The terraces are very ancient. They enabled isolated communities to subsist on what they grew in their little fields, on the incredibly steep slopes.
The next 4 are the north coast.
And this is the south coast. The flat land at the bottom of the cliff is farmed; until this century it was accessed by a little path which zigzags down the cliff - you can just see it if you enlarge the photo. Now there's a hair-raising cable car from top to bottom...
This lovely minor road leads under a waterfall...
- and the vegetation on the wet bank behind is gorgeous:
The burgundy-coloured squares in the photo above are patches of grape vines in autumn foliage. They are grown on wires about 6ft above the ground.
Since 2019 I've lived in east Clare, in the west of Ireland.
Thanks for kind comments, folks. It's maybe a bit far for you, Pat? Hopefully you'll be cleared for flying in the future, Punkdoc. Meanwhile there's always Scotland...
@Joyce21, it was lovely to see maidenhair ferns growing happily - I keep mine for a few years in the bathroom, then they fade away... that photo was taken a couple of hundred feet above sea level, and it was an interesting comparison with another wet bank 1500 feet up behind a levada - no maidenhair ferns, but a fascinating variety of club mosses, lichens etc:
Since 2019 I've lived in east Clare, in the west of Ireland.
Posts
The terraces are very ancient. They enabled isolated communities to subsist on what they grew in their little fields, on the incredibly steep slopes.
The next 4 are the north coast.
And this is the south coast. The flat land at the bottom of the cliff is farmed; until this century it was accessed by a little path which zigzags down the cliff - you can just see it if you enlarge the photo. Now there's a hair-raising cable car from top to bottom...
This lovely minor road leads under a waterfall...
- and the vegetation on the wet bank behind is gorgeous:
The burgundy-coloured squares in the photo above are patches of grape vines in autumn foliage. They are grown on wires about 6ft above the ground.
Love the vegetation on the wet bank.
- and finally some random photos:
A hungry Madeiran chaffinch.
November is Autumn in Madeira.
A "touchy feely" tree trunk in woodland at a thousand feet above sea level...
...and a pavement-eating tree in Funchal...
My favourite goat shed. A good use for old oil drums...
When you don't even know who's in the team
S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border
@Joyce21, it was lovely to see maidenhair ferns growing happily - I keep mine for a few years in the bathroom, then they fade away... that photo was taken a couple of hundred feet above sea level, and it was an interesting comparison with another wet bank 1500 feet up behind a levada - no maidenhair ferns, but a fascinating variety of club mosses, lichens etc: