Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum

General Subjects => Travel / Places to Visit => Topic started by: ranunculus on November 27, 2007, 02:45:40 PM

Title: MADEIRA - ISLAND OF FLOWERS - JEWEL IN THE MID-ATLANTIC
Post by: ranunculus on November 27, 2007, 02:45:40 PM
Believe it or not I have just spent the entire morning writing an article to be used as a Feature on the Main Page of this wonderful site....and then inadvertently deleted it with one tap of my aged finger. To say I was distraught is an understatement!!!  I haven't the energy or the patience to start again and the muse has gone (along with my tolerance of anybody who helpfully suggests that in future I should 'save' as I go along).
As the images are (and were) ready to post I will now take the easy option and display them all on the Forum. My apologies to members who have not the slightest interest in seeing images from a 'non-alpine' destination, please be so kind as to look away now...and further apologies to those who would prefer a modicum of text to accompany the images, the words are lost in the ether and I haven't the inclination to rewrite them.
I will add a number of links that will lead the inquisitive to more information on this beautiful volcanic island.
There are going to be one hundred images in ten postings....it MIGHT have made a worthy article....!!
Title: Re: MADEIRA - ISLAND OF FLOWERS - JEWEL IN THE MID-ATLANTIC
Post by: ranunculus on November 27, 2007, 02:49:58 PM
Batch two....
Title: Re: MADEIRA - ISLAND OF FLOWERS - JEWEL IN THE MID-ATLANTIC
Post by: ranunculus on November 27, 2007, 02:53:57 PM
Batch three.....
Title: Re: MADEIRA - ISLAND OF FLOWERS - JEWEL IN THE MID-ATLANTIC
Post by: ranunculus on November 27, 2007, 02:57:44 PM
Batch four.....
Title: Re: MADEIRA - ISLAND OF FLOWERS - JEWEL IN THE MID-ATLANTIC
Post by: ranunculus on November 27, 2007, 03:02:02 PM
Batch five....
Title: Re: MADEIRA - ISLAND OF FLOWERS - JEWEL IN THE MID-ATLANTIC
Post by: ranunculus on November 27, 2007, 03:07:15 PM
Batch six.....
Title: Re: MADEIRA - ISLAND OF FLOWERS - JEWEL IN THE MID-ATLANTIC
Post by: Anthony Darby on November 27, 2007, 03:10:25 PM
Cliff, your 'dead foliage' in batch four is young 'cones' on a female Japanese Sago Palm (Cycas revoluta).
Title: Re: MADEIRA - ISLAND OF FLOWERS - JEWEL IN THE MID-ATLANTIC
Post by: ranunculus on November 27, 2007, 03:12:05 PM
Batch seven....
Title: Re: MADEIRA - ISLAND OF FLOWERS - JEWEL IN THE MID-ATLANTIC
Post by: ranunculus on November 27, 2007, 03:16:02 PM
Batch eight....
Title: Re: MADEIRA - ISLAND OF FLOWERS - JEWEL IN THE MID-ATLANTIC
Post by: ranunculus on November 27, 2007, 03:20:20 PM
Batch nine....
Title: Re: MADEIRA - ISLAND OF FLOWERS - JEWEL IN THE MID-ATLANTIC
Post by: ranunculus on November 27, 2007, 03:27:24 PM
Final batch....

....And those links that I promised!


Many thanks Anthony for the correction to the 'Dead foliage' title.....one that missed the renaming process I'm afraid.


http://www.montepalace.com/

http://www.madeirahelp.com/madeira_flora

http://www.madeiraguide.com/natureguide/gardens.php

http://www.madeirabotanicalgarden.com/

http://www.madeira-web.com/PagesUK/gardenindex.html


Hope you have enjoyed this brief visit to such a wonderful island?
Title: Re: MADEIRA - ISLAND OF FLOWERS - JEWEL IN THE MID-ATLANTIC
Post by: Maggi Young on November 27, 2007, 03:34:38 PM
Have we enjoyed it?  Silly question! Cliff, on a cold wet dark day such as this one I am enduring in Aberdeen today, your photographic journey around Madeira could not have been bettered.
It is heart-breaking that all you efforts to write what would obviously have been a FAB article have gone walkabout in the ether but thank goodness we can enjoy the flowers and scenes. Ta very muchly for this super page  :-* :-* :-*
Title: Re: MADEIRA - ISLAND OF FLOWERS - JEWEL IN THE MID-ATLANTIC
Post by: Maggi Young on November 27, 2007, 03:37:11 PM
I'm seriously covetting the Japanese ( style or genuine?) statuary in Batch Six... so beautiful, especially the dragon  8)
Title: Re: MADEIRA - ISLAND OF FLOWERS - JEWEL IN THE MID-ATLANTIC
Post by: Carlo on November 27, 2007, 03:57:30 PM
...and just why do we live where we do????
Title: Re: MADEIRA - ISLAND OF FLOWERS - JEWEL IN THE MID-ATLANTIC
Post by: Luc Gilgemyn on November 27, 2007, 04:03:29 PM
Ask Jingedales (Michael) Carlo, he lives there but cannot grow proper Alpinse....  ;D
Title: Re: MADEIRA - ISLAND OF FLOWERS - JEWEL IN THE MID-ATLANTIC
Post by: hadacekf on November 27, 2007, 06:14:44 PM
Cliff,
Wonderful pictures of a wonderful Island. Thank you for sharing them with us and thanks also the founders of the forum that we can enjoy this.
Title: Re: MADEIRA - ISLAND OF FLOWERS - JEWEL IN THE MID-ATLANTIC
Post by: Paddy Tobin on November 27, 2007, 09:51:57 PM
Cliff,

Perhaps losing the text is not such a great loss. It would be difficult to imagine any text adding more than your wonderful photographs. Great display.

Paddy
Title: Re: MADEIRA - ISLAND OF FLOWERS - JEWEL IN THE MID-ATLANTIC
Post by: Anthony Darby on November 27, 2007, 09:58:22 PM
Lovely pics Cliff. I do love those cycads with cones and I hope my Protea cynaroides will flower one day?
Title: Re: MADEIRA - ISLAND OF FLOWERS - JEWEL IN THE MID-ATLANTIC
Post by: Gerdk on November 28, 2007, 06:22:52 AM
What an interesting Island, beautiful sights, especially the gardens! Cliff, do you expect a salary from a certain tourist office if we all make a trip to this wonderful island?
Gerd
Title: Re: MADEIRA - ISLAND OF FLOWERS - JEWEL IN THE MID-ATLANTIC
Post by: ranunculus on November 28, 2007, 07:46:18 AM
Now that IS a good idea Gerd!!!!   Please quote SRGC Ranunculus when booking.....   :D

Thanks for all the very kind comments everybody.
Title: Re: MADEIRA - ISLAND OF FLOWERS - JEWEL IN THE MID-ATLANTIC
Post by: shelagh on November 28, 2007, 05:25:29 PM
Wonderful pics Cliff.  It was really quite a coincidence but yesterday I was scanning the slides I took in Madeira in 1992. It was my first outing with my then SLR camera and I used up 1 whole film of 36 shots.  Makes you realise just how fortunate we are now with digital.
Title: Re: MADEIRA - ISLAND OF FLOWERS - JEWEL IN THE MID-ATLANTIC
Post by: zephirine on November 28, 2007, 07:34:24 PM
I just feel like I've seen the most extraordinary fireworks in my life!
Wonderful colours, Cliff, and so welcome on these cold, dull days !
Thanks so much!
Zephirine
Title: Re: MADEIRA - ISLAND OF FLOWERS - JEWEL IN THE MID-ATLANTIC
Post by: Lesley Cox on November 28, 2007, 09:05:41 PM
A wonderful collection Cliff. Thanks for them all, and commiserations on your trembling and aged finger. You're sure there wasn't a little Madeira involved? Cause and effect?  Mmmm?
Title: Re: MADEIRA - ISLAND OF FLOWERS - JEWEL IN THE MID-ATLANTIC
Post by: Michael on November 28, 2007, 09:46:57 PM
Hello!

I'm seriously covetting the Japanese ( style or genuine?) statuary in Batch Six... so beautiful, especially the dragon  8)

Maggi, that garden is Jardim tropical monte palace. The garden is Japanese-style, but i dont go there for at least 10 years, i barely remember the last day i went there... But it's a pretty garden though.

Carlo, i didnt understood your question...

Lesley, i think the best Madeiran thing is not the wine, but the firework shows they do. On summer we have the Atlantic festival:
http://br.youtube.com/watch?v=qNf2_c2Jkjo

And then on winter the new year's eve:
http://br.youtube.com/watch?v=ZF1Mjg1FJiY&feature=related

M

Title: Re: MADEIRA - ISLAND OF FLOWERS - JEWEL IN THE MID-ATLANTIC
Post by: Carlo on November 28, 2007, 10:03:17 PM
M,

The question was just rhetorical...Madeira is so beautiful it makes one wonder why anyone would want to live anywhere else...
Title: Re: MADEIRA - ISLAND OF FLOWERS - JEWEL IN THE MID-ATLANTIC
Post by: Paul T on November 29, 2007, 01:43:37 AM
Cliff,

Wonderful pics.  If I can add another correction though please..... your Leonotis leonurus looks to be some sort of Aloe or something akin to them.  Lions Ear has flowers in crowns at each leaf node all the way up the stem, not terminating like your picture does (the flowers are a little different too).  I can post a pic of the real thing in a week or so as mine is in bud at the moment.

The pics really are amazing.  You have a wonderful island Michael!!
Title: Re: MADEIRA - ISLAND OF FLOWERS - JEWEL IN THE MID-ATLANTIC
Post by: KentGardener on November 29, 2007, 05:43:37 AM
Cliff, glad you liked Madeira - we were there in Feb this year for Dad's 75th birthday.  Easy Jet have just started cheap flights to Madeira so we couldn't resist booking another trip.  We are going for 2 weeks in March 2008 (Easter is early next year) - the flights only cost £24 going and £35 coming back.  Its now cheap enough to consider popping over for a long weekend!

regards

John
Title: Re: MADEIRA - ISLAND OF FLOWERS - JEWEL IN THE MID-ATLANTIC
Post by: ranunculus on November 29, 2007, 09:23:28 AM
Many thanks everybody....

Appreciate the correction Paul....may have been wrongly labelled at the gardens?

Hope you have a magnificent time in March John....those flights are superb value.....shame they only assist those of you in the south of the country.

What a pity we missed those fireworks Michael (then we could have had a similar experience to Zephirine)!    :) :) :)
Title: Re: MADEIRA - ISLAND OF FLOWERS - JEWEL IN THE MID-ATLANTIC
Post by: Michael on November 29, 2007, 08:39:39 PM
M,

The question was just rhetorical...Madeira is so beautiful it makes one wonder why anyone would want to live anywhere else...

If i could choose one place to live, that place would be the Alps, believe it or not!  :)


Cliff, you can always come again to watch some  ;)

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