Fabulous Funchal

November 2. Fabulous Funchal! What a grand port! This is the inaugural call in Madeira for the Seven Seas Mariner and what a treat. We had a complimentary 4 hour walking tour called the Flavours of Funchal. Great guide that walked us thru the Rua Santa Maria in the old town with its cobbled streets, and door after door painted and decorated in unique, individual and imaginative ways. Doors were painted with mermaids, decorated with iron sculptures, people peeking out of faux doorways, the gates of hell, a jungle scene, a cubist city, and one of my favorites, a key tree!  Our first stop was the Mercado dos Avradores, with three floors built around an open square where fish, flowers, fruits & vegetables are brought from all over Madeira to sell in the market. Colorful and tasty! We stopped at one fruit stand and tasted a couple of exotic fruits. Sorry, have no idea what they were, but wow - one was from the split leaf philodendron which we grow at home. It tasted like a mix of pineapple, lemon and had the consistency of a ripe banana; it was delicious!  (PS our's doesn't have fruit)

From there a short walk to the famous embroidery factory, Bordal da Madeira founded in 1962. The art of embroidery was taught to the native ladies by an English woman visiting Madeira and they have continued the work. There are over 40,000 designs, and Bordal specializes in beautiful table linens and baby items such as bibs, christening gowns, little shoes, as well as bed linens all certified to be from Funchal. You are able to order online, and one of the things I saw that is really amazing is handkerchiefs monogrammed with your signature! 15 Euros each, minimum 3 per package!  Sadly, the young girls have no interest in learning embroidery, and the general public isn't as willing as I am to iron the beautiful linen and cotton so it appears that it is a dying art. The work we saw was particularly fine and beautifully stitched; I couldn't resist picking up a few little pieces. You can view their online shop at www.bordal.pt for a peek at some of the magnificent work.

The Cathedral is one of the buildings that has survived virtually untouched since it was completed in 1514, in the early days of colonization; I asked the name, but since it's the only Cathedral on Madeira, there is no name, simply known as Se Catedral! But what a little jewel, with richly decorated side alters, chapels, beautiful inlaid ceilings and an incredibly rich altar. Very small and compact and filled with the faithful today - All Souls Day. On the way to our next stop, Blandy's Historical Wine Lodge, there was time for a quick cafe and a stroll around a beautiful little park. The weather here is close to perfect, about 70 degrees, with little humidity - just lovely. And the park was filled with lush, beautiful plants, some of which I recognized, others were a mystery.

Off to taste two types of Madeira; the most celebrated, Malmsey, made from Malvasia grapes very sweet and perfect as an after-dinner digestive, and Verdelho, a medium-dry tawny, for drinking with meat.

We didn't opt to take the famous gondolas to the top of mountain or the even more famous Monte Toboggans down the two mile descent at speeds you'd encounter on the highway! Way too scary for Patti; no thank you! Color me chicken!

One last delight in Funchal, on the retaining wall next to the Mariner, there were cruise ship logos and names of ships. There must be over 100 names & logos painted on the wall that ran a half a mile, or more, from ships that have stopped before us and left their marks: Emerald Princess & Ruby Princess, Royal Caribbean, Holland America Eurodam, Seven Seas Voyager, Swan Hellenic Minerva II, Silversea, Crystal Serenity, P&O Britannia and Costa to name just a few, but even more that aren't familiar.

Fantastic day in Funchal, filled with delightful and unexpected surprises. Don't hesitate to make the trip from Europe if you have the chance... I missed Tea at Reids! I'll just have to come back. Tomorrow, St. Cruz de la Palma!