Well we have arrived at Qunita Do Lorde Marina in Madeira for the start of the rally, 34 boats in all going, 4 English, 3 Belgium boats, 1 x Swiss and then the rest are French including 9 children..

Everyone has been so welcoming, all the talks have been in French and translated into English for us and people have also helped us understand. In the morning you don’t know what to great everyone, good morning, Bom Dia, Bonjour so it’s started a joke and we say all 3 together now.

Quinta do Lorde marina

The meeting place is at the bar for a beer at 6pm every morning they supply fresh bread rolls, the nearest shop is a 10 minute car ride.  The marina facilities are all new and lovely, but behind the facilities is a building site, where they are building a hotel complex with pools, apartment etc.

We met Sue and Andy who wanted to do the RIDS but couldn’t get their boat insured so they cannot not now go.  So sadly we will be leaving them behind.

,

One day we hired a car to visit Madeira, drove to the top of Pico Arieiro at 1818, above the clouds, felt like the flintstones as the car needed some extra umph, felt like getting out and pushing up the hills as we had to go in 1^st gear to get up to the top…

Our dinky car                                                                                                                     Top of the mountain, looking down on the clouds

 Susanne, Tom from Escape Norwegian boat and a Swiss boat with 2 girls on board doing the ARC

Look at the black sand..very fine but very black.

Funchel town & marina

Albert & Elsie at the gardens and an Avocado tree.  Thought you bought them in the supermarket.

Funchel Fish market, the types of fish that we might be catching one day… if I catch anything I keep trying.  Keep putting the lines out everyday.  But not a bite since Portugal.

We have a final supper in Madeira on Friday night then we set off on Sat toward Tenerife, Santa Cruz crossing the start line at 3pm so 2 nights at sea. 220 miles.

As from Saturday you will be able to track us via the Rids web site as our boat tracker device is live from Saturday.

Love to all

Suzie Too xxxx