MADEIRA - DAY FOUR, THE DOLPHINS.

DAY FOUR

Today was the day of the Dolphins, but first, we wanted to take a look at the famous Funchal market. We got there relatively late, as most of the fish had sold out, but as you can see, there was still a LOT of activity in the fruit and veg side of things. I have never SEEN such a vast array of different fruits and vegetables in one place (maybe I should get out more?).

It makes you wonder how, and if, they manage to sell all the stuff they bring?
This lady certainly looked happy, and was dressed in national costume.

Just by looking, you KNEW these herbs had been picked only hours ago.
How fresh can you GET????

The flowers just blew us away.

And when did you EVER see a choice of spices like this?
Everything was set out so lovingly.

TRY! TRY! TRY! We were accosted all the time to try stuff. They cut these wonderfully tasting fruits and displayed them to try. I think they have a bit of a scam going here though. We tasted, and BOY did they taste good, so I bought ten Euros worth. The ones I bought weren't half as sweet and juicy as the ones on display though. I reckon they add sugar to the ones they've cut. Oh well, I'll know better next time ;-)

Dried chilli peppers - thousands of them

Then we went into the fish section.

These are black Scabbard - a local speciality. They are caught in deep waters off Madeira and are usually served filleted in steaks, or more specially on a skewer, called 'Espadas'.
Find out more here;
http://www.madeiraisland.com/eng/madeira/articles/espada_fish/

They are also VERY big on eating limpets, which they call 'lavas'.

I've never tried them, and still haven't.

Octopus have a big presence too.

And what a beautiful tray of colourful fish.
I can almost smell them cooking on the barbie!

Fancy a small Tuna fish steak anyone?

Now - have I got enough for a McDonalds at lunchtime?

After we'd seen all the market, we went to the offices of the Dolphin trip.
We were shepherded to a rib, and set off on our ride.

We had a lovely day for it too.
We sped across the calm sea for about 45 minutes to where they said we'd see Dolphins.

Sure enough, they made an appearance.
The shout went up, as everyone was SO excited to see the fins break the surface of the water!

They came RIGHT beside the rib, we could almost touch them. They do allow you to swim with them, if conditions are right (for an extra 20 Euros, of course), but today this school had many young, so no-one was allowed to swim with them.

Oh, now he's just showing off!

We also were lucky to see a basking turtle.

The views back to the island alone were worth the trip.

After seeing the Dolphins, the skipper decided it was fun time. He drove the rib at the cliff face at high speed, swerving away sharply at the last minute, with all the girls squealing with delight. He also stopped the rib whenever he saw anyone taking a photo. All in all, he was a really good guide.
This is the sumptuous Reids Palace hotel - probably THE premier hotel in Madeira, with a prime cliff top position to echo that fact.

The boat then picked up speed again, bouncing over the waves and roaring.
As you can see, it really upset Sue & I.

When we got back to Funchal, we just relaxed in a promenade bar.
Sorry this picture is a bit over-exposed, but the sun was cracking the pavements!

How lovely is this? We walked this so many times during our stay.
I miss it, and want to go back as soon as possible (not another two years, I hope).

These flowers - wherever you look, wonderful colours and blooms.

Looking down on the island fountains.

This is where you have to stand for the 'people cam'.
http://www.madeira-web.com/camera/cam-09.html
We stood there (as a few of you know) for about half an hour one evening, but it had a malfunction - that's known as 'sods law'.

Another fountain on the prom'.

And I love this statue too.
Beats the Cloughie one in the middle of Nottingham!

And what about this one eh?

Hibiscus

Young love blossoms too, and what better setting than Madeira?

This really WAS an enigma - such a fantastic place - almost in RUINS!!!
It had certainly been a LONG time since anyone has given it any TLC.

This was once a very grand courtyard, with this elegant fountain as the centrepiece.
Now, dry and dirty.

Looking north over Funchal in the evening sun.
(SIGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!)

In the old town, there are numerous cafes that open during the day, but the evenings are when they REALLY seek their business.
We were accosted at each one, but in a nice way. Each had a person outside, usually amusing in some way, trying their hardest to lure you in to eat. They all served virtually the same fare, but each insisted theirs was the best.
We ate at three of them over the week, and really enjoyed it.

Hmmm, seen anything you fancy Susie?

These flowers were just to the left of the menu Sue was reading.

And these too.

Not all of Funchal is pretty, some parts are VERY run down.
This is a side street just off the main drag.

The fountains looked even more delightful in the evening light.

As the light faded, we began the walk back to the hotel. This park was a favourite of ours.
Funchal has a very 'safe' feel about it. We often wandered about in the late evening, and we never saw anything to worry or threaten us. We saw lots of women walking around on their own too, so they obviously felt the same way

Fabulous!

We arrived back, and opened the curtains on the spectacular view.
Is it any wonder we were SO happy with the place?