A drive in Madeira
Ile Jeudi
Bob and Lin Griffiths
Sun 5 Aug 2012 15:39
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Sunday 5 August 2012
After our lunch at the market and everybody having
suitably sobered up Peter and Lorraine offered to drive us around the
northeastern part of Madeira. Fortunately Peter really enjoys driving as
there are very few straight roads and the few that are flat aren't
horizontal. Mostly it's steep inclines and frequent hairpin bends, usually
at the same time.
It became clear very quickly that the small part of
the island we had seen so far, the barren, arid eastern tip, was not
representative of Madeira as whole. The scenery is beautiful and the
centre of the island has dramatic peaks, valleys and ravines. Houses are
built skilfully on hillsides just about anywhere and the recent additions to
the 'rapido' roads and tunnel system have opened up the island
considerably. We went over to Santana on the north coast and back.
All routes were 'scenic' and we stopped in the hills at a cafe
beside a trout farm for coffees. I really didn't expect a trout farm
up there.
Valleys:-
  The cliffs near the north coast:-
 Clear blue sea where the water is
shallow:-
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