High Fog, Low Sun

Wednesday we planned a hike on the high plain of Fanal but when we arrived on an exciting, curvy, foggy drive, heavy fog made it impossible to walk. Emma had a backup plan to ride a gondola at another spot. That turned out to be a life saver. It went almost straight down to an otherwise inaccessible, sunny seaside area and a beautiful long walk with cliffs on one side, ocean on the other and narrow old cultivated fields alongside, with occasional small stone "shacks" now used as weekend houses - and very few other people. We finished the four-hour session with a visit to a lighthouse viewing point and another viewing point over Porto Moniz where we are staying. then, lunch at a decent restaurant, nap, and good news from Amir that the US no longer requires covid testing for entry. We had tests lined up for Friday morning at Madrid airport before we fly back that day. Also, from Madeira to Madrid we don't need to get the QR certification to enter Spain because we are only going from one EU country to another. For the rest of the day, who knows? We might even do nothing.

As it turns out, nothing was too much to hope for. Emma led the way into the center from the hotel and, on the grounds of the improved lava swimming pools, found the best place to sit and watch the sun go down over the Atlantic. Not quite until sunset.

The hotel placed a cautionary sign to keep oblivious guests from walking over its floral first anniversary celebration.

From the top of the gondola location downward you can see the terrain where we walked at the very bottom.

Descending

Walking

Walking

Walking

Walking

Standing

Wild grapes

Figs

Cactus

Flowers

Vegetation

Habitation

Elevation

Next stop - lighthouse

Next stop - panoramic view of Porto Moniz. Our hotel is the large brown building in the upper right.

Part of lunch, my tuna steak, my share of Emma's enormous fish stew. Fried maize cubes in upper left, beloved potatoes above.

One of many Portuguese white wines we have enjoyed.

Best passion fruit pudding so far. It had the fruit inside the pudding, not just as a sauce.

Rust

Tourist art

The enhanced lava pools

End of day in sunset viewing spot found by Emma (selfie makes this a mirror image)

American Pharaoh

END