8 Feets And Heart Beats

Our Date With Poncha

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So I promised to tell you about the other specialty of Madeira … poncha!

Once again we were lead to the experience by Alex and few others in Gav’s local gang. ‘You MUST try poncha’ they told us. “Just a little taste…’ they said. Famous last words!

We were taken firstly to an area that was once an old fisherman’s hangout called Camara de Lobos. Apparently the fishermen would gather here to drink their concoction to warm up on cold days before heading out to sea. The bars in this area are the experts in creating the perfect poncha, which has become quite the trendy drink across Madeira.

The original recipe is based on ‘aguardente de cana’ (local rum but stronger!), a twist of lemon & sugar cane juice, now lemon juice is used rather than a twist, and honey in place of sugar. All of the ingredients they originally put together had the purpose of not only warming the belly but also thought to ward off any colds and flu. It’s still used today for this purpose – now there’s an idea!

Actually, strangely enough, the day before our ‘poncho night’ something tweaked in my lower back which left me crying in pain – literally. So much so that I had surrendered to taking strong painkillers and using anti-inflam cream to get some relief. Now, never the girl to miss out, I decided to go along this night, regardless of the fact that I was hobbling around like a 90 year old, and guess what? The following day I woke to, yes, a bit of a cloudy head but I also woke with little, to no back pain! What the ?… It seems that poncho doesn’t only cure the common cold – it gets rid of nasty back pain as well.

So, the delicious colours in the pic indicate the flavour, (right to left) blood red = english tomato, green = eucalyptus, yellow = tangerine (my favourite!), red = guava, yellow = orange & lemon and the last one is the original which is lemon.

As the night rolled on, and a few bars were visited, we saw that the process of making the poncha is pretty much the same in every bar.

It looked to me like they were using a muddling stick to mash all the ingredients together but alas NO… there’s a secret to this drink it seems, and it’s called the ‘caralhinho’, which the locals love to translate to you as ‘little dick’ – don’t ask me why? The caralhinho is a carved wooden stick that looks a little like a medieval club. It’s generally made from orange trees, which is meant to help flavour the drink. Looks just like this …

Well, whatever their secret, whether that be the local rum or the use of the caralhinho, it’s a winning formula, easy to drink – too easy perhaps!

“Just a little taste” they said!….

 

 

The Trek To Pico Ruivo

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Madeira is all about walking

(and perhaps Ponca – but more about THAT on the next post!)

We love walking, so we were itching to put on our boots and get out amongst it. Thing is, there are so many walks in Madeira that even with all of my usual research and reading it was a really tough choice to know which walk to choose. They range from easy to challenging, from intense climbs to flat wanderings, from 30mins to several days. The diversity makes the choice a little a difficult to say the least. Enter our trusty Madeiran pal, Alex.

With our daypacks packed, plenty of water aboard, hiking boots on, we started on the ‘Ariero to Ruivo’ walk, bound for the highest peak on the island, Pico Ruivo at 1861mts.

Alex assured us that it was a relatively easy walk (not what the guide books say!) A 12 km loop that should take around 5 hours and would take in all the beauty and splendor that Maderia walks are famous for.

After about 1 minute of walking I got it. The sheer scale of the stunning landscape that spanned 360 degrees around us was absolutely breathtaking. It took us around 4/5 hours to complete the walk, and I’ve got to admit, that wonder and amazement didn’t leave me for a minute. At each turn, over each crest and through each tunnel the sight in front of me was nothing short of spectacular.

It reminded me of my experience of walking through Angkor Wat for the first time. I couldn’t stop ohhhhing & ahhhhing & WOWing the whole time, and taking photos became almost an unconscious act. It would have been a little embarrassing if anyone was close enough to hear me. Well, I gotta tell you that here on the island of Madeira I was experiencing that wonder once again. So so lucky!

The walk itself is not for the feint hearted. The climbs and descents were pretty challenging with the catch cry of ‘what goes up must come down’  (or rather ‘what goes down must go up again’) becoming a standard part of our walking chit-chat. We walked up and down the dramatic ravines and we trekked on tracks that didn’t allow for any mistakes. During a lot of the walk we were rubbing one shoulder along cliff faces, and trying very hard not to look at what was, or more to the point, wasn’t beyond the other shoulder. As you’ll be able to make out in the photos there were some guide ropes along the more challenging drops, but to be honest in many parts they just weren’t stable enough to instill much confidence in using them to support your weight, or even part of. Plus, for our little walkers they were well and truly below the height that they were of much use. So … it goes without saying that I was pretty strict on the ‘no –running- on- the- track’ rule with our junior walkers.

The weather was good to us. As we set out the sun was shining, a layer or two of clothing needed to be shed at the first stop, beanies off – sunglasses on, and the views were clear, crisp and just perfect.

As the day progressed, and the weather changed slightly, we noticed the clouds slowly rolling in. Like big puffs of perfect, fluffy meringue, or pure white fairy floss. Yesterday we were walking through the middle of them, today we were walking above them. It’s not everyday that you find a walk that takes you above the clouds. Very cool indeed!

The plan was to walk to a certain point, sit and enjoy our packed lunch & a beer at the rest house that sits 10 minutes from the highest peak. We were all pretty excited about a ‘café stop’ so you can imagine our disappointment we when came to the end of a pretty hard slog up to find that it had been closed down – meh!

After the ‘beer that never happened’, we were then planning to turn around and complete the loop back to the car. All up it’d be around a 12km loop. Well, even the best plans change, especially when travelling with kids

Through out the whole walk in, up all those steep ravines and countless stone steps, our little adventurers soldiered on without complaint. Jed would skip off ahead, then sit patiently and wait for me and Deni to catch up. We’d walk around a corner, or over a crest, or through one of the cool tunnels and there he’d be, always with a big smile on his face, bless his precious heart. I was so proud of them both. Even though there were no complaints, and they were yet to reach their limits, I feared to repeat the walk we had just done, would push them both beyond their physical limitations. In my mind that doesn’t make for a good walking experience, and more than anything I want these two little people to love walking, and to keep walking with us. Taking the easier option from this point was the only decision. We would walk another 3 km’s to the car park along a pretty well worn, and easy track.

But what about the car? Well, that’s when Alex changed into his cape and tapped into his super powers. He walked back the way we came, picked up the car, then drove around to the other end of the track and collect us.

Thank you so much Alex, you really are our very own Superman!

And to Team Smythie … Congratulations … longest walk/tramp/trek yet!

 

Gondolas, Wicker Toboggans & Cloud Dwellers

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It’s been a very full week of thrilling experiences and exciting new adventures here in Madeira!

There’s nothing like visiting a place where you know a local.

While we were studying Tai Chi in China we were fortunate enough to meet Alex. He fast became a big part of our China adventure, as well as a great friend. Well, when Gav decided upon Madeira as a possible place to retire we were delighted for a number of different reasons, one of them being that our dear friend Alex is a very proud Madeiran.

This trip to Madeira was primarily a great opportunity to spend time with Gav, but it also allowed us to fill a promise of visiting Alex, and discovering his much loved island.

On the night of our arrival, as we were taxiing to Gav’s place after a very long transit, Alex and his wife Mercedes were at Gav’s place preparing a banquet of Madeiran delights to welcome us. It was so wonderful to see them there, waiting with big smiles and warm hugs. Nothing quite like a greeting like that after almost 40 hours in transit. Alex was super keen to show us around his island so as soon as the sun showed its warm rays we started our tour, Alex in the lead with the 4 Smythies happily following behind.

Day one we headed into Funchal. I really like this city, and I really, really like the old town called Rua Santa Maria. Its cobblestone streets and tall aging buildings are charming and the display of the local artwork on all the doors is so colorful and interesting you just can’t help but stop at each one. We spent ages just wandering about picking out our favorite doors. I was in photo opportunity heaven!

Apparently about 15 years ago this area was a run down, dodgy red-light district. Cleaning up the area became a local council project. They have retained the old buildings, houses and streets, and commissioned local artists to use the doorways and walls as their canvases. The result is fantastic, it’s like walking back in time, but with bursts of brilliant color, artistic flair and craftsmanship – it’s not all Picasso or Monet but every piece contributes to a pretty amazing open-air art gallery!

So, back to our day … once we had charged our bodies with our daily ‘bica and chenesa’ (our chosen styles of coffee) we then took the gondola up to Monte. It’s a gorgeous ride over the city which takes in the most amazing views spanning over the valleys and ridges towards the sea.

Once at the top we wandered around a bit and enjoyed a small part of the gorgeous botanical gardens. We didn’t really allow ourselves too much time here but vowed that we would return. Madeira is known for its micro-climates, hot and cold/ wet and dry. The benefits of an island with micro-climates, mixed with rich volcanic soil, is that almost anything will grow here. We’ve seen stunning hydrangeas and magnolias alongside hardy eucalyptus and white gum trees. So you can imagine how beautiful these botanical gardens are. I look forward to returning to wander further.

We then headed towards the beginning of the ‘Monte toboggan ride.’ I’d read a bit about this unique ride that had been tagged as one of the ‘top 10 commutes in the world’. It looked like a good mix of history and fun so it made it onto our ‘to do list’ while we were here. My thoughts were that it’d be a bit of a thrill for both the kids and the adults alike – it was certainly that, and a super fun way to get back down the mountain.

As history has it, the ‘Monte Sledge’ was originally the first means of downhill public transportation. The ‘Carro de Cesto’ was originated early in the 19th century and apart from the fact that most of the toboggans now transport tourists rather than locals or goods, nothing looks to have changed that much! The main body of the toboggan is made of a large wicker basket with 2 seats, the runners are made of wood. The toboggans are driven by two carreiros (men dressed in white with straw hats, all looking very serious). Deni was the one that pointed out that they all were wearing the same shoes, black rubber boots, which we later noticed acted as the brakes, and the thicker the better I say. When you’re skidding down the narrow and very steep (bitumen!) slopes at up to 30 km’s an hour you wouldn’t want those brakes to fail you! They somehow also used big lengths of rope to steer the toboggans. To be honest I wasn’t brave enough to look around to see how that actually worked. It was a strange feeling, a thrill yes, but also an unnatural feeling that we were travelling just a little bit fast, and a little bit close to that bitumen. Needless to say I was clinging onto my babies pretty tightly, and when I did manage to open my eyes, every now and then, the views were unbeatable.

(Yes, yes… the boys are looking very relaxed aren’t they? A slight contrast to the pic of the me and the kids at the beginning of this post right! )

Next on tour was a trip to the highest peak of Madeira (by car). Once again we braved the crazy treacherous roads and headed for Ribeiro Frio.

Since arriving here I have been yearning to get out and discover what Madeira is very famous for – its walks! There are walks all around the island, a lot of them running alongside the levadas, which are the irrigation channels that run throughout and around the island. From what I understand some of these channels are still in working order – some are now obsolete, but all take in some of the most beautiful and dramatic scenery I’ve ever seen.

This day we did a walk beginning and ending at Ribeiro Frio with the destination of the Vereda Dos Balcões’ belvedere. It was a short walk of perhaps a few hours that took us along a lavada through some beautiful forest and tunnels. Our destination was the much talked about Balcoes belvedere that would usually delight us with a 360o view of the mountains, today we were completely engulfed in cloud – white, white and more white.

It’s quite an eerie feeling actually, to know that you are standing on a platform with sheer drops on every side of you and you can’t even see a meter in front of your hand. The urge to just step out into that carpet of pure white cotton is a little unnerving to say the least. Top that with 2 kids that are bouncing about with lungs full of the invigorating mountain air and … yep, time to turn around and complete the loop. Of course the kids loved it. The misty, foggy, white cloud that surrounded us became the perfect backdrop for their next adventure. We were now all in a cast of goblins and dragons and Gandalfs and wizards and once again I was reminded of how different, and gorgeous it is travelling with kids. They have a knack of changing a situation from what was a seemingly disappointing outcome to something completely different indeed.

Bless their precious hearts.

 

Queijo means cheese in Portuguese!

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So a week in and those grey clouds that I wrote about in the last post seem to have settled directly on top of Ribeira Brava. We’ve been rained in!

Despite this, we’ve managed to get out most days to discover a bit of this gorgeous island, bit by bit. (ahh the joys of slow travel!)

The beauty of Madeira is that everything is reasonably close, most towns under an hour away by car. The island itself is only 57 km’s long and 22 wide, and although the treacherous switch back roads make the journeys pretty slow going at times, and (a little tough on the stomach) it’s all still very do-able in short stints.

The second day of adventuring saw us head North towards another coastal town called São Vicente. As we were warned by our local friends, the weather got heavier and wilder the further north we travelled. By the time we arrived we just managed to ‘ohhh & ahhh’ at the incredible sheer rock backdrop of this little town and take the standard tourist pic before the rain came down – hard and fast and horizontal!

We ran for cover and found ourselves in a little local restaurant. The perfect opportunity to try the local dish that was recommended to us by our Madeiran buddy, Alex. It’s called an ‘espetada regional’ and it goes like this…

The choice is beef, pork and sometimes chicken. Soon after ordering the waitperson came out with this medieval-looking iron frame that fitted into a hole in the middle of the table – interesting. I discovered a little later that they also clip onto the edges of the table or come with individual stands (as in the pic) or whatever holds them upright really. To get the picture, they resemble something like an oversized cockies perch. (Cockatoo is an aussie bird for my non-aussie readers) A tall T-frame with a little hook on the end of each arm. Then came the ‘attachments’. Big chunks of meat are skewered onto huge kebab style sticks that are then hung from each hook, (just for scale, they’d be similar to the ones you see behind the counters in the kebab shops – BIG)

The meat is marinated in garlic and wine then grilled over embers of sweet bay, if cooked right they are delicious! These espetadas come with an assortment of side dishes including salad, chips, maze and other bits and pieces, so it makes for a pretty satisfying meal.

It’s always fun to experience different cuisines, and this was no different. You can imagine Jed and Deni’s surprise, but mostly delight as all of this unfolded before them, always fun to watch! And an added bonus – all of this medieval looking weaponry inspired another dragon character in Jed’s book – perfect!

Our road trip then took us around the west side of the island, through a maze of tunnels and around some pretty spectacular coastal roads, then through a town called Porto Moniz . We travelled through Calheta in search of a little bar that I’d read about somewhere and decided I wanted to visit. Apparently the perfect spot to watch the sun go down – sipping on a mojito of course. Sadly we’d travelled beyond my little bar on this day, and at that stage in the road trip all those corners and windy roads had managed to strip me of the adventurous spirit I started out with so I was happy to head for home. (We did eventually get to the little bar ‘Maktub Pub’ a few days later and I did get to enjoy that sunset mojito!)

One thing that I always find kinda cool when travelling abroad is the seemingly simple task of grocery shopping. It’s always a challenge to decipher labels and then get a handle on the different currencies. I’ve been caught many times thinking that something is ‘super cheap’ when actually, once I get my head around the exchange, it’s quite the opposite. And visa versa. But it’s always fun, and you learn pretty quickly.

On this trip, the one BIG thing that has made our Miss Deni a very happy little camper is the enormous selection of cheeses available. It’s mind boggling actually, and yes, I know it’s pretty predictable for most of Europe but it’s pretty awesome for these little Aussies to look into those cheese cabinets for the first time. It was one of those golden moments when I first showed her the cheese section – her gorgeous big eyes grew wide and her perfect little face lit up – ‘O.M.Geeeee Mummy!’

So, needless to say there have been many dinners consisting of a delectable cheese board with and assortment of olives served with fresh crusty bread. Very European of us!

And how can I not mention the beer and wine!… Liam’s chosen brew comes in at 5.49 Euro a carton, nope not a typo, and Gav and I have found our favorite end-of-day drop, much lighter than our famous WA reds but not too bad at all, and for a whopping 3 Euro a bottle – it’s do-able!

AND … a bica (espresso) for around 75c a pop … Welcome to Portugal!

 

 

Magical Madeira!

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Well… the long anticipated wait is over – After 25 years, a lot of time dreaming and planning, and 3 attempts, I have finally made it to Europe!

 

After 4 flights and a 30 hour journey, from one side of our precious globe to the other, we arrived in Funchal, the capital of Madeira (and as we are so often reminded – very proudly the home of the world’s greatest soccer player, Cristiano Ronaldo!)

The trip from the airport to Gav’s house was the perfect way to re-ignite my weary mind after the mind numbing journey. A perfect introduction to our imminent European adventure. I’ll try to give you a re-count…

As we drove through the many valleys weaving our way around the switchback roads and up some pretty gnarly hills, we were surrounded in an endless array of white box-like houses with pointy orange roofs. The dramatic terrain here means that they are all built on the sides of mountains, most facing the enormous expanse of blue ocean, some perched proudly on the top of the highest peak, others precariously jutting out of the sides, and many along the bottom of the ravines. It’s beautiful, and most certainly postcard worthy. I hit the pillow that first night with the absolute feeling that I had arrived in Europe, and after so long dreaming about it, it was just as I had imagined.

We spent the first few days getting our feet back on the ground and gently finding our way around the area of Ribeira Brava (Gav’s new neighborhood) During these first few days I really fell in love with those little white boxes with pointy orange roofs. I couldn’t help but marvel at how each country has created its own style of architecture. It’s a part of travel that I have always noticed and find really interesting, but apart from just simply observing the buildings, I find it can give a good picture of how the locals live, a snippet of how we all live, of how different each culture is. It’s a nice thing to take away from all of this travel, and perhaps something that we will use when we decided plant our feet somewhere and create our own little white box with a pointy orange roof?

I had to smile when I read Jed’s account of his own first impressions of Portugal …

So, why Madeira? Liam’s dad has discovered this little island, and wants to make it his home. We’ve come to see what it’s all about.

Madeira is a mere speck in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, closer to Morocco than Portugal actually, but Portuguese all the same. It’s an island of stunning landscapes and dramatic coastline. Its deep ravines and seemingly endless valleys make for a breathtaking vista at every turn.

Being an Aussie, (where our biggest hill is at the beginning of the City 2 Surf) making your way around here is very different indeed. Gav has hired a car, and graciously put me down as the second driver, and after 30 years of driving a particular way to suddenly switch it all around is a little challenging to say the least. Not to mention the sheer ‘scary scale’ of the roads here! One guidebook notes … ‘travelling by car should be reserved for confident drivers comfortable on steep, windy terrain.’ And add to that driving on the opposite side of the road! As Deni would say O.M.G!

Once rested, we all jumped into our little car and headed west – yes, with me driving … on the wrong side of EVERYTHING – the road, the car, the mechanics… ‘do something each day that scares you!’ – check!

First stop was Prazeres. A quiet, almost to the point of deserted, little village.

It was starting to drizzle, the cloud cover coming in through the valleys and the sky had turned that silver kind of grey. Gav was a little disappointed that we seemed to have left the blue skies back in Ribera Brava but to me it just added to the mystery and delight of experiencing this little village.

We wandered about and ended up in a local restaurant where the tables were decorated with checkered tablecloths and the ceilings made of heavy wooden batons. An intimate space that was alive with the sound of the theatrical Portuguese chatter. Yep … I feel like I’m in Europe now!

We were served up the trademark local bread called ‘bolo do caco’, a delicious bread made from flour and sweet potato, made in the shape of a cow-pat and served with lashings of garlic butter – delicioso!

Second stop was Jardim do Mar. A gorgeous seaside village of tiny little cobblestoned laneways that all lead towards the water. The surf was big, the ocean wild and expansive and I imagine on a nice sunny day this could be a very attractive hangout. Hopefully the weather will be good for us and we can return.

With a fist pump and slightly overworked nerves we returned home to Riveira Brava, me with a spring in my step and that addictive feeling of discovering new places and experiences.

 

Until the next adventure … Tchau! (cha-oh)