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Retired from teaching 2016, Paul retired from being at the university of newcastle in 2017, we have started Flaire Consulting and travel round the world. Read more
  • Travelermadrid and extramadura
    Day 4

    Monday

    May 22, 2017 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    We spent the evening yesterday getting to know our fellow birders and finding out where they had been. We felt veritable light weights having never been to Africa, Costa Rica, Alaska etc..
    After breakfast today we headed out for a beautiful 5 mile walk around the lanes. The area is abundant with meadow and wild flowers at their peak in mid May. My camera was put to good use, but unfortunately I had knocked the exposure off (the front wheel, which is the shutter button) must have been slid into the minus position. Without a good app for restoring the mistake I would have had no pictures.
    After our walk we had a coffee at the little bar down the road and came back to sit by the pool. It has been a very warm day. As it was now lunch time we got into the hire car and drove to Trujillo, well known for its castle which has appeared on game of thrones. We plan to go back to explore the castle but lunch was more pressing. We had a lovely plate of mixed cheese and some patron peppers and then lost ourselves in a maze of twisty streets all the same. Every building in the square was enhanced by several storks nests and the wheeling cry of the swifts drowned out the noise of a small town thronged with people.
    We returned and had a further few hours reading and resting by the pool. Gorgeous day, not a cloud in the sky.    Read more

  • Travelermadrid and extramadura
    Day 3

    Journey to extra madura

    May 21, 2017 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    So we got packed up and took a taxi to the airport and after about half an hour were in the hire car. It's not a bad car but with an annoying sat navy display that keeps popping up when you least expect it. We journeyed off using the iPhone sat nav which paul had reliably programmed but later accused me of setting it wrong. 🤔
    We stopped off at a reservoir en route. The arrocampo reservoir where we were supposed to see purple swamp hen, penduline tit ( I can never see that birds name without snickering) lots of herons and some reed warblers etc. What we really saw was shed loads of marsh harriers and cattle egrets, some reed birds and a strange unknown bird which later turned out to be an azure winged magpie. We stopped for lunch in a service station beforehand which was a hilarious experience as we had the ten euro menu del did which was soup and then a huge plate of carne and chips. Followed by coffee while we were drinking the coffee a huge party of oaps arrived and the noise became deafening.
    We then made the journey to casa rural el recuerdo where we were shown to our lovely room. (Room 4).
    After unpacking we took our technology around the lanes and we now know where the azure winged magpies hang out. We wandered down the road to the little bar and had a beer. Now we are showered and ready to go and eat.    Read more

  • Travelermadrid and extramadura
    Day 2

    Madrid 20th May

    May 20, 2017 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    Conference day, so after breakfast Paul was tied up with being at and talking for the conference so I decided to go to the nearby Botanical gardens. They didn't open til 10, so I took my time and left the hotel at about 10. It was already warm and gradually as the morning progressed it got up to 26 degrees C. It was a straightforward walk to the gardens and I arrived shortly after 10:15. This was a great time as the gardens were quiet in terms of people and noisy as they were full of birds, particularly parakeets, also there seemed to be live music coming from somewhere in the middle.
    The gardens are laid out in a formal squared pattern with different areas for plants, from medicinal to bonsai and included many mature trees as the original garden dated from the 18th century.
    The greenhouse area had three distinct zones, representing succulents from the Canary Islands, cacti and bromeliads and orchids. My favourite part was the ornamental and medicinal plants which were arranged around central fountains in square beds. The fountains were frequented by various birds, mainly sparrows and blackbirds. The fountains weren't up to much.
    I traced the source of the live music to an area beside a duck pond (cute ducklings). The orchestra was clearly a youth band which was being put through their paces before a performance. They were very good to listen to as they had a wide range of pieces to play, some of which got your toes tapping and some of which were very Spanish. At around 12 I left the gardens and time the queue to get in was horrendous.
    I overdid my walk back as I was pretty much in a world of my own and continued for about half a mile past the hotel before I realised my mistake, so I was very thirsty by the time I got back. I spent a quiet couple of hours rehydrating in the garden and reading. Paul joined me for lunch in the hotel, lovely grilled vegetables with goats cheese.    Read more

  • Travelermadrid and extramadura
    Day 1

    Madrid 19 may

    May 19, 2017 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C

    After a pretty uneventful journey (apart from Iberia running out of sandwiches and an immensity long taxi queue, we finally arrived at our hotel where we are based for the conference. Our room is great, on the fourth floor overlooking the garden area, so is very quiet.
    We got ourselves unpacked and went and rehydrated in the garden area. Lovely jasmine scented shady area with comfy seats and a few sparrows eyeing up the food that is being carried out to an outdoor eating area.
    Later we met up with the conference people to sort out the inevitable screen and PowerPoint issues which with present technology seem ridiculous. We walked to a nearby restaurant come tapas bar which did really nice food and was very reasonably priced. We were accompanied by Eric and Natalie both of whom are now from the USA, but Eric had been brought up in Germany. They were delightful company. As often happens in Spain, supper was relaxed and time consuming so bed time was later than we had intended.    Read more

  • TravelerBrazil
    Day 30

    24th April Tuesday Regua

    May 15, 2017 in Brazil ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    A very hot six mile hike up to see an amazing waterfall. We were guided but the forest was very thick and the birds were tiny.
    This is what I have learned about Regua so far:
    The series of lakes making up the wetlands are dammed rivers.
    The three cooks are different sizes, this means the rum punch drink we get in the evenings is stronger when the fattest sister makes it. This is because the measurements for the rum is done in fingers. Here is the recipe:
    11 limes
    A jug full of ice
    3 large spoons of sugar
    7 fingers of rum
    So on the days the plumpest sister makes the punch there is more rum as she has wider fingers!
    The young man who is front of house is Nicholas (the owner) son and is 28.
    He had a row with his girlfriend last night, she was taking him somewhere he didn't want to go so he jumped out of the car whilst it was still moving.
    In hospital with a sore shoulder he finished with her even though they had been together for two and a half years.
    His grandpa is British (from Kew). Thomas' grandpa married his grandma (half dutch and half italian) when they were both very young and his grandpa inherited the farm (now the regua reserve). The marriage didn't last but they are still friends and his grandpa comes over every year for a month. Grandpa is now married to a lady in charge of kew gardens and Thomas has some step relatives, one of whom now has a baby.
    Grandpa is due to visit this Friday.
    Our guides family live in rio. His son is 3 and is called Martin and goes to nursery at 6:30am and gets home by 7 pm.
    Our guides father died suddenly of a heart attack when our guide was 28. Our guide was run over by a bus which flayed the skin from his foot.
    There is a tapir introduction program in place, but it has come to a halt because the bureaucracy allowed two tapirs, one male and one female to be introduced, and because of the time constraints of the bureaucracy the female has now had a baby, This has led to further bureaucracy but it is now nearly done.
    The politician in charge of agriculture in the areas has a huge soya production plant.
    school teachers get paid £600 a month.    Read more

  • TravelerBrazil
    Day 30

    23 April Regua

    May 15, 2017 in Brazil ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    We got up early and breakfasted and set off on an early morning guided walk with the bird guide. We saw loads and took lots of pictures. It last 5 hours but felt like no time at all. The weather had chirped up and the sun was shining. Clouds are lowering over the mountains. In Porto Alegre it had been spring so the birds behaviour was all frantic springtime nest building and mating, whereas here there is no breeding season as such and we did see some mating and nesting behaviour but also a lot of birds were just hanging about.
    I can't believe we have the place to ourselves for the next few days. It is so peaceful except for the cooks (three sisters, alike and unalike) who sing constantly.
    After supper we had a night guided walk for two hours. It was incredibly dark. Up above us the night sky was incredible. Different constellations from ours at home winked down on us with no light pollution to mar its splendour. My neck got constant exercise as I kinked it back to gaze in wonder at all those other suns, onward and further into the depths of the darkness.
    We walked down the road to where there was a reliable burrowing owl on a post. Paul took a photo of it as the torch lit it up. We walked back round the lake where the torch picked out many eyes staring back at us from the water surface, these were all caymans and there were a fair few out there! On the way back to the lodge we saw two armadillos crossing the path in front of us and were given glimpses of glow worms or fire flies twinkling in the gloom of the forest.    Read more

  • TravelerBrazil
    Day 30

    Sunday 22nd April Regua day 3

    May 15, 2017 in Brazil ⋅ 🌙 21 °C

    Somewhat marred by a stomach upset which kept me awake all night. The Italian/brazilian family also affected as the grandpa was sick all night and gave me the thumbs down when we appeared for a late breakfast.
    We had a restful morning as it was raining followed by a walk down to the wetland where we got wet. After this we were on our own in the lodge as the family had gone home early.    Read more

  • TravelerBrazil
    Day 30

    21 April day 2 Regua

    May 15, 2017 in Brazil ⋅ 🌙 21 °C

    A pleasant walk down to the wetlands at 6. Capybaras to be seen and a plethora of birds. We went back for breakfast, an eclectic mix of fruit, fruit juice, bacon and eggs and cereals. Afterwards we wandered out for another walk, not taking our brand new raincoats so we walked back fairly fast as the rain came in. After lunch it continued to rain, so we relaxed around the lodge, reading, cataloguing photographs and snoozing.Read more

  • TravelerBrazil
    Day 29

    Day six. first day in Regua

    May 14, 2017 in Brazil ⋅ ☀️ 38 °C

    We got an early taxi for our flight. It was a good flight and we were met at the airport and transported to Regua.
    FANTASTIC PLACE!
    It was a lovely sunny day so after lunch (with Brazilian family, child, mum, dad and grandparents, plus assorted Italians and Germans) we ventured out on one of the many trails through the forest.
    Setting off about 3pm meant that at first there was little to see, lots to hear, and comfortable new boots, but i got a bit disgruntled as we saw no birds.
    However, as we walked out into the open we became aware of much more bird life, a highlight being the smallest woodpecker I have ever seen. Paul got some great shots of it.
    Later we walked on past the wetlands and there were plenty of birds to keep us occupied. We had a great deal of Capareenya (sugar palm punch) and then went to bed after supper as we were shattered.    Read more

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