Bridal veil

We’ve had a great day out across the island of Madeira to the far north western point at Porto Moniz.

It has been cloudy all day, not that unusual here and it seemed to increase the humidity so it’s been very warm. Our guide was excellent and was doing his best to keep us ahead of the crowds especislly at the glass viewing platform at the top of Cabo Girao. Chris’s face was a picture, he doesn’t like that sort of thing but insisted on going and it was expanded metal to get onto the glass, even worse!

From there we went to Ribeira Brava a place we visited back in the ‘70s on a similar tour, that time of the whole island. Had a coffee by the beach and then explored the market stalls and the lovely church which had it’s Christmas decorations up.

Up and up from there to the centre of the island  and into the mist at which eventually became rain at the top, over 1000 metres. The topography is amazing, first vines, vegetables and bananas through eucalyptus, brought in to stabilise the land, to near moorland with gorse and heath where they were planting a type of blueberry and then to the special Laurel forests - Laurisilva, at least 1.8 million years old and something that used to cover most southern Europe.  There were lots of cars up there all walking the Levada routes in not the nicest of conditions. (We stopped at a lake we could barely see!)

Twisting down into Porto Moniz for lunch we left the rain behind. We came here more than 40 years ago and was one of the reasons for my wanting  to come back, it was magical. . They do say it’s a mistake to return to special places and maybe today was. The lava pools were still there - extra - with people swimming in them but they are no longer visited by turtles which we saw then and of course it’s inevitably much more touristy! 
We found somewhere to eat and a Canadian couple on our trip waved to us to join them, we had a lovely chat and too much lunch and then it was time to go!

The whole journey was worth it to see this old road, the road we used back then which continues in places near the new road that goes through tunnels rather than twisting round the edge of the cliffs. It’s no doubt much safer! The bits of old road you can see are covered in rockfalls like here in the blip. The road used to wind behind the waterfall and round the end of the cliff - you might see it better in the extra. It’s hard to believe that’s the road we were on in a coach all those years ago but it was!
Astonishing. There were gaps in some of the  tunnels  where you could see other twisty bits of the old road.
We continued back to Funchal  (meaning Fennel we were told) via Sao Vicente another pretty little town.

Thought the old road and waterfall with a foreground of bird of paradise flowers was good for flower Friday as Madeira is full of flowers and is certainly a paradise!
A very good  and interesting day.