Post 11



Madeira Shopping, Dining, and Hiking - 

While Captain Anthony arranged for some scheduled warranty maintenance on the engines and obtained added provisions for the next leg of our crossing, Bartek joined me for a day trip into the capital of Madeira. We were in search of some electronics, gifts, sight seeing, beers, and lunch.  Anthony hired a car for his errands and dropped us at the airport where we took a BOLT (they don’t have Uber here) into town. 

We were not disappointed with the charming side streets of Funchal. Funchal is the capital city of Madeira and is known for its colorful architecture and picturesque streets. We walked the cobblestone streets and I popped into some of the local shops, where I was successful in finding gifts for Terri, Taylor, Cara, Tyler, and Doris. Then we headed for a bite to eat in one of the many cafes/restaurants on the side streets.

As we returned to the Quinta do Lorde Marina, we were greeted by our new crew member, Jerry Elliott. 

Once Captain Anthony retuned with more supplies, we quickly unloaded the car and headed off to Pescador in Canical for Bartek’s farewell dinner. Pescador is a small casual restaurant on a tight small street with great service and wonderful food.

We had a delicious meal of shrimp, mussels, octopus, tuna belly, beef, fries, salad, potatoes, beer and wine. While it was all really good, the tuna belly was excellent! 

Throughout the short week at the marina, we also had several opportunities to head off to our marina bar - Harbour Bar - to chat, grab an espresso, and have few pints. Harbor Bar is a great place to relax, practice your Portuguese (if you know any) and soak up the sun and stunning scenery. The “harbor bar” is the perfect spot to unwind with a drink (espresso, local Madeira wine, and Coral beers) and think/talk about the next leg of our journey. 

On Wednesday, I was up for a bit more exercise, so after we delivered Bartek to the airport, I grabbed a BOLT and head to Cais do Sardinha to tackle one of the scenic hiking trails. These trails are not for the weak hearted. They offer breathtaking cliff-side views of the ocean and volcanic terrain, but require proper hiking shoes or tennis shoes - no flip flops. After a 1+ hour hike (depending on how many times you stop to take pictures), I arrived at a small bar in the middle of an oasis, which is the turn-around point of the trail and a well-deserved break to enjoy a cold beer and sandwich before continuing back. The hike was a great way to get some needed exercise and take in the natural beauty of this western side of Madeira.

For our final dinner on land Anthony, Jerry, and I headed to Pipa, a restaurant on the northern side of the Island. Again, it did not disappoint. Another terrific meal. But this time the waiter offered me complimentary poncha. As my buddy Steve Mosby like to say, “Be careful drinking it, cause that train has a hard stop!” The waiter also brought two extra shots; hmm. Then I quickly realized he and another waiter were stopping by to drink those, when the boss wasn’t looking. ROTFL

Poncha is a traditional alcoholic drink from the island of Madeira, made with aguardente de cana (distilled alcohol made from sugar cane juice), honey, sugar, and either orange juice or lemon juice. Some varieties include other fruit juices.

Finally, on Thursday morning (after a rough night sleep; poncha does have a hard stop!) customs arrived at the marina, cleared us to leave and we set sail south, loaded with extra fuel and water, in search of the westerly winds.

If you are trying to plan a trip to relax and do some wonderful sight seeing, I highly recommend Madeira. I will definitely return. This island offers a wide range of activities for travelers of all interests. Whether you're looking to shop and eat in the charming streets of Funchal, relax and soak up the scenery at Quinta do Lorde Marina, or hike the scenic trails of Cais do Sardinha, there's something for everyone.

Cheers, 

Paul

P.S. Remember, you can click on this tracker link to follow us across the Atlantic on an interactive map via Iridium Go - thanks to Captain Anthony.