Our port of
call was Funchal, Madeira which is located in the North Atlantic Ocean,
approximately 560 miles from continental Portugal and about 370 miles from the
coast of Morocco, with a population of about 275,000.
This is a
lovely island which is part of Portugal which boasts its famous Madeira wine,
botanical gardens, embroidery and a beautiful landscape. As we sailed into port, the entire
mountainside was covered with white buildings with terracotta colored roofs. The panoramic views captured in Michael’s
photos are just exquisite.
A note about photos:
Our internet connection is very, very slow and to download one photo
would take at least five minutes. I
tried it a couple of months back and it’s just not possible to post any photos
on the blog while we’re on the cruise.
I’m hoping, when I get home, to post several photos from each port and
will send an email if anyone wants to go back and take a look at any or all of
the ports. I have been taking quick
photos with my cell phone and posting them on FB but not everyone is on
FB.
Apparently,
Madeira has quite a spectacular fireworks show on New Year’s Eve because it
actually is listed in the Guinness World Records in 2006 as having the largest
in the world.
It also has
a “snowless sled ride,” a tradition dating back to the 19th
century. The sled is actually a wicker
basket chair set on runners and two local guides dressed in traditional white
flannels and straw boaters run alongside and guide it down the slope with
ropes. It looked like fun on the
“Reflections DVD” on the ship but our friend, Bambi, said “it didn’t go fast
enough.” Needless to say, Michael wasn’t
interested in taking this ride and I have adopted the policy that if I have to
sign a “waiver of liability,” I’m no longer interested. Of course, there was no waiver of liability
required here in Portugal, but, I’m sure, if this ride were available in the
U.S., you can bet you’d have to sign a waiver.
So, in my opinion, that counts as something I’m not interested in
doing.
At this
point on the cruise, neither of us is interested in an organized tour and
prefer to leisurely check things out on our own. Excursions are fine if there’s something we
really want to see that isn’t easily accessible on our own. According to our destination lecturer, there
was enough for us to do on our own so we took the available shuttle bus from
the port to the town.
What is
unique about the city is that the sidewalks are black and white designed, the
black being of volcanic materials and the white being limestone. Unlike so many places we’ve visited with
cobbled streets that require sturdy shoes and a steady footing, the sidewalks
were not only beautiful but comfortable for long-distance walking.
The week before
we arrived, the city celebrated a flower festival but there was still evidence
of the festivities throughout the city.
There was a park with lots of tents housing vendors selling their wares
of souvenirs, embroidered items and jewelry.
One of them was actually selling baked goods which probably would never
be allowed in many parts of the states for health reasons.
Some of the
sidewalks were canopied with flowers (perhaps wisteria) hanging and more
vendors selling other items such as embroidered baby clothes and necklaces made
from crocheted silver. We bought our
unique little magnet here. As part of
the local costume, people wear a multi-colored woolen cap with a long stiff
piece of yarn at the top. We bought a
tiny one that was made into a magnet.
Michael and I also imagined dozens of grandmas buying these caps for
their grandchildren which will quickly place them in their family’s Goodwill
bin. They’re awfully cute, but I can’t
imagine any American child excited about this kind of souvenir unless, of
course, they collect hats.
Regarding
the costumes, we also enjoyed a street performance by a group of young people –
the teenage boys wore white shirts with white knee length pants and beige or
brown calf-high boots with a different type of cap while the girls wore red
capes or vests with white piping and yellow/red/blue/white long skirts with a
different type of cap. They danced to
music played by members of their group with different instruments.
Part of the
sidewalk was recessed with a blanket of dozens of different types of flowers arranged
in a beautiful intricate design. There
was also a red carpet lined with topiaries – three huge balls, the largest at
the bottom, the medium-sized in the middle and the smaller at the top. All three were densely decorated with
different flowers.
We entered
another beautiful Cathedral (the name escapes me now until I can google it)
where Michael took some of his most wonderful photographs, in my opinion. Again, there were some “real” candles
available but no empty holders and I had to resign myself to inserting a 20
cent coin to light up one of the electronic candles.
We enjoyed
lunch at an open air café and were disappointed to have to deal with
panhandlers who were moving around freely among the tables of customers. I guess the restaurant owners don’t bother or
are not allowed to remove people asking for money. In all fairness, the woman who approached us
claimed to be part of some sort of charity and was offering felt roses in
exchange for “donations” but Michael and I are far too cynical to believe any
of it and requested her to move on.
We came
across a small shopping mall – a really small mall that was mostly below ground
where Michael found a great deal on a suitcase.
Only $25 for a really big, much-needed, addition to our already nine
pieces (which includes my oversized purse and Michael’s backpack).
A trip to
the Dolce Vita Shopping Mall proved unsatisfactory; the prices were very high
(4.99€ for a small packet of rubber bands for Michael’s hair which we, of
course, declined) and nothing particularly unique.
With our new
addition to our magnet collection and hopefully the last new piece of luggage
we will need, we boarded the shuttle bus back to the ship which will be at sea
for the next six days before we reach our next port, Hamilton, Bermuda.
Michael’s Observations: If you’ve ever traveled to Europe, you’ll find
ancient buildings 2-300 years old. It’s
fascinating to realize the history that these buildings hold. I truly enjoyed walking around the city and
looking at the architectural wonders. Of
course, the weather was wonderful and I have a lovely time and a great lunch –
a roast beef sandwich!
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