A Rainy Day

-and then came the rain!

The day didn't start out so bad. Once again, two cruise ships were in the harbor. Brightly lit, they were clearly visible in the darkness around 8:00 AM.

Today there was no early appointment for us; so we could sleep in and then have breakfast. The oatmeal was topped with as much fresh, wonderful, and delicious fruit as we rarely have at home. I completely forgot to load the Pastel de Nata onto my plate for the second coffee. It only occurred to me much later when there was no shop with these delicacies nearby.

We also arranged for a Levada hike for tomorrow, then we wanted to take a walk along the sea. The bus 05A was supposed to take us to the start in the district of Funchal with its many hotels. However, we spent some time searching for the mentioned bus. At least the search was successful and a small electric bus took us to our desired destination. I also understand that many visitors to the city of Funchal have to stay somewhere.

But I didn't expect so many different hotels. From the venerable Hotel Ritz to roofs lined with palm trees to modern glass palaces, everything was represented.In some hotels, the restaurants or bars were located directly on the ground floor; there was also a small supermarket. Perhaps there were vacation apartments housed in the building.

The variety of offered cuisine was very diverse: Pizza and pasta; burgers & co; ramen and sushi as well as many fish locales of different types.

We were immediately drawn to the water, even though the sky promised rain. The rain followed a few moments later. Very gentle, but wet is wet. Fortunately, at the sea swimming pool, there were not only souvenirs, but also a covered bar, with various foods, drinks, and ice cream. Bica is always a good choice and so are fries. We could then sit in the dry for a while. The sea was close by, but even here a tarp had been lowered as a precaution.

We used a short dry spell to take a glance at the sea and the surf. It was impressive to see how the water was forcefully crashed against the rocks.

Unfortunately, it started to rain again. We postponed the hike, took the bus back to the city center, and then visited a public park. Here, the many light strings were taken from the trees and well packed for transport.

So, up the hill to the hotel again, to give the knee some rest. Let's see where we will eat tonight. There are definitely many options offered here.

See you soon!