Eye to Eye

More positives than negatives today, you’ll be pleased to hear! The sun is shining, it’s relatively warm and we go out for an evening birthday celebration of my oldest (10 days younger than me!)  and best friend Shan’s birthday - which also involves a Blipmeet with Gasman 

The birthday meal takes place in a wonderful fish restaurant above the picturesque fishing port of Camera de Lobos. It’s one of those places where you wander up to the counter where the freshest of fish are displayed for you to choose. There are many weird and wonderful specimens - and I wish I’d photographed them - but six of us all go for sea bass, one other opting for tuna. They’re generous fish, enough for two, so we are each served half, simply but beautifully grilled.  We all agree it’s the best sea bass we’ve ever tasted! There’s a selection of vegetables and salads served alongside, including sweet potato with molasses- a combination I’ve only ever cme across here but one I sometimes prepare at home. 

Now from all this you can tell I’m feeling better - thankfully - though I’ve yet to feel completely back to normal. 

I’d hoped to actually make it down into Funchal town today, but slow progress with lots of stops ends in a taxi ride back to the hotel before we’ve got that far. Still, resting in the park gives me the opportunity to photograph some lizards.  I’ve always loved reptiles and find them both beautiful and fascinating.  Of course, the slightest movement sets them scuttling away into vegetation or the nearest crevice. And I’ve only got my 50mm prime lens with me - optimistically thinking of managing some street photography. Still, settling on a bench in the sunshine, I’m able to surreptitiously move closer and closer in order to get a reasonable shot. 

Most of the lizards here are brown, but there are some slightly larger green ones - though I think they may all be variations of Madeiran Wall Lizards. And it’s the green ones that are more photogenic - one of which forms my main today, eyeing me suspiciously from his basking spot in the sun. 

And there’s a couple of extras: the group of us in Camera de Lobos, and a rather lovely closeup of blipper Gasman and Mrs GM.