Madeira - Day 44 - Monte and back

Today was bright and clear and looked like a good day to go up to Monte. We walked down, on the very steep route that I had taken the first day I arrived, giving Nic and Dave another experience of the crazy roads here.

When we got to the cable car terminal there was a huge lineup so we went up to the roof top restaurant I had found before, and had a coffee where we could keep an eye on it.

The lineup went down to a manageable size but when we got down there we realized that it had just moved from a ticket purchasing line to a line for the actual cable car. It was because there were 2 new cruise ships in this morning. So instead we opted for the bus up to Monte.

This is what happens when you try and take pictures out of a moving bus, wonky horizons. I was trying to get a shot of the third cruise ship making its way in to the harbour.

Right off the bus and we were surrounded by and then followed a large group of carreiros (toboggan drivers) to their base below the church.

We had to watch, and video, but decided not to partake in the ride which goes about a mile down the hill.

I had been wondering how they got the toboggans back up the hill but then we saw the truck, full of toboggans driving back up the hill.

The guys piled out of the cab, unloaded them

and were ready for another "run".

We walked up the steps to the church

now able to see that the new cruise ship, a small one this time, had docked.

Inside

blue tiles,

a wooden painted ceiling and

the churches most important statue.

Outside it looks like we are in the sky. Often it is certainly in the clouds.

We walked around a bit but Nicola and Dave weren't really interested in the various gardens up there

so we took the cable car down.

Nic, who is not great with heights, was fine with it.

Both using their phones to take pictures.

I have a setting on my camera

that allows me to take pictures through glass without the focus messing up

but it doesn't eliminate the reflections unfortunately.

Looking for lunch we went back to the market, crowds gone for the day now

and ate in the rooftop cafe, over the fish market. Photo by Nicola.

My tropical salad,

Nicola's tuna salad and

Dave;s grilled ham and cheese.

Then downstairs to the cafe/bakery on the main floor of the market, for dessert. Dave had the passionfruit cheesecake (centre of the bottom shelf). I had a Napoleon and Nicky (gluten free) was only able to have a macaroon.

When we got home we did laundry and of course it started to rain just after we had hung it out. We had to bring it under the overhang at the back door. Nicola broke into the wine that cost her 1.99 (Euro) and decided it wasn't bad. Mine, on the right, cost me 4 Euro and I rather like it.