
Thursday: Breezed through through Funchal on our 1st marathon tour around the Eastern half of island (see Madeira Part 1).
Friday: Got an early start and headed straight to the Mercado dos Lavradores, the main market in Funchal: Colorful, but sadly over-priced and over-crowded with tourists. We tasted some Madeira wine at a wine cellar in town (a bit too sweet for our taste), walked through the Zona Velha, the oldest part of the city and our favorite area and then enjoyed what we were told is the best Madeiran street food--a prego. We concur. Philly cheese steak, move over, this incredible sandwich has you beat! A fresh-baked roll, yes with cheese, steak, lettuce, tomato and, here’s the clincher....smothered in garlic butter--heaven! Fully sated, we spent the afternoon driving around the eastern part of the island thus completing our circumnavigation of the island.
*I will not have the time to finish the third and final post on Madeira before leaving this afternoon. Repairs on the boat are now complete and Michel, our weather router has given us a good forecast to cross over to Tenerife in the Canary Islands, so we’re off. Please God, give us a pleasant crossing!