Madeira - Day 1

I left home at about 4:30 on Thursday and arrived at my new home in Madeira at 3am on Saturday (10pm Friday Ontario time). It was a day of delays and gate changes (in Toronto and Lisbon), a missed connection (due to the Toronto delay) and then more delays, a cancellation and more delays in Lisbon. There were a lot of frustrated TAP (Air Portugal) passengers but on the plus side Lisbon airport is quite nice and not too large, TAP gave me 16 euro to buy dinner and I did get about 4hours sleep on the Toronto to Lisbon leg. My arrival in Madeira went seamlessly. I had phoned my landlords from Lisbon to tell them about, what I hoped was, my final delay, and they said they would be awake and waiting for me at the house. My taxi driver then also called them to get directions so they knew exactly when I was going to arrive. Blanca and Joao were lovely, assuring me it was Ok and showing me around the house even though all of us were acting like zombies.
I locked up after they left, fell into bed and woke at 7am, dozed til 11 and then got on with my day.

They had left bread, milk, coffee and water on the dining room table for me, so breakfast was taken care of.

Madeira greeted me with bright sunlight and a warm breeze so I had my coffee and bread on the patio

watching the gondola going up the hill beside me

and looking over the

little garden, beside the driveway, below me.

At about 1pm I set out for the grocery store as shopping was the only thing on my agenda for today. This is the road at the end of my street. That is how steep it is and explains why the motorcycles make such a noise (gearing down and reving to get up it)

Luckily a bus went by just as I left my street and I noted the route number - 26. I walked steadily down hill. It is so steep it is actually hard on my knees.

Beautiful flowers in the gardens as I wandered down residential streets until I got to a main road and into the shopping centre. About a 15 minute walk.

I walked into the Mercado even though I knew I was really too late. Blanca had told me it was expensive but a bit better on Friday and Saturday when the farmers market is on.

They were packing up

So busy taking pictures that I forgot to buy any bananas.

I have no idea what to do with these so I bought one beautiful, but rather expensive, mango

before I peaked in to the fish area that was being cleaned and really smelled.

I left these colourful displays and found the grocery store that Blanca had marked on a map for me.

I wasn't sure about my ability to find the bus stop so didn't weigh myself down too much, just got essentials for todays dinner and things like butter, shampoo, toothpaste - enough to fill my back pack and my shopping bag. I did find the bus stop and the driver let me off right at my corner.

My home for the next couple of months. It is a semi and Blanca, Joao and their children live in the other side. The top balcony is my bedroom and the lower one is the patio area with the garage, driveway and garden below it.

Jet lag caught up with me and I didn't feel like cooking so supper was bread, butter, cheese and salad.

The wine was on sale at the grocery store for 2.50 Euro (under $5) and was lovely.