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Coasting.44

One of several lovely waterfalls along the coast between Sao Vicente & Seixal.

Coasting.43

Like this sudden rainbow offshore at Porto Moniz (NW corner of Madeira), may you find wonder and beauty in 2023. Or just go for a nice swim in natural rock pools, or any other place that suits you. Or just generally have fun, enjoy life, and bring light to those around you :-).

City Lights.13

Same tower, different angles.

Islands.13

On the road above Funchal, heading to Pico do Ariero, Ribeiro Frio then Santana on the north coast…

Village Views.33

More of the lovely little north-coast town of Sao Vicente.

Urban Garden.133

That’s a car on its way back up to Monte, tail end of the afternoon after I’d returned. More of the views from inside, coming soon.

Urban Entrances.63

I thought of you, Elizabeth & family 🙂

Small Wonders.163

Last year,I managed a whole winter with no snow, and only minimal ice on the edge of the smallest ponds and canals. When I returned to A’dam from Portugal (two weeks ago, yesterday), it snowed the same evening and ice continued to deepen and solidify on the canals for several more days, ’til the temperatures went (and stayed) well above freezing on the 19th.

City Views.163

As the countdown continues towards both a new year, and the end of my 365 days in a row of posting at least one new post per day, we bring you a collection of sunny, warm photos from … my first morning in Funchal, which was already more than three weeks ago! Ah, memories of warmth and sun now that I’ve seen (and not yet posted) iced-over canals back here in A’dam. Time flies, but photos remain in my folders until I pop them up here or give up. The round building has some historic (military) significance, just fyi. Enjoy – and those of you in the northern hemisphere, notice that the days are now getting longer. Southern hemisphere friends, sorry that our gain is your loss, but you’ve had your six months, now it’s our turn 😊.

City Views.162

My various images of Funchal city from before and after I went up to the Botanic Garden. A rainbow appeared near sunset. I wandered the outside of the Palácio de São Lourenço in the center of the seafront. (I’ve since learned that although its own signage talks about being fortified and having inland forts added due to some invasion during the Napoleonic wars, in fact the oldest portions of this structure shown a few times in this post were the first fortification on this island, whose slave-generated wealth did make it vulnerable to both pirate attacks and military invasion by enemy powers.) I strolled past the Christmas market with its folkloric village, just behind the Palácio — in one of the gallery photos, look closely and you’ll see a few interestingly-costumed folks heading down the staircase. I didn’t stay to see more of what they do, since the rain started up again at that moment and I was hungry. It’s really a very pleasant city to explore.
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Small Wonders.162

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Urban Entrances.62

Coasting.42

Urban Garden.132

Photos of and from the lovely clifftop Parque de Santa Catarina, with at the end some photos of the house of the governor of the Autonomous Region of Madeira, which I believe is called the Quinta Vigia. This manor house began life in the 17th century as the center of a sugar planation worked by, you guessed it, slaves violently ripped from their villages in nearby western Africa. Please let’s not fall prey to denying or prettyfying the evils of the past, even as we appreciate beauty in the present…

Village Views.32

The lovely north-coast village of Santana in its holiday finery.