Animal, Vegetable and Mineral

No coats today! Warm and sunny in Funchal itself, but by the time we'd got off the bus to Monte Palace Gardens, we rather wished we'd brought our coats. Still, it has been a fun day. It's our third visit to Monte Palace and I was on a photographic mission to find hearts! Here they are - from metal fencing to a section of agate and quartz (from Brazil), the cross section of two chopped trees, side by side, a leaf, swans and us two on 10-second-delay self timer. (OK, some of the hearts were by way of faffing!)

We're both beginning to decide it's our favourite garden in Madeira. There are so many exotic plants from across the world, and lots of sculptures and tiled pictures telling Portugal's history, bridges, a Chinese garden, Bhuddas, a fabulous orchid bed full of many varieties: all just lovely.

The only drawback with the cloud cover up the hill, was that we were feeling pretty cold by the time we'd eaten our picnic. This was fixed by a coffee and a free glass of Madeira wine - well, the latter was in the ticket price. Didn't have to wait long for a bus back into town: a very enjoyable day! Do have a look at the Extras, too! The gardens are kept beautifully by hard working gardeners, with no wheelbarrows, it seems! Oh, and I almost forgot the Romeo and Juliet balcony in the gardens. That was perfect for 14th February!

Happy Valentine's Day!