Virtuoso Life - March/April 2018 - 76
Port of Call Here's how to squeeze the most out of your day in port. 8 AM: Join the locals for a morning stroll through Mercado dos Lavradores (Rua Latino Coelho 38), the public market in the heart of Old Town with vibrant azulejos (painted tiles) throughout. Women dressed in traditional brightly patterned Madeiran attire sell flowers at the entrance, a colorful and appropriate introduction to an island renowned for its gardens. Make your way to the fishmongers' section to see the daily catch - there's no mistaking the black scabbard, a somewhat frightening, toothy fish with massive eyes that features in regional dishes such as sandes de espada, a popular breakfast sandwich of fried fish in a bread roll. Walk around the block to Cristalina Chique (Rua Hospital Velho 1) to try one. 9 AM: Old Town is best explored on foot. While the market opens by 8, most shops open around 10, which makes this the perfect time to check out the Painted Doors Project. Artists such as island residents Marcos Milewski and Fátima Spínola have created a public gallery featuring everything from street art murals to more tactile installations on the doors of shops, residences, and restaurants. Some of the best line Rua de Santa Maria. 10 AM: For the city's premier photo op, take the ten-minute cable car ride (Caminho das Babosas 8) up to the Madeira Botanical Garden, an ascent that reveals a panorama of terra-cotta roofs and bays against the vastness of the Atlantic. The nearly 20-acre property, previously the private garden of William Reid, who built Reid's Palace hotel, harbors thousands of species from around the world: South American succulents, coffee trees, and towering palms, plus the bright-purple local flowering plant, pride of Madeira. Clockwise from top left: Flower vendors greet visitors at Mercado dos Lavradores, Funchal street life, O Lagar's passionfruit pudding, painted doors in Old Town, Cabo Girão's suspended glass skywalk, and afternoon tea at Reid's Palace. 76 V I RT U O S O L I F E 12 PM: Time for lunch. Take a 20-minute taxi ride to the picturesque fishing village of Câmara de Lobos, about six miles west of Funchal. The winding coastal road cuts through the banana plantations and blooming bougainvillea of the island's