And mine in the foreground - lovely pic, so I hope you don't mind me saving it!

Not at all, glad you like it!

Francisco explains how to find dolphins.


Funchal.


Chico controls the autopilot.


Pastries a plenty.

VipDolphins have two electric catamarans. The group size is small, like 15 people per boat. Francisco and Chico are very personable. There is an open bar with a helpful young lady who preferred to remain anonymous. We tried the local prosecco, the Madeira rum with passion fruit, and a local white wine.




We mostly hung out on the top deck talking about sharks with Chico who had seen a hammerhead very recently. Luckily sharks are rare at the surface and stick to the deeps.









After the dolphins we stopped for a swim. I couldn't wear the mask because of my glasses but my brother assured me there were lots of blue fishes.



The perfect balance of dolphins, alcohol and local knowledge!

Dolphins there was something. I have some memories to a trip to Gran Canaria back in 2012. There I was also on a boat to see Dolphins and you need a lot of patient. When I mean lot it is a lot of lot of lot of patient. But it turned out not that bad.


I have this picture as my background on my smartphone.

Those are excellent photos Markus, I didn't have so much patience as you!

On our return we headed for S�o Tiago, a fortress built 400 years ago to protect the island from corsairs.




Today the fort houses a restaurant.

Just nearby is Rua de Santa Maria that used to be run down with many abandoned buildings. The city started a project to decorate the doors of such buildings, in order to minimise the cascade effect of deterioration in the old town. Nowadays the street is thriving again with many shops and eateries.















Across the road from there you can see a different kind of rejuvenation exercise. Named for the young mayor whose vision was to beautify Funchal, Rua Fern�o de Ornelas brought the city into the modern 20th century.







Finally we reached the cathedral, built 500 years ago, that cemented Funchal's city status.



Took the bus home and it was absolutely rammed.

Now sitting by the pool in the hotel with a cider.

You have to follow the dolphins and then at one point you have enough luck and can take a picture. Most of the time I was following the wrong one.

Try the local alcohol - poncha, I think - its rum based and has quite a kick! We had some at Eira do Serrado, a hotel on a saddle in the mountains.

I'm sorry I missed the start of this one... couple notes

1. I see you live just northeast of me. My sympathies for having to use that station.

2. You were seriously low on that approach, I'm surprised. I would not have liked that, your captain must be really into dive and drive...

3. I really need to get myself back to Madeira ASAP.

Yes it's lovely, you can see a glass of it in my photo of the white wine on the dolphin boat. I described it as rum but indeed it's poncha.

Buurman! I don't mind our local station at all. It's just a short walk for me and trains to Schiphol four times an hour.

The landing was fun! As I understand it, pilots need a special training for this. So I was impressed he managed it so smoothly despite the turbulence in the final turn.

And of course everyone here is telling me you are very welcome to come back for a visit!

Yesterday afternoon we planned to swim after enjoying our ciders, but we had forgotten our hotel-provided green towels in the room. So my brother went to ask some staff if there were any more available. After being sent from one desk to another, eventually he spoke to a lady at the spa. She did not want to give him any towel because they belong to the spa. Even though these are the same towels as in the room. Then she only would give him one towel if he promised to bring it back!

As we were talking and relaxing, he only got around to swimming at 7pm, he tried to return the towel at seven thirty but spa was closed. That lady is going to be so cross!

Time find somewhere to eat. There are several places to choose from nearby so we went for a walk. All the nicer places were full, except a sushi bar but we preferred local cuisine. Eventually we walked back near the hotel and saw that our table from last night at Horta was empty. I found our server, he recognised us and we were seated quickly.

Yesterday we went with recommendations. Then, they were warning us to not choose particular dishes in a joking way. Tonight again, I was told, don't take the pork shoulder, take the chuck instead. Now we were curious, why would a chef put a dish on the menu that the serving staff would warn against? Well they took our question seriously and two staff came to explain there had been issues with deliveries from the mainland, and that they had had to source from a different supplier. They therefore couldn't guarantee the dish would be up to standard, especially the pork shoulder and the endive in the Asian salad. We were happy with their honesty and so again went with recommendations.


Quinoa starter.


Roast chuck with balsamic ketchup.

(forgot to take photo of the tuna tartare)


We liked the "10" Madeira last night but decided to go up a notch with this quite expensive "20".

We had a chat with the server about how the barrels go back and forth between Portugal and Scotland. The Scots promote their whisky that it is aged in barrels previously used for fortified wine for at least 20 years. And Madeira buys them back so they can claim the wine is aged in barrels that have had whisky in them for 20 years. Such barrels are worth thousands of euros.

Loja dos Vinhos does good tastings. Its a bit spit and sawdust but the guy is really knowledgeable

We could sleep in a bit this morning, went downstairs after 9am.


Toast and vegetables.


Stop taking photos, lettuce just eat!

We booked a little tour of island with a friendly man called John. He picked us up outside the hotel at 10am...

Here we go!

John is friendly and very passionate about Madeira. He owns three of these trikes and they are specially imported from Germany. After a few safety instructions and adjusting belts and straps we got on the road.

First stop was C�mara de Lobos a picturesque fishing village where Winston Churchill famously painted a view of the bay.




Ready for the festival of St Peter.







It looked a nice place but we declined stopping for too long because we had been enjoying the drive. Sitting in the trike is comfortable and a relaxing way to enjoy the scenery. So much better than a car or bus.


Pico da Torre.


It only took 8 minutes to get up here from the bay.



At this point we bumped into one of the other trikes, John's colleague was chauffeuring a British couple. My brother joked, "did he warn you about the ejector seats?!"

At this point John suggested warmer clothing, as we were going above the "banana line" where the climate changes suddenly and banana plants cannot grow anymore.






Curral das Freiras.


Misty.

This view of the Nun's Valley is absolutely stunning. The nuns hid here in the past when Madeira was under attack from pirates, and made it their home.



John pointed out the empty "terraces", the small flat plots of land around each house. In the days before the bridges and tunnels were built, people had to be self sufficient and ate from their own land. Now they are largely fallow. He lamented the passing of the old ways, but it is bittersweet as the new roads mean better access across the island to medical facilities and for emergency services.


Cabo Gir�o, a skywalk on top of the cliff.




You can see how the bridges and tunnels just cut through the land, dramatically reducing travel time.

After more than three hours enjoying the twisty roads through the beautiful villages of southeast Madeira, it was time to head back. Now we took the short cut.







All in all a memorable adventure. With just two passengers, John can give a very personalised and bespoke experience. There's not a set menu, it is up to you where to go within the time. The price was great too. Very much recommended!

Why hike when you can trike?!

The rest of the afternoon we lazed by the pool. The servers have got our number now and produce ciders before we have to ask.

For dinner we opted for a cheap and cheerful pizzeria. It certainly was cheap.

ps disappointingly, the lady at the spa was not upset when she was finally reunited with the green bathing towel.