Well it really was a case of too much to do and too little time to do it! Just a couple of days in
Madeira wasn't enough.
One of my favourite places in the world is the fruit and veg market in
Funchal. Baskets of locally grown exotic fruit and veg just waiting to be eaten.
These
custard apples are just a world away from the hard green efforts that you can sometimes buy here. All the fruit in Madeira is ripe and sweet and out of this world!
After all that shopping Matron just had to put her feet up for a while, sip some Madeira wine and watch the ships sail into the harbour!
I had time to fit in a helecopter flight round the island too! Matron just loves helecopters!
I have always called this the 'Labrador Market' but the
Mercado dos Lavradores is the Portugese name for the main market in Funchal. Leo pricked up his ears when I told him there was a Labrador market in Madeira!
Though Matron did make a few friends among the strays walking the streets out there!
A trip to the Botanical Garden was fascinating, alongside the flowers (Matron does not do flowers) there was an edible garden. Amazing to see how coffee, bananas, guavas and
sugar cane grow. I managed to bring back a length of sugar cane which I will attempt to grow in a pot in the greenhouse. Bob Flowerdew has managed it, so Matron will humbly follow in his footsteps and have a go! More later!
One of my favourite places in the world is the fruit and veg market in Funchal. Baskets of locally grown exotic fruit and veg just waiting to be eaten.
These custard apples are just a world away from the hard green efforts that you can sometimes buy here. All the fruit in Madeira is ripe and sweet and out of this world!
After all that shopping Matron just had to put her feet up for a while, sip some Madeira wine and watch the ships sail into the harbour!
I had time to fit in a helecopter flight round the island too! Matron just loves helecopters!
I have always called this the 'Labrador Market' but the Mercado dos Lavradores is the Portugese name for the main market in Funchal. Leo pricked up his ears when I told him there was a Labrador market in Madeira!
Though Matron did make a few friends among the strays walking the streets out there!
A trip to the Botanical Garden was fascinating, alongside the flowers (Matron does not do flowers) there was an edible garden. Amazing to see how coffee, bananas, guavas and sugar cane grow. I managed to bring back a length of sugar cane which I will attempt to grow in a pot in the greenhouse. Bob Flowerdew has managed it, so Matron will humbly follow in his footsteps and have a go! More later!
Hi matron, enjoying the sunshine is a very necessary part of our life!I find when I visit a place for the firs ttime I do the 'touristy' places/things, then on further visits I can see the more unusual places.
ReplyDeleteThe helicoptor ride would not be on my 'to do'list!
I remember the fruit & veg market from your visit last year, it still looks fantastic.
Matron..., you must have enjoyed the trip. Anonas and sugar canes grow effortlessly here! Good luck to your sugar canes, i hope it will find your greenhouse very habitable. Cheers, have a great weekend. ~bangchik
ReplyDeleteHi Matorn
ReplyDeletelooks like you had a good break. I love brwosing markets abroad - think I mentioned this before, lol. especially La Boqueria in Barcelona
happy gardening
Jane
Hmmm - happy memories of Madeira! Looks like you had a great time. And that fruit and veg - yummy. I love that market, always full of such tasty looking treats! Glad you had fun. :-)
ReplyDeleteIf anyone can grow sugar cane you can! So I'll be waiting to see how it goes (grows) *smile) What a fantastic place to visit...and the fresh fruit and veggies...my mouth waters. I'm with Peggy about helicopters...however your view is incredibly beautiful.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with the sugar cane! It will make a talking point iof nothing else, but I hope you manage to extract some sweetness.
ReplyDeleteI always love visiting the markets abroad, you can find some wonderful things there. I don't know about the helecopter flight, that wouldn't be on my itinerary, I don't do heights very well.
ReplyDeleteI too love to browse markets. Sugar cane grows easily here. We have stalls that sell fresh sugar cane juice. On hot days, it's a great quencher.
ReplyDeleteFab photos! Good luck with the sugar cane :-) Love 'n' hugs, Mel xx
ReplyDeleteOoh, the apple custard... would certainly love to take a bite...
ReplyDeleteWe just went to Madeira last year during cherry season. We went to the mercado every day and bought kilos of them for the hotel room. We also tried lots of passion fruits, including the tomato passion fruit and the banana passion fruit (or maracuja). Great place for fruit growers and lovers to visit!
ReplyDelete