Farewell to Esme & Maurice - WW 1st March 2006

Wednesday 1st March - The first day of Spring, St David's Day, and a wonderful clear, cool but sunny Algarve Walking Day.

Leader: Rod
Present: Myriam; Paul; Mike; Terry; Stan; Elaine; Hedley; Pam; Ian C.S.; Gack; Ian W.; David; Ian S.
Xana; Oscar; Muffin; Archie; Pookie.

Walk from Casa Casinha, Silves area approx 20km - 5 hours

Assembled in good order, caffeine applied and set off after a short wait for 'Terry the Navigator' to find the RV. Susan having done Rod's recce for him on horseback the previous day had alerted us to some free range piglets, with their mother sows, on the early part of the walk, so the potential pig-hounds were leashed as we walked past the damp valley where the aforementioned were as proverbially happy as reputed! A bit 'hilly' as is usual with Rod, but some fine ridges and clear views all round, until the climb to the Trig Point for the lunch break, which proved a hill too far for Ian S. and Gack who lunched at the lower altitude of base camp. Archie however did make it to the top only to be whistled down by Gack. He didn't appear to mind!
Downhill from there, Rod went to round up the 'Lost Sheep' and Archie, and the rest of us descended the West Face with caution.
We arrived back at Casa Casinha shortly after 1430 hrs. to meet Maurice and Esme, Dinah, Diane, Jyll P., Susan, Joy, Anna and Maria. No-one had thought to lay in the beers for our arrival, but this was swiftly done, and a table and chairs moved into the road in the sun for Maurice's comfort. A very convivial session, - Rod said a few words, paying tribute to the enormous contribution of Maurice and Esme in the formative days of the WW's, and a special presentation of a portion of Picota rock, adorned with an exact replica of one of Maurice's notorious 'Blue Blobs' and a small plaque inscribed to 'Esme and Maurice from the AWW's - "Amigos Para Sempre". The presentation was from an original idea by Ian S. who personally harvested the rock from the top of Picota, with words by Myriam, and the execution and finishing arranged with amazing speed and accuracy by Maria.
I think I can safely say that both Esme and Maurice were touched by the occasion, (although it didn't stop Maurice from luring a rather attractive lady to his car window and propositioning her at length), and it is with regret but with all our best wishes, that we see them return to UK at the beginning of April, after a long and rewarding stint in the Algarve.