Cable Car to Monte
Ile Jeudi
Bob and Lin Griffiths
Sat 11 Aug 2012 11:00
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Saturday 11 August 2012
Last night we went out for a meal to a restaurant
in Funchal called Armazem do Sal after a recommendation from our hotel.
Our table was outdoors in the 'entance alley' which sounds bad but isn't.
The food was wonderful and they serve various wines throughout the meal. A
definite dose of fine dining.
Back into tourist mode today we took the cable car
up to Monte which is 4km above Funchal to see the church there. At the top
we stopped at a 'Quinta' in a lovely garden setting for some iced
teas:-
 We had a look at a display of the carriages that
were used to transport the 'high ups' in society years ago. The guy on the
right doesn't look pompous does he?
  An early, rather elegant, 'toboggan'.
 Then we walked across to the Our Lady's Church at
Monte which was being prepared for Madeira's biggest religious festival on
August 15 to honour the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. Apparently
the island's devout Catholics will walk up these 79 steps on
their knees (too much Poncha?).
 The Church:-
 Apparently the flowers at the back are changed
each day by representatives of each of the regions of the island during the
lead up to the festival:-
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