Tag 111: Madeira - The Flower Island

The Portuguese archipelago with the main island Madeira is located in the Atlantic - west of Morocco, north of the Canary Islands and exactly 991 kilometers southwest of Portugal's capital Lisbon. Porto Santo is the only other significant island, the rest like the nearby Ilhas Desertas (Desert Islands) and the more remote Ilhas Selvagens (Wild Islands) are all uninhabited. Madeira is 794 square kilometers in size, 56 kilometers long, 23 kilometers wide and is inhabited by approximately 265,000 people. The capital is Funchal with approximately 102,000 inhabitants.

When we arrive in Funchal in the morning, there are already two cruise ships in the harbor, one of which is the AIDAnova. In comparison, we are a dwarf, which becomes clear as we glide slowly past. Later we learn that the three ships bring up to 10,000 guests to the city, which of course leads to long waiting times at the most popular tourist attractions (2 hours at the cable car to Monte, at least 1.5 hours for the sled ride). In addition, low clouds and Saharan dust on this day severely impair visibility. At the pier, the crew has set up a 2x2 meter poster on which everyone can sign and which will probably be auctioned off later for a good cause.

At the taxi stand, there are exactly two taxis, a van and a Mercedes C-Class. We head towards Carlos, who greets us in accent-free English and puts together a tour that is adapted to the poor visibility. We think that's great (30€ per person). We drive along narrow roads along the coast, with Carlos honking before every curve. This warns any oncoming traffic, as passing is only possible at specific points. After a short time, we arrive in Santa Cruz - Cancio at a statue of Christ (a smaller replica of the one in Rio) that can be circumvented or viewed from all sides via many steps.

Next, we go to the small fishing village of Camara de Lobos, which has remained very original and is infinitely proud of its most famous visitor, Winston Churchill. There are plenty of boats at the harbor and about 5-6 small bars side by side. Some are modern, at least one is still original. Carlos recommends that we try the national drink Poncha (orange juice, lemon juice, honey, and rum) exactly at this bar. It tastes so good to us that we have two rounds, including the effects of alcohol. The remarkable thing in this bar is a stuffed cow, to which a wine tank is connected to its udder. In the past, wine was tapped here for the guests, but the EU has now banned it for hygiene reasons. On the way back to Funchal, we stop at a viewpoint in San Martinho overlooking the port of Funchal, but the cruise ships can only be guessed at due to the Saharan dust.

In the evening, we meet Inacio Freitas on the pool deck, an AIDA enthusiast who lives here and welcomes every ship of the shipping company upon arrival and says goodbye when they depart. He is still busy mixing Poncha tonight and will later leave the AIDAmar together with the pilot. A lovable original!