Oops!

We were picked after an early breakfast and taken up some very steep roads above Funchal to Camacha for our booked Levada Walk, Levada da Serra Faial. A pleasant group to walk the 7k along the Levada (water channel) path side to and down to the football stadium at Choupana.

The walk was level all the way following part of one of the many Levadas on Madeira which supply water from the north of the island to the more populous and drier south. This one is actually 154ks long and was built in 1904 or thereabouts to supply water to Funchal. Newer ones now do this so most of the water here is used locally. The north is nearly always in cloud and has a lot of rain which is collected together with condensation from the clouds and channeled to where it is needed.

We knew nothing of these many years ago and I doubt they were used for recreation this way until more recently any way. So it was something we wanted to try.

A bit cloudier this morning and overcast when we started out but even though the path was level before long we were in low cloud, we were at 800m.  We had an interesting and knowledgable young man guiding us and telling us about the local flora and fauna. We did see and hear a Buzzard but not much else as local rescue helicopters were doing training this week during the first half of the walk.
There are lots of trees that were imported here not least Eucalyptus from Australia. They seed and grow rapidly and are becoming a nuisance but the authorities worry that removing them could make the land unstable. 

I’ve been surprised to see several Agapanthus in bud and flower still and there were lots on this walk as well as more seasonal fungi. The first I ever saw, together with Jacaranda trees, was here in Madeira.

It was a bit moist at times but too warm to keep a rain coat on for long.

The oops from the title is that I went over on my ankle for no explicable reason near the end of the walk and fell headlong!
It’s ok but I’ve got my foot up with a cold cloth on it! That together with all the bites I’ve acquired have made me feet a real mess. ( I won’t show you them)

I was happily sat out on the balcony but the sun has come through the cloud and it’s too hot. Don’t want sun burn as well!
Apart from that it was a good morning.

We hope to go to Reid’s this evening, something we dare not do back in our youth!