Fun in Funchal, 5

Today was maybe my favourite day. I skipped the half day tour again and explored the city. I wanted to take the cable car up the mountain but every time I went the line was a mile long – once those cruise ships disgorge their thousands of passengers, Funchal is at their disposal. So I walked around a lot.

I missed the market on the earlier half-day tour so today I visited it twice.

I love markets, even though I can't buy the food, given all my meals are provided. And I don't know what a lot of this food is! But isn't it lovely?

I think the fruit below looks like an alien. I bought a lot of packets of flower bulbs for my friends.

Iain had told me about a street in the old town called Santa Ana Street, where a lot of the doors are painted. Three of those doors follow:

The one above is an homage to Madeira's embroidery work. The outline of the embroidery above is done with raised lines of some kind of acrylic, so it is 3D. Very clever. On the half day tour I missed a visit to a place where they make the embroidery, however I was told the pieces were very expensive.

I explored a lovely fort at the edge of town.

I went back to the funicular, still a queue, so I went back to Santa Ana Street for lunch. I could have sat there all day, reading my book and drinking wine. I was so relaxed. It really was a perfect day. Weather in low 20sC or low 70sF.

Third time to the funicular and no queue at all. Here's me on the way up.

The cable car lets you off in Monte, near the palace gardens. And this church:

Next I took the toboggan ride down the hill. It's a "when in Funchal" kind of thing. The two drivers talked to each other the whole time in Portugese, so I just enjoyed the view.

When you get off, there's still a long walk down to Funchal, which I enjoyed. Not sure why this frame sat on top of a stone wall, but decided a photo was necessary.

The road I walked headed straight downhill into Funchal. I took photos of a few ruins and sent one to Joe, my Portugese-speaking architect friend. Seems like a perfect project for him.

The walk downhill was hot, long and steep so I took a right turn to get to a bigger street and the first thing I saw was a winery. I went in for a Madeira wine tasting, all bottles aged 10 years and including dry, medium dry, medium sweet and sweet. I liked dry best and bought a bottle.

The winery, H.M. Borges was founded in 1877 but had been in this building for 100 years. I enjoyed how dark and cool the building was after a bright hot day. The winery is being run by the fourth generation – two women who are cousins. Here is one of the owners walking through the aging room.

With my Madeira buzz on, I walked around the old town some more and enjoyed the Lisbon-like plazas.

There's a fortress within the town that now houses the Ministry of Defence. I liked how Funchal has it's own personality. It isn't a cookie cutter town designed to serve the needs of tourists. The town I visited in Spain earlier this year very much caters to British tourists. There were very few Brits here – many more Germans, Dutch, Danish, etc.

20 Nov