This year, ie from the 2015/16 season, the AWW has changed. A subgroup of staunch former AWW's who no longer felt inclined to do the longer distances, faster pace and iron discipline of the latest incarnation, informally became the WAGS, Another invitation only group APAPS, the brainchild of John H, dragged themselves out of bed at unearthly hours each Wednesday while the AWW took their summer recess, and walked for a couple of hours to be followed by a breakfast.
Sparrowfart for the AWW is to be held on 27th towards the E of the Algarve, but the westerners comprising several WAGS and some APAPS,(and some who are both,) determined to hold a more traditional event centred on Lagos and Maia Praia.
It would have been rude to call it Sparrowfart, as that is the AWW event, so I have unilaterally described it as the Worm Catchers for obvious reasons. I was unable to find a suitable synonym for 'Sparrowfart'
It has been left to me to record the event, as the Leader of the APAPS is selective in his utterances, and I couldn't bear to see it pass unblogged in our 20th year. So here goes, and in the tradition of modern blogs it will be mainly photos and far less verbiage than I have employed already.
The Worm Catchers L-R: Janet, Maria, Ingrid, Peter, Rose, Paul, Hazel, Yves, Antje, Rod, Myriam, Chris, John.
Antje had coffee available for early arrivals and it was about 0715 that we took to the road after the photo. John has still got complete mastery of the remote shot from camera gorilla-podded to Honda door.
The route was by a circuitous cross country path to the beach near Bar Quim.
Once at Bar Quim we were joined by Chris who did the sandy bit and left to supervise non-walkers and to follow orders re his kitchen duties.
The Leader and her support
Marching in Open Order
4 belles
End of beach drinks and bananas
Guest appearance by Max from Bar Quim
A squatter photobombs the ladies
Lagoon panorama
Negotiating the broken causeway.
ex-Wildlife photography
The mussels were still abed.
After delivering us to where the climb started, the Leader abandoned her flock and was picked up by Chris. She claimed she had to stir the breakfast.
Your chauffeur awaits ma'am
Given two choices, the stand-in leader chose the more direct and better tracked option and headed back over the hill to the golf club, and thence to Casa d'Oliveira by tarmac to find....
...the patriarch enjoying a bit of comfort and being waited upon, by Sonia and Jyll who had been recruited as non-walking helpers. Apparently Ian Scott had put in an early and rather brief appearance but had been far too busy to wait and greet us.
Breakfast was soon served on the terrace.
A Full Asian - Thai prawn and rice soup.
The soup was delicious, and plenty of fresh fruit to start and fresh rolls and home made jam to fill up - thanks Antje.
The swimming option was only taken up by a couple of the ladies, and John is keeping those pictures to himself.
The tale of the tape from Paul's GPS gave a rather satisfying result of 15.5 km in 2 hrs 57 moving time....
....but that was tempered by the result from Komoot.de which came in at 12.5 km in 2hrs 52 moving. Both showed 130m. of climb which seems excessive.
In sum, a good event, well worth the early birding, and many thanks again to Chris and Antje for organising and putting on the breakfast.
To finish as is the custom a quote, - nay a precept by that well-known early bird, Henry David Thoreau*:-
"Measure your health by your sympathy with morning and spring. If there is no response in you to the awakening of nature --if the prospect of an early morning walk does not banish sleep, if the warble of the first bluebird does not thrill you --know that the morning and spring of your life are past. Thus may you feel your pulse."
*Note: The views of Henry David Thoreau are not necessarily those of the author.
The aim of the wise is not to secure pleasure, but to avoid pain.
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