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Warm-weather tobogganing in Madeira
By JAMES PETTICAN For downhill runs on the island of Madeira, wicker is quicker. Madeira, in addition to its wine, is famous for its wickerwork, now used to create what are said to be the only wicker toboggans in the world.
The only slow thing about the ride was the hour-plus waiting time to try it; it has become a popular attraction. We shared the road downhill with car and truck traffic, which seemed to be of no concern to anyone, except maybe us. Before the advent of motor vehicles, the sleds were used to haul lumber and other products down the mountainsides. Now, the sleds carry passengers only. We stopped at Madeira, 700 miles southwest of Portugal, during our April trans-Atlantic cruise aboard the Crown Odyssey of Orient Lines. The island has been an Atlantic crossroads almost since its discovery in 1419 by Portugal's Prince Henry the Navigator. Henry colonized the island and also planted grapevines and sugar cane. They proved to be the right ingredients for one of the world's most famous wines, which comes in several varieties. With its year-round springtime climate, Madeira was a favorite way station for merchants and sailors traveling among Africa, India and Europe. Funchal, where we docked, is the principal city of the four-island archipelago (only two are inhabited). As we discovered, Funchal is vertical: Every road, except for the attractive seafront promenade, goes up and down the mountain that surrounds the city. Funchal's main street is quite steep and is divided in the middle by a mountain stream confined to a concrete channel visible a few feet below street level. Our island bus rides proved exciting, as we negotiated sharp curves on narrow mountain roads. Our first stop after a steep climb was the 18th-century Church of Our Lady of the Mountains. Inside the church, said to be built over the remains of a 15th century chapel, is the tomb of Austria's last emperor, Charles IV, who died and was buried on the island in 1922. After our toboggan ride, we visited one of the wicker factories in Camacha, where island craftsmen create more baskets and furniture than anyone could count. The industry was introduced to the island by an English entrepreneur in the 19th century. Madeira is also well known for its hand-embroidered linen. A new cable car ride to the top of the mountain passes above homes, but still so close that I wondered if the residents must close their drapes or blinds. We also visited Camara de Lobos, west of Funchal on the island's Atlantic coast; this was one of Sir Winston Churchill's favorite vacation spots during the 1940s and '50s. The town's red-tile-roofed houses and its brightly colored fishing boats provided the inspiration for some of his paintings. -- Retired journalist James Pettican lives in Palm Harbor.
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From the Times Travel page
From the AP |
