We landed, flying through the same moist grey skies we thought (and hoped!) we had left behind! But there was a difference. It was significantly warmer!
Within a few hours we had sped along the motorway in a private taxi, been shown around the beautiful Reid’s hotel and settled into our room, overlooking the small harbour. Two huge cruise ships had docked and we were warned that Funchal would be very busy.
Funchal was very busy! The long walk down a winding road leading from the hotel stretched our legs and the mass of people filling the pavement coffee shops and bars made little difference to the colourful and exciting sights and sounds of this pretty little island 🌴. A huge hotel was under construction. The usual timeshare representatives offering ‘not to be missed’ special offers for ‘just a couple of hours of your valuable time’ was a slight irritation but we soon learned to rebuff or ignore.
Fitbit went to sleep happy that night and for the following four nights as my step count exceeded twenty thousand every day! We arranged two walks and hired a car for two days. And we walked and walked, every day, whether it was alongside ‘levadas’, up and down ridiculously steep Funchal streets or wandering around public gardens, museums and all the many places of interest Madeira has to offer!
And then I hurt my hip and caught a very bad cold! Everything was going so well and I was feeling great! The hip was the start. I climbed into a cable car, facing the wrong way. I turned around to watch the ride up the mountain and sat in that position for a about half an hour. The cable car slowed down but didn’t stop so I needed to step off smartly and with confidence. I could do that! But embarrassingly I couldn’t stand on my right leg! Luckily my husband alighted first so caught me as I fell unceremoniously into his arms.
There followed a painful walk around a lovely park and garden until the spasm in my hip gradually subsided. We decided to walk back to the hotel, which had been the plan over breakfast. We didn’t realise how steep the little streets were so the ‘easy’ stroll back to the hotel wasn’t ‘easy’ at all! Luckily my husband came to the rescue once more. My knees, old war wounds from the climb down Ben Nevis a few years ago, were not happy! Out came two bandages which made good knee straps and, with what can only be described as a crab-like gait, I survived the walk down the mountain to sit on the balcony outside our room hugging a cup of tea, glad to be back ‘home’.
It went downhill from there. The following morning we had arranged a 13.5 kilometre ‘levada’ walk. This is the irrigation system used in Madeira and you can follow these mini canals for miles up and down their mountains. The difficulty level was moderate. Not a problem. So I thought, until I awoke in the early hours of Friday morning feeling like a truck had driven over my chest! Every breath caused pain and I had a splitting headache. I had the flu jab in October so this surely couldn’t be flu? I tried the usual. Forget about it and it’ll go away!
Alas, a few hours later, staying in bed seemed the best option by far! When I tried to get up I couldn’t stand on my right leg and my laboured breathing made me sound like Darth Vader! My husband was still asleep, oblivious of a crippled old woman trying to get to the bathroom. I needed to take pain pills ASAP but had to eat something first. In the ‘welcome’ fruit basket was an old tangerine and an apple, both not very appetising. I peeled the tangerine, ate the few edible pieces and gulped down two tablets with the help of an ice cold bottle of apple juice.
And that got me through the next few hours! I took two more tablets five hours later, got back to the hotel early evening, had a hot bath, a pizza and went to bed! What joy! No bed had ever felt better!
The next two days I sat in a car watching the world go by, a large box of tissues and bottles of water strategically placed on the back seat, at my feet and on my lap. I felt very sorry for myself and even sorrier for my poor long-suffering husband as I shared my pain and discomfort every time we drove up and down mountains and my ears ‘popped’! Oh, the pain ….. 😩
But, life goes on. I survived. We’re back home and expecting a visit from good friends we haven’t seen for a couple of years. Nothing lasts forever, not the good nor the bad …….👠
Jenny Burrell 