MADEIRA DAY THREE

Friday 6th July

Wonderful breakfast of really fresh tropical fruit and Madeira cake. The evening meals here at this hotel may be nothing much but the breakfasts deserve top marks!

My legs were feeling a bit stiff after yesterday's walkabout so I set off to find (what seemed) a promising cybercafe near the town hall only to find it closed until midday. The very helpful cleaner there gave me directions to another situated in a shopping mall. It's OK even if the computers are a little elderly. I write up yesterday's Blog.

Walk back to the hotel and buy a small bottle of water on the way. It costs only 35c whereas at cafes one is charged €1.75. Rip off - so will keep bottle and fill from tap. All water in Madeira is fresh rain water which falls constantly in the mountains and is channeled via the levadas. It is certainly very soft and pleasant. Here they have water wardens keeping water flowing and fresh.

12noon - I am picked up from the hotel by a Strawberry World minibus - all other passengers are English and are friendly. I have the front seat near the driver. Trip to Nun's Valley or Curral das Freiras (literally Friaresses.) Stupendous views as we travel up and up (will put in link here)

What a wonderful place. Hairpin bends etc.... I now know why AF was so poorly and hated this trip, you have to have a head for heights! I am lucky - good head for heights; travelling in a new Mercedes Benz minibus, front seat and on newer smoother roads!
After viewing the village from above we travel downwards and to the actual village through a brand new tunnel bored through the mountainside only 4 -5 years ago.
This demi paradise now open to the world. We are shown the ancient pathways etched into the mountainsides but only tourists walk them now. Traditionally people lived here would easily reach the age of 100 + years living a tranquil lifestyle with wonderful air and their own vegetables etc.
I have lunch with two women who live in Stroud, Gloucestershire and meet up with another lone female traveller. We have a good laugh and exchange stories (we are the same sort of age and all divorced.) We comment about the obviously bored looking married couples in the hotels who (sadly) seem to have nothing to say to each other at meal times - or to anyone else. Not a good advert for marriage, poor loves. If the likes of us dare to speak to them they look frightened out of their wits - are we REALLY too threatening? No doubt they love each other so much there is no need to speak to each other or anyone else.

We seem to be enjoying ourselves - so that's OK. We have local specialities for lunch - chestnut cake, walnut cake, I have Madeira wine and they have local beer and some local liquors by way of a tasting. I buy a tee shirt and a bit of crochet work sold by the pleasant young girl selling it.

A most enjoyable trip and more wonderful views on the way back.

Back at the hotel for a rest - it is very hot today. In the garden the gardener is sweeping leaves. Everything is swept here, leaves don't rot like they do back home.

Walk into town and type up this.

I then find a side street eating house and have wonderful Guava juice freshly made, then a fresh grill - my first meat for ages and I find I just can't enjoy it thinking of suffering animals - but the meal otherwise was lovely with green pepper sauce..

Weather very humid and the sky is grey for the first time.

I keep seeing poor thin little cats on the way from the hotel to the city centre.- especially a mother and tiny kittens. I was going to buy them some nutritious cat food but then saw someone else had put out cat biscuits and fresh water on a step near a derelict house - so someone cares.
My suntan is working up to a good colour - it really is worth having a few sessions on a sunbed before coming away to avoid awful burning.

Back to the hotel for a shower before going to bed.

There is a Jazz festival opening in the Sao Catherina Park - loads of fireworks of the firecracker sort. Maybe I should go there!