Samstag, 15. November 2014

Levada do Furado and the Balcony of Ribeiro Frio




The walk along the Levada is short but very nice. It takes about 40 minutes only and at its end on the Balcony you can enjoy a wonderful view - enriched by a glass of Madeira wine, if you got. You get to the starting point by bus to Ribeiro Frio. It starts downtown Funchal next to the cable car station. You leave the bus behind the trout farm. After this nice little walk you can go back to Funchal by bus or continue the Levada do Furado in direction to Portela. From there you can reach Funchal by bus.


Along the Levada





Deviation to the Balcony
The Balcony of Ribeiro Frio


Information tile at the Balcony

View in Nortern direction on the Atlantic

View on the Ribeiro da Metade



Donnerstag, 14. November 2013

Playa de la Rapita, Isle of Mallorca, Spain

On the south east coast of the Isle of Mallorca, there is a wonderful beach between Colonia Sant Jordi and S'Estanyol de Migjorn. The beach is known as a former landing site for smugglers. You can easily walk the distance via Sa Rapita in about 6 hours both ways. On your way, you may want to stop for a swim in the clear sea. The area behind the dunes is a protected natural reserve. Walking along the beach you have a view on the Cabrera archipelagos, which are conservation areas as well. Beyond the dunes are the salt works Salines de Llevant near the village Ses Salines. On your beach walk you will cross the saline's old salt water canal. During WW II General Franco found it necessary to fortify the island in order to keep up the neutrality of Spain. He had bunkers built, arranged in pairs and in such an angle that the defending soldiers would be able to shoot crossfire. Originally, the bunkers were built into the dunes. But gradually wind and water laid them open. In order to protect the dunes now, long ropes and rush mats are used.



Beach of Es Trenc between Colonia Sant Jordi Colonia and Sa Rapita

Beach between s'Estanyol de Migjorn and Sa Rapita

Light hours of Cape of  Salinas (left) and Isles of Cabrera (right)

Salt-works Salines de Llevant (seen from North)


old salt water canal of the company Salinas de Levante S.A.

old salt water canal to the Salines de Llevant

Marina of s'Estanyol de Migjorn with historic watchtower
two bunkers in pairwise arrangement

Sa Rapita

protection of dunes


beach restaurant at the Playa Es Trenc

Montag, 15. Juli 2013

Oslo - Vigeland-Park


In the Viegland-Park are exhibited many most impressive sculptures. They were created by Gustav Vigeland  (1869 - 1943), who was an ingenious Norwegian sculptor. The Vigeland-Park ist part of the Frogner-Park. In former times it belonged to the estate Frogner (Frogner Hovedgård).The recreation area Frognerseteren until 1848 was summer pasture of manor Frogner. There are the ski jump ramp Holmenkollen and a restaurant with wonderful view over Oslo.






















Donnerstag, 11. Juli 2013

Trysil / Norway - Ugla Hyttegrend - Luxury Log Cabins - Nowegian "Laft Hus" at summertime

Trysil is a town in South-East-Norway near the Swedish border. It is a good skiing area. In this region were built many log cabins, some of them are luxurious and were built in the construction style of a Norwegian "Laft-house". This means a a log building with a sod roof. The moisture-proofing was assured by an underlay of several layers of birch bark. The wood often comes from Russia or Finland.
Trysil at wintertime