Fajo dos Padres
Porto Santo Ferry
on a bayleaf skewer. There is almost too much be around for that long. A quick nod should
choice.
also go to the local beer, Coral, which is most
Before our second round we spent a morning refreshing. There’s also a traditional drink,
out in a calm Atlantic, watching dolphins dart called Poncha, but it has more in common
with Poitin than just the first two letters. It
and weave through the clearest blue waters.
is distilled from sugar cane and should be
In all, we had 20 dolphins racing the bow
sampled with care.
waves and we were close enough to touch
them, close enough to watch their effortless
movement as they disappeared away into
the depths before returning moments later
for a rematch. It was not the time of year for
whales, which also frequent these waters, but
we cared not one bit.
Perhaps such options explain the volumes of
happy young people piling on to the streets
of Funchal as we headed for the Porto Santo
ferry early the next morning. Funchal has a
busy nightlife scene and the only difference
Our afternoon was spent on a rather different between the city’s bustling waterfront during
pursuit as we visited the Madeiran Wine
the day and the night is the age of the people.
Company in the heart of Funchal. We took
Porto Santo is the only other inhabited island
a tour, we learned a lot (Madeira wine was
in the archipelago and a daily ferry travels
discovered by accident… who knew!), we
between the two islands. It’s a two hour
sampled some different years, we bought
crossing but Porto Santo has a golf course
bottles. Madeiran wine lasts a year once
designed by Seve Ballesteros and that was
opened but it is unlikely many bottles will
lure enough for me. I’d have swum if I had to.
Volume 5 • Issue 51
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