Funchal Part 2

 After a little over a week, it was time to move onto my next lodging in Funchal.  When I looked on AirBNB for my next place after Ponta do Sol, I couldn’t find a single place with availability for the remainder of my time on the island.  So the website suggested booking two places at once whose dates jibed with mine.  I caught a cab after lunch and we headed from West Funchal to the east.

When we pulled onto the ‘freeway’ I swear I thought I was being kidnapped.  I mean, Funchal is not that big.  I had accidently walked all the way to the docks from my first apartment and my second place (I’d find out later) is in view of those same docks.  It’s not that far by car if you’re on Avenida do Mar.  Then I figured I was just being taken the long way so he could overcharge me.  But when we reached the street, I saw that it was another narrow, one-way jobby that couldn’t be approached any other way.  And, once again, my cab driver wasn’t quite sure where the place was.  The numbering of houses here is too chaotic to follow even for the natives.  That’s a serious problem.

I contacted the host and we managed to find each other after the cabbie dropped me off in front of someone’s house.  He helped me carry my bags down the hill (we were so close) and showed me how to use the two keys to get into the gate, into the building, up the elevator and to the apartment.  Then he showed me around my new home for the week.

This place has automatically reset the bar for rentals on this island. The apartment I just left could fit inside the living/dining room of this place.  And there’s a balcony just off that room with a view of the pool below (to which I have access).  It’s a three-bedroom place, though one of the rooms is closed off (not that I care).  Two bathrooms, a separate laundry room, buttery yellow walls, and the same balcony off the living room can be accessed from the main bedroom.

As for the kitchen … well.  Not only is it bigger than the kitchen I had in my house and has a door (how many kitchens have actual physical doors these days?) the view is … um …

Once I picked my jaw up off the floor, I thanked the host and he left me to continue gawking.  I booked this place and all my accommodations in Portugal on AirBNB.  This trip was my first time using the site and I gotta say, the results have been wildly varied.  I never searched a place based on wow factor or number of bedrooms.  Price, location, and availability are my main criteria.  So to go from my modern little place in Lisbon, to the room in the boonies of the farol, to the homey place in Ponta do Sol, to the 8^th floor studio, to this place (which has to be a million dollar property for the view alone) has been a wild adventure.  And I think this has been one of the cheaper places particularly since I only booked it a couple of weeks ago.  It’s nuts.

I set my computer up in the kitchen because … why wouldn’t I?  It would get a little toasty in the morning with the sun being directly in the window, so I’d move to the dining room.  But only briefly.  The view from the balcony just wasn’t good enough for me anymore.

There are only three drawbacks to the place; with all that space in the kitchen, there’s no oven.  Even the shoebox I just left had an oven, awkwardly placed though it was. Secondly, the upstairs neighbors are noisy.  I think they had a party on Monday night with loud voices, lots of chairs scraping against the hardwood floors, banging and crashing well into the night.  In addition to that, the apartment is located on one of the nastiest hills I have ever encountered in Portugal.  That thing just goes on and on.  And while there are steps located on the side of the hill, they are typical Portuguese steps; made of stone, shallow and uneven, and only get you up the worst part of the hill.  You still have a way to go after that.  The final part at least has a handrail/barrier between you and oncoming traffic.

The weather here has been amazing.  After a month on the island, there were a total of 4 days where the sky was overcast and I felt droplets of rain.  The rest of the time, sunny and gorgeous.  The temp is usually high 60’s, low 70’s every day after being a little cool and windy in the morning then cooling off again in the evening.

I noticed that there are stop lights on the main road of Avenida do Mar.  This road goes past the docks and the main tourist strip for anyone getting off the cruise ships.  They arrive everyday, sometimes with two or three of them docking at one time.

The Mercado dos Lavradores is a huge indoor farmers market that’s just down the street from the apartment.  It is chock full of vendors selling fruits, vegetables, spices, wine, souvenirs, you name it.  It’s three stories of sensory overload as the vendors are trying to offer you samples and you’re bobbing and weaving around other customers and watch that step (what is it with Portugal and all the surprise steps?).  The fishermen, whose boats can be seen from the docks, set up in a separate room.  You can’t get fresher seafood unless you catch it yourself.  It goes straight from the water to the salesroom and you can have the vendors cut it right in front of you.

As great as the market is, I can’t help but think it’s kind of redundant. I’ve already mentioned how fresh the produce is in the grocery stores.  That was the case in Lisbon, but even more so on Madeira as much of the produce is grown right here.  I’ve watched the fisherman in the mornings.  If they’re not fishing for themselves, they’ve got plenty of places to sell their catch.  I would call the market more of a touristy thing since the folks staying in hotels wouldn’t be frequenting the grocers.  Except there are cafes inside that are full of locals as well as shops that sell plants and seeds, so I don’t know.  It’s still a nice place to visit at least once.

After a rocky start, I’ve grown to love the island.  Funchal has everything you could need to live within close proximity, it’s gorgeous and warm, and travel is still possible with the mainland being only 1 ½ hours away.  I didn’t do any of the tourist activities, but there are plenty to partake in like jeep tours around the island, scuba lessons, whale watches and the like to keep you as busy as you want.  Plenty of shops, clinics, grocers – as well as cars, tourists, construction, smokers in public – not a perfect place, as there is no such thing, but still ...  So far, my hunch about the place was correct.  This is definitely the front runner for my new home.  We’ll see how that goes.

Though not a plan, I’m glad I got to experience both sides of Funchal.  Despite my great apartment (which I could never afford in a million years), I think I prefer the west side of the city.  It’s a bit more modern and I could probably afford to rent for a year while I scope out a property.  East Funchal has more of a Lisbon feel with the long rows of houses and the number of abandoned buildings.  Charming, maybe, but a little less to my liking.

Because of all my moving around, Portugal has been far more expensive than I planned.  I’ve also had a few too many nice lunches out including booze and my quest to find the best cappuccino on the island.  My next location is booked for the whole month and, barring any issues with the place, should make it a lot more affordable.

Cultural Notes -- Portugal

Just some random things I've observed living in Portugal for almost a month.

The Portuguese love their wooden floors.  I haven’t seen carpeting in any of my rentals and only rarely have I seen floor rugs.

There are not enough outlets to go around.  In every place I’ve stayed, it’s been a hunt to find a place to plug in the computer.  The apartment in Ponta do Sol had a tap in the kitchen since there was only one plug and yet three appliances on the counter (microwave, coffee maker, and toaster.)  It’s really bad in that, unlike American outlets, when you do find an outlet, you don’t get one on top of the other.  You only get one, so you really have to prioritize.  On a side note, there is WiFi everywhere and the service has been great.  No issues or dropped connections – very convenient for anyone trying to WFH.

The technology on a whole has been a challenge.  Using online manuals has helped, but even then, the design of some of these devices is just confusing.  Particularly the laundry machines.  It’s one thing to have the labels in Portuguese (to be expected) but why are there so many options?  I just want to de-funktify my clothes and not destroy anything.  Why is that so hard?  

Therefore, I was doubly grateful that the machine in Ponta do Sol was nearly identical to the machine I had in Georgia.

I’ve always said that every microwave oven is just different enough to make you pause in figuring them out.  That thought has been proven by just moving around this one small country.  Each first bowl of oatmeal I nuked was purely experimental.  How much time would it need?  Would the cereal bubble over?  Is this bowl microwaveable?  So far so good, though – no explosions or spillovers (thank goodness).

The stovetops have mostly been gas, which is fine.  Most have to be lit by hand, which is fine.  The problem comes with regulating the flame or dealing with a stove with tricky handles that shuts off the flame unexpectedly.  I never could figure out the one convection stovetop I had in Lisbon.  I’d bought some eggs thinking I could scramble them for breakfast.  That idea was a bust and the next renters ended up with some free eggs.

The hosts are not fans of face cloths.  This one kind of bothered me.  I’m trying to wash my face in the morning and there is nothing around.  I don’t want to wet a hand towel to do this, so I eventually bought some microfiber towels for this purpose (always good to travel with those anyway).

Guess what?  Portugal observes daylight savings time.  It never occurred to me to check beforehand.  I just ended up confused when my travel clock no longer aligned with the computer/phone.  Only then did I do a search on DST in Europe.  Because of the different time zones, Portugal springs ahead an hour 2 weeks after the states.  The more you know.

Recycling bins are prominently displayed on the streets, in the mall, all over the place.  Conservation in all resources is encouraged to reduce waste.  If a restaurant offers you a straw, it’s made of paper.  Fast food joints will also not include a plastic lid on the drink.  The cutlery, if not actual metal, is made from wood. 

These &*(&&^( things are a blight on this island.  They are EVERYWHERE.  In Ponta do Pargo, I had to leave one table at a restaurant because the things were swarming around my feet and even climbing on the table.  In Funchal, I’d be slowly taking the stairs (because all Portuguese stairs kind of scare me – many are uneven and made of stone) and then one of these little %$^$$&(s will skitter right in front of me and throw me off.  Fortunately, they don’t seem to make their way into the buildings (being off the ground floor helps).  But, seriously, screw these things.

Octopus is very big there.  It’s featured on salads, as appetizers, it’s even on pizza.  As interesting as they are to look at, the thought of putting one in my face is scary.  That is all.

About the language.  When I decided that I wanted to go expat, I initially wanted to move somewhere English was widely spoken.  Portugal fits that bill, but there’s no way I’m moving to a foreign country and not learning the language.  That might be even harder than I originally thought.  Listening to people’s conversations, sometimes it sounds like Spanish (the two languages have some of the same words and phrases while still being very different) and sometimes, I swear, it sounds like Russian.  I can’t get a bead on the cadence.  Granted, my brain is old and learning languages wasn’t my forte even in my youth.  I took French in high school and Spanish in college, but I’m not fluent in either.  Hopefully, being immersed in the culture long enough, something will finally sink in.

And I do want to be a part of this culture.  These people aren’t angry or rude just for the sake of it.  They live surrounded by beauty and family and friends and don’t even seem bothered by all the tourists.  I had lunch in a café and the manager, Maria, struck up a conversation.  She asked where I was from and she told me about her years as a cruise director.  I told her I was seriously considering moving here after my travels.  Instead of giving me the side eye thinking “yeah, a lot of people say that but never move” or “oh, no, another entitled expat to deal with”,  I got none of that suspicion or distain.  Instead, I got tips.  She told me that it could be rainy in the winters and the hills could be awful to walk (yeah, no kidding).  But, she said if I were retired or working remotely, why wouldn’t I want to live here?  No negativity, no hesitation, just good vibes.  I want to live in a place that encourages that.

Funchal Part 1

 

First impressions of Funchal; there are way too many cars, too many high rises, and so

much

construction.

Bit of a shock coming from Ponta do Sol.  Sure, that town was small and kinda dull, but at least it was gorgeous. Here, it’s basically a mini-Lisbon, but in a bad way that just seems to waste the island’s natural beauty.

My cab driver finally reached the building after having to ask for directions (the second time that’s happened on this island) and I wrestled my bags into the multi-story building.  The host had texted me detailed instructions on getting into the apartment and with good reason.  There was a code to get in the front door which I would only use once and after that I would have a key.  I wouldn’t take the first elevator I saw, instead going up a flight of stairs to a second, coffin-sized elevator that would take me up to the 8^th floor.  Then, I’d have to go down a set of stairs through a dark hallway to find the apartment.  Then I’d have to input a code in the lockbox on the door, get the actual keys out of it, and then, finally, open the door to the place.  I’ve had tax returns that were easier to maneuver.

This place is tiny.  While it does have everything you need, it is still a box of a studio on the eighth floor.  Again, a shock coming from the huge 3 bedroom, 3 bath, 2 balcony goodness I had in Ponta do Sol.  There was no sound of water in this place.  Mostly I just heard the neighbors yelling and banging things.  Not what you want to hear on your first day in a new place.  Still, the view from the balcony wasn't half bad.

Once I dropped my stuff off, I left the building and started walking in no particular direction, hoping I’d be able to find my way back.  I spotted the water and tried to figure out the best way to get there.  There are a lot of hotels situated close to the water, though none of them were truly beach side.  There are no real sand beaches because it’s still very rocky here, but most of the hotels have pool areas that overlook the ocean.  The hotels also border the scenic pathway I stumbled upon which I later found out was called the Jardin Panoramico (the Panoramic Garden). 

The pathway, park, garden, whatever you want to call it is fantastic.  It goes on for about a mile and gives you some nice views of the ocean.  I still can’t get over the abundance of flowers and trees that are everywhere.  The breeze coming off the water, the sun shining down, the multiple benches and cafes sprinkled around so you can just sit and enjoy the day and I take back what I said about the construction ruining the natural beauty.  There’s still too much of it but the city has found a way to make it work.  You can’t even hear the banging of the construction or the noise of cars while on the path, thanks to the stone walls in between.  I walked there every day I stayed in that apartment.

Something I noted about the tourists on the various parts of the island.  In Ponta do Pongo, I mostly heard German accents from a lot of hikers.  In Ponta do Sol it was mostly Italians looking to take pictures.  In Funchal, I’ve seen quite a few older British people ‘just on holiday’, cute elderly couples holding hands as they take in the sights.  I’d find out later that it was mostly the Brits who stayed in Funchal.  They only became an issue when they’d clash with rival footballers while watching a game in one of the pubs.

Since Funchal is the capital and the largest city on the island, it is the tourist hub spot.  Do you need a break from all the walking, maybe a glass of wine or a slice of cake?  Throw a stick.  There are so many snack bars, wine bars, coffee shops, restaurants, and bakeries that you could probably eat at a different restaurant every day for a month and still not hit them all.  Since the weather is so gorgeous, all of these places have outdoor seating areas with prominent menus on display in multiple languages.  But I found that it’s not just the tourists frequenting these places.  Plenty of Portuguese to be heard everywhere.  There’s a bakery near the apartment called Penha D’Aguia that’s been around since 1844 and was always busy no matter when I passed by.  Particularly in the morning, the tables would be full of people having their tiny cup of espresso and a pastry while staring at their phones.

Grocery stores are abundant here.  There are three Pinga Doces in walking distance to the apartment.  This is the big chain of stores equivalent to Publix in Georgia.  Then there are the small Fruta e Legumes (fruits and vegetables) stores sprinkled everywhere.  You are never far away from fresh food.

I also passed by multiple pharmacies, clinics, furniture stores, you name it and it wasn’t difficult to access.  This is a very functional city designed for the residents to get what they need without use of a car.  Yet there are still so many around.  I understand the need for one if you live on one of the higher hills and need to come down to the hotel area for work, but other than that I say walk or take the bus.  Street parking is just as nuts here as it was in Ponta do Sol and while there are some designated parking lots attached to buildings, owning a car just seems to be more of a hassle than anything else.

There is an actual functioning open air mall here called Forum Madeira.  It has H&M and Zara as the only stores I recognize along with a bunch I’ve never heard of including the restaurant pictured below that's in the food court.  It also has a theatre and a Pingo Doce on the lowest level.  I found the mall, by accident but it turned out to be very close to the apartment and a definite selling point.  Later in the week I realized that there is a rooftop garden that’s easily accessible to the residents of the apartments surrounding the mall.  Another nice touch to make Funchal as comfortable and inviting as it is.

Despite (or probably because of) the thriving Forum, I did encounter a few dead husk spaces, what I’ve come to expect regarding malls.  There were at least two hollowed out places that still had a working café or convenience store attached.  It was strange to see such large half-dead malls in the middle of such a small city.  Prime real estate that was going to waste.

Some other things I noticed.  There are no stoplights in the city and I only found one stop sign.  The only traffic calming comes from the curvy roadways and the zebra crossings.  The drivers are just as patient with pedestrians as they have been during the rest of my trip and I have yet to see any issues on the roads.  A few honking horns but that’s it.  No accidents or traffic jams – a serious change compared to anywhere in the Atlanta area.

I had discovered my new favorite wine in a restaurant while in Ponta do Sol.  It’s a brand of vinho verde (green wine) that’s a specialty of Portugal and it is delicious.  I’m not even a wine person or a heavy drinker, but I’m a little addicted to the stuff.  And in Funchal there are multiple places to buy the wine for cheap at around 4 euros.

I continued to explore the local cuisine while in Funchal, trying the Super Bock beer.  Not bad, as far as beer goes.  Very tingly, like a highly carbonated beverage.  Interesting, but not something I’d order again.  I also tried the Bolo Mel Cana, a round chocolate cake with nuts on top that’s sold everywhere.  Kinda fudgy and not bad. 

A last note.  I mentioned having difficulties with my credit card on my very first day here.  Well, those problems persisted.  I ended up having to call the company three times to get it resolved.  We eventually decided to cancel the card and they would send me another one.  I initially balked at this (hello!  I’m in Portugal!) but at least I had my backup card with me.  I figure I’ll return to the states in May and pick up the new card before heading back to Europe for the next leg of my adventures.  Since the problem was with too many charges from Uber, I’ve used taxis during the rest of my trip.  I don’t blame them for the problems but I also don’t want to end up getting any of my other cards flagged while I’m here.  Moral of the story; don’t enter your credit card numbers on your phone while in an airport.  Too many wandering eyes about.

Ponta do Sol

After scouring AirBnB for another apartment on a different part of the island, I managed to find a place in the city of Ponta do Sol.  I wanted to visit this place because it has become a mecca for digital nomads and I wanted to find out why.  Even though I’d already paid for a month’s stay in Ponta do Pongo, I left the farol on Tuesday, March 14, 2023.

A 45 euro taxi ride later and I arrived at the pretty little town of Ponta do Sol.  The property manager, Rita, helped me get my bags up the steep stone steps, up even more stairs, to show me my new home for the week.  Wow.  The apartment is insane! A huge kitchen, three bathrooms, two bedrooms on the first floor and another loft style bedroom upstairs.  It was far more than I needed, yet it was still reasonably priced.  Rita told me that they’d just had a cancellation which is why the place was available on such short notice.  Then she showed me the two (!) balconies – one off the main bedroom and the other off the kitchen.  This is the view from the kitchen window.

That’s a levada, one of the natural waterways that are scattered all over the island.  This city is built around at least three of them.  With a view of the ocean from the living room and the levada out back, the place is surrounded by the sound of water.  I LOVE that!

Although, I soon found out that that’s not the only sound to be heard in the apartment.  The screaming starts at 8 a.m.  What do I mean by that?  Exactly what I wrote.  This town is very tiny.  The elementary school is just up the street from the apartment and I’m going to take a wild guess and say that school starts at 8 am.  And so does the screaming.

Sometime later, there’s also the sound of music.  The library is directly across from the apartment.  The building on the other side of the narrow cobblestone street is some kind of conservatory (I think?).  Piano music comes from the windows, including the Pirates of the Caribbean theme.  Strange, but at least it was well done.

All of this was a surprise that first morning though I quickly got used to it.  I was usually up before 8:00 as the bed was doing a number on my lower back.  Getting up early meant that I could walk up the hill to the grocery store to pick up anything I needed for the day.  I was actually glad to get back into cooking for myself.  Not that my menu was any more varied than the farol’s, but I at least I had more control over it.  Ponta do Sol got me in the habit of eating breakfast and dinner at home and finding lunch somewhere else.

Because of the town’s compact nature, it wasn’t difficult to find anything.  The apartment had a killer location just steps away from several restaurants and a gray stone “beach”.  I use the word lightly because even though there was access to the water, those stones weren’t exactly inviting.  There were smaller stones near the entrance to the beach, but as you got closer to the water, the rocks just got bigger and more unevenly spread.  It made finding footing a tricky business.

The views, though, couldn’t be beat.  Down the street and up a hill, past the striking yellow cliffside restaurant, was a bridge and walkway over the water.  A great place for fisherman and tourists to take photos.  I walked up there almost every morning when it was quiet.  A peaceful place to just sit and be.

As with all of the island, the hills are king.  Everything is on a series of tiers that take some energy to maneuver, starting with just getting out of the apartment.  This is the first hill I have to take, a steep uneven decline leading to the town square.  While I would slowly amble down like a toddler on ice skates, I watched kids run down these bad boys like it was nothing.  That’s okay, kids.  Leave grandma behind because I don’t want to know how long it would take me to get medical care for a broken ankle.  At least the police station is in walking distance.

I got mistaken twice for a native.  The first time was by a couple fresh off the bus and only in town for an hour.  The Bulgarian man and his Italian girlfriend saw me coming out of my apartment and asked me about the sights.  I had them follow me down the hill, across the street, and to the stone beach.  We parted ways and I went to get lunch at a place called Steak and Sun.  An hour later an older gentleman stopped me and asked if I was from here.  The first time I could understand as I was leaving the apartment, but the second time?  Do I look Portuguese to anybody?

Speaking of which, there weren’t many black faces on this part of the island.  I saw more here than I did in Porta do Ponga, but not many.  From what I gather, this place is like the other in that tour groups will come here for a short visit, take their pictures, maybe get some lunch and then leave.  While this town is less remote, you would still need a car to see more sights.  There are hotels here, but again, I see this place as just a short stop on a trip, nothing more.

The taxi driver had warned me on the way over that there wasn’t much to see and he was right.  Again, Ponta do Sol is very pretty, but also a little too small and limited for me.  The digital nomad hub was basically a large communal space to host temporary workers as they stayed for a few days or a month.  I could understand the appeal of the place for a short stay, but since I’m looking for a new home, Ponta do Sol doesn’t work for me.  Nice place to visit, couldn’t live here. 

Ponta do Pargo

Nope.  Didn’t last a week.

Ponta do Pargo is extremely picturesque.  It’s very quiet and very rural.  The staff of the hotel/restaurant were nice and accommodating.  The room was simple but clean with a killer view of the water from my balcony.  And yet …

I felt trapped in a bucolic nightmare.

Okay.  That’s not entirely fair.  I did hike around the area, enjoying the scenery.  I wasn’t the only one.  The farol had various guests coming in an out while the hills were often covered with hikers (mostly German).  The word farol actually means lighthouse (I just keep referring to the hotel/restaurant as a farol).  The lighthouse itself is located down a tunnel that leads to a turnaround for tourists to park and get a scenic view.  They would often stop at the restaurant, a popular spot to view the fabulous sunsets.

In the other direction, the road ends in a cul-da-sac providing entrance into driveways for 2-3 houses.  The only road out leads through the village, a serious hoof up a hill only partially paved with sidewalks. There are wildflowers everywhere.  Calla lilies, poppies, cacti, and what looked like aloe bushes.  Everything is lush and green and many houses have their own fields to grow vegetables. I already mentioned the cows, but I also spotted some goats in the fields.  All the animals are tethered to their spots, but I still don't think that most have owners.  I think it's up to city to maintain them.

The village itself has a few restaurants, a pharmacy, and a small grocery store.  It’s this weird mix of the modern and the ancient.  You’ll see these lovely brightly colored homes with blooming gardens sitting next to rotted out wrecks.  There are few sidewalks, yet plenty of people on foot (and just like in Lisbon, the drivers will give you a lot of leeway for being in the street).  Some of the roads are barely ruts in the dirt, yet there will be a shiny new car rolling down it.  It is deathly quiet except for the church bells and the animals, until some yahoos on motorcycles race down the street.

There’s like 20 people in this village and yet they have this kickass coffee shop called Gato Legal.  I stopped there on my first Friday at the farol since the restaurant is closed that day.  I had a tuna pie and an Americano. The food was delicious and I love the air of the place.  I asked the owner how long they served breakfast and since he said all day, I assured him that I would be back.  There was a French toast on the menu that I had to try and at 2:00 the following Sunday I did.  It was amazing.  And, yes, they do serve wine and beer, thanks for asking.

In fact, they have wine and beer everywhere.  As tiny as the supermarkets are, whether here or in Lisbon, they always have a full liquor aisle.  Madeira is known for it’s wine and even though I’m not a big wine person, I had to try some.  I had the sweet version of their port – not bad.  I also had something called poncha.  It was served in this tiny glass and looked like orange juice.  I took one sip and – whoa.  That’s booze made from rum and fruit juices.  Took another sip … and then I was drunk.  Third sip killed the glass. “Would you like another?” asked the waitress.  “Yes, please.”  Good stuff that.  Poncha!

I hiked up the hill nearest to the farol, visited the village multiple times, took pictures at the scenic overlook.  I basically did all you could do without having a car and by Saturday I was over it.  I was tired of the menu.  The free breakfast was the same rolls, cold cuts and fruit every morning.  The room was always too cold and the hotel could get noisy.  I longed to be out exploring more of the island, but I didn’t want to drive.  A rental from the farol would cost 100 euros a day and the roads here are steep, windy, narrow, and go through too many tunnels for my comfort. The bus system (outside of the main city of Funchal) was incomprehensible even to the locals, took too long, and rarely made it to this part of the island.

I think an extended stay would make sense if you’re looking to escape the hustle and bustle of a city or if you’re looking to reconnect with nature.  Call me spoiled, but I didn’t need a month to do that.  Not the fault of the farol, just not where my head is at.  Yes, I should embrace the quiet to get more writing done but … a few days at the farol just had me itching for something else.

A Word About Madeira

My first indication that I wouldn’t like my next accommodation is when I contacted the host and was told it would be an 80-euro taxi ride to get to his place.  No more public transport or taxi rides for less than 20 euros.  I have to admit that my apartment in Lisbon had spoiled me.  The location couldn’t be beat and I had full amenities.  It also cost for one week what I’d planned to spend for an entire month of lodging, which is why I couldn’t rent it for much longer.

I woke way too early on travel day, said a wistful goodbye to my Lisbon digs, and headed for the taxi stand.  After about a 10-minute wait, the cab showed up and swiftly got me to the airport.  Again, I was too early and had to wait to check my bags.  Then more waiting for the gate number to be assigned.  After a quick meal, there was still more waiting for EasyJet to board.  More waiting after that to get everyone on the plane and why the hell is this taking so long?  After all that standing with my heavy bags, I was thrilled to have a window seat and a row of three to myself on the plane.  I promptly fell asleep for most of the 1 ½ hour flight.

Then the real fun began.  The only address I had for the bed and breakfast was incomprehensible to the first cabbie I met.  He threw up his hands, saying the address was not enough to navigate on, and quickly dropped me for another client.  I sent the host a message and waited for a response (I gotta say, cell phones do come in handy sometimes).  When I got something that looked a little more precise, I approached a friendly looking woman and asked if she could take me there.  She nodded and we were on our way.

I already knew that Portuguese drivers were nuts, but this lady surpassed them all.  I swear she was trying out for the Indy 5000 (forget the Indy 500 – she’d already swooped way past them).  My brother used to drive just as fast, so it didn’t bother me too much.  Until she passed two cars at 80 miles an hour while driving through a tunnel …

This cabbie was far more talkative than any other driver I’d had so far.  As we raced through tunnels and skidded around circles, she’d point out the farms and what they grew.  There are banana trees all over the island as well as plots of potatoes and lettuces.  She raved about Madeira strawberries, how they were better and sweeter than Spanish varieties which just made me want some.  She noted that the weather had been weird lately.  Since Monday (it was Thursday at the time) a fog had been rolling in from the water in strange places.  We literally went into a tunnel under clear skies and when we came out, nothing beyond the road was visible.  It was truly bizarre.

I marveled at all the rows of red-roofed houses visible from the highway.  And we just kept passing by all of them.  We passed by Funchal, the capital city, by Ponta do Sol, the digital nomad village that cropped up a few years ago.  The further we went, the sparser the houses became until we finally started to see signs for Ponta do Pargo, where my hotel was located.  At least that’s what we thought.  We kept looking for the place among the few seemingly private properties to no avail.  I was about to call the host when my driver remembered that she had once brought a fare to this area and she knew where it was.  Turns out she was right and we turned into a restaurant/bed and breakfast.

I was both relieved and dismayed at the place.  While peaceful and quite lovely, it is in the middle of nowhere.  There are no attractions, no beach access, no stores, or any sign of life in general.  My room, while clean with a gorgeous view of the ocean, is a far cry from the modern apartment I’d just left.  No full kitchen this time, no on-site laundry, just a small fridge that I quickly discovered was unplugged from the only outlet behind the desk.  I could either have cold water or my computer.

And, also animals.  I took a walk up the street to get the lay of the land.  I’m basically on a 2-lane road with nothing but the hotel and a bunch of private homes.  Other than the pigeons, I don’t remember any animals roaming around Lisbon.  Here, every bush I pass starts to rustle.  Lizards crawl out of every stone wall.  There are house flies, buzzing bees, and, of course, there are the cows.  Here I am walking up the road only to turn to the field on my left and – cow.  A couple more stare me down as I gawk at them.  I don’t think any of them belong to anyone.  They’re just wild cows grazing in the abundant grassy areas.  I am literally in the Portuguese countryside.

And the host was wrong about the 80 euros for a taxi – it was actually 100.    You’d think as fast as the woman was going, we would have broken the sound barrier and made the fare cheaper.

As I write this, it’s a sunny 65 degrees. The fog is lifting over the ocean, I hear birds chirping and the occasional moo of a wild cow.  Can’t say I expected any of this.

Not sure I’ll last the whole month here.

                                                                            COW!

Food of Lisbon

Can we talk about food for a minute?  From my research, I knew that the crazy number of products we have in American grocery stores would not be replicated in Europe.  The stores are smaller with fewer varieties of everything.  But what they do have is fresher, better and cheaper than in the states.  I can attest to that by proof of an orange.

I bought 5 oranges while in Lisbon, two from one store and three from another.  Each and every one of them was juicy and delicious.  Every time I opened the trashcan, I could immediately smell the rinds – they were still that fragrant and fresh even days later.  In America, I could pay three times as much for an heirloom orange and have no idea what I would get.  The orange might be juicy or it might be completely dried out.  There was no way to tell until you peeled it.

From my apartment in Belem, there are literally dozens of places to eat within walking distance.  Every variety you could want including, Italian, Chinese, Middle-Eastern and even McDonalds and Burger King mixed in with the traditional Portuguese places.  Being by the ocean, Portugal is famous for its seafood.  I had to try some, of course, so I found a little place thinking to have some salmon.  They were out so the waitress suggested the grilled bream (a fish I’d never even heard of) because it was fresh.  The fish was served whole with a side of perfectly seasoned steamed vegetables.  Add that to the bread and small plate of cheese and the delicious caipirinha (a cocktail I’d never had before) and it made for a simple but excellent meal.

I mentioned the food trucks and carts along the pier; they’re a little further away but still accessible by foot.  There are a bunch of places everywhere devoted solely to sweets and coffee, the biggest being Pasteis de Belem, a place that always has a line out the door for their pastries.  They are little rounds of phyllo dough with a burnt custard in the middle.  I wasn’t willing to wait in line, so I bought one from the store.  Pretty tasty after I warmed it in the microwave for half a minute. 

Walking around Lisbon proper, there was a café or restaurant every few feet.  Many of the streets/alleys in the city are closed off to cars so the restaurants have tables set up in the middle of them.  I like the ones with the enclosed fire pits since it staves off the cold and wind while you eat. 

They have the best bread everywhere – even the smallest supermarket will have a variety of baked goods to buy.  I found this maple pecan croissant at a little grocery store in a different part of Belem.  Absolutely delicious.

Coffee culture is also omnipresent.  Breakfast is usually a very simple meal of bread, fruit, and coffee.  But if you want to shove bread in your face and mainline coffee all day, the Portuguese won’t even blink.  They’re doing the same thing.

They’re not big on eggs here.  Oh, you can find them in the grocery stores, just don’t look in the refrigerated section.  They also aren’t big on cow milk.  I have yet to see any milk in a grocery store.  Instead, they have a wide assortment of plant-based milks, also unrefrigerated. 

And as French fries are my favorite food, guess which phrase I learned right away?  Battatas fritas (fried potatoes) is the term for both French fries and potato chips.  Nearly every meal I’ve ordered automatically came with fries.  So, I’ve had a lot of fries in Portugal.

My biggest concern, while eating all the bread and fries I want, was negating all the work I’d put in to losing weight.  Not to worry.  While my situation in America was more controlled with weight lifting sessions and supplements, here I walk at least 2 miles a day by default.  Sometimes up some serious hills.  Burns off those carbs real quick.

Tipping here is optional.  Since the waitstaff aren’t working for that tip, you’ll often have to flag them down to get their attention. With the more laid-back atmosphere, it’s common for lunch to go on for hours.  No one rushes you out to fill the table again and everything is just allowed to progress at it’s own pace.

I’m not even a foodie and I’m impressed.  Almost every meal I’ve had has been excellent.  Even if the waitstaff aren’t checking on you every minute, the staff are polite and easily switch from Portuguese to English depending on the customer (an impressive skill that I admire).  And in one restaurant, the staff gave each of the women a free rose.  Come on, Lisbon!  I already want to move here.  Quit trying so hard!

Lisbon Part 2

My first foray into Lisbon proper was by taxi as I was on a mission.  I had bought a universal adapter at home in preparation for Europe, but didn’t realize until I got to Portugal that it does not work for a 3-prong plug.  That meant no computer and that wasn’t going to work.  There is a communal workspace along the shore in Belem so I asked the woman who worked there if she knew of where I could get a new adapter.  She was kind enough to write down the location of a store in the mall downtown and I was on my way.

After a frantic search at FNAC, the regional version of Best Buy, I found the adapter.  A quick lunch in the small 3-story mall and I left it to look around the area while I was there.  There is so much to see in the city. The place crawls with people and cars navigating the narrow, hilly streets.  Wandering aimlessly (what I do best), I found my way to this huge courtyard by the pier.  Despite being able to see the suspension bridge that I’d walked under on my first day, I quickly discovered that there was no way to walk a straight line along the pier.  There were too many breaks for traffic diversions and entrances to boat docks.  It’s either take a taxi or public transport to get to Belem from Lisbon.

Speaking of which, my wandering led to the Cais do Sobre station, the end of the green line of the Lisbon Metro.  The station also houses a few cafes, shops, entrance to both the Metro (underground) and the above train lines, as well a decent sized grocery store.  How convenient is that?  You’re on your way home from work or coming back from a day trip and can easily pick up dinner before jumping on the train.  No cars needed; just be sure you have your grocery bags with you.  It’s the first thing the cashiers ask before they ring you up.

With the help of yet another nice lady who saw me staring at the ticket machine in confusion, I managed to buy a ticket on the above ground train.  Three stops later, I was in Belem again, purchases in hand.

I said before that I didn’t have any solid plans for my time in Lisbon.  What I did have was a vague idea of things I wanted to do.  I thought of taking the train to the nearby city of Porto as another new home candidate or maybe take a day trip to Sintra for some sightseeing.  Unfortunately the weather didn’t always want to cooperate.

While it was sunny the first few days I was there, it soon turned for the worst.  Monday was just awful.  It was windy, rainy, and cold.  I was out in it for about an hour before I called no mas.  I admit it; I’m a weather wimp.  Though there were plenty of people still out wrestling with umbrellas and trying to avoid getting splashed by passing cars, I had to return to the apartment.  I hated to do it but there’s only so much I can take.

With the extended travel plans scrubbed, I was still determined to learn the train/underground system since getting back from Lisbon the first time was so easy.  I purchased a 3-day Lisboa Card from this mirrored kiosk near the park.  This grants you access to all public transport and museums – a good deal.  There is also a rechargeable Viagem card for the trains, but the Lisboa Card is nice to have since you don’t have to wait in line to recharge it.

Once the weather cleared up again, I was back on the train to Cais do Sobre.  From there, it’s a short walk downstairs to the underground.  My mission this time was to find the Hard Rock Café.  I’ve collected the shirts for years and couldn’t miss out on Lisbon.  The restaurant is located on Rua du Avenida where you’ll also find all the chi-chi stores like Fendi and Mark Jacobs.  There’s also a Lidl grocery store along with still more restaurants and cafes. 

A later visit to the city also revealed a really nice park at the end of the street.  I loved that park and the fact that the city is built with so many places to just sit and chill.  You might have to walk six miles to get there but the atmosphere is worth it.

My last full day in Lisbon was a local one.  One of the museums near the apartment was the Monsteiro dos Jeronimos, an ancient monastery that always had a huge line out the door to enter.  I thought to go there on that yucky Monday morning except all museums are closed on Mondays.  This day turned out sunny so I got in line.  Expansive and gorgeous, you can feel the age of the place when you enter.

I highly recommend coming to Lisbon at least once.  Some hints: do not rent a car there.  The drivers are a little … um … insane and there’s nowhere to park.  You are much better off on foot or on one of the scooters or bikes that are parked all over town.  Noise levels can be … challenging.  I knew from my research that the walls of apartments can be pretty thin.  I can attest to that as I could hear every person walking outside my apartment as well as the neighbors next door with their screaming baby.

I deliberately chose to visit Lisbon at the tail end of winter/beginning of spring because I wanted to know what those seasons were like (I’d been spoiled for far too long with the mild winters in Georgia).  The city forces you to get outside on foot – a much different thing than being in a car all day.  The rain and wind are rough being near the water and there’s always the risk of tripping on wet tiled walkways.  Even with the dodgy weather, there were plenty of tourists about.  Come summer I’m sure the place will be insane with all the noise and festivals.

Still, I like Lisbon.  I know it’s only my first stop on the new home search, but I’m impressed enough to consider it a candidate.  Don’t know if I can afford it or what the rest of the year will bring, but I look forward to returning there.