Trip to Madeira and Sao Miguel

Day 9 - Friday, February 23, 2024 - Funchal

This is our last full day in Funchal. We fly out tomorrow. It is a free day but we booked a half day excursion to hit some high points that we didn't want to miss. We were by some of these things the other day but 2 cruise ships were in port and the lines were crazy long. Our guide will be able to get us to the front of the queue. We started out right away at the cable car. It was a 15 minute ride with an amazing view of the whole city as you rode to the top. From there we got a tour of the gems and the gardens possessed by this wealthy South African family who makes them open to the public. We followed the guide as she pointed out the flowers and other aspects of the property. Then we had a sample of wine and walked up the hill to the top. Next was the most fun. We rode the toboggans down the hill - 2 kms. - while guided by two guys who kept us from crashing into the people ahead of us, the wall or the ditch. It was lots of fun. We then chose to be dropped off downtown and we revisited the Farmers market, the painted door St. and the waterfront. We stopped for lunch and a beer and walked home. It was uphill again and my legs feel like tree trunks. When we returned to the hotel we had a coke and read by the pool. I went back to the room and Ron went to the Levada(an ancient aqueduct system) for a little walk. At 6:00 we went to the roof top for our last happy hour and met Cathy and John, who talked about their terrifying cliff walk. We always meet interesting fellow travelers which makes the many trips we take all the more enjoyable. Came back to the room to pack since we leave tomorrow and read for a bit before bed.