Rusting

Still confined to Funchal, we decide to explore a new garden - new to us at least. It’s the Jardim de Santa Luzia, occupying the area of the former Hinton sugar mill, also known as Fábrica do Torreão.

Our slow walk takes us through some rather rundown areas, charming in their own way, paint-peeling shutters hanging from half-rotten windows, plants growing through cracks in decaying masonry. No doubt the area will be subject to gentrification over the next few years as more and more of the city is developed. 

The garden is smaller than I’ve expected and a little disappointing, but there’s a cafe where we enjoy a cold beer - something that I couldn’t have considered a few days ago. The old chimney towers above us, while the rusting wheels and cogs that drove the crushing machinery are preserved within the gardens below. 

There should be water flowing - and there’s certainly no shortage of that on the island at the moment, but there’s only the pond so thick with vegetation it takes a while to realise it is actually full of water - and frogs. We can hear the loud croaking of the amphibians - a sound I love - but try as we might, we just can’t see them! 

Leaving behind this area of industrial heritage, we walk back down the hill and reward our efforts with an ice cream - and it really is the weather for it today, finally warm as well as sunny. I choose Dubai Chocolate - having seen it everywhere in London, but having no idea what made it so ‘special’. It’s delicious - chocolate with knafeh (crispy shredded filo pastry) and pistachio. I’m probably very late coming to this social media phenomenon! G goes for Whisky flavour which actually tastes more like rum! 

The evening sees us in a delightful new restaurant just round the corner from out hotel where I have sea bass once again, and G has the local specialty of scabbard fish with passion fruit and banana - a combination of that I just can’t get my head round, but he’s always liked it, and this is definitely a gourmet version. It’s good to be enjoying food again! 

Today’s blip features the rusting machinery of the old Hinton sugar mill, with an extra featuring the dereliction of the surrounding area. 

Many thanks to Marlieske for hosting!