Sept. 17 - Moving to the North Shore

"Wherever you go becomes a part of you somehow." – Anita Desai

Today we left Funchal to a place on the north shore. On the way we drove up to Pico Arieiro. It's one of the most popular hikes on the island. It's also one of the highest peaks in Madeira. Being at the top of this peak put us above the clouds. We felt like we were on top of the world. The full hike takes you from Pico Arieiro to Pico Ruivo is seven miles, but most of the trail has been closed since the fires in August. The hike is impressive; it takes you along narrow paths on sheer ridges, down mountain staircases and through rocky tunnels. We didn't plan on doing the whole hike, but we didn't even do what I'd thought we would. We had to park over 1/2 a mile down from the trailhead and viewing platform. Going straight up for that long was enough. Stan injured his foot earlier in the summer and hiking has been difficult. We enjoyed the view and time at the top and then returned to our car.

Part way up I took a picture of the parking lot and the top. It's hard to tell from this photo how steep the trail was.

Views from the top.

After we left the peak we stopped at the Waterfall Steps located near the Levada dos Balcões hike. 

Our last stop was the little town of Santana. The town dates back to the 1550s and is known for the traditional homes constructed with sloping triangular rooftops. The Santana Houses represent a part of Madeira's heritage and are one of its most identifying icons. They were made with wooden walls, covered in straw to the ground and had two floors. Next to the thatched house was a kitchen, with low stone walls and a thatched roof. The oven for baking bread would be found in the kitchen, along with the loom, where the weaver would make the most of the light and warmth to weave.

The inn that we're staying at for the next four nights is a 250 year old traditional Madeiran house set in the mountains above São Jorge. It only accommodates 14 people and should give us a more laid back experience while exploring the north side of the island. 

Casa da Fajã Alta

The view from our room.

We had dinner at the Cabo Aéreo (Cable Car) Café set on the edge of the cliff with amazing views. 

I had Espetada which is a traditional dish in Madeira. The steak is put on skewers made of laurel wood, seasoned with garlic, rock salt and bay leaf and cooked over an open pit. Stan had roasted chicken cooked the same way. We also had potatoes and a salad...way too much to eat.