Madeira

Thursday Thoughts – Along the Roads of Funchal, Madeira

/ Leya / 25 kommentarer

I am dreaming myself back to Madeira again… We’ve had a wonderful summer here in Sweden, but now Autumn is in full swing with wind, rain, and much cooler temperatures.

So, I allow myself to contemplate for a while, just like this lady among flowers and lush greenery.

But, I love wandering in cactus and succulent gardens too. These are from the cacti collection in the Botanical Garden of Madeira.

I have some cacti in my home, but mostly epiphyllums – no spikes! My biggest cactus (with huge spikes…)has fallen and hit me hard a couple of times – it is taller than me.

Begonias in splendid show at Monte Gardens.

I just had to have one of these, so, I brought one home, now sitting in my window waiting to come outside next summer.

I love Madeira for many reasons – one of them is their exquisite stone layered streets. Here together with exquisite Bougainvillea too. Grey colours and the vibrance of this flower/tree go so well together.

There are some forgotten gardens as well…and houses. But even those ones are lush and quite beautiful. This one was carefully guarded by fiercely barking dogs.

Ferns have a special place in my heart. Big or small – any size.

And one of my favourite ferns grow abundantly in Madeira. Back home in June, I promptly bought two Dicksonia Antarctica. A friend of mine has successfully brought up one of this species, but they have to stay in an orangerie to manage our winters. I will give it a try too. At least the summer went well for both of them!

Thursday Thoughts – Our Favourite Walk: Levada do Furado.

/ Leya / 28 kommentarer

Time for our old favourite: Ribeiro Frio – Portela. The good old ”Landscapes of Madeira” book was in my pocket again.

Last time I walked this levada was when my mother was still with us and we decided to go to Madeira for a revival of good old hiking times. She was 75, and I knew this would be her last time here. Strangely enough, that is what we felt too, my husband and I, this year. This might be our last time, our last walk in Madeira. My husband is now the same age as my mother was in 2010, and we have been here so many times over the years.

The bus dropped us at Ribeiro Frio, and as usual its name was accurate – it was cold. This walk is 11 kilometers long and of moderate difficulty. Sure footedness and a head for heights is essential.

Let’s go – with beating heart and high expectations!

We decided to go to Balcoes first, where you can see all the way down to the sea. Misty mornings are not unusual …

… and this one was no exception. Luckily it lifted just in time for the great views!

So, where is the levada? This sidetrip to Balcoes does not follow a levada, but is truly worth it for the magnificent views.

As soon as there is a house or a road in sight – the path is adorned with Pride of Madeira. This is not their national flower though – which is the Strelizia.

We walked back to the starting point and Levada do Furado, where the main walk begins. It is a varied and beautiful walk, much travelled. Luckily it was not crowded at all, so it felt like good old times.

There are some steep parts, but in most places also good railings. A couple of tunnels as well, but today you can easily use your phone instead of the torch. We met many of the pretty Chaffinches – especially where hikers usually take a break to eat something. Totally unafraid of people they come jumping up to you, watching your every move with those pepper grain eyes.

At the restaurant in Portela, we had a well deserved dinner and a coffee, warming up a bit after the last 30 minutes of rain.

Oh, the scent, the lush landscape, the silent walk and the soothing trickle of water. I know mum would have loved it – again.

Was this really our last time? Well…

Lens-Artists Challenge #357 Into the Woods

/ Leya / 21 kommentarer

This week Egidio wants us to focus on the woods – and that suits me perfectly well. Hopefully you too! I walk in my forest every day, but maybe not every day in Madeira…

So, I will pick some lovely Madeira memories from June, that hopefully will add to the mystery of this green island.

The Laurissilva forest is a 20 million years old subtropical rainforest – a UNESCO world heritage,

covering about 20 % of the island. Most of the species here are endemic to Macronesia.

There are many interesting living beings in this forest woods – plants, mushrooms, lichen, birds and insects. Madeiran Chaffinches are spoiled with food from the hikers…

Madre de louro is a mushroom that grows on lager trees in Laurissilva. ”Madre de louro”, or ”Mother Laurel” is said to be good for the blood and work against rheumatism. It was even used as an insecticide.

There is something special about dense forests with high humidity. The scent, the quietness. And, I can hear the water as it trickles along the mossy stones. In Madeira the levadas add to this soothing sound – sometimes they are fast flowing, sometimes only a slow, hardly noticeable flow. And I know how good this is for my well being. Forest bathing in its true sense – and it’s no surprise that it’s origin is Japanese!

I have always loved hiking, and hopefully I will be able to keep it up even if it has become more difficult as I age. The best thing with hiking is the possibility of being alone in and with nature, for reflection and for restoring myself. Sometimes we meet a fellow hiker or two. We nod and say a soft ”hello” as we meet. I guess many of us feel the same about hiking, so talking is unnecessary.

We heard from someone in the city though, that since Covid, the levadas can even feel crowded in places…luckily we did not have to face that. This island is a hikers’ heaven and haven.

Thank you, Egidio for this beautiful challenge, and our guest host last week, Stupidity Hole, asked us to share quiet hours. You gave us more quiet times with your beautiful galleries. I hope you will join us again this week in forest bathing. Don’t forget to use the “lens-artists” hashtag when creating your post so we can easily find it in the Reader.

Next week, Tina will send us another challenge. It will go live at noon EST in the USA. Tune in to find out more about the challenge then. Please see this page to learn more about the Lens-Artists Challenge and its history. Stay well.

Thursday Thoughts – Madeira Magic

/ 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!