After departing mainland Portugal we headed for the Madeira Islands on our way to the Caribbean...

(The Madeira Islands are just a dot in the Atlantic Ocean located about 380 miles off the African Coast country of Morocco and over 600 miles from Lisbon.  Bob and Tania enjoyed both Madeira itself as well as it's sister island of Porto Santo.)

•   The marina located in Quinta do Lorde was a great setting for exploring the island of Madeira.  The main city of Funchal was an unexpected treat as they were just beginning to prepare for the Christmas holidays.  The waterfront was a mixture of fishing boats, cruise ships ,a marina, and a number of waterfront restaurants.  This ship (which claimed to have been owned by the Beatles at some point in time) was one of those restaurants.  The "Zona Velho" or Old Quarter was full of cobblestone streets and small cafes.

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•    Tania's favorite new fish dish was the "Espada" or "Scabbard Fish" usually with no bones and sautéed.  The fish itself was not a pretty sight...usually caught at deep depths (600 ft or more) but more than made up for bad looks in great taste.  The fresh market and basket market were a delight with colorful umbrellas to protect vendors and customers alike.

• In keeping with their theme of exploring the productions of wines and liquors, Bob and Tania checked out the process of the famous "Madeira Wines".  The fresh market had a few shops that held tastings of various lodges (brands).  .

• They were treated to the lighting of the streets and walkways with Christmas lights.  Enjoying the festive night were new friends Harry and Judith from "Vahana", Jane from "Pouncer", Larry and Eileen from "Wayward Wind".  All agreed the lights were better than New York City or London.  After a walkabout enjoying the sights, the group headed to Blandy's Lodge to sample their Madeira Wines. 

• Just a few small sampling examples of the lights in Funchal.  They had more to light in the city and were still putting even more up as they walked about.  Apparently they lights would be turned on in various expanding sections as the Christmas holiday got closer.

• Bob and Tania enjoyed a great meal of Espada and Parrotfish at a local cafe in old town with the traditional garb displayed in the trophy case behind them.  The area along the north coast at Fazal was once again just ruggedly beautiful.  Considering it was November it was cool in the mountains but relatively mild overall (low temperatures usually fall into the 60-70 F range).

• As the Christmas Holiday was getting closer Tania felt it was appropriate to include a Poinsettia on this page.  As it is Madeira's moderate climate allows for a year-round assortment of flowering trees and bushes.  The Triangular Houses of Santana were a unique sight.  With their thatch roofs and brightly painted fronts (these were the tourist version), they have been around for a long time.  In fact, they were apparently first mentioned in the 16th century.  Santana currently has around only a small number of these simple houses around.  Most now are no more than 100 years old.  Harry from "Vahana" tried to convince Bob he needed his own "ear warmer" knit hat - without success.

• The "Monte Toboggan" is a  tradition in Funchal since 1850 when a rack and pinion train would take passengers up the hillside to the Jardim do Monte gardens and also the Nossa Senhora do Monte church with it's 74 steps.  The railway closed in 1939 but now a cable car takes passengers up.  Once there, straw-hatted toboggan drivers with thick soled boots steer the wicker baskets with passengers inside down the hillside, through the streets of Funchal and cover 2km or 1 mile in about 10 minutes. Ernest Hemingway apparently once described the ride as "exhilarating".  Bob and Tania thought so also!  Wet pavement from a rainy day created even more excitement! Another view of the lava flow back at the Quinta do Lorde marina wall.