Feliz 2017

Not long now!

Today in Funchal the weather's been greyer, damper and cooler. Spent much time wave-watching again, but closer to the harbour this time. Wild wind-driven waves kept hurling their energy to great heights, dwarfing the distant fort, and the huge floating-hotel-style cruise ships that now fill the harbour.  The gulls loved it, hovering over each fresh surge, then diving for fish.

When we returned we found a lovely surprise in our room: a traditional honey cake (family-sized!), and a half bottle of Madeira wine - our favourite medium-dry, as it happens. They came with a postcard wishing us a Happy New Year. (And this isn't a posh hotel; it's the Imperatriz Aparthotel. What a lovely - tasty! - gesture on new year's eve!)

We will be staying up to watch the sky for fireworks. We're heading for a nearby rooftop (where we've been invited by the hotel). Our view will be limited but apparently the sky will be so full of fireworks, we should get the flavour of the display. And neither of us is keen on crowds, so we're giving the harbour a miss tonight. With high winds and very choppy waves, boats might not be the best viewing point tonight, either. We'll take our chance and my camera! And I'll also take the chance to say Happy 2017, wherever you find yourself tonight and next year.

One extra shows another wild wave - and you can see how the drain holes quickly clear the flood-defence walls of sea water after each surge - and the other extra is a shot of the expectant gulls - included as I particularly liked one gull's dangly legs!