A Fitting Finale: Funchal, Madeira, Portugal

And so … our last port of call on this amazing trip suggests that our days are dwindling fast.  Our first time ever to Portugal is to the Atlantic island of Madeira and the port of Funchal.  By the time we reached Funchal, this was to be our 39^th and last shore excursion.  Several days ago, Barb had said she was getting burned out by shore excursions and was half wishing we hadn’t booked and paid for one in our last port.  But, having paid for it and too late to cancel with any refund, she decided she would soldier on and do it.  And was she ever glad she did!

For our finale, we chose a long 7½ hour tour, Unforgettable Scenery of West Madeira and the tour couldn’t have been more aptly named!  Our friends, Sally and Ange, with whom we stayed way back in January before boarding the world cruise, had recommended this tour and were we ever glad they did.  It was some of the most spectacular scenery we have ever seen and it wasn’t just one small segment; it was virtually all 7½ hours.  The time absolutely flew.

The excursion description stated, “The magnificent coastal and inland scenery of Madeira will leave you breathless.”  And it did!  As we left Funchal, we began to climb even before leaving this city of over 100,000 on an island of about 250,000 people.  Funchal itself is known for its beautiful flowers, and in fact while we were in port they were holding an annual floral show in the city.  Many people had decided not to book shore excursions and just to enjoy walking around town and looking at the beautiful floral display.  Pasadena, California is noted for its annual Rose Parade and decorative creations with flowers.  Funchal’s is somewhat different in that they are arranged more in carpets for display.  Competitions are held and prizes announced.  On Sunday, a parade will take place but of course we will be at sea.  Had we known that this event would be held while we were there, we might have skipped the shore excursion.  Thank goodness we didn’t!  As we returned to town, the guide instructed the driver to drive down the street where the floral displays were being shown so we could get a taste as to what was happening in the city.

As soon as we left the port in the morning, we began to climb the mountain roads, passing through small picturesque villages.  Our first stop was at Câmara de Lobos.  At one time it had been a nesting place for seals, but now the seals are no longer there, although a lighthouse still stands.  It’s a fishing village made famous by Winston Churchill who had a particular spot that he especially liked and as an amateur painter, he enjoyed his respites in Câmara de Lobos and we understand why.  This was followed by a photo opportunity at Cabo Girão, the second highest sea cliff in the world (behind only a location in Taiwan).  It was a spectacular sight with the cliff dropping off directly below us.  Vendors were beginning to put out the wares for sale which included lots of colorful tea towels, bread holders, embroidered items, and lace products.  They were also selling a locally made hard candy with various fruit flavors.  Madeira being our last port, many people used the opportunity to spend some spare Euros.

Back on the bus, we were treated to continuous breathtaking scenery until we arrived in the village of Ribeira Brava for a refreshment/shopping/photo stop.  It was another village with wonderful seascapes and a nice assortment of products for sale in its shops.  Every place we stopped, we could have stayed longer, just soaking in the local color and unique characteristics of each individual location.  The bus took the road along the north coast, through Encumeada Pass with striking glimpses of dramatic scenery sweeping down from high mountains to valleys below.  Many times we could see villages in the distance. As we drove, everywhere we looked, in the valleys and along the mountain sides, the fertile land was used for agriculture.  Madeira had been created by volcanic action that created lush, fertile lands.  We saw many banana tree groves, some of which had blue bags over the bunches of bananas to catch any that might fall from the trees.  Much of the land was terraced and vineyards were indications of grape growing (which produced the Madeira wine that many people enjoy). 

We saw everything from banana to eucalyptus trees, jacarandas just coming into bloom to pine trees, depending on where we were and what the elevation was.  After steep climbs, we reached the tree line and suddenly the lush forest vegetation ended and the yellow color of gorse predominated.  Cows were grazing in many areas and on one hairpin road below us, we saw several cows meandering down the road.  At this level, the landscape flattened out somewhat and we were actually going over somewhat level ground.

When we came to a good vantage point, once again we piled off the bus for a great look at the seaside town of Porto Moniz which was right next to an excellent display of volcanic rock which enhanced the beauty of the village.  Once again, down the winding road to the village took us to our restaurant for our lunch.  Barb and I and several from our bus managed to get window seats looking out at the sea and the volcanic rock.  We commented how sorry we were that our Aussie friends, Gary and Ros, had had to cancel this tour because Ros hadn’t been feeling well the last couple days.  We know they would have enjoyed it.  Al, too, didn’t go, having cancelled the excursion a few days ago when he found out so much was going on in town.  We were sorry that he had missed this unbelievable scenery, but we were so glad we had made the decision to come on this tour.  The problem was that there is no way to explain to those who haven’t seen it, what we could observe with our own eyes.  After a good lunch, Barb and I had the opportunity to wander along the coast of the village and on several streets as well.  Another beautiful village on Madeira!  Shortly after leaving Porto Moniz, we slowed to watch a spectacular waterfall which dropped from high above us.  The camera batteries certainly got a big workout today from those on this tour!

Yet one more treat was waiting for us in the small village of São Vicente.  It’s located at the base of a dramatic rock cliff which towers high above one part of the village.  Other barriers aren’t quite as steep, but there were mountains on all sides.  In one place, I noticed some stairs seeming to climb to the heavens.  I wondered who had to make regular climbs down and up those stairs – certainly an area that wasn’t handicap accessible!

In each place, our guide gave us free time to wander around and do what we wanted to do.  Barb and I sometimes split up, each going to see whatever we wanted in the time we had.  Consistently, though, we always had to head back to the bus with some unseen treasure around the next bend that we lacked the time to check.  In this village, what stood out in my mind was a lovely small church with a beautiful tower.  It even accommodated my camcorder by striking three times at exactly 3 PM.  I hadn’t planned it, but glad I was able to capture the sound.  The inside was beautiful and ornate, another treat for the eyes.  Outside was a quiet cemetery with flowers adorning nearly every grave.  Barb commented that it seemed that there was an overabundance of 2009 death dates on the makers and we wondered if sections of the cemetery were filled in order of death unlike in the US where families have plots that are used as needed over the decades.

With our ship due to sail at 5 PM, it was getting close to 4 PM when we returned to Funchal.  The time passed so quickly and we had seen so much.  It was time to leave this delightful island and reboard the Amsterdam one last time before setting foot on American soil again for the first time since January 6.  But Barb and I agreed that we would love to come back here some day!  In fact, as we were in line to pass through ship security after our excursion, the lady in front of me said she had done this tour several years ago and had made a note to herself that if she came back, she wanted to do this very same tour a second time! 

It’s the longest I have ever been out of the US.  We now have seven full sea days to prepare to get off our home for the 112 days.  The upcoming week will speed by too quickly, but it’s time to go home and we look forward to seeing friends and family and settling back to our routines.  (However we don’t look forward to plowing through the mail, get income taxes, for which we had applied for an extension this year, completed, and other surprises which await us at home.)

So for now, it’s full speed across the Atlantic, and some serious packing to do before we reach Ft. Lauderdale!

CT