WAGS 30.09.2020: Here we go again! Salgadas.

      

          I had hoped to open a new blog for the next 2020-2021 season, but alas while reclining in my TV throne, fighting off tooth decay, I was unusually overcome with lethargy, and was forced by last minute obligations to continue this one. Tant pis, I doubt it would have made a difference to anyone except my finely honed sense of order.

     Perhaps it is the aftermath of the last 7 months of Daily Covidzy Nov, news on the Portuguese channels, or even a reverse Samson, having grown a modest facial adornment, which has been quite exhausting.    Or it could also be a side effect of a lazy summer of big FEB's without the benefit of earning the credit in calories beforehand.

     Whatever - "It is what it is" , as The Donald was heard to remark, as his magnificent manhood overcame the virus in 3 days, when lesser Leaders lingered in intensive care for a couple of weeks.

      This blog regrettably will be compiled without the blogger having set foot upon the trail - a secondhand effort, but I am sufficiently versed in WAGS walks to be able to fill in the gaps, read between the lines, and convey to the reader that I was actually there sweating along with them.

   So to the Blog Post for last Wednesday's walk which I am attempting to finish today, Not entirely my fault as Rod didn't get his draft to me until Saturday evening, by which time Myriam had booked me for full time carer for Sunday and Monday!

     Rod had apparently come off worse in an encounter with a potentially rabid cat, and the ensuing medical attention had claimed his time.

A panorama of the area by John.

Rod wrote:

This was an initial walk of the season which mostly lived up to the G in WAGS  fairly evenly split perhaps between between more definite G's and still reasonably able S's, namely Peter S, Chris and Antje, Thyl and Gita, John H, Yves and Rod (I wouldn't presume to suggest which is which!)

Starters sans Thyl: L-R Chris, Peter, Yves, Gita, Rod, John and Antje with Sasha

Thyl and a new sidekick who didn't get a mention in the notes!

This was billed as a flat walk of modest proportions  in the area of Salgados we had previously covered but starting  from an establishment far from where we were able to avoid being ripped off as we were in one of the last ones. The slated open time of 09.30 came and went no bad thing maybe because the ever observant John H pointed out an error in the leader's  instructions. Alas the correcting Email never arrived having become stuck in Drafts, so too bad, one or two temporarily visited  unintended areas of the Algarve but only one was terminal...Tony W. and even that had its plus side; his son as a result was  finally able to persuade him that he really must invest in a mobile phone.  Bit late perhaps but let`s see.

Beach conference

        The not-so-blue Lagoon

The bar, Snackbar Villa Paradis, is  a short walk from the edge of the lagoon, along which we wandered, stopping of course to gaze upon the ornithological multitudes. 

Some good seats........

The photo what Yves took!!

From there we joined the boardwalk heading east along the south side of the lagoon before descending to the beach at the Salgados carpark. The  sea was flat calm and there was very little breeze so the beach was relatively crowded, at least anywhere near the access points. The first of these  were the steps over the dunes to the beginning of the boardwalk at which point we said a temporary goodbye to Peter, Chris and Antje. The rest carried on along the beach, then somewhat quieter but frequented by the naturalist population. 

(Unfortunately our ace photographers have kept any pix they may have taken at this point in their private collections!)

It is tempting to have the odd peep to see how generally unattractive the unclothed human body is but then out of the sea emerged a perfectly formed sylph at which no real male (and doubtless many others from today's sexual range) could fail to gawp.

(Please tell me you didn't miss it, Yves!)

  Eyes front again and we walked to the stream...well in wet weather or high tides it is...which terminates the main Armacao de Pera Beach. 

A bird in the hand was worth two in the bush!!

Here we turned inland and taking a more northerly loop than before we headed back towards the bar. 

Gita looking happy despite the photographer having her face in the shade!

This inland route is a bit more varied than nearer the dunes, broken up by streams, rocky outcrops and the odd unoccupied farmstead. So with little further ado we arrived back at the Villa Paradis. There we found Peter, Chris and Antje well into their bifanas and tostas. 

Yves gets fed  - first of the rest!

 A table of six had arrived just before us unfortunately so there was a lengthy wait whilst the just lightly flustered Brasileira had to prepare and serve everything all on her ownsome.  When it did arrive it was all perfectly acceptable....not at the top of the tostas ranking perhaps but at least bread and olives were thrown in to keep us quiet. Certainly a good base bar for any walk around the Salgados area.

A Pao Caseira example of the bifana with a light spreading of mostarda

The pap'  seco version with no mustard for the soft of mouth!!

    And that's all folks. Normally a ribald colour commentary, if I had been there, but late Tuesday arvo with tomorrows walk about 14 hours away, I will refrain from listing the reasons and ailments that leave the WAGS temporarily depleted.   The State of Contingency currently in force in Portugal deems that our walking group should be no more than 10. This is actually a good number for the WAGS as last season we rarely exceeded it. However currently several regulars are absent, and there has been a flurry of interest after an idle summer, and I can foresee that it may have to be organised on a First Past the Post basis, so if you really want to walk, get your bids in quickly when the call circular comes out.

    Lets never forget that while we are waging a war with Covidzy Nov, in the past it was tougher. 

Watch till the end for the musical morale booster!!

Just a plea, as Blogs may be a little limited this season, it would be nice to have a few contributions by way of commentary on things you are doing, places you go and some photos of your memories, if only as a way to stay in touch in the absence of face to face conversation.

Can be by email or WhatApp at your preference.