Madeira Madeira Madeira.............
Trip Start
Mar 08, 2008
1
34
58
Trip End
Oct 02, 2008
Funchal,
Madeira Islands,
Portugal
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
When Madreira was ramping up their tourism in the 80's they really should've got Icehouse to rewrite 'Man of colours' into 'Land of tunnels'..........only Tina Turner could've done more for 80's tourism jingles.............it would've been great..........Convertible with uber 80's mulleted hunk and his busty companion driving the curving, clifftop ocean roads of Madeira........wind blowing their hairs.......instant tourism industry!......ok enough craptastic dreamscapes......
Officially Madeira has the second highest vertical cliff-face falling to the ocean , and the second highest deep sea trench in the world, fortunately Madeira has so mush more than tunnels and second places......Madeira has so much rugged, unshaved beauty..........deep dark ravines and Tolkienesque peaks.........in fact while we speak of Tolkien perhaps Madeira was his island land where the Elves went to convalesce .......after all judging by Madeiran traditional dance and hats there has been an elf or hobbit in residence for many years.........herm........and they are quite short people.......?!?!?
But one of the most amazing aspects of Madeira is the diversity of weather and landscape.........it's brilliant!..........too cloudy where you are?..........no problem.........lets drive up the mountains through the clouds until we can look down upon them!.............then down the next mountain........into misty forest..........or the next ravine down into sapphire blue ocean.........in Madeira you can literally go through a tunnel and you've gone from heavy cloud to bright sunshine...........awesome........
Usually in these blogs we like to indulge in some light hearted pisstaking of our subject....... but with Madeira i'm not so inclined...........the hospitality and open arms we were greeted with by friends and family have rendered my wit impotent...........and all I wish to do is wax lyrical of the virtues of an island derided by resident and mainlander.......but that would be all too saccharine ..........so .........Madeira, Madeira........... Madeira.
