Friday 29 January 2016

The Chase, Ringwood forest.

Our walk from the Chase today. A very different walk from yesterday; mild, cloudy but no rain.








Thursday 28 January 2016

The Chase, Ringwood Forest

A glorious morning walk in Ringwood forest. Leaving the Chase car park and taking the small path through the trees to the left. When you reach the top turn right on a steep path to cross another footpath then pass through the trees to reach a footpath that edges heathland. Once you reach the next cross path, cross straight over it and take the forest path. Do the same at the following junction, but when you reach the next once go right. Follow this to a wide crossroads and then take the right turn. This open area is very pretty with gorse and light golden grass.When you reach the junction with the Pylon track follow it back to the car park.











Thursday 21 January 2016

Mestre to Cabo, along the Levada Nova, Madeira.

Our last glorious walk in western Madeira today. Another wonderful levada walk. Very peaceful and beautiful on this side of the island. A wonderful spot to enjoy our last day of walking.

We walked from Mestre to Cabo along the Levada Nova in remote western coast of Madeira. Stunning scenery and a gloriously warm day too. The walk passes a few houses at the start and then make a series of bends into deep ravines, woodland of pine, laurel and eucalyptus trees before reaching some wonderful sea views and two more massive dips into the hills where you look up to the Serra do Paul. The are some small waterfalls too which make for rather pretty viewing.    

A very pretty walk with lots of wonderful birds singing; mostly madeiran blackbirds and robins. Lots of wagtails about too and buzzards in the valleys. In the levada edges there were many lizards enjoying the warm sunshine, butterflies and dragonflies too.









Then we went down to the beautiful coast nearby. 

Wednesday 20 January 2016

Bica da Cana to Pinaculo, Madeira.

Glorious views on the Bica da Cana to Pinaculo (sugar loaf mountain) route today.
We walked up from the parking around to the top of the hill for a wonderful view. There were no clouds in the valley during the morning and all the mountains looked amazing. After walking down on a tiny path we followed a tiny earth path down through the gorge and tree heather to reach the Levada. Here we turned right to follow it to Pinaculo or Sugar loaf mountain. A conical rock were it was lovely to sit and eat lunch. The only problem was we had to run the gauntlet under the waterfalls first.  

The light was stunning on the Levada today as the waterfalls tumbled over the levada itself making rainbows in the sunshine. The only problem was that we had to walk under them all twice as the last part of the walk only went out to Sugar loaf. It didn't matter as it was warm and fun, we soon dried off as we climbed back up to the plateau above.

After getting socked the second time we followed the levada in the other direction, the path finally leaving it and making our way up hill. We took a small path at a PR sign and then headed up to the wind turbines at the top, just along the rock from the parking. Super, super walk with amazing views. 








Tuesday 19 January 2016

Lamaccious, Janela valley.

Glorious scenery on our Levada walk today from Lamaccious up the beautiful Janela valley to the first tunnel. The levada passes through mimosa, eucalyptus and laurel woodland with plenty of places to view the scenery both up the Janela valley and down to the coast at Ponta Moniz.  
Love the flowers here, they make the walks so pretty. Lots of gorgeous little birds and beautiful butterflies too and always the sawing birds of prey above, calling their cries of freedom down into the valley. We followed a high path with twinkling water in the levada and darting trout making themselves known to us. Below the sound rose from the river and meet with the song of birds in the wooded slopes. Perfume filled the air; gorse, warm and coconutty and eucalyptus sharp and clean.