Day 6 – Saturday 19th September 2009
After we had finished at the Tropical Gardens, we headed out into the village of Monte itself.
After walking for a few minutes, we rounded a corner and came face to face with this
This is “Igreja de Nossa Senhora do Monte”, or “The Church of Our Lady of Monte”.
There isn’t any particularly impressive history to go with this church, but I think it is a stunning piece of architecture.
One thing to note about this church is a procession that takes place here each year on 15th August. The penitents climb up the 74 steps on their knees to redeem their promises or to beg for something for beloved ones. Interesting, no?
There was a wedding going on whilst we were there, so we couldn’t take any pictures of the inside, but we had a good long look at the view towards Funchal and the ocean from the top of the stairs…
Next we walked around towards the only cafe we could find in Monte, to have a snack. On the way back, we came across this little beauty
Absolutely stunning – there are lovely little details like this throughout the village, it makes it that much more special and gives you another reason to be happy you visited!
Speaking of reasons to visit Monte, these guys are one of the main reasons a lot of tourists come here…
A tradition in Monte dating back to around 1850 is the toboggan rides. They were originally a fast means of transport for those wishing to head into Funchal. You travel at very fast speeds along narrow, winding roads in a two-seater wicker sledge. Two men go with each of the sledges, standing on the back and steering as you go, then braking with their rubber souled boots where necessary. The downhill journey to Funchal is made in about 10 minutes on a total course of 2 km, reaching at times a speed of around 48 km/hour.
Needless to say, we didn’t take a ride on one. I hold my hands up and declare myself “chicken”. Although I didn’t much fancy the alternative, either – the cable car. But that’s where we headed next, and went on back down to Funchal.
After catching the bus back to the apartment, we cooked dinner and then sat back and watched one of the most amazing sunsets I’ve ever had the privilege of seeing…
- posted on 25/07/2010 10:18:14