EasyJet Flight EZY 8937 from Gatwick to Madeira
Ponta São Lourenço peninsula
Madeira
Madeira (top) and the Isle of Wight shown on the same scale.
(Shameless rip-off from Google maps.) The official maps are the
Carta Militar (needs Internet Explorer). See also
our visit to Arran another island of comparable size
top is a cross-section through Madeira from west to east.
Funchal
Port
Five hundred years of development of naval architecture.
The vessel on the left is a (presumably full size) replica of the
Santa María de la Inmaculada Concepción
which was the largest (!) of the three ships used by Christopher Columbus in his first voyage across the Atlantic in 1492.
It does half-day trips along the south coast
The old and the new - small fisherman and big ship
The upper part is a copy of
this image
which is linked to from
this page
about
RMS Titanic.
It has been scaled to match the Independence in size.
Bear in mind that the red bits of the Titanic represent its 10.5 metre, below the water line draught. With a draught of only 8.8 metres and that towering superstructure the Independence seems awfully top-heavy.
Avenida das Comunidades Madeirenses
looking east along the coast. Note how soon the cliffs begin.
Promenade
looking east towards the fort
Mercado dos Lavoradores - link needed
The famous fish market was finished for the day when we arrived and was being cleaned up
The courtyard, where flowers, fruit, leather and other goods are sold
The Independence of the Seas dwarfs the buildings in Funchal
town centre
Homenagem a Bordeira - statue outside the Embroidery Museum
bougainvillea grows out across the wires over the ribeiro
Avenida Arriga?
The Jacaranda trees contrast well with the yellow taxis
Note the woman at extreme right taking a photograph. She appears in the same posture on the left of the previous!
Toyota showroom with traditional
azulejos
near the Marina shopping centre
the Independence of the Seas seemed to be visible at the end of every street
Farewell to the Independence of the Seas
In the old town restaurant area
Pizo
the three chimneys on the right are on the
Central Térmica da Vitória - the thermal power station with 16 diesel generators.
Despite all that water (and a bit of wind power), this station generates 60% of the island's electricity
Lower station
Cacti are used to create a fence below the cars.
Close up of the cactus fence
When I saw this telephérique, I said "I bet that was built by Austrians" and sure enough it was. See
Rancho for another by Doppelmayr
Me at ease. Teleférico in the background
The ascent
Looking to the harbour with AIDAaura moored there
2016
In 2016 August there was an
extensive wildfire here. Six weeks later Frank Ardley took this view from the telephérico. The hillside is totally bare. On the left we can see things like fridges scattered on the ground.
Follow the maps link and look at Google StreetView to see the lush vegetation that was there before.
Cabo Girão
Looking down to Ribeira Quinta Grande
Quinta Grande
Cruz da Caldeira
Miradouro Restaurant
espetada is meat on a long skewer. It is brought to your table on the skewer and hung up. In this restaurant they have holes in the table and in the tablecloth to take the stand.
Also visible in this picture is another Madeiran speciality
milho frito - fried cornmeal cubes
Encosta Cabo Girão
looking down to the villas. The location means that the HPB site may be cool and in cloud when it is sunny in Funchal
the view from our bedroom window.
Stayed in
this unlikely article
for all of four days until some mean-minded person said
image removed - not in the UK, this article doesn't need photographs anyway.
HPB have created a path with an artificially tidy levada passing through the site. The real Levada do Norte runs nearby.
These tiny lizards scuttle over all the baclonies
HPB site at Encosta Cabo Girao
Jardim Tropical Monte Palace
Lilies grow in profusion beneath these dramatic tree ferns
Looking down through the garden towards Funchal
Grotto
(Image ripped off from somewhere on the web.)
The tallest vase in the world according to the 1992 Guinness Book of Records. 5345 mm high.
Now beaten by a
clay pot in Taiwan.
There seem to be very few dogs in Madeira and most of those we saw were asleep
Koi carp ponds
Ancient olive tree and lavender
Monte
spare cars in the top station of the cable car
looking down from Foguete into the valley of Ribeira João Gomes with the harbour in the distance.
(Image ripped off from 2867523635_f03a5bfd94.jpg found somewhere on the web.)
Another view with location details
Cabo Girão
The farmer who tilled this field (by hand!) has done so within inches of a 500 metre sheer drop!
In this image (ripped off from Funchal_from_CabG.jpg found somewhere on the web) and taken at an earlier date, there seems to be some sort of edging to the field but in my pictures there is absolutely nothing!
Serra de Água
looking east across the valley
See how the pine trees bend in the prevailing north east wind
Terracing up the mountainside
There is so little flat land that farmers terrace as far up the mountains as they can
Central da Serra de Água (power station)
pipe bringing Levada do Norte down
Encumeada
Pedras
Paúl da Serra
Roger with wind turbines behind
After the vertiginous climb up the mountains, the flat bleakness of Paúl de Serra is strangely disconcerting. Even the car looks suprised.
wind turbines looking east. See how the tops of the peaks peep over the edge of the plateau. The highest peak in the distance is the Pico Ruivo, 1862 metres and this plateau levels off at 1500 metres
Strange cacti - botanists please identify
The straight road on Paúl de Serra is probably the only road which is straight for over a mile on the island
Rabaçal
looking down from car park
Water management system? and cattle
Looking towards Calheta? Is the smoke the sugar factory?
Woodland plant in the shade on the levada walk
Levada do Risco
Ferns under the waterfalls
The levada path at Rabacal is wide and shaded by ancient laurel
same as
link but with cloud
Arco da Calheta
Loreto
Ponta do Sol
Escola Basica e Secundaria da Ponta do Sol
harbour
We ate espada
(
several pages on madeiraisland.com),
in English known as
black scabbardfish (which they serve with banana!) in the seafood cafe on the rocks. The food was excellent, as are the views.
Various bridges in the British Isles are described as a "bridge over the Atlantic":
see geograph.org.uk or
the most famous one
Clachan Bridge near Oban. This one could also claim the title
View from the cafe terrace looking west
São Vicente
Ginjas, Corrida Feiteiras
Grutas (caves) and Volcanic Centre
Our shadows, thrown by the spotlights, began to resemble primitive cave paintings
Ferns growing under the spotlights
lapilli is a generic term so it is no surprise that this stuff looks nothing like the
pretty white balls
we found on Fuerteventura
Grutas (caves) and Volcanic Centre - exterior
Roger hidden by the Pride of Maderia plants
Lameiros
Domestic details - there are few supermarkets. All Madeirans seem to grow food and flowers, whether it is in a few fields or in pots on the steps.
This combination of palms and misty peaks is typical of the north coast.
Capela de Nossa Senhora de Fátima
in Laranjal, seen from Lameiros
sea front
Whereas the sea on the south coast was quite calm, the power of the Atlantic is obvious on the north coast. It could almost be a different ocean.
looking back into the village
(Image ripped off from somewhere on the web.)
(Image ripped off from somewhere on the web.)
Not actually sure of location but looks like the old road from São Vicente to Seixal
(Image ripped off from somewhere on the web.)
Seixal
near Ponta do Poiso
This was our only rainy day, but we were glad to find out what it is like in the north when wet Atlantic weather closes in.
harbour
See the banks of nasturtiums cascading down the cliff
Ribeira Brava
sea front
Roger was not pleased when the waiter grabbed his camera - probably worried that he would drop it
Pico Alto
Cabo Girao?
Strange structure - we thought it might be a takoff runway for the "mad German hang gliders" described to us by a local taxi driver.
Ribeiro Frio
fish farm
walk to Balcoes
Flowering shrub on side of path - botanists please identify
Balcoes miradouro
Tree with small blue birds by the miradouro
Branches inspired by chinese brushstoke painting
Roger on top of the miradouro
The photographer photographed
The small blue birds were hopping about looking for crumbs - (ornothologists please identify)
Rock plants - (botanists please identify)
small shrine to Nossa Senhora de Fátima
cafe
Lombo do Baixo
Another bank of nasturtiums by the roadside
Faial
Miradouro
wind and salt hardy wild plants. could they be Madeiran rock orchids?
Rocks in the swell of the sea
Wind and salt hardy wild plants - some form of sedum or stonecrop?
village centre
Domestic detail - all houses have to be multi level
tunnel portal. Tunnel is 3168 metres long
bridge
The old bridge which was lost in a storm
Porto da Cruz
quayside
American tourists - probably from a cruise ship
Statue which seems to pay homage to flowers
Porto da Cruz was an old fishing harbour, but is now being modernised. We spotted one fishing boat.
Roger paddling - Madeira doesn't have beaches, only rocks
Even the palm trees find it hard to thrive in the strong winds
The photographer photographed
cafe
From inside the cafe with the yellow blinds
Who is that in the top window?
Shrek has retired from movies and is now running a cafe in Porto do Cruz!
snap!
These two pictures are actually 21 Streatham Common South, London, SW16
village
Statue of a flower maiden
Another multi level house with palms, flowers and several balconies
Strelitzia - Bird of Paradise flower
Hanging baskets - botanists please identify
igreja
churchyard
Botanists please identify
village
Agapanthus grow large and wild in Madeira
car park
Canico de Baixo
Another bank of wild nasturtiums
Possibly the Vision of the Seas
Funchal
Electricidad da Madeira
Festa da Flor de 2009
Flower Festival held in Funchal
Some people in the crowd clearly had friends and relatives in the parade
Some needed lolipops to keep going
Parading on a float is thirsty work
The best view in the house
Is this a Michael Jackson tribute?
Rancho
top of teleférico
Câmara de Lobos
street scene with balconies and laundry
Eira do Serrado
looking down to Curral das Freiras
Walk to viewpoint
The view over Curral is vertiginous
Roger alone with the mountains
Curral
The hotel, cafe and car park which is the starting place for the walk to the viewpoint
Wild yellow flowers (botanists please identify)
Curral das Freiras
Village
Terracing work in progress
The viewpoint seen from below
churchyard
These beautifully tended floral displays are loving tributes to families and friends
Looking beyond the churchyard to even lower parts of the valley
Strelitzia - Bird of Paradise flower, and Protea? in arrangement
The profusion and beauty of the flower displays is quite breathtaking
Canna lilies and volcanic crags
Fajã dos Cardos
Monte
Following the track of the old rack railway
Monte church
(Image ripped off from somewhere on the web.)
Flowers growing on the rooftops
start of the toboggan run
the famous carros de cesto, literally "basket cars", stacked up at the start of the run - this was evening
when the toboggans are working this place looks like this.
(Image ripped off from somewhere on the web.)
The sign at top right reads …
fare table for the toboggans - interestingly non-linear: 1 person - €20, 2 people - €25, 3 people €37.50
Further down the toboggan run with two drivers not in uniform
(See Hofi0006-29 for licence.)
Another tropical garden in a gorge
The charming but faded old town square at Monte
viaduct for the funicular railway.
Terreiro da Luta
Santuário de Nossa Senhora da Paz
near Monte
Another bank of wild nasturtiums, with lorry
Rancho
top of teleférico
Taken from the restuarant at the teleférico
Roger using the camera's "night portrait" mode
Encosta Cabo Girão
looking down to Club House
Calheta
Beach
The sand is from Morocco!
Madeira is not dog friendly
Engenho da Calheta
Raw materials for the sugar factory coming in by lorry
outside the church
church
Wrought iron balcony and roses
Bush outside sugar factory (botanists please identify)
Bush outside sugar factory again
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