AWW 15.06.2011: Rosario Revisited, or Levada Levity

 

In 1971 Don McLean sang “Drove my chevvy to the levée /But the levée was dry”; but, in contrast, our levada on Wednesday 15th was full and fast flowing –presumably with water released from the Arade barragem – much to the dogs´ delight..

Cybele                                                                                                                                             (IBI)

Whisky and water                                                                                                                     (YFP)

The 20 starters
Leader: JohnH
Leadees: Lindsey, Dina, Tina, Ingrid, Alex, Hazel, Hilke, Rod, Terry and Jill, Ian S, Ian W, Bob,
Yves, Peter, JohnO, and visitors EoghanO, Richard and Val.
Doggies: Alfie, Maddie, Cybele, Rusty, Misty, and visitor Whisky.
Apologies: Paul and Myriam, Antje and Chris.

The Track (click to enlarge)
Statistics:
Distance (advertised) “a gentle 9 kms”:  (actual) 8.78 kms.
Total Time: (advertised) “about 3 hrs”: (actual) 3 hrs 6 mins.
Moving Time: oh, about 2hrs 10 mins.
Report
A good turn-out of 20 for the last stroll of the season with Restaurante Mira-Rio open for us before 8.30 am. The 9 am start was slightly delayed because of the senior paparazzo´s inability to stabilise his camera but once under way we swung west about and then down behind the Restaurante complex to join the levada.


Tilleys, the old                           (YFP)          …and the new                    (YFP)     
Pleasant temperatures, fresh breezes and plenty of shade as we moved smartly along.


                                                                                                                         (IBI)
Group indiscipline at Rosario Point stymied the efforts of Trainee Paparazzo No.1 to take the photo customarily taken at this spot but he did his best.

TP No.1 claims the higher visual ground.                     (Pic by TP no.2  - IBI)

                                                   (YFP)                                                                                                                                                            (IBI)
By 10 am we had reached the Clube Nautico where a 15 minute coffee break enabled Peter and JohnH to talk about that rarely heard  musical instrument, the glass harmonica, and  the recent reports that there is a reclusive practitioner of it somewhere in a double basement garage in Lagos. These need to be investigated further.

Do we really have the time for a game of darts?                                                                             (YFP)

Gian Feroti on location at at Clube Nautico                                                                                (IBI)
Leaving the Clube, most of the group began a very gentle ascent of the central massif but here Ian S, who had made a long-awaited return to active AWW-ing, decided to go off on his own low road home with Maddie. It´s not clear whether he suffers from chronic altitude sickness (although an ascent from 29 metres above sea level to maximum 75 metres seems unlikely to trigger an acute attack) or whether as a member of the Flat Earth Society (Lagos chapter) he is simply just not allowed to do hills.
Panoramic views up top, from Silves to Portimao to Foia.

TP No.2                                                                                                                   (pic by TP No.1 – YFP)
Then we left visitors Richard, Val and Whisky to stay on the main track while we took a slightly skiddy and prickly route off-piste, down past a fallen tree to the side of the the Centro de Traimento, and then back round by road to meet up again with R, V and W at Opt-Out point no.1. Nobody took up the chance of this opt-out, but dogs were watered and Hilke took notes for the end-of-term report.


Will it be a pass or fail?

Opt-Out point 1
It was only 11 am at this stage with us already heading for home, and the Leader realised that something in the way of a retardative diversion would be required if the walk was to run its full advertised course. So we headed back up the hill that Richard and Val had just come down – they were very polite about this – and then we drifted along a modest path to reach a bit of tarmac where Opt-Out 2 was offered, rather in the old-fashioned, tentative way of cricket umpires offering the batsmen “the light” when dark clouds gather overhead, with hints from the Leader that a wee bit of a scramble was to come. However, this offer was stoutly brushed aside by Rod, and so we all plunged into a trackless maze of orange plots and formidable terracing. Scrambling, nay jungle-bashing, indeed there was, as we persevered with the traverse and refused to have recourse to the tarred road just a few yards away at the top of the ridge.

Don´t look down                                                                                                                                   (YFP)

Jill of the Jungle leads the way
But the general sense of direction was maintained, half-an-hour passed by, retardation achieved, and not much blood was lost.

That´s not Guinness                                                (IBI)
By the time we had climbed upwards and neared the pylon before beginning the descent back to the levada, the Leader feared that he had lost one more follower in the bush because the headcount was now down to 18, in other words dangerously near the maximum permissible 10 per cent loss rate; but this time the Odd one out was Rod who had obviously said to himself “Sod this for a lark” and had taken a short cut down the terracing and was there waiting. Experience tells.
Cool drinks shortly afterwards at the Mira-Rio, Dina showing maps of walks to be done in northern Portugal,  Ian W resisting suggestions that he needs a replacement Tilley, and farewells for the summer.



                                                                                                                                                          (IBI)
And now, two contributions from Lindsey.
Number One:
Dear John, When you write next week's blog could you include this recipe as quite a few AWW´s have Kumquats!! I haven't made it yet but looks good!
“Fiery Kumquat Chutney     Prep. time 20 mins Cooking time 30 mins Serves 1 x 500g jar

Ingredients
1tbsp sunflower oil  1 red onion finely chopped
1/2 tsp dried red chilli flakes (or you could use the real chillies)
1/2 tsp black mustard seed  1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp turmeric  4 cm cinnamon stick, snapped in half
500g kumquats, sliced in half lengthways
65g light brown sugar  120g sherry vinegar
Method
1. Place a heavy-based saucepan on a moderate heat, and add the sunflower oil, followed by the red onion. Fry for 2-3 minutes until the onion has softened. 2. Add the chillies, mustard seeds, cumin, turmeric and cinnamon to the pan. Continue frying for a further 2 minutes. 3. Tip in the Kumquats and cook for 3-4 minutes until just beginning to soften.
4. Add the brown sugar and pour over the vinegar, while still on the heat. Cover and simmer for 8-10 minutes, until the kumquats have completely softened and lost their shape. 5. Remove the lid and continue boiling for a further 6-8 minutes until the juices have cooked down and thickened. 6. Remove the pan from the heat and leave to cool.
Serve this chutney at room temperature with cold cuts and Asian flatbreads.”
You won´t know what you´ll have to write about next!! Best wishes, Lindsey.
 And Number Two: 
Dear John, Yet another request please!!
Several ladies on your walk yesterday, Hazel included, asked what the pink flowering plant was called that is out in flower now and lasts for ages. I bought a new book in Fnac this morning - Flores da Arrábida, guia do campo - and the name is Centaurium erythracea grandiflorum or in Portuguese ´fel-da-terra´. It can be used medicinally as ´´aperitiva, tonificante e vulnerária´´. !
Please could you include this information with your blog. Thank you for a lovely walk yesterday. Best wishes, Lindsey.
Well, that´s it for another season. The future of the blog seems reasonably assured. It might feature food as well as flowers next year. I think that you will agree that the two trainee paparazzi have earned their spurs or whatever it is that qualifies them for the job, very well, so they can be confirmed in their posts. Photo-credits this week to Yves Ferrer Pictorials SA (YFP) and to Ingrid Bonte Images SA (IBI). It also looks as if we may have another Assistant Chief Blogger to share the load, and, if some editions are written in Franglais, so be it. We are, after all, Les Baladeurs du Mercredi en Algarve. But before we sign off, I hear that searches through public records have come up with a newspaper picture of that mysterious Glass Harmonica Player of Lagos.
 
 
I´m sure we will hear more of him.
Fim.