Walking in Madeira; Levada do Rei

 This walk goes to the source of the levada and back again.

 Tree ferns dot the path.

 Gaps in the Laurel canopy give light to some sunny steep banks and cliffs.

You have to duck down under protruding rocks at this point and enjoy a bit of a soaking.

 The source and the beginning of the levada.

 Returning the way that we came.

 The varieties of ferns and liverworts were fascinating.

 Liverworts covered the damp vertical rock faces with Maidenhair and other ferns growing there as well.

This was a great walk about an hour from Funchal and we were driven and guided by walkingwithemanuel@gmail.com

Now back in the UK and freezing temperatures.

Beautiful sunset over Holy Trinity church, Cuckfield yesterday evening.

At the end of the year commemorating one hundred years since the start of "the great war" in 1914 these are pictures to think of the men who died in all the wars commemorated in this church and churchyard including the Napoleonic and Boer wars.  See also  http://sussexrambler.blogspot.co.uk/2010/07/cuckfield-historical-circular-walk-107.html and http://holytrinitycuckfield.org/  for info' on local history and the church.

What a relief as Virgin flight VS43 travelling from Gatwick to Las Vegas returns to land safely at Gatwick.

A Virgin Jumbo jet circled low over Cuckfield this afternoon as reported at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-30625945  Here it is flying above Broad Street, Cuckfield.

 You can clearly see that one of the sets of wheels appears to be stuck and hasn't dropped properly for landing.

 Thank goodness it has landed safely.