A visit to Madeira won't be complete without spending some time looking around the charming and bustling capital of the island - Funchal.
For plant lovers (and tourists in general), one of the first port of call is city's main market Mercado Dos Lavradores. It can come across as very touristy but it still is a living and breathing market used by the locals which in turn attracts tourists to have a look at.
And they do cater to tourists too of course, especially the charming plant stalls by the entrance that sell plants, seeds, and bulbs in various sizes including small ones convenient for taking back home as souvenirs (local customs permitting).
Fruits, vegetables, spices,and sea foods can also be bought there, as expected from a traditional market.
And of course more plants on the second level...
After having a quick look around the market off we went exploring the center of Funchal. Here are a few snippets:
And to finish off our amble we had a stroll at the Jardim Municipal right in the middle of the old quarter and having exotic plant specimens that notably old too.
Our amble in Funchal are by no means finished. We still have at least two more 'gardens' in the city center to check out before we wrap up our visit to this lovely island.
Mark :-)