Funchal, Madeira
After a morning of terrific workshops and lectures at sea by our camera experts Jim Blair, Mike Nolan, and CT Ticknor and naturalist Jim Kelley, we made the first landing of our Atlantic journey on the Portuguese island of Madeira, 360 miles off the coast of Africa. Madeira is a steep volcanic island walled by precipitous hillsides and ravines and covered in beautiful, verdant foliage. As we sailed into the harbor this morning, we could see that the island was crowned with dark clouds near the peaks from the moisture that accumulates steadily above from the lush foliage below. But only bright sunlight fell on us today as we tied up and entered the climbing city of Funchal. Much of this steep, dramatic island has been terraced, tunneled, and bridged by European development in the past century, and it was fun to navigate the three dimensional setting to get from one place to the next.
The group went into two directions. One group stayed in town for an informative guided tour of the city’s colorful market, the Madeira Story Centre Museum, an Embroidery Factory, a Jesuit Church, and the Museum of Sacred Art. The other group set out on a bus ride to Ponta Sao Lorenco on the east end of the island. Here, the lush trees abruptly ended, yielding to a barren, volcanic landscape that looms over the ocean. The hikers set out through the volcanic terrain, passing various cacti, shrubs, and gorgeous geologic formations colored in shades of orange, beige, yellow, and red. Along the way, the hike stopped at spectacular overlooks to peer down on the sailboats on the blue water far below or out to lonely pillars of volcanic rock jutting upwards and defying the crashing surf beneath.
After a brief rest break back on the ship, we finished the day with a climbing bus ride up through the clouds to the Abrigo do Pastor Restaurant high on the lofty island top for dinner. We sampled a traditional cabbage soup and also the local Scabbard fish (also known as Lancet fish), caught from the super deep waters surrounding the island. As we ate, we appreciated the entertainment of local musicians and dancers who performed the Fado style of music and some Madeiran folk dance. At long last, we descended back down the mountain to our quiet ship for a well deserved bedtime.
After a morning of terrific workshops and lectures at sea by our camera experts Jim Blair, Mike Nolan, and CT Ticknor and naturalist Jim Kelley, we made the first landing of our Atlantic journey on the Portuguese island of Madeira, 360 miles off the coast of Africa. Madeira is a steep volcanic island walled by precipitous hillsides and ravines and covered in beautiful, verdant foliage. As we sailed into the harbor this morning, we could see that the island was crowned with dark clouds near the peaks from the moisture that accumulates steadily above from the lush foliage below. But only bright sunlight fell on us today as we tied up and entered the climbing city of Funchal. Much of this steep, dramatic island has been terraced, tunneled, and bridged by European development in the past century, and it was fun to navigate the three dimensional setting to get from one place to the next.
The group went into two directions. One group stayed in town for an informative guided tour of the city’s colorful market, the Madeira Story Centre Museum, an Embroidery Factory, a Jesuit Church, and the Museum of Sacred Art. The other group set out on a bus ride to Ponta Sao Lorenco on the east end of the island. Here, the lush trees abruptly ended, yielding to a barren, volcanic landscape that looms over the ocean. The hikers set out through the volcanic terrain, passing various cacti, shrubs, and gorgeous geologic formations colored in shades of orange, beige, yellow, and red. Along the way, the hike stopped at spectacular overlooks to peer down on the sailboats on the blue water far below or out to lonely pillars of volcanic rock jutting upwards and defying the crashing surf beneath.
After a brief rest break back on the ship, we finished the day with a climbing bus ride up through the clouds to the Abrigo do Pastor Restaurant high on the lofty island top for dinner. We sampled a traditional cabbage soup and also the local Scabbard fish (also known as Lancet fish), caught from the super deep waters surrounding the island. As we ate, we appreciated the entertainment of local musicians and dancers who performed the Fado style of music and some Madeiran folk dance. At long last, we descended back down the mountain to our quiet ship for a well deserved bedtime.
