Madeira - Day 26 - Carnival prep.

After a relaxing morning I headed down to the Tourist Information office to get a schedule for Carnival events.

I popped into another little church and was, again,

impressed with the beautifully painted

ceiling and

tiles around the bottom half of the walls

and in the foyer.

I picked up the schedule for Carnival, in English. Musical events and carnival workshops had started at the beginning of the week. The children's parade is on Friday morning, the big parade on Saturday evening and then another "slapstick" parade next Tuesday. Music in the parks and special events in the museums were also listed.

Flags promoting Carnival

lined the streets.

The open space in front of the Cathedral and along the main shopping road

was starting to get that Carnival feel with the decorations,

stalls (some of them open already) selling local products, music and stages set up for theatrical and musical events.

Even the trees are dressed for the occasion.

Continuing along Avenida Arriaga, the Ritz Hotel has painted tile panels on the walls.

They depict local Madeiran history, culture

and landmarks.

The avenue ends at a roundabout where there are stairs up to Jardim de Santa Caterina which has a large lawn

surrounded by gardens

culminating in a pond with fountains, ducks and swans.

It's a great place to look out over the harbour.

Clear enough today to see the Islas Desertas.

I had to look it up ! - it translates to "airflow" or "slipstream".

Statue of Christopher Columbus, who lived for a few years on the Madeiran Islands, having married the daughter of the governor of Porto Santo  (the closest occupied island to Madeira)

Time for lunch. At Sunny Bar again I ordered a hamburger this time. It came with no bun, served on french fries with a fried egg on top????? OK? This actually suited me perfectly because I don't eat much bread and would probably have taken it out of a bun anyway.

Winding my way back through the narrow streets I found myself at the back of the Cathedral.

Tiles on the steeple. (and the clock was wrong)

Madeira - Day 25 - Freitas Museum

Today I went looking for the museum that held the tile collection that Joao and Blanca's son, Juan, had mentioned on Sunday. Blanca sent me a link to the mention of it on the tourist web site and my guide book made mention of it. Trip Advisor had mixed reviews (mostly about the staff) and generally called it a "quirky" museum. But from all of that I had a general idea where it was and took the guide book map with me.

Looking up this narrow street I saw the bright pink colour and remembered the picture on the web site. Through iron gates, past a water feature,

up a driveway and

I was at the house.

There is a modern addition that houses the ceramic tile collection. Unfortunately you are not allowed to take pictures. There are three stories of tiles, displayed on the walls and in glass cases. Most are from Madeira, made in Spain and Portugal, if I was reading the Portuguese labeling correctly. There was also a large collection of Dutch tiles, some quite old and primitive and a small number of English tiles, mostly Art Deco. My plan is to take my sketchbook back there and draw some of them.
I wasn't allowed to take pictures in the house either:
The taste for objects, especially those related to Madeira, had in Frederico Augusto de Freitas, a Funchalese notary, a meticulous and dedicated collector. When he moved into this house, he found enough space to place the hundreds of pieces he had collected during his life. You will find almost anything in this museum, from English style furniture, ivory and paintings to pottery, religious images and an outstanding collection of glazed tiles… just to name some of the exhibits on display. From the Madeiran tourist site.
When I entered I was given a booklet in English which described the purpose of each of the rooms and highlighted some of the artifacts. It really was an inspiring collection of decorative furniture and accessories as well as works of art. Lots of heavy, carved wood furniture and then some with beautiful delicate inlays; desks, tables, sofas, chairs, musical instruments, boxes, glassware, ceramics, you name it, he collected it. The oldest rooms in the house also had ornate molding and painted ceilings, original wood floors and oriental rugs throughout. It was a large house with a ballroom, separate office and library, a few sitting rooms, games room, parlor, formal and informal dining rooms, tea room, bedrooms. All housing his extensive collection. Two rooms held his wife's collection of mugs (she also expanded into water and milk jugs)

I was permitted to take pictures in the Winter Garden

which was a little courtyard, off the tea room,

with a glass roof.

I could also take pictures in the garden.

Once out of the museum, I was now on the hunt for tiles.

Like on the steeple of the little church just down the street.

Built in 1596 and its doors were open!

Inside, its walls were entirely lined with simple blue and white tiles

Uneven and rough in places, they dated back to the early 17th century.

It had an ornate alter area and a fabulous painted ceiling

It wasn't until looking at this photo on the computer that I realized it was wood.

On the walk home, a house with a tiled second story.

Madeira - Day 24 - Camacha

I have pretty well got the hang of the urban bus system but today tried the inter-urban for the first time (there are 4 bus companies in Madeira)

The bus stop is next to the cable car station (which had a huge line-up today, maybe from the big cruise ship in port).

I had a schedule that indicated there was a bus to Camacha at 11pm. I left the house at 10, walked down and tried to figure out which bus and how to get a ticket. Turns out you have to know the # of the route (129 for Camacha) and then find the bus stop that has that number and then buy the ticket from the bus driver. All fine and logical once you know. It took the help of a few official looking people to piece together an understanding of the system.
It left at exactly 11 and wound up the hills to the East. Took about half an hour, stopping to drop off and pick up a half dozen times.

The O Relogio (clock) wicker factory is right on the town square.

This is a traditional craft and the willows are harvested here, soaked

and pulled through blades to ensure uniformity.

On each of the three stories there were people demonstrating the craft,

making the products

that were for sale

on the main floor.

They used a  sharp metal pointed instrument, a template to work around and their fast moving hands.

On one floor was this replica of a ship

and furniture, both plain and intricate.

A wicker toboggan for descending the Monte.

The main floor retail space was a mass of wicker - baskets, hampers,

egg cups, bowls, hats, trays,

Some that would just be dust collectors

and some that I found very tempting.

So much

wicker.

I needed a coffee and slice of lemon tart to recover.

While I sat recuperating, this monster pulled up, full of people. I was glad I had got out of the wicker factory before the crowds arrived.

The town square had some lovely flowers

and an abundance of little lizards sunning themselves.

I walked around a bit, finding the church, supermarket, pharmacy and a couple of bars and restaurants, but all required navigation of steep inclines. The planted area in front of the wicker factory was the only flat space and that was where the other claim to fame for Camacha occurred. The first football (soccer) game (introduced by a Brit) played in Portugal, happened here in 1875. Now they are football crazy!

There is a levada walk that you can do from here and I will come back, with good shoes and hiking poles, but for now I caught the bus back.

Another cruise ship in port.