Adventurous Maite: 6-Madeira (Portugal) 11-12 June 2014

11th June (Wednesday)

Rua de Santa Maria 166, Restaurante O Jango.
There are many restaurants in the old town offering similar menus and prices

Mercearia da Poncha (left) and Santa Maria Hostel (right) located within a traditional and historical building in Funchal old town (Zona Velha)

Parque Almirante Reis in downtown Funchal

Rua Dom Carlos, an important street I in Santa Maria Maior. Santa Maria Maior (Portuguese meaning Saint Mary the Great) is a civil parish in the eastern part of the municipality of Funchal on the island of Madeira located about 3 km east of the urban centre of Funchal, 4.5 km southwest Camacha and only 3 km west Caniço. The area is an urbanized section of the municipality of Funchal linked by ancillary roads to other sections of the island, as well as roadway that extends across the island

O Violino Restaurant & Grill

The cable car station. The departing station is located at Parque Almirante Reis

Jardim do Almirante Reis is an interesting public garden located in the historical area of Santa Maria Maior in “zona velha” the old part of town and near the cable car

The flag of Funchal

This garden presents a new concept constituted by wave shape platforms, accompanied by some previously planted trees and cut by walkways in wood or stone giving it an illusion of the deep valleys of the Island. One of the great charms of this area is the existence of the cable car that establishes the connection between Funchal and Monte

Cable car prices

Rua Jose da Silva "Saca" in Santa Maria Maior

"Solidariedade" (Solidarity) by Ricardo Velosa, 1998. Bronze sculpture of two arms holding a plaque with text in front of a ring. The sculpture stands in front of the Almirante Reis Parking Garage, in Avenida do Mar e das Comunidades Madeirenses (Auto silo do Almirante Reis)

Rua Artur de Sousa "Pinga". Artur de Sousa, known for his nickname Pinga (July 30, 1909 in Funchal – July 12, 1963 in Porto) was a footballer and later coach who made his name in FC Porto, club he served until his death in 1963

Rua Artur de Sousa "Pinga"

Rua de Dom Carlos I

Near Mercado dos Lavradores

Mercado dos Lavradores

Dolce Vita Shopping Centre

Located in the centre of Funchal, this modern shopping area has 70 shops, an attractive food court, a health club and hypermarket, as well as a car park with 900 spaces

The yellow building is the Instituto do Vinho (Wine Institute)
in Madeira is home to the Wine Museum, The Museu Do Vinho

Arcadas São Francisco Shopping Centre

Oudinot Shopping Centre, located close to Funchal’s historical centre. Neighbour of the Farmers Market and Funchal’s historical centre. This shopping centre is home to a good selection of shops, cafés and restaurants; it has a time-limited car park with space for 69 vehicles

Largo das Torneiras.
Pereira's Desporto is one of the most prestigious stores in Funchal

Travessa Conde Carvalhal

In the afternoon we took a tour around Lido area

The sea is seen from everywhere

Salt water swimming pools

Panoramic Bay views

Edifício Bonimar (Bonimar Apartments)

In the archipelago there're numerous monuments in honor of João Gonçalves Zarco, one of the island's discoverers. In Lido promenade - Praia Formosa, specifically in the area of Ponta da Cruz, you can see a sculpture found in the Portuguese navigator pose commander, on top of a huge rock. This sculpture, which opened in 2004, is the work of sculptor, cartoonist and writer Azorean Augusto Cid, being a replica of another sculpture by the same author, unveiled in 1995, at Avenida Gonçalves Zarco (Restelo) in Lisbon

The whole country hanging national flags in streets and balconies
to support the national football team during the World Cup

Magnificent mosaic pavements

Splendid

Plants and flowers everywhere

Rua Ponta da Cruz Edificio Rodamar Nº18, Restaurante Real Canoa. This restaurant is situated at the far end of the Estrada Monumental road in a little distant from the line of hotels found in the lido zone. A very popular restaurant among new visitors but especially returning visitors to the island. Interior is traditionally Madeiran as is the menu

Funchal is often called a Garden City, due to its lovely green areas and its ravishing rich flora. This fact has to do with the subtropical climate and the fertile soils of this land that ends up by presenting us with a huge variety of plants and flowers, spread out throughout the island. These gardens are important leisure and cultural areas, both to locals and tourists

Everywhere you go, you will always be able to enjoy this beauty and in order to help us all and so that we may know a bit more about them, the plants and flowers have always a plaque with an inscription stating the origin, its family and its scientific name

Near Forum Madeira Shopping Centre

Forum Madeira entrance

Opposite de shopping centre

Regency Palace Hotel

In Praça da Assicom (Assicom Square), in a roundabout, you'll see the hanging angel Gabriel, sculpture in memory of the workers who died building the road tunnels... and a tribute to all who collaborated on the development of the sector construction and public works, during the recent years, in Madeira.

This statue made by Jorge Abrantes Velosa really impressed me the first time that I saw it. It's a large bronze angel, hanging in a steel frame and was inaugurated by the President of the regional government of Madeira, Dr. Alberto João Cardoso Gonçalves Jardim, 24 September 2004

12th June (Thursday)

Funchal door art. This is art! I love these decorative doors in Funchal

Walking around the Zona Velha, or Old Town in Funchal, you will notice that many of the doors feature art work of various kinds – mostly paintings, but some other forms of art as well. These works are part of the Projecto artE pORtas abErtas, or ArT of opEN doors project, a scheme that aims to “open” the doors of Funchal to art… and give new life to old, dilapidated doors, often of abandoned and forgotten buildings

Rua Dom Carlos I

We accompanied Micaela to buy new glasses and I tried on some of them xD

World Cup Sunglasses

Club Sport Marítimo Store, Rua D. Carlos I

Club Sport Marítimo, MH M, commonly known as Marítimo,
is a Portuguese sports club, founded in Funchal, Madeira, in 1910

Inside the store

Valencia CF and Marítimo Funchal were facing each other in the UEFA Cup in 2008 :)

Souvenir shop

Estrada Monumental

Brazil and Portugal ^^

Forum Madeira was my favourite shopping centre of the island. If its al fresco shopping and eateries you like then The “Forum Madeira” is the mall for you

It's situated within the tourist and hotel zone on the west of Funchal (Lido/Ajuda), with its modern and airy gallery-style architecture on several levels grouping around a central tower and open square, the Forum Madeira also boasts an attractive roof garden from where visitors can enjoy stunning views over the Atlantic Ocean

Bike parking area

With 86 shops, including 17 restaurants, cafés and snack bars, 6 cinemas and a hypermarket, the Forum Madeira provides everything for a modern and extremely pleasant shopping experience. There are around 800 underground parking places available. One street up you'll find a great selection of smaller shops including stylish boutiques like ‘Cravo e Canela’ and the exclusive shop that is attracting many tourists due to its famous connections ‘CR7’ owned by the sister of Cristiano Ronaldo and adorned with photos and images of the local hero and superstar