Magic on the Rocks ...

#Lido Promenade#Pirates#Funchal#TasteofPortugal#MadeiraIsland

On Wednesday we ventured on a walkway known as the Lido Promenade which found us travelling on a beautiful trail on top of the cliffs, high above the water.

If you haven't figured us out yet we are not much for full blown itineraries. 

We are more what I'd call "spontaneous" travellers and we always seem to discover our own sights and sounds off the usual tourist destinations. 

Again I saw my rock in the middle of the Ocean it seems to follow us.

 At one point we we walked closer to the water, here we discovered old stone ruins housing rusted winches. We had no idea what these were!

When returned to the main walkway Senhor asked a local hotelier what he could tell us about the ruins.

Originally, it was a fort built to warn the locals of approaching pirates and later converted into a factory to process sugar cane.

Back up to the high road ... All along this walkway we were surrounded by lush, tropical plants, trees and flowers and at one point there was a restaurant called "Magic on the Rocks" and I can see why.

How does all this beauty grow out of the rocks?

Can you see the path?

The path then changed to what I called the "Yellow Brick Road" ... I should say here that Senhor Honey aka Monsieur Honey has been a great trooper walking everywhere we have ventured rather than taking the bus / taxi ... Which hopefully will help with the increased intake of delicious food and wine.

Giant tropical plants ... are they on steroids?

We finished our walk with a light lunch at a quaint, local Bakery/ Coffee Shop.

And of course we had to have a Portuguese custard tart, "Pastel de Nata"!

We may have a "taste test" contest to see which ones are better ... the ones in Madeira or the ones in San Miguel.

Our Tuesday in Funchal

#SantaCatarinaPark#Hallow#Funchal

Tuesday we headed to Old town, actually we were going to the Farmer's Market but we never made it there. 

It's a totally different travel experience when you are staying in a hotel versus renting an apartment/ cottage/ house ... self-catering is more difficult! 

We do have a mini-fridge in our room so we can chill some water and wine, keep some fruit and cheese but that is the extent of it. 

Our hotel offers a very good selection for breakfast from fresh fruit and vegetables, cheeses, cold cuts,  yogurts, many different fresh baked breads and hot cooked items ... scrambled eggs, fried eggs, bacon, sausage, beans for the English, oven roasted tomatoes, mushrooms and various juices, champagne to make your morning mimosa. 

Which is great but nothing beats having your own kitchen in my opinion!

What an amazing "container" garden!

                 

Today's route took us down a different avenue ... lined with stately homes and unique shops/ boutiques.

 

"Hallow" an upholstery/ cross stitching shop with many unique items.

Check out what I call the "Mad Hatter" chairs.

Senhor thinks he can make this table, I would love it as a dining table.

Here's one of the unique pine trees ...

               

We came upon the President's residence which was guarded and located next to a beautiful park/ garden space, Santa Catarina Park.

We spent quite a bit of time strolling through the park, admiring the wonderful gardens with views over the waterfront and the activities of local school children who today appeared to be attending a special event similar to a cross country meet with the added activity of zip lining across the lake. 

Setting up the zip line ...

The school kids warmly greeted Senhor ...

The chapel built in 1425 of wood, in the 17th century reconstructed in stone.

Some of the lush plants in the park's gardens.

It was now close to noon when we found ourselves in a busy area with some jazz music being played ... time for some refreshments and relaxation.

By the end of our walk we had climbed up many steep roads, taken many steps and we did have a minor navigational glitch that was quickly rectified before we became totally lost.

We found our way back to our hotel after another busy day!

Time Out Grandma!

#Lazy day#Catchup-day #Taxiko#EstradaMonumental

Today we had declared as a "rest day"/ "lazy day" ... some "time out"! 

In other words I needed to write/ edit my photos and hopefully do some blog posts.

I was starting to question if I could still do this or maybe did I want to do this. 

My blogging has always been my personal journal of our travels.

It is a way to keep a memory of our experiences to share with our family & friends and more importantly for me!

If it happens to me and I loose my memory, someone can show me the photos and read my stories to me.

We spent the morning at the rooftop pool in the sunshine which actually encouraged some cat napping.

After this I was feeling refreshed and able to start writing a bit about our adventure. 

Soon it was lunchtime and we wandered the local area, finding something light to eat at "Taxiko".

We enjoyed an "Avocado Salad". I had no idea what to expect. 

The salad was served in a phyllo pastry bowl full of avocado, many fruits ... Grapes, orange, walnuts, tomatoes, cheese in a yogurt sauce. 

After our lunch we went for a walk west on Estrada Monumentual an area we hadn't explored yet. 

Here we found the terraced "municipal garden plots".  

I know if I didn't have any land to garden this would be welcomed ... to have my own small space of dirt to play in, plant some vegetables and feel close to nature!

This street runs parallel to the Oceanside on a tiered level, so there are always views of the water.

                       

   

Later in the afternoon we returned to the fourth floor pool terrace for a little more "time out" from the rigours of our vacation. 

Senhor enjoyed the late sun reading his book.

Some days on vacation it's okay to have some down time and today was one of those days ...

For our dinner tonight we went for a quick shop at the local supermarket ... some cheese, crackers and fruit to enjoy with a glass of excellent wine in our room and then an early night!