FUNCHAL TOUR #2
For this part of the tour we board one of the yellow city
buses for our trip to the village of Monte, located in the mountains
north of Funchal. The Church of Our Lady of the Mountain (Igreja de
Nossa Senhora do Monte) sits high on a hill within the village. Steep
steps lead up to the church. Each year, on August 14 and 15, this is
the setting of a major religious festival.
It's time to return to Funchal, but the return trip will not be
by bus. It's too far to walk and there's no car. A popular attraction,
located in Monte, is a ride down the mountain to Funchal in a wicker
sled. Pulled (and sometimes pushed) by two men attired in white, the
ride is a relaxing and sometimes bumpy way to return to the city.
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Back in Funchal, the Municipal Square (Praça do Municipio)
is plaza surrounded by Museum of Sacred Art, the Town Hall, and
the Church of St. John the Evangelist. It's time for a
visit to the São Francisco Wine Lodge on Avenida Arriaga. The
wine cellar has plenty of vintage Madeira wines to choose from,
along with samples of Madeira wine at the end of the tour.
It's time to end the tour of Funchal by sitting at one of the numerous
cafes located along the waterfront. While there it's possible that one of the
local folklore dance groups will entertain with folk music and dances.
This brief tour of Funchal is at an end, but the tour of Madeira's
south and southwest coast will include a view from Cabo Girão, the second
highest ridge in the world.
