Madeira, Portugal -- November 2, 2015

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There are only two directions in Madeira, Up and Down. No matter where one travels you are either climbing or descending. Described as the Island of Eternal Spring, flowers bloom throughout the year. The mild climate making it a tourist favourite, with it rugged landscape, scenic fishing villages. We landed in Funchai, travelled to Camara de Lobos, Cabo Girao, then climbed to the top of the mountain range that separates the north and the south of the island. Then down to Sao Vicente, onward to Porto Moiz, back across the island to Catheta and finally back to Funchai, tired and more than ready to board our ship.

Everywhere you look there are terraces. With the steep terrain this is the only way that produce can be grown. People who emigrated then returned either to visit or return home brought back samples of plants. The result is a wide variety of vegetation. We tried one of the local dishes, black fish (mild flavour). The fish is found below 1000 meters, (how they found it at that depth I don't know). When brought to the surface it is dead, being unable to survive the change in pressure from being brought to the surface. I don't think we have ever travelled in a country with so many tunnels.

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Photos

Maderia
The circles are some of the spots we stopped at. Great weather and flowers all year long