Birthday

Rowan seemed to have had a good birthday party at the weekend. She has been in London over 5 years now, and loves it.
 

Sunshine

We set off early on Saturday for a walk on Hatfield Moors. Had breakfast on a picnic table when we arrived: fresh croissants and coffee (and dog-food) then got walking in the sunshine. Cold but lovely, a great day for a walk. Just about the complete opposite to Madeira, but no less enjoyable.

RSPB

From the same walk we passed Blacktoft Sands RSPB reserve with its banks of reeds that lead down to the Humber.

Parting of the Ways

We went for a walk on the flatlands where the Trent meets the Humber last weekend. A pleasant stroll in inclement weather with plenty of mud. When we reached the Humber we saw thousands of geese that were feeding on the marshes, a lot of drama. In the photo, I had stopped to take a shot, Danielle headed on up the lane we were to follow, Layla decided she was going the other way looking for pheasants (she had already had a great deer chase, and a hare chase). We all got back together very quickly.

Meanwhile 2

Rowan turned 27 this month. If you had told me in 1998 that in 27 year she would be going to a friends wedding in Ho Chi Min City, I would have been a little surprised. But here she is, with friends from her school days in Pennsylvania

  

Meanwhile 1

Whilst we were in Madeira, friend Emilie moved in to house and dog sit. She did an amazing job, and we really appreciated it. Alfie, Emilie's dog, and Layla get on very well. So well, that they are quite happy to have one end of the sofa each. We had a Madeira wine tasting with Emilie last weekend, which was a lot of fun too.

Maderia 8

 We got a taxi at 04.00 on Tuesday morning and flew back on RyanAir to Manchester. A good flight, and the end of a good holiday. The levadas presented a lot of challenges to both Danielle's vision, and my ability to guide her safely, but we learnt and managed well.

The wild north coast also presented a fair number of surreal juxtapositions.

Madeira 7

 The final day of walking was a bit different. First we took the cable car to high up in the hills where a good path takes us to our last levada which we follow to pick up a path down to the Botanical Gardens. I
manage to fall on the very steep road down heavilly, so we get a cab back down to the hotel.

Madeira 6

I walked the levada to a viewpoint above Funchal (the capital) met up with Danielle in a nice cafe, then walked along a very interesting coast path into the centre of the city. A good way to arrive at another swish hotel. As the levada contours around the mountain sides some villages seem to stay in sight for a long time. I saw this church from all angles, and heard the loudspeakered service for a good while too.

 

Madeira 5

A great day walking along the levada high above the south coast of the island. The south is where most cultivation has been over the centuries, with the north remaining amazingly raw and wild. At the end of the levada we dropped (and dropped) down down to the coast and finished off following a genteel promenade to a very trendy hotel.

  

The constant companionship afforded by the levadas is a real bonus on the walks in Madeira. The reflection of the light off of the water also provides a lot for me to photograph. So I give you two shots today, and promise no more for a while 

                                                                                           

Madeira 4

The next day took us up for a walk across the mountain plateau. It was slightly disappointing in that it involved following some contrived paths through difficult scrub terrain. But eventually we emerged to more open land. I hope this shot gets across the lonely aspect of the interior.

Madeira 3

Our first official day of walking saw us taken to the start of a trek back that headed back to the hotel. It also gave us a taste of Madeira driving techniques - interesting. 

The route took us alongside the first of many levadas. These are aqueducts built high in the hills, that transport water from where it falls to where it is needed. Some date from the 17th century, and they form a network that gives great walking in remote areas of the island.

The photo is of a typical example, with a path contouring alongside the water that flows gently.

Madeira 2

Our first full day saw us explore the paths around Porto da Cruz where we stayed for the first three nights of our holiday. We walked up some beautiful old paths which mixed steps with cobbled slopes as they took us over 600metres above the sea. On our way back to the hotel we met a couple of young Dutch women who were also walking in the area, but with a different company. We got on really well with them, and shared a meal in the restaurant afterwards. 

Catrine, Danielle and Sirra

Madeira 1

For her 60th Birthday, Danielle chose to go walking in Madeira. Her original choice of cross country skiing for people with visual impairment was sold out. So we arrived by direct flight from Manchester. Leaving snow on the ground, ice on the runway, and a two hour delay behind us we touched down to 20 degrees sunny warmth which would stay with us for the whole trip. Avoiding the Ronaldo statue we got a cab to our first hotel on the wild north coast. Nothing had prepared us for the incredibly wild and inhospitable landscape. A whole string of EU funded tunnels have helped transform the islands road network. An amazing achievement, and an example of the greatness of being a member of the EU (you fill in the rest). The tiny village itself was lovely, the photo was of the view from our window. So we got settled in and looked forward to getting started walking the next day.

Freight Train

Occasionally freight trains run through York station, when the avoiding line is closed for maintenance. Saturday evening when we got back from London, we saw this diesel pulling grimy oil tankers, like a ghost from another age.

The Bench

I made this bench out of the sequoia tree we had felled 7 years ago. It is a gift to Danielle for her 60th birthday.

Theatre

 Next thing on this busy agenda was for Danielle and I to go to London for the day to see The Lehman Trilogy at the theatre. Absolutely brilliant performance and staging. We really loved it. Got home in time to avoid the snow. A really thoughtful gift from Rowan to Danielle for her 60th, which included Rowan staying in York to look after the dog. Here we are in the circle.

Kids

It was great to have the kids here, with Layla and Rowan both helping a lot in keeping them entertained.

State Visit

Niece Sarah, Markus, Rosalind, Felix, Laurence and Clara all came to stay for a couple of days. Great to see them all. Much splashing around on the moor, and looking around York. They managed to find a cafe in town that I had never heard of, but which really fit the bill. 

 

Light

The light on the canal did strange things to the water reflections. I put this up to a public vote together with a black and white version. Colour won, and I think I agree.

Winterreise

Danielle and I walked by the Pocklington Canal from Hagg Bridge. First time I have been in winter for a good while. A beautiful light, and plenty of bird activity from the marshes around the nearby river Derwent. If you look in the sky you can see flocks of lapwings and unidentified flying ducks. 

TNBC

 The tradition of me reading The Night Before Christmas to Rowan has, pleasingly, continued. 

Post Christmas

 The busy Christmas carried on. Whisky evening with our Quaker friends who like a tipple. Meeting Rowan's boyfriend Jamie for the first time (he came up to stay a couple of days). Playing Ticket to Ride, our now traditional game at John and Heather's. Then a very very quiet New Year Eve compounded by York-wide internet failure. Now girding ourselves for the Eberhardt visit (niece Sarah, her husband Markus and four young children). 

Jamie meet the Palmours