Leaving Madeira

We have left Madeira for the Portuguese mainland and the region of the Algarve.  Four weeks on the island with one shower of rain, around 4 am one morning.(So I am told, I never saw it myself)  A very unusual occurrence on Madeira, you are more likely to have a shower a day, it is a semi-tropical island after all. Photo above of a banana plantation, lots of bananas on Madeira.

A collection of vegetable gardens, I have no idea what the plant in the middle is, huge fruits whatever they are.

Nice bit of colour on one of the cliff side walks in the lido area of Funchal.

A couple of touristy pics here -  sun, sea but no sand.

This is the Santa Maria da Columbo an exact size replica of the boat Christof Columbo sailed across the Atlantic in, tiny! At least this one has a diesel engine.  I have only seen it once with its sails unfurled.  It goes out twice a day full of happy holiday makers watching for whales.

Cruise ships in Funchal

A daily happening on Madeira is the coming and going of the cruse ships.  Every day there is a parade of these boats in and out of the harbour.  Photo above is of one of the grand old ladies of long distance cruising "Black Watch" 40+ years old and still going strong.  Madeira was her first stop on her way round South America.  Ruth and I have been on Black Watch twice, wonderful time, old fashion British style cruising, lots of open teak decks to "take the air" and you have to wear your best frock for dinner.

A couple of the modern monster size boats 2500+ passengers each, both these boats are German "Mein Schiff" and on the left "Aida Stella"

Another oldy "Marco Polo" around 55 years old and much loved by the people who sail on it. Originally Russian much modified through the years.

MSC Fantasia from Italy.

A couple of boats entering the harbour.

Mein Schiff leaving harbour,  The blue funnel is a P&O boat "Oriana"which is over 60,000 tonnes, dwarfed by the floating condominium.

Norwegian Spirit sails between Barcalona and Funchal, a visiter here every 10 days

MSC Armonia, in front Aida Stella which calls in every couple of weeks.

Oriana.

Another interesting old boat, launched in 1946 in Gothenburg Sweden as the "Stockholm" famous for the collision with the "Andrea Doria"an Italian boat of the coast Nantucket, Massachusetts in 1956.  Now called "Azores"

Stockholm after the collision.  Big change in its appearance since, you would be hard put to think its the same boat. 

Marco Polo leaving harbour, sailing round another P&O ship "Aurora"

Thompson Harmony and Aida Blu.  Not sure what the third boat is.