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500 vertical metres above Funchal is a mountaintop district called Monte. We got a taxi up there, but there is also a modern gondola.

Monte’s altitude means it’s quite a bit cooler than the port in summer, and this made it an attractive place for the wealthy to build summer residences. There is a modest church.

And a very grand one, this is the Church of Our Lady of the Mount, built by Adão Gonçalves Ferreira in 1471.

The interior is very ornate.

We had a good look around at the grand houses and the even grander views down to the port. There is a novel option for getting back down. Toboggans made from wicker are driven by 2 drivers called Carreiros. They wear rubber soled boots in order that they can slow the toboggan on its perilous descent back towards Funchal.

Almost incredibly, the toboggan run is a public road, shared with cars, buses and pedestrians. They go at quite a speed around the many hairpin bends.

The toboggans were originally devised as a method of rapid transit between Monte and Funchal in the 19th century. A recent CNN news report called the route ‘one of the world’s coolest commutes’.

We opted to walk down, stopping at a roadside Cantinho for a drink on the way. Another lovely sunny day on this beautiful island.

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Our usual pub was closed last night, so we tried another one across the road. It’s called The Local.

They like football in here, and there’s an impressive display of memorabilia from around Europe.

This morning we awoke to another lovely day, so we’re off to explore Funchal’s Old Town. On the way there we pass the cruise ship terminal. There are three big liners in, which means the town is going to be busy.

The Old Town is attractive and mercifully quiet.

If you live in the Old Town, a local artist will adorn your front door with a painting. This initiative was started by the artists in 2011 and is run in coordination with the city council.

Some of the paintings are really good.

Ducks enjoying the fountain in the park.

Funchal cathedral dates back to 1493.

Another elegant building, the Portuguese National Bank.

We paused at the bakery and enjoyed ice cream for lunch. Val has a yoga class this afternoon.

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A lovely dinner last night, paella followed by crepes suzette, the latter was swimming in Madeira wine and flamed with Grand Marnier. Delicious!

This morning we’re having a walk along the coast towards a village called Porto de Câmara. Madeira is an ancient volcano, so most of the rocks are black. It follows that the sand on the beach is the same colour – it’s like the surface of the moon.

Anyhow, we had a good walk of about 8 miles, followed by a nice (and well earned) lunch back here in Funchal.

Our hotel has a rooftop bar, which has great views over the city and the harbour.

The hotel organises lots of activities, so Val will be doing a Pilates class later.

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We’re getting a bit weary of the British weather lately, not to mention our solicitor’s slowness in completing the purchase of our new place in Shrewsbury. Our pals Hayley and Paul had a holiday to Madeira last week and pronounced it excellent, so without further ado we booked the same hotel. We arrived yesterday afternoon. The hotel is a smart 4 star a little way from the island’s capital, Funchal. View from our balcony.

Madeira has a nice climate all year round, though there is more rain in the winter months. This morning it was decidedly wet, but we had a stroll into the city. It’s very nice, with lots of formal gardens.

We came across a bar which has a namesake in Wengen. On the Rocks.

Funchal has a busy port and a big marina.

Eventually the rain gave way to strong sunshine. Last night we popped into a local pub for dinner, and we visited it again for lunch today.

Now we need to choose somewhere to eat tonight from the hundreds of places that Funchal has to offer.

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It’s Saturday, and we’re meeting our buddies the Norths for a night out. We started at the White Hart, which was predictably busy, and we were lucky to find a free table. We followed this up with a really good curry at the East End Balti, before walking round the corner to Jaspers. Selfie time!

Top night out.

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My mum passed away recently. Now that most of the paperwork is done, we can relax a bit. We had a big party for the whole family at the Gaskell Arms in Much Wenlock.

We stayed overnight and enjoyed a lovely Shropshire breakfast this morning before departing for our various homes around the midlands. A very good send-off for my mum.

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Off to Wellington last night with our buddies the Norths. Beers, Curry and more beers.

Great night out, slow start this morning.