Times flies when you are traveling. It is already the end of day four here on Madeira. We took it really easy this morning because we wanted to wait and see how well Little A was feeling after the first days here on the island. Luckily she seems to be fine, with only a minor cold. Either way, we decided not to go on any long road trip today and instead we opted for another day in Funchal. We still had a lot more to see after our stop there two days ago. I especially wanted to see one of the fortresses that we had missed. There were many reasons for returning to Funchal.
Returning to Funchal
It’s not very far to the Madeiran capital from our accommodation, so returning to Funchal was an easy choice. We parked in the center and started walking through the center. This time we found some of the major shopping streets. Suddenly the city felt completely different and more alive. The sunshine might have had something to do with our overall feeling of the city as well.
We hadn’t made it very far before we felt pangs of hunger. There were many interesting places for lunch in the center. Eventually, we opted for pizza. Traveling with Little A has gone really smoothly. However, we were a bit surprised when it turned out that they weren’t able to heat her milk in the restaurant.
Climbing to the Fortaleza do Pico
Portuguese names seem long. Fortunately, you can shorten Fortaleza de São João Baptista do Pico to just Fortaleza do Pico. Standing on a hill northwest of the city center, this fort is easy to spot. It’s a bit more difficult to reach, especially if you have a baby stroller with you. Susann gave up early on and went for a coffee instead, I continued climbing up the hill and as you can see, the view was worth it.
The view actually explains a lot, The fortress for built in the 17th century for surveillance purposes and today it belongs to the Portuguese navy, Sadly it is not open to the public, but you can enter the area and enjoy the view.
It was actually a lot more demanding to walk back down. The slope really is steep and you will need to keep an eye on any car coming down the hill. I would take my chance on them being able to stop.
Time for Shopping
Once joining up with Susann and Little A again it started to rain. We decided to take cover in one of the shopping malls and spent a few hours walking around looking to see if anything of interest was still on sale. It doesn’t seem to matter where in the world you are, shopping malls are always hectic. Well, it is also the case that I tend to find things in the correct size when abroad – never happens at home. So sometimes this activity could actually be quite interesting. This time I found a jacket and Susann bought herself a dress.
Ending the Day in Funchal
From the shopping mall, we continued down towards the marina and then back towards our car. On our way, we made sure to enjoy the sight of Jardim Municipal, Banco de Portugal and the 16th-century fort São Lourenço Palace. There were several really nice sights that really enriched our day.
Eventually, our visit came to an end and we drove out of Funchal and back to Garajau. We still have two full days left to explore this amazing island. Let us see where we go next. Returning to Funchal is not an impossibility. It is now time to once more make sure that Little A is comfortable and happy. We hope that she will sleep better this night.
