MADEIRA

When you come to Madeira at night, is surprised lights hanging over the side of the rugged terrain, and gives you the feeling that life is suspended over a chasm almost in the center of the Atlantic Ocean. With the day, the luminous sea view from your hotel room, become visible the Lone Islands, which still survive monk seals or sea lions, and seeing the many tropical plants and a dip in the hot tub, after a hearty breakfast, make you feel things in perspective.

Located on the same latitude as Casablanca in Morocco, the island is not very big, but has many things to do and privileged climate. Starting from Funchal, the capital. Nightlife around Lido Promenade and Casino (statue of Empress Sisí, who so loved Madeira), and day must see, wondering around the old town, treading the pavements of basalt and marble, visit the Sé Cathedral and Os Lavadores Market, with its magnificent illustrated tiles. There are many unique corners, City Hall, wineries as Blandy´s  in a former monastery, the Castle, the coastal Forte de Santiago and houses as A Quinta das Cruzes, with its porcelain and antique furniture, tiles and filled Flower gardens and orchids. In Special Quinta Vigia Palace and the Santa Catalina Gardens or the Botanical Gardens are wonderful, something quaint and simply unique.

A sunset on the Formosa´s beach, is an unforgettable moment as you stroll along the beaches of black basaltic ridges.

You have to ride the cable car to visit Monte, his enigmatic Palace Tropical Garden and the tomb of the last Austrian Kaiser Karl I of Habsburg, who was exiled on this beautiful panorama of sea, sky and flora privileged in Madeira Island. Download is good to do slipping into the slope to Funchal in Carros do Cestos, you do with the adrenaline rush and the screams of drivers.

Its floral wealth comes from its Mediterranean climate on the southern slope and oceanic in the north. The Islanders built a system of water use, named Levadas or height channels, which carry water supplies drop of wet North  to  the dry South land, and did succeed in galleries intensive cultivation of sugar cane and spices, initiative of Don Enrique the Navigator, or more recently bananas and grapes, and a variety of flowers that make this volcanic and mountainous land, a real oasis amid the ocean.

For dimensions, and its appearance, it is best to climb to the Peak of Arieiro and make a hiking trail to the Ruivo,. We can checking how these ancient volcanoes that led to the island, have some colors and vegetation that make them so unique.

We enjoyed the museum and the caves of Sao Vicente, where you can step on Lava ancient volcanoes that formed the island.

Ribeira Brava ascend to Encuemeada Peak, about thousand feet, on a clear day you can see the North Coast and South, or simply touch the clouds.

 After reaching the village of Rabacal to do another hike to the Levada of the 25 sources.  Practice sightseeing always require be in form.

Also walk visit the large nature park forest of Laurisilvas, from the village of Fanal in Paul da Serra, visiting the ancient Tilos almost always surrounded by damp fog and an almost tropical exuberance.

In Curral das Freiras, we find the hidden cache of the Nuns of Funchal, when fleeing the looting of English privateers, with great views and delicious chestnuts.

Another route you need to do is the Northeast, Canico, Santa Cruz and Machico. The Whale´s Museum  of Canical is a good place to understand how the islanders used the passage of these huge cetaceans in the Atlantic, from observatories carved into the cliffs, so that they can fish near the coast. Specifically in the harbor John Houston filmed scenes Melville's novel Moby Dick for his film starring Gregory Peck, who seems you dizzy just with the rocking climbing into a boat in the harbor.

 In Canical to do the route of hills and volcanic landscapes to the tip of San Lorenzo. If we continue walking on the submarine ridge of the cliff over the sea, we find a fork, to our left would arrive at Porto Santo and our right to the Deserted Islands, a paradise for sea lions.

In North latitude, the nearby island of Porto Santo was the residence of Christopher Columbus, while serving Governor of Lombard origin (Piacenza), which in Madeira came with the conquistador  Zarzo who burned the islands since there was plenty of wood formed by a dense laurel forests, where was entrusted to colonize the Portuguese King Juan II. This period is the conquest of Ceuta by the Portuguese (my unforgettable Fortress of Monte Hacho). Married his daughter and received as dowry letters of winds and currents of the Portuguese possessions in the Atlantic. I speak of the legendary Admiral, because I want to remember this trip as a tribute to our young people seeking opportunities abroad who fail in their own country, and which Columbus was perhaps the best known pioneer. Curiously, both yesterday and today, is that his first works were always in companies compatriots.

Another interesting path leads to San Vicente and Seixal, with tunnels and abundant sources for their crops gallery, hanging from cliffs on a frantic and rough blue ocean. The destination was Porto Moniz, a small town further north, which is named after its discoverer, the navigator Francisco Moniz. We locate the Fort of eighteenth century, called San Juan Bautista, his aquarium and natural pools lava, in which bathing worth when they jump the waves on the reef and regenerate the salt waters of the warm pools. From the Mirador da Santa, you can see the observatories of the way of whales, used by the fishermen to hunt them down, and a clean and full of life and cetaceans, which you can visit by hiring a mooring sea. Eat at any restaurant or ride in the same Fort seaside of Bife de atum (Grilled tuna), or a cataplane (Scrambled eggs with ham stew with clams and white wine), is a treat for the senses at a modest price.

For dessert a sweet Bolo de Mel (Honey cake with nuts) and swim back to the warm pools, while the more it emboldens and we splashed blue foam unpredictable waves.

Following the coast westward Calheta rises from the XV century with important Mansions and is a major tourist resort thanks to the beaches of Calheta, made of golden sand imported from Morocco, where you can swim from one beach to another without risk being carried by ocean currents, and then enjoy the cuisine in a nearby restaurant. A grelhada Lula (grilled cuttlefish with garlic and parsley) or a nice à lagareiro (fried onions and Octopus) and some fruit dessert island as passion fruit or banana powder.

In Punta do Sol you can enjoy a breathtaking sunset when hidden on the ocean horizon. In Ribeira Brava you can enjoy the promenade and eat at a nearby restaurant a few Lapas grelhadas (As small grilled oysters grilled with garlic and parsley), or a good Espadarte fumado (sable fish fillets with fried plantains). It is essential to climb the Cape Girao, that after a Scandinavian, is the second highest cliff in Europe, and see the panoramic view of the coast. In the fishing village of Camara de Lobos, whose beach came monk seal colonies until recently, we can see the gazebo where Sir Winston Churchill painted seascapes, in his visits to the island. In the nearby restaurants you can taste a good Caldeira de Peixe (Fish soup with tuna, tomato and onion) or a delicious Espetada (giant skewer of beef assembled in a stick of laurel and roasted on the fire). Then it is good in the taverns of Puerto take a Poncha (lemon juice, honey and brandy) to end a pleasant day.

Madeira has always been a place of worship for famous people. Named by Shakespeare's play "Henry IV" there are references to Madeira wine. The character named Falstaff sells his soul to the devil "for a cup of Madeira and a cold capon's leg".

The fame of its sweet wines, arrived in France by Francis I, and all camera Navy Captain war worth his salt, he had a good supply. It is said that Napoleon, towards Santa Elena, came to acquire a wine Cuba, to enjoy his exile, but was unable to do before dying poisoned. The truth is that the pleasure of having a drink, watching nearly evening on the terrace of the hotel, is an indescribable pleasure.

The schedule of flights, round, now switches much of the day in Lisbon, and took the opportunity to have a good breakfast, which does not lack the delicious coffee and Os Pasteis in a cafe near the Coach Museum in Belem and the Monument to the Discoveries (dedicated to Avís Portuguese dynasty and its vast colonial empire) and then closer to see the Tower of Belem, and visit again the Jeronimos Monastery.

We are at the back with a demonstration of trade unionists demanding, less cuts and the output of Euro to Portugal, and we can see that a picket goes off and goes to eat with their flags, a little showy and hidden bar near the square of Comercio. Without thinking twice, we get to eat with them, and managed by a popular price, taste the famous Lisbon cod and other homemade delicacies. Then I walk among tourists for the Rossio, ending up at Chiado, where just having coffee next to the statue of the enigmatic Portuguese poet and chameleon journalist Fernando Pessoa. One wonders if there no end to write these verses in English:

Whether we write or speak or do but look

We are ever unapparent. What we are

Cannot be transfused into word or book.

Our soul from us is infinitely far.

However much we give our thoughts the will

To be our soul and gesture it abroad,

Our hearts are incommunicable still.

In what we show ourselves we are ignored.

The abyss for soul to soul cannot be bridged

By any skill of thought or trick of seeming.

Unto our very selves we are abridged

When we would utter to our thought our being.

We are our dreams of ourselves, souls by gleams,

And each to each other dreams of others´dreams.

Back to Madrid with the Portuguese airline TAP, we went with a long delay, but the pilot was in a hurry, and did a flight around the full gas propulsion, with the crew running and somewhat startled. Needless to say, we arrived early, and never had landed drinking a glass of Portuguese white wine in my hand, because he had not given material time to picked it by the crew. I wished it had been a Madeira wine. Powered by ocean winds tail, our Portuguese aircraft was under full sail, fortunately driven by a pilot, heir to the fabulous Vasco de Gama.