Today Could not have been more of a contrast to yesterday. The sky was clear and blue and the sun was shining when we got up. After breakfast we decided to go for a walk up in the mountains. We caught the bus for a 45 minute trip up through Funchal, round hairpin bends and through a couple of lush wooded valleys. Unsure how the bus driver kept the vehicle on the road at such speeds, we just hung on and enjoyed the view! Our walk started with a detour to a viewpoint looking down into Nuns Valley where we Could see the destination of our walk about a mile below in the valley. A charming English lady asked us about our walk and, after a short conversation, we invited her to join us, which she did. It turned out she was staying on the island for a month and was in her 70s though she did not look it, and she kept up a good pace on the walk. What the walk lacked in length it made up for in spectacle and sheer breathtaking beauty. It was only about 1.5 miles but down a very steep winding path of steps made of edge-on stones, each step having a rounded edge which we named mougle steps after the mougle fields on ski slopes. At times the path became the river bed and at other times we Could have had a natural shower under crystal springs cascading from the sheer rocks above our heads. Yesterday's rain (5 3/4 inches in one day!) created waterfalls and springs every inch of the way down the path. The views were fantastic and the walk exhilarating. After a coffee and half a slice of chestnut cake we got the bus back to Funchal. As the sun was still hot we took our books up onto the sun terrace for an hour of sun worship. Just been out for supper and now ready for bed!
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