Pico Grande

The last couple of days have been sunny but hazy. So hazy that you can only see blue sky if you look straight up.  Nevertheless, we'll take this over the rain, any day. We did a little more touring on the motorbike and some hiking in the mountains.  

On Saturday we rode up to Miradouro Boca da Corrida to do a moderately rated hike to Pico Grande. When we arrived at the small parking lot, there were quite a few cars a lot of activity. It turned out that there was an off-road running event underway. A 44K race over what we were soon to discover, was very rough and hilly terrain.  We felt like we might be getting in the way of the competitors but the organizers encouraged us to continue with our plans. The track was wide enough to get out of the way of the competitors who were well spaced by this time in the event.

Although the trail-head viewpoint was only a 20 minutes ride for our apartment it is located at 1000 metres ASL. From the view point, one has an incredible view of the highest peaks and Nun's Valley below.  Unfortunately, the hazy conditions impeded the view.  Even with some editing these photos arn't the best.

Yes, that is snow you can see on these peaks. It is quite unusual. We read last night that police had to close the access road yesterday afternoon due to number of people who had come up to see the snow.

Looking from the viewpoint toward the highest peaks.

Even this was called "moderate trail" it had it's challenges. The volcanic ground, although grippy under foot, is very uneven. It was slow going. These trails, for the most part, traverse very steep terrain and guard rails are not common. These are serious hikes with spectacular views.   This one was almost 10K out and back. The destination is the peak called Pico Grande

Looking down into Nun's Valley

We only hiked a portion of the route before returning to the trail-head.

An interesting succulent growing on the rock

This morning the temperature was a bit cooler with some broken cloud. We had planned a trip over to the north side on the island with a couple of short hikes along the way. 

As we were leaving some grey clouds were forming over the hills to the west. By the time we climbed to the edge of Funchal the temperature had started to drop and it was raining lightly.  Continuing on, the weather got colder and the precipitation intensified. Soon we were in the clouds but we kept going since we were less that 10K from our first stop and we knew that there was a restaurant there.

We ended up climbing much higher than I anticipated. We peaked at 1250 metres and for the last 100 metres or so of the climb, it was almost snowing!  More like frozen rain banging against us. Luckily none of it stuck to the road and we descended, safely but cold, into the town of Ribeira Frio.  Perhaps we should have paid more attention the town name?  Translated into English it means "Cold Stream". Fortunately the restaurant was open and we got a table by the fireplace and some good coffee. 

This weather was a surprise to us.  Later I read a report that the temperature recorded this morning on a nearby mountain was -.2C,  a record low!

After warming up by the fire we continued on down to the coast.  The weather improved and we continued on, stopping for a meal in Santana before heading home.  Despite the cold weather we had nice time. 

Looking west along the coast near Funchal

This shot was taken from our apartment balcony this morning.

A view of Funchal from the road to Ribeira frio

 

Old Coastal Road

While researching road routes to towns along the coast I came across a road that neither Google maps nor Garmin maps would let me use as part of a route. This old road, named ER101, runs along Maderia's southern coast from an intersection a few kilometre west of Madalena do Mar to Ponta do Sol.   On the way home on Saturday, I was curios to see if we could use it.  

After stopping in Calheta for lunch we followed the coast road east. At the roundabout west Madalena a road sign indicated the direction to the highway and another sign said Local Traffic Only.  We continued on the local traffic section. This portion is in fairly rough shape but easily passable. After passing though a very old tunnel we noted cars stopped on the road in front of us.  At first we thought there was an accident but as we approached the parked cars we could see the attraction.   

They were all there to see the most infamous and somewhat secretive waterfall in Madeira.  The water from the falls land directly in the middle of the road. Every one that uses this road drives, walks or rides though the falling water. This part of the road is never dry. 

 

    And of course we had to pose for a photo. Then ride though the falls on our way to Ponta do Sol. 

This road was one of the first roads built in Madeira. It must have been quite a feat of engineering to build a road along this coast.   Below is photo of a an original, now unused, section of the coastal path with a small tunnel on the ocean side.

Day trips

The sun has shone for the last couple of day so we have been able to get out and do some hiking and sight seeing. 

The Moto

We picked up our rented motorcycle last Friday. I had booked a Kawasaki 300 Versys but they didn't have this bike anymore so we opted for a brand new  (only 3K)  Yamaha XSR 125. Yamaha calls it their Sport Retro design. Is has a liquid cooled engine and ABS brakes.  The roads on Madeira are narrow and steep. There are some limited access freeways but the speed limits are not higher that 90 kph, often lower.  My main concern about the 125cc motor was it's ability to haul us up the steep grades.  The rental came with good helmets, jackets, gloves, handlebar phone mount and a cable lock. Everything included, 22 Euros per day.

We have been riding it for 2 days now.  It doesn't have the power that I'm used to, but I'm adapting to it. The motor red lines at 11,000 rpm, so riding around at 8 to10K revs is the norm. It can cruise on the freeways at 70 to 80K and most hills are climbable in 2nd gear. Although we had to use first gear on one long stretch on Saturday.  The lack of power is a trade-off for the bikes weight and manoeuvrability, an important feature on these narrow winding roads.  I also like the fact that you can park a  small motorcycle just about anywhere here.  There are designated MC parking areas but most just get parked on a wide sidewalk or boulevard.

This photo was taken in garage that came with the apartment rental

 

Hiking some Lavadas

We hiked the last two days.  For our first couple of hikes we selected some "moderate" rated trails that were not far from the apartment.   We have been using the website  https://www.alltrails.com/portugal/madeira--2  to locate the trails that we would like to hike. It is one of the best sites that I have found. It lists hiking trails all over the world. In Madeira it lists 235 different hikes. The site has a very good filter option that easily allows you to narrow down the list.

On Satuday, our first hike was the Levada do Alecrim.  A 6.8 kilometre out and back hike located in a national park near the centre of the island. It was a mellow walk along the lavada.  

 

Lavadas are small water channels. Hundreds of them were constructed over the last 200 years or so. They are used to channel water for irrigation, flood control, etc. Beside each of the lavadas is trail.

 This lavada trail is mostly shaded with small trees. The destination is a small waterfall. It was great to get out for a mellow, relaxing stroll.  

Several hikes are located in this area and they are interconnected with a variety of trails so one could extend the hike up to 30K or more if desired.

Yesterday we went to hike another lavada located just along the coast called Lavada do Moinho.  The trail head is found in upper suburbs above town of Ponta da Sol.  

There are two lavada that run along the steep sides of a canyon that opens up to the coast. It is possible to transition from one lavada to the other via a stone staircase about 7K inland.   The review on Alltrails.com indicated that the lower of these two trails was the nicest.  So this is where we started.

After parking the moto and locking our helmets and jackets we started looking for the trail head.  A local fellow, our age, pointed us in the right direction but when we got to the trail head it was blocked with with a piece of railing and tape.  We walked back to the street and the fellow who had showed us the way saw us and asked us if there was a problem. We explained the situation, mostly in sign language. He shook his head and told us to follow him. He then disassembled the blockage, moved the gate and with a big smile waved us on our way....   It turned out that there had been a minor slide and part of the trail was under reconstruction. Since it was Saturday, no one was working on it and it was easy to get though the area. 

This trail was much more interesting than the one we had done the day before!

These two photos were taken near the beginning of the trail.  The first photo is looking inland up the canyon. The narrow lavada is visible behind Linda. The trail is not much wider that this for it's total length. We would have to straddle the lavada to let others pass. Luckily the trail was not very busy.

 

This view is toward the ocean. In the foreground is someone garden. The sides of the canyon are terraced in many locations. We think that the plants in foreground are basil and just behind then are some type of squash. Banana trees are also seen along the way.

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was a nice surprise to encounter this mama goat with her kids. They were obviously domesticated animals, out grazing.  

 

They weren't at all afraid of our presence. They just ignored us.

 

 

 Along the route there were several water falls. This one has a small shed roof to deflect the water.

 

When we reached the stone stairs to the higher lavada we decide to climb them and return on the other lavada trail.  I had read some reviews indicating that this trails had some interesting sections but on the whole was not as nice as the lower trial. There were also some warning for people with a fear of heights.

The main points of interest were a tunnel several hundred metres in length. The  height of the tunnel is no more than 6ft high and it is unlighted. Next to the entrance to the tunnel is a water fall. The lavada and the trail are carved into the rock under the waterfall.  Very cool!

This shot of the waterfall and trail is from the entrance to the tunnel

 The waterfall and tunnel is located about 1K from the    stairs on the way back along the upper lavada. 

As you can see in the photo to the right, the lavada has a widened concrete edge on the downhill side. There is no other path. One has to walk along this edge of the lavada.  Often this trail is on the edge of almost vertical drop. There are some railings but many of them had been damaged, likely by falling rocks, and large sections were missing.

 It was not a comfortable walk . At least not for me!

After going through the tunnel we continued on, hoping that the trail would improve. It just wasn't much fun so we turned back, went down the stairs and returned on the lower trail.   All in all a good day!

Looking toward the ocean (that blends into sky) on the way back to the trail head.

 

 

 

 

Settling In...

 

The weather has been pretty crappy since we arrived. The first day was pleasant but since then it has been cloudy, with strong gusty winds and rain off and on.  The rain was hard enough in the early hours of yesterday to generate a caution warning of potential flooding. The airport has only one runway that parallels the coast and it is oriented in a northeast - southwest direction.  A strong cross wind caused several airlanes to cancel flights or abandon the approach and head for their alternate.  As you can see in the postcard below, there is not much room for error landing here.   

Unfortunately, rain is in the forecast for the next couple of weeks. Hopefully not heavy enough to interfere with our hiking plans.  We have been told that the weather conditions can vary greatly between different parts of the island. There are numerous weather cams available on line at https://www.madeira-web.com/en/webcams.html  These should be helpful.

We have manged to get out walking everyday to explore our local area and walk into the centre of Funchal.   The city extends high into the steep hills.  Some roads have no sidewalk or one that starts and stops.  Navigation is difficult. the roads wind all over hill and dale. Most are one way and barely wide enough for 2 cars to pass. Walking on many of these roads is difficult.

The bus service on the island is excellent. There are at least  4 bus companies with different routes.  Giro is the urban route provider that we have use to go into the centre of Funchal.   There is an extensive network of routes throughout  the city. At kiosks in the centre of Funchal you can purchase a card with preloaded fairs at a discounted price.

Friday we are picking up a small motorcycle. It is new Yamaha 125. A retro style model not sold in Canada. We will have it for 2 weeks.  The apartment we have comes with an inside parking spot. The rental comes with helmets and jackets (rain proof, I hope). 

The Covid situation here is much the same as everywhere else. The number of infections is skyrocketing but hospitalizations, especially intensive care, are not. 

The report of new cases this morning in Maderia is below....   

"There are 29 imported cases and 2,140 cases of local transmission. This Tuesday, there are also 1,681 more recovered cases, bringing the total to 34,939. 

Regarding the isolation of active cases, it should be noted that 76 people are in the Dr. Nélio Mendonça Hospital (75 in Multipurpose Units and 1 in the Intensive Care Unit dedicated to covid-19) and 79 people are in isolation in a dedicated hotel unit, with the remaining in their own accommodation."

Testing centres are located around town. They were busy on the weekend but yesterday they were very quiet. I stopped by one of them to speak to the staff. I wanted to confirm that we didn't need to be regularly tested. That was confirmed, since we are vaccinated, but we could come by for a test any time and also that they would validate the tests for travel purposes . They only do antigen tests, which are good for travel pretty much anywhere, except Canada.  Masks are worn consistently here. Except outside in areas where separation is adequate.

The way it looks to me is that most of us are going to experience a Covid infection sometime in the near future.  This variant is spreading so easily. Yesterday, France reported almost about 490,000 new cases.  Double or triple vaccinated individuals appear to be at less risk, but who know for sure?

This was taken on Sunday, on the main road into Funchal

This is Linda's motto...

The old part of town is a network  of narrow roads and lanes. Many doors of the old houses are artistically uniquely adorned.  

Arrived in Madeira

 It was quite a long day on three connecting flights. We had less than two hours between each connection but the connections all went smoothly. We did not have to exit the boarding lounge at any time. Consequently we didn't have to go through security with each change of flight. 

The covid restrictions and checks all went smoothly. On top of the vaccine certificate and a negative antigen test result, only a health declaration was required to enter the Azores.  To enter Madeira one had to open an internet account with Madeira Safe and upload both your vaccine certificate and the antigen test results. On arrival they pulled up the information, confirmed our identity and we were on our way. It was very well organized.

The "overnight" flight from Toronto to Ponta Delgada (Azores) was only 5 1/2 hours in length. On the Azores Airlines  (SATA) a hot meal was served just after takeoff. The flight was half empty so after we ate we were each able to take a 3 seat row and sleep for about 3 hours.  It would have been nice to have a pillow! 

After a short stop in Ponta Delgada we flew on a Dash 8 to Funchal, Madeira.  The landing in Funchal is interesting. One half of the runway and a taxiway are located on  a bridge over a gully. The main highway runs under this bridge.  Is it an unusual sight to see concrete walls down each side of the runway.

We had a glass of wine at sunset a this seafood restaurant

Pools like this are situated along the mostly rocky coastline

 

We have a nice 2 bedroom apartment in Sao Martinho, a suburb of Funchal. We are located about 4 k from the centre of Funchal.  There is great local bus service the comes by the apartment as well as a promenade along the water front that you can walk or bike. Grocery stores, cafes and restaurants are all close by.

Here are a few shots of our apartment.

The view from the balcony

The weather so far has been nice. It is 19C this morning with a few clouds. The forecast doesn't look so go though.  Rain is expected for the next few days. We'll see.  Regardless, it is very nice to be here.

Waiting in Calgary Airport

 Our flight out of Cranbrook yesterday evening was on time and uneventful. 40 minutes gate to gate. We stayed at the Park Inn by Radisson located on the north edge of the airport.  It is the economy Radisson hotel and worked well for us.   Most airport hotels have a shuttle service but this hotel uses cabs in lieu of a shuttle. They provide you with the name of the cab company and pay the fair. We gave the driver the usual tip. It was very convenient. Sometimes you have to wait quite a while for a shuttle pickup.

Due to the rapidly spreading Omicron variant, the airport is not very busy.  The last time we traveled was at the beginning of the covid infections and the airports were very busy. There were long lines for check-in and security. It was impossible to avoid close contact with other travelers. Now it is quite the opposite.  It is nice not to be rushed through security. There are plenty of empty seats in the waiting area so it is easy to avoid close contact.  Much more relaxing. experience!

The Westjet domestic counter at 10 this morning

Time to try again...

Throughout this pandemic we have been quite patient and reasonably content. Residing in small towns, with easy access to outdoor recreation, has made the restricted life more enjoyable than it might otherwise have been.  But time is passing... much too quickly.  We have decided that it is once again time travel!

Who would want to escape this?

 

 

Really, it's a great snow year, but we prefer warmer weather.

We have made plans and we are ready depart on a new adventure in just over a week.   When we started researching and booking this trip the covid situation looked pretty stable. Since then, the Omicron variant has created some additional uncertainties.  Never the less, our plans are still on track, but the track is a bit wobbly. We could fall off it at any time.

Our travel plans (the air portion) will take us from Cranbrook to Funchal, Madeira, via Calgary, Toronto, the Azores and then Madeira.  Departing Cranbrook on the evening of January 12 and arriving in Madeira late morning on January 14th.  In order for this plan to come to fruition we have to organize a covid test, test negative within 48 hours of departure and hope that the airlines don't cancel / change our flights. Madeira entry requirements could change. There is a rumour that an increase restrictions may be coming.

At this point, one is able to enter Madeira without a vaccine or a covid test but without these there is a requirement to quarantine and submit to a covid test on arrival, at your expense. Also activities are limited to both tourists and residents.  To enter most stores or a restaurant, a proof of vaccine or a negative covid test taken with the preceding week, is required.

Our plan is to stay in Madeira for 4 weeks. We have a 2 bedroom condo rented on the outskirts of Funchal, close to the ocean. Then we are flying to Malaga for another 2 months in our regular rented house in Olvera.  

I'll up date this when we get on our way... or not.

 Update January 13, 1830  Cranbrook Airport

So far so good.  

We got our covid antigen tests this morning at the Kaslo Pharmacy. We purchased the tests a week ago and they were administered in the presence of the pharmacist. He then provided us with documented status of our negative results. Then we jumped in the car and headed for the 1130 ferry . After arriving in Cranbook, we parked the car at a friends place and arrived at the airport 2 1/2 hours before departure. 

We are now in the boarding room, along with the other 8 passengers, waiting for the plane to depart.

One of the frustrating activities, during the planning phase, is the search for straight forward information on the covid related restriction at your destination.  The best site that I found is the IATA travel center web site.  https://www.iatatravelcentre.com/    This was the only site that I found that allows one to enter some personal data, as well as departure point and destination and it then tells you if you have the necessary documents and/or what else is needed.  

We are hoping to get a good nights sleep tonight at the Radisson Park Inn before catching the Calgary - Toronto flight tomorrow afternoon.