Show Me the Way to Amorosa!!

Leader: David
Present: Paul, Caroline, Stan, Elaine, Terry, Hedley.
Dina, Vitor (DNS)
Xana, Nathan

Alas and alack! The walk could have been sub-titled "Halfway to Paraiso" . David's last walk before returning to UK for the summer with the avian flu-carriers,- and the Fates were not kind! Originally the intention was for an 18km or so perambulation in the area to the north of Amorosa to take about 6 hours, and to return flushed and with knees slightly browned for a beer at the cafe at the start point.
Things didn't look good when I arrived, spot on time, to find several of the walkers huddled under the rear porch of Stan's gleaming newly acquired Berlingo, in a semi-tropical rain shower.
Further, the cafe was not yet open, and Dina and Vitor were sitting under the roof over the terrace, looking glum!
An executive decision was made to find a cafe which was open and give it half an hour to see if things improved. We negotiated the roadworks on the Messines-Silves road, and ordered our meias de leite and bicas. Vitor popped in to hand me a very interesting booklet, entitled 'Tours', produced by Silves Camara in English, with some excellent photos and ideas for things to do and see in the Silves area. He then left with Dina, evidently thinking that we would call it a day!
Not so - within half an hour the skies had cleared and though cool and breezy, David led us off on a walk that could be terminated in the event of further inclement weather.
Miraculously, apart from the ladies trips to the bushes during a remarkably early lunch (1205 pm), forced by the decision to abbreviate the walk, as several people had 'things to do', the only sprinkle we had was when we were about 500 metres from the cars on the way back.
In the excitement, and potential wet weather, I aborted the 'bamboo diagrams before the start, and so forgot to reset the optimistic trip meter I carry. Concensus was we walked 10-12 km and took about 3 hrs 30 minutes.
The cafe where we had originally met was open by this point, and to rub salt in, did not supply Sagres Bohemia!! We sat under the leaky roof and enjoyed a standard Sagres, while we waited for the rain to end!! Bon Voyage David and Dinah, and take the rain with you - England needs it.!