Friday 1 October 2010

Madeira weekend (cont.). Part 3

26th of September
The Sunday  morning round the island "circuit" started with a cable car ride  upt to Babosas, near Mount Place Tropical Garden, where I had been to a few years ago, though the experience  of being "suspended" in beauty all around, that you would otherwise not have the chance to feel, is always worth repeating.

What sounds amazing is the fact that the cable car has replaced the steam train between Funchal and Monte, which ran between 1893 and 1943, using the rack railway of the old times.


We visited Nossa Senhora do Monte Church, where the last emperor of Austro-Hungary, Charles I (who came to Madeira in 1922, having died that same year with pneumonia) is buried.

It is said he has been enjoying notorious fame following his beatification (on account of his efforts to establish peace during World War I together with a miracle he was accounted for in 1960).


Senhora do Monte is a charming little church, with its painted roofs looking over the pilgrim like faith believers, and those who still firmly hold onto "miracles".


Statue of Charles I (Left) outside Nossa Senhora do Monte Church (Right).









We then took a sledge ride on the toboggans driven by  dressed in white "carreiros", whose name is fully justified by their ability to push us along those twisted, narrow alleys alternatively using their pushing or pulling strenghth prior or approachign the curves respectively.

I did enjoy the  twenty minute ride and  can finally say I have tried out something I had only seen depicted in postcards.


"Carreiros" (Left). Feliz and I initiating our sledge ride (Right).





The next stop over took us to  Eira do Serrado belvedere. As we were driving up, the sight of the rugged steep mountain gorges dropping into the ancient hearth of an extinct volvano below was frightful and took everyone's breath away by just imagining what it would be like to live in these "tamed" hills ...



On the way to Eira do Serrado (photos taken from inside the bus)





Having been considered one of the  more pristine and environmentally protected areas, Eira do Serrado was unfortunately set on fire last August, and many of its "wounds" were still to be seen.



Curral das Freiras as seen from Eira do Serrado belvedere (Left). Fire burnt vestiges to be seen on the way to Eira do Serrado belvedere (Right).




Our last stop, before having been taken to the airport, was at a restaurant in Câmara de Lobos. Winston Churchill was one of the most famous people ever to visit this fishing village in 1950 with the intent of painting, (which he did, precisely overlooking this same bay), writing the fourth volume of his war memories and relaxing.

Câmara de Lobos bay.


For some the trip to Madeira was a first experience ...  for others another to add to the previous ones ... yet  for almost everyone (I believe) a circuit to remember ...


The group who travelled to Madeira (one person is missing).







Note: Photo of Feliz and I initiating the sledge ride (courtesy of Isabel Castilho) and the group photo (courtesy of Rui Cadete).

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