2012/08/28

Untitled Curral das Freiras (English: The Nun's Valley) is a mountainous village nested in the shadow of Pico do Arieiro and Pico Ruivo in the heart of Madeira. The community living in this valley is isolated from the outside world by perilous cliffs, and getting in and out of there by car is one of a kind experience. The shot comes from a 1h descent from Eira do Serrado.

2012/08/25

Pico do Arieiro

Untitled

Huh? What's that? A giant golf ball landed on the surface of Mars?

Nope! It's an observation station on top of Pico do Arieiro. We spent last Christmas in Madeira, a giant mountainous garden emerging from the North Atlantic just 400 km North of the Canary Islands. 

The views are breathtaking, especially at sunset. And we've seen a lot of those, having eased into a slow lifestyle of lunchtime breakfasts and afternoon walks. At 1818 m. above sea level this peak offers a breathtaking view of the island shrouded by fluffy, pink clouds. Beautiful but also deceitful: if you linger watching the sunset, you may expect a long and slow journey home, along hair-raising mountainous crevices, down unnerving hairpin turns. 

Oh, and the road is super narrow, and it's all happening in very dense fog. Ah, they joys of travelling! :)       

2012/08/22

New Beginnings

We are heading in a new direction. Goodbye Canterbury Cathedral, shingle beaches of Whitstable and green banks of the Great Stour. The future holds a comeback to street photography, architecture, and... bikes... lots and lots of bikes! :)

 courtesy of Jakub

2011/10/07

Photos of the Extreme Challenge

Photography, fantastic nature and bold, cutting-edge climbing in Yosemite: not many things deserve a post here as much as this video.

2011/09/25

2011/09/22

in action

in action by Fotosia
in action, a photo by Fotosia on Flickr.
courtesy of Jakub

2011/09/21

spot the zombie

spot the zombie by Fotosia
spot the zombie, a photo by Fotosia on Flickr.

misty forests are an eerie, but not uncommon sight in Tenerife. Ever thought of filming a thriller located in the Canaries? ;)

2011/09/20

2011/09/17

2011/09/15

Above the clouds

Above the clouds by Fotosia
Above the clouds, a photo by Fotosia on Flickr.

Landscapes need to be pristine, and rarely satisfy the high standards set by photographers. "Behind the scenes" shots give you a warm and fuzzy feeling of nostalgia, that no landscape can evoke.

2011/09/13

a mountain on Fire

a mountain on Fire by Fotosia
a mountain on Fire, a photo by Fotosia on Flickr.

El Teide basking in the last rays of sun.

Three minutes later the sun vanishes under a blanket of clouds, temperature drops rapidly, and it's time to go home, before we get lost in a cloud of mist.

2011/09/09

When the day ends

Untitled by Fotosia
Untitled, a photo by Fotosia on Flickr.
At 1,9 km above the sea level and higher, El Teide National Park gives you an excellent overview of the sunset playing out above a sea of cloud.

2011/09/05

El Teide

El Teide by Fotosia
El Teide, a photo by Fotosia on Flickr.

Huh? Where is this? Arizona? Mexico? Peru?

Nothing of this kind my friend! What you see is El Teide, the highest volcano in Tenerife and the Spanish archipelago of Canary Islands.

Tenerife has a population of just under a million, but attracts five million visitors every year. The south is dotted with five star hotels, concrete swimming pools, and beaches of imported golden sand. But the north of the island is a hidden gem of pine forests, volcanic rock, banana plantations and amazing cliff tops. Mountainous villages remind you of Mexican Pueblos, the northern cliff tops of Cornwall, and the pine forests, especially when immersed in a cloud of mist, of B-class horror movies - those with a wooden chalet and demons in the basement.

Tenerife is amazing, provided that you ditch your flip flops and the guided bus tour, and invest in a nice pair of hiking boots and a map. This is what we've done last Christmas, and had a fabulous time!

2011/08/28

Treasures long forgotten...

Treasures long forgotten by Fotosia
Treasures long forgotten, a photo by Fotosia on Flickr.

a snapshot from the British Museum.

2011/08/27

2011/08/25

2011/08/24

Light


Canterbury Cathedral, originally uploaded by Fotosia.