Town and Garden

Our final two days. On Saturday we thought we'd visit some of the famous gardens of Madeira. We took the car up the mountain to Monte. It was shrouded in fog! Still there were free car parks so we left the car and swung down the mountain in a cable car. Down at sea level the weather was better so we went to see some of the exhibits for the Flower Festival.

Balls like these were hanging from street lamps.


These flower carpets had been down for a couple of days and and had been drenched by overnight rain.

There were wonderful displays of orchids - all for sale.


But the horses were only for photographing your children and Grannies



One of the most amazing displays was of the flowering jacaranda trees that lined some of the main streets.



Later in the afternoon the weather improved so we rode back up the mountain in the cable car.
It didn't seem possible that the population of Funchal is the same as Worcester.

From the cable car it is possible to see the jacaranda avenues in their full glory.


Eventually we got our opportunity to look around the Monte Palace Tropical Garden.

It is set out on the sides of a deep, steep valley.

Much of it is designed around a Japanese theme. The entrance is is at the top of the garden. By the time you get to the bottom you feel as though you're half way to sea -level but surprisingly the climb back up took only ten minutes.

To The Top Of The World And The End Of The Earth

In Maderian terms at least we have visited the extremes.

At the eastern end of the island is a long, narrow peninsula that leads to nowhere but some deserted, offshore islands. The views are wonderful, planes fly overhead approaching the airport and the wind can be hat-snatching.



If you turn and look the other way you can see both north and south coast of Maderia.




Follow the north coast road to Santana and then turn south and you head for the highest part of Maderia down steep, narrow, mountain valleys.


The highest part of the island is the eastern, plateau. The peaks here are over 1800 metres, almost half as high again as Ben Nevis. You can drive virtually to the top, up to 1818 metres. Mountain climbing has never been so easy!

Valley of the Nuns

When the pirates came a'raiding the nuns and their charges made off to this hidden valley in the mountains north of Funchal. The entrance must have been through a deep, narrow gorge that was impossible to spot from the coast or to find amongst the deep valleys and forest. Today you drive straight uphill for about six miles and then come to the entrance to a tunnel. This goes straight downhill for about a mile and then after one bend, emerges into the daylight still precipitously above the hidden valley. There are villages, schools, snaking roads and terraces almost to the sky.

Coast and Plateau

First full day so took the car out for a drive around. We went west and then up. Going west involved twisting and turning with every indentation of the coast. Going up was easier - the routes were laid out in pre motorised days. Many of the roads just go straight up the mountains. First gear in our little 1.2 litre Skoda.

One of our first views of a small part of Funchal. There is very little flat land for building on.
















I found this little character in a small harbour.




Higher up the mountain we found somewhere for a short easy walk. Either physics doesn't work here or they are masters of optical illusions. We could swear the water in one of the levadas was flowing uphill!



Stunning views from the top of the plateau. Glad we don't live down there - you need a very well maintained car!



Tomorrow - Valley of the Nuns.