Monte Palace Garden

The weather forecast was for a mixture of rain and sun. It looks worse for tomorrow and Friday. We decided to take the cable car up to Monte. I haven’t used it for years and my friend had never been to Madeira.

There was a lovely rainbow as we ascended, but the rain on the glass spoilt the shot. We went into the garden first, as it was still quiet. Rain, some heavy and some light, and then brief sun. 

I’d heard they’ve done a lot to develop the garden but it seemed very much as I remembered. It’s stunning. The Chinese and Japanese gardens are gorgeous and the trees and sculptures blend magically.

A lovely morning, a glass of Madeira, a drenching near the church, and then on the 22 bus back down to sunny Funchal - where it promptly rained.

Extra - in England robins are cheeky and often tame but chaffinches are nervous. In Madeira it’s the reverse and my shot is of a chaffinch that wanted to join us.