Exploring

Flexibility -- got to have it.  This morning the breakfast room was so crowded (German bus tour) that we walked down to the dock and checked out the boats in the harbour.  When we got back, just about 9 and basically had the place to ourselves.  See, be flexible, be happy.

Today was an exploring day -- to see if this place would make a nice cycling holiday.  We went across the island -- about 8 km if you go directly north of Ponta Delgada.  There are a number of different grades of roads.  The Via Rapida don't allow tractors, bicycles or cows, so there would be no cycling there.  The 'red' road (colour on our map) is called a main road.  It allows the aforementioned items and we met all except the bicycles.  The tractors really move, and the cows, well, no bells but a fit, fifty-year old in shorts chasing them along the road.  Reminds me of the sheep in New Zealand.

We stopped along some of the little villages which perch on the cliffs and at the mouths of the rivers which come out of the mountains to the sea.  Fishermen were working on lines, boats were out in the harbour, guys were sweeping the streets.  Normal life.  Stop in at a cafe and grab a coffee (espresso) in about 3.5 minutes at the counter.  Normal life. Pilgrims walking along the street.  Normal life.

We got all the way to Nordeste. Every place has a local church in the classic black and white motif.  They are not ridiculously ornate, but seem fitting to the towns.  In most places you can hear village kids out on recess and cows mooing.  Cows, very important residents here.  They have fabulously green pastures and overpasses to connect pastures divided by the Via Rapida.

Goreanna is one of only two remaining tea plantations here on Sao Miguel.  They make an orange pekoe and a green tea.  Ian and I both preferred the latter.  Nice tasting room after we wandered through the production area -- currently shut down as tea harvest season doesn't start till Mid March.  It goes till mid October.

Nice exploring!

Ponta hasn't changed

I wrote yesterday that it felt like coming home, being back in this hotel in this city.  There is something comforting about that, one compares the present to the past and remembers the unique items.

We walked over the north part of town today, to Decathlon and to the big mall.  Got some good bargains, but also noticed the changes, or maybe just noticed things that we didn't 1.5 years ago.  The last time we were here it was October, and now the spring flowers are out.  Yes, in one garden we saw daffodils, magnolia blossoms, azaleas, camellias, birds of paradise.  Hoping that my little sago palm gets inspired by the picture.  Would be so nice to be able to grow that in my garden!

One of the things we like about this place is that it feels much more 'real' rather than touristy like Medeira.  We sat in the cafeteria at the supermarket with our cafe and Nata (coffee and custard tart), just like the other people on a Sunday afternoon.  We were looking at gardens along with the locals, checking out the places for sale.  

Nice to wander and enjoy the city.

Venue change

Well, today was the 'move to another island' day.

Ian was feeling better (good thing) and we drove out to the east side of the island.  We had a nice coffee by the harbour in Machico and then went north to a little town called St. Jorge.  Just on the whim, we stopped where there was a spot to park and followed a restaurant sign to an old farm with thatched buildings.  It turned out to be a great restaurant where we had marinated pork chunks -- more than we could eat.  There was a german shepherd dog running around on the roof and a cherimoya tree with fruit in the yard.

Returning the rental car -- somehow the mirror got scratched -- not while we were in the car.  Expensive mirror!  Flight on time and arrived in Ponta Delgada.  Much nicer driving here.  We arrived nicely.  Almost felt like coming home.

Unexpected

The saying goes "if life gives you lemons, make lemonade".  And if your travelling companion gets sick, go out anyways.

Well, Ian did end up with some kind of tummy upset which kept him in the room all day -- most of it sleeping.  And so, the plan to drive to the north end of the island again and east this time, did not happen.  But, I was out most of the day -- walking west to the 'angel' -- a statue in a roundabout, and then back.  Checked out the mall again, but there was really nothing of interest.

I guess most people who come here for an extended vacation -- the British and the Germans -- spend their day much the same way -- walking everywhere to enjoy the flowers (fabulous) and the ocean.  

We go to cafes for a treat and then walk some more.  One's legs get much stronger and the hills are not as daunting.  We learn which grocery store has the specialty items we want.  We check in on the folks at home -- both in the hotel and via the internet.  We enjoy a simple supper and a glass or two of wine (starting at about 2 euros a bottle, not a hardship).  We go to bed early and just have a totally different day than the ones at home.

 We appreciate the views!

Down day

One of the things I have learned about vacations is that every once in a while, one needs to take a day to relax with no agenda.  Today was such a day.

I wandered into town and poked around the old part of town, finding where the locals go for all kinds of everyday stuff -- chef's knives and religious icons in one store, the department bazaar with everything from toys to linens to wooden boxes to jewellery to clothes, to kitchen gadgets, to..... you get the picture.  There was the factory that makes cookies and the local speciality honey and cinnamon cake.

We had dinner at the restaurant rated #1 on Trip Advisor -- La Vacha Negra -- an Argentinian steakhouse.  The mixed grill we ordered was probably the best plate of beef I have ever had at a restaurant.  Wonderful!

And on a little stroll, we saw growing, that unusual green fruit we had sampled earlier this week!  Monstera Deliciosa.

Madeira's non-tourist side

Up to today, we have been poking around the major city of Madeira -- Funchal.  It has some interesting sights and shops, but today it was time to venture out.  And it certainly is a venture.

If we had thought that Funchal was up and down, we now have a very different perspective, having driven to the north coast and then back over the central mountains.  The first  things that struck us was the number of tunnels.  I checked and the top 4 (at least) roadway tunnels in Portugal, are on this island.  They are spectacular arched pieces of engineering, wonderfully lit and with escape routes at least every 500 m.  The cost must have been staggering.  And, along the VR1 (Via Rapida) the tunnels are only two lanes wider -- both in the same direction, so there are twice as many per section of roadway.  I can understand the construction of such marvels along the most densely populated southern coast, but the main road along the north coast boasts tunnels too!  And here there is very little traffic, from what we observed.  Little towns still sit on the beaches where a river emerges from the cliffs, but on this side of the island, there is almost no flat land and so very few grape terraces or fields.  It is no surprise that the north was settled much later than the south.

We stopped for lunch in Porto Moniz which is the north west point of the island.  The municipal pools are crystal clear, dammed tidal pools between outcroppings of volcanic rock.  Very creative use of a natural structure.  Climbing out of Porto Moniz was certainly the steepest drive I have every made in a standard car, but I was most grateful being in a tiny little Skoda rather than a huge long Volvo bus when going around the switchbacks.

We climbed far over the clouds up to about 1600m and found snow at the side of the road in places.  There are a number of walks along water channels, but with Ian's sore back, uneven ground and up and down are not a good idea.

Having returned safely and without getting lost, we will probably explore another section tomorrow.

Claim to fame

It is said that everyone gets 15 minutes of fame.  Well, in terms of places, each has something it claims is unique or especially noteworthy.  We checked out a few of Madeira's claims today.

There is a cliff west of Funchal which, at 580 metres, is the second highest seacliff in the world.  At Cabo Girao there is a walk extending over the edge of the cliff and a glass floor so that you can marvel at the incredible distance below you to the water.  Almost as spectacular is the drive up to this lookout point in a large bus which just barely makes the turns in the switchbacks on the road.  We saw our first vineyards here, terraced on the steep hillsides.  The vines are just starting to bud out for spring.

Blandy's is the number one name in Madeira wine.  Actually, it is the Madeira wine company, an amalgamation of smaller wine producers on the island with the bigger Blandy winery at a time when the consumption of Madeira wine was decreasing.  At their "Lodge", one can take a tour, learning about the different grapes used, location on the island, fermentation and again style, history of wine - making, with museum, and finally a tasting of two different Madeira wines.  It was a pleasant way to spend an hour on a lovely spring afternoon, but we were not so impressed that we needed to purchase some to bring home.

The bolo de caco is a traditional sweet potato bread done on a hot stone griddle almost like an English muffin.  It is a very common bread, even being made on the street (complete with industrial size mixer in the booth).  It is baked on one side and then flipped over pancake style.  Every bakery and grocery store sells their own slightly different version and they are a lovely accompaniment to just about anything sweet or savoury.

And for dessert, one has to try the many different versions of the honey and cinnamon cake (bolo de mel de canel) usually with a very few dried fruit and nuts.  This dense spicy cake is reminiscent of dark fruit cake, but features the cake rather than the fruit.

So that's the end of our two day hop-on-hop-off tour.  Tomorrow we plan to try driving again.