Madeira - Day 19 - Jardin Botanico

When I tried to go to the botanical gardens on Saturday I got impatient waiting for the bus and gave up on the idea, so, schedule in hand (ok on my phone), I set out again today.

Sunshine was sitting on the wall, flicking her tail and surveying her domain.

Of course she then got angry at her tail for disturbing her.

The route 22 bus came after only a few minutes wait and I took a rather frightening ride up the hill. Hairpin bends (at one point the driver had to do a three point turn to get around the corner), other vehicles having to back up and steep drop offs. You really can't have vertigo on this island.

The route terminates at Barbosas which is a little community slightly east of where the cable car terminal is on the Monte.

I bought a ticket for the smaller cable car and the botanical garden and walked into the ravine

I shared the ride with a couple from England who said they were down for a "chill week".

I think this ravine is too steep even for the Madeirans to build on.

The terminal had a snack bar, extensive souvenir shop

and fabulous views across Funchal (2 huge a 1 small cruise ships in port today)

I had been told by someone on one of my guided walks that there wasn't much to see at this time of year at the botanical gardens and she said it wasn't worth going. Well I did not find that to be my experience.

There were plenty of flowers

many of which I didn't recognize.

Others I knew as "indoor plants"

or from bouquets in florist shops.

Even when the plants were not in flower there were contrasts in foliage colour

or texture.

Many of the plantings were labelled but not in a way that helped me though it was nice to know where they were from.

There was a lot of work being done and walking these rough stone paths I could smell freshly turned soil and hear the new watering system that was being put in and tested.

Unlike the Monte Palace gardens, water features were few and far between.

There tended to be banks of the same plant

resulting in a mass of colour.

There were trees and plenty of shade but

the emphasis was on the plants

and shrubs.

To be continued .....