The Flying Lentil The log of Festina Lente, Sigma 38

From Walking in Madeira

We have now spent 11 nights at a charming little place called  Marina Quinto do Lorde. I never thought I would write a sentence like that as I have a definite love hate relationship with Marinas (I love being able to leave the boat in safety – I hate paying out loadsa dosh and living in what is usually a pretty grotty environment)  but this place has a huge charm, largely due to the people who work here but also because the architecture is again – well, charming. Thats a pretty stiff statement  considering 2/3 rds of it is a building site – but they are constructing a whole village (including church) which will tumble down a little valley to where the new harbour lies under an extraordinary sandstone cliff in multiple  hues from yellow through deep ochre to reds  purple and slate.  I am nearly as reactionary as Prince Charles when it comes to architecture and “developments” – but I wish them well with this one.

Fot the second time  on our trip we have stayed put for a while, met some really nice people and continued our mission to get fit. We have revelled in all sorts of different Madeiran landscapes, from their extraordinary “vertical” agriculture on the steep valley sides to trails along the levada network  and enthralling cliffside walks. We could easily stay for longer, and once more we have those conflicting emotions of partly wanting to put down some roots, and partly getting twitchy to go further South. The migration instinct is winning and we intend leaving tonight, although there is hardly any wind.

We have permission to visit the Selvagen islands (what the old sailors would have called the “Dry Selvages”) – wild , uninhabited and 150 miles from anywhere. That would need benign conditions, but after that its Graciosa – a little island to the North of  Lanzarote and about 270 miles from here as the crow flies. I dont suppose we will have internet access (add that to the “love” side of the marina equation) but hopefully we wont have the mooring fees either.