Thursday Thoughts – Madeira Magic

3 juli, 2025 / Leya / 36 kommentarer

Mmm… Madeira once more! My husband bought us tickets for one more trip to Madeira – the hiking paradise of our youth. There are endless hiking possibilities along the levadas carrying water to the city. The scent, the sound, the solitude. Unforgettable.

This is only a short Thursday entry, because there will be more posts from this charming island.

The last time I was there was with my children and my mother. We walked several levadas, not the most difficult ones, because my mother was 75 – but even if she was agile, I wanted us to be safe. And she loved it. Our forest walks at home used to be frequent and long. But, in Madeira the added sound of water swirling in the levadas is very soothing.

As in Portugal in general, the Azulejos are beautiful history tellers.

A must was always the Botanical Garden – and other gardens of course. Madeira is a flower Paradise – so there are many reasons for loving this island. Every time we visited, there was a new pattern in this open space. This summer it was geometrical.

A visit to the museum of their greatest son, Cristiano Ronaldo, was of course a must for my husband. But I rather enjoyed it too. The statue of CR was much debated when it was set up. I must say I didn’t like it then, but the one we saw here couldn’t have been the same – it looked much more like him now. Maybe they had to make a new one because of all the criticism??

Finally, the promenade we have walked so many times. It was good to see it again. Walk it again. Even if the city had changed very much in later years, this part felt warm and familiar.

Thank you for walking with me, there will be more of levadas, gardens and city walks in a couple of Thursday posts. Looking back sometimes is good for the overall perspective of your life.

Happy July 4 to you who celebrate, and hope you all are having a beautiful week!

Thursday Thoughts – Spring Hikes are…

8 juni, 20237 juni, 2023 / Leya / 18 kommentarer

Sheer Happiness!

This hike we do every spring or summer – and it is always a treat. It takes about three, four hours, walking among old and strange trees planted here from all over the world … and it is close to the sea.

This place is home to numerous orchids (a meadow of them in the header) and Pasque flowers – just as beautiful when they are over!

The last flower blooming could also be the last hideaway for a little bug…

This hike is a perfect outing for schoolchildren – but, today we had to step away from the path for several hundreds of kids. Smiling and cheery ones though.

Blindworm or slowworm – I see them quite often. In fact this is a lizard, but legless. This guy was a beauty, about 30 cm long, slim and well fed.

Driving home on old roads to enjoy the flat and open views of the southern part of Skane. A good day we had. And the light lasts far into the night.

Thursday Thoughts – Hiking Stenshuvud

26 maj, 202226 maj, 2022 / Leya / 47 kommentarer

A spring hike is never wrong. Here I am sending some highlights from one of the most beautiful protected areas in Skåne, where I live. It is known for its biodiversity and its many pasqueflowers. My Silent Sunday was photographed there too.

The area is 300 hectares large, and consists of forest, meadows, marshland, beaches and sea.

In May it is of course a dream to walk here, but Autumn too is very beautiful. We usually visit twice a year. Milo loves it.

The paths are mostly easily walked, but maybe not for everyone.

The marshland is fascinating and can not be reached all days of the year. Spring is often OK, if the rains are moderate.

Orchids are frequent, as are all spring flowers – gently nodding to you from both sides of the path.

About three hours later, we are back at the gate. This part of the hike goes through an area with foreign trees brought here from all over the world.

So, hope you enjoyed the tour, thank you for walking with me! These few images hopefully show some of the National Park’s great diversity.

Thursday Thoughts

4 november, 2021 / Leya / 45 kommentarer

I had two wonderful hikes last week – one of them was my usual morning walk turned into a dreamy, yet colourful walk in the fog – and the other one an afternoon walk in a sunny haze. The first one posted on Lens-Artists, the other one here today.

I have always wanted to follow paths and roads to see where they lead to…don’t you too? This day I did. The forest road looked very inviting – and I decided today was the day to find out where it led to.

I knew I had a couple of hours to myself before sunset, but already at 3 pm it would have been too dark to find my way in the forest.

No Milo on this walk – otherwise he would have loved the many interesting stops I made. But the road did not lead to where I had expected…

It finally led down to the lake, where we use to swim in the summer. Now I wished the sun would stay until I got there – it would have been a nice finish to the day.

And I was lucky – a beautiful day came to a beautiful end. Thank you for walking with me again!

Wordless Wednesday

12 maj, 202111 maj, 2021 / Leya / 12 kommentarer

Thursday Thoughts – Hiking Gedaryggen

6 maj, 2021 / Leya / 40 kommentarer

We went with a hiking group last weekend. We always walk alone otherwise, but were invited by a friend to join in. 20 people in the big forest. All vaccinated except me. A great day.

Normally, the beeches would have been green by the first of May – but this year has been very cold so far. Today the Maiden Fall and the Maiden Stone were the two main attractions – besides walking in the forest of course.

Do you see the eaten cones on the stump? Never in my life I have seen this many! We saw one every 5th meter. The forest must be a complete mice den…but, we did not spot a single mouse scuttling around.

Our eminent guide, Bo, is a real nature’s man – and a natural forest man. He sleeps in a hammock under the canopy several nights a month – and he asked how many of us who wanted to try it in June…and got some three – four positive to the idea!

This was really a great hike, and the resting places were beautiful. Young and old had their imagination filled with new mysteries, and climbing through the stone was an adventure. The sites have their own story about the young maiden, Elsa, hiding there and staying in the forest to escape followers during the Scania war 1675-1679. Nobody knows if there was a happy ending though…the story does not tell…

After 6 hours of hiking Gedaryggen (”The Goats Back”) we were rather tired and some had sore feet. My left foot (operated on a couple of years ago) told me this was enough for the day.

Thursday Thoughts – Hiking Vedema

18 februari, 202116 februari, 2021 / Leya / 63 kommentarer

I guess this was maybe the last lasting snow this year – a beautiful day for us and the dogs. Start in soft sun and finish in the cold of the evening. Put on your warmest clothes and come along!

Thursday Thoughts – Real Winter!

14 januari, 202115 januari, 2021 / Leya / 43 kommentarer

For a couple of days now, real winter is on visit…and I cannot say how happy I am. I will let you wander around in my neighbourhood to hopefully enjoy the white serenity. Last year we had no snow at all, and it is exactly ten years since we got this much.

Sheer Happiness! And the children are out everywhere skiing and building snowmen. So Grateful, so Thankful.

Thursday Thoughts – Younger Days

26 november, 202026 november, 2020 / Leya / 36 kommentarer

Walking, walking…One of the last colourful days, I decided to walk along an old road I used to walk in my younger days – in the 1980’s. I had a friend living at the end of the road, and I believe she still is.