Last Look at Madeira

On November 28, 2021 By Sue KarskiIn Funchal, Madeira, PortugalLeave a comment

This is the last post for this trip. Waah! I didn’t mention that yesterday we had to go for our antigen test to get back to the USA. Our Grand Circle representative Maria, helped us schedule the test and then went with us. The issue was, we did not get our results. Without the email of the test results – you don’t get on the airplane. So we started our morning, after breakfast, by going with Maria back to the testing site to try to get our results. We did get the emails, and we could then go on with our last tour. It was a bit disconcerting Tuesday night, as we were at a loss as to what we might have to do. But all was resolved. Whew!
Today, Gloria and I took the last optional tour through Grand Circle – to the East side of Madeira. We were fortunate to get the same driver / tour guide as yesterday.

We made a stop at Santa Cruz. This is where our driver used to go the beach. So why am I showing you a cable car? Because there is very little parking at the bottom – where the beach is located.

See the road? a serious road to the beach

The Christ the King statue also known as the Sacred Heart statue

The Cristo Rei monument is a sacred statue of Jesus Christ on Ponta do Garajau, a headland between Caniço and Funchal on the south coast of Madeira Island. This viewpoint offers panoramic views on the Atlantic Ocean, Funchal Bay and Desertas Islands. The majestic statue stands on top of a hill which drops into the ocean. There are stairs going down the hill towards a lower platform overlooking the ocean from closer by. I did not walk down those stairs – way too many for my knees at this point on the trip.

This is the underside of the Madeira airport. They extended the runway.

Ponta das Gaivotas – on the southeast of Madeira

Santana Traditional house – this one is lived in

The style of architecture of palheiros houses is thought to have been brought to Madeira by settlers from the rural mainland of Portugal in the 16th century, in particular from the Minho region, in the very northwest of the country. Corn is often left to dry on the thatch and corn is also a typical crop farmed in the Minho.

The houses are built completely from locally-sourced materials – the straw was grown for the thatched roofs, the wood cut from nearby forests. The steep angle of the roofs allowed any rainfall to quickly drain away.

Inside the top floor was often used for drying and storing agricultural products (such as seeds) while the ground floor was the living space. The top floor is accessed via an internal trap door usually or by a ladder on the outside. Kitchens were usually in separate buildings.

The area is known for its ravines and waterfalls from which grazing cattle are liable to fall, so they were kept close to the houses and sheltered by the steep eaves of the roof of the house.

The straw thatch is replaced approximately once every five years or so.

Madeirans no longer live in small triangular houses as shown in postcards but you can still find a few ones in Santana. As a tourist, you will enjoy a small village of restored houses now used as shops and the tourism office of Santana.

Since it was raining during our visit to Santana, we didn’t explore. We decided to go to a cafe and have some lunch. I ordered a tomato soup which they serve with a cooked egg in the soup. Interesting but not to my taste.

Our driver took us to Pico do Areeiro, but it was raining and it was in the cloud. Oh views not seen.

Pico do Areeiro, at 5,965 ft high, is Madeira Island’s third highest peak. Most days, visitors can stand and look down on the clouds. The air is fresh and clear and the sun is very bright. On a clear day it is possible to see the neighboring island of Porto Santo, 30 miles to the northeast – so they tell me.

The footpath northwards towards Pico Ruivo is an important tourist attraction, with a daily average of 1000 tourists trekking on it.

There is easy road access to the summit, with a large car park, a restaurant and souvenir shop. In 2011, an Air Defense Radar Station of the Portuguese Air Force was built at the top of the mountain near the tourist facilities.

We then drove to a trout farm at Ribeiro Frio, Machico. Since it was still raining a bit, I was afraid of slipping, so Gloria got out and walked to view the trout farm.

Not far from Santo da Serra, on the northern slopes of the island, you will find a very popular starting point for levada walks. Ribeiro Frio (cold river) still has much of the original vegetation today. The island was once totally covered with “Laurissilva forest”, a relic from prehistoric times.

Terreiro da Luta is located north of Monte and the area was once the last stop on the only cog railway Monte Railway. It is also where the Our Lady of Peace sanctuary is located.

The Our Lady of Peace sanctuary statue which is supported by 4 roman columns. It was built after the attacks on Madeira during world war 1, which were first felt in Madeira on December 3, 1916 when the German U-boat U-38 went into the Port of Funchal and torpedoed and sank 3 ships, CS Dacia, SS Kanguroo and Surprise. The commander of the French Gunboat Surprise and 34 of her crew, 7 of which were Portuguese, died in the attack. The Dacia, a British cable laying vessel, had previously undertaken war work off the coast of Casablanca and Dakar, was in the process of diverting the South American cable into Brest, France. Following the attack on the ships, the Germans proceeded to bombard Funchal for two hours from a range of about 2 miles. Batteries on Madeira returned fire and eventually forced the Germans to withdraw.

In 1917 on December 12, two German U-boats, U-156 and U-157 again bombarded Funchal. This time the attack lasted around 30 minutes. Forty, 4.7 inch and 5.9 inch shells were fired. There were 3 fatalities and 17 wounded, In addition, a number of houses and Santa Clara church were hit.

A priest José Marques Jardim, promised in 1917 to build a monument should peace ever return to Madeira. In 1927 at Terreiro da Luta he built a statue of Our Lady of Peace commemorating the end of the WWI. It incorporates the anchor chains from the sunken ships from Madeira on December 3, 1916 and is over 16.4 feet.

Looking up at the mountain we tried to get to but it was raining

The Pico dos Barcelos Viewpoint is approximately 355 meters above sea level.

The cross at Pico dos Barcelos Viewpoint

Viewpoint with vistas sweeping over Funchal, the sea & rugged inland mountains.

And now it was time to go back to our hotel. We met up with Maria for a good bye drink and a small bite to eat. I tried one last time for a Madeira sunset but it was not to be – again. Though I can’t complain as our 23 day trip only had 1 day where it rained in the morning (Madeira) but cleared up for the afternoon and this our last day it rained a bit in Santana and up in the mountain. If you had seen the weather forecast for Barcelona and the entire week in Madeira, it would have given you the feeling why am I here. But, the rain didn’t come and we were just fine. So just a little bit near the end of our trip is nothing. We were so grateful.
On Thanksgiving morning (well in Madeira it was 2 AM) we started our journey home. First flight to Lisbon, then a wait until our flight to Newark, NJ, and then separate flights to our homes. It would be a good 24 hours that we would be up getting home. But we both made it home safely and reasonably on-time.
I am so glad that we added Madeira to our trip. It was well worth the time to come out to this island. We experienced new food – Black Scabbard fish, Limpets and beef steak sandwich. We slid down the road in a basically a loveseat on skids, took a funicular up the mountain, had afternoon tea, and walked the gardens on the side of a mountain and saw fantastic views (only wish I had more time to go back to some places and take the photos during the right time of day for photography – ok I’ll stop whining).
Add to the new food we had in Spain and Portugal – Bacalao (dried, salted cod), Jamon, Hot chocolate with churros (it is new – as this hot chocolate is soooo goooood), paella and octopus. And don’t forget the drinks – poncha, madeira wine, sangria, wines, and ginjinha. I’m sure I am leaving things off. lol but of course, Pastels de Belem. Don’t get me started on how wonderful they were. (Even the truck stop version of them. ) Did I have a good time – Heck Yeah. Would I recommend you go visit – Heck Yeah. And make sure you include Madeira.

As a side note – it looks like I might have used up all the space in this blog. I will be looking to have a update for where my next trips will post. Stay tuned.
Thanks for following. I hope this gives you a little insight in some wonderful places in this world to visit.

See a bit of Madeira

On November 28, 2021 By Sue KarskiIn Funchal, Madeira, Portugal1 Comment

I am back home now, and after two days of trying to get back to FL time zone, I decided I had better finish the last 2 days of the trip before I forget where we went. But first, just what is this island – Madeira. Here is a little bit of what I found.

Madeira, is one of the two autonomous regions of Portugal with the other being the Azores. It is an archipelago situated in the North Atlantic Ocean, in a region known as Macaronesia, just under 250 miles to the north of the Canary Islands and 320 miles west of Morocco. Madeira is geologically located on the African Tectonic Plate, though the archipelago is European. Its total population was estimated in 2021 at 251,060. The capital of Madeira is Funchal, which is located on the main island’s south coast.

The archipelago includes the islands of Madeira, Porto Santo, and the Desertas, administered together with the separate archipelago of the Savage Islands. Madeira, the largest island of the group with 286 square miles and 90 miles of coastline, generally has a very mild and moderate subtropical climate with Mediterranean summer droughts and winter rain. Many microclimates are found at different elevations.

In the 17th century, as Portuguese sugar production was shifted to Brazil and elsewhere, Madeira’s most important commodity product became its wine. Sugar plantations were replaced by vineyards, originating in the so-called ‘Wine Culture’, which acquired international fame and provided the rise of a new social class, the Bourgeoisie. The English traders settled in the Funchal as of the seventeenth century, consolidating the markets from North America, the West Indies and England itself. The Madeira Wine became very popular in the markets and it is also said to have been used in a toast during the Declaration of Independence by the Founding Fathers.

In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, Madeira stands out for its climate and therapeutic effects. In the nineteenth century, visitors to the island integrated four major groups: patients, travelers, tourists and scientists.

As a result of a high demand for the season, there was a need to prepare guides for visitors. The first tourist guide of Madeira appeared in 1850 and focused on elements of history, geology, flora, fauna and customs of the island.

As of 2017, it was a popular year-round resort, being visited every year by about 1.4 million tourists, almost six times its population. The region is noted for its Madeira wine, gastronomy, historical and cultural value, flora and fauna, landscapes that are classified as an UNESCO World Heritage Site and embroidery artisans. The main harbor in Funchal has long been the leading Portuguese port in cruise liner dockings, receiving more than half a million tourists through its main port in 2017, being an important stopover for commercial and trans-Atlantic passenger cruises between Europe, the Caribbean and North Africa.
So let’s see a bit of the island. On Tuesday, our next to last full day, we took one of the optional tours with Grand Circle to see the west side of the island. As the only other couple didn’t make the trip, the tour was a private tour for Gloria and myself.

Winston Churchill visited Camara de Lobos where he loved to paint

Not many visitors to Madeira know that the Island was a special retreat for Winston Churchill. Like so many other British aristocrats before him and up to this day, Madeira has always been the reviled destination to go to, and the Reid’s Palace Hotel the accommodation of choice. Churchill arrived in Funchal aboard the liner, the Durban Castle ,on the 2nd of January 1950. Churchill occupied his time admiring the beautiful landscapes of Madeira. He was impressed with Camara de Lobos, where he painted various pictorial images of the village. He also painted the refulgent valley of Ribeira da Metade in Ribeiro Frio – the location of the hatchery where trout are bred all year round still today. Churchill adored the country-side, he spent as much of his time as possible close to nature.

Seal pup, Camara de Lobos city street art from recycled materials by famous Portuguese artist Bordalo II

notice the gardens below the homes – or above. Those slopes are steep.

The Cabo Girão Skywalk is the highest cliff skywalk in Europe, located on top of the Cabo Girão Cliff. The skywalk opened in late October 2012 and is similar to the one in America’s Grand Canyon – both are made of transparent glass to provide stunning views to visitors. A diamond-shaped sea-cliff escarpment from 1,840 ft to 1,932 ft above sea level, Cabo Girão lies between two river-valleys that flow into the Atlantic Ocean. The escarpment/cliffs extend approximately 1.86 miles between the urban sprawl of Câmara de Lobos to the east and the river-valley of Quinta Grande in the west.

There are cultivated Wave-cut platforms located below the sheer cliffs, which at one time were only accessible by boat. In August 2003, a cable car was installed on the slope of the cliff so farmers can reach these low-lying fields.

The view from just off the skywalk looking to the east.

Here is the view to the west from the skywalk to the gardens below

Ponta do Sol is located between Ribeira-Brava and Calheta, on the southwest coast of Madeira, linked to Funchal and surrounding communities by the main regional road. The municipality is crossed by a few pedestrian hiking trails, that usually follow the levadas (aqueducts) carrying water from the mountains.

The birds make their homes in the cliff side

The longest straight road in “Paul da Serra”

Cows – yes, cows in the Mountain *road* at the highland of Ribeira da Janela on the Island.

In Madeira Island just above the village of Porto Moniz in the northwest is Ribeira da Janela, a village named after its river which is the longest river on the island. Hydrangeas, agapanthus, ferns, banana plants and passion fruit decorate the way. There are many walks (I would call them hikes) here based on the levadas – here is some info I found regarding this path – The levada has a wide walking path and after a few minutes into the levada you will reach the first picnic area and following that a levada station. From this area you will have your first great view of the Ribeira da Janela valley. The path gets narrower as the levada runs deeper and deeper into the valley after 90 minutes past the first straight tunnel.
People come here to do something called canyoning. I had no idea what that means – so if you don’t either – here is the definition – the sport of exploring a canyon by engaging in such activities as rappelling, rafting, and waterfall jumping.

a rainbow on our trip – Ribeira da Janela

to give you an idea of the slope and gardens behind the houses

Porto Moniz is a municipality in the northwest corner of the island of Madeira. It is located west of Santana and Machico, and northwest of Funchal. The population in 2011 was 2,711, in an area of 82.93 km². The municipality features a natural complex of lava pools that are popular with locals and tourists.

Look at the road we came down – see the z shape gray starting on the right.

This is to Becky and Carol who normally join us on these trips. So they could be with us in spirit.

One of the sea pools – the water is replaced by the high tides. Porto Moniz

Another of the sea pools – but this one has the water manually replaced

Fort of St John the Baptist. – currently houses the aquarium in Porto Moniz

The Miradouro da Santa, with views of the town and waterfall

looking up at the mountain peaks in the clouds

The views are hard to leave. Only 1 more full day – one more tour. Madeira is a beautiful island. I am so glad I added it to my tour.

Funchal tour

On November 22, 2021November 22, 2021 By Sue KarskiIn Funchal, Madeira, Portugal1 Comment

Today, we met our Grand Circle Tour director for Funchal – Maria. She took us on a walking tour of downtown. It was an enjoyable walk through a park, along the marina and the fresh market where we had a nice drink and some pastries.

the tree cotton – only this time a full sized tree

I thought she was describing the fruit – not actually the fruit name – but there it is The Delicious Fruit.

The Delicious Fruit (Monstera delicious) is a long fruit with an exotic and fruity flavor, a mixture of banana, pineapple and anona. This fruit is originally from Mexico and the plant that originates it is a vine. The ideal for its production are the slightly higher temperatures in the south of the island, where it grows freely in private gardens, mainly in an ornamental way (its large green leaves are considered very beautiful). There is no large-scale production on the island.

It is a fruit that should be eaten as it ripens, since it does not ripen all at the same rate. It is very popular with visitors to the island because it is an unusual tropical fruit with a delicate flavor and peculiar shape. When ripe it is very pleasant, but when green it is toxic and therefore care is advisable. This fruit is very low in calories, has a high content of potassium and vitamin C.

Yes, Christopher Columbus – used to live on the island

The Chapel of Santa Catarina is a small but beautiful church. It is located within the pleasant Santa Catarina Park (Parque de Santa Catarina), a large green space in the city.

Founded in 1425 by Lady Constanca Rodriquez de Almeida spouse of Joao Goncalves Zarco, discoverer of the island The church dates from the 15th century and was originally constructed in wood. In the 16th century, the present stone church was built.

The stone font and bell both display elements of distinctive Manueline design.

Up the mountain, where we will go later – can see it without the rain

Even old photos put on the doors of the Ritz

The Madeira Honey Cake is one of the most traditional delicacies of Madeiran gastronomy. It is made with honey from local sugar cane and it can be preserved and eaten even weeks after being made.

Madeira Honey Cake is traditionally linked to Christmas. Usually it’s prepared on December 8, the day of Nossa Senhora da Conceição however, it can be found in shops all year round.

The Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption in Sé, Funchal, is the cathedral of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Funchal, which encompasses all of the Autonomous Region of Madeira.

the caravel. The history of *Madeira* begins with the discovery of the islands by Portugal in 1419. There is no record of anyone living on the islands at that time.

The caravel is a small highly-maneuverable sailing ship developed in the 15th century by the Portuguese to explore along the West African coast and into the Atlantic Ocean. The lateen sails gave it speed and the capacity for sailing windward.

The church of St. John the Evangelist, also known as Church of the College, is the 2nd most visited our island.

The most relevant in this church is the fact that its construction has been marked by the transition of a European Mannerist Baroque style to the Portuguese during the seventeenth century.

Its architecture is one of the most scattered by history because it was the responsibility of Jesuit missionaries. The church has only one nave with a chancel highlighted.

The highlight is the collection of altarpieces Mannerist hoist the blue and white tiles and paintings of secs. XVII and XVIII. The golden carving which presents one of the most valuable of the seventeenth century.

Water from the mountain passing through the city to the sea

A Madeira woman doing hand embroidery. Very detailed.

Tiled pictures as we entered the fresh market

We stopped for a drink and pastry. Too many goodies to choose from here.

Okay, are you ready? Ready to see what that ugly fish looks like. Skip the next two images if you don’t want to see.

This is the back end of the Black scabbardfish

The front end or business end of the Black scabbardfish

After the market, we walked down Rua de Santa Maria. There wear some interesting paintings on the doors. I could do a whole blog just on those doors. But I will select a couple.

We were then down to the marina where the funicular runs. Maria left us with our plan of going up the mountain, and plans for tomorrow.

We had the choice to walk through the gardens – there are two up there, The Monte Palace Gardens and the Botanical Garden. You would need to take another cable car to get to the Botanical Garden and I looked at the stairs in the Monte Palace Gardens and we decided that we did the gardens yesterday, so we skipped and walked down towards the

There are several words synonymous to Monte and ‘toboggan ride’ is surely one of them! Originally a fast means of transport down to Funchal for people living in Monte, these toboggan sledges appeared around 1850.

Still in use today, they attract thousands of tourists every year who want to make this exciting experience of sliding at high speed on narrow, winding streets down to Funchal. These two-seater wicker sledges glide on wooden runners, pushed and steered by two men traditionally dressed in white cotton clothes and a straw hat, using their rubber-soled boots as brakes.

The downhill journey to Livramento, a little below Monte, Funchal is made in about 10 minutes on a total course of 1.5 miles, reaching at times a speed of 30 mph. Adventurous, yet safe, an ‘old-fashioned’ toboggan ride to make your way down from Monte is the perfect contrast to the high-technology cable car going up to Monte.

Before I decided to go, I had to see what it looked like

We had to stop for a car, and it backed up the sled behind us as well.

We completed our ride and we had a taxi driver there to take us back to our hotel. I had slipped while trying to get the photos of the other people – the road was slick and it took me a few steps to keep from falling down. Thus causing a muscle pull in my leg. So time for a bit of a rest.
After resting, Gloria and I took a walk up the hill the other direction from our hotel than we walked on Saturday and had a pleasant walk (some up hill) for about a half hour and then the walk back to the hotel where we had booked the seafood buffet for tonight.
We have a tour in the morning tomorrow and only one more full day after tomorrow. I know I am excited to see the other side of this island and I hope to have some good shots for you to enjoy. I didn’t know anything about Madeira before I signed up for this, but I am so glad that I got to see it.
With an very very early wakeup on Thursday morning for our flights home, I am going to say that I will post tomorrows and Wednesday’s adventures after I get home. This way I can maybe get some sleep Tuesday night in prep for the long Wednesday. So thanks for following along and hope to wrap it up for you in a couple of days.

Funchal, Madeira, Tea Time

On November 21, 2021 By Sue KarskiIn Funchal, Madeira, Portugal1 Comment

Today is Sunday and it is raining in Funchal. Gloria and I talked with the Grand Circle representative here for suggestions for going for Tea. Figured if it is going to rain, might as well relax. The rain gave us a break in the afternoon, just perfectly in time for us to enjoy a walk around the property of Jardins do Lago.

This elegant small luxury botanical garden hotel in Madeira Island is Quinta Jardins do Lago.

We are delightfully situated on one of the green hills surrounding the city of Funchal and very close to its principal area of historical interest.

This charming Madeiran Quinta was built in the 18th century. More recently it was the home of well-known French and British families. During the Napoleonic wars General Beresford, Commander of the British forces on the island, chose it as his residence. His magnificent sideboard, a reminder of his stay, still adorns our dining room.

Today, Quinta Jardins do Lago, with 31 double rooms, 4 Historical Junior Suites, 4 Premier Suites and 1 Presidencial Suite, all facing south to the luscious gardens, have been passionately designed to offer the best accommodation with modern functionality in traditional comfort and style.

This is undoubtedly one of the many reasons why we have become Madeira islands most sought after small luxury botanical garden hotel.

The lush gardens are absolutely amazing with more than 500 different species of plants which are unique in their variety and natural beauty.

With an area of 2.5 hectares full of wonderful examples of rare species and old trees as well as many colorful and delicate flowers, the Flora of ‘Quinta Jardins do Lago‘ is such a rich and diverse collection that it can rival any good botanical gardens.
So enjoy a few pictures I took of the gardens – just a few flowers but mostly structures, fountains and scenery.

This is the balcony that we had our tea service after our walk

One of the patios with an interesting pattern

This is Colombo, a Galapagos tortoise, which arrived at the gardens in 1969. He doesn’t like rain, so he was in his house but he strolls around the garden. Gloria had to get down to take this photo and Colombo would not lift his head up, so we think she got his backside.

We then went to sit on the patio and have our tea time.

Ok, I’m full now and it is starting to rain again. Now a taxi ride down the mountain to our hotel.
A nice relaxing day in Funchal in the rain.
Tomorrow we meet with our tour director for here and go on a city tour. We have a couple of things to add to our trip – if the weather cooperates. Tomorrow is supposed to be sunny or at least not raining. Possibly the only day with no rain. Three more full days here to explore – cross your fingers the weather holds for us.

Boa noite.

Funchal, Madeira

On November 20, 2021 By Sue KarskiIn Funchal, Madeira, Portugal1 Comment

This will not be a long post, as we arrived, and relaxed. Well sort of.

It was warm, and I had brought clothes based on Spain and Portugal’s weather for November. Meaning no t-shirts or shorts. And let me tell you – that needed fixing fast. So after a short get checked in, Gloria and I hiked up to the mall.
So here is the view from my hotel room.

After we walked up the hill and got some summer clothes for me, and some lunch. We had a local fish dish. A Delicious “monster” from the deep of Madeira Island – the Black Scabbard fish.
The espada preta is one of the mainstays of madeiran cuisine and has been so for centuries. Be warned though, it is best to taste it before you see it lying on the marble tables of the bustling Mercado dos Lavradores (Farmer’s Market). It is possibly the ugliest creature you have ever seen: with its long black eel shaped body, its huge marble eyes and its rows of razor sharp teeth set it a huge mouth. You will have paid attention in science classes in school and remember that those huge eyes are an indicator of how deep this predator lives: in the case of the waters around Madeira Island, anywhere between 2000 and 5000 feet deep.
We went for a walk down hill from our hotel to the water. There is no beach.

The white one in the center is our hotel

Hope you can see the color of the water – very clear

More of the Madeira islands in the distance

We went down to catch the sunset – but we were a bit early. So we stopped for a snack and something to drink. This lovely kestrel popped into the palm tree near me.

The Canarian Kestrel is a wide distributed in Madeira, being found close to the sea and right up to the mountain summits. In recent years it has only been found on the islands of Madeira and Porto Santo, although in the past Kestrels nested on the Desertas and Selvagens islands.

Not much of a sunset with all the clouds

Here’s proof we are in Madeira – by one of the outdoor basketball courts

This mural was on the lower level of our hotel.

Then it was back to our rooms to rest (ha – I get to work on the blog.)
Now it is time for me to go to bed. We were up early for our flight here and tomorrow is another adventure.