Over Brittany?

Roger reading

Ponta São Lourenço peninsula

Madeira (top) and the Isle of Wight shown on the same scale. (Shameless rip-off from Google maps.) The official maps are the Carta Militar (needs Internet Explorer)

top is a cross-section through Madeira from west to east.

(Image ripped off from 068816.jpg found somewhere on the web.) ++++ Madeira, Easter 1999, a walking holiday can be linked from the postcard ++++ List of Arciprestados / Paróquias can be linked from somewhere

(Wiki upload) Five hundred years of development of naval architecture. The vessel on the left is a (presumably full size) replica of the Santa María de la Inmaculada Concepción which was the largest (!) of the three ships used by Christopher Columbus in his first voyage across the Atlantic in 1492. It does half-day trips along the south coast

The old and the new - small fisherman and big ship

The upper part is a copy of this image which is linked to from this page about RMS Titanic. It has been scaled to match the Independence in size. Bear in mind that the red bits of the Titanic represent its 10.5 metre, below the water line draught. With a draught of only 8.8 metres and that towering superstructure the Independence seems awfully top-heavy.

looking east along the coast. Note how soon the cliffs begin.

looking east of Monte

looking up to Monte

Roger at ease

Inside the base station

Cacti are used to create a fence below the cars.

close up of the cactus fence

When I saw this telephérique, I said "I bet that was built by Austrians" and sure enough it was. See this page on their website. See Rancho for another by Doppelmayr

looking east towards the fort

The famous fish market was finished for the day when we arrived and was being cleaned up

The courtyard, where flowers, fruit, leather and other goods are sold

The Independence of the Seas dwarfs the buildings in Funchal

Jacaranda trees and bougainvilla

Homenagem a Bordeira - statue outside the Embroidery Museum

bougainvillea grows out across the wires over the ribeiro

The Jacaranda trees contrast well with the yellow taxis

Note the woman at extreme right taking a photograph. She appears in the same posture on the left of the previous!

Statue of João Gonçalves da Câmara de Lobos first captain of Funchal (wikipic of same statue)

Toyota showroom with traditional azulejos

near the Marina shopping centre

the Independence of the Seas seemed to be visible at the end of every street

Elisabeth of Bavaria. The flowers in her hand are real

Farewell to the Independence of the Seas

In the old town restaurant area

looking down on the Cimentos Madeira cement factory in Ribeira dos Socorridos

the three chimneys on the right are on the Central Térmica da Vitória - the thermal power station with 16 diesel generators. Despite all that water (and a bit of wind power), this station generates 60% of the island's electricity

looking down to Ribeira Quinta Grande

teleférico down cliff

looking towards Funchal

espetada is meat on a long skewer. It is brought to your table on the skewer and hung up. In this restaurant they have holes in the table and in the tablecloth to take the stand. Also visible in this picture is another Madeiran speciality milho frito - fried cornmeal cubes

looking down to the villas. The location means that the HPB site may be cool and in cloud when it is sunny in Funchal

(Wiki upload) the view from our bedroom window. Stayed in this unlikely article for all of four days until some mean-minded person said image removed - not in the UK, this article doesn't need photographs anyway.

from the clubhouse

HPB have created a path with an artificially tidy levada passing through the site. The real Levada do Norte runs nearby.

These tiny lizards scuttle over all the baclonies

HPB site at Encosta Cabo Girao

Aida cruise ship

Taken from the cable car to Monte

Looking towards Monte

Scaffold monkeys?

Japanese garden

Lilies grow in profusion beneath these dramatic tree ferns

top of Japanese garden

Chinese warriors

Is this the Budai

Stepping stones

Roger in silhouette

Roger in the style of Caravaggio

Looking down through the garden towards Funchal

Nymphs in alcoves

azulheos

(Wiki upload)

The tallest vase in the world according to the 1992 Guinness Book of Records. 5345 mm high. Now beaten by a clay pot in Taiwan.

Aberdeen Sandra also went to Madeira see bottom of this page and other pages.

There seem to be very few dogs in Madeira and most of those we saw were asleep

Canna lilies

Spot the frogs! Who definitely knew the croaking chorus!

Crocosmia

Ancient olive tree and lavender

spare cars in the top station of the cable car

Cabo Girão from Monte

looking down from Foguete into the valley of Ribeira João Gomes with the harbour in the distance. (Image ripped off from 2867523635_f03a5bfd94.jpg found somewhere on the web.) Another view with location details

The farmer who tilled this field (by hand!) has done so within inches of a 500 metre sheer drop!

In this image (ripped off from Funchal_from_CabG.jpg found somewhere on the web) and taken at an earlier date, there seems to be some sort of edging to the field but in my pictures there is absolutely nothing!

looking to tunnel portal

looking east across the valley

See how the pine trees bend in the prevailing north east wind

Terracing up the mountainside

There is so little flat land that farmers terrace as far up the mountains as they can

pipe bringing Levada do Norte down

Wild gorse is common in the mountains. See Ulex Europaeus

Levada do Norte

The cafe at Encumeada

Roger

looking east

Roger with wind turbines behind

After the vertiginous climb up the mountains, the flat bleakness of Paúl de Serra is strangely disconcerting. Even the car looks suprised.

wind turbines looking east. See how the tops of the peaks peep over the edge of the plateau. The highest peak in the distance is the Pico Ruivo, 1862 metres and this plateau levels off at 1500 metres

Compare this picture with our one of the Paúl de Serra seen from Pico Arieiro.

Strange cacti - botanists please identify

More wind turbines

The straight road on Paúl de Serra is probably the only road which is straight for over a mile on the island

looking down from car park

Water management system? and cattle

cow resting with gorse

Looking towards Calheta? Is the smoke the sugar factory?

Woodland plant in the shade on the levada walk

The levada walk

Waterfall

Roger

Roger in silhouette

Ferns under the waterfalls

The levada path at Rabacal is wide and shaded by ancient laurel

same as link but with cloud

(Wiki upload) Capela de Nossa Senhora do Loreto. More Senhoras

Escola Basica e Secundaria da Ponta do Sol

We ate espada (several pages on madeiraisland.com), in English known as black scabbardfish (which they serve with banana!) in the seafood cafe on the rocks. The food was excellent, as are the views.

Various bridges in the British Isles are described as a "bridge over the Atlantic": see geograph.org.uk or the most famous one Clachan Bridge near Oban. This one could also claim the title

View from the cafe terrace looking west

looking up the valley

touring the caves

Roger on right

Our shadows, thrown by the spotlights, began to resemble primitive cave paintings

Roger on left

Ferns growing under the spotlights

lapilli is a generic term so it is no surprise that this stuff looks nothing like the pretty white balls we found on Fuerteventura

approach to

grounds of

Roger hidden by the Pride of Maderia plants

Nossa Senhora da Saúde. More Senhoras

Domestic details - there are few supermarkets. All Madeirans seem to grow food and flowers, whether it is in a few fields or in pots on the steps.

This combination of palms and misty peaks is typical of the north coast.

in Laranjal, seen from Lameiros

(Wiki upload)

Restoration of the Chapel of Our Lady of Fátima. Apparently this hill is called the Pico da Cova. More Senhoras

The road along the north coast is now mostly through tunnels. Read how the arid thirsty Canarians looked enviously on this abundance of water

Whereas the sea on the south coast was quite calm, the power of the Atlantic is obvious on the north coast. It could almost be a different ocean.

looking back into the village (Image ripped off from somewhere on the web.)

(Image ripped off from somewhere on the web.) Not actually sure of location but looks like the old road from São Vicente to Seixal

This was our only rainy day, but we were glad to find out what it is like in the north when wet Atlantic weather closes in.

See the banks of nasturtiums cascading down the cliff

fishing boat

cafes

sunset

Roger was not pleased when the waiter grabbed his camera - probably worried that he would drop it

View over Funchal

Strange structure - we thought it might be a takoff runway for the "mad German hang gliders" described to us by a local taxi driver.

Flowering shrub on side of path - botanists please identify

Altitude?

Tree with small blue birds by the miradouro

Branches inspired by chinese brushstoke painting

Roger on top of the miradouro

The photographer photographed

The small blue birds were hopping about looking for crumbs - (ornothologists please identify)

Rock plants - (botanists please identify)

(Wiki upload)

Camellia portrait

Another bank of nasturtiums by the roadside

View looking east

wind and salt hardy wild plants. could they be Madeiran rock orchids?

(Wiki upload)

Rocks in the swell of the sea

Wind and salt hardy wild plants - some form of sedum or stonecrop?

Windblown palm

Domestic detail - all houses have to be multi level

Garden on a slope

Nossa Senhora da Natividade or Nossa Senhora do Faial. More Senhoras

(Wiki upload) tunnel portal. Tunnel is 3168 metres long

The old bridge which was lost in a storm

American tourists - probably from a cruise ship

Statue which seems to pay homage to flowers

Porto da Cruz was an old fishing harbour, but is now being modernised. We spotted one fishing boat.

Roger paddling - Madeira doesn't have beaches, only rocks

Even the palm trees find it hard to thrive in the strong winds

The photographer photographed

From inside the cafe with the yellow blinds

Who is that in the top window?

Shrek has retired from movies and is now running a cafe in Porto do Cruz!

These two pictures are actually 21 Streatham Common South, London, SW16

Statue of a flower maiden

Another multi level house with palms, flowers and several balconies

Bank of rock plants

Strelitzia - Bird of Paradise flower

Hanging baskets - botanists please identify

Nossa Senhora do Guadalupe, Porto da Cruz. More Senhoras

Looking east

Botanists please identify

Tree in churchyard

Lilies

Rose portrait

Public sculpture

Pergola with palm tree

Pergola and trumpet vine

Agapanthus grow large and wild in Madeira

Sea arch

Roger on the rocks

Lilies

Another bank of wild nasturtiums

The Porto Santo ferry

Possibly the Vision of the Seas

Public sculpture

Embroidery factory

The Albatross in port

Pelton wheel - Empresa de Electricidade da Madeira website

A lone flower

We did not see these tulips performing but you can see them at 4:28 into this YouTube video and at 6:12 into this one

Waiting for the parade

Fruity lady?

Some people in the crowd clearly had friends and relatives in the parade

Some needed lolipops to keep going

Parading on a float is thirsty work

Just keep on dancing

The best view in the house

Is this a Michael Jackson tribute?

Seedlings?

there is a saying: "after the Lord Mayor's show come the dustcarts". Same goes for the Festa da Flor

another one by Doppelmayr (see Funchal - Monte) but not on their website. Page at Madeira-web.

View toward Funchal

Rose portrait

street scene with balconies and laundry

Flowering cacti

The view over Curral is vertiginous

Roger alone with the mountains

The hotel, cafe and car park which is the starting place for the walk to the viewpoint

Wild yellow flowers (botanists please identify)

Yet another Agapanthus

Terracing work in progress

The viewpoint seen from below

(Wiki upload)

These beautifully tended floral displays are loving tributes to families and friends

(Wiki upload)

Nossa Senhora do Livramento More Senhoras

path

graves

gate of the churchyard

Looking beyond the churchyard to even lower parts of the valley

(Wiki upload)

(Wiki upload)

Strelitzia - Bird of Paradise flower, and Protea? in arrangement

The profusion and beauty of the flower displays is quite breathtaking

Canna lilies and volcanic crags

(Wiki upload)

Donkey

View to Funchal marina

Flowers growing on the rooftops

Roger as one of the penitents who climb up the 74 steps on their knees

Igreja de Nossa Senhora do Monte. More Senhoras

the famous carros de cesto, literally "basket cars", stacked up at the start of the run - this was evening

note: wooden runners

when the toboggans are working this place looks like this. (Image ripped off from somewhere on the web.) The sign at top right reads …

fare table for the toboggans - interestingly non-linear: 1 person - €20, 2 people - €25, 3 people €37.50

Further down the toboggan run with two drivers not in uniform (See Hofi0006-29 for licence.)

Another tropical garden in a gorge

The charming but faded old town square at Monte

viaduct for the funicular railway.

One of these postcards from 1935 but probably older images.

Nossa Senhora da Paz. More Senhoras

Santuário de Nossa Senhora da Paz

Hydrangea growing wild

Another bank of wild nasturtiums, with lorry

looking west?

I have got a fix on this church. Now I need to find its name. (Page with e-mail address of priest).

Taken from the restuarant at the teleférico

Roger using the camera's "night portrait" mode

looking down to Club House

Crazy golf players

The sand is from Morocco!

Artificial breakwaters

Madeira is not dog friendly

Raw materials for the sugar factory coming in by lorry

(Wiki upload) used to illustrate bagasse

Roses

Trumpet vine

Rose

Michealmas daisies

Rose

Espírito Santo

churchyard flowers

Gate

Wrought iron balcony and roses

Bush outside sugar factory (botanists please identify)

Bush outside sugar factory again

monitoring station

depth gauge showing 44 cm

monitoring station and a flag labelled escala marking the depth gauge

These lilies are in garden of the the abandonned cottage. At one time there must have been a levada keeper, but now everything is automated

looking down the valley

spare Pelton wheel Lombo dos Faias

32.697223,-17.116082

Vos que passais Descuidados, presos ao mundo Parai! Morri por vossos pecados Descobri-vos e Rezai! which Google translates as: You that raisins Careless, stuck to the world Stop! Died for your sins I found you and Pray!

(Wiki upload) Nossa Senhora da Piedade (Sorrows) and Santiago (St James) More Senhoras

(Wiki upload) looking east at sunset across the Ribeira Brava valley

Pride of Madeira plants. Their botanical name is Echium candicans

Botanists please identify this strange plant

More Pride of Madeira and small ferns

Common Iceplant or mesembryanthemum crystallinum

The Swim I

The Swim II

The Swim III

The Swim IV

The Swim V - Roger and friend

The Swim VI

The Swim VII

Local flora - cacti

Another scuttling lizard

Some form of heather?

Botanists please identify

Botanists please identify

Botanists please identify

Botanists please identify

Avenue of palm trees

Dragon trees

Roger on the jetty

Public sculture - flower maiden and friend?

Roger - photography is very tiring

Development of new flats

Arch dividing the beach from the harbour area

Old fishing boat

This cafe proudly offered free wi-fi

Flora growing on wires above the ribeira

After a good meal with vinho verde

Abstract representation of driving through one of Maderias many tunnels after vinho verde

this rock has recently fallen on to the road

Gazanias?

Angels trumpet. The botanical name is Solanaceae Brugmansia

Agapanthus - again

Periwinkle

dotted around the park are giant representations of various typically Madeiran things. Roger had to point out the walnuts before Lesley registered this as Madeira cake

This distorting mirror improves both our figures

As we toured the site, we realised that the continuous folk music was coming from these singing stones - speakers hidden in plastic rocks. Note the little holes which are the give away. Watch the video!

The Singing Stone uncovered. I am trying to pretend that it was heavy, but really they are very light. For another take on the phrase "musical stones" see MySpace and Wikipedia

The sign inside this earth closet stated that it was not for public usage!

pixie hat

giant whicker chair made out of copper tube

Bougainvillea on the walls of the craft workshops

The famous Madeiran embroiderers at work

Fuschia bushes

Igreja da Santa Ana

(I think the manager is called Eugene Manole!)

Câmara Municipal de Loulé

(Wiki upload) Nossa Senhora da Piedade (Our Lady of Piety). More Senhoras

Porto Santo is further away than the Islas Desertas and is more difficult to see

the Porto Santo ferry is sailing through the clouds. The spelling Areeiro is also seen. Indeed the Carta Militar (cf. Ordnance Survey) uses one spelling at one scale and the other spelling at a different scale! Google thinks Arieiro is more common

Looking south

Looking west

Looking north west

Looking west

Roger atop the mountains

Looking west to the wind farm on Paúl de Serra.

The steps to the viewpoint

Looking north

Roger checking his exposure

Pico do Ruivo from Pico do Arieiro

the summit - 1816 metres

(Wiki upload) Roger on top of Pico do Arieiro

The hotel on the Pico is shut, but seems to undergoing some building work

the secondary peak is called the Miradouro do Juncal

Looking east

Brocken spectre or glory

The road to the summit

Above the clouds

Looking north to Eagle Rock

Looking north to Eagle Rock

Brocken spectre or glory

cruise ship heading towards Funchal

works access to two tunnels being built on the extension of the rapido

possibly because it was May Day, people, mainly children, were selling these flower necklaces at the roadside all over the place

Wild poppies

Wild scabious?

Igreja do São Pedro

(Wiki upload)

May Day is a workers holiday and native Madeirienses formed happy family groups with picnic tables at every attractive spot

Camella

Roses

Begonias in a front garden

includes Centro de Saudé

The minimalist modern architecture of this civic square contrasts with the ornateness of the churches

(Wiki upload)

built by another Austrian firm: Reisch Maschinenbau - page on their website

On the small patch of flat land at the bottom of the cliff are strange gardens (allotments?) divided by stone walls

Small shrine to St Christopher

Rock plants

Rush fences protect against the north east wind

Is it a home or an allotment shed?

The paths create a maze to a cafe which we never reached

The gardens are fed by mini levadas

This small dwelling is harvesting wind power

Sugar cane blasted by the salty wind

T.S. Eliot in Little Gidding writes of places at "the world's end, some at the sea jaws". This is one of them.

Wild poppies and scabious

Roger on the rocks

Who is that small figure in the distance?

Wild poppies

three dykes run up this cliff - compare with this on Fuerteventura

Ferns

Cacti

Pride of Madeira

The base of the teleférico

Candles, lilies and fresias decorate this roadside shrine. More Senhoras

Nossa Senhora da Conceição. More Senhoras

Cactus garden at Porto Moniz

It is clear that the Madeirenses did not build the pool here for themselves, but so that they could be entertained by seeing foolhardy northern europeans swept out to sea

At last, Roger gets to swim

Only two other swimmers braved the waves, which crash over the rocks and send mini tsunami across the pool

Roger swimming

See how the rock plants crawl down the cliff

Tamarisk trees? Botanists please identify

Sea pinnacle

looking back to Porto Moniz

looking down to Seixal

The long flight of steps in the middle of this view leads up to the Santuário de Nossa Senhora de Fátima

Centro de Dia

Nossa Senhora dos Remédios More Senhoras

(Wiki upload)

Igreja da Nossa Senhora da Graça in Rua Cónego Agostinho Figueira de Faria. I looked up this good canon. Google's translation of an article about him says: "by resolution buddy of 18 May 1995 the City Council Chamber of the Wolves gave their name to the street between the apricot and Largo's skate". More Senhoras

(Wiki upload)

(Wiki upload)

(Wiki upload) looking across to Garachico. Igreja da Nossa Senhora do Bom Sucesso. More Senhoras

apparent gradient 1:3

apparent gradient 1:2.7

apparent gradient 1:2.8

from bridge over motorway

from NW of church

(Wiki upload)

Igreja in Santo Antonio 32.811281,-17.248664

(Wiki upload)

(Wiki upload)

apparent gradient 1:9

One evening we heard ecclesiastical music being broadcast over loudspeakers and we saw candles moving through the woods recalling the Ave Maria sequence in Disney's Fantasia. Roger followed the sound and it led him to the summit of the Cabo Girão promontory where stands the Capela de Nossa Senhora de Fátima (babel fish version). It was crowded with people taking part in a Peregrinação ao Santuário de Nossa Senhora de Fátima (babel fish on the pilgrimage and local copy).

(Wiki upload) next morning it looked like this. More Senhoras

(Wiki upload)

Health and Safety may not have visited the sugar cane factory but they have seen to it that live candles are forbidden within Portuguese churches. This outside stand is for burning candles

A small room stands near the chapel. I believe it is the original 1931 chapel. Inside is this curious collection of wax (?) heads.

Looking down the long flight of steps to Cruz da Caldeira. See this view in the opposite direction

Car park at eastern end of HPB site

Roger with view

Cabbage cultivation on Cabo Girao

Once outside the neat HPB site, the local people tend their vertical gardens and pile up useful wood

Terrace gardens with a view

just as the levada emerges from the tunnel

the damage to the railing is probably not caused by vandalism but by falling rocks

Igreja da Nossa Senhora dos Remédios in Quinta Grande

at the miradouro is a small exhibition about tourism to Madeira in the past. This photo shows George Bernard Shaw learning to tango at Reid's Hotel in 1925. The dance instructor is Max Rinder and the young lady is Hope du Barri

Blocks MH and MJ

list of cruise ship visits to Funchal displayed in the reception area at Encosta Cabo Girão

sailwx.info is a wonderful site that keeps track of hundreds of ships. This screen shot shows that apparently Albatros has only got to Morocco since last Sunday

the Porto Santo car ferry has just come in so a bit of traffic control is required

note the pistol on the hip of this traffic cop

MSC Lirica

at Estrada Monumental 139

their website designers apparently saw nothing wrong with flopping this view from the hotel

1933 price list for Reid's - on display at the exhibition at Cabo Girão - see link

White agapanthus

Banks of flowers

bottlebrush bush on the right

View over the villas

Lesley

Roger on CyberLinkYouCam

The view from the departures lounge - a bit different from most airports!