09.05.2024

There is no Father's Day in Catholic Madeira, but there is Father's Day weather and even at 7.30 p.m. the sun is still shining. It is hard to imagine cycling here, so we continued our alpine Tour de France training on foot and by car, 20,000 steps, where we went up and down again. First we drove to Porto Moniz in the north-west of the island, known for its lava pools. It was very tranquil, the big rush is yet to come. Here, too, small lizards are sunning themselves on the warm stones and there are always flowers. The ones with the blue "heads", the viper's bugloss and the bird of paradise, which represents Madeira, grow without much care. The "hanging lamps", some of them 2m high, are large, faded rosettes. The red and black crabs are also sunning themselves on the warm rocks. The fleshy rosettes that cling to the rocks and produce many yellow flowers are also impressive. An old road led to individual rocks in the Atlantic - a great photo opportunity. Miradouros - beautiful views, are always marked. The last Miradouro do Massapez was recommended for sunset, but it was also beautiful in the late afternoon: clean picnic benches with shade roofs, fireplace, water tap and toilet. The Japanese would have been happy! But we haven't met any yet. Many Germans, French, Dutch and even more English people travel to the island, in addition to the Portuguese. It is still the off-season, but even then the crowds are sometimes enough.