Two More Levadas, More Madeira Experiences

Hiking every day. Eating well. Discovering a new culture. Meeting interesting people. I am so lucky to be here now. I could wax philosophical about how lucky we are to be able to experience all this, but I will spare you. Instead, you get pictures!

Hiking first.

View from Levada Vermelha, or Levada das Mimosas

Can't get enough levada pictures!

Flowing water clip. It's another levada pic!

Glass Sky Walk at Cabo Girao

Cabo Girao view

Looking the other way 

"Toilet Museum"

What was that syrup we ate in Arizona that came from cactus?
Seriously, I loved it, but the name escapes me

Madeira's official flower, the Bird of Paradise

Sliding into "discovering a new culture", here's street art of the flower, with a Swan Neck plant and a philodendron.

Madeira is known for its hand embroidery. As a person whose life revolves around manufacturing, I loved the factory tour, and now you get to share this with me.

This tool is used to count stitches

The process is all hand-work. I won't draw a process flow chart for you. You can thank me later!

An artisan clips the openings in an embroidered piece.

Câmara de Lobos is a fishing harbor, which is named for the seals (lobos) the first visitors found there.

One little boat was named "Titanic"

The sound of waves over the small stones was so relaxing.

A bike tour through town

Now it's time to try out that outdoor pool!

Next stop, another wonderful dinner. This time we got to try bacalao, which is where all of Norway's salted cod ends up. When Neal, Dee and I had it before, in Lisbon, it was a stew. Tonight, though, it was a casserole, served in a ceramic roof ridge. Chalet Vicente's roof ridges were clean and glazed, thank heavens.

It looked like a garden, with the rosemary sprig and cornmeal topping

More adventures to come!