the smaller pillar behind the obelisk!

Please feel free to visit the spot and add your contribution to WAGS history!!

On the way back as we passed through the narrow corridor next to The Eagles Nest, we saw that the owner had been clearing and foresting his grove of pines. Less evidence of Processionary caterpillar nests this year.

Going where no WAG has gone before  .. Myriam in the middle of a deserted Boa Vista Fairway.

On the way round we had inspected and maintained 6 geocaches, which cost us some overall average speed.

Honour satisfied on this occasion with 7 km and 110m of climb ATG (according to Garmin).

However I don't remember breaking in to a gallop to attain that maximum speed!!

VIEWRANGER

However, ViewRanger had it differently by quite a margin, 960 metres less in length and almost double the climb to an excess of the  WAGS parameter of 215 m.  Don't ask why - I just accept whichever is the greater to make myself feel better!

Needless to say, the penthouse Cafe Tosta Mista was of an impeccable standard, though owing to the size of the Quinoa bread from Delicias Bakery, was rather smaller than usual, and also well melted!!

A well deserved Apres-WAGS TM

Myriam,  denied her usual Prato do Dia, contented herself with reheating last nights left-overs. 

And now to the Authorised Version of the censored activities of John Hope's splinter group!

The WAGS Irregulars 2020 03 25

The Irregulars met at Retiro dos Pescadores and practised proper social distancing.

The Irregulars´ numbers are limited to four because that is the maximum number that can be fitted into a Starter photo when each is standing 2 metres apart.

This walk was meant to be a gentle revisiting of an APAPS recce that Hazel and I had done two weeks ago, but goodness knows what Hazel had had for breakfast this morning because she set off like the clappers. While three of us had a leisurely conversation about guinea fowl and the cooking and eating thereof, she steamed ahead. When eventually she stopped and I had managed to catch up, my gizmo was recording my own moving speed at 4.7 kph, so I reckon she would have been going at over 5 kph.

Things quietened down a bit after that, although we did have to negotiate a short, rather sharp hill; maximum slope 32%. Lest any potential APAPS should feel alarmed about that, Paul´s recent Mont Blanc specimen had a maximum slope of 44% and was much longer to boot.

Hazel did some flower  photography – 9 spot cistus  I believe.

Maria did her usual flower arrangements.

We were now high up but on level ground with the promise of it all being downhill thereafter, that is, until Hazel was at it again. Through the trees she espied a trig point up a desperately steep hill and she suggested, nay demanded, that we go up to it in order to “show that we can still do it.” (This was one of those almost inaccessible trigs that Rod used to lead us to in days gone by.) So up we went.

I stopped half-way up to photograph the others´ progress and felt rather as Odell must have felt when he watched the distant figures of Mallory and Irvine creep up the final slopes of Mount Everest at over 27,000 feet in 1924**. They were not seen again. Luckily, Hazel, Maria and Yves were.

That over, Hazel calmed down, we could resume our stroll and it was, indeed, now all downhill.

No bifanas, no tostas at the end of the walk, just a quiet dispersal.

** Look it up on YouTube – Mallory and Irvine.

Looked like a well organised Passeio Higienico BUT a modern contemporary of Alfred Dreyfus (unnamed for his/her own protection) leaked these photos to your Chief Blogger!

Trying to greet without passing the virus - but unless they both have legs exceeding 1 meter -FAIL

There is more - and worse!

Maria is fond of mounting a Trig Point.

Is Yves too close?

Two metres - pouf!!

But worse still......

     Not only usurping my own usual pre-Corona Assistive role, but forensic examination of this leaked photo has failed to find Yves' right fist!!  A blatant breach of all we stand for, and we may have to call, not only the guilty parties but also the leader of this rebel faction, to account.

Nothing more to say!! I can only urge other WAGS to beware and avoid any close contact with either of the malfeasants.

Hazel at first claimed a 9 spotter, but later re-examination reduced this to an 8.


Rod went out for a walk with Antony. A little shorter on distance than usual, but with an awesome height gain. Each to his own. I have the track and stats, and a promise of more to come including drone photography, but that will have to be edited in later.

Rod's Odelouca walk .........

........and the stats.

Rod forwarded a nice picture from somewhere in Warwickshire, later edited by Myriam and re-edited by Antony. Final form here.

Rod's contribution which arrived at  1823 hrs on 28th March - after I was off duty!

Passeio Hygiénico. 25/3

Suitably armed with a roll of  eponymous Papel, which in the event of emergency use would  of course  be properly disposed of,  Antony and I  set off towards the Barragem de Odelouca where we had arranged to meet a few friends, some of whom had shown enthusiastic interest in joining the WAGS one day.

The starter foto shows us, along with Ember and a couple of other dogs, all seated, but shamefully not observing the 2 meter distancing, with a background of the lake. 

In the interests of civic responsibility we then decided to split up and make our own decision as to which route we should follow. Antony and I decided we would follow an old route once largely covered by WAGS...or was it indeed by AWW´s?

This took us on a lengthy but flat stretch some distance above but parallel to the water edge. From there we could immediately see the water level, whilst having seen it lower in summer months, was obviously way below what would be expected at this time of year. 

The track ended abruptly at a point in the shoreline and left us with no option but to make a short but sharp ascent from the top of which Antony who had arrived first (well I should hope so too!) recorded his pai struggling up behind.

At the top too Antony released his drone into the sky blue yonder. The eye in the sky took some splendid shots of the barragem scenery with the odd shot showing that we two really were there. It also showed sadly what a dismal state of forestry management from which the whole area was now suffering. It had a while back been terraced for eucalyptus; the first cutting must have been a year or two ago, since then fires had ravaged the area but  burnt skeletons were just abandoned,  untended new shoots were appearing, other vegetation was fast growing and terracing was all over falling into disrepair, sad and irresponsible.  We thought too we might see some signs of where our friends were, but no one in sight....indeed not another single human being to be seen the entire walk.

Our route wound around the countryside until we arrived at the base of the peak bearing the infamous Cruzes trig point, the near vertical approach track rearing up into the stratosphere. Antony was fired by the challenge and set off alone to conquer it whilst Daddyo decided that those days were gone and set off along a contour track to meet up on the way down.   In the event however he came across a track which he thought might meet Antony´s descent a little higher up.

This track became steeper and steeper until it eventually met the downward trail so near the top that he just couldn´t resist the urge to complete the job. After rather more than once wishing he hadn´t, he eventually joined Antony at the top where the drone once more recorded us to prove it.

Having recovered from that epic event we continued our way along a downward track to a point where on a previous visit, we had made the mistake of turning towards the by then visible starting point and car. This at that time had caused us, because of an impassable gully, to walk at a lower level all the way back up the valley we had descended. Wise to this we this time turned away from the car towards a track that whilst considerably shorter took us down to the road and to a final tarmac climb back to the start. Back there we waited a while for our friends....but no one appeared so we assumed they had arrived first and left.

And so back home...passing on the way a forlorn and very closed Cafe´Para e Fica` with Ana hopefully sweeping the terrace. No tostas today.

From the stats a walk well within WAGS distance and time parameters but well, just look at that cumulative height gain figure!

( Track and Stats at beginning of Rod's article)

Some lovely drone pics there. I think Rod needs to get his pilot's licence and borrow it for our walks in future if Antony is otherwise engaged!


Peter contributed this wistful picture....

Chris and Antje walked near Bravura...

What no WAGS ?

A repeat of our opt out Barragem walk pre corona days. Seems ages ago. At least we know the way now and also the way back. We were tempted by the thought of a circular track but opted for the familiar. Saw nobody apart from a solitary dog walker who had failed to tell his pooch about the 2m rule. Sasha didn’t mind and soon enjoyed a brief swim in the much depleted reservoir. Then silence and solitude, a bit like self isolation but in the country. Only the tapping of a wood pecker to disturb the peace. Two hours later and 5.5 km recorded we were back at the dam. A young family were surprised to be ordered in no uncertain terms to stand back 2m but did as they were told. They must have thought we had the plague, or worse. Then coffee and cake at Hello Goodbye, fortunately closed for the duration.
Are we pushing the boundaries a little after the trials and tribulations of India? Well, yes but a long way to go before we can reclaim full membership of the Wags again. Good to be out in the countryside for a change, beach walks can get boring after a while but long may they last.

No improvement since last seen in February

No fire prevention measures here

It seems further than last time 

Checking the watersuitability for a dip. 

Isolated after walk refreshments.

JohnH here butting in again with a few photos taken on "Mount Everest".

The first is the one I took of the gallant mountaineers in the mists at the top. The second is one that Yves took from the top just as I took the first. It´s a remarkably effective photo in the way that it captures the steepness of the slope looking down. If you look very closely, you can see me as a wee grey dot looking up; and even I had managed to get half-way up the precipitous climb at that stage. 

And the third is one of  Maria doing what she is renowned for  - getting to the top of the trig !

And finally, there being no bifanas or tostas to be had anywhere, when I got home that day I consoled myself with a warming and colourful dish of  - and this will make Janet really envious  - haggis ! (with non-traditional trimmings.

Now back to Paul.

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And that is all I have for now, apart from this wonderful nostalgic song from when we were in a different kind of war, and which involved much more than sitting on our backsides bingeing on box sets, and taking exercise without contact!!

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