7/19/24 Levada Hike and Farewell Dinner

Levada, a system of irrigation channels transporting water through the mountainous terrain, primarily from the west and northwest to the drier southeast, was manually dug out for more than 1,000 miles and over 15 miles of tunnels in the 16th century. Today, it still supplies water and hydroelectric power to the southern region.

Views from the Levada trail.

Common Chaffinch (above and below).

 

Common chicken.

Views on the way to the North Coast...

Unfortunately, not enough time for Go Karts on Madeira Beach.

Final view of the Madeira Coast.

Santana's houses are known from the outside for their triangular shape and unique coloring. 

This was one of the best trips I've taken, thanks to Catia Mealha, such an enigmatic Trip Experience Leader, my fellow travelers, incredible weather, and the opportunity to share 12 days in paradise.  

To heavily borrow from Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet..."Parting is such sweet sorrow that I shall say good night till it be morrow."

 

 7/18/24 Cetacean Boat Ride and Southern Tour of the Island

Ahoy matey! Time to try to spot cetaceans 

(marine mammals) belonging to the order Cetacea 

(a whale, dolphin, or porpoise).

Do not worry; this is NOT our speedboat.

This is our speedboat.

(Photo courtesy of Catia.)

Happiness exudes from this smile!

How can you NOT love this woman and all she did for us

on this trip? Staying up into the wee hours to text us with heartfelt 

messages and wonderful, incredible photos.

I love this photo of you!

(Photo courtesy of Barb Totaro.)

Dolphin Spottings...

https://youtu.be/yG92v_DxFGo

https://youtu.be/ccvQYbq24vA

https://youtu.be/4q5ATG_p73U

Crab also enjoys the ride and gets a brief respite from hungry dolphins.

Cristo Rei. 

I wish I had more time to hike to this iconic statue.

9 PM in LG.DO CHAFARIZ.

 7/17/24 Fly to Madeira and Funchal, City and Wine Tour

Madeira is also an autonomous archipelago of Portugal, approximately 600 miles southeast of the Azores. It is a paradise with black sand beaches, volcanic vineyards, and intricate irrigation channels. Visitors, particularly those who love the great outdoors, have plenty of activities.

The first settlers chose "Funchal" because of the abundance of wild fennel growing on its shores. It remains an important maritime port and is one of the leading island destinations in Europe.

City Walk starting with the Funchal Square Madeira...

The longest ATM in Madeira.

City Hall.

Igreja de Sao Joao Dvangelista

Wine Tasting at Pereira D'Oliveira

Chris and Don.

I'm not a fan of Madeira, but Chris, Don, Jennifer, and Lauri loved it.

(Photo courtesy of Catia.)

Beautiful, elegant water fountain.

False Bird of Paradise at the farmer's market.

Flamingo-lily at the farmer's market.

Cathedral of Funchal (above and below).

Bank of Portugal.

Downtown Park Water Sculptures 

(above and below).

 7/16/24 Furnas Caldera, Thermal Water Bath, Cozido, and Tea Plantation

We packed our bathing suits for our visit to Lagoa Dad Furnas, an area containing a crater lake dotted with volcanic hot springs and fumaroles (openings in the earth that emit gas). 

We were excited about the healing power of the mineral pools there - until we climbed the few stairs to the lake, only to be greeted by unappealing rusty orange water with what appeared to be grease slicks. Absolute silence prevailed. I should have left after taking the group photo and headed to the warmer, muddier Terra Nostra Park thermal pools instead. 

Don and Chris didn't waste time relaxing in a more private pool, and they didn't come away with orange-stained bathing suits either. 

Caldera fumaroles are formed when water condenses and

 pressure drops upon emerging from the ground.

Cozido das Furnas, a traditional cooking method, harnesses this geothermal energy by using the earth's steam to cook the food. The food is lowered in a large pot deep into the ground to cook for five hours.  

We had a chance to try this hearty Cozido during lunchtime, and it

didn't disappoint.

We visited Gorreana Tea Plantation, family-owned and operated 

since 1883, the only tea operation in Europe, 

on the way back through the Northern Coast.

(Photo courtesy of Catia.)

Incredible vistas on the way back to our hotel...

 7/10/24 Whirlwind Lisbon Panoramic Tour

Having visited these main sites over nine years ago, I was happy to revisit them again, especially the monuments from Portugal's Golden Age.

The Belém Tower, formerly the Tower of Vincent, 

is a 16th-century fortification located in the civil parish 

of Santa Maria de Belém.

Jennifer and I welcomed a newer monument discovery.

The Monument to the Discoveries.

Jeronimos Monastery

Jeronimos Monastery

We decided to skip the massive line entering the monastery. 

Instead, we chose the longer line for the 500-calorie tarts. 

    Pastéis de Belém on Rue de Belém makes the best Portuguese custard tart worldwide as verified by Barb, Pam, and Jennifer. (Especially with extra powdered sugar that clung to my nostrils for hours).               

(Photo courtesy of Catia.)

When I heard we were visiting the National Coach Museum, I thought we were going to a retail center for Coach high-end purses (ho-hum). Once I saw this horse and its carriage, I breathed a sigh of relief that we wouldn't spend hours shopping. Instead, we were fixated on a unique collection of vehicles from the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, including coaches, berlins, sedan chairs, and more.

There was a space below the shared floor 

for those who needed frequent potty breaks.

An exceptional collection of ceremonial coaches 

and other ornate horse-drawn carriages. 

One of Lisbon's most visited sights.

Ponte 25 de Abril, the 32nd largest suspended bridge in the world, crosses the Tagus River and connects Lisbon with Almada. 

Just behind the bridge is a statue of the Sanctuary of Christ the King (built to resemble Rio de Janeiro's Christ the Redeemer), which was built in gratitude for Portugal's being spared from destruction during the Second World War.

Praca do Comercio Square.

The Remodelado yellow trams.

Carmo Convent, former monastery of the Carmelite Order in Lisbon.

Tight quarters in the Alfama District.

(Photo courtesy of Catia.)