Category: Portugal Page 21 of 24
We have taken the bus up to Parque do Monte – 670m above sea level. Being a bus driver in this city needs special skills and strong nerves. The bus ride was adventure enough for us and therefore we preferred to walk back into town. By chance we ended up on the track the toboggans are heading downwards on these absolute steep gradients, which are getting a bit painful in the knees to walk after a few kilometres. It basically is the shortest straight line down from 670m towards the sea. However, we got a good impression on the outskirts of Funchal city.
I know Funchal and perhaps Madeira is nothing for puppy riders like myself but I had to give it a try this morning. In need for an ewer I went to the next hardware store but nothing is flat here on this island. Keeping my heartbeat under control as long as possible, finally I had to push the bike some stretch of the track as 18% uphill gradient is simply too much for fitness score. Nevertheless the downhill was great and I will have a chance to practice my climbing skills over the weeks to come…😉