Slowly, and stealthily we glided into Funchal

As dawn broke we slid silently into dock and came to rest at the nearest mooring to the town.

I watched as we glided past the main part of town, still fully illuminated with the street lights of night time, to see the sun slowly creep over the mountains which surround Funchal.

The place has crept further up the mountains since I was here last and luxury places poke out amongst the pines.

Steep, clinging onto the side of the slopes, Funchal is already busy and as I sit on my balcony with a cup of tea,  I can see the headlights of cars streaming down from the upper slopes of smaller houses, apartments and villages.

What a lovely sight.

Early breakfast followed by a stroll into the outskirts of the town centre, stopping first at the sculpture of a fish made from scraps and waste.

Then a wander towards the gardens which surround the Casino. The small Madeiran lizards were out in force and bugger ones spent their time shooing away the newly hatched ones.

After about an hour, maybe two, I had to head back; was due out for a scenic tour at 11.20am.

The tour took us all over Funchal which, as expected is a sprawling town resembling the amphitheatre it sits in.

We took in two Miradors, one at each end of the town. The air is clear here but we certainly had the best of the weather...