Since the local bus service is so good, there’s no problem getting there, so we joined the happy Madeirans who had already been to market and were now on their way home laden with goodies. We stood for part of the way, hanging on for our lives as the bus ground its way ever upwards, taking the 90+ degree corners as if the driver thought he was on a race track! By the time we were halfway to Palheiro, most of the locals had left the bus, so at least we got seats – and were treated to more spectacular views over the city and harbour – no cruise ship today.
Once we reached the terminus, we had to walk about 400m downhill to the Garden entrance to find it was 10euros each to go in + 2euros for a guide leaflet. Oh well, we won’t be coming back here and it was recommended, so we paid our dues and in we went. January is not the best month to see these gardens! Although they are quite extensive, they’re not a patch on the Monte Palace Gardens (for the same price). Much of the area is given over to lawn; the newly formed rose garden is just bare earth with very young rose bushes, no foliage or flower yet and, although the magnolias and camellias had started to come into flower, the overall impression was dull. The only area I really liked was the lady’s garden, but even that had very little flowering in the beds.
So it was a disappointing start to the day. We did have a nice drink in the tea rooms there, then set off on the next stage of our day – the levada walk from Palheiro to Romeiros, about 4 ½ miles.But first, we had to climb back up to the village from where the instructions in the guide book said “walk 100m to a garage where you’ll see a sign pointing to the track to the Levada dos Tornos and the Jasmin Tea House”. Well, for a start, we missed the sign so walked further up yet another hill until we met a man who sent us back! The “track” was an almost vertical climb (it certainly felt like it to me!!) beside a water course taking some of the flow from the levada.
Once on the flat it was OK and we set off towards Romeiros (the walk actually goes on to Monte, but this last part is the most difficult so Tom had decided we’d miss it out).It was a very pleasant walk, among the trees and with a broad path so no scary drops! We met quite a lot of walkers travelling the other way – we were going up the levada and they had obviously decided going down was better, not that walking up was difficult as the levada is built on a very gradual downward slope. One couple we met on a bend with a very narrow pathway and a sheer drop to the road beneath.
I wasn’t very happy but the man going the other way had to be led past us almost with his eyes closed! (It’s quite reassuring to meet someone else whose phobia is worse than you own!)There are 2 cafes along the way, the Jasmine Tea Rooms and the Hortensia Tea Rooms. One couple we passed recommended Hortensia as “their orange cake is to die for”, so we duly decided that would do. It was further on the walk anyway, and when we reached it looked very pleasant. We had our drinks and orange cake, well worth the recommendation.
The clouds had appeared again, so we donned our fleeces before setting off on the next leg.The levada follows the contours of the land so it is a very wandering path. Some of the time we could hear traffic below us on the roads but couldn’t always see it. Other times there were clear views down and several times, we had to cross roads where the levada flowed underneath. Some of these were amazing – goodness knows what degree the slope was!
Beyond the tea rooms, a huge collection tank sits at a bend opposite a basic filtration system designed to clear the natural debris that collects in the levada. The tank is enormous. Above this, the water deepened to 1m – up to this point, it was about 60cm deep, but the levada itself is about 2m deep, so it clearly carries a lot more water at times. A little further on, we came upon an area where there had been a recent rock fall, creating a mini weir in the channel.
On one stretch, we passed through a private estate of very luxurious villas built on stilts – or at least, they would have been luxurious had the surroundings not been all overgrown and the villas themselves rather unkempt.
This is the Choupana Lodge Holiday Spa and Resort.The next stretch is also through woodland
but it was much damper here and we had 3 streams to cross. These natural water courses coming off the hills are directed over the levada so that soil, leaves and stones don’t enter and block the flow. The streams were no more than 1cm deep so were no hazard.
Shortly after crossing the third one, we could see the bus stop at Romeiros, but still had to walk another few hundred metres round the valley walls, then down some very steep steps to reach it.Remember I said at the beginning of the holiday that we would either be very fit or knackered by the end of it? Well, Tom’s fit and I’m knackered!! I could hardly speak while we waited for the bus – the walk on top of the garden visit was just too much, either on their own would have been fine.
The bus trip down the hill was a revelation! Much of it was on roads NOT designed for 2 vehicles to pass, and with hairpin bends, there wasn’t much visibility, but we careered downwards anyway. Tom said that, as our driver was a mature man, he had clearly driven safely for years. But could it not have been that he was a young man aged prematurely by the hazards of the job?!? Whatever, we arrived safely but with a few more grey hairs of our own!
Having partaken of the Hortensia’s rather yummy cake at lunchtime, neither of us was hungry enough for dinner, so we bought a couple of Madeiran speciality breadsticks with bacon, cheese and garlic from the stand near the bus stop and brought them back here. With a packet of crisps and a glass of wine, it was a perfect supper.
Wednesday 28 January
I’m becoming fed up with feeling ill. I had an awful night, coughing, with a sore throat, and have been absolutely useless today! (You know what Tom will say to that statement!) My throat feels like sandpaper, I’ve used up nearly all the painkillers I brought from home AND those we’ve bought here, and wasted yet another day. Fortunately, the weather has not been so good - although it hasn’t rained, it has been very dull and quite cool. Tom’s read 2 books even though I told him he should go out, and just now (7.00pm) has gone to fetch Chinese takeaway to tempt me. He’s lovely really. Let’s hope I feel better tomorrow and we can do some of the Funchal visits we’ve been saving for the last few days.
No comments:
Post a Comment