A relaxing day wandering around Funchal on a beautifully warm and sunny day.
So many interesting doors on Rua Santa Maria
We saw these interesting wicker carts that were pushed down the hill from Monte by guys dressed like Venetian gondoliers! We didn’t take part, not because we were chicken, but the price was heftier than we wanted to pay!
Lunch at Taberna Madeira…
Up and up, round and round and over the top of the mountains and back down the other side – we love these roads that twist and turn and offer a slice of a village, a jaw-dropping precipice, or a glimpse of ocean.
Or there is the faster way – roads that are a series of tunnels that have been burrowed through the mountains or the cliffs along the coastlines. The tunnels vary in length up to the longest one we went through at 3.1 km, and on the newer roads they are lined and illuminated, whereas the tunnels on the secondary roads are older, hand-hewn and dark! I read somewhere that there are more tunnels on this small island than in Switzerland!
A visit to the rum factory in Porto da Cruz. I love the poncha (punch) made of orange juice, rum, honey and passion fruit!
After visiting the Whale Museum, we stopped for another delicious seafood lunch at Muralas Bar in Canical – a simple and busy little restaurant with many local families enjoying a leisurely lunch. (Local mussels with garlic, parsley and butter, grilled shrimp, and scabbard fish and chips).
We set off to hike to Ponta de Sao Lourenco, but with unsuitable shoes and full tummies, we decided to only go part way and back.
I bought this honey directly from the bee-keeper at the market in Ponta Delgada (Azores). It is the most flavorful honey I have ever had – this particular one is clover – or so he told me! We are enjoying it on the delicious Portuguese bread with salted butter or sharp cheese – as we learned at Taberna Acor….
Yesterday we enjoyed limpets in garlic butter at Restaurante Caravela in Sao Vicente (Madeira). Local flavours abound
Today took us to the north shore up and down and round and round. These roads are not for those who don’t like driving, but we both love it! Once again over mountain ridges, through cattle zones, tidy villages, and views that never end.
We saw the most amazing surf along the northern shore. It was absolutely mesmerizing.
Other than the surf, another huge highlight was taking a cable car down the very steep cliffs to the beach – or just above it. The telerifico in Achades de Cruz is definitely worthwhile but not for the faint-hearted or those who suffer with vertigo!
Eats today included a roadside picnic and dinner at Chico’s in Pezares.
Evening calm
To live on Madeira is to live a vertical life-style. The mountains meet the sea at a dramatic depth. An express way cuts through the mountains with tunnels or secondary roads twist and turn their way to the top. Everything is terraced, from gardens to fields, and nobody has a bad view!
Most of the houses are painted in a cream or pale yellow and all have red tiled roofs.
The roads are bordered with agapanthus and gorse (in higher elevations) and as we climbed our way into the clouds we could smell the eucalyptus from the forest.
Our drive today took us on the (yellow) secondary road from Estreito da Calheta to Achadas Da Cruz and back to Calheta via ER110 and down on ER209.
We love our home for the week – villa Pinheira in Estreito da Calheta, Madeira. On the southern coast of the island overlooking the ocean with grape vines out of one window and banana plantations another — bliss! Looking forward to exploring the island…
The weather forecast called for showers today, but they moved through overnight and we had another beautiful day in which to explore more of this gorgeous island.
We started in Ponta Delgado with a walk to the fort and military museum. The fort dates from the 16th century and is in use today by the Portuguese military. From there a walk to visit the small but beautiful Jardim Antonio Borges (gardens) with many fine tree specimens, grottos and flowering shrubs.
Ponta Delgado is a very walkable and easy town to navigate. The narrow roads are cobbled using the volcanic rock and the pavements all have a mosaic design.
Lunch was at Acores Grill where one chooses from various selections of meat and you grill yourself at the table.
We drove westwards to Sete Cicades and the beautiful crater lakes Lagoa Azul and Lagoa Verde. Legend is that a princess with green eyes fell in love with a shepherd with blue eyes. The union was not permitted by the King causing the princess and shepherd to cry and cry with their tears forming two lakes, one green and one blue.
Taking dirt roads we ended up in Mosteiros to see the sunset which eluded us in the last few minutes. Nevertheless it was lovely sitting on the black rocks listening to and watching the surf crash onto the rocks and black sand beach.
We were treated to a parade outside the hotel as we were leaving this morning – part of carnival season preceding Lent.
What an extraordinary place this is! The entire island is like a manicured park and workers are out in force trimming the banks, pruning trees and sprucing up the rest areas – which are like mini-parks. I kid you not! all the azaleas along the side of the road have been pruned and shaped!
More spectacular scenery with steep cliffs dropping to the ocean.
Tidy villages dot the landscape with their white and black (volcanic stone) churches.
Like a couple of crazies we took heed of the warning and walked down to the lighthouse (Farol Ponta del Arnel). The walk down was hard enough, but the hike back up had our hearts racing!
We earned the beer!
I love these local pineapples! Terrific market here in Punta Delgada!
We enjoyed the stunning coastline on our short drive from Capelas to Porto Formoso with lots of little side-trips along dirt roads.
We visited Cha Gorreana, the oldest and only remaining tea plantation on São Miguel. The Azores is the only place in Europe where tea is grown, this dating back to the 19th century. This plantation has been in operation since 1833 and still uses machinery from the industrial revolution – but it works! Because of the climate here and lack of insects, the tea plants are absolutely untreated other than pruning. They mature in their sixth year and continue to produce and live for 90 years! Harvest is from March until October. It is a tasty brew indeed!
We arrived in Furnas descending into the crater. A picturesque and very tidy little spa town – all the villages and towns we have passed through have been immaculate. We checked into our hotel Terra Nostra Gardens Hotel which adjoins the beautiful Terra Nostra botanical gardens. A marvelous collection of Camelias and a variety of Azalias were in bloom. We enjoyed the majestic trees, lush greenery and, especially, the palm tree-sized ferns.
And then a relaxing dip in the iron rich thermal pool….. ah!
Dinner at Restaurante Bar Caldeiras & Vulcões – cozido! more later … update! We couldn’t have the cozido because it required a 24-hour prior booking! Oh well! we enjoyed wonderful locally sourced food and wine! We would definitely return.
Four and one-half hours after leaving Boston on a full and bumpy flight we descended in darkness and touched down on a small speck of land in the Atlantic 2,625 km from North America and 1,815 km from mainland Europe (Portugal). São Miguel Island, also referred to locally as “The Green Island”, is the largest and most populous island in the Portuguese archipelago (9) of the Azores. Jet-lagged, from losing one night of sleep, we set off to explore the famed Lagoa do Fogo (Lagoon of Fire) one of the beautiful crater lakes.
We also visited Monumenta da Caldeira Velha, natural thermal pools set in the mountainside with waterfalls of warm water and one pool with water bubbling through the surface at 160 C. We weren’t prepared to take a dip ourselves, but will likely return – it looks like a great way to spend an hour or so.
The island is small enough that at a central high point, one can see the northern and southern coastlines (approximately 12 km across). It reminds of a cross between western Ireland, Hawaii, and New Zealand. Every untouched surface is covered in green – either moss or ferns – and Camelias, hydrangeas, lilies, Azalias, agapanthus, and much, much more grow abundantly alongside the roads and lanes. Healthy looking cattle graze lazily in paddocks and fields with never a worry that their food supply will end. It is said that cattle outnumber humans on the island!
We ate dinner at Cafe Conto do Cais, a fabulous cafe in an old building, in Capelas.
After spending only 12 hours on this island, I have to say that never in my life have I met such genuinely welcoming and friendly people.
Winter will be over by the time we return, so had to post a few reminders of Winter 2017.
We enjoyed the serenity and beauty of Stevens Pond in early December.
Some very frigid days in December – unusually early for those temps.
The downtown area is always so festive looking with wreaths and lights strung across the streets.
The Annual Polar Dip downtown at the boat launch was relatively balmy – especially for one who didn’t touch the water!! Always fun to watch my crazy friends!
We get out for walks no matter what the conditions! After all, Lucy is a Mainer-girl!
January was pretty uneventful with very little snow. And then … the day before Valentine’s Day Blizzard!
Santa came and brought lots of reasons for excitement in the McPherran household…
A quick hop into the Big Apple for a well executed tour (by our friend, Sue) of some highlights – the American Indian museum, housed in the former Customs House, a walk along Wall Street, lunch at an Indian restaurant in lower east side, exhibits at the New York Public Library, Bryant Park and a virtual reality experience at a Facebook demo lounge, and the cream on top – the Broadway show “Jersey Boys”! What a day!
Lady Justice and the Manhattan skyline from Guttenberg, NJ.
Fancy subway cars!
Grand Central & Lower Manhattan
The magnificent public library (research)
On the streets…
Shop windows, Christmas lights and experiencing VR!
Jersey Boys and total number of steps walked!! = 9.5 miles!!!
