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Borrego Springs, CA

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Madeira, Portugal

54 trans- Atlantic cruise 20103The overnight trip from Cartagena, Spain, to Madeira, Portugal, was a wild one.  By the time we went to bed, the seas were really rolling, and we thought we were going to roll right out of bed!  Happily, by the time Madeira came into view we could actually stand out on the balcony without our hair blowing out of our heads and across the Atlantic to Africa.  :)

IMG_6734We had signed up for a four hour bus tour of the island, and our first stop was an overlook down to the town of Funchal, the capitol of Madeira.

IMG_6758This is a volcanic island, and about the only direction to go is up.  Just about all of the roofs on the buildings are made from terra cotta, and the island is known for it’s picturesque, red roofed fishing villages.  Winston Churchill used to come here often to paint scenes of these red roofed homes.

IMG_6744Because of the mountainous terrain, all the fruit and vegetables are grown in terraces.  All the green you see in the picture above is banana plantations.  They are not banana trees, but banana plants.  Each plant produces only one long bunch of bananas, and then it is cut down.  A new plant is started, so bananas are produced year round.


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After a few more miles up the skinny switchback road, we stopped at a small bar for a taste of a local favorite known as Poncha.   This drink is made of rum, honey, lemon, and cane sugar.  Personally, I didn’t care for it.  While there, I took a few pics of a gorgeous bougenvielia (sp) plant growing over the orange roof tile with the port in the background.

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Madeira is also home to Cabo Girao, the second highest sea cliff in the world.  What a view of the southern coast of the island!

 

Our last stop on today’s tour was the town of Ribiera Brava. 

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It was here that I finally saw some birds in the stream.  I don’t know what the one on the left is, but the one on the right sure looks like a gadwall to me.  I also saw a couple of coots.  I didn’t realize they would be here. 

IMG_6797There were also Bird of Paradise plants in full bloom.  After our stop there, it was back to the ship.  Considering we only had a little over four hours in port, I think we got to see quite a lot of this beautiful area.  Tomorrow, it’s on to the Canary Islands!

 

Thanks for stopping by….talk to you later,  Judy

19 comments:

  1. A lovely spot. I love the red tile roofs. I wish we had them here in Canada. I'm glad you're enjoying your cruise. It looks like a beautiful one.

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  2. Great pictures, makes you want to catch the next flight there.

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  3. Such a beautiful Island tour! Especially the bougainvillea on the tile roof! Looks like a painting! (My mom grew those in Southern California, one became a patio cover during the summers with blossoms!)

    Thank you for sharing your breath taking tour.

    I think the funny looking duck on the left is one of those Chinese hybrids, they cross with all of the local ducks. lol

    Enjoy your cruise!
    Kathy and Grant

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  4. What a great tour, beautiful area. I am part Portugese - my ancestors are from Lima in the central area of the Azores Archipelago. It's a beautiful country, thanks for sharing these gorgeous photos.

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  5. what a day you had!!..love all the shots!!!

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  6. As usual, your photos should be in National Geographic!!! What a great trip!

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  7. Majestic yet again... you can make even the ugly duckling look good!

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  8. I have been enjoying your posts from the cruise. Today's pictures were exceptional and made me feel like I was there with you.

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  9. Enchanting, simply enchanting. My jaw drops as I scroll thru not only the breathtaking photos but your writing as well. Thanks for taking us along!

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  10. Judy, your photos are wonderful and I think you make us feel like we are there with you. So there are coots in Europe - since I just discovered what coots are, I knew exactly what you were talking about. :)

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  11. Love those photos! The close-up of flowers and birds are particularly stunning. We had a banana plant in front of our house while we lived in Indonesia and only then did I find out that a plant only produces one set of bananas and then it was cut down. At it's base a new plant had already started. I love bananas!!

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  12. I love the terra cotta roofs, the bougainvillea the sunshine and the view!! Were you able to help yourself to any bananas? I go through them so fast it would be wonderful to have my own tree. Hopefully, the rest of your trip will be smoother once you're back on the ship.

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  13. I'm really enjoying your cruise! Thanks for sharing all the beautiful pictures, along with the commentary.

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  14. Beautiful pictures. I have always loved Madeira wine. did you get to have any?

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  15. Looks like you are having such a gorgeous trip, despite the rough seas. Just knew we would be seeing some bird photos! Loved that Bird of Paradise!

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  16. Great photos, so glad you are enjoying your trip so far!!!

    Such a pretty place!

    Cheers!

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  17. Oh I love those orange terra cotta roofs!

    Can't wait to see the Canary Islands, and I hope the sea will stay calm for the rest of your sailing!

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  18. We really enjoyed our day in Funchal in 2003 ... it was a port on our TA crossing, too. Sounds like you too skipped the Monte basket sled ride and opted for the island tour. Beautiful pictures.

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  19. That rough ride you had last night was passing through the Straits of Gibraltar.

    'Someone said the passage through the Straits of Gibraltar are always tricky, so I guess they’re right since that is what we are doing tonight."
    The comment is correct just was made a day early.

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