24.11.2020
Only a week ago or so I had the last minute notion that I needed to go travelling – that I needed to get out of that so called lockdown light in Germany before the shit hit the fan completely. I mean all that shit was getting on my nerves. All further assignments this year had been cancelled as well … so … OK, no travelling in Germany allowed – all hotels and restaurants closed – but nobody said anything about international travel. Well, there were not that many options for that at the moment anyway without facing to quarantine upon return. All the countries of my choice were still closed for international tourists as well … And with a still uncertain close future where lockdown was concerned, I did not want to go too far for my first try anyway … But … I had to go! This sitting at home with no assignments and plans was driving me nuts. So I searched for options and – like my sister put it – I found something!
A friend of mine had been travelling to Madeira in Oktober – at which time I was still on assignment cruising the rivers Rhine and Mosel – and had reported what a wonderful trip that was. So … a little research on entry requirements and … Madeira it was going to be! I booked on rather short notice, waiting till the very last minute really, just in case the government decided on something very strict on short notice … Nowadays you never know … and as we all knew, news of changes were coming in daily if not more often … Nevertheless I found a direct flight Frankfurt – Funchal which was also affordable. TUIfly it was going to be. Sorry Lufthansa, but 500 € return with change in Lisbon … no thank you! I should have had the new BER Berlin-Brandenburg Airport on my screen, though … But well, it was really short notice and a split second desicion to book. Promptely after booking the flight I also booked the rental cars and the hotel for the first few nights.
Madeira is according to the German Foreign Ministry not a risk region and no quarantine will be required upon return – as of this moment … Nobody knows what will be in 2 weeks, however … this year has taught me not to plan too far ahead. They require a negative SARS-COV-2 Test upon arrival on Madeira or less than 72 hours before. Well, even though I was sure I would be negative – we had been social distancing par excellence at home the last 3 weeks since my return from my last assignment after which I had a negative quick test. But you never know … They said the test result – if the test was done upon arrival at the airport – would be ready within 12 hrs, but until then one had to quarantine at the hotel. If the test was positive a quarantine of 14 days would be mandatory and that would not be cheap … My friend had waited 16 nerve wrecking hours for the negative result … I was not going to risk it and skipped the free test upon arrival for a pay-by-yourself PCR Test before departure. It was not the first time I had to test – I had to do it before and after every assignment in the last few months … But my regular doctors’ office at home, where I had most of the tests done before, was closed yesterday. Luckily my sister works in another doctors’ office – some 50 km away, though – but her boss agreed to do the test for me. Anyway, I would have to pay for it. So yesterday morning at 07:00 I drove there with my Mom’s car – it took me an hour and the test was done within 30 seconds … I was not in there more than 4 min in total and already back on the road home.
Then there was the waiting … of course. But I was busy. I had to pick up a rental car to be able to get to Frankfurt Airport. Normally I would have taken the last train around 17:00 and stayed in a hotel in Frankfurt overnight … No option this time around, though … all hotels were closed for non-essential travel. Therefore the rental car was the only option and I was fortunate enough to seal a rather affordable deal for pick up here and drop off at the airport.
There was much to prepare … charge all the camera batteries, check all SD cards, think about what and how much clothes to take, ironing my collection of facemasks … Well, yes, I have accumulated a respectable collection of facemasks so far. It all started on assignment in France this summer … The facemask is the new handbag … that is what a French friend told me. French women had it up to par already – matching their facemasks to their outfits in everyday live. I made it a point to get a special facemask for every day and preferably from every region – so I have a lavender mask from the Provence, Flamingos from the Camargues, bicycles from Amsterdam etc. They all needed to be prepared for the tour as well.
Of course I started packing … even though my sister sent me messages like “Check online around 19:00 – but if it is positive you have to stay at home anyway … hahaha”. Just before 19:00 the results showed up indeed – negative! Phew. I could finish packing! Yipee!
525 km by car to Frankfurt Airport – 4h flight to Madeira Island – 20 km by car to Sentido Galosol Hotel
This morning it was a very early start. Rise and shine at 03:00 … Shower, double espresso, check the luggage, check the papers, pack the car … I left the house 04:00. First I had to de-ice the car windows first time this season … it was minus 3 °C! Brrrrrr ….
Europcar had given me a Fiat Panda … OK, I had taken the cheapest offer – 24 hrs for € 88 … It was big enough for me and my suitcase, but damn it was so slow … considering there was no speed limit on most of the Autobahn …. Well, I would not have the problem of getting a speeding ticket … That car only made 140 km/h flooring it … However, I was lucky, the roads were dry and this early in the morning traffic was light. I had planned a 7 hrs drive for the 525 km. Because in Germany you never know about the traffic. In the beginning I was worried, I would not make it in time … but then it turned out, I pretty much flew over the Autobahn with a constant 130 – 140 km/h. That was as fast as the little car would go. It turned out to be the perfect speed for the traffic and I arrived at Frankfurt Airport after almost exactly 5 hrs – including one fuel stop some 70 km before Frankfurt. At 08:55 I dropped off the car.
Of course I was much too early. My flight would leave at 13:35. I was online checked in already, but bag drop would not open until probably 11:30 or so. I had expected the airport to be deserted and the departure board to be empty … but contrary … The departure board was full with flights in all directions. The difference was the amount of flights, though … While usually there would have been hundreds of flights within an hour and thousands of people travelling, now there were only a handful of flights within the hour and hundreds of people travelling. However, more people were travelling than I had expected. OK, it was nowhere near as busy as I remembered the airport in normal times … No lines anywhere, no crowds … but people are travelling!
Facemask was mandatory since I had left the car at the parking, no question. Restaurants were all closed, only one snack bar was open in departure hall B. No seating was available. I found a seat in a waiting area, though. I had my provisions with me in wise foresight, of course. I am always prepared when it comes to that …
Using the free Airport WIFI I logged into Madeira Safe Traveller Registration. I had already registered there which turned out to be mandatory upon arrival. My sister had e-mailed me the PDF with my C-test result which was luckily in German and English. I uploaded the result into my registration and within half an hour I received the e-mail with the authorisation. I was good to enter Madeira without quarantine!
Soon enough it was time for check-in. There was a long line up – most were observing the 1.5 m distancing rule – in an otherwise rather empty departure hall. Check-in was slow as usual. I had checked in online, but had booked an additionally 5 kg just in case very last minute late last night. All that camera gear was heavy. And even though I had printed my boarding pass I had misplaced it somehow once I reached check-in. I must be out of practice …
Just when it was my turn on the check-in they opened a new counter and that women did not even check the weight of my luggage … or so it seemed … Could probably have saved that extra € 18 for 5 kg excess of which I only used 3 kg by the way … Also that woman was rather confused about my destination and kept asking for a QR code and whatever … Madam, I am flying to Madeira! No QR code needed! … But you need it for Portugal! … Mainland Portugal is different! I am flying to Madeira and have submitted my negative C-Test already! … It was a back and forth for a while until the guy from the next counter did a training lesson on rules and regulations with her … Maybe she should have come prepared with the latest information? I mean, yes the rules change constantly, but it is not that you have overly much to do at the airport nowadays, there would be plenty time for proper preparations, no?
Once I had my boarding pass I made my way to departure gate A4. There was absolutely no line up at security check. I breezed through it. Fortunately they finally had full body scanners now, too! Obviously it needed a pandemic for them to get that sorted. I love full body scanners because they do not have to feel you up when the scan gate beeps – and I for some reason was all the time beeping. Now they just scan you and then check the points that show up on the screen – the watch, the necklace and of course my shoes … Please, open your mask for one quick check … and done.
At the duty free I treated myself for my mandatory bottle of medicinal vodka for the trip and then waited in an eerily empty waiting area for my flight. My phone’s battery almost died on me and of course I had been clever enough to bring a powerbank … unfortunately the matching cable was in the suitcase … perfect … Luckily I had a plug with cable in my photo backpack and there was a charging station …
Boarding was on time and quick. The mandatory facemask rule was enforced everywhere, of course. Funnily enough – all people I saw wore them properly over mouth and nose! Believe it! While at home in the supermarkets and shops you always always have the troublemakers who think the nose can hang out or plainly refuse to wear one … When I was cruising this summer and fall I sometimes felt like a record with a crack … Madam, please wear your mask! – Please, the nose needs to be under the mask as well! – Sir, that mask needs to be worn whenever you are not sitting! … Here obviously everybody was aware that this is the tiniest part we can do – we can travel! 8 hrs with a mask? No frigging problem! I can travel!
The plane was in an outer parking position and they did not fill up the bus completely, only half. It was a small plane, though. Embarkation was sensibly split in forward and back section of the plane to avoid 2-way-traffic. My seat was 19 A and I tool the back stairs. Of course there were people that never listen … So it was not that relaxed and distanced embarking. And those people in the wrong direction even complained about the jam and then had the guts to be bitchy when somebody – me me me – pointed out to them that they were wrong … Oh well …
The plane was rather packed, but there were a few seats empty. I had a window seat over the wing, the middle seat next to me was empty. 2 rows behind me was a troublemaking lady, though, who constantly complained about the space etc … maybe she should have stayed home … to be safe … Everybody else was quiet … presumably happy to get out …
We took of perfectly on time. I suppose with so little air traffic, delays were not happening. There were so few planes on the terminals anyway and we did not see more than one or so take off. Sad to see this usually so busy airport so empty now …
For the first hour I slept right through. The early start and long drive to Frankfurt were taking their toll. It was a 4 hrs flight, though. I read the rest of the time. My flight ticket had included a snack and drink – it came as a warm Pretzel roll and an Apfelschorle. It was not even worth to take a photo of …
The cloud cover was thick, but over the Atlantic every now and then the blue ocean was visible. Just before Madeira we broke through the clouds upon descend and soon the Ponta do São Lourenço – the Easternmost point of the island came into view.
Then the plane took a turn along the Southern coast – in my A seat I saw only ocean … but then it banked – I saw blue sky – and finally I had a spectacular view of the Southern coastline with the setting sun.
Landing I could see the island below. I am arriving! – I started to believe it!
Disembarkation was more orderly than embarkation. It is absolutely amazing that in the new normal it does happen that everybody actually stays in their seats until their row is called up for disembarkation. In the old normal people got up even before the signs had been switched off … No bus was involved to reach the terminal here. The airport in Funchal is small. The warm weather hit me when I reached the gangway. It was around 20°C and I had way too much jackets on …
My luggage came quickly – first thing I had to do was get the cable for the powerbank out of the suitcase! My mobile was dying already again and I needed it to show the C-test result and to find my hotel …
But first I got my rental car. I had booked one with Europcar. The smallest 4 door car was a VW and it cost me € 122 for the 2 weeks with the least insurance cover – I did not intend to crash it anyway. And I should be more careful than in Iceland last year, where a little scratch cost me a fortune … It had been a fancier car then, though. Nevertheless, I found it amazing, that it cost me for 2 weeks here not much more than for 24 hrs in Germany …
At the Europcar counter in the terminal I only got the papers and paid. After that I had to pass the health check. Lucky me – I had done the test at home and I could follow the green line out – but several check points followed before freedom … At the first one I had to log into my Madeira Safe Health account – since I had registered there already a few days ago and uploaded the C-Test this morning it safed me some time. My mobile had marginally charged until now and I could log onto the free airport WIFI. The guy wanted to see the QR code that shows up in the account … A QR code required after all … I think he had been prepared to do the registration procedure for anyone that did no have it, though … Not for me! I came prepared!
With that I had to go on to the next check point. Here they scanned the code and found my approved test result and then I heard the redeeming words – Welcome! You are free to enter Madeira! – Hallelujah! – When I had posted arrival photos a friend had commented – Freedom! … Yes! Freedom!
I eventually found the Europcar parking lot and the guy there handed me the keys for my little VW Up. It already had a few scratches and 47000 km on the clock. My suitcase barely fit in the trunk … I guess I will have to put it on the back seat next time. It is a small car, but it will be fine for me. Off I went into the sunset …
It was only a few kilometers to my hotel Sentido Galosol – I had to take some detours and circles because I missed turn offs … That is why I clocked up 20 km today. The drive was OK, but I had to turn some circles in the one-way-streets before I found it. Taking one wrong turn means going all around a couple blocks again. My friend had given me the contact for this hotel and I had made a reservation. I needed ocean view and I got it. Parking the car by the street – it is so small, it fits everywhere … – I walked to the Sentido Galomar reception – due to the reduced amount of guests the Galosol reception was closed – to check in which was quick. They wanted to see the C-test results again – Here it is! And No! I require no quarantine! – Thank you.
There were several restaurants, but all required reservations. The words – Because of the Pandemic … – left the receptionist’s lips about 20 times in the 5 min I was there – rather annoying. As if after – what – 9 months? – there would be still somebody that did not know times had changed … ell, at least not people that were actually travelling … Now, the seafood restaurant with ocean view was booked already, so I took the Pizzaria Galosol for 19:15. Then I went to get my bags from the car and I also moved the car closer to the hotel.
Settling into my room was quick. I have a nice balcony with ocean view and the hotel pool right below. By now the sun had set and it was pitch black dark already. I went for Insalata Caprese, Pizza Fruitti di mare and a first Coral Beer to the Pizzaria around the corner. Sitting outside by the road side was OK, but the food was not really that good. I did not come to Madeira to eat bad Italian … And I was tired.
By 21:00 I was in my bed fast asleep!
25.11.2020
163 km – South Coast Madeira
This morning I woke up by 06:00 – it was still pitch black dark outside. I had the breakfast slot between 07:00 and 07:45. That had been the only one available until 09:30. But that would have been too late for me … I mean … by 10:00 the day is half gone … Until it was time I sat on the balcony, enjoyed the sound of the ocean and did some journal writing. Still in the dark I walked to the breakfast restaurant which was located at level -3 below by the cliff.
From the poolside an elevator went down to the restaurant. Breakfast was buffet style, but served. Since breakfast times are set and with reservations – and I was literally the first one there – I found a nice table outside on the terrace with ocean view. Coffee and juices were served at the table. At the buffet a nicefriendly chef put whatever I wanted on my plate. It was well organized and there were no line ups or crowds. The selection was endless … and I do not usually eat breakfast … Well, since it was included I dug in … never know if I find an open restaurant along the road. In the new normal everything is questionable …
After breakfast I found my first geocache on Madeira! Yeah! It was right in front of the resort just a little path down the cliff. I probably could almost see it from my balcony. Unfortunately – of course – I had no pen in my pockets … Usually I have pens in all my jacket pockets … but I had cleared all pockets for the security check for the flight and the pens were in my bag rather than in my pockets … I had not planned finding a secret box this morning! I was just browsing the map while eating breakfast and there it was! So it was a photo log!
From the cache location I had a beautiful view along the coast, at the resort and the Restaurant Atlantis where I had my breakfast. Fantastic location that was. The sun was coming up around 08:00 so it was slowly becoming light.
With the first geocaching success under my belt, I walked to reception to see if I could have a reservation for Restaurant Atlantis for Dinner – Only place available at 20:15 – Ah … No! Sorry, too late! What about tomorrow or the next day? – All the next days the same! – OK, no problem … – You could go to Pizzaria Galosol. – Ah … no, I was there yesterday and it was not that good … Well, at least breakfast was booked at 07:00 for every day. On vacation I start early and sleep early! Need to use the daylight!
Since it was still not all that light out, I did some writing after breakfast and got ready to leave around 08:30. The weather did not look too promising, so I took all jackets – well, the 2 I brought and put the medium warm trousers on, put the wooly hat and gloves in the car. By 08:45 I was in the car heading out with no plan whatsoever yet …
I got onto the VR 1 direction Funchal first. I had to get an overview and a feel for the island and the roads first. VR 1 is somewhat like an Autobahn … only that you cannot drive as fast. Well, actual some sections have a 90 km/h limit, most of the time it is 80 or 70 and often slower. It was the first express way on Madeira and is just 44 km long. The sun was out with a few clouds, but rain clouds as well. That treated me to the first rainbow of the day soon after I started.
I passed Funchal – it is too big for me. I was going to leave a visit here until towards the end of my stay. The highway had many tunnels … many tunnels … half the time I was in tunnels! But traffic was light and more rainbows came into view.
By now I had decided to head to Calheta on the South coast where most of the Whale Watching Tours started. Madeira is good for whale watching even though the season was nearing the end … The Marina was very very quiet, though. It was no problem to find parking whatsoever. No people around. The first whale watching shop was closed – Please call or e-mail … the second was completely shut … the 3rd was open! Yeah! The receptionist saw me eying the entrance and came over from the coffee place next door.
I inquired, if there were still tours or if the season had already ended. She was very friendly, but said at the moment the wind was too strong and they could not go out. The weather would stay at least 3 or 4 more days like that … But then they might go out again … My luck with whale watching – same as last year in Iceland … Only thing this time was that I would be here for 2 weeks and the island is much smaller than Iceland. Therefore I left my details for them to contact me for the next available trip. Hopefully something will come up!
Since this option fell through for today, I decided to follow the main road – which was by now VE 3 – all the way to the Westernmost point of the island – Ponta do Pargo. My funny little car was holding up great, but it did not have a tomtom – I probably could have booked one – but I was too stingy. After all I have my mobile and a great offline map on it for my secret boxes! I had brought the holder for it and always had the markers for geocaches in sight. The Westernmost point seemed a good start for today.
I reached the little village soon enough and got a first insight into the narrow country roads once the express way ended … Nevertheless, I was always looking out for suitable parking spots in the proximity of cache markers. It turned out I had to learn the lay of the land and the local habits first. I ended up at the Farol da Ponta do Pargo – the Lighthouse of Ponta do Pargo … Actually the exact spot I wanted to go to and there was a geocache! It was beautiful here – empty, though! I could drive right to the lighthouse and there was nobody else there other than some construction workers obviously renovating the house there. I parked my funny car next to a roundabout with some beautifully blooming Strelitzia.
Strelitzia is a genus of perennial plants and actually native to South Africa. It belongs to the plant family Strelitziaceae. The genus is named after the duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, birthplace of Queen Charlotte of the United Kingdom. It was a duchy in northern Germany, consisting of the eastern fifth of the historic Mecklenburg region, roughly corresponding with the present-day Mecklenburg-Strelitz district and the Western exclave of the former bishopric of Ratzeburg in modern Schleswig-Holstein – basically just around the corner from my hometown in Saxony … At the time of its establishment, the duchy bordered on the territory of Swedish Pomerania in the north and on Brandenburg in the south. My Dad used to call it Bird of Paradise Flower, because of a resemblance of its flowers to birds-of-paradise. In South Africa it is commonly known as a crane flower. Here on Madeira it is actually the Strelitzia Reginae which I spotted many more times today. And it is apparently the national flower of the island of Madeira!
The views down the cliff side were spectacular! Quickly I got my jacket and camera gear out and enjoyed the view. The Ponta do Pargo Lighthouse stands on a cliff – 300 m above sea level – at the westernmost point on Madeira Island. It was built in 1922. The lighthouse received electricity in 1989 and 10 years later – in 1999 – it was considered as local heritage. Since 2001 it has had a small museum where several pieces relating to Madeira lighthouses are exhibited, from photographs to documents, concentrating these important monuments in the history of the archipelago. Unfortunately that museum was closed. Dominating the top of the cliff, the tower is 14 m high and its light is at an elevation of 312 m above sea level.
I took a tiny walk around the lighthouse to find that Westernmost geocache. It was a quick and easy find and I dropped one of the travelling tags I had brought in it. Those TBs are like keychains with a code that should travel from cache to cache. Most have a mission on where to go. This year most of those TBs had been under lockdown same as all of us … So I had brought a few I had collected in Germany – all of them had missions of longer travels. I sincerely hope the next cacher who picks it up does not take it back to Germany again ….
The view along the coast was breathtaking and I was no happy to see the ocean again. When was the last time I saw an ocean? Well, that was last February in Goa the Indian Ocean. Great memories! The Atlantic Ocean … Hmm, that was last year in Iceland the North Atlantic. Fantastic memories as well! And now here I was at the Westernmost tip of Madeira and it was soooooo windy!
I was sooooo happy! This was what freedom felt this year! I could not get enough of this spot. It had so much power and the view! I was totally overwhelmed.
Madeira is often called the flower island and it is easy to see why. The island has an astonishing variety of flowers, even now. One that I have always somehow associated with Madeira is the red flowers of the Sword Aloe. Aloe Arborescens – Krantz Aloe, Candelabra Aloe or Sword Aloe – is a species of flowering succulent perennial plant that belongs to the genus Aloe, which it shares with the well known and studied Aloe Vera. Aloe Arborescens is valued by gardeners for its succulent green leaves, large vibrantly-colored flowers, winter blooming and attraction for birds, bees and butterflies. The flowers are cylindrical in shape and are a vibrant red-orange color. It is apparently now the right time for them to bloom. They were everywhere.
I drove only a short bit and parked the car again to go search for another geocache. There were many of those red Aloe flowers here which made for a great photo. The sun was out, but it was very windy.
I walked up to a radio tower where the secret box was hidden. On the way a couple of cows eyed me curiously. They had a juicy green pasture with a spectacular view!
The cache was found quickly, but I had to admire the view for a while longer. The wind was strong, though. It was a breathtaking vista over the cliffs towards the lighthouse!
I could also see my little car parked in the distance. That house there is for sale … maybe I should take it? It had fantastic views over the Atlantic and the cliffs! But maybe it is too windy …
From here on I decided to take side roads back toward the East. The highway had too many tunnels … The country roads were narrow, sometimes very steep and winding along the hillsides past spread out little villages.
Madeira is one of the two autonomous regions of Portugal – the other being the Azores. It is an archipelago situated in the North Atlantic Ocean – in a region known as Macaronesia – just under 400 km to the north of the Canary Islands and 520 km west of Morocco – and geologically located on the African Tectonic Plate, though the archipelago is culturally, economically and politically European. Its total population is estimated at approx 289 000. The island is a max of 22 km wide and 57 km long.
Following the narrow roads along the coast towards the East I did not see many people, though. Small villages nestled on hill sides, lushy green pastures were roamed by the odd cow, subtropical every green junglelike forests and flowers everywhere. And those views over the ocean!
There were viewpoints with small parking spaces located alongside the road every now and then. Most of them had a geocache hidden as well – how convenient! The sun was out, but the fresh wind persisted.
In the small village of Lombada dos Marinheros there were 2 such viewpoints. One was by the main road – for the other one I drove down an even smaller road for a couple of kilometers. The views were spectacular. I could see the Ponta do Pargoe lighthouse in the far distance.
Returning to the main road again I reached Fajã da Ovelha were I found a geocache by roadside on a magnificent viewpoint with beautiful red Aloe flowers looking down to the coast and the village of Paúl do Mar far far below. A small village with very few inhabitants, Fajã da Ovelha is is located at approx 350m above sea level between Paúl do Mar and Ponta do Pargo. This spectacular photo I had seen online somewhere and had thought it was a set, but NO! That was just a viewpoint by the roadside.
I was stunned by this fantastic view and since it was on the ways East I drove down to Paúl o Mar. It was quite a ways down along the narrow winding road which in the end led along the bottom of the cliff above and past the village, before it turned towards the coast. The village was empty, though. The main street followed the rocky shore line and was lined with small houses looking like holiday apartements usually rented to tourists. I can imagine that in regular season the village would be packed with tourists … Now it was literally deserted … No problem finding a parking spot right next to the only geocache in the village … The water was incredibly turquoise, though …
From here I kept going towards the East to Jardim do Mar. Only a few years ago in 2001 the villages of Paúl do Mar and Jardim do Mar have been connected by a 2511m long tunnel. Before that the only access was a road of some 20 km detour over the cliff.
Jardim do Mar – literally translating to garden of the sea – is a name that originates in the transition between steep slopes without vegetation and a wonderful green seaside resort that was once covered with a mantle of wild flowers. Surrounded by the sea and cloaked by the mountains, this parish preserves the tranquillity of the old days, of which the old narrow streets and low-level houses with different shapes of chimneys still bear witness.
I easily found parking in the center of the village – basically at the end of the road. From there it was narrow walking alleys only. The sun was out. It was a beautiful village. Picturesque houses with tiny courtyards and flowers everywhere lined the alleys.
I walked down to the promenade to find one secret box, then enjoyed to have the empty promenade all to myself. Nobody was around. Walking to the Western end of the promenade against a strong wind I was fascinated by the spectacular view towards Paúl do Mar!
Still it was sunny, but dark rain clouds hovered over the ocean and seemed to be rolling in. The village glistered in the sun – the contrast of the blue ocean and the redish brown cliffs was just breath taking.
At the end of the sea wall promenade I kept walking along the rocky beach to log an Earth cache. It started raining all of a sudden. With the hood over my head and bent against the wind it was difficult walking on the rocky shore. But I took my photo – the answer to the geological questions I would hopefully find in the photos – and I turned around again towards the promenade.
Closer to the sea wall it was an easier stretch of beach to walk on and since the rain had let up a bit and I was so close to the shore I decided I needed to have a mandatory photo of my feet close to the water. I was not going to take my shoes off in this weather – as much as I would have liked to put my feet in the ocean.
First I judged how far the water was coming up with each wave, then I balanced on one of the bigger rocks close to the wave line … The first photo was not good enough, so I waited out for the … USH! One big wave came right up and before I could think of it the water was up to my knees! I had been staring down only and had not seen the wave coming. Should have known better, though. Legend has it that all waves come in sets of 4 … 4 smaller ones and then 4 bigger ones. I remember that from my diving days … The only thing I could do now was holding my ground on that rock and let the water subside again. Do not stumble! Do not loose balance now! Do not fall in with all that camera gear on you! Boah, what an experience! It was only a few seconds before the water was gone again and I could slowly retreat to save ground again. My trousers were wet up to the knees, but luckily the water had not at all gone into my hiking boots! But I can say – I have been in the Atlantic Ocean!
Oh well, at least it had stopped raining by now again and the sun was out – so my trousers would hopefully dry soon. In the meantime I took a walk through the pretty little village. I was seemingly alone … only a resident cat came along to say Hello.
There was another secret box located near an old water mill. It was not far and made for a nice walk through the village. There were small vinyards here and also banana plantations. Not to mention the many flowers and ornamental plants.
Already down at the promenade I had see an interesting looking plant which I could not place – was it a palm tree or what?
I saw it here again on the rocky wall of a vineyard. I love the rosetta appearance and googled it later. It was an Agave Attenuata – a species of agave sometimes known as the Lion’s Tail, Swan’s Neck or Foxtail for its development of a curved inflorescence, unusual among agaves. Native to Central Mexico it is popular as an ornamental plant in gardens in many other places with subtropical and warm climates and can also be found in the Mediterranean, in the Canary Islands and here on Madeira. I will have to look out for those in the next few days! I want to see the flower of it.
Since there seemed nobody around, I was surprised to find an open restaurant hidden in the maze of narrow alleyways. I did do some research beforehand to find a lunch spot, but in the new normal and with off season not all places were open and ready. But as I turned a corner – there it was and it was busy! Joe’s Bar got good recommendations not only for the fresh juices. Apparently they had closed the inner garden, but outside by the alley rustic tables were available. It seemed a favourite spot amongst locals and tourists alike. Mind you – it was indeed the only place open in the village ….
I found the only available table – there were only 5 anyway. Starting with fresh Mango Juice I also ordered the smallest beer they had. I was going to try Limpets! Of course, I had done some research on what food is best on the island and what I did not have before and what is a must to try and the specialties as well. Limpets were on the top of my list! I am all for seafood at anytime.
Limpets are some kind of aquatic snail with a conical shell. I do have a few of those shells in my collection at home! But never had I know that they are edible. True Limpets live on hard surfaces in the intertidal zone. Unlike Barnacles – which are not molluscs but may resemble Limpets in appearance – or Mussels – which are bivalve molluscs that cement themselves to a substrate for their entire adult lives – Limpets are capable of locomotion instead of being permanently attached to a single spot. Madeira surrounded by the rocky shores of the Atlantic Ocean seems a good spot for them. I was delighted to see them on the menu here at Joe’s Bar.
Happily I went about to order, but the waiter said – Limpets are finished! Everything else is available. – What? – Limpets are finished! Choose something else! – Oh, I need another minute or 2 to think about it. … I was gutted … But well, there were more dishes on my list to try! The Black Scabbardfish – Aphanopus carbo! They had it! … – I have the Scabbard Filet, please! – It comes with salad and fries. – No fries, please, just salad. Is that possible? – Of course!
In Madeira, the Black Scabbardfish – Espada – is considered a regional delicacy. Fishermen use specialised deepwater lines to catch them. No other dish served in Madeira defines Madeira’s cuisine more than this fish, however it should not be confused with the semantically similar but also traditional Madeiran delicacy called Espetada, which is the other typical Madeiran dish made usually of large chunks of beef rubbed in garlic and salt, skewered onto a bay leaf stick and cooked over hot coals or wood chips.
I ordered another Fresh Maracuja Juice with my fish and thoroughly enjoyed my lunch. My table was under the arcades of the house, luckily. While it was sunny there was still a little rain and then there even came a short hail shower as well. I just moved a little bit more inwards on my table …
I ordered the bill – it was very reasonably – I mean … a beer for € 1,10? – and then strolled back to the car.
There was one more geochache here, that I wanted to find, but unfortunately there is a huge construction site right where that box was supposed to be hidden … That also meant I had to drive all the way back to Fajã da Ovelha to reach the main road again. It would have been only a short hop along the coast towards Calheta, but that little stretch of road was under improvement construction. Oh well …
Nevermind, I enjoyed the views on the way west again and in Fajã da Ovelha detoured down a very narrow and very steep road to a beautiful view point to find another secret box. I found it quickly and the view over the coast was once more stunning, but it was cold and windy up here.
In the small settlement of São Lourenço I stopped near the little Capela which was built at the end of the 15th century or the beginning of the following century. A geocache was located in the bell tower of this chapel and I found it quickly.
The bell once belonged to the Yacht Varuna, owned by the American millionaire Eugene Higgins, which sank in the early morning of November 16, 1909 in the sea of the coast of Porto Moniz. On board had been the owner himself, 3 guests and the crew. All but one sailor were saved, but the treasures that adorened the cabins and state rooms – like paintings by Rafael and Velasquez, sculptures, porcelain and furniture worthy of a museum as well as jewelry – the yacht took to the bottom. However, in the days following the shipwreck, the island people collected salvages along the coast that the sea returned. Since then the bell of the yacht found a new home in this tiny Chapel. And the view from up here was great, too.
Once I reached the main road I followed the express way VE3 West again until Magdalena do Mar. I noticed a funny street sign for the first time. I mean, the speed limits on Madeira are very strict, but then they have this sign which – I think – means in sunshine 10 km/h more are allowed? Or something like that … How do they define the weather, though? At the moment there was sunshine with rain showers … Does that count as sunshine? … And yeah … I was above the clouds … literally …
The expressway led down to the coast again and in Madelena do Mar I turned off. The sea village of Madalena do Mar was once an important centre of sugarcane production. Currently it has also one of the largest banana plantations on the whole island, thanks to its fertile land and favourable climate.
In Magdalena do Mar I did not find a geocache and I really only looked for one. It was supposed to be at the entrance of an old tunnel … I looked forever unsuccessful. Checking the logs I saw that before me somebody with over 100 000 (!) logged finds – I have some 3700 … – could not locate it either. So I was not too gutted about it. At the end of the old tunnel was the sea and the view along the coast was awesome. That alone was worth the stop.
I found beautiful sculptures just opposite the cache location. Supposedly they were depicting playing children. I just thought them very nice to look at with the beautiful cottage behind them.
I wanted to go to Ponta del Sol and just where that cache was suppose to be, another old road tunnel started. There were only some signs in Portuguese which I could not decipher, therefore I was not sure if it was actually OK to go through. I had observed the little traffic there was while looking for that box. Only very few vehicles went in and out of that tunnel, but most of them were regular cars like mine … I supposed it would be fine to go this way, then. It would be scenic along the coast and there were a couple of geocaches along the 3 or 4 km as well.
The tunnel was indeed old and the road not very well maintained and narrow. However it was only some 500 m tunnel then the road was hugging the seaside cliff and I was hugging the wheel since it had started to drizzle again and the road was not very good. There were a few more short tunnels as well. But the views were outstanding … not that I had tinme to take photos …
About half way to the next village there was a pretty big waterfall coming down the cliff. It looked stunning in the rain – yes, it was raining, even though there was blue sky above! – and there was a secret box hidden behind it. I contemplated going to find it … However I would get even more wet than only from the rain … because I would have to duck under the water to get it, come out and log it in a dry spot and then duck back under the waterfall to hide it again … I decided not to tempt it and instead drove right through the waterfall – it was after all falling right onto the road.
It is supposed to be a favourite spot for sunset photos, by the way. But today – while it would be nice since there were very few people travelling and chasing photos – was not the day for that for me, though. It was cloudy and rainy and sunset was not even close yet and if there would be a sunset at all with those clouds was questionable as well … Maybe some other day.
But I had to drive right under and through it. That was something … The water was banging down on the frontshield and roof soo loud and I could not see a thing! I had been driving in very slowly and just kept going while clutching the steering wheel. Only a few seconds and I was out on the other side …
Closer towards Porta do Sol one more geocache was hidden near an old rock bridge. I parked the car by the road side and went looking in the drizzle. It was a beautiful spot there and I was once more successful in finding the box, but because of the rain I could not really enjoy the spot. There actually was a hiking path along the coast. It was somewhat mystic in this weather. In good weather I would have probably parked the car properly and gone for some hiking along the beautiful coastal trail.
I jumped back in the car and drove the last kilometer to Porta do Sol. Only today there was no sol – sun … It was pouring down again and I decided to pass the village. I chose to take the country road again – While the VE 3 express way is faster iI was here to see the scenery after all.
The road was once more winding its way along half way up the cliffside and the views were beautiful. Rain and sun kept interchanging and due to the valleys I had sometimes the view to the East and around the next corner to the south or West. There were banana plantations lining the slopes everywhere. Villages with pretty churches and orange roofed house nestled amidst those lushy green banana plantations. I did have to watch the road intensely, though. It was very narrow and cars were parked on the road variously and deep if narrow concrete ditches bordered the sides.
Nevertheless those roads were plyed by frequent public busses and those drivers knew their job. I was creeping along – well my funny little car was not having more than 2nd gear uphill anyway … what could I do? A bus was all of a sudden behind me sort of urging me on. Damn, he was pushy. After a while I found a spot to pull over and let him pass. And zoom … off he went. While I kept crawling along with 30 km/h. Well, I should enjoy the drive and the scenery!
There was another geocache near a viewpoint and I stopped there. It was drizzling a bit, but I was fascinated by the view over the banana plantations and a beautiful double rainbow. I took many photos ….
Halfheartedly I looked for the box as well, but in that drizzle I gave up soon – but I logged it anyway, because I was here. Soon after I was back on VE3 and drove back towards Funchal.
In Ribeira Brava I passed a supermarket – first one I saw really. But too late to stop. So I circled around on the next rotunda – there were many traffic circles on the island – and drove back. I stocked up on water, Mango and Maracuja Juice and also bought some Coral Beer in tiny bottles. Cannot remember if I ever saw such tiny beer bottles anywhere in the world … 200 ml … they would be gone in one gulp … And of course I bought Poncha de Madeira!
I heard so much about it before and had to try it. After the Madeira wine, Poncha is the most popular and most traditional drink on the Island. It is made with Aguardente de Cana – distilled alcohol made from sugar cane juice – honey, sugar and Lemon juice. Nowadays, there are many poncha variants of the original that use fruit juices such as Passion Fruit, Tangerine or Orange. Of course it is best enjoyed freshly mixed, but it was my first day and I was driving. So I bought some medium sized bottles of the Maracuja Poncha – one to taste and the others to take home.
From the supermarket I drove the VE 1 straight back to Cançio and my hotel. I wanted to catch the sunset today. But around Funchal there was a rush hour traffic jam. Well, it never stopped completely, it was not even stop-and-go, it was just going jam-packed slow. Mind you, max speed was only 90 km/h and that only at some sections. Mostly it was a speed limit of 70 or 80 km/h anyway … and that only on the expressway.
More rainbows were to be seen on the way back in the gaps between the tunnels. I was worried I might not make it back to Galosol in time for sunset …
I did manage, though, just in time! From my balcony I did not have a direct sunset view, however. But from the terrace near the elevator which led down to the Atlantis Restaurant, there was a great view. And I was right in time with my tiny little Coral Beer for the sundowner photo … and it was drizzling were I stood …
Back on my balcony I sat outside and watched the sky turn orange while tasting the Maracuja Poncha de Madeira I bought. It was good. I could get used to it … “Bebe uma poncha que isso passa!” is apparently a popular Madeiran expression that conveys the idea that this drink cures all the evils …
It is said that the origin of Poncha goes back to the 16th century, when the discoverers transported Lemon – as source of Vitamin C on their voyages to prevent scurvy. To preserve the Lemon during the long trips they carried it soaked in sugar cane brandy and blackstrap molasses produced in Madeira. It is said in Madeira that Poncha cures the common cold and people are encouraged to drink it if they have cold-like symptoms … Maybe that is why Madeira is not a risk area in the new normality of 2020 …
Sitting on the balcony and later inside – because once the sun was gone it was getting chilly outside – I did my evening ritual on vacation – sorting some photos and posting them for the family back home, putting points in the journal and write some, shower and sleep early.
