Madeira

In order to visit the island this week, you need to play hide and seek with the sun and the rain, check where the wind comes from in order to try and guess what is the weather like on the other side of the 1800m high mountains. If you add a good deal of patience to this, then you end up with blue sky at some point.

The first part of the trip is a loop around the western part of the island, starting with Camara de Lobos, a small village of fishermen (in which you can see more tourists than fisherman during the day, let's be honest, but it is still very nice to visit).

Then, 600m above the sea level, Cabo Girao.
The vegetation in Madeira is absolutely incredible, with tropical plants (bananas, papayas, 8 different sorts of passion fruit, sugar cane...), grapes, oranges, lemons, plenty of vegetables growing everywhere (sweet potatoes, cabbages, green beens...), but also eucalyptus which smell reminds me great memories of holidays (looking forward to going back down under at the end of the year!), bottle brushs, birds of paradise. A new wonder at each corner of the road.

A short stop in Ribeira Brava, in order to visit the Sao Bento church.

Everywhere on the island, you can find objects made out of cork: handbags, shoes, hats...

Back on the road, until the Boca da Encumeada

When you get to the top of the mountains, there are brooms as far as you can see

And then back to the sea level, on the other side of the island, in Porto Moniz.

The water is a bit too fresh for me to really enjoy the natural swimming pools, but bathing the legs is nicely refreshing

Have you ever seen a rainbow cloud? I hadn't.

Another nice church, in Sao Vicente this time, with its cemetery full of flowers.

A "bolo de mel", made with treacle. Not my favorite...

And here I am, on the eastern part of Madeira, with a stop in Camacha, where they produce all sorts of things with wicker: baskets, chairs, tables, chests...

Traditional breakfast, with a pastel de nata and a garoto. Yummy!!!

The weather gets cloudy and foggy, going up the mountain again.

And by the time I reach the Pico do Arieiro, above 1800m, the temperature is 8°C, and I have to grab my rain coat with both hands because the wind is blowing so hard that I can hardly walk. But, during a few seconds, the fog weakens, and I can get a glimpse at the path below

After a few kilometers in the forest, here is Ribeiro Frio, which is famous for its trout breeding farm.

On the northern coast, the clouds are gone (after a few drops of rain)

And here is Santana, and its traditional houses, covered with straw.

Porto Cruz is one of the places where they produce rum from the local sugar cane, working 24 hours a day at that time of the year. And the typical drink is poncha, a cocktail with rum, honey and fruit juice (can be lemon, orange, passion fruit...).

At the end of the world (well, this is how it feels, knowing that there is nothing in front of you for more than 1000km), the Ponta de Sao Lourenço with its spectacular views.

And then a last stop for the day in Machico, to have a look at the artificial beach created with sand imported from Morocco (not kidding):