FUNCHAL, MADEIRA, PORTUGAL

Six days in a row glances out our cabin window revealed water.  The earth is flat and we will surely fall off if we continue forward.  Strangly, my thoughts wanted to continue down this obscure path.  If the earth were flat, how far could one go before you fall off and entered the abyss?  My estimates ranged from 7 to 25 miles due to the curvature of the earth and your height above sea level.  I wondered if these were some of the same thoughts that raced through the minds of  Erik the Red, Leif Ericson, Christopher Columbus, Ferdinand Magellan and others as they made their way across the Atlantic?   

“Land Ho!” I suddenly yelled to my cabin mate Marci.  It was just before 7:00am as I glanced out our cabin window, just as I had done on each of the previous six day.   This time however, I was pleasantly surprised to see land.   We had finally arrived in Funchal, Madeira, Portugal. 

The Norwegian Jade Funchal shore excursion was titled “Eira Do Serrado and Monte”.   We took this one because we received shore excursion credits when we made our original booking.  We met the balance of our group at the Stardust Lounge at 8:15am but by the time group #6 was called, we exited the ship and boarded our awaiting bus, my watch had just clicked over to 9:00am.  Normally just a 30 minute winding road trip to the top, our arrival on this day was at 10:10am, slowed considerably due to construction.   The drive and the delays all proved to be worthwhile.

The viewpoint stands 4,000 feet above sea level, where one can enjoy the majestic views over the valley of Curral das Freiras - Nun’s Valley.  Our guide shared that the nuns of the Convent of Santa Clara lived here between 1492 and 1497 and it was used as a haven from pirate attack.  Inhabited since the 15^th century and located inside an inactive volcano crater, the site is geographically isolated from other communities by the cliffs and peaks surrounding its central valley. A tunnel southwards in the direction of Funchal now offers safe access to the valley.

Curral das Frieras - Nun's Valley

 To access the first viewpoint one must walk by path that starts at the Inn of Eira do Serrado.   The start of the path is constructed of concrete, contains a moderate grade incline and turns to cobblestone before reaching the first lookout.  From here you can continue up an additional 103 steps to the top viewing area.  This affords a stunning panoramic view of the ravine and 5 smaller cities with streams cutting through the villages from the mountain water runoff.  

 

Marci and I ready to climb to the top

Lookout to Nun's Valley below

 Once back at the Inn you can souvenir shop, enjoy a beverage or just sit and relax while you take in the view and wait for fellow passengers.   The weather at this elevation changes quickly and frequently and visits should be made as early in the day as possible.  During our visit a thick fog rolled in, taking only 3-4 minutes before our views were completely obstructed. 

Just took photos, didn't ride down the hills.

Heading back down the mountain we turned our coach away from the water and headed to Monte, a quaint village tucked in the hillside suburbs of Funchal.  Once we were dropped off we walked about 500 yards further up the hill and came across the boarding location for the carros de cesto (basket cars).  In 1850, the residents created this innovative method of moving rapidly between Monte and downtown Funchal.   They are baskets with seats on wooden skis that slide through the inclined streets of Monte.  Each basket is guided by two pilots each wearing the traditional white uniform with straw boaters (hats).  Today you can still experience the toboggan and cruise about 1.2 miles down to Livramento school at some very exciting speeds.  The basket cars remain one of the most popular features of Monte. 

Once we passed the toboggans, we continued our walk about another quarter mile to the gondola entrance.  Each car can hold 8 adults, 4 facing each direction.  Cost for a one-way ride is $10 Euros, about $11.25 U.S. Dollars.   The length of the cable car line is 12,198 feet, with a height difference of 1,840 feet and a journey time, one way, of 15 minutes. The line has over 39 cars and can carry 800 passengers per hour down to the waterfront of downtown Funchal.   The views of the city, the port, and our ship were breathtaking.

Gondola ride back to the waterfront

Our bus and driver were eagerly awaiting our return at the bottom of the gondola ride.  We quickly boarded and were taken to Oliveira’s Embroidery Factory, located near the Cathedral and across the street from Madeira Casino.  Opened since 1917 and employing over 50 people, the store is located in the heart of the historical center of Funchal.   Upon entering we were confronted with a question - “Sweet or dry?”, referring to preference on the type of locally produced wine I preferred to sample.  I tasted both and preferred the sweet wine.  You can then purchase bottles to take home at a cost of about $5.00 for a small bottle, under our normal 750 mil.   

After wine tasting we were left to browse through the embroidery store.   Our stop here was a brief 10-12 minutes, then back on the bus and a short drive to the city center to drop passengers who wanted to stay in town a little longer.  The bus then transported the remainder of us back to the terminal, delivering us dockside.  The time was 12:00pm.  Once on board we headed to the room to drop our day packs and then immediately proceeded to the Blue Lagoon Restaurant for a casual lunch which, for me, consisted of a bowl of soup and half a sandwich.  

Dinner was at Cagney’s Steakhouse with our new friends Lesley and Dave from the United Kingdom.  Time slipped away as we enjoyed the food and conversation and before we knew it the time was 9:20pm.  We were too late for the Starlight Theatre as that show had started at 9:00pm so we all headed to the Spinnaker Lounge for a high energy Tina Turner tribute which capped off another fantastic day.  Two more sea days and then we disembark in Barcelona.