Saturday 28 March to Saturday 4 April 2009
Set off for Funchal for a 7 day walking holiday - yes, me, walking. Been in serious training on Dartmoor over the weeks leading up to this trip and am feeling confident about my ability to slog a massive 10 miles (not much to many people but a lot for me!!) a day. Sadly it is tipping down with rain as we arrive and are collected and taken to our first hotel. This trip is walking from one hotel to the next, our bags being taken by a driver, so there is no escape, I have to walk - or no supper!!
Hotel Estalagem Serra Golf used to be - you guessed it - a golf hotel! This place is definitely not jumping, only us and one other couple here so ate a hasty dinner and departed to bed - still raining.
First day is a circular walk of 9 1/2 miles and another night here. Walked following the Levada Nova; these waterways are peculiar to Madeira and bring irrigation to lower levels. the earliest settlers here cultivated the lower slopes and made terraces up the slopes - basically Madeira is one big mountainous island. For the history lecture - by the early 1900s there were about 200 levadas and by the mid-1930s half of the island was irrigated and 2/3rds of the islands arrable land was cultivated. If the rainwater (and there is LOTS of it) hadn't been channelled it would have just gone back into the sea. Walked for hours (it seems) rained on and off and some parts were extremely vertiginous - bit scary for me....... D saw a Madeiran Firecrest so he was a very happy boy (oh to be so easily pleased....) Didn't see a single soul - very peaceful walking through dark forests with stunning views of the sea far below. Stopped at a bar (as you do) for a beer and chat with the locals although not much English spoken here................
Packed our bags next day and off for a 11 1/2 miler this time. Sat with the only other couple at the Hotel last night, Lionel and Mary. She is a tribunal judge and he works for Shell - good company and they love wine - what more could we ask for.... None of us want to walk together (they are doing the same trip) so we agreed to go our separate ways and maybe meet for drinks or dinner at other times during the week. Fine by us..... This days walk was much the same as yesterdays only the weather was a bit brighter. Had to walk through a couple of waterfalls which was "interesting". Arrived at Camacha (our next stop) which is situated on a high plateau (you had better believe it was high...) to the NorthEast of Funchal. Hotel called Largo da Achada - not a pretty construction but I was very very happy to see it! Stupendous views from their restaurant. Very cold as we are higher up, village very small, looked around local shops, visited the wicker factory (amazing what you can get made out of wicker you know) and headed back to hotel, dinner, bed in that order.
Day 3 - a 9 1/2 miler again - I have a sore toe and D has a blister on his heel - good start for the day. Weather still dull and cold but have to say, walking makes you warm! Crossed some very narrow strips with vertical drops one side and levadas the other. Didn't like that much and almost bottled it but the thought of having to go all the way back to the start was more than I could contemplate so plodded on. Actually quite enjoying it, up hill and down dale and finally arrived in the small town of Monte. Lovely 5 star hotel with fab room - has a pool which I immediately used - set high above Funchal. Cable car down into the city. Gardens amazing and need exploring tomorrow, right now its time for a "wine tasting" in the bar.....Sadly it was Madeiran wine which, to me, tastes like sherry - yuk. Bit posh here, had to dress for dinner, sadly drank too much which I know I will regret in the morning.
A day off from walking - we caught the cable car down into the city and managed to clock up another 5 miles just wandering through little alleys and the interesting old part of town! Weather warmer and sun shining although still not as hot as we expected. Visited the mercado dos lavradores - a lively indoor market. All the usual market stuff on sale plus the most beautiful orchids, pro teas and gingers. Bought some to bring home of course. Spend some time in Zona Velha - the old quarter which was formerly a slum but is now fashionably touristy. Everywhere you hear fado music in mournful Portuguese! Took taxi to Jardin Botanico da Maderia - more stunning flowers and gardens, but to be fair we are a bit early in the season and would imagine it to be exquisite in high season (the down side of course is that there would also be hundreds of people which there are most definitely not at the moment. French and Germans abound but not many Brits. Dinner was "interesting" - Doug had meat hanging off a metal rod stuck into the middle of the table - I had fish and bananas...........uummmm..
Taxi took us to the start of this days walk. Picnic lunches provided every day and always a surprise! An 8 miler today along the levada do Norte westwards towards Cabo Girao into different, drier landscape. Lots of vines here and deeply wooded valleys. Pretty easy walking and sun finally got warm enough to burn me! Zigzagging through terraces, houses, snarling dogs and fairly smiley people. All short, dark and incredibly muscly (is there such a word?) I guess they have to be as they live at the top of a mountain. This is a mainly fruit growing area - lots of cherries.. Took in the views (with a beer in hand) from the second highest sea cliff in Europe - wonder where the highest is? Anyway, this one is 580m above sea level.... Tonight it is the Hotel Quinta Jardin da Serra - another 5 star fab hotel, liking this, so different from most of our trip hotels..... 25m pool, steam room, jacuzzi - did all of them then finished the day with supper and yet another bottle of Portuguese wine. yum.
Last day - short 7.75 miles today! Taxi took us to start of the walk - a circular walk starting at Fontes to Boca da Corrida and our hotel. We walked with Mary and Lionel today, they have been good company in the evenings and we have had a lot of laughs (mainly alcohol induced it has to be said, but they both have interesting jobs and I have to say tribunal judges see it all....) Climbed through forest up very high to the peak with views into the unpopulated middle part of the island. Hot today. Path was overgrown in places but that is because we managed to get lost and finally scrambled through broom to find a pink hut with the usual old man sitting outside it, slightly bemused about where we had appeared from! He had one of those "only in Madeira" knitted hats on - if you haven't been there I can't describe them - sorry. Had lunch looking over the Nuns Valley (where they hid from pirates in the olden days apparently in circa1566!! Stopped in (yet another) bar on the way down for a beer and a chat with the cheery locals. Dinner this evening wasn't very good for some reason (chef probably on a night off) so finished it off with banana liqueur - tasted foul!
Time to go home. Weather turned cool again (or maybe its because I am not walking for the first time in 7 days! Half of me thinks the time has gone quickly, the other half thinks (and feels) like I have been here a very long time. Have enjoyed the trip more than I thought I would, pity about the weather but if I am honest it was a good temperature to walk in. Haven't lost any weight but do have remarkably sturdy calf muscles! Would do it again but somewhere else next time (maybe not so hilly?) Total miles walked on these stumps - 51.15 miles - not bad for a girl who doesn't like walking much!
Next trip China and Mongolia in June - yes!
Set off for Funchal for a 7 day walking holiday - yes, me, walking. Been in serious training on Dartmoor over the weeks leading up to this trip and am feeling confident about my ability to slog a massive 10 miles (not much to many people but a lot for me!!) a day. Sadly it is tipping down with rain as we arrive and are collected and taken to our first hotel. This trip is walking from one hotel to the next, our bags being taken by a driver, so there is no escape, I have to walk - or no supper!!
Hotel Estalagem Serra Golf used to be - you guessed it - a golf hotel! This place is definitely not jumping, only us and one other couple here so ate a hasty dinner and departed to bed - still raining.
First day is a circular walk of 9 1/2 miles and another night here. Walked following the Levada Nova; these waterways are peculiar to Madeira and bring irrigation to lower levels. the earliest settlers here cultivated the lower slopes and made terraces up the slopes - basically Madeira is one big mountainous island. For the history lecture - by the early 1900s there were about 200 levadas and by the mid-1930s half of the island was irrigated and 2/3rds of the islands arrable land was cultivated. If the rainwater (and there is LOTS of it) hadn't been channelled it would have just gone back into the sea. Walked for hours (it seems) rained on and off and some parts were extremely vertiginous - bit scary for me....... D saw a Madeiran Firecrest so he was a very happy boy (oh to be so easily pleased....) Didn't see a single soul - very peaceful walking through dark forests with stunning views of the sea far below. Stopped at a bar (as you do) for a beer and chat with the locals although not much English spoken here................
Packed our bags next day and off for a 11 1/2 miler this time. Sat with the only other couple at the Hotel last night, Lionel and Mary. She is a tribunal judge and he works for Shell - good company and they love wine - what more could we ask for.... None of us want to walk together (they are doing the same trip) so we agreed to go our separate ways and maybe meet for drinks or dinner at other times during the week. Fine by us..... This days walk was much the same as yesterdays only the weather was a bit brighter. Had to walk through a couple of waterfalls which was "interesting". Arrived at Camacha (our next stop) which is situated on a high plateau (you had better believe it was high...) to the NorthEast of Funchal. Hotel called Largo da Achada - not a pretty construction but I was very very happy to see it! Stupendous views from their restaurant. Very cold as we are higher up, village very small, looked around local shops, visited the wicker factory (amazing what you can get made out of wicker you know) and headed back to hotel, dinner, bed in that order.
Day 3 - a 9 1/2 miler again - I have a sore toe and D has a blister on his heel - good start for the day. Weather still dull and cold but have to say, walking makes you warm! Crossed some very narrow strips with vertical drops one side and levadas the other. Didn't like that much and almost bottled it but the thought of having to go all the way back to the start was more than I could contemplate so plodded on. Actually quite enjoying it, up hill and down dale and finally arrived in the small town of Monte. Lovely 5 star hotel with fab room - has a pool which I immediately used - set high above Funchal. Cable car down into the city. Gardens amazing and need exploring tomorrow, right now its time for a "wine tasting" in the bar.....Sadly it was Madeiran wine which, to me, tastes like sherry - yuk. Bit posh here, had to dress for dinner, sadly drank too much which I know I will regret in the morning.
A day off from walking - we caught the cable car down into the city and managed to clock up another 5 miles just wandering through little alleys and the interesting old part of town! Weather warmer and sun shining although still not as hot as we expected. Visited the mercado dos lavradores - a lively indoor market. All the usual market stuff on sale plus the most beautiful orchids, pro teas and gingers. Bought some to bring home of course. Spend some time in Zona Velha - the old quarter which was formerly a slum but is now fashionably touristy. Everywhere you hear fado music in mournful Portuguese! Took taxi to Jardin Botanico da Maderia - more stunning flowers and gardens, but to be fair we are a bit early in the season and would imagine it to be exquisite in high season (the down side of course is that there would also be hundreds of people which there are most definitely not at the moment. French and Germans abound but not many Brits. Dinner was "interesting" - Doug had meat hanging off a metal rod stuck into the middle of the table - I had fish and bananas...........uummmm..
Taxi took us to the start of this days walk. Picnic lunches provided every day and always a surprise! An 8 miler today along the levada do Norte westwards towards Cabo Girao into different, drier landscape. Lots of vines here and deeply wooded valleys. Pretty easy walking and sun finally got warm enough to burn me! Zigzagging through terraces, houses, snarling dogs and fairly smiley people. All short, dark and incredibly muscly (is there such a word?) I guess they have to be as they live at the top of a mountain. This is a mainly fruit growing area - lots of cherries.. Took in the views (with a beer in hand) from the second highest sea cliff in Europe - wonder where the highest is? Anyway, this one is 580m above sea level.... Tonight it is the Hotel Quinta Jardin da Serra - another 5 star fab hotel, liking this, so different from most of our trip hotels..... 25m pool, steam room, jacuzzi - did all of them then finished the day with supper and yet another bottle of Portuguese wine. yum.
Last day - short 7.75 miles today! Taxi took us to start of the walk - a circular walk starting at Fontes to Boca da Corrida and our hotel. We walked with Mary and Lionel today, they have been good company in the evenings and we have had a lot of laughs (mainly alcohol induced it has to be said, but they both have interesting jobs and I have to say tribunal judges see it all....) Climbed through forest up very high to the peak with views into the unpopulated middle part of the island. Hot today. Path was overgrown in places but that is because we managed to get lost and finally scrambled through broom to find a pink hut with the usual old man sitting outside it, slightly bemused about where we had appeared from! He had one of those "only in Madeira" knitted hats on - if you haven't been there I can't describe them - sorry. Had lunch looking over the Nuns Valley (where they hid from pirates in the olden days apparently in circa1566!! Stopped in (yet another) bar on the way down for a beer and a chat with the cheery locals. Dinner this evening wasn't very good for some reason (chef probably on a night off) so finished it off with banana liqueur - tasted foul!
Time to go home. Weather turned cool again (or maybe its because I am not walking for the first time in 7 days! Half of me thinks the time has gone quickly, the other half thinks (and feels) like I have been here a very long time. Have enjoyed the trip more than I thought I would, pity about the weather but if I am honest it was a good temperature to walk in. Haven't lost any weight but do have remarkably sturdy calf muscles! Would do it again but somewhere else next time (maybe not so hilly?) Total miles walked on these stumps - 51.15 miles - not bad for a girl who doesn't like walking much!
Next trip China and Mongolia in June - yes!
No comments:
Post a Comment