Madeira

Our first stop on the cruise was the beautiful island of Madeira. In the past, we have typically planned our cruise excursions pretty well and we rarely take the ship excursions. With little kids, we prefer to do things on our own schedule and be done when we want to be done. This time around, we didn't do a ton of planning and so we decided to just take each port as it came and figure it out. 

Madeira had a cable car that goes from the coast up the mountain to the town of Monte, so we decided to walk to that and take a ride up. On the way, we turned down numerous taxi drivers offering their tour services. After turning down at least 10 people, we decided to rethink our plan. We met a very nice driver named Nuno and decided we could see more with him. So, we jumped into his car and off we went. It was a great decision - he was a great tour guide and so kind. We saw so much more of the lovely island than we would have otherwise, and of course the kids are always happy to jump into a taxi instead of have to walk. 

We couldn't resist taking advantage of the top tourist attraction in Madeira. Basically, you climb in a wicker basket that has rails attached. 2 guys with break pads on their shoes give you a push and then jump on board, and the basket heads 2 km downhill. The guys jump off to slow you down or steer as needed. It was a little scary, and probably not the safest thing we have ever done, but also tons of fun with squeals of delight from all of us. 

We also enjoyed the new glass platform in Madeira. What a view - straight down!!