Caught ferry to Gozo and stayed in Carini Farmhouses Santu Pietru Street Gharb for three nights. The farmhouse was beautiful four large bedrooms each with shower and toilet facilities. Very clean – three floors, pool, great view over Gharb. Great value for money. Went to the Azure Window and a lovely sunset to end the day.
Flight FR2411 from East Midlands to Malta – car parked in long stay 2
Arrived in Malta and went over to stay in Swieqi. Had lunch at Raffael restaurant – Spaghetti con Coniglio Spaghetti with rabbit cooked in garlic, bayleaf, celery, white wine, parsley and aromatic herbs – 10.80 euro
Back home on TAP Air Portugal TP 324 Lisbon to Manchester 7:35am flight
From Madeira back to Lisbon on EasyJet flight 7608 21:10pm
This time I stayed in Hotel Residencial Caravela Rua Ferreira Lapa 38,1º , Arroios, Lisboa, 1150-159. A superb sized apartment with loads of room. Not in the best area but as I’d done the old town this time I walked over to the coast at Alcantara and back around the coast to Torre de Belem and the Padrão dos Descobrimentos. I also photographed lots of mosaic tiled walls along the journey.
I had beautiful Pastel de nata (Custard tart)at one of the cafe’s nearest the hotel that turned out to be an award winning maker of these lovely tarts.
A 14k walk over the mountain tops, mostly in mist from Encumeada to Pico Do Arieiro. Started out as a lovely sunny day, but as i climbed higher into the mountains my luck changed. As I wandered I spotted scenes that reminded me of Led Zeppelin song titles such as Misty Mountain Hop and Stairway to Heaven.
I was late arriving at the end of the walk and wasn’t sure if I’d manage to get to the bus stop in time. Thankfully a lovely Spanish couple who couldn’t speak English stopped and gave me a lift back to Funchal which saved me a two hour walk.
Following my lavada walk yesterday I was really looking forward to today’s planned 11k lavada from Ribeiro Frio to Portela, (and according to the guide books Madeira’s most popular walk) sadly it was no more interesting than a walk in one of Derbyshire’s dales – apart from an occasional glimpse of high edge drama.
This photo was taken at the start on a slight diversion to the Balcoes viewing point at 860m. Most of the scenes like this were hidden behind the trees on the rest of the walk.
What a walk! I just wandered up the street from my apartment in Funchal. It was raining quite heavily and I was feeling lost for things to do as I hadn’t planned a normal adventure due to the bad weather. I spotted a lavada (drainage system for water from mountains) running along the road side. They are made of concrete and have paths by them, so I followed it…and it took me along the coast but high up in the village hillside so I could see the coast, but was also emerged in rural, walking right through the centre of banana plantations etc. Then the lavada turned inland and gave me a real surprise. They say don’t do lavada walks alone and I can see why! This one turned quite dramatic at parts, and while I don’t have a fear of heights, my legs were wobbling in a few sections of the walk.
Yes a beer and ice cream cocktail drink, with pineapple chunks! It’s called Nikita and I tried it in Câmara de Lobos (which is were it originates) in the bar that first came up with it.
I’d decided to take a day of mountain trekking and took a 5km stroll from my apartment in Funcal around the coast to Câmara de Lobos, and on the way stopped at the lava stone beach Praia Formosa where I sunbathed naked as it was deserted.
The walk takes you through a tunnel cave round the coast and on a wooden track across the beach.
Having done a little research now I decided on a 6 am wake up followed by a 1 hour 30 min bus ride and then a 10 k walk up hilly road to get to the start of today’s walk. Well worth it though as I found impressive landscapes like this. I crossed from north (Santana) to south (Funchal) and ascended the two highest mountains on the island