Town of Madera on the Island of Funchal, Portugal
The Portuguese Island of Funchal is 600 miles from the mainland but is a great introduction to European life when cruising to Europe. Each time we have visited here we enjoyed it so much we contemplated renting an apartment for a while.
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Funchal on the island of Madeira, Portugal was our first stop after seven days at sea. It is our favorite port so far. The sidewalks are not cement, rather designs made with black and white rocks, just as they were in the Portuguese city of Macau, China. Many flowers were in full bloom including tall purple trees. A lot of their culture showed through with their colorful doorways and brightly painted buildings.
One of our favorite cities so far was Funchal, on the Island of Madeira, Portugal. We made our way across the beautiful town, over the black and white stone inlaid sidewalks, listening to unique street musicians, to a an aerial tram that took us high in the mountains overlooking the city. After visiting the botanical gardens, downing a cold local brew and visiting a church, the question was how to get back down to the boat? The answer was a toboggan ride down the steep, narrow streets. Two Portuguese men pushed the toboggan off the summit and then jumped on the back of the vehicle. They would jump off and pull the toboggan over the slower sections, then hop back on for the ride. At the end they would very forcefully suggest that a tip was in order and then sell you a photograph. All in all, a great experience….