MY VISIT TO MADEIRA #4 AND LAST - SLIDE-SHOW

The day following the tournament was spent sightseeing round the island, always on good roads and tunnels (the island boasts 147 tunnels).

The first stop was at a wicker factory, at Camacha. Wickerwork is one of the principal industries of Madeira. Both men and women devote themselves to this typical craft industry putting all their creativity and talent in their works. Local willow trees provide the raw material of canes of various sizes and diameters. Before being used they are cut and peeled then boiled for elasticity making them easier to work, this gives them their characteristic brownish colour. They are then left to dry. Today Camacha is the largest centre of production; its wickerwork is still traditionally made and exported all over the world. We toured the wicker factory showroom and saw how those works were made.

From there we drove up to Pico do Areeiro. As the road climbed up, central Madeira’s green forests gave their way to landscape of turf and later on to rocks. Travelling through fluffy clouds, welcomed by sunshine at the end, left us impressed. We had arrived at Pico do Areeiro, the third largest peak on Madeira that offered stunning views. We were told that it would be best enjoyed at sunset or sunrise. 

Madeira’s Ecological Park started just below the Peak. The great natural beauty in the Laurissilva Forest, a Natural World Heritage listed by UNESCO, still has much of its original vegetation. The trout farms that aim to produce trout to replenish the water of the Madeira island, caught my particular attention. I had never seen such farms before… Some of my friends had a short rest at a local bar and enjoyed Poncha, the typical drink.  Just for your curiosity, I leave the recipe on here:

 You need:
- one measure of alcohol called "aguardente" which is white vodka made from sugar cane
- a little of sugar cane honey (specific kind of honey, different than 'normal')
- fresh lemon juice and orange juice (roughly 2-3 lemon to 1 orange measure)
Stir it and stir and stir again....
And you have your own Poncha. Particular proportions are secret of every producer. So you can try and find you own golden mean.

The taste is excellent, they say. You can drink it chilled on hot days or at 'normal temperature' during autumn.

After having had lunch at a typical restaurant we headed towards the northeast of Madeira, the home to the famous and unique thatched cottages that have an A-frame design. They are one of the iconic symbols of the island. 

The day ended with a buffet dinner party, during which the awards and trophies were distributed… My luggage got a bit heavier on the flight back home…