From Funchal (pronounced Foonshal) we've traveled to the east side of the island, to the small town of Santana. We've traded sounds of the city for the quiet rolling, terraced fields of vineyards and other local crops. It's much more peaceful over here. We're staying in a small hotel with a few hectares of vines that are just starting to leaf out. We are perched high on the cliffs that drop dramatically to the coast. Our room has a gorgeous view of the ocean, we have all of our windows wide open - waves and crickets are all we can hear.
We went for a walk along the coast earlier and started down a steep path to the ocean, just to realize that it was only an access path for local farmers to attend their small vineyard located precariously halfway down the cliff. They were very friendly and were working to clear it today, probably because the vines are coming alive for spring. Awesome views though.
Then we returned to the hotel and were checking out the old wine press and tasting room and stumbled upon a free Madeira wine tasting...oh darn. It was a perfect pre-dinner appetizer for us. We've both really come to like Madeira wine in the last few days, it isn't popular in the US but I think we will continue to enjoy it from time to time. It's a fortified wine, which I knew nothing about, but it is actually quite tasty!
On the drive over we stopped in Camacha and visited a wicker factory. We purchased a nice breadbasket and visited the strangest herd of animals I've ever seen.
Tomorrow we are tackling the three highest peaks of the island. We have had beautiful sunny weather since we've arrived, but March is the end of the rainy season so I think we should bag those peaks while the bagging is good! I can't wait to get some altitude...
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